Comic Book Recommendations

Books, comics, TV, music
#1

I am looking to read some compilations for a reasonable price.

What are the series that people would recommend as a must read?

Right now here is what I am thinking about and would like more suggestions. It seems that paper compendiums/graphic novels are the best value though I would prefer them digital (but price wins out).

I have to save up to purchase these as I have no budget so would like to have a goal/list to follow.

This is my list so far:

Invincible
Sandman
Bone
100 Bullets
Essex County

What else would people recommend?

#2

I’d add Preacher to that list.

#3

Woha GeeWhiz, that’s a very similar list.

  • Love Invincible (though it’s often late).
  • Sandman is great and there’s a new series coming out.
  • Watchmen
  • Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe
  • Flashpoint
  • Irredeemable
  • Kingdom Come
  • Rising Stars is AWESOME!
  • Wanted is pretty good
#4

I forgot to mention Rising Stars. It is available in two volumes on Comicology; Vol.1 for $40 and Vol. 2 for $22.

I read Watchmen when it first came out but I hate to say I do not remember the story that well.

I will take a look at the others mentioned so far!

Thanks!

#5

I’d really recommend just about anything from the Astro City line; I think they’re a fun deconstruction of the comic book hero without being too heavy-handed, meta, or condescending to the subject matter.

It simply asks the question: “How would normal people and heroes react to heroes existing in the modern world?”

Now, villains may be fought and worlds saved in the midst of all that, but the focus has always been on just exploring the impact of superhumans on day-to-day life, and it’s fascinating, beautifully written, and gorgeously drawn.

#6

I posted a similar thread a while back, and got some good recommendations. You can take a look and see if any of them interest you.

Now, I don’t know which kind of comics you like. Your list seems to be mainly superhero stuff, although afaik 100 Bullets isn’t (It was on my list of comics to get, but I never got around to that one). Anyway, my absolute favourite comic is Dark Horse’s Conan, which is currently at TPB 13, plus a number of “extra” TPB’s which collect small one-shot stories. If you go for this I’d recommend starting with TPB 1 and not 0, which is about Conan’s childhood and coming of age, and is done in a different style. 0 is still good, but not very representative of the series. All of the TPB’s are selfcontained story arcs though, so it’s not too important where you start, although I like the (more or less) chronological presentation of Conan’s career.

Kull, also by Dark Horse, is good too, but is really just another Conan, only not quite as good, in my opinion, so you might want to skip that until you catch up to Conan and can’t wait for the next release. :D

I’d also recommend the Dunk and Egg comics, which are based on short stories by George R. R. Martin and set in his Song of Ice and Fire universe. Currently there are two, The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword. I like the art style very much, and the stories are great.

I also enjoy the Solomon Kane comics, also by Dark Horse. It’s basically about a bad ass puritan dude who travels around in 17th century Europe and kills demons and witches and such. Each TPB is a self-contained story, so you can just pick one to get you started, if you’re interested.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is also quite good, and definitely worth checking out if you’re interested in the setting. Definitely better than the movie.

Finally, I’ve been reading and enjoying the Walking Dead. While I don’t like the tv show, I do like the comics, although they’re a little uneven in opinion. I kind of started losing interest around TPB 3 or 4, but then it picked up again. Then I kind of lost interest again around book 7, I think. I’m going to get back to it eventually, but not right now. The first 3 or so books are very good though, so if you want some zombie stuff, that’s where to look. They’re not self-contained stories btw, so you do need to start at the beginning.

Finally, I really like Serpieri’s Morbus Gravis. It has a very interesting plot, and I love the world, but be aware that it contains hardcore pornography. It’s not too jarring, in my opinion, but if that’s a deal breaker then this obviously isn’t for you.

Also, +1 for Sandman.

#7

Thanks, Nikolaj, Armando, Brad, and Gremlinclr!

I like almost anything in Comic form from Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Super Hero, Mystery/Crime, Slice of Life, etc (I did read Morbus Gravis when I was much younger but it is not something I would want in my home at this point in my life). I will look at the other thread over the week and at all the other recommendations as well (I am on vacation until Jan 2 - so I have plenty of time to read up on all the suggestions.).

I already purchased the Invincible Compendium 1 & 2 and awaiting its arrival (my wife wanted me to get something that they can put under the tree so I will not be able to read it until after next week).

I did buy a few digital issues of Chew which is certainly an interesting comic.

I used to love Conan back in the day. :)

It is hard to stick to comics because the cost is very high even if they are digital. I think it is too easy to fall into a habit of getting into too many of them at one time. Being able to select a few Compendiums/TPB makes it easier to get some enjoyment but not go overboard. Plus, I think venues such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have spoiled me for watching TV shows all at once and that kind of carries over to episodic Comic Book stories.

#8

You should really look into Locke & Key. It’s a well-done suspenseful horror story by Stephen King’s son.

Also Fables is really good.

#9

You can actually get some pretty good deals on collections in Comixology. Obviously it’s best when they do sales, but even generally. It can be a bit hit or miss which things are collected or are good value (DMZ was single issue only, for instance, last I looked), but it’s always worth checking.

I was about to recommend Locke & Key myself as it’s, probably my favourite recent discovery (from established books). The story is finishing literally today, so now’s a good time to catch up with the whole thing, and the TPBs are all on Comixology at a decent price.

I’d also nominate some of the classic Judge Dredd runs that are in TPB form, like The Cursed Earth or The Day The Law Died.

They’ve started to do TPBs of Saga now, and it’s probably the best strip running at the moment.

#10

Planetary!

The good news is that an omnibus is coming out in January. The bad news is that it will be expensive. The other good news is that it’s wall to wall Planetary.

#11

I used to be too snobby to like superheroes, but I wholeheartedly second Armando’s Astro City recommendation. Also, Gotham Central is a great, gritty series that imagines NYPD Blue set in Gotham City, where Batman is rarely seen and the homicide detectives have to make do against supervillains. Starman is a good cosmic story set on the periphery of the DC universe, and pays homage to the Golden Age of superhero comics (possibly more than they deserve?). Speaking of Cosmic, Promethea explores where Alan Moore’s head was at fifteen years ago when he was totally into the Kaballah and Magick and crap like that, with a Wonder Woman/Thor knock-off as the heroine. That title has beautiful art and very good writing, with work so imaginative in there that it borders on gimmickry.

Scott Pilgrim is terrific if you have or can fake the mindset of someone in their 20s, someone who loves manga and video games and relationship drama and punching holes in the moon.

Jason Lutes’ Berlin is a great look at Berlin in the late '20s, as the political landscape becomes complicated. Can’t wait for the third book to come out sometime before the centennial of the Weimar Republic.

I’ll stop there before I start recommending Cerebus.

#12

I own Cerebus :D

And Zot by Scot McCloud

#13

If you dig Sandman (and you should, it’s one of the best comics ever), you will also want to check out Mike Carey’s spinoff Lucifer, which follows the former ruler of Hell as he sets about establishing his own Creation.

I second most of the other suggestions and would further add Transmetropolitan, Criminal (and probably Fatale), and… I think it’s called Daytripper. I have other recommendations but would have to refresh my memory first.

#14

And then there’s always this: http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/10/07/2012-top-100-comic-book-runs-master-list/

#15

My recommendations:

Fables **** - My other favorite Vertigo book, but it’s waning a bit over time. The most recent trade was downright bleak. But it’s ending at issue 150 and I expect Willingham to be energized by the wrap-up. The side books Jack of Fables, Cinderella, and Fairest are for fans, and you’ll know wehether you are one after a few Fables trades.
Saga ***** - I’m not sure if you prefer a well-established or ended series to a newer book with fewer trades, but this is the most interesting book currently being published. Star-crossed lovers from warring races trying to save their child from everyone with a vested interest in keeping the war going. Generous helpings of interesting characters and ideas, and very nice art from Staples. I liked Vaughan’s Ex Machina and Y the Last Man well enough, but he didn’t provide endings that satisfied me. But the runs are fun while they last, and the story structure suggests at least a nominally decent outcome for the characters. Read the first issue and you’ll know whether you want to read more.
Morning Glories **** - Talented youngsters are being gathered at a mysterious boarding school, with lots of mystery to unravel (yes, a double-dose of mystery). Can be hard to follow at times, but re-reading is no chore.
The Boys ***** - [With the understanding that Garth Ennis writes brutal, profane stories, and that you can handle them.] The Boys are a secret group that takes down out-of-control superheroes. Great from beginning to end.
The Sixth Gun **** - A mystical western about good, bad, and amoral characters all looking to seize/control six mystic weapons, each with its own powers, but together can change the world.
Planetary **** - Warren Ellis’ best work to date, amazing art by John Cassaday. The only thing I can really complain about is a great deal of reliance on existing superhero archetypes to tell the story.
Harbinger *** - I didn’t read any Valiant comics back in the day, but the rebooted line is high-quality stuff. Harbinger is about a group of new “psiots,” mind-based super-beings, as they struggle to escape the control of the existing psiot organization. Not exactly new turf, but well-told.
Superior Spider-Man *** - What if Doctor Octopus took over Peter Parker’s life? We are finding out. Dan Slott’s run on Amazing Spider-Man (546 to 700, when the switch happened) was good, but this takes the existing Spider-Man universe to an unexplored place.
Mind MGMT *** - Kindt’s sketchy art is not necessarily going to appeal to everyone, but he’s telling an intriguing story about the secret history of mind control and its effects on the modern world.

Other good books:

All-Star Superman and JLA: Earth 2 - Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely at their best
Top 10 - Alan Moore’s book (at first, anyway) about a police force for a city of superheroes
Powers - Bendis’ book about a police force for a city of superheroes. Oeming’s art won’t be for everyone. Fair warning, Bendis’ fetish for killing characters is fully indulged.
Supurbia - straight-up superhero soap opera
Uber - alt-history, what if the Nazis invented super-powers
Jennifer Blood - Ennis’ story about a normal-appearing housewife taking bloody revenge on the gangsters who killed her family. It goes off the rails and keeps going.
Red Team - Another Ennis book, cops take the law into their own hands
Skullkickers - a genuinely funny fantasy-action book
Black Summer - brutal tale of a superhero who decides to take over the world
The Strange Talent of Luther Strode / The Legend of Luther Strode - Ultimate physical power can go to the man who rules his own mind, but peace is hard to find
Alan Moore’s run on Supreme - I have no idea how easy this would be to find, but Moore basically retells Superman to his own liking.

Too new for trades, but look like they have potential:

Letter 44, Sex Criminals, Rat Queens, The Bounce

#16

All-Star Superman and JLA: Earth 2 - Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely at their best

Well, apart from We3. All Star Superman is a great superheroes book for non-superheroes fans, though.

#17

I read a lot of web comics and Skullkickers is one of them. I prefer the humorous side stories more than the main plots.

There are so many recommendations now I need to run a vote!

I will probably go for Bone next and than Rising Stars. Bone interests me, and the cost for these two is a bit more reasonable than the entire Sandman collection as an example. Price will be a big part of what order I purchase the suggestions above (we need a bargain thread for Comics too). :)

Figures, I become interested in reading a few comics and Legos all in the same month (and will have to save up over the next year to make a few purchases). I will probably use my Amazon points I earn on my Amazon credit card for these items.

#18

Wallet ouch. If comics are a rich man’s hobby, Legos are a rich, rich man’s hobby.

#19

Comixology is having a nice sale on graphic novels for $5.99 including the first Sandman, Fables, Dark Night Returns, Watchmen and many others.

#20

Can you please explain to me what the hell is going on? Who are these kids, what is this school? Who are the teachers, what is the temple? Really, can you just explain the whole story, because I’ve read every issue and I just feel so stupid because I have no idea what is going on. I don’t even know why I keep buying it other than I keep hoping one day it will start to make sense.