Comics, etc.

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I used to be a huge comic collecter a while ago (geez, 8 years now?). Way back when all the 2099 series were out was when I would read anything I could get my hands on. I've lapsed since, but I'm starting to pick it back up now, mainly with trade paperbacks so that I can get whole storylines without waiting or spending oodles of cash.

Can anyone recommend to me the series I absolutely MUST have or read while I'm getting back into it?

While we're at it, what are your favorite series or storylines of all time?

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but here's a thread from some time back that talked about almost the same thing.

http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/13434

Fables. Fables is teh awesome.

And, this goes without saying, The Sandman.

Thanks, I'll have to read through that all and soak up the knowledge. It sounds like a few more of us have joined besides myself, so if you didn't voice your opinion in the linked thread above, please add it now.

Vigilante which is on 4 of a 6 book series and Desolation Jones which is a monthly.

Oh, forgot DMZ. DMZ is about a journalist stranded in New York durring a new civil war. Great book.

KaterinLHC wrote:

Fables. Fables is teh awesome.

And, this goes without saying, The Sandman.

Neil Gaiman is the man.

Aight, after a quick read through, my current list is...

Bone
Fables
Sandman
Y:Last Man Standing

Any of these particularly hard to come by, like, I shouldn't even bother checking my comic place?

(I picked up Powers a while ago and really like it, I'll check out more of the series after I've seen a couple others...)

Anything written by Alan Moore.

Jolly Bill wrote:

Aight, after a quick read through, my current list is...

Bone
Fables
Sandman
Y:Last Man Standing

Any of these particularly hard to come by, like, I shouldn't even bother checking my comic place?

(I picked up Powers a while ago and really like it, I'll check out more of the series after I've seen a couple others...)

Not really. The other thread mentions the Bone one volume edition, all 1000+ pages of the series in one huge paperback for about 30 bucks, which is a steal. Trust me, I have almost every single issue, so multiply that by 3 bucks each, and you'll see how I wasted my childhood.

With the rest the complete series are available in tpb's, or the series isn't finished and the tpb's are still coming out. I can't speak for every Barnes and Noble, but most of them have the Sandman, and my store has all of these particular titles in stock.

Honestly, I've skimmed through the other thread and it's pretty thorough. The only addendum I would make is that Marvel and DC long ago stopped being worth reading (exception for DC Vertigo, and a few imprints of both companies). The characters have nowhere left to go, they've been written to death (often literally), and it's just reached a point where there will never be another Dark Knight Returns for any of the mainstream superheroes.

The thing is, questions like "What's a good book/comic/movie/anime/album?" are too vague, because you don't give the person being questioned any insight at all as to the types of things you like. I think people often fail to understand all these things are mediums, not genres. It's not like asking, "Hey, what's a good crime drama that is capable of making a Baldwin actually seem cool and a decent actor?"

So I guess what I'm asking, is what are the types of things you like? As someone who works in a bookstore, making reccomendations becomes a sore subject because people will ask, "What's a good book?", refuse to give you any more information, and when you actually put some amount of effort into selling them on a truly interesting novel, they kind of nod, smile, and then when you're not looking hide it and pick up the latest Grisham/Patterson/Nora Roberts formula novel. Another thing to consider would be your budget (don't laugh, comics are an expensive habit, I had to give them up awhile ago. Financially, it's worse than smoking.) Some of these are one volume (Watchmen, Bone), some are 12 (The Sandman), and some are ongoing. I love Powers, but it's up to 9 volumes and they cost 15-20 bucks each. The costs of trades are idiotic right now. Powers volume 1 is over 20 dollars, and it collects six issues, which averages out to paying about $3.60 for each issue, which means you saved a total of 30 cents an issue if you didn't collect it in singles. Granted, they're probably worth more now, but there should be a much greater level of savings for tpb's. Some of the Marvel ones are even worse, collecting 2-3 issues for 15 dollars.

A semi-tangent to that, you'd be amazed how many people will ask, "What kind of book will my child/boyfriend/niece/etc. like?" and then when you ask, "What types of things do they like?" will give you a blank stare. Because obviously I shouldn't expect them to know even the most basic details of their loved ones and everyone within a certain gender or age range will be exactly the same.

Back to the thread topic, Warlock, if you're reading this, "X" X (Earth, Universe, Paradise, etc.) are not worth bothering with. I had nearly all of them, and I sold them off for around 50 cents an issue. The artwork is amazing, but the stories aren't interesting at all, and I ended up flipping through to look at the pictures once when I first bought them, and then letting them collect dust in the closet.

In the interest of actually making a reccomendation, Watchmen, which is mentioned several times, is comic book royalty. Barnes and Noble or Border's almost always have a copy in stock, and it should be at the very top of any required comic book reading list.

I used to be a big X-Men reader. Around the Fatal Attractions and Age of Apocalypse story arcs.

I recently started reading some X-Men comics again in Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men book. I am far from a Joss freak (dig the Firefly stuff, but besides that, meh), but these books are great.

I do want to find a few books (even *gasp* branching away from the convoluted web of X-books!) that I enjoy reading regularly. The problem with me and comic books is that I always *hate* jumping into something that's halfway in. It was nice with Astonishing X-Men in that I could go start at #1 and catch up to the present, being only #12.

I do want to find a few books (even *gasp* branching away from the convoluted web of X-books!) that I enjoy reading regularly. The problem with me and comic books is that I always *hate* jumping into something that's halfway in. It was nice with Astonishing X-Men in that I could go start at #1 and catch up to the present, being only #12.

I'm the same way, Legion. Of course, the downside of that mentality (maybe not for you, but for me) is that I buy just about any #1 issue I see, hoping it'll turn out to be cool. And a lot of the time, it sucks (ahem... New X-Men Academy) or gets cancelled.

That said, I still read a lot of comics. Infinite Crisis just started, and if you're a DC fan, it's a pretty big deal. Also, in the X-World we just got done with the House of M business (which was, overall, good) and are now into the Decimation and "The 198!" aftermath of what the Scarlet Witch did. If you're not reading these, just think Mutants and Decimation and 198, and you'll get the picture. Some pretty interesting stuff (X-Factor, Son of M, etc.) buried in the 12 X-books that are coming out every week.

Ultimate Extinction just started as well, and should be cool. Whether you're familiar with that universe or not (black Nick Cage, alcoholic Thor, etc) it's the coming of Galactus (Gah Lak Tus, I suppose) in the Ultimates Universe. And Captain Mahr Vell is pretty badass.

Warlock wrote:

I'm the same way, Legion. Of course, the downside of that mentality (maybe not for you, but for me) is that I buy just about any #1 issue I see, hoping it'll turn out to be cool. And a lot of the time, it sucks (ahem... New X-Men Academy) or gets cancelled.

That's kinda what happened to me. Like I said, I jumped in around the 2099 series, which had some cool stories and fairly bland artwork, and when almost all of them got cancelled, I just didn't really have any interest in checking out new stuff.

That said, I still read a lot of comics. Infinite Crisis just started, and if you're a DC fan, it's a pretty big deal.

Is that different from Infinity Crisis (with the gauntlet and everything) and Crisis on Infinite Earths? Does DC just really like those two words?

To unntrlaffinity: Sorry, I know that can be frustrating. I have pretty diverse tastes, so the question was more of a "what do you think is a good comic?" I prefer good plot and writing to good art, especially if the art gets so busy, gothic, or just downright bad that it distracts from what's going on in the plot. I like plotlines that leave you guessing, and not just with cliffhangers. Quirky or different art/drawing styles draw my eye (I'm really looking forward to Bone, with everything that was said about it).

I do have to say, even though I've only picked up the first paperback in the Powers series, I liked it. Maybe that means I'll shell out the money for the rest when I get a chance. I can't remember the name right now, but I picked up another one at the same time, called Confessions or something like that. It was about a kid (no powers) becoming a superhero, under a guy called The Confessor I think. I liked the fact that it focused on the kid, and the huge, worldshaking battles going on were all background and just mentioned in passing until they intrude directly on his life.

I hope that helps?

The Watchmen is one of my favorites.

Jolly, I love Bone. Irrationally so. (Oh wow, that's going to make someone's Out of Context Theater Day :))

Anyway, Bone singlehandedly got me into comics. Best goddamn series there is, in my opinion :).

I also used to read some Planetary, Spiderman, and as I mentioned, Fables, but since the comics shop near my apartment shut down, I haven't read as much as I'd like.

Yes, as someone else mentioned, the new X-Factor series is great so far, and is following up on the excellent Madrox mini-series from 2004/2005. Peter David's writing continues to be very entertaining, the and book is more of a film noir kind of feel (for an X-book that is).

I'm currently very much enjoying two of Robert Kirkman's ongoing books: The Walking Dead and Invincible. TWD is basically what happens after a zombie movie like Dawn of the Dead is over. How do you go on surviving and making life even remotely worth living? There's zombie action, sure, but especially after the initial story arc, the focus shifted to the drama between the survivors and how they continue to cope with the harsh reality of life post-Z-Day. Invincible is a riff on superhero books, very tongue-in-cheek, and treads the line very closely between farce and seriousness.

Most of the other's I'd recommend have already been recommended here as well. I'm VERY interested in DMZ, a friend of mine is picking that up and I'll be borrowing it to read soon.

On the topic of Allan Moore, I'd like to temper the general euphorism for Watchmen. It is still a Moore comic, and therefore almost automatically by far superior to most other pieces of literature, on any medium. That nonwithstanding, it's in my opinion one of his weaker works, with a comparably weak ending.

Personally, I'd greatly suggest V for Vendetta. It is a bit slimmer with a few less protagonists, which I found nice, and stays sharp all the way through. Also, the art style appealed more to me.

NemesisZero wrote:

On the topic of Allan Moore, I'd like to temper the general euphorism for Watchmen. It is still a Moore comic, and therefore almost automatically by far superior to most other pieces of literature, on any medium. That nonwithstanding, it's in my opinion one of his weaker works, with a comparably weak ending.

Personally, I'd greatly suggest V for Vendetta. It is a bit slimmer with a few less protagonists, which I found nice, and stays sharp all the way through. Also, the art style appealed more to me.

At the risk of sounding too dorky...

V For Vendetta is certainly brilliant and worth reading, but in my opinion is inferior to The Watchmen. Of course, that could be debated until the world ends, without resolve. Either way, if you read either one I think you'll be a step above most of the competition. Now, let us channel the Simpson's Comic Book Guy...

Transmetropolitan is freaking brilliant. Pick that up in trades and you will be hooked.

Fedaykin got me into Preacher. If you like violence, blood, vampires, and the like- this is the series for you. Be warned, there's 9 books in the series, and they'll set you back about $20 a pop if you get them from the bookstore. I started out just buying one, and after that, I went ahead and bought the rest of the series.

You know, Mix, I tried the first trade of Transmetropolitan and it didn't do a thing for me. Since it seems to get rave reviews, should I assume that it gets better?

I mentioned this in the DS thread, but I have gotten back into comics in a big way in the last year, but I only read Trade Paperbacks. So nice not to "collect" and worry about maintaining comics in bags and boards, etc, but rather to read them like a book and stick them on a shelf. And I believe that trades are cheaper than individual issues, as well. Certainly if those issues are selling at a premium.

One thing I haven't seen anyone mention (other than by implication re: Alan Moore), but figure out whose writing you like and go with that. I got back into comics via Y: The Last Man, and I have liked everything else that I've read by Brian K. Vaughn, which includes Ex Machina and The Hood. 100 Bullets is a great crime/conspiracy noir book. I personally love Exiles as a fun, free-standing X-Men spinoff book. I just started a series called Rising Stars from the creator of Babylon 5, and it rocks so far.

After hearing other people's suggestions, I think I may check out DMZ and The Walking Dead.

btw Jolly, the Infinity Gauntlet is Marvel, whereas Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis are DC.

Me too, Fedaykin. I can't stand reading the single issues, and then having to store them either in big messy piles on my bookshelves, or in boxes which could be better used for other things. I much prefer the trades. (I also really liked Ex Machina as well.)

Also, I'm looking at my bookshelf, and if you're in the mood for a nice standalone series, pick up the trade of 1602. It's not the greatest work evar!!1!!, but it has some neat ideas in it. Plus, you know, Gaiman.

It's a bit hard to get a feel for Transmetropolitan just from Back on the Street, it must be said. I'd suggest giving the next one a go as well, before giving up on it. Possibly the third as well if you're still on the fence after that one, because that's when the main storyline starts kicking in.

Speaking of Warren Ellis, Fell is f*cking brilliant. Every issue is set to be a self-contained story, so there's no problem if you miss an issue, and it only 2$. Admittedly, the page count is lower, but they're 16 dense pages, so you still get a fair chunk of story. You can read the first issue of this filthy little detective yarn for free here, albeit sans back-matter pages and at a rather sh*tty resolution.

DMZ is something I've been eyeing lustily. I loved Channel Zero, and this seems like it can only be better. But since it seems I'm pretty much stuck with khepri.com if I want to pick up single issues, I need to wait unitl the first five-issue arc is finished before I start throwing money at it.

Walt, does Preacher recover after the second volume? I loved the first one and found the first arc in the second one intriguing enough, but the whole Grail storyline felt tacky to the extreme, which surprised me because Ellis had managed to treat far bigger clichés with a lot more dignity before.

DrunkenSleipnir wrote:

At the risk of sounding too dorky...

I tell myself that I'm redeemed because I could talk about Remarque or Tucholsky with the same frevor. Delusional? You decide.

Anyway, if you're up for comparing notes, I'd be interested in the reasons for your preference.

As was already said, I found Watchmen a brilliant read, but the conclusion seemed pretty slow. OK, it's the perfect formal inversion of a usual comic arc's ending, but still, Moore just seems to get carried away with the dialogue. V, on the other hand, has a similiarily good build-up, but manages to stay pointed all through the final pages, safe for Evey's 'voiceover', which I just found much more tolerable.

I just finished reading that other thread, and I realized that I neglected to mention that _Preacher_ is one of the best things I've ever read, and possibly the best comic work I've ever read, period. I read all 10 trade paperbacks in a week.

Plus, you know, it's written by a Scotsman who apparently realizes that Texas is the shizz. I LOVE it when people from other places maintain our mythological status for us!

Someone on that other thread also mentioned that Amazon.com sells trades, usually for a discount. I have ordered from them a couple of times, and the discounts can be significant. Sometimes the books come a little scuffed up, though. I'm in the process of having them replace New X-Men vol. 7 right now, so we'll see how that goes.

EDIT: TheWalt mentioned Preacher while I was typing. I was this close to having Jesse Custer as my new avatar, but I wanted something that was more fun.

EDIT #2 @ NemesisZero - stay on target! Preacher is fantastic. You won't regret reading the rest.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I was this close to having Jesse Custer as my new avatar, but I wanted something that was more fun.

I'll back you up on that.

NemesisZero wrote:

I tell myself that I'm redeemed because I could talk about Remarque or Tucholsky with the same frevor. Delusional? You decide.

Anyway, if you're up for comparing notes, I'd be interested in the reasons for your preference.

I would love to, although another thread with a Spoiler tag would be better suited, I think. To be very general, I found Watchmen to be paced better - a slow pace, to be sure, but I thought it was very appropriate. The dialogue is heavy without being bogged down, which I felt V suffered from; instead, we are allowed to explore a range of characters rather then limited number found in V. They tell very different stories, and I love them both. Also, the conclusion to Watchmen was excellent - although I don't want to say more about it then that

Aight, quick synopsis of the ones I'm looking at so far (I'll try heading out this weekend or early next week at the latest)

Comic /Writer /Artist /Publisher

Bone /Jeff Smith / Jeff Smith / Self-published

The Watchmen /Alan Moore /Dave Gibbons / DC

Fables /Bill Willingham / Mark Buckingham (mainly) /DC; Vertigo

The Sandman / Neil Gaiman / Varied /DC; Vertigo

Preacher / Garth Ellis / Steve Dillon / DC; Vertigo

Seems like I'll get a good sampling of a lot of great writers. The only real similarity is the DC/Vertigo label. After hearing how much everyone loves these series, I'm considering looking at anything with the Vertigo imprint.

Fletcher wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

I was this close to having Jesse Custer as my new avatar, but I wanted something that was more fun.

I'll back you up on that.

You dirty dog! Don't you have to change your location to "Gone to Texas" now? Kind of appropriate, really.

JB, someone else mentioned Wanted by Mark Millar on that other thread. It's collected in one trade and it's fantastic.

Yeah Exiles is a good super hero book. It doesn't take itself too seriously but I like that. It's fun quick read that I look forward to every month.

Also check out Runaways, written by Brain K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man). The story is that some teenagers find out their parents are the leaders of a world crime organization. Also the teens discover they have inherited their parents powers. It's aimed at younger readers but it's hip and fun and I like it.

Girls is an interesting book. Not sure if I would recommend it though. I like it, just not sure how much yet. It's definitely unique.

Watchmen is like Bone, there's no "The". Just a heads-up so the comic store guy won't scoff at you.

NemesisZero wrote:

On the topic of Allan Moore, I'd like to temper the general euphorism for Watchmen. It is still a Moore comic, and therefore almost automatically by far superior to most other pieces of literature, on any medium. That nonwithstanding, it's in my opinion one of his weaker works, with a comparably weak ending.

Personally, I'd greatly suggest V for Vendetta. It is a bit slimmer with a few less protagonists, which I found nice, and stays sharp all the way through. Also, the art style appealed more to me.

Well, even Alan Moore is willing to admit that Watchmen is his best work, and I'd think he'd know better than all of us.

Watchmen is held so high not only because it's a masterpiece of storytelling, but because of the effect it had on the industry. It essentially single-handedly revived comics, and reminded people what the medium could be used for. The only real flaw with any part of the comic is the sheer amount of supplemental information between actual pieces of the current story, which can bog down a reader on his/her first time through. The characters are unique and detailed, they present the heroes as human in a way few comics have ever been able to equal and many have tried to mimic. The layout and artwork give it a very cinematic feel, and this is before Frank Miller took to the page penning his Sin City comics. Along with Miller's Dark Knight Returns, it proved that comics were entertainment suitable for more than just little kids. Dave Gibbon's style in Watchmen is perfect for the type of story told, and packed with details, which makes David Lloyd's artwork in Vendetta seem basic by comparison. Vendetta's story is also basic by comparison, probably because Alan Moore's work kept getting more and more complex, leading into things like "Big Numbers", which would have undoubtedly been a masterpiece but which he only ever completed 2 out of a proposed 12 issues. The proposed scope alone is mind boggling. As for the ending, the ending is perfect. It's brilliant, it's wonderful, it's a rabbit punch in the kidney and a hacking, choking, cough/laugh reeking of spoiled tobacco in the face right as you inhale. It's multi-layered; there's no quick-fixing going on that so many mainstream titles indulge in (deus ex machina is alive and well in the DC and Marvel universes), the characters behave realistically and true to their personalities, right until the end. How many stories can you say that about? The only slow parts would be the Doctor Manhattan portions, and even that makes sense because the character is out of touch with the concept of time to normal humans, and his pages twist the pacing of the story to his own point of view and wrench you away from the others.

So yeah. I think Watchmen is so hyped up, praised, and fawned over because it deserves it. The impact it had, and still has, and the obvious quality of the craft of the storytelling within is undeniable, and while some of his work may be easier to read, or, as he leans more and more towards his longtime obssession with all things new age, harder to read, none are even in the same league as Watchmen, and must be content to sit at the little kids table sipping watered down purple kool-aid, while the real men sit at the bar drinking, occassionally stopping to wring out their beards to produce just one more swig, a dedication to economy that is likely to never be replicated again.

Natjak wrote:

Also check out Runaways, written by Brain K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man). The story is that some teenagers find out their parents are the leaders of a world crime organization. Also the teens discover they have inherited their parents powers. It's aimed at younger readers but it's hip and fun and I like it.

Runaways started out good, it had potential. For awhile it was doing a good job of being "hip", and almost pulling it off while at the same time balancing teenie-bopper elements like jealous lovers, but as soon as the first crossover occurs, and you find out how they plan to resolve this crossover, (I wish I could forget how hamfisted hacks that call themselves writers can use this device and not shoot themselves in the morning - see: 24) it becomes obvious it's going to trade its chance to do something special, even aimed at a younger crowd, for settling with being just another formulaic pre-teen mini-soap. I think I actually gave away all the issues I had purchased up to that point I was so disappointed in where the story was headed.

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