This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Comics not in Diamond’s top 100 sellers for September

This week we’re going to be looking at a list of comics that are all fantastic, but don’t get the attention that they deserve. Now I’m not even going to pretend to have a definitively exhaustive list of underrated comics here, because we’re hoping  that you decide to check at least one of these series out next time you’re looking for something new either online or at your LCS, and giving you a huge list to check out would be counter productive to that. Instead, you’ll find four to six comics that are worth your attention that failed to crack the top 100 in sales. The only hard stipulation for this week: not one of the comics made it into the top 100 for July’s comic sales, according to Comichron, which is why they’re Underrated.

Fence #10 (Boom! Studios)
September Sales Rank/Units Sold: 378/2,109 
Why You Should Read It: I was drawn to this book initially because of the fencing, but have stayed because of the rich characterization, the compelling story that doesn’t have a real villain, and the inclusive themes that run throughout the book. That so few people are reading it is a real shame.

Beasts Of Burden: Wise Dogs and Elditch Men #2 (Dark Horse)
September Sales Rank/Units Sold: 257/5,373
Why You Should Read It: An odd blend between the cutesy idea of talking animals and supernatural horror, Beasts of Burden is one of the best, and most consistently underrated comics around.

X-O  Manowar #19 (Valiant)
September Sales Rank/Units Sold: 210/8,257
Why You Should Read It: A warrior lost as he comes to terms with the fact his world moved on, and a soldier looking to prove her worth. And a comic that explores the relationship between two allies as they confront a strange alien craft. A fantastic jumping on point fornew  readers

Burnouts #1 (Image)
September Sales Rank/Units Sold: 197/9,346
Why You Should Read It: The kind of comic you can turn your brain off with and just enjoy each and every page of this strung out comic where only those totally  inebriated can see the aliens invading our planet.

Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #23 (Marvel)
September Sales Rank/Units Sold: 156/12,680
Why You Should Read It: I am an unabashed fan of the Scarlet Spider. Kaine, more than Ben Reilly, if we’re being honest. And because of the title I actually bypassed this book for some time untill I realized that Kaine seemed to fequently appear in the series, so being the fan I am I grabbed the first comic I saw in the series and was surprised to find that in this book Ben isn’t the good-two-shoes that I remembered him being. There’s an interesting dynamic between the two Parker clones as they both try to redeem themelves (one by killing the other after he saves a child).

Unless the comics industry ceases any and all publication look for a future installment of Underrated to cover more comics that aren’t cracking the top 100.