The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[Benji]

The Immortal Iron Fist. A fantastic run partially done by the same guy who did Cap's Winter Soldier run. Genuinely probably my favourite run of a C-List character ever. It's also what the new Iron Fist Netflix show is likely to be based on.

I can't suggest Kingdom Come (a lot of Biblical imagery, but even if that's not for you it's still a great read) and Marvels enough. Art in both is by Alex Ross and is absolutely stunning. Marvels is great because it looks at major events in Marvel history from a civilian perspective. Kingdom Come is great because it gives you an appreciation of characters you might not otherwise care for (or did me, at least).

Another personal favourite of mine is X-Factor (Volume 3). Perhaps not for everyone, but a cool look at some of Marvel's mutant community beyond the main X-Men. It's a detective agency in a mutant town, and has some really interesting characters (especially Layla Miller, cause she knows stuff).

Outside the superheroes - Y: The Last Man. 10 volumes and I re-read it every year or so.

Are you looking for newer (1990s/2000s) stuff or would older stuff interest you?

[brenchill]

Thanks for those suggestions, I'm looking for stuff from 2000 onwards really. I appreciate the old stuff for what it was, but I much prefer the art work in the more modern graphic novels.

[En Dub]

Rick Remender's run on X-Force is one of my personal favorites as well as his Uncanny Avengers stuff. 

And I will always recommend Matt Fraction's Hawkeye. 

[Benji]

Yeah, I figured that was the case. I'm the same, I'll read plenty of old stuff, but the art is a bit much for regular reading.

Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol 1) was great. I gave up when it went to volume two, but that was largely because I stopped reading for a while and it felt like it had hit its peak. If you're not aware, Ultimate Marvel was an alternate universe Marvel where it was basically completely fresh. Ultimates 1 and 2 in that universe were probably the only other essential things worth reading though, as Ultimate X-Men was a mixed bag and Ultimate Fantastic Four did absolutely nothing for me.

What En Dub said, if you find something you like, the best option is to check out that writer's other stuff. Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker tend to be very well received, so look out for their stuff.

[brenchill]

Mark Waid and Mark Millar seem to be my favourites so far.

52 minutes ago, Benji said:

The Immortal Iron Fist. A fantastic run partially done by the same guy who did Cap's Winter Soldier run. Genuinely probably my favourite run of a C-List character ever. It's also what the new Iron Fist Netflix show is likely to be based on.

I can't suggest Kingdom Come (a lot of Biblical imagery, but even if that's not for you it's still a great read) and Marvels enough. Art in both is by Alex Ross and is absolutely stunning. Marvels is great because it looks at major events in Marvel history from a civilian perspective. Kingdom Come is great because it gives you an appreciation of characters you might not otherwise care for (or did me, at least).

Another personal favourite of mine is X-Factor (Volume 3). Perhaps not for everyone, but a cool look at some of Marvel's mutant community beyond the main X-Men. It's a detective agency in a mutant town, and has some really interesting characters (especially Layla Miller, cause she knows stuff).

Outside the superheroes - Y: The Last Man. 10 volumes and I re-read it every year or so.

Are you looking for newer (1990s/2000s) stuff or would older stuff interest you?

The Kingdom Come artwork looks... wow.  I've never seen anything like that.  I've just bought it.

[Benji]

Yeah, Alex Ross rarely actually draws full books (he does a lot of covers), but there's a good reason. He takes a long time to produce something absolutely visually astounding.

RE: Mark Millar, he was the one who wrote the first two Ultimates volumes (that's Ultimates, not Ultimate Spidey - Ultimates is that universe's version of The Avengers). Just steer incredibly clear of Ultimates 3 because... yeah, it's not Millar and it is really really not good.

Waid wrote Kingdom Come, so you should like that.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man (with Miles Morales as Spider-Man) was pretty good too I thought. I only read up to Volume 3 but I really dug it.

[Benji]

I've heard such good things about it, but I don't know anyone who actually stuck with it all the way.

I liked what little I read of it, and thought it was a really interesting move to take this popular alt-u and genuinely do something so off the wall with it (I'm always a big fan of different Spideys anyway, it's why I sort of grew to like the Web Warriors cartoon as terrible as it is), but I just didn't have the patience to stick with it with so many other entertainment options out there.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Web Warriors is great and I'll hear no ill of it. Unless we're talking about the currently running Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. In which case it's still great.

The only reason I didn't stick with UC:SM is the same reason I really don't read comics on a week-to-week basis; there's already so much entertainment to keep up with, adding even more to my plate just makes it a chore to keep up with. At some point I will read all of UC:SM because it's a complete collection now, but when I originally tried to read it, I was reading it as it came out. I can't really do that with comics, I always wait for TPBs or complete collections because it's much easier that way.

[Benji]

I am talking about the cartoon, that's why I said "cartoon"

Yeah, weekly comics just aren't my thing any longer. Give me collected volumes and I'm golden.

[MalaCloudy Black]

I thought maybe you meant the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, which had a season devoted to the whole Web Warriors arc as well!

[Benji]

Oh, right, was it in the other 90s Spider-Man cartoon that was a weird sequel to the better known one. I forget Spider-Man Unlimited was even a thing >_>

Or is there something I'm forgetting about the main series? There was the season with Cap and co, but that wasn't called Web Warriors was it? Wasn't that Forgotten Warriors or something?

[MalaCloudy Black]

I was thinking of the Spider Wars arc, which was at the very end of the series' run. But yeah, the last season was Six Forgotten Warriors, Secret Wars & Spider Wars.

[Benji]

Ohhhhh yeah I forgot Spider Wars. Were they referred to as Web Warriors in that? For some reason I assumed that name was somewhat new.

I need to rewatch that again some time, so much silly fun.

[HailtotheYo]

I will absolutely back up @Benji with Y: The Last Man, MARVELS, and KINGDOM COME.  Those are flat out wonderful. 

RECENT nods:

Superior Spider-Man: it was just wonderfully done and really gets into Doc Oc on a different level.

Superior Foes of Spider-Man: completely campy and executed very well.  Nice "normal" look at recognizable spidey foes and "real" issues.  Just awesome.

The Winter Soldier: Brubaker at his best ... I can't say enough good things about this run.

Gotham Central: Brubaker again ... story from GCPD point of view, GREAT idea and done well. 

Astro City: the current run is great, as are all of the previous works ... just pick up any of it as it is completely different from anything else out there

Afterlife With Archie: Absolutely fantastic, and Francavilla's art work is my absolute favorite "non traditional" comic work out there

Outside of the mainstream stuff check out the Valiant reboot with XO Manowar and Harbinger as both of those were just really well done books. 

[=BK=]

6 hours ago, brenchill said:

Mark Waid and Mark Millar seem to be my favourites so far.

The Kingdom Come artwork looks... wow.  I've never seen anything like that.  I've just bought it.

Kingdom Come is the absolute best thing. It's what got me into DC comics so much. Alex Ross's art is just beautiful. Also, just FYI there's  a fully produced audio play of Kingdom Come too if that's your thing.

 

 

As far as Marvel goes I've  seen shouts for Ultimate Spider-Man but I'd add in Ultimate X-Men too. 

 

Going back to DC I'd suggest Mike Grell's Green Arrow that follows up on The GA "Longbow Hunters" graphic novel but the whole run isn't  collected yet, just four volumes

Green Arrow: Hunter's Moon (2013)
ISBN: 978-1401243265

Green Arrow: Here There be Dragons (2014)
ISBN: 978-1401251338

Green Arrow: The Trial of Oliver Queen (2015)
ISBN: 978-1401255237

Green Arrow: Blood of the Dragon (2015)
ISBN: 978-1401258221

 

Superhero stuff outside of the big two I'd point you to Irredeemable, Invincible and The Boys.

 

[Benji]

I don't think I could ever forgive Ultimate X-men for (major character death ahoy)...

Spoiler

Killing Gambit off in a side story like it was nothing. We don't even get enough Gambit in 616, let alone killing him off before he could do anything in UXM. Worse still he died via eternal terrible meme Juggernaut (a character I do somewhat like, but by no stretch deserves the honour to have killed one of the most famous X-Men, let alone how it happened.

 

[Avenged Probably]

8 hours ago, En Dub said:

Rick Remender's run on X-Force is one of my personal favorites as well as his Uncanny Avengers stuff. 

And I will always recommend Matt Fraction's Hawkeye. 

@brenchill I also heavily recommend both of these, I can happily call Remender's Uncanny X-Force my favourite superhero story I've ever read and I say story because the entire run is one big one and it's brilliant. Hawkeye is great too for very different reasons, such a different tone and pace to usual super hero stuff, quite light hearted at times but always incredibly engaging.

@Benji

Spoiler

I never liked the Ultimate version of Gambit, felt he came off very creepy and a bit of a perv in scenes with Rogue iirc. Basically the same as the 616 version but minus the charm  

 

[I Don't Mind]

MARVEL:

Moon Knight by Warren Ellis

Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears by Garth Ennis

Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon

Captain America: Man Out of Time by Mark Waid

Hulk: Grey by Jeph Loeb

Either run of Mark Waid's Daredevil (2011 - serious, dark, brooding) or (2014 - more light-hearted)

Black Panther by Christopher Priest

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson

Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron

Ghost Rider by Jason Aaron

DC:

Aquaman by Geoff Johns

Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns

Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello

Joker by Brian Azzarello

Superman: For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb

Batman: Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison

MISC:

Preacher by Garth Ennis (Vertigo; imprint of DC)

Invincible by Robert Kirkman (Image Comics)

Irredeemable by Mark Waid (Boom! Studios)

Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe (Image Comics)

East of West by Jonathan Hickman (Image Comics)

Sandman by Neil Gaiman (Vertigo)

Edited May 31, 2016 by I Diem

[=BK=]

Read Kingdom Come before Irredeemable. I feel like it'll make you get into it more.