Graphic Novels (Batmen et al)

GoneShootin

When I was over in NYC last year I picked up the Claticlsym (or however it's spelt on a late sat night) series and loved them. Which ones would people recommend as "required reading" for Batman/others?

ztoical

for bat books it would be "Dark Victory" it's bat noir all the way, beautiful art [pencils, inks and colours all work well together] and its well written - cameos from most major bat characters but not to the point that newbies won't follow. And it features batman being what he is best, a detective.


It is a sequal to The Long Halloween but you can read victory without reading halloween [however if you've got the cash pick up both, also the hardcover of Victory is pretty nice]

GoneShootin

So, where would be the best place online to pick those up ztoical?

Earthhorse

I was coming into this thread to post Long Halloween. I really think you should read it before Dark Victory considering the fact that Dark Victory is the sequel.

ztoical

GoneShootin wrote:

So, where would be the best place online to pick those up ztoical?

there is at least one online irish based comic shop that i've seen rec'd on fourms but i've never used it and don't know the address - someone else on here might and could let you know if they're any good or not.

If i order comics via the net i go with mid town comics I lived in new york for four years and this was one of my local comic stores - Cosmic comics and Jim's are nicer stores but nither sells online and my friend works at mid town so i need to give him something to do all day :P. There's a number of online stores you can pick them up at - amazon have it as do mile high comics.

Just make sure your ordering the trade paperback/graphic novels as both were mulitple issue stories [13 issue [halloween] 14 issues [dark victory]] and you can order the individual issues from some stores.

GoneShootin

ztoical wrote:

If i order comics via the net i go with mid town comics

That's where I bought mine when I was last over. Good place. Thanks for the advice chaps.

the Shades

I found the ending of Long Halloween really disappointing but I was reading the single issues as they came out might work better as one full story. I'd add Kia Asamiya's Batman Child of a Dream and Hush isn't a bad story, form the same writer as Long Halloween and Dark Victory. Cataclysm lead into the No Mans Land mega arc which lasted a whole year through all the Batman titles, it has some great moments and some really dodgy stuff, but the climax makes for some good reading and memorable Batman moments.

chopperbyrne

Batman & Dracula: Red Rain is brilliant. It's sequel is good too.

bombidol

Catyclasm is the precurser to No mans land which is one of the better story arcs of recent times. Get Contagion, and all the No mans land books. to complete the whole thing. Dont get war games its crap. Gotham city limits is good though.

cpk

Batman : Year One
Batman : The Dark Knight Returns
Batman : The Long Halloween
Batman : Dark Victory
Batman : Knightfall
Black & White
Batman : Gothic
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
The Killing Joke
Batman Hush parts 1 and 2
JLA: Tower of Babel (excellent Justice League tale with Batman at the centre)

Mr. K

Hush is nice. Kinda like a blockbuster storyline, with tasty Jim Lee art. One of the better Batman arcs in recent years.

bombidol

I thought Hushs was fairly poor to be honest. Just get Kingdom Come for tasty art.

Earthhorse

Yeah, Hush is the weakest of Jeph Loeb's efforts, though it does perk up in volume 2 (but you need to read volume 1 for it to make any sense). I like the chapter with Joker and Harley Quinn in particular but there's better stuff out there.

Mr. K

Oh, Superman/Batman is a fun read. I've read the first two volumes and they're definately worth a look.

Draco

Hush and War Games are the reasons I stopped buying batman comics. I was disgusted with the rubbish story arcs.

arbeitsscheuer

Superman: Red Son is fantastic, give that a shot.

bombidol

Red son is indeed fantastic.
Heres a list of Good graphic novels

Ultimate Fantastic four (pretty much the only Ultimate line worth reading in fairness)
Marvel 1602 ( twisted look at the marvel universe)
Preacher ( Words cant describe how good this is)
Watchmen (Nuff Said)
V for Vendetta ( Nuff Said)
Hellblazer ( Some good some ok)
100 Bullets (Seriously Good)
Batman Knightfall/Nightsend/etc ( Very very good )
Sword of Azrael ( One of the best but ignore everything after it)
Animal Man ( pretty much all of it but especially the morrison run)
The Death of superman ( Historic, ignore everything after it in the "returns" etc genre. Introduces the only good Superman bad guy ever, Doomsday)
Sin City (All of em)
Hellboy ( all of em)
Ronin ( Art is kinda messy but storywise its good)
Wolverine Origin ( Historic)
Y-The last man (Amazing)
The Walking Dead (Wowsers)

Stuff thats not GN yet but hopefully will be cause its great
Hitman ( Garth Ennis nuff said)
Bite club ( Very good take on vampirism in modern day america madness)


Ahh theres loads more and you could go on naming etc, thats just stuff i have littered around me at the moment. I can list Bejillions more no doubt.

Fysh

The first Bite Club series was released as a TPB, as has most of Ennis's Hitman material. Should be between 15 & 20 euro a pop, depending where you pick them up.

I'll add Transmetropolitan to your list as it's GENIUS. Oh, and N.E.X.T.Wave. It's just about to be released in TPB format (Well the first six issues, anyway), and EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT, FOR IT IS GREATNESS INCARNATE.

bombidol

Thats excellent i didnt know Hitman was out as a tpb yet. ill be picking that up its savage. Transmet is savage also. nextwave that good yeah?

Fysh

Well, Nextwave is great fun in that it's warren ellis let loose on marvel's C-list characters and taking the piss the whole way through. It's well worth a look if you enjoy books like Hitman (speaking of which, I think the whole Hitman series was collected as 5 books in total - Other Realms usually have a few copies floating around so it should be easy enough to find).

bombidol

hmm sounds interesting, ill check it out. Wheres other realms?

Fysh

oops, forgot that - Other Realms is Cork's comic shop. Mind you, if they have it in stock, it I'd expect it to be available through most comic shops. Should be easy enough to get ordered through your local store if not anyway.

bombidol

Ill check 3rd place

Wacker

I can't believe that so many people are recommending No Man's Land and no one seems to be recommending Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Its is far superior; it has none of the absolute dreck that is in No Man's Land (e.g. the bits written by Larry Hama; the dialogue when Batman faces off against Mr Freeze and later Bane is pathetic), and it uses less of the main villians. The less you have to use, the better. In fact, it is nearly all about Batman and his entourage. Seriously, once you've read No Man's Land, pick up Bruce Wayne: Muderer? and the three volumes of Bruce Wayne: Fugitive.

arbeitsscheuer

Was Superman: True Brit much cop?

I've seen divided reviews about it, but some are very critical of it. I like the premise, but if it really is that dire I'd rather not bother buying it tbh.