Comic Book Recommendations?

[chrisanthropic]

Fell (And really anything by Warren Ellis)
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Alan Moore in genearal)
DMZ (Brian Wood)
Concrete (Paul Chadwick)
Hellboy (Mike Mignola)
Lone Wolf and Cub (Kazuo Koike)

Those are a few of my favorites besides those already mentioned and they span multiple genres but all focus on long form plots and stories (unlike the standard serialized DC/Marvel fare which are good in their own right).

[Solitaire1]

Some comic books I'd recommend:

- "American Vampire" - A Vertigo (an imprint of DC Comics) that features a new species of vampires that originates in the United States. Unlike traditional vampires, they are not vulnerable to sunlight and wood doesn't bother them. The first issues feature a backup story written by Stephen King.

- The New 52: DC Comics has recently done a (per Wikipedia) soft reboot of its entire universe and restarted the numbering of all of its series at #1. This has been called "The New 52." I haven't read all of the #1 issues, but for me the ones that I've enjoyed the most are: Action Comics, Detective Comics, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Justice League, and Superboy.

- X23: Released by Marvel Comics. X23 is a female clone of Wolverine who was brought up to be nothing more than a machine designed for assassination. Now, she is on a quest to gain her humanity (if it is even possible). For me, her first miniseries (that shows how she came to be) is excellent.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by chrisanthropic

Lone Wolf and Cub (Kazuo Koike)

I found the whole paperback set on AbeBooks last year and spent half the summer reading all 28 volumes. The series has moved to the top of my "So Glad I Read It" list.

[WT Sharpe]

Sam & Twitch is pretty good. I like the characters, the mystery, and the strangeness of the series.

Rex Libris is another one worth checking out. The case-hardened Head Librarian fights ancient warriors who try to take books without checking them out, space aliens who don't return books, and gives readers a glimpse into other typical dangers that public library workers face daily.

[Harper Kingsley]

Empowered by Adam Warren is my <3. The Boys. Invincible. MPD Psycho. Supreme Power. Sandman. Hellblazer. Hikaru no Go. Full Metal Alchemist. Princess Princess. Ranma 1/2. Yami no Matsuie. Machall. Megatokyo. Strange Candy.

Yeah, started out with comic books, expanded to some manga, then tossed in some webcomics that are now books.

[Renaldo]

I don't know if any of these are available digitally, but here goes:

Also seconding Love & Rockets by Los Bros. Hernandez. I think they've been reissued several times so should be available, at least through the Fantagraphics website if nowhere else.

I'll add Walking Dead to the pile, although if they weren't about zombies, I probably wouldn't read the work of the writer.

Pretty much anything with Mike Mignola's name on it. Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Witchfinder General, Lord Baltimore, etc. Especially if you like folk tales, and/or Victorian England.

Most of the 'big titles' by Alan Moore. League of Extraordinary Gentleman, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, From Hell, are all good places to start. If you've enjoyed any of those movies, the comics they're based on will be 100x better. Some are onions, layers and layers.

[fjtorres]

Some are easy to find, some not so much.

Elfquest - portal to fantasy for a generation
Hawkworld - both the mini and the ongoing; a series about politics that isn't political.
Fables - especially the early volumes
Nexus - space opera and whimsy, starring a galactic serial killer. He's a good guy. Honest!
Swamp Thing - the very early stuff by Wein/Wrightson and the Moore run.
Ruse - clever Sherlockian pastiche
Legion of SuperHeroes - The Levitz run from the 80's, the Waid/Peyer run from the 90's. For samples: THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA from the former, THE WHITE TRIANGLE arc from the latter.
Amethyst - the original mini. Kid friendly on the surface, real fantasy meat just below.
Suicide Squad - The Ostrander run. Definitely not the current version.
Resurrection Man - the original run. Quirky and fun. Current run promises more of the same.
Green Lantern/Green Lantern Corps - everything since Johns took over
Starman - the Robinson series
Thor - the Stracynski run

Currently available:
Mystic - If Marvel doesn't make it an ongoing they're idiots. Then again...
Journey into Mystery - Curent Thor isn't bad but Loki is waaaay more fun.

DC? Too early to tell about the Wildstorming of the DCU, which is what the "New 52" is about.
So far, I'm underwhelmed.
Three weeks in, only the titles *not* rebooting have caught my eye. GLs, Resurrection Man, LSH, Legion Lost. This month, I'm getting them all to sample. Next month I may be down to six. (Which is about right, according to Sturgeon's Law.)

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by BrowseTheStacks

Anyone remember Atlas/Seaboard from the 70's The Scorpion Phoenix and Planet of Vampires. Being revived right now.

Here.
Chaykin did Scorpion, right?

My favorite (non-DC) from that era was DOOMSDAY PLUS ONE.

[Nancy Fulda]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Elfquest - portal to fantasy for a generation

Oh. My. Gosh. How did I forget ElfQuest? First graphic novels I ever read, and definitely still some of my favorites. Definitely worth checking out.

Be sure you get the original series, when the artwork was still done by Wendy Pini. I never though much of any of the spinoffs except Waverunners.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Some are easy to find, some not so much.

Elfquest - portal to fantasy for a generation
Hawkworld - both the mini and the ongoing; a series about politics that isn't political.
Fables - especially the early volumes
Nexus - space opera and whimsy, starring a galactic serial killer. He's a good guy. Honest!
Swamp Thing - the very early stuff by Wein/Wrightson and the Moore run.
Ruse - clever Sherlockian pastiche
Legion of SuperHeroes - The Levitz run from the 80's, the Waid/Peyer run from the 90's. For samples: THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA from the former, THE WHITE TRIANGLE arc from the latter.
Amethyst - the original mini. Kid friendly on the surface, real fantasy meat just below.
Suicide Squad - The Ostrander run. Definitely not the current version.
Resurrection Man - the original run. Quirky and fun. Current run promises more of the same.
Green Lantern/Green Lantern Corps - everything since Johns took over
Starman - the Robinson series
Thor - the Stracynski run

Currently available:
Mystic - If Marvel doesn't make it an ongoing they're idiots. Then again...
Journey into Mystery - Curent Thor isn't bad but Loki is waaaay more fun.

DC? Too early to tell about the Wildstorming of the DCU, which is what the "New 52" is about.
So far, I'm underwhelmed.
Three weeks in, only the titles *not* rebooting have caught my eye. GLs, Resurrection Man, LSH, Legion Lost. This month, I'm getting them all to sample. Next month I may be down to six. (Which is about right, according to Sturgeon's Law.)

I strongly agree about Levitz on "Legion Of Super-Heroes." His work on the title set the standard for me and in many ways it is the true Legion. Another title I'll add is "Legionnaires" which focused on the Batch SW6 Legionnaires. While running along side the other Legion title, "Legionnaires" had a lighter feel that worked well for me.

I, too, am playing "wait-and-see" with the New 52. I've read many of the new titles and both the "new" Superman and Batman have been good, as have the Green Lantern titles. I've found the rest to be okay for the most part, but I'll need to re-read them to be sure.

My main concern with DC's "reboot" is that it only a partial reboot. Each time DC has done a reboot it hasn't gone far enough, and I think that this is the case this time. Some titles are completely rebooted ("Justice League" and "Green Arrow"), with others the reboot is partial ("Batman"), and still others there appears to be no reboot at all ("Green Lantern"). Just reading the initial issues, I can already see potential continuity problems that are going to have to be addressed in the future.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

...My main concern with DC's "reboot" is that it only a partial reboot. Each time DC has done a reboot it hasn't gone far enough, and I think that this is the case this time. Some titles are completely rebooted ("Justice League" and "Green Arrow"), with others the reboot is partial ("Batman"), and still others there appears to be no reboot at all ("Green Lantern"). Just reading the initial issues, I can already see potential continuity problems that are going to have to be addressed in the future.

It seems very confusing. In Action Comics #1, Superman's costume consists of a short-sleeve Superman shirt, cape, dungarees and work boots. In Supergirl #1, he shows up wearing pretty much the traditional suit, but his underwear is inside his pants (which, for Supes, is just plain wrong).

I've always wanted a world where each character had only one title. If this means publishing Superman on a weekly basis, so be it. All the confusing crossings between series and story arcs that stretch beyond titles is frustrating.

[RW2112]

+1 for American Vampire and Walking Dead. I love both of those.

[replica145]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

It seems very confusing. In Action Comics #1, Superman's costume consists of a short-sleeve Superman shirt, cape, dungarees and work boots. In Supergirl #1, he shows up wearing pretty much the traditional suit, but his underwear is inside his pants (which, for Supes, is just plain wrong).

This was desperately needed for so long. I'm not a fan of traditionalism in comics; character's looks should be updated over time just like their stories. Besides a little too much detail, I think Jim Lee nailed it. The back-story Superman just looks...ridiuclous I'd rather the red diaper.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

It seems very confusing. In Action Comics #1, Superman's costume consists of a short-sleeve Superman shirt, cape, dungarees and work boots. In Supergirl #1, he shows up wearing pretty much the traditional suit, but his underwear is inside his pants (which, for Supes, is just plain wrong).

I've always wanted a world where each character had only one title. If this means publishing Superman on a weekly basis, so be it. All the confusing crossings between series and story arcs that stretch beyond titles is frustrating.

Action Comics is set in the past, before even Justice League, which is set five years in the past.
After the first arc, both titles are set to revert to "present time" and the current status quo where the Wildstorm characters are part of the Flashpointed DCU, but the Justice Society and the other golden age-derived heroes aren't. Instead, they are kicked out to a restored earth 2.

Most of the other New 52 titles are set in present time and retain the bulk of previous continuity with "adjustments". For example, Hawk and Dove picks up after Brightest Day, but seems to be deprecating the death of a major supporting character and restoring the status quo from the Barbara Kesel run. Which is a good move. Captain Atom has a new look but the first issue acknowledges GENERATION LOST and brings back a key character from the Cary Bates run. Resurrection man, likewise, picks up right where the previous run ended, but Superboy, Supergirl, and Blue Beetle seem to be going back to the origin but its not clear if they're set in the past or present.

Other than the Wildstorming the exercise seems to be mostly aimed at Morrison's desire to undo Supes married life and deck him out in kryptonian ceremonal armor instead of tights.

To get a hint of what Levitz thinks, just consider he has explicitly walled off his Legion title from kryptonians for the duration.

[BrowseTheStacks]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Here.
Chaykin did Scorpion, right?
My favorite (non-DC) from that era was DOOMSDAY PLUS ONE.

Chaykin did story and art on the first issue then just story on two before leaving for marvel where he changed the character into Dominic Fortune. Doomsday +1 was fun. Some of John Byrne's first professional work in comics.