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The Comic Book Start Up Guide (The Big Thread of Comic Q&A)

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Image stuff I've been enjoying

Lazarus - Sci-fi Game of Thrones, where powerful families wage war and conduct business, each protected by their bio mechanically-enhanced bodyguard known as a Lazarus
lazarus-lede.jpg

Spread - The Thing + Mad Max in the frozen north

Wytches - These sure as hell aren't Roald Dahl's Witches. Terrifying and unsettling supernatural horror
 

Vanish

Member
Who was the guy in the Comics OT who was going to read every issue of Spider-Man ever published?


It wasnt me because ive never mentioned it before on Neogaf but ive been on the same quest. Up to 2005 now. It's been...quite the journey.
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
We read everything and discuss ANYTHING

Yep.

I am always behind, I can't keep up with comics these days. But that does not stop me from enjoying that thread one bit. Great fun.

They are incredible with suggestions as well, showed me some of my favourite things in a long time.
 

MattyG

Banned
Image stuff I've been enjoying

Lazarus - Sci-fi Game of Thrones, where powerful families wage war and conduct business, each protected by their bio mechanically-enhanced bodyguard known as a Lazarus


Spread - The Thing + Mad Max in the frozen north


Wytches - These as hell aren't Roald Dahl's Witches. Terrifying and unsettling supernatural horror
Those look fantastic. I'm looking at Lazarus on instocktrades and it says (MR) in the name. What does that stand for?
 

Afrodium

Banned
Who was the guy in the Comics OT who was going to read every issue of Spider-Man ever published?

I don't think you're talking about me but I asked where to start a few months back and a few people told me to start at #1. I stopped after Lee and Ditko's run because I realized I wasn't going to be reading anything else for a year or two.
 
Those look fantastic. I'm looking at Lazarus on instocktrades and it says (MR) in the name. What does that stand for?

MR = Mature Readers

Some completed runs I'd recommend to anyone:
-Power Girl Power Trip
-Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender
-All-Star Superman

Also, it's worth noting that IDW releases a lot of great comics based off of existed IPs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers More Than Meets the Eye are both GREAT. Definitely check them out if you have any interest in either franchise.

And it's as indie as you can get, but COPRA is good reading too.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
Great thread Z

I'll vouch for Marvel Unlimited, it has ridiculous value and if you are jumping in to comics (or returning like I was) the fact that it's 6 months behind on new issues doesn't really matter since you haven't read anything anyway
 

Sandfox

Member
I'm not sure. I typically buy digitally from Comixology


Like which?
Any ones you would recommend? Because I'm always looking for recommendations; my Comixology wishlist is 15 pages long
I approach recs in a different way. I'll post my opinion in a few hours when I get home.
 
Scribd is another digital subscription website kinda like Comixology. They offer Marvel, Valiant, IDW, Boom, and several others publishers. I read through all of Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis on there and it's also the cheapest way to catch up on TMNT and Transformers.
 

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
great thread, I hope this becomes a safe haven for all things comics with tons of recommendations and posts about favourite comic books, new and old
 

Parch

Member
Are you doing all the side stuff too or just Amazing Spider-Man?
Not answering for him, but it's difficult reading just one title because it was a real nasty habit in the 90's for stories to share titles. They'd start a story in one title and finish it in another. It was a trick to get readers to buy more than one title. Or at least get the other issues for that storyline. For that era, you pretty much needed to get Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, and Spectacular Spider-Man.

DC was doing the same trick with their titles.
 

MattyG

Banned
I'm just starting to read comics (I'm getting every Star Wars one on release, and I have a huge lineup of completed series I want to read), so this is a huge help. Question to you guys; do you prefer trade paperbacks or hardcover? I have 1 paperback as of now and I really like the feel of it, not sure how I'd feel about hardcovers once I build up a collection though. I'll get stuff like the Star Wars Omnibus in HC, but I think the large chunk of my collection will be TPBs.

Also, I wanted to see what you all thought of my list.
-Lazarus
-Spread
-Saga
-Brubaker's Captain America run
-Hawkeye
-The Wicked + The Divine (not sure on this one, I've just heard good things)
-Batman Night of the Owls
-The Dark Knight Returns
-Invincible
-Frank Miller's Daredevil

Anything I should avoid or should add?

MR = Mature Readers
Awesome, thank you!
 

MikeDip

God bless all my old friends/And god bless me too, why pretend?
I'm just starting to read comics (I'm getting every Star Wars one on release, and I have a huge lineup of completed series I want to read), so this is a huge help. Question to you guys; do you prefer trade paperbacks or hardcover? I have 1 paperback as of now and I really like the feel of it, not sure how I'd feel about hardcovers once I build up a collection though. I'll get stuff like the Star Wars Omnibus in HC, but I think the large chunk of my collection will be TPBs.

Also, I wanted to see what you all thought of my list.
-Lazarus
-Spread
-Saga
-Brubaker's Captain America run
-Hawkeye
-The Wicked + The Divine (not sure on this one, I've just heard good things)
-Batman Night of the Owls
-The Dark Knight Returns
-Invincible
-Frank Miller's Daredevil

Anything I should avoid or should add?


Awesome, thank you!

Lots of good stuff there. I'm currently rereading some of the Miller Daredevil stuff right now, tell me what you think when you get it!

Also, don't be scared to just pick up the first trade of a series to see if you like it before getting the whole run.
(I would add in Preacher and Lucifer but I have an angel bias. They are legit good books though so please consider it)
 

MattyG

Banned
Lots of good stuff there. I'm currently rereading some of the Miller Daredevil stuff right now, tell me what you think when you get it!

Also, don't be scared to just pick up the first trade of a series to see if you like it before getting the whole run.
(I would add in Preacher and Lucifer but I have an angel bias. They are legit good books though so please consider it)
Oh yeah, I've heard great things about Preacher, and Lucifer looks pretty good too. They're on the wishlist now!
 

I dunno what it is about injustice but I've met so many people who aren't comic fans who buy and read it. I'd plug Curse of Shazam as well but Zombine pretty much covered that with Geoff Johns.

I like this recommendation list but some of the links don't work.

Excellent jumping on point coming up in Justice League #40. Starting next week.

Same for Batman #41 and Superman #41, but those aren't for another month.
 
More_Badass you're nailing it with all these recs. Mouse Guard is hot business.

Heres some more comics for people to consider:


Lumberjanes - Lumberjanes is an absolute pleasure to read. It's about a girl scout camp filled with supernatural oddity that the titular scouts seek to uncover the mystery of. Hella fun irreverent humor and a bunch of instantly likable characters. If you enjoy stuff like Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Bee & Puppycat, etc you'll like this.


The Wicked + The Divine - I'm gonna give you all the straight dope on this. If you don't read The Wicked + The Divine you're fucking up your life. I don't know if we can assosiate because people with self destructive behaviors tend to bring down the others around them.


This One Summer - It's about a girl's burgeoning adolescence and the dissolution of her parents marriage during a summer vacation she spends with her best friend. The emotional rendering for each character is nearly flawless. The illustrations are the kind of shit you can get lost in for minutes at a time without realizing.

We Can Never Go Home - This one is only an issue in but I really feel like it's going to be something special. It's like breakfast club & x-men & potentially bonnie & clyde? Two teens from differing social casts with super powers discover each other. Bad shit goes down and they have to run away from home. How well the artists pulls off conversational mannerisms is kinda nuts. Definitely one to at least keep an eye on, if not read.

 
I'm just starting to read comics (I'm getting every Star Wars one on release, and I have a huge lineup of completed series I want to read), so this is a huge help. Question to you guys; do you prefer trade paperbacks or hardcover? I have 1 paperback as of now and I really like the feel of it, not sure how I'd feel about hardcovers once I build up a collection though. I'll get stuff like the Star Wars Omnibus in HC, but I think the large chunk of my collection will be TPBs.

Also, I wanted to see what you all thought of my list.
-Lazarus
-Spread
-Saga
-Brubaker's Captain America run
-Hawkeye
-The Wicked + The Divine (not sure on this one, I've just heard good things)
-Batman Night of the Owls
-The Dark Knight Returns
-Invincible
-Frank Miller's Daredevil

Anything I should avoid or should add?


Awesome, thank you!
You have great tastes

I'd recommend checking out Planetoid. It's short too, only a few issues. Nice contained story
 
Fantastic thread. I got back into reading comics about 6 years ago and haven't looked back. I'm enjoying using Marvel Unlimited recently, especially now they have put a ton of Star Wars comics on there.
 
We Can Never Go Home - This one is only an issue in but I really feel like it's going to be something special. It's like breakfast club & x-men & potentially bonnie & clyde? Two teens from differing social casts with super powers discover each other. Bad shit goes down and they have to run away from home. How well the artists pulls off conversational mannerisms is kinda nuts. Definitely one to at least keep an eye on, if not read.
Is there available anywhere digitally? Not seeing it on Comixology
 

Afrodium

Banned
I dunno what it is about injustice but I've met so many people who aren't comic fans who buy and read it. I'd plug Curse of Shazam as well but Zombine pretty much covered that with Geoff Johns.

I like this recommendation list but some of the links don't work.

Excellent jumping on point coming up in Justice League #40. Starting next week.

Same for Batman #41 and Superman #41, but those aren't for another month.

What makes #40 a particularly good jumping on point for Justice League? Is it just the start of a new arc or is it structured as a new entry point? I don't read much DC outside of some Batman, and I don't know much about the universe but I'd be interested in jumping in.
 

Vanish

Member
Are you doing all the side stuff too or just Amazing Spider-Man?


Im doing every single main Spider-Man comic, so that includes Spectacular, Sensational, Web of, New Avengers when he joins it, etc. I also do the occasional spinoffs and limited series that interests me. Its insane how many comics Marvel put him in, especially in the 90s. Idk how Peter had time for so many adventures lol
 
What makes #40 a particularly good jumping on point for Justice League? Is it just the start of a new arc or is it structured as a new entry point? I don't read much DC outside of some Batman, and I don't know much about the universe but I'd be interested in jumping in.

It's a new arc. They're taking it in a direction where Justice League is more of an event book than just 23 pages (think it's 32), Darkseid War starts in #40, and apparently everything will be contained in Justice League, no cross overs. Justice League is the best book for understanding where the DC universe is and will be going. I don't think any pre-reading will be required either, should be pretty stand alone.
 

Parch

Member
Its insane how many comics Marvel put him in, especially in the 90s. Idk how Peter had time for so many adventures lol
How long has it taken you so far?

It's crazy how many comics have been made.
That's part of the running joke "should I start at #1?"
Yeah sure. Assuming you've got a few more decades left to live.
 
Zombine here's some more info on how CMX does their sales.

For the Digital comic readers (like me) here's some tips on how their sale schedule usually works. I don't buy comics full price because I buy...a ton. Instead I wait for the discounts and sales

- Monday - Marvel has a one day sale Every Monday where a selection of comics goes to 99cents per issue. And sometimes they do bundles for even greater discounts
- Tuesday - Dc usually does a one week sale with larger collection of books going to 99cent
- Weds - the weekly discounted recent books. So I don't buy digital at full each week. DC discounts new books 2 months after release by $1. marvel waits at least 6 months (thus I just use marvel unlimitted for marvel books) and the rest go to $1.99 after a month delay
Thursday - no sales
Friday & Weekend - Marvel will sometimes return for other sales. Also this is when you use the IDW, valiant, Image, etc sales. Although sometimes they do mid week sales
 

kai3345

Banned
im trying to sign up for the free month of marvel unlimited, but marvel will literally not let me log in to their shitty website. anytime I click log in it just refreshes the page. Anyone else having this issue?
 

O.DOGG

Member
Hey, thanks for making this thread. I've been getting into comics over the past couple of months but only going by random recommendations I see here and there. It's nice to have a central thread to go to.

Also, I'm just a comic book dilettante but I believe Watchmen and Planetary need to be on the recommended list.
 
Zombine here's some more info on how CMX does their sales.

For the Digital comic readers (like me) here's some tips on how their sale schedule usually works. I don't buy comics full price because I buy...a ton. Instead I wait for the discounts and sales

- Monday - Marvel has a one day sale Every Monday where a selection of comics goes to 99cents per issue. And sometimes they do bundles for even greater discounts
- Tuesday - Dc usually does a one week sale with larger collection of books going to 99cent
- Weds - the weekly discounted recent books. So I don't buy digital at full each week. DC discounts new books 2 months after release by $1. marvel waits at least 6 months (thus I just use marvel unlimitted for marvel books) and the rest go to $1.99 after a month delay
Thursday - no sales
Friday & Weekend - Marvel will sometimes return for other sales. Also this is when you use the IDW, valiant, Image, etc sales. Although sometimes they do mid week sales

Don't forget the random convention sales! Thanks to those I got free Image comics like Bitch Planet and the first full volume of Scott Pilgrim.

And I'm sure a lot of users are familiar with Humble Bundle but they also run digital comic bundles from time to time and they're awesome. They've done two excellent Image bundles, Transformers, Valiant, Boom, etc. Great deals.
 
Speaking from personal experience and the books I own, your best bets are:

All-Star Superman
Amazing Spider-Man #275-350
Daredevil (Miller and Bendis runs)
Green Lantern - Emerald Twilight (for context), Sinestro Corps War
Ultimate Fantastic Four #1-20
Uncanny X-Men 80's Claremont run
X-Men (Vol. 2) up to issue 35 or so
New X-Men (Morrison)
 
Should I track down issue 1 to start from the beginning?

That's what real readers do. I started with Action Comics #1 and I'm still going.

Almost out of the 1940's!
Y'all killin me
Is it all people reading the new stuff?

It's everything. I literally just started hanging there within the past week. Good fun. It's been awhile since we got some old-school Daredevil updates though...someone is slacking....
 

kai3345

Banned
Signed up for the Marvel Unlimited trial and read through the first 5 issues on All New X-Men.

That was actually really good, I'm surprised.
 

kai3345

Banned
I like how All-New X-Men is just Age of Apocalypse, but the dark, dystopian, fucked-up future is just the current X-Men canon
 

Fusebox

Banned
Awesome thread! I have a mix of physical trades and graphic novels but do nearly all my reading via Marvel Unlimited these days, god bless it.

I also buy the Humble Comic bundles too, the Valiant bundle in particular was awesome value.
 
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