Comic fans, help me out

[DanMcS]

So, I've seen the cartoons and the movies based off of comic books for years (sometimes without realizing it- Blade was a comic book character?). I never really started reading them though, probably living 20+ miles from the nearest comic shop saved my wallet some grief when I was younger.

It wasn't until I started playing Mutants and Masterminds that I really got interested in the things, and I'm realizing I have no idea where to start. There are literally hundreds of series, many of which have been running for decades, but seem to jink around, reboot occasionally, contradict each other or wipe out previous canon altogether.

I got ahold of the paperback of the first collection of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. That was great. Last week I saw some recommendations for the various Ultimate series from Marvels, which are kind of restarting the series and using them from the ground up. I read the Ultimates paperback, with the Hulk and the team forming and all, that was cool too.

Now I'm reading some of the Ultimate X-men books, and there's all kinds of bizzare characters in there. Magneto has children? And Xavier too? When I was at the comic store tonight, there were all these other xmen titles, who is Cable? The New Mutants (or something like that)? How can anyone possibly get a grip on all these characters? The Ultimates and the X-men are in the same universe, right? Have they always been that way, or did they start off on their own? All this stuff that's happening in the X-Men movies has happened in a comic in some form or another before, right, or are they writing new plots for the films?

So basically, what are good sets or series to read? What do you read regularly? (Apparently the comic shop I was at has lists of titles they pull out for people when the shipment comes in. That's commitment.)

Where can I find out about some of this history, without buying every comic ever printed and reading them all? I've discovered I like the books about teams, there's a lot of variety in there that it doesn't seem you would get from a book all about Superman or Captain America. Also, I'm getting a grip on the Marvel guys, but I know much less about the DC comics (though I can properly place several characters in each set now, I couldn't before), what should I see there?

I'm asking, because these are fun to read, and also, I think it will be more fun playing MnM if I know about comic-type settings.

 

[Starman]

Required reading:

Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Millar and Klaus Janson
Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross

Starman

 

[Chun-tzu]

Required reading:

Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Millar and Klaus Janson
Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross

Starman

I'd agree with that list, but with a caveat: Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns are both pretty dark and gritty, so if that's not really your thing, you may not enjoy them very much (despite the fact that they really are the closest thing to required reading in comics).

A couple TPBs that are almost in the same category:

Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
This is arguably the definitive Daredevil story, some of legendary Frank Miller's best work, and may serve as the inspiration for the Daredevil movie sequel.

Astro City: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
These super-heroes are not DC or Marvel, but heavily inspired by them. It's a realistic take on super-heroes, with some really great stories, in an anthology style.

All of the above are more new-reader-friendly than the X-books, which are loaded with dozens of characters, back story, and continuity.

Plus, here's a tip: look for trade paperback lots on eBay. You'd be surprised how often you can pick up a stack of TPBs for less than cover. The reason is that people don't often buy lots, because they won't usually want everything in it. It's almost as good as the bargains you can get at a comic con.

 

[Welverin]

So, I've seen the cartoons and the movies based off of comic books for years (sometimes without realizing it- Blade was a comic book character?).

Yes, Blade is from comics, originally Tomb of Dracula (I believe).

So are movies you would never suspect like From Hell.

So basically, what are good sets or series to read? What do you read regularly? (Apparently the comic shop I was at has lists of titles they pull out for people when the shipment comes in. That's commitment.)

It's actually rather common it not a given in all dedicated stores.

Actual suggestions:

1) The most important thing - There is more to comic books than superheros!

2) Find writers you like (or other creative types) and get their stuff rather then following particular titles. I'd suggest Jeff Smith (Bone), Brian Michael Bendis (Powers, Ultimate Spider-man), J. Michael Straczynski (Midnight Nation, Rising Stars, Amazing Spider-man, oh and yes it is that JMS), Kurt Busiek (Astro City), Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (Batman the Long Holloween, Daredevil Yellow, Spider-man Blue), Garth Ennis (Preacher).

3) My favorite books are Bone, Powers, and USM, though it'd be hard to go wrong with anything above.

4) There is plenty of other good stuff I haven't read yet I'm sure others will mention. like just about anything by Grant Morrison or Alan Moore.

 

[Eosin the Red]

I agree with the list of required reading, those are some of the definitive series. Daredevil: Born Again is also on my list.

My additions -
1. Legion of Superheroes: The Darksied Saga
2. J. Michael Stryzinski's (of Babylon 5) Rising Stars

Comic book shops will often have trade paper back and in some cases even used stuff (I can't afford all the books I would like).

Answers to X-Questions:

Cable = belch! Only peripherally involved with stuff during the Cable age. I think he is the son of Jean and Scott, returned from the future to do something.

New Mutants = The first kid X-man book. Ran for a few years and introduced some good characters (Cannonball, Magic, Karma, Rhaine, Sunspot, Cypher, Magma and later other Liefield additions. The series also introduced the Hellions - a Jr Hellfire club).

They have kids? That is a new one on me.

 

[Welverin]

missed some Q's

The Ultimates and the X-men are in the same universe, right? Have they always been that way, or did they start off on their own?

The Ultimates and the X-men are not in the same universe. The Ultimates and Ultimate X-men are.

Anything presently put out by Marvel with "Ultimate" in the title is part of an alternate universe that is separate from the main Marvel U. So Ultimate Spider-man, Ultimate X-men, Ultimate Marvel Team-up, The Ultimates, Ultimate Adventures, The Ultimates, Ultimate War, and Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra are all part of their own little universe. The point of it all was to start over with old characters freed from the chains of continuity and put a new spin on old characters.

All this stuff that's happening in the X-Men movies has happened in a comic in some form or another before, right, or are they writing new plots for the films?

The plots/stories for all of the movies are new, but do use quite a few elements from the comics even taking whole storylines, but everything is reinterpreted in a new way so don't think of them as being the same.

 

[jdavis]

Trying to explain the X men is like, well trying to explain something that has been in print for 40 years, there is so much storyline and back history to the x men that it just isn't going to be possible to learn everything about them, there have been dozens of different titles and related comics, they have been killed and reborn (some more than once) some are from the future or space or another dimension, they come and go and some get older and some don't (Professor X should be in his 80's or so by now, Magneto died and was reborn or something like that). I think Professor X girlfriend is(was) an alien Empress, Magneto's children were Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch but I think he is actually younger than them now.

Back in the late 80's or early 90's there was a series of books called the Marvel universe, they were like encyclopedias of the marvel characters. I don't follow comic much anymore so I don't know if there are newer versions or not, but they are great for learning about a characters history. They were in alphabetical order and they had separate books for characters who had died. That is a wonderful source of information for Marvel comics, heck that's where I first found out about Bessy the Hellcow (yes they actually had a vampire cow).

This might be where they have went with the Marvel Universe bit, it's called the Marvel Encyclopedia: http://www.marvel.com/comics/trades/detail.htm?id=228

 

[Klaus]

For some of the best comics, try to find Trade Paperbacks on these storylines:

Man of Steel, by John Byrne - The 1986 Superman relaunch.

Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli - The 1986 Batman relaunch

Batman: Hush, by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee - The first 4 issues of the 12-issue run that is turning Batman a sensation again.


For non-superhero stuff, I highly recommend Sojourn, by Crossgen Comics. It reads as DnD plays. A woman archer, aided by her dog and a one-eyed rogue, search for the pieces of a mystical artifact that can summon back a legendary warrior to take down the undead tyrant that has taken over all of the realms. Plus Greg land's art is gorgeous!

 

[Sulimo]

I'd definitely reccomend Astro City, by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson and Alex Ross. Probably my alltime fave series.

I'd also really reccomend Marvels, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross.

As for others I'm reading now and enjoying...

Batman - I've been a Batfan for a long time, but this has got me back even getting me buying other Batman titles like Detective and Gotham Knights.

JSA, by Geoff Johns and David Goyer - best team book I've read in a long time, though due to it's long history it did take me a little while to get into it. The net and early issues did help in this regard though.

Avengers, by Geoff Johns - one of the few Marvel titles I read these days (the others being Amazing Spiderman & Thor). Excellent writing again by Geoff Johns. I'd read pretty much anything he decides to write.

Y - The Last Man, by Brian Vaughn & Pia Guerra - really enjoyable post apocalyptic series. I'm actually suprised how much I've enjoyed this.

 

[el-remmen]

I cannot recommend Astro City enough - but I don't know if it would apeal to someone who is not an old-time comic fan because of its derivitive nature - using comic book archetypes and classic storylines with new twists (the 1/2 issue was awesome!).

The best thing is comic arcs come out in trade paperback fairly quickly these days - so you can pick up the recent series of Amazing Spider-man (Babylon 5's J. Michael Stryzinski is writing them) and the latest Incredible Hulk has been pretty cool - going back to the classic Bruce Banner on the run style stories.

I have not enjoyed the Ultimate titles at all (least of all Spider-man) - but then again I am a Spider-man purist.

I highly recommend the entire run of Vertigo's Hitman (part of the DC universe) - I will take that over the Preacher any day of the week (Garth Ennis wrote both).