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What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:59 pm
by Crawler
This thread's the place to tell everyone what you're currently reading and why! Explain yourself well enough, sell everyone on the book, and you just might get more people to talk to about it!

-----------

I am currently reading:

Uncanny X-Force: Ostensibly the "wetworks" team of the X-Books, the team is made up of Archangel, Psylocke, Deadpool, Fantomex, and Wolverine. All of them are a little damaged, a little vicious, but writer Rick Remender has a deft hand at characterization that makes these difficult characters into nice, round, believable characters that are each unique personalities in their own right. The snobbishness that comes with Warren's upbringing is different from the affected snootiness of Fantomex's faux-French persona. Deadpool's tendency to make stupid jokes and crack them at inopportune times is different from Fantomex's cutting snark. And this book made me care about Psylocke as a character. No small feat. In December (maybe before!), the Age of Apocalypse version of Nightcrawler will be joining the team, if the teaser image released by Marvel earlier this August is any indication.

[Edited on 8-31-2011 by Crawler]

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:17 am
by Bamfette
Um. well. see my sig.... :P figured since this is a comic board, may as well let people know what I am reading there

I got out of Marvel due to excessive events around Civil War. It's taken me a while to come back to them, and then I am pretty choosy and try to stick to more fringe stuff, to avoid crossovers as much as I can. I read X-Factor, which is basically a mutant detective agency in NY (though it moves around over the course of the series) consisting of Madrox as the leader, Rictor, Shatterstar, Longshot, Rahne, Strong Guy, Siryn, Monet and Layla Miller at the moment. So yeah, a big team. People come to them with problems, they go out to solve them, but being a superhero book and all, sometimes they get into trouble all on their own. There is a heavy emphasis on team interaction and drama. I like it for the strong character driven work, it's taken a cast of second or third stringer characters and made me care about all of them. I also recently got caught up on Uncanny X-Force because I saw that AoA Nightcrawler was in it, but instantly took a liking to the subtle character work and more edgy tone of the book. You may tell from my sig, I tend to like things a bit more on the dark side, these days.... C's description is as good as anything I could add.

The Boys is basically depicting Superheroes as inept and sometimes evil fools who are in it for the fame and money more than doing good. There is a group of people, The Boys, who are there to keep them in check. The Boys consists of Butcher, who is the leader, Mother's Milk, the Female, the Frenchman and Hughie, who is the POV character and the heart of the team. The Seven (a Justice League analog) consists of The Homelander, (leader, the 'Superman'), Black Noir (Batman), Queen Maeve (Wonder Woman), A-Train (The Flash), The Deep (Aquaman), and Starlight (replacement for their Green Lantern). They are controlled by a company which represents the government, thought the general public is largely unaware of this fact. They make money through merchandising, namely comic books which portray them in an extremely flattering light, but they are really selfish, inept and in some cases crazy with some exceptions. Other analogs of teams make appearances as well, such as the X-Men, GenX, the Legion, the Avengers etc. I like it for it's clever deconstruction of the comic book publishing industry, I like deconstructions. And it's got that trademark Ennis Preacher style crazyness.

Irredeemable/Incorruptible are sister series. Irredeemable is basically what if a Superman type character (The Plutonian) reaches his breaking point and just SNAPS. He goes on a rampage, obliterating entire cities, and killing all his old teammates, who are at a loss as to how to stop him. Incorruptible is the opposite, a villain, Max Damage, sees the Plutonian's rampage and decides it's up to him to step up and be a hero.... except he doesn't quite know how. I like these for their excellent character work (seeing a trend here?) and the moral questions it poses. It's clever, and makes all the characters, but especially Max and the Plutonian rounded characters and really examining what makes them tick. I find it really interesting, to get inside the head of a Superman who utterly snaps, and the mind of a villain trying to redeem himself but not quite knowing how. The explanations and logic behind their powers is also handled really well.

American Vampire is basically... what if the classic vampire you know was only one species? that there are many different types of vampires, of which they are merely the most recent development... at least until Skinner Sweet is infected with vampirism and becomes a new type, the American Vampire. then it becomes a fight to destroy this new upstart species, so they can retain their position of power in the world. I got this because I wanted to see what Scott Snyder's writing was like, and I was FLOORED. This is one of the best comics I have ever read, no joke. Skinner Sweet is a fantastic villain, he's got depth and character without losing any of his edge. Pearl is one of the best written female characters I've come across, like, ever. And the whole mythology of the different types of vampires is just fascinating. I also love how it moves so quickly through time, we've gotten to see the old west right through to WWII so far, and it's all been great. I hear that they will be spending a good bit of time in the 50's and early 60's after Skinner's flashback arc, which should be interesting. Also, Snyder is the absolute master of the comic book jump scare. I have no idea how he does it, but he can make you jump even if the panel is in the middle of the page.

Fables, I am sure everyone knows. But basically, What if all the fables and stories in the world were real? they have their own dimension where they live their lives, until a mysterious Adversary begins conquering each world, one by one. The survivors escape to our own world, there they live hidden among us. This one is mostly for the premise, but the writing is top notch, and certain characters like Bigby and Flycatcher are real favorites of mine.

Sweet Tooth is about a boy named Gus. Gus has antlers, and lives in a post-apocalyptic world. He is travelling to "The Preserve" which he understands to be a haven for human/animal hybrids like himself. As with American Vampire, I got this to see what Jeff Lemire's writing was like. again, floored. I know, it sounds weird, but you gotta give it a try. Again, the character work here makes it.

I won't get into the DC ones right now, since I haven't actually read them yet. But the creative teams have me highly enthused.


[Edited on 31/8/11 by Bamfette]

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:34 am
by tears~fall~like~glass
I read Uncanny X-force, X-23, X-men Legacy, FF, and Schism. I also read the Fear Itself tie-ins for X-force and FF, though I wasn't really impressed with the FF one.

Pretty much all of them were ones I figured I'd give a shot or wanted to see where they were going, as I've never stuck to reading any books before because I've never had the money to... Though, I still don't with student loans needing paid. :shifty

I'd say C has summed up X-force very well. :)

As for X-23, Lil is totally to blame for any interest I have in her (also any interest I have in Betsy for X-force). :P I'd also read some of the older stuff with Laura from when she was created, and I figured I'd give the book a shot because I'd enjoyed the earlier stuff.

I love Johnny Storm and was very sad when he died in Fantastic Four, but I was interested to see what would happen with the team in FF. My boyfriend is also totally into Black Bolt, so that's another reason.

Schism is just to see where things are going. It's not too bad, but I wouldn't really say it's fantastic either. I have to say I've never been fond of Wolverine, and he's probably the character I enjoy most from it.

And, X-men Legacy I picked up purely because I may have a small obsession with Rachel Summers and Havok... :whistle

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:19 am
by Angelique
I'm sort of all over the map with my comic book reading. Due to economics and my discontent with the Big Two, I've been kind of drifting from one title to the other trying to find a comic worthy of the loyalty I used to devote to Uncanny X-Men. I've found a number of newer titles I like- Incorruptible/Irredeemable, Jonah Hex, and Dr. Who among them. I've also been picking up back issues when I can find and afford them of Larry Hama's GI Joe and some classic Green Lantern, Flash, The Spirit, Alan Davis Excalibur, and first Claremont run X-Men. But the one title that has been consistently on my pull list and has inspired almost a completist loyalty lately is The Walking Dead.

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:58 pm
by Ult_Sm86
Ohmaaaaaaaaaaaan do I love threads like this!

What am I reading?

Batman & Robin I don't know how it's going to pan out after the DCnU Reboot, but lemme tell ya if you've missed any of this series, go the hell back to the comic store, pick up 'dem trades, and read it. This stuff is phenomenal. The best Bat-Book I've read in probably 7-10 years. It's classic stuff. The best part is the role reversal with Dick as Batman an Damian as Robin. The early stuff with Morrison is hard to muddle through. I find with Grant it's better to just read his trades, because waiting each month for him to make sense of his story is a bit much. Now that it's all flushed out though, I can't imagine anyone (who reads Morrison's work like I do) will have the same problem.

Amazing Spider-Man They did it. Marvel actually did it. They saved Spider-Man from the horrible pit-of-retired-hero that he was being trapped in. (Perhaps he was caught in a web of his own making? :toothy ) The best part of this comic is after the nonsensical OMD fiasco, they really have a tight story now with a very intriguing new take on Spider-Man. He has recently lost his spider-senses and has since learned to sort of anticipate action on his own, the way Iron Fist, Daredevil, or others might. Needless to say, a lot of other stuff has changed. Carlie is the new girl, he's bouncing around the city in new tech thanks to his new job in a professional research lab. It's just a great read now. A lot has changed and Dan Slott really has that Spider-Man humor down. And Humberto Ramos is a great artist. ;)

Ultimate Fall Out I swore I wouldn't be reading Ultimate Spider-Man or anything associated with the Ultimate universe after Peter died.


I lied. This book is great. Hickmann & Bendis are masters of telling stories and they're the only two comic writers I can think of off the top of my head to make me shed a tear, and you might want to do so every issue of this series.

Flashpoint Specifically the Batman arc, with Thomas Wayne. Without giving away too much -- it's just really fun.

FF READ THIS BOOK! Holy crap! This is the best comic book I can think of. The best series, the best characters, the best writing, the best drama, the best sci-fi, the best dialogue, the best art, it's just Fantastic. I can't recommend it enough. Hickmann is the comic book God of our times and he shall go down in history as such, and it will be because of his work with the Fantastic Family.

[Edited on 31/8/11 by Ult_Sm86]

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:35 am
by The Drastic Spastic
Only Uncanny X-Force, and before this I hadn't read a book since Nightcrawler's death issue. And I made an exception for it, I was not reading anything at that time either.

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:42 am
by JackSkulls
I picked up the new Alpha flight stuff, it's absolutely epic, if you don't know much about Alpha flight you might have to do a little lookin up but it's worth it! The old team is back and it starts out with a nice big battle. I won't reveal it all but a certain dwarf makes an come back from a certain fiery place with pretty funny dialogue.

Also been reading Daken, I'm a little disappointed with the last three issues but all in all it's really good. And if you like X-23 there's a VERY good crossover between the two that is worth reading even if you don't like Daken. The two of them play extremely well together, sad they don't team up more often.

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 2:12 am
by TechPrincess
I bought my first comics EVER recently. They came in today. All 10 issues of Generation Hope. :D I love it! Especially one of the new mutants. He cracks me up.

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:10 am
by littlebamf
JackSkulls wrote: Also been reading Daken, I'm a little disappointed with the last three issues but all in all it's really good. And if you like X-23 there's a VERY good crossover between the two that is worth reading even if you don't like Daken. The two of them play extremely well together, sad they don't team up more often.
Second this. I'm really not into Daken but their crossover was excellent, if not a little belated.

Also reading:

Uncanny X-Force
The Boys

Jennifer Blood - from the author of The Boys, this is basically a mini series about a seemingly perfect suburban housewife who has a seriously dark secret about her and at night she is going around taking out coordinated hits on people. The series has literally been very slow, with a pretty big delay between issue three and four and content wise, it has been slow but in a good way. We still don't really know why Jen is committing these crimes, but a little piece of the puzzle is being revealed with each issue as you learn a little more about her. Also, the fact the series takes time to explore her family life and also the neighbours (it shouldnt be so funny) makes it more than a blood and guts book. It's worth checking out of you like Ennis.

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:23 am
by Ult_Sm86
You guys...

Ultimate Comics: All New Spider-Man #1 was awesome.

Broke some book sales records too I hear.

Honestly, this is a great read. If you're new to Spider-man, check it out. if you're a long time fan, check it out. If you hate Peter Parker? Check it out. It's great for everyone.

Except people who hate Brian Michael Bendis. I can't help you there. But he's really back on his game with this title.


Also --

The Arkham City mini, which features the backstory to the Batman: Arkham Asylum sequel: Batman: Arkham City, is friggin' fantastic!!

Such an intriguing read and a wonderful set-up for this game!!

[Edited on 22/9/11 by Ult_Sm86]

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:49 am
by No.Na.
X-23: I honestly really love X-23, and her solo series is pretty fantastic in terms of telling her story as well as the art in this book (I pretty much gush over the art). The only big issue I think it really suffers from is that it's not very interesting to anyone who isn't a fan of the character. Since the current story is about her trying to forget her past, unless you have knowledge of that some parts fall flat.

Static: I can't say I am old school static fan since the TV series got me into static, and the comic was much better when I began looking for issues. Static is my favorite superhero, and the fact DC brought him back made me immensely happy so I am slightly jaded about this comic. With that being said I do think that people should be reading this. the art is good, and the story starts off fast and strong. Readers get a nice sense of Virgil's personality and how intelligent he is. His control of electricity is more than a way to shoot up the bad guys, he uses science (real and Comic) to do some interesting stuff (Example: magnetizing himself to repel bullets).

Journey Into Mystery: I started reading this title just recently as a suggestion from a "friend" of a friend and I have to say it was one of the more interesting fear itself titles that hit the shelves. the series was also a good jumping on point since the story was revolving around young loki and his play in the events of fear itself. It has since changed character but is very well written and keeps giving issues with good art.

Ghost Rider: Like every other thing i am currently reading it was a pretty recent pick up, and i have to say that it's one of the weaker titles of what i read. the art is good, but not great, and the story has been very very slow to pick up steam. the new ghost rider also has no real personality right now which is very disappointing (an interesting and strong female is always a plus for me). I am going to keep up on it if it doesn't get good after a while i might drop it.

Kickass 2: I liked the first one and the second is proving to be interesting but not as cool as the first one was, the story is much more drawn out and the scope has become a little bigger.

Batman Beyond: Like Static my interest in the comic adventures of Terry McGinnis Started from watching the cartoon. The announcement that Batman Beyond was getting it's own solo was pretty cool. Unfortunately this is also one of the titles I feel is weak, the art is okay but doesn't feel right most of the time; The story arcs so far have not really reached any of the title's potential. The references to other batman incarnations is nice (Example: Terry escaping on the batpod), but the universe is a little half baked (the justice league is a little boring, though superman beyond was cool, as well as the batman/Superman beyond).

Things I want to read but haven't had the money to pick up: Batwoman, Action comics, & Ultimate Spider man

Things I wish I was reading: Another Runaways series, A young loki solo book

(I am the worlds worst typist)


[Edited on 22/9/11 by No.Na.]

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:24 am
by Ferguson
I don't think I had realized I wanted young Loki until now.

So I keep hearing a lot of good things about X-23's solo book so I think you've all convinced me, something to go on my Christmas list there.

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:26 am
by Ult_Sm86
Ed Brubaker's Captain America has been really good so far. Took me a long time to get into, but you gotta check that title out.

Also, I somehow forgot to mention the new Ultimate X-Men that just started.

Great hop-on point for new comers.

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:44 am
by The Drastic Spastic
Bamfette wrote: Irredeemable/Incorruptible are sister series. Irredeemable is basically what if a Superman type character (The Plutonian) reaches his breaking point and just SNAPS. He goes on a rampage, obliterating entire cities, and killing all his old teammates, who are at a loss as to how to stop him. Incorruptible is the opposite, a villain, Max Damage, sees the Plutonian's rampage and decides it's up to him to step up and be a hero.... except he doesn't quite know how.
How would you recommend reading these? Go through one series first, or alternating books?

What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:16 pm
by Ult_Sm86
So I've revamped my reading list for money reasons.

Unfortunately I have to now do digital comics. I don't believe in pirating them, so I want to pay at least a little bit. :(


-Ultimate All New Spier-Man (digital)

-Avenging Spider-Man (digital)

-Amazing Spider-Man

-FF

-(when it comes out) Fantastic Four (digital)

-Flash (digital)

-Superman (digital)

-(when it comes out) Uncanny X-Force

-Wolverine & The X-Men (digital)


Nevermind -- scratch that on the Marvel digital downloads...

It's an Apple App and I don't even have an iPod anymore let alone an iPhone or iPod.

And they're still $3.99...

Major problem.

[Edited on 8/10/11 by Ult_Sm86]

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:25 pm
by Ult_Sm86
You guys, Avenging Spider-Man is a seriously good title.

I cannot suggest this one enough. Also -- if you get the chance, pick up B.P.D. & Abe Sapien books from Darkhorse (Hellboy creator Mike Mignolia made). The recent two-parter with Abe was awesome. The Devil Below I think was the title.

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:57 pm
by the_lone_bamf
I would like to second the recommendation of "Fables" and "Irredeemable"/"Incorruptible". Fables quickly became one of my favorite comics and it's something I'm always recommending to people- even though it can be a tough sell at times. I'm hoping that the rising popularity of shows like "Once Upon a Time" and "Grimm" may make it easier for me to get people to give Fables a chance.

Also, I'm reading "Chew" which is great if you like a bit of humor in your comics. The comic takes place in a world where some kind of avian flu has wiped out a huge portion of the population. It is suspected that this was passed through chicken/poultry so those products are now contraband. Tony Chu is a police officer with a special gift- he gets a psychic impression of the entire lifespan of anything he eats (except beets). After a simple back-alley chicken bust goes a little crazy, and Tony and his partner unexpectedly catch a serial killer, the FDA (now the most powerful government organization) recruits Tony to use his special gift for their force. What follows is an often hilarious, sometimes downright icky tale of conspiracy, vampires (?), food, and POLLO!!!!!!!! Totally worth a read.

The Adventure Time comic is also effing hilarious if you like that sort of thing. :D

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:57 am
by Ult_Sm86
I hear the new Bendis book, Takio is awesome.

Anyone else get the first (it may even be on second) issue yet?

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:36 pm
by Ult_Sm86
I think I'm going to look for some new Non-Marvel books.

I'm dropping all of DC with the death of Damian Wayne (my favorite DC character of all time :{ ) and I'm going to venture out to the Independent Comics area.

I need some serious suggestions, people. I know of very few Dark Horse stuff (I loved B.P.R.D. & all the Hellboy variations, also The Goon) and I know of "Invincible" and "Walking Dead". THat's pretty much it.
I hear Sex #1 was really good.

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 1:03 am
by Bamfing_Bob
I kinda wanted to get Sex #1, but it's risque and I don't think my wife would approve, lol.

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 6:04 pm
by Ult_Sm86
I got it.
It's interesting but it has a vibe of being a continuation of another story, you're very much "thrown into the middle" or some sort of conflict.

Dudes.

Guys.

READ SAGA holy hell I got the first trade.
It
Is
Amazing.

It's got humor:

Image

It's got fantastical action/mild nudity:

Image

and it's got humor:

Image

Did I mention the action yet?
Image

Or Lying Cat?
Image

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:02 am
by Ult_Sm86
So...
Sex #2 was... hot.

But good.

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:54 am
by Bamfing_Bob
I flipped through Sex #1 and that was pretty pornographic. Is #2 even more adult that a lesbian peep show, genitals and all?

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:18 am
by Ult_Sm86
I can get the "pornographic" vibe, but I would argue it's throw back to pulp-smut but with a sincere sci-fi flavor. I would say issue #2 had less vagina, but it is called "SEX" so uh... Yeah. There's sex.

The point of the story is he's using sex/the burlesque (or whatever it is) to get to the enemies of the city.


I also picked up issues 1 & 2 of "East of West" by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Nick Dragotta.


What a read. Lemme tell you, if Image keeps this up, they might be the new DC... (Because New52 is a waste of everyone's time...)

Image

It's got a great cover (I'm not sure if this is the Variant or what, there's quite a few versions I'm seeing online) and the artwork lives up to the cover's promise.

Image

Re: What are you reading and why? (Comic recommendations!)

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:31 pm
by Slarti
This is an older one, but I picked it back up off the shelf and looked through it and remembered why I loved it - Preacher.

It's blasphemous, if that sort of thing bothers you, but mostly it's funny, raunchy, and tells an imaginative story.