DC titles for new DC readers

[comiccurious3]

Hello, this is my first post. This past Christmas I received "Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War" Volumes 1 and 2. I did not normally read DC title, ( even though I loved the Justice League animated series) and was surprised by how accessible and enjoyable it was. I have since tried reading other DC comics (Kingdom Come, Batman: Year One, Teen Titans). However, I wasn't a big fan of Teen Titans and only read the book because it featured Robin. My most recent book, and only DC floppy, was "Batman: Battle for the Cowl." It wasn't that bad. With the big relaunch of the Batman franchise this June, I thought I'd try some new books. What the CBR DC forums recommend.

[Karl O'Neill]

Battle for the cowl #1 but it might be sold out now!

Secret six

REBELS

Green lantern and Green lantern corps

Action comics

JSA

[Name Already Taken]

Pick up the following series/trades by Geoff Johns if you can:

JSA: first few trades (large cast but accessible)

Green Lantern: Rebirth/Recharge (good intro to green lantern as a whole)

Action: Start with the latest brainiac arc

Others:

Batman: (older stuff) Year One, Dark Knight Returns (Frank Miller), The Long Halloween/Dark Victory (Jeff Loeb)

Batman (newer stuff): Hush (Loeb/ Jim Lee), Heart of Hush (Paul Dini)

and lastly, All Star Superman (Grant Morrison/Frank Quitely), timeless Supes story outside of usual continuity

/That should be a good list to pick and choose from to get you started.

[Name Already Taken]

Forgot to mention the last 7 issues of Secret Six by Gail Simone. Not available in trade pb yet though.

[thebhamgunslinger]

GL/GLC

Jonah Hex

[trsman2785]

I'd recommend whatever Geoff Johns is writing, and the Batman reboot is definitely tempting too since it will feature a good writer/artist team up.

All Star Superman finished a little while ago and was amazing. I second this choice.

But as far as ongoing titles I feel like there is much better stuff out there than what DC is putting out. Some of the current books I am enjoying are:

Fables and 100 Bullets - both vertigo, so they are semi DC and both are very good. However, they both have around 100 issues and I think it would be be hard jumping in.

Incognito - Good book so far. Just started. 2 issues.
No Hero - Really good so far. 4 issues.
The Sword - Cool story. 15 issues so far.
The Walking Dead - Awesome Zombie Book. 59 issues.
Invincible - Great superhero comic. Fantastic. 59 issues.

[JumpingJupiter]

Flash: Rebirth starts next month.

[kaelikins]

The Green Lantern titles are two of the strongest books DC's putting out today, along with Secret Six, Justice Society of America, and Wonder Woman (I'll probably get some opposition here, but I'm loving Gail's run).

And yeah, it's probably good to keep up with Battle for the Cowl if you're interested in Batman.

Interesting things going on in Action Comics too, this month's issue is the beginning of the Nightwing & Flamebird arc. I was hesitant to read Action without Superman, but this issue was surprisingly good, and Greg Rucka seldom disappoints.

[Name Already Taken]

Really?

http://photosnag.com/img/3302/n09x0302vnsn/clear.gif

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=25815
Also wedged in there is part of Rucka's Batwoman preview.

Looks good. Should serve as a good intro to the Flash like John's first Rebirth for Green Lantern.

[mofo]

man...asking people for help on reading comic books is like asking ants to help eat a picnic lunch... (im sorry, i dont get that analogy either)

point is...youll get a shit loads of advice and you wont know what to do with all the info

your best bet:
1) walk into a comic book store
2) pick up any random trade
3) flip through it
4) if its interesting move on to step 5, if not repeat step 2
5) buy it
6) read it
7) if you like it, start buying more trades and any monthlies (with advice on characters and writers and artists from wikipedia)

taDAAAAAAAAAA

[Captain Comet]

You should go to the library and see what they have there. It's a lot cheaper than risking buying something you may not like.

[ScottyQuick]

There are plenty of different things to try!

Detective Comics is starting up in June. It's starring the new character Batwoman, Kate Kane, who has been operating in Gotham for a while but hasn't really been seen. It'll have the prettiest art you'll ever see and great writing.

Wonder Woman started a new arc with #26, it has some awesome writing and stellar art. Diana has a new enemy, one called Genocide who was formed by one of her oldest enemies, the Cheetah. It's really neat.

Secret Six is 7 issues in, and it's my favorite monthly right now. It stars Thomas Blake, a Z-Lister who's made some friends in the Chaotic Evil arena, Scandal Savage, the team's leader and the only one reasonably sane, Ragdoll, who is the best thing ever, and Deadshot, who shoots people until they're dead =) . It has some of the best art in a comic with incredibly fluid action and great expressions coupled with hilarious writing. You'll want to start from #1, or you can jump on with #8, coming out next month.

Now, if you want TPB recommendations, this list will expend SEVERELY.

[Tabernac]

Y The Last Man and Echo are other good books to pick up that haven't been suggested yet.

[jaybeecc]

R.E.B.E.L.S. you can still catch - it's only at issue #2

[ScottyQuick]

Tabernac, that's because we're talking about DC comics.

[gunnerfan69]

I enjoyed 52 it doesn't feature the usual cast but it had a nice story and I felt a good ending.

[Patrion]

Ok, I'm probably just gonna repeat what alot of others have said, but the books are so good, they could use another mention!

1) The Outsiders: While this book ,and team, has gone through more than a few changes over the last couple of years, this latest status quo is new and intriguing with alot of promise! Not to mention a great artist!

2) R.E.B.E.L.S.: This book is just on issue 2, so it'd be easy to catch up and well worth it! If you like sci-fi/space adventures at all, you'll love this book! But if you don't, you'lll still find it hard NOT to fall for the lovably hateful lead character, Vril Dox. Think House, but green and equally sexy! LoL! Hahahah, I'm only half joking.... Lastly, the artist, Andy Clarke, will blow your mind, seriously!

3) Justice Society of America: This is the best team book around, hands down. It's just as heavy on character development as it is on action while juggling 20-someodd characters.

4) And just like the others have said, Green Lanntern and Green Lantern Corps are top-tier books, and building towards what should be THE best DC crossover ever! Art is excellent here as well!

5) Lastly, if you just want some really great arcs to read, I'd suggest The Lightning Saga which ran through JSA and JLA, The Legion of Super-Heroes arc from Action Comics, and Final Crisis: The Legion of 3 Worlds mini/tie-in (which is actually on issue 3 of 5) so you might want to wait for the TPB if you can't find the single issues. Batman: Gotham Underground is also a kickbutt TPB that I just picked up and I'm loving!

[RunningWithJuanPablo]

I didn't want to create a new thread that copied this one, so here it goes. I'm basically new to comics as well. I plan to eventually get the Batman RIP complete series to read, but for now, will I be fine with all of the new Batman stuff coming out having not read RIP? Or is RIP a MUST READ? I'm a big Batman fan, I've got a few Batman titles from 08 of last year, but due to never having time to read, I simply quit buying.

Also, has Final Crisis finished up? Do I need to read it? I just don't know what to pick to read because of the amount of titles available. Any suggestions would be awesome. I'm also looking get about 5 monthly DC titles along with all of the short run titles that seem good. Ideas?

If IGN had not put up a video talking about the new direction of Batman, I don't think my interest would be where it's at right now, but I've always liked comics, so I mine as well just jump in.

EDIT: Also, I should say, I've not been the biggest fan of DC team comics. I'm more of an X guy, but I really don't know how those books are these days either. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

[Patrion]

I didn't want to create a new thread that copied this one, so here it goes. I'm basically new to comics as well. I plan to eventually get the Batman RIP complete series to read, but for now, will I be fine with all of the new Batman stuff coming out having not read RIP? Or is RIP a MUST READ? I'm a big Batman fan, I've got a few Batman titles from 08 of last year, but due to never having time to read, I simply quit buying.

Also, has Final Crisis finished up? Do I need to read it? I just don't know what to pick to read because of the amount of titles available. Any suggestions would be awesome. I'm also looking get about 5 monthly DC titles along with all of the short run titles that seem good. Ideas?

If IGN had not put up a video talking about the new direction of Batman, I don't think my interest would be where it's at right now, but I've always liked comics, so I mine as well just jump in.

EDIT: Also, I should say, I've not been the biggest fan of DC team comics. I'm more of an X guy, but I really don't know how those books are these days either. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Okay, where to start!

Batman R.I.P., from reviews that I've read, is an ok story. As far as it's essentialness to understanding the new direction, I'd say that it isn't absolutely imparitive to read before anything else. I didn't and I'm following The Outsiders and Batman: Battle for the Cowl just fine. Besides, I think the Arc's title says it all, well, sorta.

Which brings us to Final Crisis. It has ended and Batman actually died in issue 6. In my opinion, it started slow, but finished strong! Also, Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds is still ongoing, and pretty good itself.

As for monthly suggestions, I'd strongly suggest R.E.B.E.L.S. by Tony Bedard and (art) Andy Clarke. It's only two issues in and for someone that wasn't familiar with the characters and history (ME), it's been very accessible! And will probably make you want to learn more about the characters as it did me.

Green Lantern (by Geoff Johns and art by Various) and Green Lantern Corp (by Peter J. Tomasi and art by Patrick Gleason) are also extremely great reads! The way that they're both working towards the Blackest Night storyline from different angles is very exciting.

The Outsiders (by Peter J. Tomasi and art by Lee Garbett) is just one issue into the new direction of team, which is a mission assigned to Alfred by the late Bruce. It's very much a "Batman" style book, but with the old guard acting in the Caped Crusader's stead! Also, the book is worth the Alfred scenes alone! He's Hard. Core. At the very most, a trip to wikipedia to learn some background on the team would help you to have a better understanding.

I hope I was helpful, LoL, and sorry for writing a dang novel!

[trsman2785]

I second the legion of three worlds. It's good so far. JSA might be up your alley if you like X-Men. It has incorporated a lot of different heroes some older some younger to help teach how to be responsible superheroes. Good story arcs by Geoff Johns. My other recommendations are on Post #6.

As for Batman RIP, I didn't care for it and I don't think it is necessary for the reboot.

And... Final Crisis is horrible and confusing. Probably my least favorite work by one of my favorite writers. Skip it. Ignore it.

[mplscyclone]

Could someone share the batman reboot info? I'm wondering what this is all about and when it's supposed to come out.

[trsman2785]

Could someone share the batman reboot info? I'm wondering what this is all about and when it's supposed to come out.

I'm not hip to all the details but there are lots of posts about it and previews on the CBR Batman forum.

I'm most excited for the Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly team that is set to do (I think 12 issues) of Batman and Robin.

[mplscyclone]

I'm not hip to all the details but there are lots of posts about it and previews on the CBR Batman forum.

I'm most excited for the Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly team that is set to do (I think 12 issues) of Batman and Robin.

What is it going to be called?

[trsman2785]

Uh...Batman and Robin will be called Batman and Robin.

All the details/previews/etc. of the up and coming Batman titles are on the CBR Batman forum.

[NickFury90]

Ok, I'm probably just gonna repeat what alot of others have said, but the books are so good, they could use another mention!

1) The Outsiders: While this book ,and team, has gone through more than a few changes over the last couple of years, this latest status quo is new and intriguing with alot of promise! Not to mention a great artist!

2) R.E.B.E.L.S.: This book is just on issue 2, so it'd be easy to catch up and well worth it! If you like sci-fi/space adventures at all, you'll love this book! But if you don't, you'lll still find it hard NOT to fall for the lovably hateful lead character, Vril Dox. Think House, but green and equally sexy! LoL! Hahahah, I'm only half joking.... Lastly, the artist, Andy Clarke, will blow your mind, seriously!

3) Justice Society of America: This is the best team book around, hands down. It's just as heavy on character development as it is on action while juggling 20-someodd characters.

4) And just like the others have said, Green Lanntern and Green Lantern Corps are top-tier books, and building towards what should be THE best DC crossover ever! Art is excellent here as well!

5) Lastly, if you just want some really great arcs to read, I'd suggest The Lightning Saga which ran through JSA and JLA, The Legion of Super-Heroes arc from Action Comics, and Final Crisis: The Legion of 3 Worlds mini/tie-in (which is actually on issue 3 of 5) so you might want to wait for the TPB if you can't find the single issues. Batman: Gotham Underground is also a kickbutt TPB that I just picked up and I'm loving!

Thanks for all this, I look forward to jumpiong on board the DC train

[Patrion]

Thanks for all this, I look forward to jumpiong on board the DC train

You're very welcome! I'm glad my Epic-Nerdiness was helpful to you! I hope you really like my suggestions!

[Son of Sheena]

The Library System: If my local library doesn't have something then they will search the country to find it. Believe me, most trades are send to some library somewhere because there's a geek...I mean comic book fan in every state.

Then what I have done is each day for 5min: Check Wikipedia and pick a topic like say, The Wonder Twins and it may lead you to the Super Friends and then you might click on Black Vulcan with leads to Black Lighting then maybe you'll look up other Black super heros (in DC) like Vixen or (in Marvel) Black Panther and Luke Cage. Cage might lead you to the Avengers and then to their origin which involves Stan Lee which you then can click on other creators like Bob Kane. From Bob Kane you'll learn that Zorro was an influence on Batman and that an Irish guy wrote a book that inspired Zorro. Zorro talks about Robin Hood which will lead you back to DC with the likes of Green Arrow who loves Black Canary who was a member of Birds of Prey lead by Oracle who is Barbara Gordan the 2nd Batgirl which was a spin off of Batman.

I'd say get a Batman book but he was Bruce Wayne and he's "dead" so you might have to buy the 2004 Batman Handbook by DK Publ. and read that whole book. Then go back to Wikipedia and look Bruce Wayne to learn his current status. This will lead you to a Trade called Batman R.I.P. (optional), the new line of Bat titles coming out this month "Battle for the Cowl" and then in June 2009 will be like 7 new Bat Books. From there you (assuming you are currently sporting a empty pullbox) you put all the Bat Titles that intrest you or pick up each 1st issue and continue until you don't like one or more. If you are a Lesbian...get Dectective Comics feat. Batwoman (she likes chicks and so do I).

OR just go out buy at discounted prices the whole Wonder Woman collection from One Year Later (see wikipedia.org) to now.

Don't waste your time on Superman comics. Go online, get Netflix and order all 7 seasons of Smallville, enjoy!!

If you want a comic that's Big 3 lite, then get Justice Society of America and you're GOLDEN!!!

The rest of DC is just silly and time wasting.

Save yourself time on Flash and Green Lantern and read their wikipedia entries.

Really, that's all DC has.

There is Fables (get the whole collection at the library) and Madame Xanidu* (spelling error) she's great.

That's it.

Oh! Green Arrow, anything that DOES NOT have Judd Winick on it and you're fine.

Recap:

Wonder Woman
Green Arrow
Justice Society of America
Fables
and then pick a Bat book or more.