As a continuation on my previous post, I have a confession to make: I’m a comic book newbie. Rookie. Beginner. Call it what you want (not virgin though, cause I have read some comic books), but I’m really just starting out with comic books here. Or should I call them graphic novels? This is one geek lingo I’ve never taken the time to learn and I want to change that.
I do know my superhero lore, but most of that comes from watching the cartoons as a kid and procrastinating reading up on Wikipedia. I’ve only recently (=3 years ago) “gotten into” comic books, but most of the stuff I’m reading is movie or TV related. On the one side those are the comics based on movie/TV shows; I’ve got the Heroes, Buffy and Serenity ones and want still want to get the Battlestar Galactica spin-offs. On the other side, I’m also reading the comics which are getting movie adaptations, like V For Vendetta and Sin City.
Truth though is I don’t want to read comics purely because of some movie. I want to read comics, because of the great stories being told. Now here’s where I need your help: Where the heck do I start?!? Take Batman and X-Men, for instance, I have no freaking idea which line I’m supposed to pick up. And then there are of course a million and one comics I most probably never have even heard of, which deserve to be read too. The pool of choices is just so large and I need some people to point out the best starting points. Faithful readers, help me please?
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May 3rd, 2008 at 1:15
Not a huge comic book reader, But I like a lot of the less fantastical books usually not involving tights and capes. Recommended:
1. Y The Last Man - the best series hands down. You can now buy almsot the entire thin in tradepaperbacks. DJ Caruso is making the movie probably with Shia as the lead.
2. Batman - The Long Halloween, Batman: Year One and The Killing Joke are all great prep for The Dark Knight
3. 100 Bullets
4. DMZ: very much like Escape from New York
5. Arkam Asylum: Great art, classic story
6. Daredevil Visionaries - written by Kevin Smith
May 4th, 2008 at 12:52
Thanks! I know of Y: The Last Man and the Batman ones, but I hadn’t heard about the others. I’ll definitely check them out.
May 4th, 2008 at 19:48
I’m quite a newbie too but I really liked the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. It’s about a guy who is Dream and gets trapped in the human world by some power hungry crazy people. It is really twisty story full of great fantasy writing. Neil Gaiman is one of my fantasy heros for writing that is both fantasy and real at the same time.
Have you had a look at any manga titles? There are some really great stories out there. I have just finished reading one called Death Note; that’s about what happens when a notebook that can be used to remotely kill people is found in the world by a crazy high school student who turns vigilante.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:51
Try Birds of Prey. It’s about the DC Universe female hero outcasts come together. Like Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) got paralysed after Joker shot her. So she became the Oracle to provide info to other heroes, and she started Birds of Prey along with other female heroes like Black Canary and Huntress.
A must read.. too bad they dont sell it from where I am…
xoxo
May 5th, 2008 at 12:11
@Helen: I’ve read a bit of Neil Gaiman before (Star Dust), but I wasn’t that impressed by it (liked the movie more). Everybody keeps saying though that the Sandman series is brilliant. So thanks, the Sandman series is also going on my list. I haven’t looked into manga yet; I thought I’d first stick to the western comics and later on make my way into manga territory. Death Note does sound very cool though!
@Yvonne: Ooh, yes, thanks for reminding me. I had seen images of the cancelled TV show and it always seemed like an interesting concept to me. Also going on my list
Btw, can’t you buy it online? The shipping costs on TFAW.com aren’t that high if I remember.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:16
but if i’m to buy, i’d buy like the entire line of batman’s beginnings to link it back to barbara and the huntress was supposedly one of the batgirls after barbara got paralysed… it’s like linking the entire universe together…
May 5th, 2008 at 14:33
Ah yes, it can then get pretty pricy. That’s what I mean though that it’s so difficult trying to figure out where to start!
May 9th, 2008 at 12:24
Saw this thread on your site so i thought I’d pitch in as a bit of a comic book geek.
All good sugustions made above, especially Batman: the long halloween (massive reference material for the dark knight film), sandman, sin city.
Some I would recomend would be Watchmen (the upcoming movie can be nowhere near as good), the ultimates (marvel comics revamp of the avengers with brilliant blockbuster feel, plus see how this influence the very end of the new iron-man film), and the losers by andy diggle & jock - great book about elite group of army special ops betrayed and left for dead who look for payback.
Great web site