Since I’m starting to get into comics, I thought I’d ask here for recommendations. I’ve not read too many comics, so I could just list them all, in tiers of what I like and don’t. Especially after nobody’s my friend for liking Hush over DKR. >_>
TOP TIER
Watchmen
The Killing Joke
Sandman series in general (particularly Seasons of Mist and the Wake)
Lucifer (mostly everything after the second creation)
Thor, latest series
V for Vendetta
HIGH TIER
Hush
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Dark Knight Returns
The Long Halloween
Ultimates: Volume 2
Incredible Hulk (Planet Hulk onwards was pretty good, I thought, into the current WWH side spin, which I like more than the main comic)
MID TIER
Civil War
World War Hulk
Ultimates: Volume 1
300
LOW TIER
House of M (…I really didn’t like this)
I think there’s more here and there, but I can’t remember them.
Someone mentioned I can redeem myself by reading Year One…whatever that is. I assume it’s Batman Year One or something to that effect?
Unless otherwise specified, “Year One” refers to Batman: Year One. Compared to the satire of DKR, it is Frank Miller playing it somewhat straight in a Batman tale.
Anyway, read All Star Superman. It’s brilliant. The first six issues have already been collected in a hardcover, and you can probably still find seven and eight on the shelves. Nine is due next month.
You might like Ex Machina, which is a great series written by Brian K. Vaughn. Superpowers, political intrigue, and satire. So far, five volumes of it have been collected. I don’t know when the next one comes out.
Your middling response to DKR and 300 worry me, but all the same, I’ll recommend Frank Miller’s Sin City series. My personal favorite is the first story, but it’s all good. For the most part, they’re a mishmash of chronology, so you can read them in any order and understand it fine.
And though I’m not a huge Alex Ross fan, the kids do love him. I’ll recommend the coffee table comics he did with Paul Dini–Superman: Peace On Earth, Batman: War On Crime, Wonder Woman: Spirit Of Truth, Captain Marvel: Power Of Hope, Justice League: Secret Origins, and Justice League: Liberty and Justice. They’re all superbly written, and the storytelling actually makes effective use of Ross’s style. All of them have been collected in the hardcover compilation, The World’s Greatest Superheroes.
I got the second volume along with the first of concrete. I don’t know if they ARE good, but they are “supposed” to be.
DKR’s is kinda overrated, but so is Hush. I kinda feel Frank Miller is overrated overall anyway.
Hush was just an excuse to get Jim Lee to draw all of Batman’s rogue gallery in 12 or so issues.
Here is what I would recommend…
Watchmen - Duh
X-Force/X-Statix - Milligan and Alfred’s run was amazing
Fables - one of the only real great monthly comics out there right now
The Walking Dead - Zombie Fun
The Flash - All of Geoff Johns run. You don’t get much better superhero wise then this.
That should be more then enough high tier stuff to keep yourself busy.
Slashy, you are my X-Statix BROTHER. If I were homosexual and incestuous, I would surely want to put it in you. (But I am completely straight and I am not down with incest.)
That Last Call book looks pretty interesting. Keep up the good work with discovering new reads.
Concrete is one of my all-time favorite comics. I’m sure you’ll love it. It’ll make you wonder why more late '80s and '90s comics were so terrible by comparison.
The 90’s was the dark age of comics. People who are like “I loved Force Works!” or “Wildcats was tight!” I just feel bad for them.
Image was just horrible. Remember Wetworks? They should be ashamed of themselves. Everyone involved in that whole time should feel horrible inside.
Taichi, not many people liked X-Statix. It was like a big in joke that I’m surprised lasted as long as it did on the entire mainstream comics industry.
I’ve just started reading stuff that people I enjoy like. I got that recommendation from Kazu Kibiuishi. ( the guy who edits Flight and did Daisy Kutter <–Also a good read, like a fun spaghetti western )
That is how I got into Paul Pope ( The Rey was all on his dick ) , but while I enjoy his stories they are pretty shallow and very similar. Loner guy has some not so adventure while being in a sci fi type world.
I’m also very gay for Scott Pilgrim, to Linty’s anger. Scott Pilgrim is great funny stuff. A Fighting/Comedic/Drama relationship comic set in our generations slackerdom.