Recently, I've been trying to get into comics (or get back into after reading some books sporadically over the years) after dabbling in the Comixology app, and I was curious to see if I could get some recommendations from you guys.
I'm mainly interested in sole books or runs that experiment with paneling, coloring, and other aspects that play into the strengths of the medium. While I've heard certain Batman entries, like The Dark Knight Returns, be considered examples of that, I can't actually speak from experience of any that I've read. I even have that book on my wishlist because of that praise.
I'm game for any genre or art style, though I'm more intrigued with getting into some work outside of the cape stuff at the moment. However, I can be persuaded! I recently picked up the first volumes of Casanova and Sex Criminals during that recent CMX sale, since it seems like Matt Fraction's work is a must read.
In the past I've enjoyed:
- The first 3 Vol. Runaway's run
- Scott Pilgrim
- Seconds
Most recently I read and enjoyed the first issue of Bitch Planet and would like to continue that as well as try DeConnick's other stuff like her Captain Marvel stuff. Also, I'm currently reading the Power Girl: Power Trip book as I have a huge soft spot for Amanda Conner's art.
Sorry if this is a jumbled request, but I'm a little intimidated with how to get on the ground running with comics. I want to strike while the fiery interest is hot!
I'm gonna recommend a few things that I think are
-Good
-Accessible
-on CMX
ok so,
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Annie Wu, Matt Hollingsworth, etc
No other superhero comic is experimenting with form and function the wayHawkeye's been doing these last few years. Compression and decompression, coloring and lettering, panel arrangements and staging, etc. Its a really good series, and the final issue should be coming out soon(ayy lmao)
Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
You probably heard of this one, as the trades are always selling to non-comic readers, but Saga is a space fantasy that starts off focusing on two star-crossed lovers and their new child(above), but eventually branches out to focus on an ensemble of great characters from across the cosmos. And no matter what wacky thing Brian K Vaughn comes up with, Fiona Staples always make it look natural and accessible, with BKV's dialog always makes them relatable and likable. There's a 99% chance you'll like this a lot. Its an ongoing, it takes breaks every six months so Fiona can keep drawing them with no fill-ins, and the 25th issue just came out last week.
Daredevil by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Marcos Martin, Chris Samnee, Javier Rodriguez, etc
You can get all this info straight off the first page, but Daredevil is a superhero/lawyer mostly operating out of New York City. He was blinded by a radioactive mutagen, but like all readioactive mutagen, it grants you superpowers! To compensate for the lost of his eyes, all his other senses are godlike(sound, taste, touch, smell). He has this kind of radar sense, like echolocation, thats how he sees the world in that bottom panel above. Anyway, its a great superhero comic. Tight pacing, witty and humanistic, great storytelling by Waid and his small collection of artists. Inventive usage of sound effects, colors, panel choices, etc. Its currently around 50 issues across both volumes, and is wrapping up sometime this year.
We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
We3 is like Homeward Bound injected with a Hollywood blockbuster budget. Its about 3 pet animals(1 the Dog, 2 the Cat, and 3 the Bunny) who have been reprogrammed as killing machines by the government(why use humans when you can use animals right), escaped capture and on the run. Its one of the tightest things Morrison has ever written, to the point where he can convey characterization and a complex range of emotions with a few key words, letters, or symbols. Frank Quitely is his artistic partner, who as you can see is on some next level shit. But its not just the inventive stuff, its his body language, the features on his characters, the attention to detail he displays on every page. He's the best storyteller in the business. Its a 3-issue miniseries that's as violent as it is sweet, and if you don't feel SOMETHING by the end of this, you're officially dead inside.
Batman: Mad Love by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Rick Taylor
Probably my single favorite comic ever. Its an origin story for Harley Quinn that manages the tricky balance of being hilarious but also tragic and affecting. There's a light hearted nature to Dini/Timm's work that plays against the darker elements of psychotic clowns and the abusive relationships they form with damaged women. And its got the best Batman vs Joker fight put to paper.
So that's five that I would really recommend to you. As for Dark Knight Returns, its wonderful, but its like...master level Batman. Like Watchmen, I never really recommend it to people until they're more familiar with "normal" superheroes. That way the juxtaposition between them and Watchmen/DKR will have more of an impact. BUT Batman: Year One is absolutely great and accessible as well, so I recommend that too if you weren't sick of Batman/cape comic stuff here.
