Indie Books

[PercussionMasta]

I've been collecting comics for a while, but my collection has remained almost exclusively Marvel and DC. Are there any titles I should get into from independent publishers? What are the best? What back issues/trades should I pick up? What's currently hot? What's coming out that I should keep my eye on?

Thanks for the help.

[denseboy]

Well since you asked, I'd like to recommend a book that my team and I have coming out in a couple of weeks called The Black Coat from Speakeasy. It's not a superhero book but it has superhero elements so it may be a nice transition into the indy world for you. Here's some preview art:

Front Cover to issue 1 (March)
http://www.the-black-coat.com/forum/Front_cover_issue01.jpg

Back Cover to issue 1
http://www.the-black-coat.com/forum/Back_cover_issue01_mockup2a_.jpg


Here's a 10 page preview on IGN:
http://comics.ign.com/articles/686/686638p1.html

[Chintzy Beatnik]

Conan from Dark Horse Comics. Consistantly the best comic I read each month. The writing and the art are a perfect union.

[Brandon Hanvey]

Indie books are usually not best categorized by "what's hot" or "must have." They tend to skew more personal taste.

What are some of you favorite movies, tv shows, novels and other media. This will give people a better idea what you might enjoy.

[Jessica Drew]

What Brandon said is true; it depends on your personal taste.

However, with that being said...without knowing your personal tastes, I'd recommend any of the following:


Conan
The Goon
B.P.R.D. (just make sure and start at the beginning of any of these minis)
Hellboy (same as above)
Invincible (though start with the first trade, and work your way up)
The Walking Dead
The Perhapanauts (in the middle of a mini)
Red Sonja
Sea of Red
Banana Sunday (just completed mini)
Smoke (somewhat-recently completed mini)
Dracula vs King Arthur (currently near the end of a mini)
The Iron Ghost (currently near the end of a mini)
Hero Squared
The Keep (currently near the end of a mini)
Nightmares & Fairy Tales (but you have to try and track down issue #13 and start from there, though it's currently only on--I think--issue #15

[PercussionMasta]

Disclaimer: My interests are pretty broad and varied, so I don't know how helpful this will be...

TV: I'll always be an X-Files fan. I've recently started watching the Shield, which I'm liking a lot. Same with 24. I also watch Family Guy, Scrubs, That 70's Show and the Office. I'm thinking about checking out a few episodes of Lost, as it likes kind of interesting.

Movies: Far to many to list out completely. Some of my favs are Star Wars, LOTR, Braveheart, Batman Begins, Usual Suspects, Tommy Boy, Matrix, Saving Private Ryan, and The Ring.

Books: Some books (not all novels) I've enjoyed more than others are the extended Star Wars universe, anything by Tolkein, Rainbow Six, Band of Brothers, The Elegant Universe, Sphere, Dealing with Dragons, the Foundation series, and Wuthering Heights.

Overall, I like sci-fi a lot, along with thriller-type stuff, a little fantasy if it's done right, realisitic fiction (a la The Shield), etc.

Does this help?

[Totoro Man]

you don't have to like this stuff... but I'd recommend some of the following. please recognize that some of these titles are probably only "Indie" in as much as they're not Marvel or DC properties.

"Geisha" by Andi Watson. a sci-fi parable about the creative process as experienced through an android--I don't want to say too much more w/o giving away the plot. Watson has an anime influenced style. but as the story will make obvious, he's also borrowed from a lot of 20th century art styles to get where he's at today. just about any creator-owned work by Andi Watson is worth looking at. the most popular titles would be "Skeleton Key" and "Love Fights" (the former being a fantasy/buddy adventure and the latter being a superhero/romance/journalism story)

"Barefoot Gen" is a semi-autobiographical book about surviving the Hiroshima atomic blast. it was in many ways a direct predecesor to Art Spiegelman's "Maus"... a historical comic looking at the Holocaust and it's reprecussions in one family. it's also a manga, so I don't know if you'd count that here. some indie comics fans are really ethnocentric and won't broaden their horizons (a great example would be Gary Groth, who hates manga, and won't even look at it... because I guess he thinks that "comics" can only be made by people in 'the West')

I'll second "Hellboy" with the fantasy stories you've listed I don't see how you could go too far wrong with this title.

you should consider looking into the old EC comics dealing with war... they've got lots of great guys like Joe Kubert involved in them. "Aces High" is a pretty good TPB that deals with WWI fighter pilots.

"Enemy Ace: a War Idyll" has some interesting stuff in it. don't really like the art-style, but it's basically a good read. it's not "indie" because it's published by DC and uses a DC property in the for of "Hans von Hammer"... but it tackles subjects and periods of world history that DC doesn't normally bother with. so I'd qualify that it's kinda "indie".

Jack Jackson did some great historical comics about Texas and the conflicts developing in the south. his history of Texas was a great read.

[Ayo]

Disclaimer: My interests are pretty broad and varied, so I don't know how helpful this will be...

OK!

I also watch Family Guy,

You might try Peter Bagge's Buddy Does Seattle the collection of the first half of Hate. The series was like an episodic situation comedy. Emphasis on "comedy."

If you like the more extreme/"dirty" comedy, try Johnny Ryan's Angry Youth Comix. It's like a cross between the raunchiest stand up comedians and a kindergartener.

[the goddamn batman]

if you like the x-files, I might reccomend "FELL" it's a detective set in a feral city, and it's really cool so far, each issue is a stand alone story, but there will be things that tie them together as the run goes on. Plus it's only $1.99 an issue!!! perfect for trying out something new.

the reviews are great, and #1 is available online through either newsarama, or CBR, I can't remember, but google it, I'm sure you'll find it.

[dude_abides]

not to dwell on the x-files, but if your interests really do swing that way let me definitely suggest you check out "black harvest" (devil's due publishing). it's about a reporter who comes to the small town of jericho to do a story on these weird ufo lights and as soon as he gets there all kinds crazy stuff starts to go down. he ain't mulder, but if you're all about investigating paranormal activity in small desert towns in the southwest i think you'll like this.

hope that helps.

here's a link to the publisher's site:
http://www.devilsdue.net/blackharvest

and hey, let me second the recommendation for "fell." if you've got a dark and twisted sense of humor you owe it to yourself to at least check it out. hell, at 1.99 everybody should at least check it out.

[jdicen]

You might try Peter Bagge's Buddy Does Seattle the collection of the first half of Hate. The series was like an episodic situation comedy. Emphasis on "comedy."

If you like the more extreme/"dirty" comedy, try Johnny Ryan's Angry Youth Comix. It's like a cross between the raunchiest stand up comedians and a kindergartener.

i second the hate recommendation; while the art is pretty crude and underdeveloped, it's still good art in its own right, and it fits bagge's cast of characters and the sorts of scenarios they engage in.

also, check out any 'complete crumb' book, by robert crumb.

[JTLauder]

Dark Horse has all the Star Wars comics.
Stargate SG-1 by Avatar Press
Some publisher was re-collecting all the old Star Trek comics into trades if you like Star Trek.
And this may not be pure sci-fi, but Y: The Last Man from DC:Vertigo is an excellent recommend.

[azrapse]

You'd like PLANETARY...

[PercussionMasta]

Yeah, I've heard some good things about Planetary. What's it about? Who's the creator?

[spider2004]

Here's a few that I like:
DDP
G.I. Joe America's Elite- Well written stories by Joe Casey...#1 recommend
Hack/Slash
Dragonlance: Chronicles
Forgotten Realms
Purgatori
Evil Ernie
Family Guy-This'll be a 3-issue mini series written by one of the writers from family guy...This one should interest you especially if you watch the show...

Others
Red Sonja
Hunter Killer
Necromancer
Samurai: Heaven and Earth: Written by Ron Marz and art by Luke Ross...This is a mini series that had just ended, but there is a future mini in the works...

[geordiesteve]

Yeah, I've heard some good things about Planetary. What's it about? Who's the creator?

It's Warren Ellis from Wildstorm bit of DC.

What's it about is a harder question, short answer, a trio of three people with weird abilities investigate strange goings on.

Longer answer, it's sometimes a twisted parody of existing characters and stories from other comic universes, it's sometimes Ellis throwing one of his huge ideas against a wall and seeing how much of it can stick. The universe it exists in is different to our own, in huge ways but also slight, such as the Americans didn't win the space race, and there is a secret history of the world that most people don't know about but this trio investigate and try to bring to light some of these weird and wonderful mysteries. It's not digging up fossils in the desert type story and sometimes it will leave you sat there scratching your head, but it all links together into one big story. There are people with powers, but no spandex as such and the artwork by John Cassaday is excellent. If you like weird and unusual stories and mysteries, give this book a try.

[ILLUS]

Since you asked I have to recommend some of my books. Check out the RETRIBUTORS mini series at www.americanmule.com. My new series is PUBLIC ENEMY and that is a must have and it will be out in June.

Also check out THE KING by Top Shelf and the 3 GEEKS by 3 Finger Press

[PercussionMasta]

Would Planetary be easy to get into or do I need to pick up back issues?

[riftt]

each issue of planetary can be read self-contained i believe.

and as the title of this thread is indies, i must offer Stray Bullets

[geordiesteve]

Would Planetary be easy to get into or do I need to pick up back issues?

I would start with the first trade and that will tell you very quickly if you like it or not. The issues are often self contained stories that link to the bigger picture, so it makes more sense if read from the start.