Heya folks, it’s Jim. Jim Smith. I’m stating my name over and over because I’m about to ask for comics recommendations, and I’m trying to make sure everybody knows who’s asking.
So by November it looks like my pull list will be down to ten books: Alpha Flight, Captain America, Captain America and Bucky,Daredevil, Fantastic Four (or FF or whatever), Herc, Legion of Super-Heroes, Legion Lost, Secret Avengers, and Thunderbolts. And Herc is ending in November, so that sucks.
This is perhaps the fewest titles I’ve collected in over a decade. Admittedly, in these troubled times I should probably be glad to save money by buying fewer comics, but you have to understand my background–I used to have to drive 40 miles to the nearest comics shop, so I developed a strong urge to make each trip count. Nine comics a month feels…un-American or something.
That’s why I’m here asking for books I should start picking up. This is kind of self-serving, but it’s Labor Day weekend and I happen to know you have nothing better to do because the whole internet went on vacation but you’re checking this site for updates anyway.
Now, you’ll notice I’ve only got two DCU books on my list. There is a good reason for that: DC has spent all summer trying to get everyone to try out any of their fifty-two titles, so I have had plenty of time to think it over, and only two of them really won me over, and that’s mostly because they pick up from two series I was already reading. So there’s not much point in trying to sell me on any DCU stuff right now–yes, I know Grant Morrison’s writing Action Comics, and there’s really nothing else you can add that hasn’t already been taken into consideration.
Other than that, suggest whatever the hell you want, as long it’s a current ongoing monthly. If I can read Alpha Flight, heaven knows I’ll try anything.
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Hey, Jim. Jim Smith.
Locke & Key
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locke_%26_Key
BPRD is probably my favorite book running right now, and it has just entered into a new, long story cycle (Hell on Earth). There’s a fair amount of backstory going into it, but with them having started over with numbering at the start of New World, I imagine that there’s not a whole lot that a good Wikipedia read-up won’t fill you in on. Which isn’t to say that it isn’t worth reading almost everything that came before, it’s just that fourteen trade volumes is a lot of background reading. It’s big, huge monster war comics, and the art is wonderful and different and the writing is sharp and fun. It’s a total blast to read.
Morning Glories and the Sixth Gun are both great reads, self contained, and still pretty new (MG next issue is #12 and SG is #15) so catching up shouldn’t be difficult.
Well, if you’re getting LSH and Legion Lost, you may as well at least consider Legion: Secret Origin and LSH/Star Trek. If you’ve already decided against them, how about Sergio Aragones’ Funnies? It says something good about our civilization that this exists. There’s also the Dungeons & Dragons series, written by John Rogers, which I think is great but may not be your thing.
I’d say Ultimate Spiderman, but they just stupidly killed Peter Parker.
I’d say Star Wars: Legacy, but they cancelled the title, prematurely in my opinion. But that one at least has a proper ending and doesn’t kill the main character unnecessarily, so I strongly recommend to get it in trades.
By far the best series I’m aware of right now is Avengers Academy. The current issues are stuck in that Fear Itself mess, so it’s not quite up to the usual standards at the moment, but it’s still pretty good. And I assume the quality will return to normal once the stupid crossover is done.
X-Factor is probably the next best, and they just happen to be between storylines at the moment, so the timing is perfect.
My tradtional favourite is Amazing Spider-Man, and while the stories have been mostly all right since Slott took over full time, it just hasn’t felt like real Spider-Man to me. For some reason, it just feels kind of DC-ish. Which would be perfectly fine in a DC book, but which just feels wrong for Spider-Man.
Is that new Alpha Flight any good? I haven’t heard anything about it.
Usagi Yojimbo. You can start with the (awesome) trades, or pick up pretty much any single issue on the stands, since 90% are done-in-ones and the other ten skillfully fill you in on the ongoing plot, old-school Marvel style. It’s consistently one of the top ten books on the stands, and has been for almost a quarter century.
And if you’re into it, Boom’s PLANET OF THE APES has been just a hella solid read. But I know that one’s not for everybody.
I’m Enjoying Boom’s Farscape comic, as well as Aaron Williams’ PS238.
And though they aren’t truly ongoing monthlies, I have to recommend Love and Capes and of course, Atomic Robo.
Seconding the rec for Usagi, though we get the trades.
Wait, Herc’s ending? F***.
Heroes for Hire. If you’re down with quirky series like Alpha Flight, Secret Avengers and Thunderbolts, you should definitely check out H4H.
I’m in the same boat. After 35 years of collecting DC, I’m going to be dropping most of their titles.
Gold Digger (Antarctic Press) has always been a favorite. It’s got a fair bit of back story, but I still say it’s pretty accessible and fun.
Knights of the Dinner Table (Kenzer & co.) This one is more of a gaming magazine, but the bulk of it is dedicated to the comic strip adventures of a group of gaming nerds.
Rocketeer Adventures (Dark Horse) The Rocketeer has had a special place in my heart for years. Each book makes me smile and brings a tear to my eye.
Empowered (Dark Horse) isn’t a monthly but well worth picking up. Its a testament to Adam Warren’s writing talent that he can take an idea of *very* humble origins and create a very likeable character and a very clever world for her to live in. (It does earn its Mature Reader sticker, just so you know…)
RUSE, on the Marvel/Crossgen imprint.
Well, since what you seem to be into is cape books, I’d say maybe some “Invincible” and “Savage Dragon”. “Darkwing Duck” is sadly ending soon, but worth grabbing until that point…
For non or only occasionally ongoing titles, check out back issues and trades on “Empowered”, “Dynamo5” and “Jack Staff”. All great cape books…
If you’re looking to expand out of the supers genre, try some “Hellboy” or “Usagi Yojimbo” collections. Or “Chew” or “Yotsuba&” or “Mouse Guard”…
Uncanny X-Force.
No, really. Besides X-Factor it’s probably one of th emost consistant and enjoyable X-books out there.
(And I would recommend several of the lower tier DCU books, but I guess that isn’t allowed because clearly every single concept they come up with is absolute shite and there is absolutely no chance for exceptions there.)
I’ll back the recommendation of Avengers Academy, especially since the other books you have on your pull list are also on mine. I’m not sure if there’s anything to say to anyone at this point to get them into the X-Books if they aren’t already, but they are riding a high point, even with the whole Regenesis thing coming up. Daniel Way writes a consistently good Deadpool, with both humor and pathos, but if you’re Deadpooled out, I can’t blame you. Other than that, I’m in the same boat with you as far as the DC stuff, so we’ll see how that shakes out.
I second the recommendations for Love and Capes, which is ongoing but not monthly, and for Rocketeer Adventures, except that it’s a limited series that ends I think this week. Excellent, though.
Hellblazer. Milligan’s writing the SHIT out of that book, and as an added pull you get Simon Bisley on covers and even interiors every so often. I picked the book up basically at random about a year ago, and I’m not basically in love with it. (And on the trivia front, once Uncanny X-Men gets restarted, it will be the longest running comic left on the stands without being cancelled or renumbered).
Seconding X-Factor and Avengers Academy. The Boys is great, but at this point you’re probably better getting the trades as the finish line is within sight. Angel And Faith from Dark Horse had a good issue 1 – and I’m a big fan of Christos Gage – but that one obviously depends on being into that universe. Aaron’s writing a good Wolverine, but I’m constantly arguing with myself if it’s good enough to warrant the cover price.
Err, “now basically in love with it”. In my defence, it’s 3.40am local time.
You didn’t specify if you’d be okay with catching up with stuff so I’ll split it into two piles: The “lots of catching up. probably should get the trades first” and the “Very little catching up, you’ll probably be able to find the singles or maybe just one trade”.
So here:
Lots of catching up (but worth it!):
X-Factor
Invincible
The Unwritten
Uncanny X-Men (from Messiah Complex up to X-Men: Schism)
Little to no catching up to do:
Uncanny X-Force
I, Zombie
Locke & Key
Generation Hope
Avengers Academy
Amazing Spider-Man (from “The Gauntlet” onwards)
The Punisher (2011, the Greg Rucka one)
The Stuff of Legend
Recently ended and I know you didn’t ask but who cares they’re good and not many issues:
Batgirl (the Brian Q. Miller one, recently cancelled due to the usual DCness)
Daytripper
REBELS
Beasts of Burden
Morning Glories is alright.
Anyways, I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff, but that’s my post.
Is anyone else reading and enjoying New Mutants as much as I am? I will definitely admit I have a lot of nostalgia at play, seeing as the original run of that comic was the first comic I ever read as a kid, but I have to say that they have been consistently nailing the characters and aging them in a believable way. From the return of Doug Ramsey, to Illyana (one of the most under-used characters in comics) using Legion to destroy all the Great Old Ones, this comic has great action, great character interaction, and its blatantly obvious that the writer had a firm understanding of the original source material, as well as a great deal of respect for the characters. Check it out, I think its a fun, great read.
Wait, Legion Lost is a thing again? I realize I haven’t been keeping up with the title since the last Legion that got lost, but really, what?
I’d recommend some great DC books but they all just got cancelled and they appear to be canceling a lot of the solicited trades. At this point all I can recommend is Fables and whatever they’re calling Jonah Hex post reboot (Weird Westerns or something). Oh, and I’m sure Grant Morrison’s Action Comics will be great if you can stand only getting four issues a year.
You’re already reading most of the Marvel books I’d recommend. I will say the Hulk books are great (even Red Hulk now that Jeff Parker took over) but it looks like Pak is on his way out. DnA’s Cosmic stuff (currently the Annihilators minis) has been great overall (though Realm of Kings was disappointing).
Image has a lot of quality books. While certain recent moves have me falling out of love with his Walking Dead, Kirkman’s Invincible continues to kick butt. Morning Glories is basically the Prisoner set in a high school. Chew is too weird to describe while doing it justice.
The other indy standout is Atomic Robo. It gets compared to Hellboy a lot because the lead is a long-lived globetrotting adventurer who gets involved in weird stuff but the truth is that it’s a lot smarter and funnier than Hellboy. Plus the art ascetic is completely different.
I don’t read as much Manga as I used to but I’d still recommend Yotsuba& and Fullmetal Alchemist to any fan of American comics.
Pak is out but Aaron is going to be the new writer, so you still have strong writers for the Hulk books.
Also I’d highly recommend the current Daredevil series. Waid is doing some great stuff with Matt’s character and the art is gorgeous so far.
And I also agree about Avengers Academy.
Avengers Academy, The Rinse, Avenger Academy, Iron Man 2.0, Avengers Academy, Scarlet, Avengers Academy, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, Avengers Academy.
@Tom O’Hare: Oh, I am definitely enjoying New Mutants as well, and nostalgia be damned. It’s a very good team book and has a good writer.
And if you just want to stick with Marvel I’ll add my voice to the multitude recomending “Avengers Academy”. Especially since it looks to be having a major focus shift after Fear Itself finishes up. After that my Marvel pull list is basically “Thunderbolts” and whatever ongoing or mini-series Abnett & Lanning are doing…
Atomic Robo definitely. Also, I’m backing up the Avengers Academy and X-Factor recommendations.
I can’t believe no one has said it yet, but Journey Into Mystery has been great. Gillen has been doing some wonderful things in that title.
PunisherMAX is, despite the stupid title, a great book. Aaron has been doing great and probably doing the best job on the character anyone has done since Ennis left it.
Count two more votes for Avengers Academy & X-Factor, two of Marvel’s most consistently great books.
IDW’s Doctor Who ongoing (why hasn’t Tony Lee been hired to write for the show?).
GI Joe: A Real American Hero (seriously). (No, seriously! Things actually happen in that book. The plot is constantly moving at 100 mph! Plus, Larry Hama is not-so-secretly a gun-toting, Hunter S. Thompson-esque liberal, not a right-winger.)
Matt Wagner’s Zorro (the character so cool Batman wanted to grow up to be him! Why isn’t this selling?)
I’m confused why somebody who would read Alpha Flight and the Legion titles wouldn’t consider getting Justice League International, as they are fairly similar concepts.
Rafferty mentioned Ruse, but the resurrected Crossgen title that’s hooked me with its single issue so far is Mystic. It could all fall apart next issue, but the first installment promised some well-done fantasy shenanigans, and people seem to think highly of G. Willow Wilson as a writer.
This is a little offbeat, but the new Dark Horse Presents features new installments of Paul Chadwick’s Concrete and Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder, which are two of the best comics EVER, in each issue, so that really ought to be a priority. There’s some other cool stuff in there too, like a weird Richard Corben thing and a delightful little strip by David Chelsea. And you can watch the continuing mental deterioration of Neal Adams, if you so desire.
And it’s a long way from being monthly these days, but if you’re not reading The Goon you’re a communist, and possibly a mollusc too. The latest issue, guest-scripted by Evan Dorkin, was classic stuff.
Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe? It’s cheap and it’s literally the only good thing to come out of the Sonic franchise in decades.
X-Factor is definitely worth your time and money as it’s consistently surprising, emotional, funny, action-packed, you name it. It’s less of a traditional “cape” book, and more of a super-powered PI team.
Morning Glories is fantastic and one of the best reads month-to-month.
I co-sign on Invincible and if you want to get caught up the easy way there’s 4 huge volumes that make up the first 70 issues. It’s the best traditional superhero book out right now.
Hey Jim — I strongly endorse the Uncanny X-Force suggestions above. That book is typically funny, gripping, and beautifully drawn. Rick Remender seems like he has some definite ideas for these characters, but he doesn’t skimp on the action, either. And the whole shebang is more or less divorced from the rest of the X-line. What could be better?
If you like historical dramas, Age of Bronze gets woefully little attention even though it’s one of the best comics out there. The story of the Trojan war woven together from as many sources as possible, both real and fictional, all beautifully and meticulously drawn by Eric Shanower. The single issues come out pretty sporadically, but there are three or four trades to catch up with while you’re waiting.
And if you’re the Marvel guy it seems like you are, then I’m surprised you’re not picking up Avengers: Children’s Crusade. It’s all happening in that book: Doctor Doom, Avengers, Young Avengers, X-Men. And it’s going to have some serious ramifications for the entire Marvel universe if I’m right about where it’s headed. Plus, it’s gorgeously drawn and it reads like an old-school Marvel book. Fun!
Whatever you decide to read, I hope you enjoy it!
@gnosis:
Oh, shut up. I already explained this. The difference between recommending, for example, Journey Into Mystery and Fury of Firestorm is that a person has a reasonable expectation that I might never have given any thought to Journey, whereas with Firestorm of course I already know about it because it was part of a gigantic, companywide media blitz. The point is not that I’m not dismissing Firestorm out of hand because it must be shit, the point is that nobody needs to remind me “Hey, DC’s doing a new Firestorm book, that might be worth trying,” because DC beat you to it. Thanks, I got the memo, decided to pass on that.
Basically, pretend that the first response in this thread was made by Dan DiDio, and he posted it three months ago.
Actually RE Journey into Mystery:
I haven’t read JiM yet because I’ve moved to trades but I’d recommend it just on the strength of Gillen’s Thor and Beta Ray Bill runs.
(Also his S.W.O.R.D. mini is worth hunting down. The trade is packaged as an X-Men mini but it does a good job standing on its own.)
I know it’s been said, repeatedly, but yeah: Avengers Academy. And it’s worth tracking down in its previous incarnation, Avengers: The Initiative. It handles team dynamics really well, and because the characters are generally not A-listers, they can go through actual development and growth to a degree that you really can’t do with the Marvel mainstays.
In terms of nonsuperhero books, my favorite’s probably Chew. While it may not be particularly accessible at this point, it’s still a really good balance between high concept idea (a detective who gets the memories of what he eats) and well-developed characters.
American Vampire – really cool horror/fantasy period piece with great characters and awesome Rafael Albuquerque art. I’d check out the trades first, but the series is really good and has only been getting better.
Atomic Robo – simply an amazing series, it’s got fantastic humor, it’s got heart, it’s got a wisecracking, pants-wearing robot built by Nikola Tesla in the 1920s. If you have not tried Robo – you should try Robo. The next volume is starting this Wednesday and it’s totally accessible.
While I’ve only read the first arc so far, I would absolutely second Chew. It’s really fun and weird and great.
Oh, and back in Marvel territory, Hulk is excellent. Jeff Parker has made a book about the Red Hulk of all things clever and engaging, just the best of genre comics, and Gabriel Hardman lends the book a really cool look. If you’re getting Thunderbolts, check Hulk out, Parker is doing just as good of a job there as he is with Cage and the gang.
I recommended a lot of things but if I could only recommend one of them it’d be Atomic Robo.
You know what? I don’t think any of us are doing it justice.
The official site lists a number of AR stories (mostly backups and FCBD issues) that can be read for free. Give them a look.
http://www.atomic-robo.com/free-comics/
If you don’t love the most recent FCBD issue then the series probably isn’t for you. If you do then there are five trades and the sixth mini starts in three days but the arcs hold up pretty well by themselves so you can start whereever you want.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/08/29/free-comic-book-day-2011/
Enjoy.
Avengers Acadamy
I would concur with Dan Coyle about Scarlet, though I would warn you that it comes out slowly. Which is true of pretty much all the titles I’m going to recommend.
I’ve been enjoying Jennifer Blood, although who knows if issue #4 is ever going to come out, much less if the series will manage to keep going past that.
Vertigo has been publishing a series of one-shot crime stories that have been a mixed bag. My favorite was Rat Catcher, but A Sickness in the Family and Dark Entries were also very good (the latter starred John Constantine, but you don’t need to be up on the character to follow the story). Area 10, The Bronx Kill, and The Chill were decent reads also. The rest ranged from mediocre to just plain lousy, although I haven’t read Noche Roja yet, so I can’t comment on that. Still, I would say this series is definitely worth checking out, although, again, these books come out only irregularly, and are all stand-alone stories.
Really, though, there’s not much I can recommend, for the simple reason that I’m largely in the same boat as you are. I’ve left my LCS empty-handed for several Wednesdays in a row now, and the several Wednesdays before that I left with only one or two titles. There’s just not a lot coming out right now that interests me.
As for the DCnU, I plan to pick up JLI and Captain Atom out of nostalgia, but I shall be pleasantly surprised if I end up sticking with either series, much less both, past six issues; my hopes just aren’t high there. The only title for which I genuinely eager is the new Huntress miniseries.
You’ve got a good list there so far – just wanted to second some early suggestions.
Daredevil is a dead cert – just extraordinary work. I’d also like to second the motions on New Mutants (Great Abnett and Lanning team book) and Journey into Mystery. All these books are the ones I pull off the pile first and they haven’t disappointed yet.
@ Lister Sage: been a heck of a while since you posted man! Here’s to you fellow Carnage fan
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et au plaisir
There wer eonly six issues of Xombi from DC, but they’re worth whatever effort it would take to pick them up.
Nobody mentioned Invincible, so I will. It feels in some ways like a classic superhero book, except more violent. I like the whole supporting cast and everything a lot, Kirkman writes good stuff.
*grumble*I mentioned Invincible. No one is reading my posts*grumble*
(I had better recommend Atomic Robo a third time just to be safe)
Seriously though, Invincible a pretty violent series (possibly as violent as Walking Dead) but the art style is so cartoony that its easy to forget.
Whatever Marvel Adventures is doing these days, that should be good.
Mostly covered already, but chiming in: Atomic Robo, Invincible, Dungeons and Dragons…
I’ve also been a fan of Avengers Academy, though the recent Fear Itself issues have been incredibly unpleasant to read.
It’s sporadic as all get out, but Astro City is about the only four-color supers comic I can get into anymore. Story arcs tend to be -much- more self-contained than you’ll get elsewhere, and the writing is top notch. You might skip the first collected volume at the start though; it’s good, but Tarnished Angel or Confession are much better collections.
Wait about 6 issues until Peter Parker gets resurrected, then pick up Ultimate Spiderman. Alternatively, if you haven’t read the line at all, it’s a good read from USM #1 until they do kill him. Nice character arc, interesting reimplementation and re-imagination of some of the 616 highlights (they even made the Clone Saga pretty cool, including introducing an awesome version of Spider Woman). Just try not to keep thinking that they’re going to kill off the best character of the Ultimate universe as you’re reading.
If I like a book, it’s probably gonna get cancelled (add Herc and Xombi to that long, long list) but I recommend Atomic Robo or the Hellboy/BPRD books.
R.E.B.E.L.S was one of the best books DC was putting out before the new hotness took over. The trades are worth a read, especially if you like Legion of Superheroes.
I, Zombie is gorgeous and fun. The first story arc was average, but the book has been improving rapidly since.
I am excited to see where Kirby Genesis goes. Captain Victory was the last great thing that Kirby did, and it’s cool to see those characters back in action. Captain Victory is getting his own book soon too.
I can’t believe there’s only one reccomendation for Unwritten. Pick up the first trade – I swear you’ll get hooked. Mike Carey is my God now.
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