List of Dystopian Comics
"Blame!" is Japanese dystopian cyberpunk Manga created by the artist Tsutomu Nihei. This dark vision of future descripts the world in which renegade machines continued to expand the structure known only as Megastructure. The only hope of stopping this never-ending process and the violent AI subroutines that guard its central core is the quest of the lonely protagonist Killy - search for the long lost original strand of human DNA.
"20th Century Boys" is the Japanese science fiction-mystery manga created by Naoki Urasawa. In the second part of its story, former Japanese cult leader called "Friend" managed to gain control over the entire world.
"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" by Frank Miller and many other works in Batman franchise are centered on the setting of the dark, gritty and dystopian Gotham City. There, crime is seemingly never-ending and the countless Supervillians constantly manage to escape authorities, wreak havoc and spread corruption.
"Akira" is an award winning cyberpunk manga series by Japanese comic book writer and film director Katsuhiro Otomo. Its story follows the group of several people in the dystopian post-nuclear city of Tokyo, and describes the themes of youth alienation, government corruption, superhuman powers and mostly societal pressuresand political machination.
"Appleseed" is a cyberpunk manga by Masamune Shirow (later on adapted to several other TV and videogame projects) that focused its storyline on members of the futuristic police team ESWAT, and their adventures filled with the elements of politics, philosophy, and sociology.
"Battle Angel Alita" is the cyberpunk manga series by Yukito Kishiro. It follows the life of the almost destroyed cyborgAlita, who wakes up in the dark post-apocalyptic future where she tries to remember her past life.
"Eden: It's an Endless World" is a manga by Japanese artist Hiroki Endo. It follows the events in the near future Earth, after the unknown pandemic virus killed 15% of humanpopulation, seriously wounded much more and upset entire world political balance.
"Fist of the North Star" (also known as Hokuto no Ken) Japanese manga series written by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. Set in the post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland world, it follows the adventure of Kenshiro, deadly warrior who dedicated his life for the protection of innocents against endless hordes of violent ravagers and other skilled warriors.
"Ghost in the Shell" is a manga series created by the Japanese artist Masamune Shirow, which produced successful franchise of films, TV series and videogames. It follows the adventures of the police counter-terrorist organization in the environment of the futuristic, cyberpunk Japan, which was besieged by the various forms of hostile AI intelligences, cyber terrorist attacks and more.
"Wanted" is a comic book written by Mark Millar. Set in a world where secret societies of superhuman assassins rule the world, this six issue comic book storyline follows a young protagonist who discovers that he is the heir of one of the world's most deadly assassins.
"The Incal" is a French comic book series by Moebius and Alexandro Jodorowsky. It describes the life of several characters that live in fictional futuristic universe called "Jodoverse". This dark dystopian setting is filled themes of space opera adventures, metaphysics, and satire. One of the most popular spinoffs of this franchise is comic book that chronicles multi-generational saga of the universes greatest warriors - Metabarons.
"Judge Dredd" is a comic book character in a popular British science fiction anthology magazine "2000 AD". As a member of the extreme group of law enforcement officers, Dredd fights against endless waves of criminals in one of the last surviving human cities on nuclear ravaged Earth - Megacity One. Empowered with the rights of police, judge, jury and executioner, Dredd and his fellow squad members roam the vast labyrinths of this dystopian dark city.
"Marshal Law" is an American comic book created by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill. It's extremely violent storyline follows the events in the in the post post-earthquake San Francisco. Ravaged by the numerous superhuman gangs, the last of the city lies in the hands of government-sanctioned vigilante called Marshall Law.
Nikopol Trilogy is a comic book series created by the Yugoslavian/French artist Enki Bilal. Separated in the three main storylines, this comic book depicts the dark dystopian future in which few Parisian resistance members fight against fascist dictatorship.
"Ruins" is an American comic written by Warren Ellis. Conceived as a dark parody of the modern superhero comic, Ruins follows the alternative dystopian retelling of many superhero origins. Instead of gaining superpowers, many heroes instead received horrible deformities and painful deaths.
"Transmetropolitan" is an American comic written by Warren Ellis. Set in the overcrowded futuristic, dystopian, post-cyberpunk city, it follows the life of the journalist "Spider Jerusalem" who writes about the various aspects of this dark environment.
"V for Vendetta" is a comic series written by Alan Moore. It follows the life of the mysterious anarchist vigilante called "V", and his quest to avenge the events from his pasts and bring down totalitarian government which rules over entire United Kingdom.
"Watchmen" is a comic book series written also by Alan Moore. Set in the alternative dystopian New York City, set after the time when the superheroes helped America to win the war in the Vietnam. Its main storyline follows the life of several vigilante crime fighters in the height of greatly escalated Cuban Missile Crisis, who found themselves being prosecuted by the public.
"Y: The Last Man" is a dystopian comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. It follows the life of Yorick Brown, the only surviving male human in the world that was plagued with a virus that instantaneously killed every male mammal on a planet.
"X-Men" series of superhero comics featured several storylines that focused on dystopian societies. "The Age of Apocalypse" described the story of the dystopian alternate world in which young Professor Charles Xavier was killed before becoming friends with Magneto. This event enabled Magneto to form X-men team himself, which led to the eventual destruction to humankind. "Days of Future Past" tells the story of Sentinels robots that enslave the human race. This timeline was erased by the time traveling efforts of mutant Kitty Pride.
