Comics...

[Groundhog]

Thanks to how perfect the iPad is for reading comics, I have found myself getting back into reading them for the first time in a long, long, long time. I was an X-Men/Wolverine guy back in the day but I stopped reading back when Wolvie reverted into a beast, so it looks like around 95 going off the cover art on Comic Vine.

So far I researched a few top-100 lists and I've read We3 which was short yet very sweet, and I just finished Y: The Last Man which was, start to finish, amazing.

I guess what I'm looking for is some recommendations on where to go next. I've started on both Saga and X-O Manowar which both seem pretty solid after a couple of issues. These days I think I'm probably more interested in 'mature' storylines than 'Wolverine and Hulk vs The Abominable Space Monkeys'. What are the other big, maturish titles (particularly ongoing series) that I may have missed over the past, oh, 20 years or so?

Having said that, I basically have NFI what is going on with DC or Marvel. DC have rebooted from what I gather, although is it a true reboot - ie. origin stories again, etc.? Marvel appears even more messy with this Marvel NOW! stuff which appears to be a sort of reboot without resetting the stories themselves?

[cschex]

Even with the "reboots", DC and Marvel both require tons of issues to catch up (I'd recommend Wiki for summaries). The one series I'd whole-heartedly recommend is Jonathan Hickman's run on Fantastic Four/FF (currently collected in 5 trades as Fantastic Four and 3 as FF). It's not bogged down in crossovers and it's the best run on the First Family I've ever read. Hickman's indy work like The Nightly News and Pax Romana are also great, but I don't know if they have Ipad versions.

Other good "mature" series that are ongoing/recently ended are American Vampire, Scalped, Locke and Key, and Irredeemable/Incorruptible. I also still enjoy larger runs like Invincible and Fables, but those have 100+ issue backlogs so you might not want to wade into that yet. Anyway, good hunting, you have a lot of great stuff to catch up on

[CleBrownsfan]

Don't have much advice about super hero comics but The Walking Dead comic is excellent if you're in that type of world.

[law90026]

The ones I still read:
a) Walking Dead;
b) Fables;
c) Jack of Fables (a Fables spin-off);
d) Irredeemable (I found Incorruptible a bit meh);
e) American Vampire;
f) The Boys (incredibly crude/vulgar but an interesting take on super-heroes).

[Critch]

100 Bullets would be my suggestion. It's Superhero free, basically a crime/conspiracy theory storyline.

[britrock88]

Calvin and Hobbes? I don't belong in this thread.

[Matthean]

The best damn comic going. It's the JLA as kids.

JL8: A Webcomic

[Groundhog]

Thanks guys. 100 Bullets and Walking Dead are two I had noted down, and I actually remember hearing about Pax Romana a few years ago, I grabbed the free trial issue on the Comics app.

Will also check out the others mentioned here too, probably before attempting to dive into the Marvel/DC stuff.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Not sure if you're only looking for comics that are still going or some series that have ended.

Those still going, I only really follow "The Walking Dead" and "Fables."

If "Powers" is still in print, that's another. All three are fantastic.

Other comic series that have ended, but are top quality:

100 Bullets (as was mentioned)
Y: The Last Man
Preacher
Ex-Machina
The Umbrella Academy
Transmetropolitan
Sandman
Joss Whedon's run on the "Astonishing X-Men"
Sleeper
Hellblazer

There are probably a few other series that I'm forgetting about at the moment.

I don't know how many of these are available on the iPad.

[Peregrine]

I definitely enjoyed Irredeemable but haven't read Incorruptible yet. Right now I'm reading graphic novels of Mike Carey's Vertigo book The Unwritten - not sure if it is iPad available but if so I definitely recommend it.

[samifan24]

The best of what I read:

- Batman
- Locke & Key
- Fatale
- Thief of Thieves
- Revival

[oykib]

Saga might be the best thing going right now.

I'm also a big fan of these:

Aquaman
Batman
Invincible
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
the Unwritten

You might want to try Chew if you like really original stories.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by oykib

Saga might be the best thing going right now.

My mom randomly ordered me the first TPB off my Amazon Wish List and gave it to me last night.

I can't wait to dig in. I've never read anything of Brian K. Vaughn's that I haven't loved: Y, Ex-Machina, Pride of Bagdhad, Runaways...

[Raiders Army]

Anything Garth Ennis I like...except for his Battlefields.

I would recommend his Preacher run.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

Anything Garth Ennis I like...except for his Battlefields.

I would recommend his Preacher run.

I really enjoyed Preacher and I like a lot of his Hellblazer work, but after a while I get a bit tired with Ennis. He's just relentlessly vicious and nasty at times. It's like eating a desert that's too sweet. The first few bites are damn tasty, but as you get closer and closer to finishing it just gets to be too much and the joy is gone.

I have few trades of "The Boys". Some interesting characters and ideas, but it suffers from this same thing. "Powers" deals with the 'secret lives' of superheroes and those that have to "clean up" after them, much more deftly and in a much more complex and interesting way.

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

It's like eating a desert that's too sweet. The first few bites are damn tasty, but as you get closer and closer to finishing it just gets to be too much and the joy is gone.

That's so true!

In totally unrelated stuff, I really liked Groo the Wanderer.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Matthean

The best damn comic going. It's the JLA as kids.

JL8: A Webcomic

This is fantastic.

[Marc Vaughan]

Goblins (Web comic)
Order of the Stick (Web Comic)
Irredeemable/Incorruptable
Empire
Various Star Wars series
Preacher
DR & Quinch (2000 AD)
Thief of Thieves

[Groundhog]

Thanks for all the tips guys. Picked up a bunch of books and I'm slowly making my way through them. Read the first 5 issues of 100 Bullets and... wow. Had no idea what to expect, and loving every page so far.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Matthean

The best damn comic going. It's the JLA as kids.

JL8: A Webcomic

#10 on Paste magazine's best of 2012 for web comics.

The 20 Best Webcomics of 2012 :: Blogs :: List of the Day :: Paste

[Jacob Typer]

I'll likely get flack for this, but Aquaman was always my fav DC dude

[Jacob Typer]

Sword fo Atlantis was an awesome comic with Kurt Busiek and then Tad Williams writing it.

[xjayex]

I sold my run of Walking Dead comics, 1-83 for just over $7,000 last year. I should have waited and graded my #1. A graded 9+ went for 10k recently.

[Matthean]

One can get the first graphic novel for $9.99.

[Groundhog]

Just read the first issue of the new Shadowman series having never read (nor heard of) the original comics. Good stuff, and beautiful artwork.

I'm nearing issue #50 of 100 Bullets and continue to be very, very impressed.

[Groundhog]

I have to say that the Valiant reboots are all pretty fantastic, with the possible exception of Harbinger which I haven't yet started. It was perfect timing for me as I only had a couple of issues in each series to catch up with and even without ever having read any of the original titles it is not at all necessary as everything is explained or rebooted entirely.

Bloodshot and Shadow Man are the major highlights for me so far, but Archer & Armstrong gets better each issue, and X-O Manowar is solid, although I'm not a huge fan of the Ninjak character from the latest storyline. I figure he's bound to be the next character to get his own book.

Started reading DC's Swamp Thing as well, having only really been familiar with the character from the B-grade movie from the 80s. First couple of issues are great, the artwork in particular.

[General Mike]

G.I. Joe: ARAH
Transformers: ReGeneration 1

[Honolulu_Blue]

Every time I think I've pretty much mined all the good comic book series out there, something else always comes up.

Sometime over the summer, I broke out one of my old comic book boxes and started to flip through it. I came across a very short-run series from Valiant comics called "The Liberty Project." It was sort of like the "Suicide Squad", but the "heroes" were juvenile deliquents more so than hardened criminals. It wasn't fantastic, but I really enjoyed the feel of it, so I looked up the author, Kurt Busiek, and found out that he was really famous for his "Astro City" series.

So, I delved into that. Some really great stuff. It's a really interesting take on traditional heroes and most issues are written from the point of view civilians or very minor characters as opposed to the heroes themselves. It's packed with all different kinds of heroes and villians. I really loved the world he created and the various perspectives. Not ground breaking stuff, but very well done and a really nice take on more traditional types of heroes and comics.

The other series I just started in on is "The Invisibles" by Grant Morrison. I finished the first two trade paperbacks and have really enjoyed it so far. It's very strange, creepy and sort of out there. The concept is that there is a secret war going on for the Earth with these evil celestial beings (demons or what not) who are trying to take control of the Earth and humanity and these cells of people, called "The Invisibles", who are fighting against them. Apparently it was one of the inspirations for "The Matrix", which isn't too surprising. Not sure how it will end, but so far I am really enjoying it.

[Groundhog]

I'm 8 issues through The Watchmen. Fantastic.

[Glengoyne]

I loved the legion of superheroes back in the mid to late seventies.

I bought the first two issues of the 2011 reboot just recently...not much there.

I've heard really good things about Green Lantern and Wonder Woman though.

[Groundhog]

Yeah everyone raves about Wonder Woman but I've yet to read any of it. Batman is excellent IMO. The first story arc lasts about 12 issues IIRC and was pretty darn awesome. I'd never read any Batman comics before the reboot.

Swamp Thing is probably my fave though, but it's more of a horror comic than superhero stuff, so probably not to everyone's taste.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Sometime over the summer, I broke out one of my old comic book boxes and started to flip through it. I came across a very short-run series from Valiant comics called "The Liberty Project." It was sort of like the "Suicide Squad", but the "heroes" were juvenile deliquents more so than hardened criminals.

Slightly off-topic but if you like that concept then the 'Misfits' British TV series will probably appeal to you ...

The concept is a bunch of British teenagers doing community service (basically if you do a misdemeanour in England, ie. non-serious crime you get to clean up the community as punishment) .... they get caught in a strange storm and given powers based upon what they were thinking about when the storm occurred.

(be warned rather bad language present and lewd behavior - it was intended for a UK audience rather than the US which tends to be far more reserved with such things)

[oykib]

Wonder Woman is amazing when Cliff Chiang does the art. The vision of Greek mythology is just stunning. I'm not a big fan of the writer, but he's really doing work here.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Slightly off-topic but if you like that concept then the 'Misfits' British TV series will probably appeal to you ...

The concept is a bunch of British teenagers doing community service (basically if you do a misdemeanour in England, ie. non-serious crime you get to clean up the community as punishment) .... they get caught in a strange storm and given powers based upon what they were thinking about when the storm occurred.

(be warned rather bad language present and lewd behavior - it was intended for a UK audience rather than the US which tends to be far more reserved with such things)

I have heard really good things about "Mifits" and I'm sure I'd love it. It just needs to get itself on Netflix or Amazon Prime or some other streaming service!

[chadritt]

Its on Hulu

[cschex]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

It wasn't fantastic, but I really enjoyed the feel of it, so I looked up the author, Kurt Busiek, and found out that he was really famous for his "Astro City" series.

So, I delved into that. Some really great stuff. It's a really interesting take on traditional heroes and most issues are written from the point of view civilians or very minor characters as opposed to the heroes themselves. It's packed with all different kinds of heroes and villians. I really loved the world he created and the various perspectives. Not ground breaking stuff, but very well done and a really nice take on more traditional types of heroes and comics.

Busiek was also the writer on Marvels with Alex Ross and the long Avengers run before Bendis took over (ruined) it, but Astro City is definitely his seminal work. Glad you enjoyed it; it's one of my favorites.

[Matthean]

Texts From Superheroes

[QuikSand]

Comixology has the Marvlel noir series on sale today buck each... Any recommendations? I like the concept enough to ask.