Collection Assistance

[true_believer]

"THANK YOU" for taking your time to check this out and sorry for how lame this probably sounds but please stick with it, and me. :o

I have collected comics in a random and sporadic fashion for the past 4 years now, but am beginning to tire of this randomness and need too start narrowing down my collecting, so I can relate more to the comics I read and the character histories within.

My Realization!
After finishing reading the Kevin Smith written "Green Arrow - Quiver" series, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I realised that my lack of knowledge in regards to the numerous references made within comics about back-issues etc is inhibiting my full enjoyment of comic reading.

I was wondering if any "experienced collectors" could give me a wee guide to the more essential comics/novels I should read to help me build up this much-o needed knowledge I thirst. I'm keen on the DC universe characters.

I have £100 set aside for this summer quest of mine (probably going to buy off "used & new" at Amazon.co.uk to help keep the cost down:))


So please, do your best!

- Comics I currently have

Batman - Legends of the DARK KNIGHT 1-10
Batman - Year One
Batman - Dark Knight Returns
Batman - Black & White
Batman - Prey
Batman vs Predator (3 part mini-series)
Daredevil - Ninja (3 part mini-series)
Daredevil Visionaries
Daredevil Yellow
Elecktra - The Hand (5 part mini-series)
FURY (3 part mini-series) by Ennis, Robertson, PalmiottiGhost Rider, Wolverine, Punisher - Hearts of Darkness
Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Punisher - Dark Design
Green Arrow - Quiver
Green Arrow - Longbow Hunters
Spiderman & Blackcat - Evil That Men Do
Spiderman Doctor Octopus - Year One (5 part mini-series)The Path - Crisis of Faith

[rerun]

I would add Identity Crisis and proceed from there. That's a story with a good role for both Batman and Green Arrow. You can hit Infinite Crisis- I think you should be able to follow along ok, and that would set you up with what's happening in the DCU right now.

Crisis on Infinite Earths would be too crazy for you right now- there's a lot going on, but as you get more of a footing in the DCU, you can go back and read this and you'll enjoy it more.

Batman's had so many stories in recent history. Hush was pretty good, along with the current runs on Detective Comics and the more recent "Batman" issues.

But I think Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis would be the best places to start.

[dupersuper]

More Legends of the Dark Knight, Legends of the DCU, Secret Origins, Who's Who, Batman:The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, JLA: Year 1, Flash Year1, Year 1 annuals, year1 mini-series coming out in the next few months (Green Arrow, Metamorpho, etc.), Green Arrow: Archers Quest, Crisis, Crisis x-over index, Man Of Steel, Birthright, Superman: For all Seasons, Martian Manhunter: Revelations, any Showcase Presents, Archive, Best of type collections of charactors you like, Death/Return of Superman, History of the DCU, Sandman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Grant Morrison JLA, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Watchmen, New Frontier, Red Son, JLA: The Nail, Secret Identity, Kingdom Come.......

[barking_frog]

It kinda depends on if you're looking for classic STORIES or important EVENTS -- the two don't always overlap. DKR and Watchmen, for instance, are often at the top of people's must-read lists, but neither one will do you a bit of good if you want to get the interconnectedness of the major comics universes. On the other hand a lot of 'universe-shaping' stories aren't actually a very good read. ^.^

Having said that, you might wanna check out amazon.com -- people compile 'best of' lists there all the time. Just query a book you already know is the kind of thing you're looking for, and you should be presented with a host of user-compiled 'must read comics' lists.

[Ullar]

do what im doing and start w/ Infinite Crisis then 52, then the one year later stuff. amazon has the tpb. also anything by jeph loeb and tim sale. use crisis2crisis.com to find out what books u need for crisis.

[true_believer]

Can I have your views...
is this worth it, I'm trying to learn more about the DC universe and looking at a bulk buy of the following comics to lead me up to and including Identity Crisis;

Can you think any I've missed out... or unnecessary ones in there? :rolleyes:

1) Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups - Volume 1
2) Crisis on Infinite Earths
3) History of the DC Universe
4) Justice League: A New Beginning
5) Death of Superman
6) Return of Superman
7) Green Lantern - New Dawn & Emerald Twilight
8) Zero Hour - Crisis Earth
9) The Kingdom
10) Kingdom Come
11) Superman - Emperor Joker
12) Batman Hush vol.1
13) Batman Hush vol.2
14) Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
15) Superman/Batman: Supergirl
16) Superman/Batman: Absolute Power
17) Superman/Batman: Vengeance (Hardcover)
18) Identity Crisis

[NMoline]

Can I have your views...
is this worth it, I'm trying to learn more about the DC universe and looking at a bulk buy of the following comics to lead me up to and including Identity Crisis;

Can you think any I've missed out... or unnecessary ones in there? :rolleyes:

1) Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups - Volume 1
2) Crisis on Infinite Earths
3) History of the DC Universe
4) Justice League: A New Beginning
5) Death of Superman
6) Return of Superman
7) Green Lantern - New Dawn & Emerald Twilight
8) Zero Hour - Crisis Earth
9) The Kingdom
10) Kingdom Come
11) Superman - Emperor Joker
12) Batman Hush vol.1
13) Batman Hush vol.2
14) Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
15) Superman/Batman: Supergirl
16) Superman/Batman: Absolute Power
17) Superman/Batman: Vengeance (Hardcover)
18) Identity Crisis

If you hav ethe money it is well worth it. I don't think you NEED the Superman/Batman titles. However if you think you will enjoy all that go ahead just know it will set you back quite a bit. Enjoy you will be reading for years. Haha

By the way I hope my Avatar doesn't spoil the Death of Superman for you.

[true_believer]

Ok, well my conclusion on this has been made.
I'm buying near 30 odd graphic novels going by that crisis2crisis website mentioned above.
I'm really keen to get into the DC universe and I guess that is best way.
Only I'm struggling with Green Arrow - Emerald Twilight, can't find it on AMAZON.co.uk...
is it a rare book, or does it have a different name or what? :confused:

The following books I'm getting, anyone have any opinions. Any unnecessary or crap books in there?

1)Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups - Volume 1
2)Crisis on Infinite Earths
3)History of the DC Universe
4)Justice League: A New Beginning
5)Death of Superman
6)Return of Superman
7)Green Lantern - New Dawn & Emerald Twilight
8)Zero Hour - Crisis Earth
9)The Kingdom
10)Kingdom Come
11)Superman - Emperor Joker
12)Batman Hush vol.1
13)Batman Hush vol.2
14)Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
15)Superman/Batman: Supergirl
16)Superman/Batman: Absolute Power
17)Superman/Batman: Vengeance (Hardcover)
18)Identity Crisis
19)Flash - Secret of Barry Allen
20)Superman: Unconventional Warfare
21)Superman: That Healing Touch
22)Green Lantern - Rebirth
23)Countdown to Infinite Crisis: The OMAC Project
24)Superman: Sacrifice
25)Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 1
26)Countdown to Infinite Crisis: Villains United
27)Superman: Ruin Revealed
28)Countdown to Infinite Crisis: Day of Vengeance
29)JSA: Black Vengeance
30)Adam Strange: Planet Heist
31)Countdown to Infinite Crisis
32)Teen Titans/Outsiders: The Insiders
33)Prelude to Infinite Crisis
34)JLA: Crisis of Conscience
35)Infinite Crisis by Geoff Johns (Hardcover)
36)The Infinite Crisis Companion

[dancj]

FYI - you're probably best off reading Kingdom Come before The Kingdom (if you choose to read The Kingdom at all - it's whole reason for existing was pretty much thrown out before IC anyway)

[Rattlehead]

Just skip The Kingdom altogether. It's nowhere near the quality of Kingdom Come, it doesn't have Alex Ross, and it's been ret-conned away.

Superman/Batman: Vengeance is right around the time that the series jumped the shark. It's quality went way down after Jeph Loeb left the book.

Batman: Under the Hood Vol. 1- it's merely decent, but Judd Winick's superhero stuff is pretty polarizing. You'll ever love it or hate every word of it. He likes one-liners a lot.

[dancj]

It's quality went way down after Jeph Loeb left the book.
Which is one hell of a trick!

[rerun]

I would actually skip the Superman/Batman series- with the One Year Later jumps it basically established that its not in continuity with the rest of the DCU. And it really went down in quality after the first arc, but that could just be me speaking as I collect the individual issues and it had major delays. The series has basically gone nowhere- I just dropped it after hoping it would pick up.

I would instead add the Teen Titan books as these stories had ramifications on the current DCU.

Also, add Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day. Pretty cheap and it shows the Donna Troy's story's beginning.