[the Platinum Poppy]

Many people recommend Watchmen as some kind of introduction to comics, simply because it's a great book... I have the feeling I wouldn't have gotten as much out of it as I did if I hadn't read tons and tons of old superhero comics before. But perhaps I'm the only one who thinks so?
On the topic of Alan Moore, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is extremely funny, but I think one should have read quite a lot of the victorian classics that he builds on to appreciate it fully...

Someone mentioned fellow swede Max Andersson... He's done a lot of great stuff, I love Pixy for example.
And on the topic of "weird stuff", the Filth may be the best book Grant Morrisson ever did.

I recently read Superman birthright, it's basically Superman's origin set in modern times and very well done, I really liked it. Another great Superman book is the elseworlds story Superman Red Son.