5 Of The Best Music/Comic Book Crossovers

The history of music crossing over into comic books goes back to the very beginnings of pop music. While many of the early examples were simply extensions of commercial merchandising, in modern times this crossover genre has thrived with stories and visuals that really engage with the spirit of the music. Here are 5 of the best examples of music/comic book crossovers.

The Fifth Beatle (Dark Horse Comics)

The story of Brian Epstein is fascinating, and this graphic novel tells it in a way that fully focuses on the manager responsible for so much of The Beatles’ success. The novel has a balance of historical accuracy and narrative freedom that makes it both exciting and informative. A New York Times bestseller with multiple awards and a television adaptation in the works, the tale that the writers have crafted has already gained a big audience that looks set to reach out even further.

The Amory Wars (Boom Studio)

The Amory Wars is an example of music and graphic novels being intricately entwined. Written by Coheed & Cambria's lead singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez, The Amory Wars is an intricate sci-fi adventure told through a set of visually stimulating graphic novels as well as Coheed & Cambria's shimmering melodic metal. Together, across three volumes of graphic novels and eight of the band's nine studio albums, the narrative develops into a truly unique work that transcends the restrictions of both mediums.

Metalocalypse: Dethklok (Dark Horse Comics)

Like a death metal version of Gorillaz, Dethklok are a cartoon band that morphed into a real live band that blurs the line between reality and fiction. Influenced by rock-umentary classic This Is Spinal Tap, Metalocalypse was a brilliantly comedic animated TV show that followed the exploits of a band who seem to be inept at anything other than playing metal. The comic book series that followed is equally hilarious and feels like a naturally authentic follow on to a cult success.

Monk!: Thelonious, Pannonica, and the Friendship Behind a Musical Revolution (First Second Books)

There aren't too many jazz influenced graphic novels, but the dark and moody atmosphere of the New York bebop scene suits the medium well, as proven by this biographical tale of Thelonious Monk and Pannonica de Koenigswarter. A British member of the Rothschild aristocratic family, Pannonica was also one of the biggest patrons of the bebop jazz revolution, and her intriguing relationship with jazz legend Monk is brilliantly told here. The story tackles pre-conceived notions of societal divisions in a way that is truly thought provoking even if you're not into jazz.

The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys (Dark Horse Comics)

It's unsurprising that Gerard Way, the creator of The Umbrella Academy, would also make a brilliant comic book for his band too. My Chemical Romance's thematically wild follow up album to Welcome To The Black Parade wasn't as commercially successful, but the story of Danger Days is far more conceptually complete. It's depicted even better in The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys graphic novel series, which features the rock'n'roll anti-heroes fighting against corporate overlords in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future. It sounds pretty thrilling, and in print the Killjoys universe really comes alive.