Getting into comics/graphic novels

[3 Justin 3]

I have been reading The Walking Dead series and I really enjoy it.

What suggestions do people have to get into graphic novels more specifically.

I am thinking to buy The Watchmen as I enjoyed the movie and I read part of it in Chapters last night and enjoyed it.

I want to get into Batman too, but which one do I start with? (speaking graphic novels, not the comics, although is there a good recent series of Batman comics?) I have heard of The Dark Knight Returns, Year One, the ones written by Frank Miller and Alan Moore, but I know there are more from other guys.

Any other good graphic novels?

[To Be Quite Honest]

Joker

The Killing Joke

Blackest Night series

Planet Hulk/World War Hulk Series

Kingdom Come 1 and 2

Civil War Series

Batman Legends of the Dark Night - Prey Story ( Heard a rumor the 3rd movie will be based on this)

Old Man Logan

Try those...

It's a good thing I have a woman already because I'm showing off some nerd here... A lot of nerd...

[KTrain]

Here are some that I would suggest.

Fables: Basically it's places classic fairytale characters in the modern world. That's a very simplistic description. It is a great series.

Y the Last Man: All the guys in the world have been killed by a virus except for one guy. Read the first issue free.

DMZ: America is caught up in another civil war and Manhattan is a demilitarized zone. A photo-journalist sent to cover the story gets caught in the DMZ.

The Watchman is good. Much better than the movie.

Bone: It's a little more all-ages but still really good. Think Looney Toons meets Lord of the Rings.

Invincible: It's a cross between Spiderman and Superman but set in its own world. Read the first issue free.

If you're looking for Batman graphic novels I would suggest The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Back and Year One are all good too.

For those of you who haven't yet, you can read the first issue of Walking Dead online.

[To Be Quite Honest]

http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Novels.../3RVHVUQTG3UZJ

Here is a top 15 list and some look interesting.

1 and 2 I never heard of before.

Time's Top Ten

http://www.time.com/time/specials/pa...883291,00.html

[onetwo_threefour]

If you want to do some sampling. The Calgary Public Library has an okay selection of some of the more popular characters graphic novels. Try before you buy?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

For anything recent (mostly post 2005) I have very few suggestions.

Some of these have already been mentioned.

Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Catwoman: When In Rome - these are all mysteries. Don't read the plot synopsis or it'll ruin the comic.

Actually pretty much anything by Loeb and Sale - Spider-man: Blue, Hulk: Gray, Daredevil: Yellow, Wolverine/Gambit: Victims, Superman for All Seasons

The Loeb and Sale "color" stories for marvel are absolutely amazing but I don't read a lot of Hulk or Daredevil so some of the early references were lost on me. (they are all year one type stories)

I thought All Star Superman was ok. I only read book one though. That is from 2006 and is probably the newest book in my collection.

Preacher - there are 9 volumes of TPBs and I can pretty much guarantee if you buy book 1 you will by the other 8 shortly after. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion.

Speaking of Ennis and Dillon read Punisher: Welcome Back Frank and the ultra-violent Punisher Max series. These were the basis for the Punisher movies (but better).

I thought Batman: Hush was pretty good.

I only have book 1 of Wolverine Origins but I thought it was cool.

I enjoyed Superman/Batman Books 1 and 2.

My all time favorite Wolverine story is Blood Debt by Steve Skroce. You might have to read up a little bit to get some of the relationships/background stories between characters though.

The original Wolverine Limited Series is also quite good.

Pretty much everything I've listed won't require a lot of background info so you shouldn't have too many problems getting into it (unless otherwise stated).


Stories like Kingdome Come, Avengers Forever and Marvels are all amazing but you might not know what half the references are alluding to.

[WhiteTiger]

Well, it depends on what sort of books you like to read, of course, but here's some of the ones I've got kicking around the house.

Watchmen
The Boys
Transmetropolitan
Some of the Sandman stuff (Wife's more a fan than I am)
V is for Vendetta
Girl Genius
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
Final Crisis
The Order of the Stick
Pride of Bagdad
Grimm's Fairy Tales

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

I have been reading The Walking Dead series and I really enjoy it.

What suggestions do people have to get into graphic novels more specifically.

I am thinking to buy The Watchmen as I enjoyed the movie and I read part of it in Chapters last night and enjoyed it.

I want to get into Batman too, but which one do I start with? (speaking graphic novels, not the comics, although is there a good recent series of Batman comics?) I have heard of The Dark Knight Returns, Year One, the ones written by Frank Miller and Alan Moore, but I know there are more from other guys.

Any other good graphic novels?

Just a slight correction.

Generally a graphic novel is another name for a Trade Paperback. Simply put it is a collected edition of a comic.

Pretty much everything anyone has listed was originally printed in individual issues and then collected. Watchmen was 12 issues, TDKR was 4 issues. Those 2 are examples of limited series. Some of the other ones listed like Wolverine: Blood Debt or Batman: Hush were part of an ongoing series that simply collected that particular story arc.

There is a slight difference in that graphic novels can refer to something that was never published as part of a series. For example The Killing Joke is a graphic novel only and not part of an ongoing or limited series.



For Batman I would start with Year One. Then Long Halloween, Dark Victory and possibly Catwoman: When in Rome. All 3 are year one type stories as well.

From there you can pretty much read anything. Any characters you don't know in say Hush for example you can just google to find out their history.

Unless you pick up a limited series like All Star Superman which is designed for new readers there will always be tons of back story that you won't be familiar with. I tried to suggest stuff that didn't require to much background knowledge in my previous post. However, most of these characters have between 30 and 70 years of history so there is usually lots of back story to learn about.

[Human Torch]

Everything KTrain said.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by KTrain

The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Returns and Year One are all good too.

Do you mean The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Stikes Again?

Although technically TDKR is actually called The Dark Knight. Returns was the title of the first issue and just stuck after that.

[simmonjam1]

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by simmonjam1

But Cecil Terwilliger takes the cake in this thread amiright?!


When you read his posts, pretend he's in a plush robe with a pipe in a wing-back chair.

"Although technically TDKR is actually called The Dark Knight."
"Just a slight correction."
"Pretty much everything anyone has listed was originally printed in individual issues and then collected."

Actually all of Cecil's second post...

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Do you mean The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Stikes Again?

Although technically TDKR is actually called The Dark Knight. Returns was the title of the first issue and just stuck after that.

Yes, yeas I did mean that. I need to hang in my nerd membership card.

[ResAlien]

I'm disappointed no one has suggested Preacher yet. Probably my favourite graphic novel of all time.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest

But Cecil Terwilliger takes the cake in this thread amiright?!

"Although technically TDKR is actually called The Dark Knight."
"Just a slight correction."
"Pretty much everything anyone has listed was originally printed in individual issues and then collected."

Actually all of Cecil's second post...

There's no hiding it. I have a holographic foil poster of the Coming Home Spider-Man cover by J.Scott Campbell and some of my most prized possessions include a signed copy of Spider-Man #16 by Todd McFarlane, his final issue of Spider-Man before he co-founded Image and created Spawn. I have The Amazing Spider-Man #54 from Nov 1967 and I purchased Xmen (2nd series) 1-110 or so and UXM 282-395 or so from a CPer about a year and a half ago. Still haven't gotten thru them all. However just a couple of weeks ago I read all 47 issues of the Onslaught Saga. I needed something to distract me from writing my papers for Uni.

It has been kind of interesting the last couple years because graphic novels have moved beyond being regarded as just for kids and a lower form of literature.

Originally Posted by ResAlien

I'm disappointed no one has suggested Preacher yet. Probably my favourite graphic novel of all time.

I did! In my first post in this thread. Probably just didn't see it in my somewhat lengthy post.

Preacher is easily my favorite non-superhero book.

[KTrain]

If you're interested, I added a couple links to read the first issues of some of the comics I mentioned.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by KTrain

If you're interested, I added a couple links to read the first issues of some of the comics I mentioned.

Cool. As a preview I don't mind reading a single issue online.

On a somewhat related note I am not a fan of torrents for DLing comics. Something about the physical product that I need to have to enjoy it.

If comics ever go full digital on a kindle or something I'm not sure how I'll cope. I mean, I don't collect anything recent so I guess there would always be back issues, but still.


Totally forgot 300. That was amazing. Just like the movie without the storyline about the queen.

[KTrain]

I actually enjoy reading them on my iPad.

I've stopped collecting the single issues of comics. After 20+ years of collecting my space and money are better left for other things. I still collect graphic novels of the comics I mentioned above but that's about it. they take up less space and are cheaper.

I've also ditched most superhero comics because of the 'events' that require you to read a dozen other comics to get the 'full' story.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by KTrain

I actually enjoy reading them on my iPad.

I've stopped collecting the single issues of comics. After 20+ years of collecting my space and money are better left for other things. I still collect graphic novels of the comics I mentioned above but that's about it. they take up less space and are cheaper.

I've also ditched most superhero comics because of the 'events' that require you to read a dozen other comics to get the 'full' story.

How does reading them on your iPad work? Legally? Is there an app for that? How much are they?

Just curious.

[Rhettzky]

Loved Spider-man: Reign...



Spiderman: The Other was pretty sweet too...



30 days of night...