new to DC...

[tavo805]

Hello everyone. I'm a little new. Looking for some books to read, I mean comics. So I just got done reading Batman Year One and Crisis on Infinite Earths. So now I'm looking to where to go next... and mainly I'm into the paperback comics that have a whole series if you know what I mean, the graphic novels I guess. So where should I go from batman, also I love the Flash! I dont know where to start with him though... lmk thanks!!

[mofo]

All-Star Superman!
its not in-continuity, but its brilliant!
all 12 issues are out, but only the first 6 issues have been collected so far (in hardcover and softcover)
the last 6 issues will see a trade release in february

[HaroldAllnut]

Hello and welcome to CBR, tavo805.

In terms of where to begin, I'd recommend some of the following trades, since you seem to be a bigger fan of the trades than individual issues:

Infinite Crisis -- This has essentially defined the status quo of the DC Universe, and features a good deal of the characters from COIE. It's more or less an essential (and not to mention fun) read for big-time DC fans.

Batman: Face the Face -- This was the first Batman trade after Infinite Crisis, and sort of set-up Batman's status quo (at least until Grant Morrison showed up, but I'll be getting to that). It's a fun mystery story.

Batman & Son, Batman: The Black Glove, Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, Batman R.I.P.: These are all the most recent Batman-related trades, and probably best sum up the direction that the character will be going in during the coming years. (The last one, Batman R.I.P., comes out in January 2009.)

The Flash: Wonderland, The Flash: Blood Will Run, The Flash: The Rogues, The Flash: Crossfire, The Flash: Blitz, The Flash: Ignition, The Flash: The Secret of Barry Allen, The Flash: Rogue War: This is the entirety of Geoff Johns' run on The Flash in trades, and 90% of comic fans would say that this is probably the most iconic run on the character.

Batman: The Killing Joke, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth: If you like your Joker nice and creepy, get these.

Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat, Batman: Knightfall, Part Two: Who Rules the Night, Batman: Knightfall, Part Three: KnightsEnd: This is the run that got me into comics in the first place, and is still my favorite collection of Batman stories ever.

If I may recommend a non-Batman, non-Flash character, I'd heartily recommend that you check out the following trades collecting Jonah Hex, a grim-n-gritty, incredibly well-written and well-illustrated Western series: Face Full of Violence, Guns of Vengeance, Origins, Only the Good Die Young, and Luck Runs Out.

[tavo805]

Harold - Thanks alot for the suggestions! Any particular order on the Batmans and the Flash?? I got a little confused though ha... so let me know and I'll be definitaly be buying some tonight on amazon.

mofo - Thanks but Superman aint really my guy, I dont really like him, but whats the Allstar Superman about?

[mata-leao]

still new to DC myself.

if you like Batman, "The Killing Joke" and "The Dark Knight Returns" were excellent reads.

if you'd like to check out a good team book, the Justice Society stuff is good. Justice Society of America: "The Next Age" is out on paperback, give it a shot.

there's also "Identity Crisis" which imo is worth reading.

oh, and i almost forgot. 52!!!! this was a weekly comic which is now all out in paperback (4 volumes). it's basically the DCU w/ out the big three...Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

basically, the more obscure DC characters get to shine in this one. it's very addicting, i couldn't stop reading it haha...plus it features my current favorite in the DCU, The Question (Vic Sage).

[mofo]

Harold - Thanks alot for the suggestions! Any particular order on the Batmans and the Flash?? I got a little confused though ha... so let me know and I'll be definitaly be buying some tonight on amazon.

mofo - Thanks but Superman aint really my guy, I dont really like him, but whats the Allstar Superman about?

im a mega-Batman fan myself! but all-star superman is the comic that made me realize how cool superman is
well....only when Grant Morrison is writing that is...
anywho, i think its one of the best stories i've ever read, regardless of the cast of characters and setting

oh and you might also want to check out the Batman: Black & White volumes ( i think there are 3 of them so far)
the 1st volume rocked....the other 2 were good reads
and Harold mentioned Arkham Asylum: Serious House On A Serious Earth
BUY IT IMMEDIATELY
good call harold

and mata-leao, above me, mentioned Identity Crisis
the only time i've felt like crying when reading a story

[2-4-5_Trioxin]

Harold - Thanks alot for the suggestions! Any particular order on the Batmans and the Flash?? I got a little confused though ha... so let me know and I'll be definitaly be buying some tonight on amazon.

mofo - Thanks but Superman aint really my guy, I dont really like him, but whats the Allstar Superman about?

Well allstar superman is kind of like its own superman story that doesnt involve anything current going on. Grant morrison just wrote his own little superman tale thats totally self contained. It was really good but not being a superman fan myself I didnt dig alot, although it was done really well.



If you liked infinite earths then this is a pre-cursor to it and the original crisis material. This is a important book and sets the stage for years to come.
http://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Infinite-Earths-Marv-Wolfman/dp/1563897504/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229523610&sr=8-1



Identity crisis was also a solid read. While it didnt have big changes like infinite earths it was really good to me and it does help explain why somethings went on in infinite crisis.
http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Crisis-Comics-Brad-Meltzer/dp/1401204589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229524027&sr=1-1



Green lantern has been most excellent lately especially with the sinestro corp wars which was just huge and done really well and sets the stage for the upcoming blackest night story for GL. If you liked how superboy prime turned out in infinite earths youll love this.

Part 1 http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Sinestro-Corps-Vol/dp/1401216501/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229523699&sr=1-2

Part 2 http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Sinestro-Corps-Vol/dp/1401218008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229523699&sr=1-1



52 was good. It was one comic a week storyline over a year that told the story of what went on after ininfite crisis when the big three werent around (batman, superman and wonder woman) when at the end of IC they left for awhile. If your new to DC this will really give you a broad view of all the not really big name heroes. It has a good story.

Part 1 http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-1-Geoff-Johns/dp/1401213537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229524141&sr=1-1

Part 2 http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-2-Geoff-Johns/dp/1401213642/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229524141&sr=1-2

Part 3 http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-3-Geoff-Johns/dp/1401214436/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229524141&sr=1-3

Part 4 http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-4-Geoff-Johns/dp/140121486X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229524141&sr=1-4



Batman the dark knight returns. This isnt a newer story but it was the start of the batman we have these days. Its a really solid tale that has batman paranoid and brooding at his best. Some may not like the art but it adds to the books charm and tone.
http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Returns-Frank-Miller/dp/1563893428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229523848&sr=1-1

[Herr Mike]

Do you want to read good comics, or get caught up in the DC Universe?

I found Infinite Crisis to be terrible, and more or less the template of everything that's come out of DC since then. But it's what DC is all about, so if that's what you want to get into then yes it's "essential" reading.

Identity Crisis, on the other hand, I would highly recommend.

On Batman

I've tried off and on for years to get into "continuity" Batman but I think it's a lost cause. I dropped Batman right before RIP. Seek out the JH Williams 3 parter, the rest is forgettable. I can't say whether "RIP" is any good, I just know the artwork looks terrible. Dini had a handful of decent issues of Detective.

Lapham's "City of Crime" running in Detective was good. Steve Nile's "Gotham County Line" was interesting as well. Going way back, "Dark Knight Returns" is of course a classic. "No Man's Land" is pretty good. "Knightfall" was okay at first, but I'd just as soon forget about the Azrael parts.

Superman

All Star Superman is a great self-contained story by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank teamed up for a couple solid arcs on Action, but I bailed before the "New Krypton" crossover wankery.

In the classics department, "Secret Identity" is about the best thing Busiek has done. "Red Son" by Mark Millar is great, one of my favorites. "Death" and "Return" are fun in that 90's kind of way, with solid writing and art.

I'd stay away from the Azzarello/Jim Lee story, whatever that was called. True crap.

Superman/Batman has never been what I'd call good so you can skip that.

Rest of DC

Don't get "Justice", ugh.

"Kingdom Come" = a true classic.

Justice League hasn't been good in a decade. Check out the Morrison and Waid years.

JSA people seem to like, not for me though

Green Lantern likewise. If you aren't into space battles and talking about willpower, I'd pass.

Not sure if Flash is still published. Waid had a good run back in the day.

Buy the Starman hardcovers.

[Kelson]

Harold - Thanks alot for the suggestions! Any particular order on the Batmans and the Flash?? I got a little confused though ha... so let me know and I'll be definitaly be buying some tonight on amazon.

This should help you with the Flash reading order. Scroll down to the "Books" section: http://www.hyperborea.org/flash/books.html

"Born to Run" through "Race Against Time" are basically the highlights of Mark Waid's excellent run through the 1990s. "Wonderland" through "Rogue War," as pointed out, cover the entirety of Geoff Johns' also-fantastic run during the early 2000s.

You've actually come in at an interesting time for the Flash. The series is being relaunched next year with a miniseries called "Flash: Rebirth" by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, which will spin into a new monthly series. The last issue of the current series comes out next week.

[Ilash]

The Flash: Wonderland, The Flash: Blood Will Run, The Flash: The Rogues, The Flash: Crossfire, The Flash: Blitz, The Flash: Ignition, The Flash: The Secret of Barry Allen, The Flash: Rogue War: This is the entirety of Geoff Johns' run on The Flash in trades, and 90% of comic fans would say that this is probably the most iconic run on the character.


Well, not really. It's great, yes but you really also (first) need to pick up Mark Waid's stuff first. The Return of Barry Allen and Born to Run especially.

[Karl O'Neill]

Geoff Johns Flash run is incredible.

Can't recommend it enough.

Blitz is the best.

[Ilash]

I generally agree with much of what has been said but I don't recommend Identity Crisis or Infine Crisis. For a start, my favourite picks would probably be:

JLA: Year One,
Waid's and Johns' Flash
Johns' Green Lantern
Morrison's and Waid's JLA
All Star Superman
Kingdom Come
Superman: Secret Identity
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
New Frontier
Starman

[tavo805]

Thanks for the input. I picked up Watchmen, Infinite Crisis, and Jonah Hex FfoV... I will definitely pick up the Flash runs that you guys recommended. On the JLA what series should i get??