Newbie comic must haves.

[cinephile2000]

I am just getting into comics in a serious way and I want to know what comics I should get to be considered well read. I ask this because of the christmas money that is burning in my wallet.
Comics I have and or have read
The Watchmen
Sin City all of the trades
Astonishing Xmen trade 1 and 2
Spiderman Dissasembled
Batman Year one

[Neo Zeed]

Preacher.

Warning.... it might be offensive if you're a Christian.

[Pacino86845]

Well, maybe poke around in the rest of the Comic Books section around here, lots of people have made some interesting suggestions over the months. Usually you can't go wrong with Alan Moore, so maybe V for Vendetta, the League of Extraoridinary Gentlemen.

By Neil Gaiman, Sandman and 1602 (this latter from Marvel).

Non superhero, I can personally recommend Osamu Tezuka's Buddha, if you're curious about Buddha. Joe Sacco's Palestine, Safe Area Gorazde, or The Fixer.

Paul Chadwick's Concrete.

Frank Miller's 300.

Jeff Smith's Bone.

Busiek and Nord's run on Conan, from Darkhorse.

That's just some stuff off the top of my head. Maybe you can tell a bit more about your tastes, or what kind of stories you're looking for?

[Adam Balm]

Akira.

[cinephile2000]

I'd like a good mix of action comics and intelligent comics. I have around 80$ to spend so fairly cheep. I just want stuff with good content. I am also a big marvel fan, just for the range of charecters. Oh I forgot I've read most of hellboy.

[cinephile2000]

I got Akira the anime for christmas but I havn't watched it yet.

[Neo Zeed]

I got Akira the anime for christmas but I havn't watched it yet.

Prepared for your mind to get blown away..in a good way!!

[Pacino86845]

Well, keep checking back here in the next couple of days, and I'm sure some of our other comic connaisseurs like DennisMM, Colin, Burl, thedoglippedone, and even the Dino, among others, may provide further suggestions!

For a nice "what if" scenario that's a good mix between action and intelligent writing (though not too much action), 1602 would fit the bill in my opinion.

[Bob Samonkey]

Sleeper written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips. I liked it.

[Adam Balm]

I got Akira the anime for christmas but I havn't watched it yet.

A brilliant anime, one of the best movies ever made in my opinion. But when the collected several volume trades run thousands of pages and cover everything from genetics, to human biology, metaphysics, and philosophy...compared to a 90 minute film that's mostly action sequences, there's really no comparison. The manga reaches a depth you can't find in a movie. Get the Akira vol. 1. You'll be glad you did.

[buster00]

I'll add these to the above ass-kicking suggestions:

Dark Knight Returns

V for Vendetta

We3

Human Target

[vicious_bastard]

1602

I will check this out now - you're about the third person I know to mention that in the last week. Weird.

[Pacino86845]

What I really enjoyed about it was that it's such a fantastic and yet accessible Marvel book. I've been out of the superhero funny books for many years now, and to pick something up that's original and that I could appreciate as much as someone who keeps up to date with the goings on is a rare thing indeed.

The writing and art are both terrific in that title!

[bluebottle]

Kingdom Come

[Keepcoolbutcare]

anything by Brian K. Vaughan.

[cinephile2000]

I just googled 1602 and it was written by Neil Gaiman. I loved american gods. I think this is going to be one of my purchases.

[cinephile2000]

The list yall have provided so far seems great. I've put it through amazon and the most expensive has been around 20 so I'll get a lot of bang for my buck. I welcome anymore suggestions.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

Neil layed out a lot of the themes of American Gods in the Sandman.

1602 is solid, but it helps having a detailed knowledge of the marvel universe.

[cinephile2000]

Thankfully I got as a present a few years ago the X-men encyclopedia. It was the thing that got me interested in comics. I read that sucker front to back, so I have a good idea on the xmen. I'm not completly out of the comic book scene, I was just never serious.

[Ribbons]

If you end up liking Akira, this.

You've got to get some Goon-age in there, too.


I second Pacino on the Concrete nomination. I'm pretty sure there's a TPB in bookstores right now of some of Paul Chadwick's favorite Concrete stories, so if it's something you want to get into, I highly recommend picking it up.

[Pacino86845]

Holy moly, Ribbons, I thought I was the only one around these parts that loves him some Goon!!!! Is #15 out yet?

[Ribbons]

Not unless the comic store I usually goes to stopped picking up Goon. I'll check again on Wednesday or Thursday.

[Ribbons]

Oh, Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison is something you might also want to look into, cinephile. I bought Zatanna and Klarion, but I haven't kept up with the others because it gets kind of espensive. But if you have the means or if it's ever collected in a trade, go for it.

[Pacino86845]

Damn, 'cause on their site it says that #15 hit on Dec. 21, but I know that these dates are usually shifty anyways. You should check out the Pacino's Comic Column thread if you wanna have some Goon-related talk. I sometimes rant about stuff I read over there, and The Goon is one of the few titles I keep up with as they roll out the oven.

[Ribbons]

Okay. I don't always pay attention to the comic-related stuff, but I'll try to make a habit of watching these threads more closely.

[DennisMM]

If you like Marvel and want Morrison, try his New X-Men TPs. You'll be starting at a big point in the story.

If you really like Morrison and want to stretch a bit, get his first Doom Patrol collection, Crawling from the Wreckage. That was my real introduction to Morrison and it just blew me away. This was late '80s, so he's developed since then, but in many instances he's developed for the worse.

To stretch beyond super-folks, get lots of Alan Moore, including Swamp Thing, which no one else has mentioned. He starts with issue 21, which in 1982 made my jaw hit the floor.

It's too bad you don't have more to spend, because if you did the first volume of Kozure ÅŒkami (Lone Wolf and Cub) would be near the top of my list of suggestions.

[DennisMM]

anything by Brian K. Vaughan.

Seconded, especially Ex Machina if you want to ease in via super-types.

[cinephile2000]

What about New X-men Academy
?

[cinephile2000]

I've heard of Machina before. Whats it about?

[DennisMM]

I haven't read New X-Men: Academy. Sorry.

Ex Machina is about the world's only known superbeing, Mitchell Hundred. A bomb, possibly of alien origin, splattered him with circuitry that allows him to command any machine more complex than a wheel or lever. He speaks to them through the circuitry, using his voice as a controller.

Mitchell was a superhero, briefly, flying with a jetpack and performing rescues at disasters he found by monitoring the police bands and TV/radio news. He became a hero on September 11, 2001 when he stopped the second NYC plane. His failure to stop the first tortures him.

Riding the fame that grew out of his heroism and wanting to do more than save the occasional life, Hundred ran for mayor and won in a surprise upset. Ex Machina is the story of his life as mayor, with flashbacks to his heroic period and youth.

[bluebottle]

if they've put Morrison's Animal Man run in TPB that is worth picking up.

[DennisMM]

They've started. Though I liked it at the time, I must admit that Chas Truog's art was atrocious on that and Coyote.

[Colin]

Why do you like comics, cinephile? Are you just interested in reading a good story and/or with good art, or are you interested in the graphic storytelling form itself? What sort of stories do you like? What kind of artwork appeals to you?

[Adam Balm]

I haven't read New X-Men: Academy. Sorry.

Ex Machina is about the world's only known superbeing, Mitchell Hundred. A bomb, possibly of alien origin, splattered him with circuitry that allows him to command any machine more complex than a wheel or lever. He speaks to them through the circuitry, using his voice as a controller.
.

It wasn't of alien origin. I figured it out in the second arc, and I haven't read the latest issues so I don't know if they said yet, so I wouldn't want to spoil. But it has to do with a certain physicist's named mentioned by someone in a demented state when that sigil was popping up everywhere.

[DennisMM]

I guess I'll have to go back and read that again. Thanks.

[cinephile2000]

I just got back from the store with my first purchase. Kingdom Come. I love the art. And to answer your question I love the idea of snapshots of movement coming together and forming a story. One of the things I love about Sin City is the way Miller did odd things with the image, so I guess I like the art as well. My favorite charecters are the X-men because they were about bigotry, so i like stories with meaning. Man overcoming great odds whatever, just something interesting.

[The Garbage Man]

I just got back from the store with my first purchase. Kingdom Come. I love the art.

I'd say Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' Marvels is right up your alley then, especially if you're into the history of Marvel characters.

anything by Brian K. Vaughan.

Seconded, especially Ex Machina if you want to ease in via super-types.

Thirded, and I highly recommend his Y: The Last Man if you're looking for a break from the tights-and-fights genre.

Vaughan's Runaways is also fantastic and innovative, especially for a Marvel book.

And I'll tout the merits of Robert Kirkman's Invincible in every comics thread until you're all reading it, dammit. Beautiful art, great dialogue, and some interesting twists on the "growing into a superhero" theme make it one of the few titles I read regularly.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

"I think I'm finally getting superpowers."
"That's nice. Can you pass the potatoes?"

BWAHAHAHA!!!

debating the "iconicness" of costumes, RAP done in the "iconic" GAP style (heh)...good stuff.

[Kilgore]

Krikman's 'Walking Dead' needs to be considered, particularily as a nice break from hero books, and I generally can't stand 'horror' genre comics.

Early Brian Michael Bendis is good stuff...pre-when-Marvel-let-Bendis-do-anything-he- wants. 'Torso' is a good crime read, and the early 'Powers' stories were what got me back into comics in the first place, along with the orignal run of 'The Sentry' by Paul Jenkins/Jai Lee. The latter was an awesome concept, 'the tragically flawed Superman', unfortunately his recent resurrection hasn't done much for me.

[cinephile2000]

So is runaways worthy ofthe 25 dollar price tag. I only have60 dollars legt and I want to get the most high quality stuff for that amount.

[The Garbage Man]

So is runaways worthy ofthe 25 dollar price tag. I only have60 dollars legt and I want to get the most high quality stuff for that amount.

It depends. Runaways is designed to be an all-ages book - which is not to say it's pandering or immature, but that it's meant for a broader audience than, say, Y: The Last Man.

It also depends on the format you choose. I'm sure the $25 hardcover is nice, but you can get the digest-sized versions (which are about 3/4 of the size of regular comics and with slightly lesser quality paperstock) for $6.39 each at Comic Fusion. I ended up getting all 4 digests for $25.56, whereas the hardcover version (which only collects vol. 1-3) can run from $23-28.

[Buguer]

I'd have to go with

Sandman, once you read the first TPB you'll be hooked.

also

The Dark Knight Returns

... greatest fight ever!

[Colin]

Y- The Last Man
Ex Machina
100 Bullets
300

[Buzz McCool]

I recommend Peter Bagge's 'Hate', Tony Millionaire's 'Sock Monkey' and anything by Johnny Ryan (as long as you're not easily offended)

[Shane]

Hate and stuff like that is not really for everyone.

It just does not have mass appeal, like Crumb.

[ONeillSG1]

Batman:

The Killing Joke
The Long Halloween
Dark Knight Returns

Superman:

Birthright
Man/Superman (I think that's what it's called).

Spiderman:

Ultimate Spiderman

Daredevil:

Gang War
Born Again

DC General:
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Zero Hour
Kingdom Come

Marvel General:

Marvels
What if? Series (I don't know if they made a TP of those but those older ones from the 90's are fun as hell).

EDIT: Also, Whedon's run on Astonshing X-Men. Awesome.

[Buzz McCool]

Hate and stuff like that is not really for everyone.

It just does not have mass appeal, like Crumb.

True, although i think Hate is pretty accessible.

[CthulhuKid]

WE3 is an awesome trade (only collects 3 issues) and I think it's only $5-$6. The art is amazing, the story is intelligent and has a good deal of action. I don't remember who suggested it, but I second it Whole Heartedly.

[JackKnight]

First two trades of Top 10 are very good, as is the Top 10: The 49'rs.

Another good one is the relaunch of Starman. I think all 80+ issues have been made into tpbs. The Ultimates has been pretty decent. Exiles is good also. Some of the run of Ultimate Fantastic Four has been good, although the series itself has been pretty uneven.

Fables is pretty interesting

Totally agree with Dennis on Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, etc. Animal Man was one of my fave series, although it sort of pooped out towards the end.

Those are a few more suggestions.

[Carolian]

On a related note...

I was pretty heavy into comics when I was younger--mostly Spider-Man and the X-Men--but kind of dropped out not too long after MAXIMUM CARNAGE and the AGE OF APOCALYPSE storylines. I think the last comic I bought was in the middle of the whole "Gathering of the Twelve" storyline, when Cable was gearing up for his final fight against Apocalypse.

Now, I've been thinking of trying to get back into comics, but I was just at my local comics store, and I realized something--I have no idea what the hell is going on, or what is quality and what is shit. Scanning the X-Men titles, I was interested in picking a few up, but I'd open them up and feel completely lost as to what was going on.

So... what's good in comics today? What would you recommend I pick up? Is there a substantial difference between UNCANNY X-MEN, X-MEN, and ASTONISHING X-MEN? Do they tell different stories, or are they all part of the same ongoing storyline? Which is the best? And apart from the X-Men, what would you guys say is a quality monthly, superhero or otherwise?

I used to be a strict superhero-only fan when I was a kid, but I've branched out a lot since then, so no title is too weird or esoteric. Suggestions? Please? I'm drowning!