Where to Start Reading Charles Burns
For those new to the dark, stark, and meticulously detailed universe of Charles Burns, there is one undisputed entry point: Black Hole. Published as a collected graphic novel in 2005 after a decade of serialization, this award-winning masterpiece encapsulates everything that makes Burns a cult legend. It is a self-contained story that perfectly balances his signature body horror, teenage anxiety, and stunning high-contrast chiaroscuro art style.
However, if you want to sample his shorter, pulpier, and more comedic early works before tackling a massive epic, El Borbah is the ideal alternative. For readers who prefer an atmospheric, surreal, and non-linear puzzle that pays homage to classic European comics like Tintin, starting directly with the Last Look trilogy is a fantastic path.
The Masterpiece: Black Hole (2005)
Originally serialized in twelve individual comic issues between 1995 and 2005, Black Hole is a landmark in graphic literature. Set in suburban Seattle during the mid-1970s, it follows a group of high school students who contract a mysterious, sexually transmitted disease known simply as "the bug," which causes bizarre physical mutations. Instead of focusing on sci-fi action, Burns uses the plague as a haunting metaphor for the alienation, sexual dread, and physical transition of adolescence. It is a standalone work that requires no prior reading, making it the perfect introduction to his style.
The "Last Look" Trilogy
Between 2010 and 2016, Burns released a trilogy of graphic novels that represents some of his most personal and surreal storytelling. The narrative follows Doug, a young punk rock performer dealing with severe trauma, who slips between his grim reality and a bizarre, dreamlike fantasy world inhabited by a character named Nitnit (a clear nod to Hergé's Tintin).
The Reading Order for the Last Look Trilogy:
- X'ed Out (2010) – Introduces Doug, his dream state, and the mysterious alien landscape.
- The Hive (2012) – Expands on the dream world and Doug's memory of his past relationship with Sarah.
- Sugar Skull (2014) – The devastating conclusion that ties the dream world and reality together.
- Last Look (2016) – The single-volume collected edition compiling all three books into one continuous story.
Note for Readers: It is highly recommended to purchase the collected Last Look edition, as the story is designed to be read as a unified work. Reading the three individual volumes separately can make the non-linear timelines and dream logic harder to parse.
The Universe Companion Books
Burns has released two highly sought-after art books that exist in the exact same narrative universe as the Last Look trilogy. While not required to understand the core story, they deepen the lore and atmosphere for dedicated fans:
- Johnny 23 (2010) – A limited-edition "bootleg" remix of X'ed Out. It features rearranged panels and text written entirely in an invented alien alphabet.
- Vortex (2016) – A companion art book collecting illustrations, fake comic covers, and sketches detailing the alien landscape and language of the trilogy.
Early Works: Big Baby and El Borbah
Before achieving mainstream literary acclaim with Black Hole, Burns spent the 1980s and early 1990s creating shorter serialized strips, many of which were published in Art Spiegelman's avant-garde magazine, RAW. These stories were later collected into thematic anthologies:
El Borbah (1999)
This volume collects the noir-inspired exploits of El Borbah, a 400-pound, masked luchador detective who investigates bizarre, sci-fi crimes. These stories are much more comedic and pulpy than Burns' later work, though they retain his signature grotesque character designs. The collection includes the material originally published in the 1988 book Hardboiled Defective Stories.
Big Baby (1991 / 2000)
Centering on Tony Delmonte—a young, TV-obsessed boy with an overactive imagination living in a paranoid 1950s suburbia—this collection explores the horror of everyday suburban life. The character first appeared in strips like Curse of the Molemen (1991). The stories blend B-movie monster fears with real-world threats, featuring the short story "Teen Plague," which acted as a thematic test run for Black Hole.
Skin Deep: Tales of Doomed Romance (2001)
A collection of three twisted love stories, including the popular "Dog Boy" strips. It showcase Burns' ability to blend 1950s romance comic tropes with unsettling body transformations.
The Latest Era: Final Cut (2024)
In 2024, Burns released Final Cut, a haunting graphic novel about an obsessive young filmmaker named Jack, a mysterious girl named Coco, and a backyard sci-fi film project. The book is heavily inspired by Burns' own youth and his love for classic monster movies.
Publication History Note: For international readers, Final Cut was originally published in French by Éditions Cornélius as a trilogy titled Dédales (released in three volumes between 2019 and 2023). The English edition published by Pantheon Books compiles all three volumes into a single, comprehensive graphic novel. English readers do not need to seek out the individual French volumes, as the 2024 English release contains the complete story.
Complete Publication and Collection Checklist
The Main Graphic Novels
- Hardboiled Defective Stories (1988) – Early El Borbah detective strips.
- Curse of the Molemen (1991) – The debut of the Big Baby character.
- El Borbah (1999) – The complete collection of the Luchador detective stories.
- Skin Deep: Tales of Doomed Romance (2001) – Anthropomorphic and surreal romance short stories.
- Black Hole (2005) – The complete 12-issue masterpiece collection.
- Last Look (2016) – The omnibus edition collecting the trilogy of X'ed Out, The Hive, and Sugar Skull.
- Final Cut (2024) – The compiled edition of the Dédales trilogy.
Art and Illustration Books
- Facetasm (1997) – A split-page, mix-and-match book of grotesque faces co-created with Gary Panter.
- One Eye (2007) – A collection of photography, illustrations, and commercial art.
- Permagel (2008) – A French-release art book showcasing black-and-white drawings.
- Johnny 23 (2010) – Alien-language bootleg companion to the Last Look universe.
- Vortex (2016) – Full-color companion art book to the Last Look universe.