Trying to get back into comics

Media Outlet Comic Book Forum
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Hey SRK Comic Readers… I think that this is probably the third or fourth time I’ve posted this, but it was usually in a thread and it got jumbled away before I got more than one or two responses. Anyways, let me give you some background information first.

When I was a kid back in the early 90’s, I occasionally read X-Men comics but was more interested in collecting the trading cards. I also read a few image comics, but it was usually one or two issues. Instead, I was really involved in the TV shows. You know, X-Men, Spiderman, Batman, and Superman. I pretty much learned most of the characters and story-lines through these. After a while, the card industry died out and the comic industry faded from mainstream locations. That’s when I lost interest and stopped keeping up. At the time, I was also getting into manga and anime as well (when G.I.T.S. and Macross Plus came out) and that seemed to be the future so I concentrated on that.

However, now I’m starting to get back into comics because I find manga and anime really boring and repetitive (no offense, not trying to start a fight). So I did a lot of research on comic titles and got really overwhelmed by the amount of back-story and multiple titles (Ultimate Spiderman, Amazing Spiderman, Sensational Spiderman, etc.). So I decided to keep it simple and stick with small limited series’ and graphic novels. I’m more interested in DC nowadays, but still open to some Marvel and maybe image or other publishers.

Recently, I picked up the following:
[list]
[]Batman: Hush (including Hush Returns)
[]Batman: Dark Knight (Frank Miller’s stuff)
[]Watchmen (self explanatory)
[]Batman: Year One (more Frank Miller)
[]Batman: Long Halloween (along with all of Jeph Loeb’s other Batman stuff)
[]Batman/Superman (the first three graphic novels)
[]Superman for All Seasons (Jeph Loeb again)
[]All Star Batman & Robin
[]All Star Superman
[]World War Hulk
[*]Marvel 1602
[/list]
I know that it’s a lot, but I read through them pretty quickly. I’m definitely liking what I see, but I’m not trying to delve too deeply into off-beat or heavily dramatic titles. Just trying to keep it simple and light-hearted (I know, Frank Miller is the opposite of that, lol).

So what I’m asking is, what do I need to do in order to branch out from independent stories? I know about landmark things like Kingdom Come, Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis, but my knowledge of DC is limited to Batman/Superman and even in that it’s pretty mainstream (the cartoons being my main source of knowledge). I know a lot more about Marvel, but I’m not really finding anything that catches my eye. I know that everybody suggests the Ultimate series’, but there are sooooooooooooooo many back-issue’s, LOL.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Please see my next post that’s two posts down for some more information and clarification.

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wait so you need to know what to read to get into the actual continuity of the comics or are you asking for any suggestions on whats good to read.

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Well that’s a good question. Sorry for not clarifying.

It’s pretty much impossible to read everything to catch up in the continuity. I guess I’m looking for titles that don’t require a lot of back-story to get into, but aren’t limited to just a few issues. For example, suppose I want to start reading Batman every month. I pick up the latest issue, which is like 600-something. I start reading and hear about characters and events that I never heard of and I’m like “Huh? What”. Instead, I pick up another Batman title, say Batman Alternate (I’m making this up), where the stories and characters are mostly new and require less knowledge of the universe. I hope this clarifies.

As for learning about back-story, I think the DK series of Ultimate and Visual guides provides a concise overview of all of the characters and story-lines for comics, but they usually leave off two to three years back and you have to find back-issues to catch up. This is an option for me as well, but I haven’t decided on it yet.

And last, yes I am open to suggestions that have nothing to do with what I said, but I’m not really the type who reads things that are really out of the mainstream (Sandman, V for Vendetta, etc.). Not that I have anything against these types of stories, it’s just that I like the classic super-hero style a lot more.

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read anything and everything written by ed brubaker. you’ll be a much better person after you read it all. they just released a captain america omnibus with the bru’s run from issue 1 to issue 25. he also wrote rise and fall of the shi’ar empire which is a sequel of sorts to s-men deadly genesis. start reading daredevil from issue 82, and do not, and i reapeat DO NOT forget to pick up the immortal iron fist; which is also co written by the bru. after you do all this, you will be a proud member of the church of bru.

also get cable and deadpool. it has the best new character of the year. bob agent of hydra. HAIL HYDRA!!!

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New X-Men is pretty easy to get into, they recap a lot of the important info at the beginning of each issue and the stories are broken up into arcs.
X-Men as well. Starting with Mike Carey’s run to current.

Ultimate Spiderman.

Powers.

Marvel Adventures line (Spiderman/Hulk/Avengers/IronMan etc) is pretty good, old fashioned superhero fun inside it’s own continuity.

I’ll second the Captain America recommendation.

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Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will check it out when I get a chance.

By the way, I’ve been hearing this term ‘Omnibus’ a lot. Is it any different than a regular graphic novel that collects a few issues?

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aye I second the recommendations also pick up The Books of Doom tpb.

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Omnibus is the name of a new collection from Marvel Comics. This collection provides color compilations of several comics, aiming at complete runs.

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Dammit, sano, I told you, I TOLD you…!

Gentlemen, gentlemen! I love X-Men as much as (probably more than) the next guy… But whatupy said he’s looking for stuff without too much overwhelming backstory. Why are we recommending X-Men? As good as the X-Books are right now, they still ain’t really new reader friendly.

As much as I love Bru’s Uncanny, the third Summers brother and Corsair and the Starjammers and Lilandra and Deathbird and those guys are just part of the convoluted tapestry. Same with the Marauders in Carey’s X-Men. All those random characters - oh my word. Who the heck is Lady Mastermind and where did she come from? I have no idea.

That said, I still think, whatupy, that you can still enjoy those series if you give them a chance. They just probably aren’t exactly what you’re looking for right now, even if they are what you NEED. (Like FAAAAAAAAAABLES!!!11)

If you want to start with something easy, The Ultimates is a prime gateway drug. Don’t worry about all the back issues. There are only 26 total issues - and all of them have been collected in TPB. Everything you need to know is contained in those arcs. You don’t need any familiarity with any ridiculous backstory, and the iconography of the characters is pretty clearly established for virgins.

To tell the truth, though, there’s a lot of stuff you can enjoy just by checking out the TPBs. If you want to try X-Men just start with New X-Men volume 1: E is For Extinction by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. If you want Daredevil, start with Born Again (by Frank Miller around his DKR/Year One era) or start with DD volume 4: Underboss (current stuff) and move on from there.

You want Spider-Man? Just start with Ultimate Spider-Man v.1. You like Joss Whedon? Try Astonishing X-Men v. 1: Gifted. Interested in more Alan Moore? Try Top Ten or Tom Strong from America’s Best Comics. JLA? Check out volume 1: New World Order by Morrison. Captain America? Like my brotha men said, Captain America Omnibus. It’s expensive, but worth it. And you can use it to hurt people. Want to expand your mind? Read The Filth, again by Grant Morrison.

Other than that, yeah… From Hell, Bone, V For Vendetta, Sandman, Preacher, Y: The Last MAAAAAN!!11, FAAAAAABLES!!!1, Ex MAAAAAACHINA!!!111, 100 Bullets, Promethea, and Sandman Mystery Theatre. But not Spawn.

Carpet Lint can fill in the rest.

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indeed xmen “e is for extinction” all the way to “planet x”(basically grant morrisons stuff)
you should also try superman red son. sorry i havent read some of the new stuff in awhile. the whole infinite crisis stuff was kinda wack to me. (sorry if i offended anyone)but if all else fails you can always read all of the age of apocalypse stuff including the sequel.

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if this man doesn’t start reading brubooks, i will hold all of you fake disciples responsible for not converting him to the glorious way of the bru

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Aren’t you the dude who’s never read Catwoman, Detective Comics, and Gotham Central??

BOO YAH!!!

Oh, and Howard Chaykin’s art is AWESOME.

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New X-Men doesn’t have a lot of backstory really. It’s mostly completely new characters. I’ve never read it prior to the search for Magik and I found it was really easy to jump in. With the recap pages you get up to speed rather quickly.

Carey’s X-Men requires little backstory to enjoy his first arc. They form a new team and face a new threat.
Again, I stopped reading X-men for almost 7 years and still was able to get back into with very little in the way of needing to catch up.

I’d never recommend it to a completely new reader, but he’s not totally new.
He read the X-men in the `90’s, he’ll know who all but 2 of the characters are right away, and both of them are explained in story.

On a side note: I’d recommend Runaways. There’s lots to enjoy.

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I just didn’t recommend New X-Men because I don’t think it’s worth recommending. Other than that, I recognize that it is new reader friendly… It just isn’t old, jaded, curmudgeonly reader friendly.

But yeah, Runaways is the best. The TPBs are cheap, too. No excuse for not trying it. Also, it comes out in hardcover, so P.Gabby’s “that’s in manga format so fuck it” excuse does not compute.

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Re: Zeph’s I told you - LOL it just seems to me people will restart “What titles should I read” thread over and over again and each time the responses are different because the question will be slightly different. So that’s why I don’t want to make a sticky “Must Read” thread. On top of that we 8 sticky threads already and a lot of them are really “Must Read” threads in a way… Many non-stuck threads are about that too.

Eh I think every title is a ‘must read’ title to somebody, otherwise it would get canceled due to lack of sales and you wouldn’t be able to read it anyway. :rofl: Not saying that there isn’t books out there that get canceled due to lack of sales and other reasons but shouldn’t. Ah well, so it goes. A Sticky Thread would automatically kill all of the great discussion we’ve had in this thread, each time it is a bit different. :smile:

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Anyway, being a bigtime continuity person it’s hard for me to step out of my shoes and say what is new reader friendly. You may be better off with Ultimates and All Star books since they are made for newer readers.

Other than that, plenty of great suggestions on this thread, you can’t go wrong with a Bru book lol! All Marvel books catch you up to speed on the first page besides. I guess I would recommend Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, but we are waiting for Terry Moore’s (Strangers in Paradise) arc to start up for the time being. Still it has always come off as new reader friendly to me. Not so much a hero book as it is more about Mary Jane’s life in High School, still lots of fun. :tup:

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1- Avoid the Ultimate series
2- Read Deadpool
3- Read everything else

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Thanks again for all of the tips everybody! I have thumbed through almost everything mentioned and have like some of what I saw. Yes, I will definitely sample “The Bru”, especially since Captain America is one of the few Marvel hero’s that I like. That, along with his work on my personal favorite, Batman, would also be nice. Everything else (New X-Men, Ultimates, Fables, Tom Strong, Runaways, etc…) I’m still contemplating, but haven’t forgotten.

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The best Brubaker Batman stuff is going to be collected into either an HC or TPB soon. It’s going to have The Man Who Laughs and the Golden Age Green Lantern team-up from Detective Comics.

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Get this man a drink.