I’m on a ”B.P.R.D” kick lately. You know, the Hellboy posse. Mignola is always awesome.
Also, ”Unknown Soldier” and ”Hellblazer”.

@George:

I am a monster Hellboy fan, and yet, I’ve read… little to no BRPD, I think.

I should rectify that, I guess?

I used to read king hell out of Hellblazer, but I haven’t picked up a Hellblazer book in… eesh, at least five years. How is Hellblazer these days?

– c.

I recently been enjoying “The Boys” but Garth Ennis (of “Preacher” fame). Superheroes, Corporate Evil, and the expected Ennis violence/comic trope expertise. Good stuff, if that’s the kind of stuff you like.

@Doyce:

Didn’t even know what Ennis was up to (as I said — been awhile, sadly). I was a big ol’ Preacher fan. Some of his stuff outside Preacher failed to capture that magic, but if you say this is on the level, sweet. Is it collected as yet?

– c.

I used to be a tremendous comics whore. I guess I’m just a whore now, but there are a few things I think you would truly like if you haven’t already gotten to them.

Transmetropolitan. Pure unadulterated gold. Sledgehammer social and political commentary coated in a thick layer of two-headed cats, bowel-disruptors, and water-walking shoes by “Air Jesus”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmetropolitan

Hellblazer. There’s a few slow points, but for the most part Vertigo did a great job of finding writers capable of examining different facets of the same character without completely altering him into something else entirely. Strongly recommend the first 85 issues or so. Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis are the scripters here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellblazer

Starman. I normally reserve capes and masks for those personal moments when it’s just me and yesterday’s chalupa, but the 80 issue run by James Robinson is far and away the best treatment of the reluctant hero I have seen in many a moon. Almost all of them are available in collections. For some reason they skipped 3-4 of the issues, but they are mostly one-offs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starman_(Jack_Knight)

Planetary. More Warren Ellis goodness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_(comics)

Give those a go if you haven’t already. There are a few more, but the old brainmeat is feeling rather marbled this morning.

@Paul:

Apologies — I should’ve noted some of the stuff I’ve read and liked.

I think I’m good on all of these.

In fact, Starman is my favoritest comic ever.

Hell, not just my favoritest comic ever, but if I had to give you a top ten of my favorite stories of all time, Starman’s entire series might come in somewhere on that top ten list.

So, I’m looking for stuff within the last… mm, five or ten years, I guess.

– c.

I actually like B.P.R.D more than Hellboy. More low key, more occult-y stuff, less fistfights. Depends on who the writer is of course, but I really liked Garden of Souls.

Hellblazer is hit and miss these days. ”Scab” was utter shit and so was the Ian Rankin penned ”novel” or whatever the hell that crap was.

There’s also Trasmetropolitan, which is excellent.

Newer stuff:
Locke and Key, written by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill.
American Vampire, some writing by Stephen King.

Ben Templesmith stuff:
Welcome to Hoxford (serial killers and werewolves)
Choker
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse (3 of them, all great)

Then there’s also Criminal Macabre (monster detective).

@Chuck:

No sweatski. I figured that was likely what you were after, but opted to toss those out just in case.

I have to second George’s take on the novel. In fact, there are a few of those running around. They are all pretty much to be avoided. It’s not like they portrayed him as stoned jackass with no charisma living in LA and wielding a Holy Shotgun, but the novels are not at all what they could have been.

“XIII” by Van Hamme and Vance. Imagine all your favourite 70’s action movies done right by Frenchmen. And if you’d like some urban fantasy/wyrd stuff, check out Andreas’ “Rork”.

Oh, and there is nothing bad about “Suprman: Red Son”.

I have a feeling that everything I name has already been devoured cover to cover. But:

“From Hell” give quite a bit more food for thought than the movie did. Plus, if you like big, meaty books, this one should keep you satisfied for a long, long time. It’s huge, in size and depth. I won’t suggest Alan Moore’s other big ventures since I figure everyone’s read them by now.

Consider the Batman graphic novels that Moore and Miller have done. I’m particularly fond of “The Dark Knight Returns” (Miller). There’s something infinitely engaging about an aging Batman coming out of retirement. “The Killing Joke” (Moore) is a close second, and is really required reading to understand the modern Batman.

Speaking of Frank Miller, the various “Sin City” novels (all of which are nice and mostly self contained stories) come highly recommended by my husband. The ones included in the movie a better in print form, but my personal favorite is “A Dame to Kill For”.

“Marvel Zombies” is an interesting look at superheroes as zombies. It couldn’t hold my attention past issue 2 (they were too divergent from the zombie norm for me) but it could work for you.

Lastly, 100 Bullets (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Bullets). You can read the first part of the series out of orders, but be aware that later books tie all the individual crime and revenge tales together. It’s one of my favorite pieces of modern pulp.

Also, I have to third Hellblazer.

Berserker and The Darkness from Top Cow Productions

Revere: Revolution in Silver from Archaia Entertainment

Ex Occultus from Saint James Comics

Kate:

All good suggestions — outside Marvel Zombies, though, I’ve read everything else. Well, not entirely true — I’ve read a lot of 100 Bullets, but not till the end. Should rectify that, perhaps…

Thanks!

– c.

@George:

American Vampire and Locke & Key — both collected now?

Because those sound right up my alley.

– c.

@DawnofMinstrel:

Duly noted! Thankee, sai.

– c.

Thanks, @Matt!

Are those available in physical collection as well as digital? (Well, I’m pretty sure the Top Cow stuff is.)

– c.

I used to be so into comics. After Age of Apocalypse, I just kind of fell out of them though. The last one I read was a reprint of “Batman: Arkahm Asylum” that is pretty damn groovy. The only real recomendation I can make is a little old, and I am fairly sure you’ve already mentioned reading “Preacher” at some point. “Rising Stars” by J. Michael Stracazynski (yeah! That guy!) is freaking amazing, and I loved every second of reading them.

Sheesh. Don’t mess around with these guys. Go check out ***Dave’s site and look for comic book reviews. Or “Blogathon.”

http://hill-kleerup.org/blog/

He should be a national resource, that guy.

There was a vote for Ellis’ Planetary, and I am physically incapable of disagreeing. One of the most fun, interesting comics I’ve had the pleasure of shoving my nose in. Despite having a regular cast, the first few issues have an almost Ray Bradbury short-story-collection appeal. It’s all part of a clever metaplot, but it’s a very refreshing path getting there.

On the same note, Warren Ellis’ free web-series Freak Angels is a wily romp. http://www.freakangels.com/

Fables is great, too. Impossible to get enough of it, and it does some interesting things with conflict resolution. It’s about, essentially, refugee storybook characters, driven from their homelands by a terrible force. They live in New York, making a home for themselves.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa is another brilliant comic. It’s specifically not ripe with your typical manga norms, just a great tale of man-versus-nature before that kind of thing was very popular.

@Jeremy:

Planetary has been digested in my brain belly. It was delicious.

Fables: I tried reading the first one or two trades a while back, and didn’t much like it? Maybe was my mind-set at the time, or maybe it’s gotten better. Thoughts?

– c.

Fables starts with snail speed, only picking up toward the end of Animal Farm, the second trade. If you’re willing to try again, the 3rd (Storybook Love) is excellent, and it only gets better as it proceeds.

Diggit, Jeremy. Thanks! I might have to look back into it.

See, I knew you wanted to be more like me! I’m glad you’re embracing my hobbies. When will you start collecting Warhammer figs, hmmmm?

What are you interested in getting into Chuck? Do you want some pulp stories, good old fashioned sci fi tales, modern superheroics, or drama retold comic form? Lets try to hit each of these.

Atomic Robo: If you love Hellboy, you’ll dig Atomic Robo. While Atomic Robo often gets dismissed as being a Hellboy clone, it’s really amusing and has great stories. Atomic Robo is a robot created by Nikola Tesla to prove his theory of coherent electric fields. The thing is, he was never designed with an off switch so he has spent the better part of a century fighting evil! The art’s good and the comedy is gold.

Black Summer: The power rangers gone full blown Warren Ellis. In this story about a team of former teenage revolutionaries who fought to clean up their city, Warren Ellis presents a colorful team which combines flashy costumes and mythology. The Guns were heroes…once. Now they have to find out who is trying to kill them while you understand just what each person had to sacrifice, both spiritually and physically, to get to where they are. I loved the high scifi ideas Ellis presented in this graphic novel, such as having to drill out parts of your own skeleton to become light enough to fly.

Invincible: This series is fucking amazing. Robert Kirkman’s series about a teenager growing up the son of Earth’s strongest protector is full of comedy and drama. He does a good job of combining classic superheroic moments of punching out a man in steampunk furnace armor with a mother battling alcoholism and teenage drama of holding down good grades or a girlfriend. In it’s 11th trade, the series is still worth checking out. I recommend getting the ULtimate editions which combine 3 trades at a time in order to save cash.

Irredeemable: Have you ever wondered how far can someone fall? What demons lurk in people’s closets that made them tainted before they changed sides? Irredeemable looks at the Plutonian, the strongest man of Earth, and his fall into evil. This is not just “Buahaha I’m an evil dude” sort of story; complex interlocking stories show the Plutonian’s friends desperately trying to figure out how to stop their former friend and understand his behavior while the Plutonian’s strange quirks are revealed. It has two trades out with about 4 issues in each, but I recommend it. The spinoff series, Incorruptible, follows a supervillain trying to do good but I haven’t checked it out yet.

Other good series that are worth a read:
Planetary: Already mentioned but very good.
Persepolis: Gives great insight into a woman growing up in pre-revolution Iran.
Green Lantern: Cause I love him and Geoff Johns has done an amazing job for the first four trades. The Sinestro Corp War was amazing but Blackest Night was meeeeeeeeh
JSA (the late 90s early 2000 series also by Geoff Johns): It was a great series featuring a slight revamp of the old Justice Society of America. It had great stories, lots of drama, and while it really started to fade toward the end with volumes 11 and 12 I really recommend it.
JSA: the Liberty Files: Set in an alternate universe during WW2 it has the Bat, the Clock, and the Owl as they fight Nazis in order to recover a package hidden by Jack the Smile.
Fall of Cthulhu: End of the world goodness! I enjoyed it. The artwork got really trippy at times.
Nova: Unfortunately this series may require checking Wikipedia to explain a few things but it’s a delightful space opera comic featuring the last interstellar cop as he struggles to keep supervillains from trashing the joint. It’s by Dan Abnett who if you ask Aaron Dembski-Bowden is pretty amazing.
PS238: Set in an elementary school for the children of superheroes, it’s funny and brings the laughs.

I could go on but this is a good starter. REAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!

Oh! Forgot to say: if you liked Buffy, you’ll probably like Fray.

Holy crap, @JK.

Way to blow my brains out with awesome suggestions!

No problem! I forgot it before but The Sandman is just wonderful.

As I used to say back when I worked at Vons: There are comics for everybody, it’s just about finding which one you like.

The Unwritten: “Tom Taylor’s life was screwed from the word go. His father created the mega-popular Tommy Taylor boy-wizard fantasy novels. But dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom that fans constantly compare him to his counterpart, turning him into a lame, Z-level celebrity.

When a scandal hints that Tom might really be the boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a mysterious, deadly group that’s secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, to all the places in world history where fictions have shaped reality.”

Even if it isn’t collected as of right now…

Daytripper: a brazilian comic published by Vertigo as well about the life of an brazilian obituary writer. Every story has a number (the character’s age) and ends with his obituary as if he had died at that moment. The art is gorgeous and the “local” writing is refreshing.

And, me being Portuguese and all, what’s with all the Portuguese prostitution references? Have you been to wrong side of Oporto or what?

Thanks for the recommends, Joao!

No worries, I haven’t actually had dalliances with Portuguese prostitutes. I think I just like the alliteration.

– c.

I’ve really enjoyed Matt Wagner’s run on Madame Xanadu, which is all collected, and the first of which is rather cheap. Its her throughout history – Spanish Inquisition, French Revolution and on and on. Good, fun stories.

On a less mainstream note, Jim Woodring’s Weathercraft has just been collected (again?) and is really awesome stuff.

I would also say that the first 2 Fables GNs are the weakest. It does get better’n'better.

Since you say comics are thin on the ground (if you’re in the rural areas of Pennsyltucky, I could see why), I would really really really recommend looking up online options. Jeremy and others have recc’d Warren Ellis and his work; Freakangels is a freebie online that you can also purchase in graphic novel format online (along with other great associated merch).

For more good online freebies, I would honestly go to Warren Ellis’s website and troll through his recc’d links and check out what people are doing on his Whitechapel forums, because there’s really good creative folks posting there who’d no doubt love the traffic, if nothing else.

I like speculative versions of popular comic books. Marvel Zombies is amusing, and I really enjoyed the concepts of X-Men: The End.

If you want to buy some/most of the early BPRD graphic novels, I’ll probably be selling a bunch of mine as part of this move. Let me know if you want to pick them up from me.

I think i’ve already pimped SCALPED enough (that thing just keeps getting better…film and TV could not do this)

A couple other collected things that i’d be whoring for right now;

ESSEX COUNTY- an aquired taste and slow moving, but i loves it.
QUEEN & COUNTRY -simply great.

@String:

Got SCALPED on my list.

QUEEN & COUNTRY — oooh, duh, you know, never read it?

ESSEX COUNTY — wuzzit?

– c.

@Will:

I’ll take you up on that offer. Give a shout when the time comes?

– c.

Let’s see…

1) How Loathsome, by Ted Naifeh and Tristan Crane – Collected and interesting. A portrait of sexual and pharmaceutical deviants.

2) Mouse Guard – Beautiful art, fun story and nifty RPG.

3) Freakangels – Free at http://freakangels.com or you can buy the collections. They’re up to book three, about to start book four.

4) Seven Soldiers of Victory – Grant Morrison’s work on Klarion the Witch Boy alone is worth reading these collections.

Oh, and Ted Naifeh’s Courtney Crumrin books are also great.

And Antony Johnston’s Wasteland.

@Chris:

Points for a number of things I’ve never heard of! Awesome. Exciting.

Very much enjoyed Seven Soldiers, though.

A surprisingly WOD-esque series, in a way.

– c.

I will second Scalped. It’s fun. Also, ”Exterminators” about a bunch of exterminators vs giant roaches in the sewers and weird Egyptian beetles or some shit.

Locke and Key is collected, American Vampire only has one issue out.

I typically enjoy tales told in a realistic, urban setting, but still full of balls-to-the wall storytelling. If that’s your cup of tea, here are a few of my favorites:

Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
This is an ongoing neo-noir series that is written as self-contained story arcs in a single fictional city. Start with the first TPB titled “Coward” and if you like it, keep going. They’re all gold. If you like The Wire, you’ll fall in love with these books. And, even if you don’t like individual issues, it might be worth it to put them on a pull list at a local comic store. It comes out sporadically (4 – 6 times a year), and the last quarter of each issue is filled with excellent original essays on classic/obscure noir books and movies.

Channel Zero by Brian Wood
After a new law, “The Clean Act,” censors all news and entertainment in order to preserve the image of America as a noble, Christian nation, a pirate broadcaster takes it upon herself to wake America back up. The artwork is stark black and white, and filled with anti-Clean Act subliminal messages hidden in the background. The story is engrossing, self-contained, and well executed on all fronts. Avoid the sequel.

DMZ by Brian Wood
Another American urban tale by Brian Wood. The concept of DMZ is simple. When all of our troops are overseas fighting in Iraq, a civil war breaks out in America between normal civilization and the mid-west separatists. The war grind to a stalemate, and NYC becomes a demilitarized zone between The United States and The Free States of America. The story is told from the perspective of a journalist who is abandoned in the DMZ by his corporation. Lots of political fuckery is involved as the journalist tries to survive among the native New Yorkers who couldn’t give a shit about either side and are just trying to live their lives.

Lore by TP Louise and Ashley Wood
When a small group of watchers in charge of keeping Earth’s ley lines in check is infected by an anarchist faction, all hell breaks loose on Earth. The normally small rivers of mana becomes unbalanced and all sorts of legendary boogeymen reawaken. Written in 5 chapters, the first few parts contain a stunning amount of hand painted artwork. The closing chapters are written completely as text. Dark and sexy with a folklore twist in an urban English setting.

Fell by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith
Neo-noir comic series written by Warren Ellis for blue collars everywhere. Each issue is fairly self-contained, and goes for about $1.95. Only six or seven issues were released, but it’s full of kick-in-the-crotch cop drama.

Grendel: Devil by the Deed by Matt Wagner
Grendel was the first comic series I ever read told from the antagonist’s POV. It follows the Machiavellian schemes of a young genius as he takes over the underworld of the entire East Coast through blackmail and murder. While the series was lackluster do to meandering storylines, the character of Grendel is exceptionally noteworthy. Thankfully, someone at the publishing house decided to boil down the entire series into one short TPB named “Grendel: Devil by the Deed.” It tells the entire story of Grendel in one sitting without getting lost in “you need this issue to understand what happened” nuisances. If you enjoy the character of Grendel, there’s a great TPB named Batman/Grendel that pits the two brains against one another.

Poison Elves: Lusiphur & Lirilith by Drew Hayes and Jason Alexander
Urban? Yes. Realistic? Kind of. The Poison Elves comic series went from fun, well-scripted junk food to abysmal tit fest and never returned. But somehow, this little gem came through. It’s a re-telling of the main character’s origin in a Romeo-and-Juliet framework. The setting is gritty, you give a shit about the characters, and the internal artwork is just fantastic (don’t let the covers fool you). Once again, this is a self-contained story, and you’ll never have to read another Poison Elves book to completely understand what’s happening.

[...] my good friend and archnemesis Chuck Wendig asked for help with comics. Being a helpful sort of villain I obliged him with my baseball bat of good picks. As I [...]