The ONE and ONLY comics recommendations thread

[Sass 0]

The book isn't heavy on any *necessary* backstory stuff. Nearly all of the characters fought in WW2 or are associated with it in some way. The villains that have been used so far haven't been used in years so there's nothing really important you need to know about them.

 

The current storyline with Baroness Blood ties into the Union Jack mini-series from a couple years ago. Good book, too. That's not something you need to read unless you want to get a better look at the Union Jack and Blood rivalry. Captain America #253 and #254 are required reading though. Those are two of the best Captain America stories ever written, with the former Baron Blood as the main villain.

[tbondrage99 0]

The Runaways is the only comic I buy now, everything else I get is Trade Paperbacks.

[Garth 0]

I'd be really appreciative if someone could direct me where to go comic book wise. I've started getting into comics the last few months; I haven't really before as they're not super easy to obtain in the UK.

 

I've started travelling down to Southampton now which has a Forbidden Planet comic book store and now the series I was reading and really enjoying has ended I'm not sure what to start getting now. I have been reading the Gambit comics, and have also picked up this massive essential X-Men vol.1 compilation which has about 50 really old issues in it.

 

What would you guys recommend for me to go onto now?

[Ravenbomb 0]

to those who've read the Sandman comics: what ones would you say are the best?

[Guest Korgath]

I highly, highly recommend the new Captain America series by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Currently on a cliff-hanger transition between the first and second story arcs, Ed Brubaker reveals that no one is safe in his stories. Currently, both Jack Monroe (aka Nomad) and the Red Skull are dead! Who's next?

[SuperJerk 0]

I concur. I've read Cap nonstop since Heroes Return, and this is definitely the best he's been since then.

[theintensifier 0]

Green Arrow looks interesting, what do y'all think ?

[Justice 0]

A few questions:

 

Is 'Hush' available in Graphic Novel form? If not, anyone have a good idea of which ones I should order to cover most of the arc?

 

Is 1602 any good? I've looked over the concept, and I think it could be really well done, or just plain crap. Anyone here looked at it yet?

[Sideburnious 0]

Does anyone have a cbr/pdf scan of marvel zombies? or a free place to download it. Its pretty much sold out over hear and I want to get my hands on it somehow, even if its on my pc.

[thuganomics 0]

A few questions:

 

Is 'Hush' available in Graphic Novel form? If not, anyone have a good idea of which ones I should order to cover most of the arc?

 

Is 1602 any good? I've looked over the concept, and I think it could be really well done, or just plain crap. Anyone here looked at it yet?

 

Hush has two hardcovers, and I believe at least one (probably both) are now in trade. Not missing much though IMHO.

 

I liked 1602. It isn't as good as it could have been, and the end seemed a bit rushed, but Gaiman & Kubert delivered an excellent story nonetheless. If you like Gaiman's fiction, you'll probably enjoy it as well.

[Shooting Star 0]

Someone tell me THE best Batman Stories to buy. I'm about to buy over 10 stories but don't know which ones to buy...

 

I already picked The Dark Knight Returns , Year one , Long Halloween , The man who falls but I don't know about others....I want the ones where Batman most uses his brain.

[ZGangsta 0]

Someone tell me THE best Batman Stories to buy. I'm about to buy over 10 stories but don't know which ones to buy...

 

I already picked The Dark Knight Returns , Year one , Long Halloween , The man who falls but I don't know about others....I want the ones where Batman most uses his brain.

Well you've got the 3 best right there. For Batman using his brain you might like JLA: Tower of Babel. That's a really great story. For another modern story, Hush was one I really enjoyed.

 

Ah I just found it, IGN has the 25 best batman graphic novels. That should help you out.

[Vampiro69 0]

Mark Waid's "Tower of Babel" arc is great. It seems Bats just doesn't learn, first Tower of Babel then he builds Brother Eye. That's strike 2 for you Bats!

[Special K 0]

Invincible might honestly be the best ongoing superhero comic on the market today. The only others I'd put on par (that I read, at least) are Astonishing X-Men and Ultimates. (I'm sure there's some really great One Year Later titles ongoing, but it's too much for me to wade through)

 

Invincible is about a high school kid whose dad is pretty much the most powerful superhero on earth. He finally gets his at age 17 (quite suddenly) and immediately starts superheroing. It's got great art, lots of memorable characters. Tons of homages and some witty dialogue, and has one of the hardest-hitting plot twists I've ever read in a comic early in the series.

It's sort of like a much more concise, much less predictable Ultimate Spider-Man. It's a lot better than USM, which is a series I like quite a bit.

 

100 Bullets. This one I think should only be read in TPB format. It's a noir comic book that starts off with an intriguing premise. A mysterious man shows up with an attache case which contains proof that someone has been wronged, who wronged them, a gun, and 100 bullets of untraceable ammunition. They are then left to their own devices.

 

There's a LOT of depth to the series. As it goes on it starts digging into the pasts of the characters, and the motives of the mysterious man. The plotlines become quite complex, and not everything's spelled out for the reader at first. It's a very intriguing read, and this guy can write characters with the best of them, giving them very distinct voices, unlike similar books like Sin City.

 

I've read maybe half of the ongoing series, and it's just scratched the suface.

 

EDIT: Also Hitman, which has finished its run.

By Garth Ennis, so you can expect tons of weird characters and situations, and snappy dialogue mixed with oddly touching moments. It's set in the regular DC universe, in Gotham, but crosses over about as often as Swamp Thing. Better, IMO than Preacher or Punisher or his terrific Hellblazer run. It's great stuff.

 

And I've already pimped enough, and it seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it series, but I love X-Force/X-Statix.

[Scroby 0]

A few questions:

 

Is 'Hush' available in Graphic Novel form? If not, anyone have a good idea of which ones I should order to cover most of the arc?

 

Is 1602 any good? I've looked over the concept, and I think it could be really well done, or just plain crap. Anyone here looked at it yet?

 

Look on Ebay, i've seen both part 1 and 2 on Ebay.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Uncanny X-Men #475 was really good. Fantastic art and a unique team going to space to say the least.

[ZGangsta 0]

Uncanny X-Men #475 was really good. Fantastic art and a unique team going to space to say the least.

Uncanny 475 was good stuff. Especially compared to the utter shit that was Claremont's run that just finished. I like the team they're using and the story concept seems interesting, though I am sick of Marvel's reliance on "super-duper powerful" mutants as the antagonists in stories. But yeah, great first issue. It seems that Brubaker can do no wrong these days.

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

A few questions:

 

Is 'Hush' available in Graphic Novel form? If not, anyone have a good idea of which ones I should order to cover most of the arc?

 

Is 1602 any good? I've looked over the concept, and I think it could be really well done, or just plain crap. Anyone here looked at it yet?

 

Look on Ebay, i've seen both part 1 and 2 on Ebay.

 

 

Hush is available is 2 volumes, like Scroby said.

 

1602 was...

 

I don't know. I loved it for parts, but overall the story bored the fuck out of me.

 

I've never really been a huge Neil Gaiman fan, but I do like some of his work.

 

I liked the overall feel and look of the series, but Gaiman has done better work.

 

I would recomend a read through to see if you like it or not.

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

Invincible might honestly be the best ongoing superhero comic on the market today. The only others I'd put on par (that I read, at least) are Astonishing X-Men and Ultimates. (I'm sure there's some really great One Year Later titles ongoing, but it's too much for me to wade through)

 

Invincible is about a high school kid whose dad is pretty much the most powerful superhero on earth. He finally gets his at age 17 (quite suddenly) and immediately starts superheroing. It's got great art, lots of memorable characters. Tons of homages and some witty dialogue, and has one of the hardest-hitting plot twists I've ever read in a comic early in the series.

It's sort of like a much more concise, much less predictable Ultimate Spider-Man. It's a lot better than USM, which is a series I like quite a bit.

100 Bullets. This one I think should only be read in TPB format. It's a noir comic book that starts off with an intriguing premise. A mysterious man shows up with an attache case which contains proof that someone has been wronged, who wronged them, a gun, and 100 bullets of untraceable ammunition. They are then left to their own devices.

 

There's a LOT of depth to the series. As it goes on it starts digging into the pasts of the characters, and the motives of the mysterious man. The plotlines become quite complex, and not everything's spelled out for the reader at first. It's a very intriguing read, and this guy can write characters with the best of them, giving them very distinct voices, unlike similar books like Sin City.

 

I've read maybe half of the ongoing series, and it's just scratched the suface.

 

EDIT: Also Hitman, which has finished its run.

By Garth Ennis, so you can expect tons of weird characters and situations, and snappy dialogue mixed with oddly touching moments. It's set in the regular DC universe, in Gotham, but crosses over about as often as Swamp Thing. Better, IMO than Preacher or Punisher or his terrific Hellblazer run. It's great stuff.

 

And I've already pimped enough, and it seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it series, but I love X-Force/X-Statix.

 

 

Gotdamn, I love that book.

 

Robert Kirkman is the first comics writer with Erik Larsen as an influence, and the art makes it seem to fit in well with the Savage Dragon universe, which id basically the Image Universe now, plus Bill Crabtree on colors is brilliant as always.

 

The twists in this book are amazing, the cliffhangers make you want more, dialogue is great.

 

Have you read Kirkman's "Brit". There are 3 oneshots with art by Tony Moore. It started out before Invincible, but takes place in the same universe.

 

Brit works for the same guys in the government that Invincible does.

 

There's even a page in one of the books where it shows all the heroes introduced in Invincible battling the aliens that invaded that Omni-Man and Mark fought. All the guys from Images hero books are there, Dragon, Super Patriot, Capes...everybody that was a the Gaurdians Funeral.

 

But yeah, Invinvible, Savage Dragon and the other Image-verse books are my favorites right now.

 

It's like the Marvel Universe in the Silver-Age, except now, and with modern sensibilities.

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

Also, 100 Bullets is the bomb diggity.

 

Hitman is good shit.

 

Fables can be excelent.

 

And I fuckin' love All star Bat-Man & Robin The Boy wonder.

 

It's an alternate reality BatMan.

 

Same as Marvel's Ultimate line. I think Frank might just be satiring the Ultimate line with this book.

[benn 0]

I'm considering buying some Preacher TPBs since my friend who owns the bookstore where I get them from reccomended them to me. Has anyone read them?

[ZGangsta 0]

And I fuckin' love All star Bat-Man & Robin The Boy wonder.

 

It's an alternate reality BatMan.

Really? Care to explain why you like it? Not hating or anything just curious since everyone I've ever talked to has hated it with a passion, but it sells really well and I know there are people who love it. Personally I can't decide whether it's the worst thing ever or utterly brilliant. Art's great though.

 

And for a recomendation: Ex Machina. It's on DC's Wildstorm line. It's about a superhero who saves one of the World Trade Center buildings on 9/11 and becomes mayor of New York. Deals with tons of social issues and terrorism and the like. Definately a 'grown up' comic book.

[Special K 0]

I'm considering buying some Preacher TPBs since my friend who owns the bookstore where I get them from reccomended them to me. Has anyone read them?

 

Read the whole series.

 

Ultra-gory, ultra-blasphemous, pretty damn funny.

 

It takes a dip in quality after the 3rd volume, as a lot of the sense of fun is lost.

 

That certainly doesn't mean it gets bad. The first three volumes are just a BLAST though, particularly 1 and 3.

 

I like 'Hitman' more, but that's personal preference. I like everything Ennis has done that I've read, actually: Preacher, Punisher, Hitman, Hellblazer.

 

The one thing about Hitman and Preacher: Tommy (of Hitman) is exactly like Jesse Custer and Cassidy (of Preacher) mashed together.

[benn 0]

I'm considering buying some Preacher TPBs since my friend who owns the bookstore where I get them from reccomended them to me. Has anyone read them?

 

Read the whole series.

 

Ultra-gory, ultra-blasphemous, pretty damn funny.

 

It takes a dip in quality after the 3rd volume, as a lot of the sense of fun is lost.

 

That certainly doesn't mean it gets bad. The first three volumes are just a BLAST though, particularly 1 and 3.

 

I like 'Hitman' more, but that's personal preference. I like everything Ennis has done that I've read, actually: Preacher, Punisher, Hitman, Hellblazer.

 

The one thing about Hitman and Preacher: Tommy (of Hitman) is exactly like Jesse Custer and Cassidy (of Preacher) mashed together.

Thanks, it sounds just like my kinda thing. I'll pick up the first volume tomorrow. I've been eyeing off some Hellblazer too.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

I've started collecting the Essential Marvel TPBs.

 

Any suggestions?

 

I've got Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, The Avengers Vol. 1, and Wolverine Vol. 1.

 

_____

 

I don't need ANY X-Men, as I have every issue of Uncanny/Adjectiveless except for 7 issues from the 60's.

 

I hate the Fantastic Four.

 

Essential Spider-Woman Vol. 1 is HUGE and looks awkward. Stories any good?

 

Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1 looks cool.

 

Essential Tomb of Dracula. Tell me about this series.

 

Moon Knight, Power Man, Iron Fist, which would be better?

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Ultimate Spidey #99 is a big "What the Fuck?" story and could either be ultra-important for the future or (more likely) blown off shortly and irrelevant.

 

Ult. Spidey #100 has two different covers, one a variant and one a standard wraparound, both by Bagley.

 

Astonishing X-Men #16 is the weakest issue thus far of the Hellfire Club storyline, also with another "WTF?" moment VERRRRY similar to Spidey's, actually.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

I knew absolutely nothing about "Identity Crisis" and just picked up the new $15 TPB.

 

Just amazing stuff. Gets you really into some second-tier characters, is really sad, really fun, and one of DC's best stories ever...well, except for the "big reveal" which was a BIG letdown.

[Vampiro69 0]

The reveal for ID Crisis was a let down. The first 6 issues were great though. For me, Rags artwork made the story great. The facial expressions that he draws are the best I have seen in ages.

[ZGangsta 0]

I didn't really mind the reveal in Identity Crisis because the journey getting there was so good. What started as a murder mystery just kept unraveling and revealing all the dark secrets. I'd say the 'big' point of the series (not in a storytelling manner, but in terms of reprecussions) was not the solving of the murder, but the Batman mind wipe. Plus it made some of the lower tier villians much more dangerous.

[Special K 0]

I really like that Identity was mostly told from second-tier characters' points of view. Heck, Green Arrow is pretty much the main character.

 

Batman's a big part of it, and he's not even shown until issue 2, right?

 

 

And above, in the Preacher post "read all of it" should not be read as an imperative, but as in "(I have) read all of it"