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The Comic Book Start Up Guide (The Big Thread of Comic Q&A)

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Mudcrab

Member
I would also act on the Omnibus collections of the two Hickman runs (which play a giant role in Secret Wars) due to them slowly going OOP. I got the set for $160 on Amazon.

Instock Trades has both omnibuses at 45% off.

http://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Marvel/FANTASTIC-FOUR-BY-HICKMAN-OMNIBUS-HC-VOL-01/MAY130711

http://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Marvel/FANTASTIC-FOUR-BY-HICKMAN-OMNIBUS-HC-VOL-02/JUN140714

Get it while it's hot!

Edit: Whoops Vol 1 is unavailable now.
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Some Marvel stuff I'd recommend

- Grant Morrison's New X-Men and Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. Both can be read without much prior knowledge, but Whedon's run has some elements from Morrison's. Read Whedon after Morrison for best effect. Remender's Uncanny X-Force is impressive, but doesn't come close to New + Astonishing.
- Garth Ennis' Punisher: MAX. Deeply dark and disturbing, but an absolute must. Read all 10 volumes and From First to Last (collection of one-shots). Ennis also wrote a Marvel Knights run before this, which is pure pulp action comedy and completely different in tone, but also incredible. Welcome Back, Frank is the best Punisher story I've read yet. If you want to read one Punisher arc, make it that one. The rest of his Marvel Knights run is not easy to find in print unfortunately.
- Brian Bendis' Ultimate Spider-man: the only long Spidey run I've read, and I don't feel the need for more. It's good all the way through, but it peaks in the early volumes.
- Daredevil: Miller's Man Without Fear => regular run => Born Again. Then move on to Bendis' fantastic run. Can't comment on Brubaker and Waid's runs yet, but I hear they're also great. Don't think anyone has mentioned Daredevil: Yellow yet, a look at the early years of Murdock with great Tim Sale art.
- Warren Ellis' Iron Man: Extremis feels like the essence of the character in one story arc. I've re-read this over and over, Granov's art is a treat. It's standalone, it's short, read it.
- For Thor I'm a big fan of J. Michael Straczynski's run. It's colleced in one omnibus. It's not finished when he leaves though, so continue with Giellon's issues after. I read JMS after finishing the gigantic Simonson omnibus, and honestly enjoyed JMS' run even more. Coipel's art helps.
- Jonathan Hickman's Fantastic Four is a mind-bending sci-fi epic. One of the best long Marvel runs I've read. Couldn't have asked for a better introduction to FF, and I'm now a huge fan of Hickman. Manhattan Projects and his Avengers stuff are on the pile.

really solid suggestions
 

Fuu

Formerly Alaluef (not Aladuf)
Being able to browse by event on Marvel Unlimited is a super convenient feature. I was reading Avengers and New Avengers, and when Infinity started it was a smooth transition to follow the tie-ins because it was all neatly organized.

K8P5z01.png
 
Finished Invincible Omnibus 1. Good stuff. Started off kinda slow and I was worried it'd be cornier/jokier than I'd like but it got real serious towards the end with
Invincible's dad killing the Justice League (?) analog, admitting he wants to enslave Earth, and then beating Invincible half to death.
Looking forward to book 2

Unrelated - The last time I went to the comic book store the owner gave me a bunch of preview catalogs for May and June. But what do you do if you don't have those catalogs and you wanna see whats coming up?

EDIT: And damnit, why can't I find a place to buy a physical copy of Mad Max: Fury Road: Nux & Immortan Joe
 

Martal

Neo Member
Posted here a couple of days ago about not liking All-Star Superman and/or comics in general. I finished it now and I must say I was actually pleasantly surprised at a couple of spots. The episode with Kent's father was especially good. I'll tackle 100 bullets now, I hear its good.
 

bernardobri

Steve, the dog with no powers that we let hang out with us all for some reason
Finished Invincible Omnibus 1. Good stuff. Started off kinda slow and I was worried it'd be cornier/jokier than I'd like but it got real serious towards the end with
Invincible's dad killing the Justice League (?) analog, admitting he wants to enslave Earth, and then beating Invincible half to death.
Looking forward to book 2

Unrelated - The last time I went to the comic book store the owner gave me a bunch of preview catalogs for May and June. But what do you do if you don't have those catalogs and you wanna see whats coming up?

Welcome to Invincible, mate. It's a great series. I think you will like Book 2.

As for your question, you can check the Preview Catalogs online, too. http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/940 Other than that, publisher's websites are always giving advances on their books, too.
 

Fusebox

Banned
Being able to browse by event on Marvel Unlimited is a super convenient feature. I was reading Avengers and New Avengers, and when Infinity started it was a smooth transition to follow the tie-ins because it was all neatly organized.

K8P5z01.png

Hey I'm reading Infinity on MU at the moment too, I agree it's great being able to follow the entire event in order.

What's also good is when I come across a low numbered comic like Defenders #10 in the Infinity reading list, I usually stop reading Infinity, read Defenders #1-10 and then back into Infinity.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup

Ok this is pretty big. I've started reading the new 52 Batman recently and it's deserving of the praise. One of the best Bat stories I've read so far, art is amazing. Otherwise haven't started any of the new series.

More impressions and recommendations for New 52 series are always welcome. Think I see Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Animal Man mentioned the most.
 
Ok this is pretty big. I've started reading the new 52 Batman recently and it's deserving of the praise. One of the best Bat stories I've read so far, art is amazing. Otherwise haven't started any of the new series.

More impressions and recommendations for New 52 series are always welcome. Think I see Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Animal Man mentioned the most.

I wasn't a fan of WW or Aquaman in particular before I had read their runs, they pretty much converted me. I liked animal man as well but I can't recommend it for everyone. It's an atypical cape comic. Recommend reading the first issue on comixology. B&R is also good for Batman fans.
 
Quick someone give me a rec of something I should put on my order today (preferably a Tpb or compilation of some sort).

I'm also gonna see about ordering mad max nux & joe 1 and providence 1.
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Quick someone give me a rec of something I should put on my order today (preferably a Tpb or compilation of some sort).

I'm also gonna see about ordering mad max nux & joe 1 and providence 1.

what are you looking for?

Fraction's awesome Iron Fist run is collected in this one book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785185429/?tag=neogaf0e-20

or for more fun, Ms Marvel's first trade: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/078519021X/?tag=neogaf0e-20

or the hilarious Superior Foes of Spider-Man
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0785184945/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Anything really. I heard Indestructible Hulk was really good so I was thinking of ordering a few volumes of that?

Hmm, i haven't read much of that one so i can't speak on it. the first few issues didn't really grab me the same way something like Planet Hulk did.

the 2 books i added up there are my recent favorites; ms marvel being a super charming coming of age story with marvels best new character in years. superior foes is a hilarious ensemble book that hits a lot of the same notes as hawkguy.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Yep Superior Foes is in the same category as Hawkguy, only Superior Foes is miles better imo. Smarter, funnier, and I cared for the characters more. It's one of the best Marvel runs I've read recently.

It doesn't overstay its welcome either. It's now concluded at 17 issues and has a great and satisfying ending. Get all 3 trades and enjoy. It's very easy to recommend this book for the reasons just mentioned, but also because it requires no knowledge of the Marvel-verse at all, or very little.
 
Just got back from the store - ordered Iron Fist complete collection, mad max nux & joe 1, providence 1, and indestructible hulk Tpb vol 1 & 2

Edit: and picked up Old Man Logan 1 for shits and giggles
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Just got back from the store - ordered Iron Fist complete collection, mad max nux & joe 1, providence 1, and indestructible hulk Tpb vol 1 & 2

Edit: and picked up Old Man Logan 1 for shits and giggles

you're in for a treat, there's a reason that book is so well-loved
 

Zombine

Banned
Cool, I'm looking forward to it.

The reality of comic storage though is that it's very intrusive and can get incredibly annoying. It's why as a reader I primarily moved on to digital + collected releases. At least with books you can put them on shelves and access them with ease, long and short boxes are typically stacked in random places/closets/whatever in your home and can weigh a ton. I always consider bagging and boarding the nerd version of scrapbooking; you know it's kind of a waste of time, but you do it because it makes you feel good.
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
People should also be sure to check out Kelly Sue Deconnick's work on Captain Marvel, starting with In Pursuit of Flight.

Ok this is pretty big. I've started reading the new 52 Batman recently and it's deserving of the praise. One of the best Bat stories I've read so far, art is amazing. Otherwise haven't started any of the new series.

More impressions and recommendations for New 52 series are always welcome. Think I see Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Animal Man mentioned the most.

In terms of what's on that sale?

Aquaman is fantastic.

Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman was exceptional (and then the new creative team comes in and fuck it all up).

Jeff Lemire's Green Arrow is exceptional (Issues 17-34, or Vol 4-6)

Gotham by Midnight is very cool

most of the Zero Year tie-in issues are pretty neat (Action Comics, Green Arrow, Catwoman, Detective Comics)

Catwoman by Genevieve Valentine has been great work (starting at issue 35 onward)

Harley Quinn has been a shocking amount of fun.
 
Another big sale on comixology for digital comics:

Dear comic Gaf. It was a rocky day of announcements but now I have CMX sales to bring

Just in time to remind you where all your favorite creators are. image is having a new hits sale! Featuring titles like Descender, Fade Out, nameless and countless more!
https://www.comixology.com/Image-New-Hits-Sale/page/7226?ref=c2l0ZS9pbmRleC90YWJsZXQvbGFyZ2VDYXJvdXNlbA

valiant shows up and says hey...read Harbinger. It's damn good
https://www.comixology.com/Harbinger-Sale/page/7239?ref=c2l0ZS9pbmRleC90YWJsZXQvc21hbGxDYXJvdXNlbA

And finally DC says F it, lets put all our Eisner winner books on sale for a week. sandman complete series, all star superman, Batman 100 for $4!, Ex Machina run, Daytrippers, the entire Y the last man series!, Kimgdom come, watchman and American vampire!
https://www.comixology.com/DC-Eisner-Winners-Sale/page/7227?ref=c2l0ZS9pbmRleC90YWJsZXQvc21hbGxDYXJvdXNlbA


Korrupt. You know what to do.

For those that call Superman boring, All Star and Kingdom Come might change your mind. Sandman & Watchmen are a great comic book series especially at that price. I can't speak for the other titles but some have won Eisner awards so get em if they look interesting.

edit: Picked up Wytches, a few people have recommended it to me. Written by Scott Snyder, current writer on Batman.
 

Mindwipe

Member
Really enjoyable. I would check out the omnibus collections without hesitation. If I had to pick between the two, I enjoy the Predator books a bit more.

The OP can be fixed to say "Good news, just buy Dark Horse stuff via CMX now!" too :)

(Also is it ever getting an IDW recommendation section?)
 
So let me just say this:

If you haven't read Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run, you're missing out. What a refreshing take on the human side of being an Avenger. the art is a little rough for my tastes, but it works perfectly with the comic. A+ stuff here.
 

Zombine

Banned
The OP can be fixed to say "Good news, just buy Dark Horse stuff via CMX now!" too :)

(Also is it ever getting an IDW recommendation section?)

Yes! I have a long weekend + week vacation starting on Friday, so all of the promised updates will come then. I did artists super dirty and excluded them from books, so I'll add them in as well.
 

Horseticuffs

Full werewolf off the buckle
Very cool thread. I'm really new to comics. Archie Horror pulled me in, but Baltimore and Hellboy as well as Neonomicon and Providence have helped me to get more into the hobby.

Thanks for the heads up on the sale, I just grabbed the first three issues of Nameless.
 

Angst

Member
Cool thread, subscribing now.

I've recently finished Y The Last Man and really loved it. It was a bit slow in the later issues, but redeemed itself with the ending, which I found satisfactory.

Currently reading through DMZ and it's fantastic. Pretty dark and graphic at times, but I'd recommend it to anyone interested in dystopian futures.

Anyway, I found a new series from Vaughan on Comixology and I'm curious if it's any good. We Stand on Guard
WeStandOnGuard_01-1.png


IGN seems to like it. Has anyone here read it?
 
https://www.comixology.com/DC-Events-Sale/page/7312?ref=c2l0ZS9pbmRleC9kZXNrdG9wL3NtYWxsQ2Fyb3VzZWw

Huge DC Event sale, great for those that are looking to dive into DC universe.

Personal recommendations:

Infinite Crisis -> All of 52

Probably the best event/weekly comic series ever done. IC is good but it's more a setup for 52. IC also introduces modern* Superboy Prime.

Sinestro Corp Wars, Blackest Night, Flashpoint, Forever Evil are also good.

Most of them are good, I'd probably avoid COIE (mostly because it requires a lot of DC knowledge to enjoy) and Zero Hour (didn't care for it, except the ending). Batman RIP starts Morrison's run, another good read.
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
https://www.comixology.com/DC-Events-Sale/page/7312?ref=c2l0ZS9pbmRleC9kZXNrdG9wL3NtYWxsQ2Fyb3VzZWw

Huge DC Event sale, great for those that are looking to dive into DC universe.

Personal recommendations:

Infinite Crisis -> All of 52

Probably the best event/weekly comic series ever done. IC is good but it's more a setup for 52. IC also introduces modern* Superboy Prime.

Sinestro Corp Wars, Blackest Night, Flashpoint, Forever Evil are also good.

Most of them are good, I'd probably avoid COIE (mostly because it requires a lot of DC knowledge to enjoy) and Zero Hour (didn't care for it, except the ending). Batman RIP starts Morrison's run, another good read.

Dayum
 

PsychBat!

Banned
It's funny that while I love Marvel, I think that DC has put out better huge ass events in the last decade. But Secret Wars is definitely moving up to the top spot, only 4 more issues to go.
 
It's funny that while I love Marvel, I think that DC has put out better huge ass events in the last decade. But Secret Wars is definitely moving up to the top spot, only 4 more issues to go.

That might be true but some of them have been awful, they're just not selling them :p.

Too bad they don't have Marvel vs Dc or JLA/Avengers.
 

Horseticuffs

Full werewolf off the buckle
So for those of us who are not only new to comics, but have NO experience as adults with cape comics, what one or two DC books should we buy in the sale if we want to be up to speed? Would that work at all?

I did pick up the first two volumes of The Strand which I'm excited for.
 
Anyway, I found a new series from Vaughan on Comixology and I'm curious if it's any good. We Stand on Guard
WeStandOnGuard_01-1.png


IGN seems to like it. Has anyone here read it?

I read it. It's pretty good so far, but it's only 1 issue so who knows, maybe it will fall off a cliff, but I've loved everything I've read of BKV's, so that's hard for me to imagine. The art is great, and it has a CBC logo in it, so I'm satisfied.
 
So for those of us who are not only new to comics, but have NO experience as adults with cape comics, what DC books should we buy in the sale?

Flashpoint and Forever Evil are pretty good and are in the current continuity, Flashpoint is essentially the starting point for the new 52 and features an alternate world. Forever evil is about the Crime Syndicate (evil version of the Justice League) fighting a group of supervillains (Manta, Black Adam, Captain Cold, Sinestro, Bizzaro) led by Lex Luthor, + Batman & Catwoman. Forever Evil happened in 2014 and was the last "big" event and set some status quos. The next arc is still ongoing with JL#40 onwards.

The one's I listed in my post are good too, though I'm not sure I'd recommend Final Crisis either. You might find Infinite Crisis confusing due to the characters but the plot is fairly simple.

Thanks for the recommendations! I'm intrigued by what's happening in Superman these days but it's very intimidating to just waltz into.

Doomed is just behind the current arc. Doomed was good, but I wouldn't put it at the level of some classic superman stories. Basically superman #31-39 explains how he lost his powers which is where we're at now, Doomed was a bunch of crossovers so it's not strictly a Superman story, more Superfamily + Wonder Woman.
 

Horseticuffs

Full werewolf off the buckle
Flashpoint and Forever Evil are pretty good and are in the current continuity, Flashpoint is essentially the starting point for the new 52 and features an alternate world. Forever evil is about the Crime Syndicate (evil version of the Justice League) fighting a group of supervillains (Manta, Black Adam, Captain Cold, Sinestro, Bizzaro) led by Lex Luthor, + Batman & Catwoman.

The one's I listed in my post are good too, though I'm not sure I'd recommend Final Crisis either. You might find Infinite Crisis confusing due to the characters but the plot is fairly simple.
Thanks for the recommendations! I'm intrigued by what's happening in Superman these days but it's very intimidating to just waltz into.
 
Thanks for the recommendations! I'm intrigued by what's happening in Superman these days but it's very intimidating to just waltz into.

If you're interested in Superman you should be able to just jump right into Action Comics #41 (heard nothing but great things about #42) and Superman #41. If you want to go back a little, Superman 32-39 by Geoff Johns was very enjoyable. 39 in particular was a really great issue.
 

Angst

Member
I read it. It's pretty good so far, but it's only 1 issue so who knows, maybe it will fall off a cliff, but I've loved everything I've read of BKV's, so that's hard for me to imagine. The art is great, and it has a CBC logo in it, so I'm satisfied.

Thanks for the impression! I think I'll work a bit on my backlog and hopefully there will be a TPB out for We Stand On Guard by the time I'm ready to dive into it.
 
Man the lack of Valiant is killing me. Please Zombine:

Harbinger by Joshua Dysart
X-O Manowar by Robert Venditti
Ivar, Timewalker by Fred Van Lente
Archer & Armstrong by Fred Van Lente
Rai by Matt Kindt
Unity by Matt Kindt
The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage by Jen Van Meter
Bloodshot by Duane Swierczynski
Ninjak by Matt Kindt
 
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