Hickman is truth.
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The Comic Book Start Up Guide (The Big Thread of Comic Q&A)
- Thread starter Zombine
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Hickman is truth.
Oh yeah, I meant to thank you. This thread is what kicked my ass into gear to finally pick some of these up. Can't wait to start reading!
"Only" more than 400 of 700++ Issues of Amazing
And a lot of Minis and other series. To bad that a lot of other Ongoings are not that good avaiable.
My extreme personal bias says Manhattan Projects. That's a great haul though, you can't go wrong with any of them.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
Daredevil is blessed with a bunch of lengthy runs from great writers. I've only read the ones from Bendis and Waid and both of them are fantastic. Bendis's is dark, gritty, and depressing at points but it's addicting. Waid's is a little more positive but it does know how to perfectly manage its drama and action. You can't go wrong with either.
And nice haul MattyG, definitely be sure to drop your thoughts in the OT.
My personal bias confirms his personal bias. Read Manhattan Projects.
Baron von Loathsome
Member
If you want Daredevil in the style of the TV show, you want Frank Miller's Daredevil. Mark Waid's Daredevil is a lot more lighthearted than the TV show, though it's still great.
Thank you! Going to order one of these tonight.
Edit: Looking at Daredevil by Mark Waid and there are two different volume ones on Amazon. Should I start with the older one?
There are two separate runs, one starting in 2011 and the other in 2014. I mean ultimately you can start from either, they're both solid 'jump-on' points. But I mean you may as well start with the 2011 one.
The TV show was what got me interested, but I'm fine with some lighthearted stuff. (I'm a fan of Matt Fraction's Hawkeye.) I might check out the other Daredevil runs too. Thanks guys.
Confusion Illusion
Banned
I'm not really following any of the main Marvel/DC superhero stuff these days. With all the events and stuff, I can't really keep up therefore totally clueless to what's going in those universes. My focus has shifted to a lot of creator owned/independent works from Image (of course) and smaller publishers. Some stuff I've read or currently reading:
Image
Velvet
Shutter
Rocket Girl
Lazarus
The Wicked + The Divine
Wayward
Fatale
Low
Red One
Supereme Blue Rose
East of West
Bitch Planet
Copperhead
Pretty Deadly
Black Science
Umbral
Other Pubs
Mystery Society (IDW)
The Red Star (IDW)
Memorial (IDW)
Stumptown (Oni Press)
Rachel Rising (Abstract Studios)
Curb Stomp (Boom! Studios)
Plus I'm always looking out for new stuf so it's always a growing collection.
Image
Velvet
Shutter
Rocket Girl
Lazarus
The Wicked + The Divine
Wayward
Fatale
Low
Red One
Supereme Blue Rose
East of West
Bitch Planet
Copperhead
Pretty Deadly
Black Science
Umbral
Other Pubs
Mystery Society (IDW)
The Red Star (IDW)
Memorial (IDW)
Stumptown (Oni Press)
Rachel Rising (Abstract Studios)
Curb Stomp (Boom! Studios)
Plus I'm always looking out for new stuf so it's always a growing collection.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
yeah I'd recommend the 2011 one just because it leads into the current one and more good comics is always a good thing
Ok, that makes sense.
Schweinehund
Member
Nice, it's so soooooon. Can't wait.
More_Badass
Member
I'll take a guess and assume that digital stores like Comixology also participate in Free Comic Book Day?
Going to grab a new omnibus as I'm in the mood for one. Which one y'all recommend?:
Planetary:
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/1401242383/
OR
Orion by Walter Simonson:
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/1401255353/
Thanks!
Planetary:
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/1401242383/
OR
Orion by Walter Simonson:
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/1401255353/
Thanks!
Tyrant Rave
Banned
Yeah they do. IIRC they gave out a bunch of Image comics for free last year on top of the FCBD stuff that physical stores got.
More_Badass
Member
Excellent.
Man, it's amazing how quickly I got hooked on comics. Like I want from not really caring to spending $100+ in two months. All of Preacher, Lazarus, Hawkeye, Immortal Iron Fist, Black Science, some Daredevil. And there's just an endless amount of cool stuff to read. DMZ, Chew, Scalped, Irredeemable, Saga, etc. The amount of fascinating concepts and cool stories is overwhelming, but in a good way. It's like, "Oh this is where all the cool sci-fi and horror stories are."
I feel the same. Hickman's FF was what made me read comics again and that's been a few years now, so I feel I even want to start all over and read that again and some more. I think I'm due for another Preacher re-read.
More_Badass
Member
Reading Preacher for the first time and it's amazing. Actually on the last volume finally. I'm glad that it's getting a show adaptation, because it definitely deserves one, but at the same time, it's disappointing because there is no way in hell that an AMC show will be able to faithfully capture the scale and craziness of the comic.
Zeyphersan
Banned
I've only ever been a Marvel guy really, but want to do some DC. I like Batman, don't know much about anyone else really. Should I go scouring for good stuff from the past, or just pick up stuff I like from New 52 and sooner, since that's the new canon?
I would definitely start with New 52 Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Then again, it's the only DC book I read.
I feel the same way. I never watched superhero cartoons or anything as a kid. I went from completely apathetic to obsessed in a very short timeframe. I decided to look into comics after watching some MCU films and quickly realized that comic books were the domain of off the wall sci-fi that isn't being told anywhere else. I've been hooked ever since.
Any character in particular you might want to get more into?
Even a lot of the pre N52 stuff will be fine to read, as it will still give you a good basis for the characters. Some of them - Batman, Green Lantern(s) - kind of still stick to their pre N52 stuff and just carried it over in a lot of ways.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
The new 52 doesn't really erase everything from before, so a lot of the older books are definitely worth reading. Plus you have titles like All-Star Superman which will always be good.
I've been recommended this by a few people but I hated the first trade. Does it get better or is the series not for me?
Maybe you can start on some DC books written by Marvel writers.
If you're talking overall though....Batman's books are not the best DC books. For every great story like Year One you get about 5 shitty stories, with so many titles it's hard to be consistent. Same with Superman obviously.
But DC lives and dies by Batman...which overshadows all their other characters...what can you do though.
Any characters or teams in particular you been looking at.
I say all the time that people who get into DC but only read Batman are doing themselves a disservice. Now, obviously, not every character has stories that stack up to, say, Year One (though more than few do), but you look at recommendation lists that include stuff like Hush and No Man's Land and it's like, "Dude, DC has tons of other stories that are just as good if not better than these and not a bat in sight."
BKatastrophe
Member
For DC stuff, I would not recommend New 52 Justice League. Well, actually, Throne of Atlantis and The Villain's Journey are both solid. But the entire League is a bunch of unlikable assholes. And at some point Martian Manhunter joined and then left. It's really confusing.
There's a lot of older stuff that's worth checking out, but there are certainly interesting New 52 books you should check out for the sake of staying current.
Scott Snyder's Batman is a fantastic way to start.
Geoff Johns' Aquaman is exceptional. First trade is fairly simplistic (though no less entertaining), but things really build, especially once you get to Throne of Atlantis.
Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello is a defining arc.
Jeff Lemire's Green Arrow (vol 4-6) is an awesome run with some beautiful art.
Others are worth checking out too...
Animal Man by Jeff Lemire
Batwoman by J.H. Williams III
Shazam
Gotham by Midnight
Batman and Robin
Batgirl
Batman Eternal
Injustice is also a fascinating read. For a videogame tie-in, it's incredible.
Much to my chagrin.
Zeyphersan
Banned
Thank you for all the replies, everyone! Surprisingly, there was a free download on Comixology that helped me a ton: DC Entertainment Essential Graphic Novels and Chronology 2015. I kinda scoffed at the title but it was free, and it breaks down important story-arcs and starting points for each major character, both pre-New 52 and post. I'm shocked to say it was exactly what I was looking for, recommending old stuff of high acclaim, and new series that I can easily jump into if I'm interested
Congrats DC, your marketing book worked
Congrats DC, your marketing book worked
The answer to this question is always Planetary. Especially in this case where DC did a hack job on the Orion omnibus. But yes, Planetary.
Tizoc
Member
Another thread to say how much I love Marvel Unlimited. For the price you pay the value is insane. I totally recommend anyone new to comics to try it for a month and binge through some great series like Ultimate Spider-man or Bendis/Brubaker Daredevil. I only wish DC had something equivalent because I would be on that immediately.
Gavin Robertson
Neo Member
Great OP. Don't want to repeat too much that's already been said, but if you appreciate great art then Black Science and Birthright should be very high on your "to read" list. Matteo Scalera and Andrei Bressan are doing the best work in the business these days, in my opinion.
Saw someone asking about a website or service to track pull lists, new releases, etc? I know many like the Midtown Comics app, but I've never much liked it. Might I suggest http://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/ as an alternative? Both the website and the app work fine, I've been using it for a while now, and while it's not perfect, it allows me to stay on top of things when combined with the Comic OT's on GAF.
I'd also like to give a recommendation to the iFanboy podcast to those who like that sort of thing. I've been listening for years and it's rarely an hour wasted. Admittedly I'm deep enough down the rabbit hole that I've usually read what they are talking about each week, but I've still picked up the odd book they've loved that I've missed. A potentially great resource for new readers especially, Connor and Josh have solid taste and will rarely steer you wrong.
Saw someone asking about a website or service to track pull lists, new releases, etc? I know many like the Midtown Comics app, but I've never much liked it. Might I suggest http://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/ as an alternative? Both the website and the app work fine, I've been using it for a while now, and while it's not perfect, it allows me to stay on top of things when combined with the Comic OT's on GAF.
I'd also like to give a recommendation to the iFanboy podcast to those who like that sort of thing. I've been listening for years and it's rarely an hour wasted. Admittedly I'm deep enough down the rabbit hole that I've usually read what they are talking about each week, but I've still picked up the odd book they've loved that I've missed. A potentially great resource for new readers especially, Connor and Josh have solid taste and will rarely steer you wrong.
More_Badass
Member
Schweinehund
Member
My personal favorite story of c-list characters in DC is 52, the weekly. Bonus if you read JSA by Johns/Goyer before that.
As far as new 52 vs pre-new 52, I recommend reading whatever sounds good. I'm largely apathetic of canon and continuity, given that some of the best stories are outside of continuity anyway. I don't care when there's some callback to an old issue but 30 issues later it ends up retconned anyway or the next writer ignores. I started reading after new 52 and have gone back and still am reading older issues because I enjoy how the characters are wrote, not that it is connected.
More_Badass
Member
Heh, folks at Comixology must have read your mind, Zombine
https://www.comixology.com/Getting-Started/page/495
https://www.comixology.com/Getting-Started/page/495
Things I'd add to the OP -
I'd have suggested the Nexus 7 over the Kindle Fire tbh, but YMMV.
- Humble Bundle should be in digital retailers, the comic bundles have been great.
- UKGAF either buys from local stores or from Amazon UK, and there's precious little reason to do otherwise as we've no In-Stock Trades equivalent.
- IDW books to be added are Transformers: More than Meets the Eye, Buffy Season 8 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
I'd have suggested the Nexus 7 over the Kindle Fire tbh, but YMMV.
Pilgrimzero
Member
Was it the Bendis era of Daredevil where
I'm trying to recall that run. Is there an Omnibus for it?
Karen Page dies?
I'm trying to recall that run. Is there an Omnibus for it?
No, it's Kevin Smith's run of Guardian Devil.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0785131124/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0785138137/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Stay with the trades. Much more affordable.
Edit: Sorry, misinterpreted your post.
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