Okay, I know I'm asking for trouble, but: recommend comics?

[Supernova]

Alright, guys...lots of tough choices here. So it sounds like I should go for these: Watchmen, All-Star Superman, Preacher. Not sure about the Superman one. Like I said, the character seems pretty dumb to me. Can someone tell me a little more about it? I've had some friends recommend The Watchmen, so that I was kinda thinking about getting anyway. -Dan

 

[Guy Gardener]

All-Star Superman is written by an English drug addict.

Note how no one has told you to read All-Star Batman which is written by an angry American misogynist.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

%90 of the comics made are shit and %90 of the people reading comics have bad taste.

This isn't the language I'd have used, but it's entirely true. Most comic books produced, even by the major publishers, are terrible.

The 90% rule is true of just about everything though. Books, movies, TV shows, video games, etc...

 

[Ben Sisko3]

All-Star Superman is written by an English drug addict.

Note how no one has told you to read All-Star Batman which is written by an angry American misogynist.

Or, more simply put, as another website summarized them:

"All-Star Superman is distilled wonder.

All-Star Batman and Robin is about Frank Miller losing his goddamn mind."

 

[Guy Gardener]

Goddamn!

 

[Supernova]

So...I should avoid All-Star Superman? Because the writer is an addict?

You're confusing me. I'm a complete novice here. -Dan

 

[Ben Sisko3]

So...I should avoid All-Star Superman? Because the writer is an addict?

No, no, that's just Guy describing the inherent differences in the writing styles of the two books. One is clearly more fantastical (Superman) and the other is more obscene and ridiculous (Batman). All-Star Superman is about as close as you can get to the perfect DC superhero comic. Besides, if what I hear is true, Morrison kicked the drug habit years ago.

Read the "Publication history" here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Star_Superman) for a good run-down on what the book is like. But go no further, lest ye be spoiled.

 

[Guy Gardener]

When Morrison really goes to town, his comics seem to be like he's attempting to replay some awesome acid trip he had in the 70s, which is a good thing.

If "drugs are bad" is reason enough to avoid "artists" you might as well throw most of you music collection onto a bonfire... "The Beatles were so high, they even let Ringo sing a couple bars."

I miss Bill Hicks.

 

[coolghoul]

If you ever pick up the comics, please do come and let us know how you liked it.

I've read a few comic books before and I recently read the Watchmen (one of the comics that I think you've been recommended as the top 3) and while I understand that it's historically important, I just didn't get why such a big deal is made of it.

{Edited to add the following recommendations}
I think you should pick a few "different" comics. Since you asked for 3, I would choose -

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol 1 (it's a very "teen", very in the "now" take of how Spider-Man could be written).
Planet Hulk (All you need to know is that the super-hero community banded together and exiled Hulk).
And one of the non-DC, non-Marvel comics of which I am not such a strong judge (I stick to the mainstream most of the times). Watchmen perhaps or Sandman are the two major behemoths that get mentioned in this space.

To be fair, I think instead of Planet Hulk you should choose a DC storyline. But I can't easily recall anything to recommend for a starter. Perhaps a JLA book.

 

[Harvey]

Y: The Last Man is one of only a few comics to hold my attention.

Watchmen is probably worth it, although I haven't read it, so I can only go off of other recommendations.

 

[Cicero]

Has anyone read DC's Justice, btw? I've been waiting for some sort of consolidated edition (on better paper, hopefully) to read it, but what I've seen so far, aside from the ill-advised Super Friends inspiration, looks interesting. Is it good?

 

[Guy Gardener]

The Wonder Twins were eaten by a big Dog in a recent issue of the Teen Titans.

HILARIOUS!

I've read Justice and it is iconic in every sense of the word. Jim and Alex combined every fantastic element from the 70s into one huge story that was quintessentially what one would expect... Not saying that it's the wrong thing to do, since it was obviously an homage to the heyday of the silver age, but i remember reading some other JLA comics comming out at the same time that were quite similar since they were also drawing slightly on the 70s.

 

[Cicero]

The Wonder Twins were eaten by a big Dog in a recent issue of the Teen Titans.

HILARIOUS!

I've read Justice and it is iconic in every sense of the word. Jim and Alex combined every fantastic element from the 70s into one huge story that was quintessentially what one would expect... Not saying that it's the wrong thing to do, since it was obviously an homage to the heyday of the silver age, but i remember reading some other JLA comics comming out at the same time that were quite similar since they were also drawing slightly on the 70s.

Do you think someone who dislikes the comics of the 70s would like it? I've enjoyed Ross's other DC works (i.e. Kingdom Come and The World's Greatest Super-Heroes), but I despise 1970s DC comics. (I'm more a fan of the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 90s.)

 

[Guy Gardener]

What I tell everyone, unless you are stuck somewhere incredibly rural, and even then you can be surprised, your local library is linked to he state system of libraries and they have just about all the trade paperbacks made in the last thirty years that they will courier from hundreds of miles away to you local for a pick up.

Yes. You will enjoy it.

Everyone is strong and beautiful and noble and powerful and... I was about to break into the lyrics of the Flash Gordon Soundtrack... No brutally flawed heroes with feet of clay, just role models to aspire to.

It's good.

 

[misskim86]

Alright, guys...lots of tough choices here. So it sounds like I should go for these: Watchmen, All-Star Superman, Preacher. Not sure about the Superman one. Like I said, the character seems pretty dumb to me. Can someone tell me a little more about it? I've had some friends recommend The Watchmen, so that I was kinda thinking about getting anyway. -Dan

Replace Superman with Sandman and you got it

 

[Ben Sisko3]

Alright, guys...lots of tough choices here. So it sounds like I should go for these: Watchmen, All-Star Superman, Preacher. Not sure about the Superman one. Like I said, the character seems pretty dumb to me. Can someone tell me a little more about it? I've had some friends recommend The Watchmen, so that I was kinda thinking about getting anyway. -Dan

Replace Superman with Sandman and you got it

I'd argue replacing Preacher with Sandman or Y: The Last Man and leaving All-Star Superman, but to each his own.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Sandman is for girls and people who throw like girls or have to wear black nail polish. Waxing on poetically mastibatorially. I just finished rereading it a month back and quite frankly its not as shit hot as people recall having their minds blown in the earliest days of the nineties by the first two volumes where all the interesting things happen without the goth angst self aggrandisement... Some good things happen in this series by it's totally the emperor's new clothes if you believe the hype.

However, if you enjoy killing small animals and sticking you penis inside them, then Preacher is the comic for you... Preacher makes Deliverance look like Plesantville. Hillbillies vs. the armies of god. It's quite a ride.

 

[theenglish]

Well, that's certainly pleasant, and sexist imagery, you have going on there. Not really necessary though was it?

The Sandman is one of the most literate comics out there, and better than most of the novels Gaiman has written. It plays a lot with world mythology and religion, as well as classic verse and prose and examines the nature of story-telling and narrative. If you are looking for something intelligent to read (and you think Superman is silly as you mentioned earlier in the thread) then this should definitely be your read.

I also support those suggesting Y: The First Man.

 

[Cicero]

Well, that's certainly pleasant, and sexist imagery, you have going on there. Not really necessary though was it?

The Sandman is one of the most literate comics out there, and better than most of the novels Gaiman has written. It plays a lot with world mythology and religion, as well as classic verse and prose and examines the nature of story-telling and narrative. If you are looking for something intelligent to read (and you think Superman is silly as you mentioned earlier in the thread) then this should definitely be your read.

I also support those suggesting Y: The First Man.

I thought Sandman was fairly poorly written. It's derivative, sexist, self-indulgent, and considers itself much more intelligence than it really is. It's also one of the most disturbing things I've read. I've yet to see anything written by Gaiman other than Murder Mysteries that wasn't sicking and depressing, though I gave up after Anansi Boys, and it's possible he's produced something good since, if unlikely.

 

[theenglish]

To each his own, I guess. Although Anansi Boys is fairly recent isn't it? I quite enjoyed American Gods though.