So, I recently bought a few comics for cheap at a local comic book shop. They were alright, except for this Spawn comic that really caught my eye. After, I decided to go on ebay and buy the first 10 or so issues for a few bucks. So my question is this: what are some great comics for someone who knows very little about comics. I'm mostly interested in modern/ futuristic comics from the 80's and 90's, the darker style. Also, please try not to mention graphic novels, unless they are superb and make sure to keep price and availability in mind when referring different books.
Great Comics for the Uninitiated
- Thread starter Mark Rhodes
- Start date
Deadpool doesn't really sound like your style but his joking and hilarious attitude eased me into comics.
Also Watchmen.. It was the first thing even remotely related to comics that I read and I have no regrets, it's off-duh-chain. [sub]yo.[/sub]
Also Watchmen.. It was the first thing even remotely related to comics that I read and I have no regrets, it's off-duh-chain. [sub]yo.[/sub]
Transmetropolitan is great and very much along the lines you're looking for. It's about a rogue journalist uncovering the sinister side of the mayor of a very hedonistic and morally loose futuristic city. There are about 60 issues total, and it's well worth reading.
Sandman and Preacher are also dark and very 90s, though they veer closer to fantasy/mythology than futuristic.
For bigger name DC/Marvel stuff, maybe look into the Punisher, Daredevil, or Frank Miller era Batman.
Sandman and Preacher are also dark and very 90s, though they veer closer to fantasy/mythology than futuristic.
For bigger name DC/Marvel stuff, maybe look into the Punisher, Daredevil, or Frank Miller era Batman.
Saga is a good read that started fairly recently. Kind of a Romeo and Juliet story set in an alien world where two people from warring civilizations fall in love and are consequently on the run form everyone else.
From the same writer, there's also Y The Last Man, an apocalyptic story where every living male being on the planet on earth except for one man (and his pet monkey) is killed off by a mysterious phenomenon. And the surviving women have to cope with losing half of the world's population.
And just a couple of others to at least consider:
Fables is about how every fairy tale character is actually real and how they try to stay hidden in the real world among ordinary humans.
Bone is one that starts out looking simple and cartoony and then starts delve more into this dark, fantasy epic.
From the same writer, there's also Y The Last Man, an apocalyptic story where every living male being on the planet on earth except for one man (and his pet monkey) is killed off by a mysterious phenomenon. And the surviving women have to cope with losing half of the world's population.
And just a couple of others to at least consider:
Fables is about how every fairy tale character is actually real and how they try to stay hidden in the real world among ordinary humans.
Bone is one that starts out looking simple and cartoony and then starts delve more into this dark, fantasy epic.
The first guy nailed it - Watchmen. It's got modern sensibilities, it's from the eighties, it ushered in the dark age of comics, and it's also really really good. I'd also suggest another Moore work, V for Vendetta. It's got what you're looking for, along with a pretty interesting look at both fascism and anarchism.
Death's Head II, which was written by Dan Abnett, is great fun provided if you can find it.
Batman: Year One is a classic, and very well-written.
As is Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
Swamp Thing by Alan Moore is great, but it helps a bit if you've read at least some Swamp Thing by Len Wein first. But if you haven't... Well, when it comes to suoerhero comics it's par for the course that you don't understand every little detail.
Batman: Year One is a classic, and very well-written.
As is Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
Swamp Thing by Alan Moore is great, but it helps a bit if you've read at least some Swamp Thing by Len Wein first. But if you haven't... Well, when it comes to suoerhero comics it's par for the course that you don't understand every little detail.
If you want darker stuff, I'd highly recommend Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer. It's from the '90s, but, given that it was published by Vertigo, it doesn't suck. The "Dangerous Habits" arc is particularly good, one of the very best Hellblazer stories, despite some of the most horrible colours I've seen in a major comic book.
And his run on the Punisher is basically the definitive version of the character in my opinion, and comics don't get much darker than that. He puts the Punisher outside the Marvel Universe into a plausibly "real" world, strips away all the superhero stuff, and just makes him a vigilante with a lot of guns. To my mind, that's how the character should be, and it's pretty spectacular, albeit very depressing at times.
And his run on the Punisher is basically the definitive version of the character in my opinion, and comics don't get much darker than that. He puts the Punisher outside the Marvel Universe into a plausibly "real" world, strips away all the superhero stuff, and just makes him a vigilante with a lot of guns. To my mind, that's how the character should be, and it's pretty spectacular, albeit very depressing at times.
Aye, good stuff, they're pretty easy to get hold of, even my local WHSmiths has them in stock within its tragic comic section. Plus there's always Amazon. Also it has Simon Pegg in it, which makes everything better.TheBlueRabbit said:
OP: On the subject of Garth Ennis, I'll add "Preacher" to that list, again pretty brutal stuff, but it's got great characters on a pretty cool story, it was one of my first forays into the dark comics, but it's always been one of my favourites.
On a slightly lighter note Judge Dredd has some great stories, they're not quite "dark" per say, but they're certainly not happy go lucky. Personally, this list comes pretty close to reccomended stories/personal favs, and what's quite nice is that Dredd ages in real time, not floating timeline for him! Although Block War/Apocalypse war is a fucking tome and a half.
And if you like Judge Dredd, I'd go for Strontium Dog too, some great Sci Fi going on there. They're both /very/ British, and I know 2000AD comics never seemed to hit it big over in the states, but it's still great stuff.
Obviously I can't remember all of them but you can't go wrong with these:
Marvel:
-Astonishing X-Men by Whedon
-Captain America by Brubaker
-Daredevil by Waid
-Hawkeye by Fraction
-Nextwave
-Old Man Logan
-Ultimates 1 & 2 (Stay away from Ultimatum)
-X-Force / Uncanny X-Force
And everything cosmic; Annihilation, Annihilation Conquest, Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, War of Kings, Realm of Kings and The Thanos Imperative.
...
DC:
-All-Star Superman
-Batman Year One
-Batwoman (N52)
-JLA by Morrison
-Swampthing (N52)
-The Dark Knight Returns
-The Long Halloween
...
Image:
-Glory
-King City
-Orc Stain
-Prophet
-Saga
-Spawn
-Scud The Disposable Assassin (It's like Deadpool, but funny)
-The Walking Dead (It's like the tv show, but good)
...
Dark Horse:
-B.P.R.D.
-The Goon
...
IDW:
-Locke & Key
...
Marvel:
-Astonishing X-Men by Whedon
-Captain America by Brubaker
-Daredevil by Waid
-Hawkeye by Fraction
-Nextwave
-Old Man Logan
-Ultimates 1 & 2 (Stay away from Ultimatum)
-X-Force / Uncanny X-Force
And everything cosmic; Annihilation, Annihilation Conquest, Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, War of Kings, Realm of Kings and The Thanos Imperative.
...
DC:
-All-Star Superman
-Batman Year One
-Batwoman (N52)
-JLA by Morrison
-Swampthing (N52)
-The Dark Knight Returns
-The Long Halloween
...
Image:
-Glory
-King City
-Orc Stain
-Prophet
-Saga
-Spawn
-Scud The Disposable Assassin (It's like Deadpool, but funny)
-The Walking Dead (It's like the tv show, but good)
...
Dark Horse:
-B.P.R.D.
-The Goon
...
IDW:
-Locke & Key
...