Reddit mentions: The best graphic novels

We found 45,328 Reddit comments discussing the best graphic novels. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 7,350 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

1. Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume

    Features:
  • Cartoon Books
Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume
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Height9 Inches
Length6.5 Inches
Number of items1
Weight3.8029740195 Pounds
Width2.25 Inches
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2. The Walking Dead: Compendium One

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  • Brand new . Free Shipping. Easy Return
The Walking Dead: Compendium One
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Height10.2 Inches
Length6.6 Inches
Number of items1
Weight4.6407306151 Pounds
Width2.1 Inches
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3. Civil War

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  • Marvel Comics Group
Civil War
Specs:
Height10.15 Inches
Length6.6 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2007
Weight0.79586876582 Pounds
Width0.75 Inches
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6. The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True

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  • Free Press
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
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Height8.375 Inches
Length5.5 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 2012
Weight0.5 Pounds
Width0.68 Inches
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7. Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback))

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  • DC Comics
Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback))
Specs:
ColorGrey
Height10.19 Inches
Length6.64 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateMarch 2013
Weight0.70106999316 Pounds
Width0.33 Inches
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9. Logicomix: An epic search for truth

Logicomix An Epic Search for Truth
Logicomix: An epic search for truth
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Height9.25 Inches
Length6.7 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 2009
Weight1.85 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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10. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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  • Del Rey
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Specs:
ColorMulticolor
Height6.86 Inches
Length4.18 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 1995
Weight0.2625 Pounds
Width0.59 Inches
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11. Kingdom Come

DC Comics
Kingdom Come
Specs:
Height10.2 Inches
Length6.64 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 2008
SizeOne Size
Weight0.89507678372 Pounds
Width0.34 Inches
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12. All Star Superman

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  • DC Comics
All Star Superman
Specs:
Height10.17 Inches
Length6.61 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateOctober 2011
Weight1.15301763026 Pounds
Width0.5 Inches
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13. Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection

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  • Marvel Comics Group
Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection
Specs:
Height10.25 Inches
Length6.75 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJune 2012
Weight1.92243092464 Pounds
Width0.75 Inches
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14. The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward (The New 52)

DC Comics
The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward (The New 52)
Specs:
ColorMulticolor
Height10.16 Inches
Length6.65 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateAugust 2013
Weight0.72973008722 Pounds
Width0.32 Inches
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15. Captain America, Vol. 1: Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection

    Features:
  • Marvel Comics Group
Captain America, Vol. 1: Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection
Specs:
Height10.1 Inches
Length6.6 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2010
Weight1.15081300764 Pounds
Width0.5 Inches
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16. Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale

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  • Used Book in Good Condition
Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale
Specs:
Height10.47 Inches
Length6.88 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateNovember 2010
Weight0.73634395508 Pounds
Width0.38 Inches
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17. Batman: Year One

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  • Comes with secure packaging
  • Easy to read text
  • This product will be an excellent pick for you
Batman: Year One
Specs:
ColorBrown
Height10.14 Inches
Length6.6 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJanuary 2007
Weight0.67461452172 Pounds
Width0.34 Inches
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18. Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection - Book 1

Marvel
Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection - Book 1
Specs:
Height10.25 Inches
Length6.625 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateFebruary 2012
Weight1.2345886672 Pounds
Width0.5 Inches
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19. Moon Knight Volume 1: From the Dead

Marvel Comics
Moon Knight Volume 1: From the Dead
Specs:
Height10.25 Inches
Length6.625 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateOctober 2014
Weight0.551155655 Pounds
Width0.25 Inches
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20. Flashpoint

    Features:
  • DC Comics
Flashpoint
Specs:
Height10.18 Inches
Length6.64 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateMarch 2012
Weight0.67461452172 Pounds
Width0.3 Inches
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🎓 Reddit experts on graphic novels

The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where graphic novels are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Total score: 86,000
Number of comments: 21,270
Relevant subreddits: 6
Total score: 7,770
Number of comments: 2,479
Relevant subreddits: 8
Total score: 3,300
Number of comments: 639
Relevant subreddits: 4
Total score: 1,199
Number of comments: 483
Relevant subreddits: 5
Total score: 1,103
Number of comments: 308
Relevant subreddits: 3
Total score: 1,052
Number of comments: 150
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 651
Number of comments: 175
Relevant subreddits: 7
Total score: 551
Number of comments: 203
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 369
Number of comments: 167
Relevant subreddits: 4
Total score: 220
Number of comments: 175
Relevant subreddits: 1

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Top Reddit comments about Graphic Novels:

u/ScornfulLysander · 3 pointsr/marvelstudios

As someone said before me, ALL of Ed Brubaker's run is worth reading. A gentleman over at Comic Vine posted this list that really maps out the reading order.

Mark Millar's Civil War is interesting, because many people consider it a great story for Cap, but a bad story alltogether. Way too black-and-white for me, but definitely worth a read.

Although it's not quite up to Brubaker's quality, I'm really enjoying Rick Remender's current run of Cap under Marvel Now! I kind of think John Romita Jr's art is subpar, but that's a matter a lot of people contested me on, he's a pretty polarizing artist. The first arc was alright, but after that, the second arc deals with Cap facing off with an old, lesser known villain that works as a great foil to the Star-Spangled man with a plan. This trade paperback is the best place to start for Remender's run (unless you like collecting singles.

If you're interested at all in the classics, you can read Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Captain America and Avengers runs with the "Marvel Masterworks" reprints. I still think a good amount of these stories hold up, and it's a pretty good offer because it's quite a few long issues per volume. They also recently released a Marvel Masterworks collection for the old Golden Age Cap Comics, I have to say though, story-wise, I wouldn't really recommend them. It's really interesting having a copy to look at as comic book history, but a lot of the stories don't hold up very well, and Ed Brubaker retells Cap's WWII days brilliantly in his run. Unless you're REALLY interested in everything Cap or comics history, I'd say pass on the Golden Age stuff for now.

Of course there's also a ton of great material in between Cap's beginning and the modern age, but they're a bit hard to get into. However, I must recommend one story from a bit long ago. This story shows his earnestness, his virtuous nature, and the will to fight for what's right even when it's almost impossible, the things that make him a great hero! That story is "What If Issue 44: What if Captain America was revived today?" Once you get pass some of the setting issues that are confusing now that that comic is older, it's a really fantastic story for Cap, and the one that introduced me to him!

I'm not sure how much you're into comics, but I'd also like to give some advice just in case you are pretty new (if you're not new, I'm sorry for assuming and you can just skip this last paragraph). If you're wanting to read all of these stories, I'd highly recommend investing in Marvel Unlimited. Essentially you just pay $70 for the year (or $100 if you want the fancy-schmancy Plus membership), and download twelve comics at a time to read from their selection. I know they have all the Brubaker stuff right now, and most of the big events from the past few years. They also have quite a few classics too! It's a really great deal considering that buying trade issues of those Cap reccomendations (which would be the cheapest alternative) would still likely be at least two hundred dollars to collect the whole stories. Right now I'm reading Annihilation right now to get ready for Guardians of the Galaxy!

Hope I could help you find some good stories! Good luck, soldier!


EDIT: This completely slipped my mind, but thought it was worth mentioning. If you're okay with watching cartoons (I love them myself) I'd also recommend the "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" series on Netflix right now. Even though it's a kid's cartoon, it has some REALLY great character moments and development, especially for Cap. The first season is more about the team as a whole, but season two has quite a bit of Cap focus that I thought was absolutely wonderful. A lot of the stories are actually condensed versions of classic and modern comic arcs, so it also helped me get really familiar with a lot of the Marvel universe ahead of time.

u/Kid__Flash · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

If you have Marvel Unlimited I would check if they have the "Thor" comics by Jason Aaron, they are really good, I think you'll like them.

If you don't hate Batman (not necessarily like him, but you are ok with him haha), "the Black Mirror" by Scott Snyder is super good, it is probably my favorite Batman story and Batman is not even Bruce Wayne, it is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, it is damn good and that one IS dark haha

Not Marvel or DC but judging by what you have said you like (kinda dark, bad ass hero who goes through everything, etc...) I think you would really, reaaaally, like "Preacher" by Garth Ennis. In my opinion, Preacher is one of the best stories in any medium ever, big claim, I know, but that's how much I like it. It is collected in 6 Tradepaperbacks/Hardcovers (60 issues and some miniseries total) at about 10-15 usd each for the trades, so this will keep you entertained for a while.

This is the first volume

My favorite super hero series of all time is "Invincible" by Robert Kirkman, it is a bit more "traditional superhero" stuff but with some really cool twists if you want to check that one out.

I am not a fan of Deadpool alone but if you want something with both him and Wolverine, I think "Uncanny X-Force" by Rick Remender is top notch, definitely my favorite Deadpool, I think the trick is to have him in small doses. You can get the whole thing in two oversized TPB's, here is the first one there are only two volumes, just check that it is the "complete" collection. This one is a bit more "lore" heavy where it will reward you for knowing the backstory, but I think that even if you don't know anything it will be entertaining, However, don't be afraid to google some stuff after you finish or ask here to avoid spoilers.

Daredevil by Mark Waid is also pretty good, that might be on your Marvel Unlimited subscription.


OHHHH, I almost forgot, "Astonishing X-Men" by Josh Whedon is fantastic, again, if you have previous knowledge of the X-Men it is a plus but I think it is new reader friendly. This one is a must, in my opinion as well. There are two volumes of this one, here is the first one (maybe it is on Marvel Unlimited?)

The other X-Men stuff that always gets recommended is New X-Men by Grant Morrison but that one is heavier and harder to follow along, maybe if you really like Astonishing, give this one a try. (again, check Marvel Unlimited, it might be on there)

And finally, I promise, "Runaways" by Brian K. Vaughan, the gist of it is that a group of kids one day find out that their parents are super villains and they decide to ... run away. Again, this is a fantastic read, it takes place in the Marvel Universe, and I think there is going to be a Netflix show sometime...? haha But really, this is one of my favorite stories ever as well, there are 2 collections by Brian K Vaughan, don't bother reading the ones written by anyone else, volume one . (Marvel Unlimited?)

That's all for now haha

Let me know which ones pique your interest and if you decide to pick up any of these, you'll have a blast. Again, if you have any questions ask away!


PS. Moving Pictures > 2112 :P

u/pineapplesf · 2 pointsr/santashelpers

I take it from Harry Potter and Divergent he likes strong, morally-white protagonists on journeys to save the world. I don't know his exact reading level or interests, so I will make the following suggestions by category. I ranked books in each category by difficulty.

 

Teen Fantasy:

 

Dealing with Dragons: Funny, easy to read, dragons, magic, and sarcasm.

The Lioness Series, Immortal Series, or The Magic Circle Series: Strong female leads and interesting to read with great stories (Think Mulan). My brother loved them.

Artemis Fowl: Strong, morally ambiguous but ultimately altruistic, sarcastic, and smart protagonist against the world.

User Unfriendly: Dudes get sucked into a video/rpg and try to get out without dying. Like Tron, but less sci-fi and more fantasy.

Halo: One of my brothers who HATES reading -- or at least is incredibly picky actually stayed up all night to finish four of Halo books. He also really likes the games. I don't know which one is the first or the best but this one had the best reviews. I dunno if it is dark either -- I haven't read it :'(.

The Dark Elf Trilogy: Darker than anything else I have on here (or can be) hero vs world type fantasy. Drizzit = my brothers' hero growing up. Kinda WOW-esque? Having played both, I understand how much of WOW is inspired by DnD. I personally didn't like this.

Redwall: Harder to read, talking animals save the world from other talking animals. I personally hated this series, but my brothers read every single book in the series at the time.

 


Adult Fantasy:

 

Magician: Magic, totally badass protagonist, BORING first couple chapters, but ultimately the most OP hero I have ever read. Amazing, truly amazing. I think it is two-three books in the first series.

Harper Hall: Dragons, music, strong, but lost protagonist. Deals with sexism and gender biased. The other books in the cycle range from sci-fi to political fantasy.

Dragonbone Chair: Strong, badass hero vs a dragon. What happens? He becomes more badass. It is a lighter verison of LOTR/Sword of Shanara (which is probably too much politics/genetics/enviromental commentary -- generally boring-- for him right now) --

An even lighter alternative, more teen book is Eragon. That being said, I absolutely DETESTED these books. I don't care if he was 16, he didn't coming up with any of his own material. But -- a lot of people really like it, so your brother might!

 

Sci-fi:

 

Ender's game: Amazing ending, especially if he likes videogames. I haven't seen the movie, but my Dad said it was "loosely inspired" from the book. All I know is the book was world-changing. It has some legitimately dark points (like gouging out a giants eye or drowning puppies).

Johnny Maxwell Trilogy: This dude is cool. I didn't know until I linked it that it is hard to get a copy >.<.

Dune: This, like LOTR, is VERY political and can be very easily boring. It might also be too adult or hard for him. There is mental illness and just crazy people in the later books.

 

Mature Humor:

 

He should be ready for some British humor, which is a little more mature than American humor (sorry) and much more sarcastic. You also have to be in the mood for it, especially if you aren't expecting it.

Sourcery: Really, really funny.

Hitchhiker's Guide: Also funny.

Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold: American. Funny take on fantasy books.

 

I kept away from darker books where the protagonist is morally grey (Artemis fowl and Drizzit being exceptions -- though they are both still definitely heros), sex, questionable themes, or general mental derangement.

I also stayed away from more modern books, which I have read a lot of if you would like recommendations for those instead. I read a lot in general, so if you have a questions about a book in particular, I can try to help.

Edit: Links

u/BiDo_Boss · 2 pointsr/DCcomics

Okay, man, I got you. First of all, I'd like to direct you to http://comraderecs.tumblr.com/ which is basically tumblr-hosted recommendation lists recommended by /co/ (comic book board on 4chan). They have recommendations for every Marvel and DC character/team you could think of. They have recommendations from other publishers as well. You'll also find plenty of guides and reading order lists, which can really come in handy. Start navigating from that column on the right. You'll find recommended readings for the vast majority of the characters you named.

I'd also like to point you to crisis2crisis.com, which is a list of important tie-ins to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis. The goal is to give readers a list and order of books to read that will give them the whole story and still fit nicely on one shelf. Note that this doesn't include every major event in DC history that happened between the Crises, just those that somehow tie in to the Crises themselves. For example, it has info about 52, but makes no mention of Flashpoint.

Also, for the publication history of all crossovers and major events, the Wikipedia article does a really neat job.

Also, I'd recommend checking out the sidebars of /r/Batman and /r/WonderWoman. Also, even though you're apparently not very interested in them at the moment, you can check out the sidebars for /r/theFlash and /r/Superman when you feel like it. For other characters you can't go wrong with /r/DCcomics' sidebar.

However, I understand that, sometimes, one likes to have some interaction with the recommenders. For that, I'd point you to /r/comicbooksuggest. Unfortunately, the sub has too few recommenders, but each and every one of them is extremely helpful.

Nonetheless, I'm not telling you this as a cop out, and I'll still do my best to provide with recommendations along with their respective Amazon links. With that said...

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> Also theres a group I'm interested in with MMH, Catwoman, Green Latern, Katana, Stargirl, and Hawkman. Not sure what the name of the group is though.

As /u/Aqualac said, that was the Justice League of America of Prime Earth (the main earth in the new 52). Now, they have a slightly different roster, and are called Justice League Canada. They star in the all-new monthly series Justice League United, written by Jeff Lemire. The first volume trade comes out March 10^th. Now, as for the adventures of the Justice League of America, they were collected in 2 trades. The first one, Justice League of America Vol. 1: World's Most Dangerous (The New 52), is written by Geoff Johns. The second one, Justice League of America Vol. 2: Survivors of Evil (The New 52). If I were you, I'd get the first trade (you can never go wrong with Geoff Johns) and get the second one if you find yourself still interested. I haven't read either of them, though, to be completely frank.

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Now, before you try to "get into" any individual character, I'd really recommend reading Kingdom Come by Mark Waid, and also Watchmen by Alan Moore. They are both outstanding graphic novels, written by 2 of the best comic writers in history. They don't follow the "comic book formula" and every character is multi-dimentional and complex. Both graphic novels have superb art as well. You'll most definitely love them.

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There's also the 52 Omnibus, which is unlike anything you'll ever read. If you're willing to splash some cash, don't hesitate; it's absolutely fantastic. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid. Those are, like, 4 of the best comic book writers of all time. The series consists of 52 issues, published weekly for one year, each issue detailing an actual week chronicling the events that took place during the missing year after the end of Infinite Crisis. As you see, after Infinite Crisis, the DC Universe skipped ahead one year, and 52 was the story of what happened in that missing year. The year following Infinite Crisis was a year without Superman, a year without Batman, a year without Wonder Woman, but not a year without heroes, of course. In this unique series, the lives of the inhabitants of the DC universe are chronicled in a weekly "real-time" basis, where each chapter represents one week of these characters' lives. 52 stars nearly the entire cast of the DC Universe, most notably: The Question, Steel, Ralph Dibney, Booster Gold, Renee Montoya, Lobo, Starfire, Animal Man, Lex Luthor, Adam Strange, and Black Adam.

You can read 52 without Infinite Crisis and still understand completely, I wouldn't say it's required reading. But reading Infinite Crisis first would definitely enhance the experience, and it gives you a good idea of where Ralph is coming from during 52. Not to mention that Infinite Crisis is excellent in its own right. Still, the 52 Omnibus costs a lot, so it's understandable if you don't want to buy anything along with it. Which is why I'm letting you know that you don't really need to read Infinite Crisis to understand 52, just by reading the 1-page recap included at the beginning of the 52 Omnibus you will be okay to enjoy this Omnibus. Also, note that this series has nothing to do with the new 52, it ran from May 2006 to May 2007.

I linked you to the Infinite Crisis trade paperback, which collects Infinite Crisis #1-7. Which is the main series, which contains the core story. However, if you really have the money, you'd want to check out Infinite Crisis Omnibus. It collects the main series, and also tons of lead-ups, tie-ins, and spin-offs. It have over 1400 pages in it! And the best part is how is collected. All the content is collected in chronological order. These 2 Amazon reviews were extremely helpful. Here's one, and here's the other.

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I'm not done, by the way. It's just everything I wanted to say won't fit in one comment, so I'll have to split it into 2. Reddit has a 10,000 character limit per comment. To be continued in another comment in reply to this one.

u/rampant_tycho · 24 pointsr/Art

absolutely. (though my recommendations will probably be pretty cliche/entry level in the world of comics)

If you want to stick to recent marvel, but want an "everyman" story, check out Matt Fraction's run on Hawkeye, where it basically just explores his everyday life. it's comedic and fun and Aja's art is wonderfully simple.

Another current series that is great (and will be constantly recommended) is Saga. Brian K. Vaughan's writing is great and Fiona Staples is one of the best digital artists in comics. The story is like star wars on acid, but with a wholesome focus, at it's core, on family. it's weird, funny, progressive, and quite graphic. interesting, sympathetic characters. Highly recommend it.

Another classic Brian K Vaughan series is Y: The Last Man. All men on earth simultaneously die, barring the protagonist, Yorick. Vaughan's writing is great in this as well.

One of my favorite series from all time is Neil Gaiman's famous Sandman. the series is basically stories about storytelling, with the (occasional) main character being Morpheus, "god" of dreams (though he has many other names/titles/definitions). it is often surreal and appropriately dreamlike. Gaimain loves his deities and mythologies and the world of Sandman simultaneously creates its own mythology while including/alluding to all those that humans have created IRL. Sandman's depiction of "reality" changes as drastically and frequently as the constantly shifting roster of illustrators involved.

Around that same time was Grant Morrison's Batman: Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth. while this was just a one-shot novel, it was very dark and directly focused on the psychological aspects of batman as a character. the idea that batman is as crazy as his enemies is nothing new, but this book epitomized it. like Sandman, very late 80's/early 90's feel.

another trippy comic i love is Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing. Moore reworked swamp thing as a sympathetic monster with themes focusing on identity and memory, while still being within the horror genre. Alan Moore is probably a literal genius and he's known for his many other famous classics, like Watchmen (probably the most classic/important comic, which is also about comics), V for Vendetta, and From Hell. Anything by Moore is a safe bet and he sets the bar for writing in the comic medium.

If you are more interested in art than story, my biggest reccomendation would be literally anything drawn by Jean Giraud, aka "Mœbius." He is probably a national hero in france and he was one of the most celebrated comic artists of all time. he made masterful linework look easy and he has a genius understanding of simple composition and color.

there are tons of smaller, fun books/series, many of which i have yet to read, but the ones i listed are all pretty standard, accessible recommendations. definitely check out a few! Edit: typos

u/centipededamascus · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

>I'm interested in reading the avengers or the guardians of the Galaxy, as they were my favorite marvel movies, but I get that I might want to start with the individual character's stories rather than jumping straight to the team up. Is there any series in marvel's line up that are must reads?

If you've seen the movies, I don't think you need to read individual stuff before you read a team-up book. There are some things different between the comics and the movies, but they're much more similar than they are different. The Avengers series by Jonathan Hickman that's currently ongoing is really good, here's the first collection: Avengers by Jonathan Hickman vol. 1: Avengers World. For the Guardians, the 2008-2011 series by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning is considered the best. Start here: Guardians of the Galaxy by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning: The Complete Collection, vol. 1.

>I love the x-men movies, although Even the little I've read about the comics on other sites has got me confused, since there are some that can hold goddesses or something, does that have something to do with their mutation?

There are no X-Men that hold goddesses. Storm was worshipped as a goddess when she was younger, but she's not actually divine. There are a few mutants who also have supernatural gifts/abilities, like Magik and Pixie, but they are not a result of their mutations.

>Some mutations I get like ice powers and fire, but then there are some that can bend reality? Can a mutation allow that?

Mutations can allow anything the writers decide to allow. Storm controls the weather. Nightcrawler teleports. Mutations have nothing to do with reality.

If you want to read some good X-Men stuff, I recommend starting X-Men with Grant Morrison's New X-Men. It's good stuff, and it's easy to get into. There's three volumes, starting with this one: New X-Men vol. 1. After that, you should pick up Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon, which is really good and picks right up where New X-Men leaves off. There's four volumes, starting with this one: Astonishing X-Men vol. 1.

>Captain america certainly appeals to me, since I am, well, american, and Thor also seems like a badass, but I'd really read anything from marvel, as all their superheroes seem great.

>Also, all the dead pool panels I've seen here are hilarious, but I don't know much about the character.

Here's some good starting points I recommend for Marvel heroes:

u/ThatDerpingGuy · 9 pointsr/movies

A lot of 'I'm not a fan of Superman but it was good' folks here.

Might I suggest some really good Superman comics?

Superman - Action Comics Vol. 1 - Part of DC's New 52 reboot, these comics are by Grant Morrison (who is a great writer and something of an expert on comics, especially Superman) and shows a young Superman at the very beginnings of his superheroics.

All-Star Superman - Another Grant Morrison work, All-Star Superman is an Elseworlds (set outside main canon) that is by and large considered one of the definitive works of Superman stories. A little camp with lots of love given to the Golden and Silver Ages but played straight and fantastic story.

Kingdom Come - Another Elseworlds set in a dark, alternate future, where Clark has given up being Superman and the world pretty much standing on the edge. Amazing art by Alex Ross.

Superman: Red Son - An Elseworlds in which Superman landed in Communist Russia as an infant and raised by the state. The concept is silly but it's honestly a great read.

Superman: Birthright - A retelling and modernization of Superman's origin, it's a pretty good read and probably what Man of Steel is drawing a lot of inspiration from.

Superman Annual #11: "For the Man Who Has Everything" - It's a Superman story written by Alan Moore. I don't want to say anymore due to potential spoilers.

Rubix89 also said "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?" which is pretty much a response to the question of 'What's so great about the big blue boyscout in this day and age?'

u/bloodyzombies1 · 1 pointr/comicbooks

Here are the ones I read:

Batman- One of the best creative teams to ever tackle the character. You could start pulling it, but I'd recommend reading it from issue #1 since the entire run has been excellent.

Daredevil - One of the best superhero comics around. Sadly the series is going to be ending soon, but I'd highly recommend getting the hardcovers since the entire run is tons of fun.

Moon Knight - The current creative team is doing a great job with the character, but you should also try out the Warren Ellis Moon Knight it's got excellent art by Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire and is a series of amazing Vignettes that introduce a lot of great new elements to the character.

Other great comics:

The Fade Out - An excellent noir story about the corruption of Hollywood and the people involved during the 40's. It's only three issues in, and each issue has an excellent essay in the back about one of the actual events that happened in Hollywood that may or may not have inspired that issue of The Fade Out. Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips are all ready a proven triple -A creative team, with critically acclaimed comics like Sleeper, Criminal, and Incognito under their belts, so it's no surprise this is amazing.

Saga- It's 24 issues in, but you could probably pick up the trades on Amazon, which is completely worth it. It's a great story about a family trying to live in a universe where everyone wants them dead. Be warned, if this comic was a movie it'd be rated X.

Tooth and Claw - An excellent fantasy series that's only one issue in. The premise is that in a world of anthropomorphic animals certain animals can use magic, and others can't. This creates an upper class that treats everyone else like shit, and a lower class that isn't powerful enough to do anything about it. Until the upper class discovers that their magic is running out... The first issue is 48 pages long, ad-free for 3 dollars so what are you waiting for? Give this book a chance!

Wytches - Another excellent new Image title that's only 2 issues in. Scott Snyder, Jock, and Matt Hollingsworth are masters of the medium, and seeing them do one of the scariest comics I've ever read is a treat.

u/Tigertemprr · 11 pointsr/Marvel

> Is the "All New, All Different" Series still considered a good starting point for beginners? Bisides ANAD theres Marvel NOW! and Marvel Legacy (which confuses me even more)

  • 2012—2015 Marvel NOW! is a relaunch initiative for some ongoing titles (not all). There were multiple "waves" with renumbers, new stories, etc.
  • 2015 Secret Wars (event comic that [SPOILERS?] creates a new universe with parts of Earth-616 "main" universe and parts of Earth-1610 "Ultimate" universe)
  • 2015—present All-New, All-Different Marvel involved renumbering every ongoing title, but there was still a mix of new stories and continuations.
  • October 2016—present Marvel NOW! 2.0 is a continuation of most Marvel NOW! stories with some new ones.
  • September 2017 Marvel Legacy begins with a special 50-page one-shot comic (like DC Universe: Rebirth) after the current Secret Empire event concludes. Instead of annoyingly restarting at #1 again, most titles are reverting to "legacy" numbering (e.g. The Amazing Spider-Man #789). There will likely be a mix of new stories and continuations of ANAD Marvel stories.

    IMO, it's all needlessly convoluted, confusing, and, despite having the intention of drawing in new readers, it sometimes does the exact opposite.

    > Do I need to read all the past runs/entries of a series to understand whats going on? Or should I just pick the most recent Run for a series. And do newer Runs explain what happend in past Runs?

    Good writers will always refresh/recap important events, but the occasional unexplained reference might slip by. Some stories are more self-contained than others, but then you have less connections to the larger shared universe that so many love. The traditional beginning-middle-end story structure is more familiar (i.e. feeling compelled to read every character's origin first), but it's not required to enjoy a story. You've likely seen movies with non-linear narratives or the sequel movie is actually a prequel. We didn't know Darth Vader's origin until WAY AFTER his first appearance.

    Unfortunately, not all comics are high-quality productions, but they might contain the important plot points needed to understand other comics. I don't recommend reading a bunch of poor-to-mediocre comics just to "complete" the larger story. It's almost always never worth it considering how many other great comics there are that you could be reading instead. In this case, I'd just Wiki the bad stuff.

    > Is Ms. Marvel 2015 a continuation to the 2014 series?

    Yes. The renumbers (#19 --> #1) are just annoying publisher practices to draw in new readers.

    All that said, here's my usual copy/pasta for new readers:

    MARVEL STARTER GUIDE
    --
    ---

    How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems

    Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? What time/resources are available i.e. how many comics could/should be read before burning out?

    Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).

    Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.

    Where to buy (US):

  • Digital: Marvel Unlimited, Comixology, e-library (e.g. Hoopla - free), webcomics (free)
  • Print (collected editions): instocktrades, ISBNS, library (free)
  • Print (singles): midtowncomics, mycomicshop, DCBS

    Modern Marvel characters/teams:

  • Alias (Jessica Jones) | Brian Michael Bendis
  • Avengers | Kurt Busiek
  • The Ultimates 1-2 (Avengers) | Mark Millar
  • New Avengers | Brian Michael Bendis
  • Avengers / New Avengers | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2
  • Black Panther | Christopher Priest
  • Captain America | Ed Brubaker
  • Captain Marvel | Kelly Sue DeConnick
  • Daredevil | Brian Michael Bendis
  • Daredevil | Ed Brubaker
  • Daredevil | Mark Waid
  • Deadpool | Joe Kelly
  • Doctor Strange: The Oath | Brian K. Vaughan
  • Fantastic Four / FF | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 1
  • Guardians of the Galaxy | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen, et al. | Cosmic
  • Hawkeye | Matt Fraction
  • Immortal Iron Fist | Brubaker & Fraction
  • Inhumans | Paul Jenkins
  • Iron Man: Extremis | Warren Ellis
  • Invincible Iron Man | Matt Fraction
  • Marvels | Kurt Busiek
  • Moon Knight | Warren Ellis
  • Ms. Marvel | G. Willow Wilson
  • Planet Hulk | Greg Pack | Hulk 1
  • Punisher Max | Garth Ennis
  • Thor | Jason Aaron
  • Ultimate Spider-man | Brian Michael Bendis
  • Vision | Tom King
  • New X-Men | Grant Morrison | X-Men 1
  • Astonishing X-Men | Joss Whedon | X-Men 2
  • Uncanny X-Force | Rick Remender | X-Men 6

    /r/Marvel sidebar for more info.

    Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.

    Modern Marvel events/crossovers:

  • Avengers Disassembled | Brian Michael Bendis
  • Secret War | Brian Michael Bendis
  • House of M | Brian Michael Bendis | X-Men 2.5
  • Annihilation | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 1
  • Civil War | Mark Millar
  • World War Hulk | Greg Pak | Hulk 2
  • Annihilation: Conquest | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 2
  • Messiah Complex | Brubaker, Kyle, Yost, et al. | X-Men 3
  • Secret Invasion | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 1
  • War of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, et al. | Cosmic 3
  • Messiah War | Kyle, Yost, Swierczynski | X-Men 4
  • Dark Avengers / Utopia | Bendis, Fraction, et al. | Dark Reign 2
  • Siege | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 3
  • Realm of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, Reed | Cosmic 4
  • Second Coming | Kyle, Yost, Fraction, et al. | X-Men 5
  • Fear Itself | Matt Fraction
  • Schism | Jason Aaron, Kieron Gillen | X-Men 7
  • Avengers vs. X-Men | Bendis, Brubaker, et al. | X-Men 8
  • Infinity | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2.5
  • Secret Wars | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 3

    Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Literary/natural narratives? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Social/political commentary? Family-friendly/explicit content? Optimism/pessimism? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.

    Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.


u/Bayls_171 · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

100% good decision. Too many people spend a lot of time on superheroes and never get around to what the rest of the medium has to offer. I mean superheroes are cool but there is so much out there

Ultimate Spider-Man is definitely a great place to start. Digital and print

If you like fantasy and are ok with nudity, read Saga. Digital and print

>Is there a difference between Marvel and DC except for the different superheroes?

Less than some would like you to think. Honestly its hard to say there's any meaningful difference between them because its hard to make a statement that is true about all of their comics from all periods, because they put out so. many. books.

Generally, Marvel centres around concepts and characters made by Stan Lee (Spider-Man, Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Daredevil), Steve Ditko (Spider-Man, Dr Strange), or Jack Kirby (Captain America, Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men and most importantly the Machine Man), or a combination of those three. DC characters have been created by a lot of different people over a much longer timespan. But even that isn't really true since 80% of the street level Marvel characters like Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones were created over a very long time, and the best X-Men were created in the 70s/80s by Len Wein and Claremont

Also, over the last decade Marvel's stuff tends to be much more intertwined thanks to shitty line-wide events, while DC's is, generally, more separate. But even that isn't true since in the New 52 DC's continuity was quite close together, even without events

The biggest difference between them is that at any one time one of them is in the shit, while the other one is doing well. Generally. Sometimes they're both shit. Sometimes they're both ok

edit: also what country do you live in? if you're buying print books I could try and give recommendations for websites to use

u/Theseus23 · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

It's so odd that if you buy comics on amazon FOR comixology, it's cheaper than buying it ON comixolgy.

For me, digi is awesome because I don't have to remember to pack it (if I'm traveling between friends houses it is just a log in away) and for certain crossovers/story arcs, it is easier to flip back and forth (you said you are reading new 52 batman. the night of owls crossover and the death in the family you need to flip back and forth between series in the middle of TPBs, online would make this infinitely easier).

also with your phone or ipad, you can jsut download the comics, so that way you don't need wifi later (you can also easily delete them from your storage) and you can use the amazon kindle app once it's downloaded w/out wifi.

However, I love the feeling of actual print, and I like to support my LCS. With print I enjoy holding it, and just overall feel...more real? I guess when I read it, rather than on an ipad or a computer. Though still Digi tends to be ridiculously cheaper than in print TPB in store.

I've found digi TPB on amazon ~10. print tpb on amazon 12~, digi on comixology 12~ and in store print, 16~.

for reference [Batman new 52 vol 1] (https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Owls-New/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467687559&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=batman+cout+of+owls) 8 digi, 10 print but closer to 15 in store.

I recently bought [justice league new 52 vol 1] (https://www.amazon.com/Justice-League-Vol-Origin-New/dp/1401237886/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467687640&sr=8-1&keywords=justice+league+vol+1) for 10$ on amazon in print, and the label still says 17$. So LCS up charge alot.

All in all, I enjoy getting print in certain issues like GL and Justice League just because I enjoy the artwork SO much. I also like having big story arcs in print because it feels satisfying to just know i collected those big issues (Blackest night, Brightest Day, infinity gauntlet (marvel)]
However the artwork on digi tends to be great as well, Teen titans for example looks awesome. I'm not really sure I have anything to compare (as in the exact issue), but it seems to be just as fine.

Overall, digi almost always cheaper, always have on you, (you can download ahead of time) can delete later for room, can flip between easier, some artwork might not be as good. also never have to worry about damage.
Print, something satisfying about feeling it in your hands, sometimes makes it seems more real than on a computer.

u/Austounded · 5 pointsr/theflash

Howdy there, this is a common question but by no means a shunned one.

u/Daredevil99 recommendations are fantastic, the current book is being written by a die-hard Flash fan and has been knocking it out of the park with every issue. If you can find that I would suggest getting that in tandem with u/Jayesar pointed out with New 52 Vol 1 "Move Forward" that book is a great introduction into Barry Allen as the Flash

You mentioned you're a show fan trying to get into the comics, well I thought I would let you know a little bit about the legacy of the Flash. There have been four Flashes to date: Jay Garrick (Flash I), Barry Allen (Flash II), Wally West (Flash III), and the short lived Bart Allen (Flash IV). There are also members of the Flash family that go by different names like Max Mercury and Jesse Quick; additionally Bart Allen originally went by Impulse.

A small bit of history that may be helpful if you go and read some of the Pre-52 Flash books is that Barry Allen is dead. He sacrificed his life in Crisis on Infinite Earths to save the universe. That's all you need to know from that event, you may even recognize this homage from the finale of season 2. The effect of his death weighs really heavy on Wally for the first part of his time as Flash. However, Wally's time as Flash is the one with the most well regarded stories. Barry does eventually come back in another event 25 years later, those events are detailed in Flash: Rebirth (2010)

The rest I'll let you learn, but we love answering any questions you may have. Moreover, to find the official list of our recommendations check out the subreddit's sidebar. Most of them feature Wally West (It is currently out of chronological order so bare with us. sorry).

Here is a synopsis I love to steal from u/Dredeuced from when I first joined the sub.

Born to Run by Mark Waid: #62 to #65. Modern retelling of Wally's origin. Quintessential retcon and character definition arc.

The Return of Barry Allen by Mark Waid: #73 to #79. Wally deals with the shadow of being the "unworthy" successor to the great Barry Allen.

Impulse's Debut + Terminal Velocity by Mark Waid: #91 to #100 (you might want to read a couple issues prior to understand what the "Speed Formula" is and why Wally has it). Wally gets his own side kick and the Speed Force is introduced to DC.

Dead Heat by Mark Waid (this one is a little weird, order wise): #108, #109, Impulse #10, #110, Impulse #11, #111 for all six parts. Impulse is obviously a spin off of The previous Terminal Velocity arc and a side run to Wally's The Flash run. Speed Force Lore + Sidekick stuff, again, but it's good so read it!

Race Against Time by Mark Waid: #112 to #118. Fun time travel shenanigans.

The Human Race by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar: #136 to #138. Absolutely insane racing and time travel shenanigans.

The Black Flash by Mark Millar: #139 to #141. The nasty side of the Speed Force.

Chain Lightning by Mark Waid: #145 to #150 (Another time I suggest you read the previous 2 issues or so to know what's going on). BEYOND RIDICULOUS INSANE TIME TRAVEL STUFF. Things get really, super crazy in this part.

The Dark Flash Saga by Mark Waid: #152 to #160. Alternate Future Wally comes back in time, but he has a DARK SECRET and blah blah. If you're reading Venditti's current Barry run then this will seem familiar to you.

Johns run starts at #164, and I guess I can break it up into arcs as well.
Basically, from #164 to #191 Johns does a series of loosely connected one shots, usually focusing on either a team up or, more importantly, focusing on all of Wally's individual Rogues -- some of which are new characters Johns makes himself (Johns is MUCH better at making villains than Waid, whereas I think Waid's strength is in writing Wally's demeanor and his supporting cast). There is no arc here, but this is all setup for later arcs involving The Rogues and Wally's own Reverse Flash. It's basically impossible to separate until we get to:

Grodd Returns by Geoff Johns: #192 to #194. It's not actually called that but that's basically what it is. This is pretty important, not just because of Grodd, but because this and some following issues are the origin of Hunter Zolomon, AKA Zoom, who is Wally's Reverse Flash and he gets two of his own arcs later.

Blitz! by Geoff Johns: #197 to #200. Enter Zoom. This is probably the most shocking arc in Wally's entire run for how it upends so many things that have been consistent with Wally in the past Flash runs. In a lot of previous arcs, things do change, but by and large the status quo on major things stays the same -- some things get upgraded (like Wally's abilities or his relationship with Linda going from GF -> Fiancee -> Marriage), but that's about it. At the end of this arc, Wally's life has been...well, it's been pretty drastically altered, in part by his villain and in part by his own decision. Just read it, might be the most impactful arc in Wally's history short of The Return of Barry Allen. You'll note that both of those arc have a Reverse Flash in them, too!

Ignition by Geoff Johns: #201 to #206. Kind of a glue arc, connecting Blitz to Identity Crisis to Rogue War.

Identity Crisis: Flash by Geoff Johns: #207 to #217. Technically, it doesn't start at #207 but those pages are basically the same story and were just released slightly before everyone was getting official "Identity Crisis tie-in!" labels.

The Rogue War by Geoff Johns: #220 to #225. The end of Johns run, and what a heck of an ending -- a little compressed, but pretty great none the less (though I have a specific problem with it, it's not a big one and it's not worth tinting your view when you read it yourself).


Note: these are all about Wally's time as Flash.

Barry's resurrection and takeover of the Flash solo titles begins with

Flash: Rebirth (2010) by Geoff Johns 1-6. This story flings Barry back into the forefront of the Flash Family revealing secrets about the his origin, powers, and the Speed Force. This can be very confusing so its best understood with the knowledge from the previous books.

The Dastardly Death of the Rogues by Geoff Johns. Barry is back! but a group of people from the future calling themselves the Renegades have appeared attempting to arrest Barry for a crime he hasn't even committed yet? It's Rogues vs. Flash vs. Renegades.

Flashpoint (2011) by Geoff Johns 1-5. Following the devastating news revealed in Flash Rebirth, Barry attempts to go back in time only to find out by doing so he has changed the entire world. With no powers Barry must find a way to undo his most desired wish.

The fallout of Flashpoint leads to the creation of The New 52. a line wide reboot, making Barry the only Speedster in the Flash Family.

New 52 Vol 1-4 by Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul. See a young Barry once again have to learn the ropes of being a super hero and the Fastest Man Alive!

Flashing* forward to today, a new event has spawned, and the information revealed explains the absence of members such as Jay and Wally. Wally has been trapped in the Speed Force! and the entire world forgot who he was. His return to the DC landscape was accompanied with certain people recovering their lost memories and discovering a new threat, the one who stole them!

All this is detailed in DC Universe: Rebirth followed by Flash: Rebirth #1 (2016) and the current run with issue 3 coming out this Wednesday.

> "A new storm brews over Central City and disproves the old adage about lightning never, well… you know. Just as Barry begins to feel overwhelmed fighting crime, a new speedster debuts—but just where did this amazing new friend come from?"

Meet Godspeed.

A quick little side note. During the New 52 a different Wally West is revealed to be black (I call him Young Wally, others call him Chocolate Wally). In DC Universe: Rebirth he is also revealed to be the white Wally's (as I call him Adult Wally, others Strawberry Wally) cousin! Today the Flash Family is 3 members strong once again!

Happy Reading! Ebay, Amazon and sites like NewKadia are great resources to pick up collected volumes or single issues. I'm personally a single issue kind of guy. Hope this wasn't an information overload! If you need clarification, ask away or you can always consult the ever useful Comicstorian or the humorous Comic Pop on YouTube.

The Flash has had some of the best artist come through his book so don't let those old collected volume covers sway you, the interiors are amazing. Also it may be fun to pick these up as single issues rather than trades. It really feels like a collection that way. If you do buy issues online, be sure to check for their grading. Can save you from buying a book that looks brand new and one that looks like a rag.


NM- Near Mint

VF- Very Fine

FN- Fine

VG- Very Good

GD- Good

FR- Fair

PR- Poor

u/Verbind · 1 pointr/randomactsofamazon

Woah. Did not see this. Sort of late comment.

Okay. I am a huge comic book fan. I am not sure what you would be in to, but my strong point is superheros so I will recommend you some.


Batman Vol. 1 of the New 52 series (DC's remake on 52 comic series) is a great one, mostly because the story line is pretty amazing and batman is one of the most popular series.

Another good starter is Nightwing Vol. 1. This story follows Dick Grayson, a former robin who is now a solo hero (nightwing.) Batman Vol. 1 and Nightwing Vol. 1 are sort of tied together so if you get this, although it would be optional and you would still understand the storyline, I highly recommend you also get Batman.

Other batman issues I recommend picking up are the new 52 issues 21-29 (Zero Year) and also batman #30 (Zero Year - Ravage City) I picked up #30 yesterday and it was superb. One of my favorite issues ever. I was also recently recommended Batman Death of the Family, which is inbetween the Court of Owls (1-12) and Zero Year (21-29)

Other than that, you could try starting on another New 52, such as the Flash, Aquaman, Batman & Robin, Action Comics, Detective Comics, or Green Arrow, just to name a few.


Have fun :)



Edit: Just noticed you like dark and intense storylines, which makes this even better because thats basically all batman is (lol).


Edit 2: I would also recommend looking into some comic book subreddits, such as /r/comicbooks /r/batman /r/marvel /r/DCcomics

Edit 3: Saw this below, but The Walking Dead would be great if you like zombies, although it would be quite hard to catch up to.

Edit 4 (SO MANY EDITS): If you would like to know some other NEW 52s, I have some on my wishlist here (shameless plug)

u/_AlphaZulu_ · 1 pointr/DCcomics

Hello and I'm glad to see you're showing interest in comics. Let me be the first to say that I'm not some seasoned veteran with limitless knowledge of the "ins" and "outs" regarding to comics. The first time I picked up a DC Comic and read it was a 2 years ago, I picked up Batman Under The Red Hood. Why? I had seen the animated movie and LOVED it. I wanted to see what the graphic novel had to offer. At the time I didn't have access to comics and that was the only DC Comic I read. A year ago, I was on vacation in NYC and I picked up Justice League Vol. 1 Origins. Why? I was browsing through the store for something to jump out at me. I had no idea who Geoff Johns or Jim Lee was. At the time I didn't care, I just wanted to pick up a book, read it, and enjoy it. When I picked up Justice League Vol. 1, I was like "OH SHIIIIIIII", I felt like I had been transported into another reality. Reading about Green Lantern meeting Batman for the first time, it was great.

Then this past year I went to my first Comic Con. DC was pushing a lot of comics and they had all these artists and writers and panels, but I had no idea who these people were or why they were important. I remember sitting there at the Batman panel and they showed a slide of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, as they were describing the story behind and what Bruce was going through, I was thinking, "I need to read this."
After NYCC was over I went to my local comic book store and picked up TDKR, and fucking LOVED it. It's not New 52. It's not new, it's older. But here's the thing. It's fucking awesome. Go buy it and read it and you'll see.


I'm just going to cut this short and say, there isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to read comics. Just go to the store, and see what jumps out at you. I mean, who cares if you happen to like the current Batgirl, while I may hate it. You are paying for the comic and if you enjoy it, why does it matter if it's "right" or "wrong"?

If you're lost, I'm sure you can find some help from everyone on here, the staff at your local comic store, can surely help if you just take the mindset of, "Hey I'm new can you at least point in me in some sort of direction for starting out?"
That's all I have to say about that. Good luck and hope you enjoy your time in comics (whether it be DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, etc)

If I had to supply a "here's a good place to start list", I'd say start with the following.

-Batman [Court of Owls] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Owls-New/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342173&sr=8-1&keywords=batman+court+of+owls)

-Batgirl [Darkest Reflection] (http://www.amazon.com/Batgirl-Vol-Darkest-Reflection-New/dp/1401238149/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342206&sr=8-1&keywords=batgirl+vol+1)

-The Flash [Move Forward] (http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-Move-Forward-New/dp/1401235549/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342234&sr=8-1&keywords=flash+move+forward)
This isn't New 52 but it's still good [The Dark Knight Returns] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Returns-Frank-Miller/dp/1563893428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342259&sr=8-1&keywords=frank+miller+the+dark+knight+returns&pebp=1422342259313&peasin=1563893428)

u/nightowl994 · 3 pointsr/comicbooks

I second the Marvel Adventures line and Superman Adventures.

I'd also recommend:

  • The Batman Adventures - It ran from 1992-1995 and was the predecessor to the Gotham Adventures series you mentioned, and the companion title to Superman Adventures.
  • Bone - A ridiculously fun to read fantasy/adventure story published from 1991 to 2004. Great art, great humor, and it truly appeals to all ages. The colorized version is published in nine digest-sized volumes that are extremely easy to find and very affordable, especially if you buy them used. The original black-and-white version is also available in one volume, but from what I hear there is a lot of gutter loss due to its size and the pages are easy to tear since they are so thin.
  • Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil - Good little story from the creator of Bone. I'd especially recommend this for kids who like Superman since it features a similar character. From 2007.
  • Thor: The Mighty Avenger - Non-canon story about a young Thor. Not only a great kid's comic but one of the best Thor stories ever written. Beautiful artwork, great romance, fun adventures, and lots of appearances from other Marvel characters including Captain America and Iron Man. It ran from 2010-2011 and was sadly cancelled early. Available on Marvel Unlimited.
  • Ultimate Spider-Man - Not good for smaller children due to lots of dialogue and a moderate amount of violence and sexual content, but excellent for adolescents and teens. I'd recommend it up to issue #128. It's currently being reprinted in this "Ultimate Collection" format which is so far up to volume 6 at issue #71. It ran from 2000-2011 and all of it is available on Marvel Unlimited.

    If you're open to older comics (Silver and Bronze Age), then many volumes from the Marvel Epic Collection line are also a good bet, but do a little research since some won't be very kid-friendly. They're fairly affordable reprints of classic stories that aim to reprint the entire history of Marvel's major characters from their inception to usually the mid-nineties (but they're not published in chronological order). They typically retail for around $35 for 400-500 pages of comics.

    I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting, but I hope this helps!
u/DebentureThyme · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Glad I'm a horrible person for buying high quality extras...

Their next step IS selling books and media, yes, in one of my other comments I pointed out that some games are fully contained within themselves, while others are a multimedia experience across various mediums.

If that's not for you, then don't buy it. Simple as that.

The thing about WoW, and Overwatch, is a vast majority ignore the lore. Especially with Overwatch, which is a salvage of the MMO Titan. It's a multiplayer game that they're trying to make competitive for esports. The fact that the story is there at all is kind of beyond what people expect from the game.


Their pricing is, yeah, too high. And I don't support the Loot Boxes being a store purchase (haven't bought one, never will, and won't ever need to do so).

Eventually the game will go on sale, as all their games do. But as they keep reaffirming, all future gameplay, heroes, and maps will be free DLC, and they are working on a lot of it.

I like books. I like other media. They already HAVE this book in the Collector's Edition that is basically a ~170 page manual. But you know what it's not? Some cheap thing. It's highest quality print, glossy with art print quality pages. It's not some el cheapo production.

The fact that it spans many mediums... you don't have to play or enjoy this. You aren't entitled to have it your way. You only get to vote with your wallet by not being involved at all.

As someone who enjoyed the WoW visual novels, and comics, and loves the fuck out of this book that just came out, yeah I'm not about to stop investing in that stuff. Long after WoW itself feels stale in an expansion, their other content is appealing. You know how they'd include that all in game? Higher prices.

Oh, I'm not saying they couldn't afford to do it otherwise. I'm saying they won't because it's already a extreme minority of players that are even interested in this stuff. That book is high quality hardcover with beautiful art and so much lore that 99.99999% of all WoW players would never care to even read.

Also, this isn't the only Overwatch game that will exist. They have stated that, if things sell well, they'll be adding other games and TYPES of games to this universe. This is just the start of this IP. You can bet on the fact that this is going to get single player / story focused games, games that will tie in with a continuing storyline in the FPS, other content. I wouldn't be surprised if the roadmap for it has other game types in the works already with one of their other teams.

The shame is that more people don't have access to these materials. I would not put anyone down for pirating any of this (WoW Chronicles PDF available on a site near you cough) simply because there's so much there that you're missing out on if you can't afford it.

They may not be the best at making the games include stuff, and frankly something like WoW Chronicles, and the Visual Source Book for Overwatch, would probably sell better if they included an average res version with the game. People would go out and buy it to have a high quality book with really high res artwork as well, but all players would have digital access to the info.

I can't force them to do that, and honestly I'm not going to make a difference with them. They know their market, and you seem to not be it. You may simply want to go find developers providing what you like.

If you think this is going to stop at all with Blizzard... yeah, no, not going to happen. Way too late. Over a decade too late.

The bright side: Games like The Witcher exist, from great studios like CD Projekt Red, who include basically everything in the game, and trust their users with a zero DRM promise to the community in the hopes that it will help sell better by having faith in the users.

Blizzard is more about selling IP across medium than any one game at this point. WoW is a game, but most of the game is focused on the game play side, with some questing info... but then so much of the other stuff is outside of the game. The collectibles, the novels, visual novels, comics, other forms of books... It's simply how it evolved and it's successful for them. That's a shame for those just wanting to play a game and be able to learn everything, but it's unfortunately doing well. There are simply too many users with a larger amount of cash offsetting the smaller income users by buying into it all (I have the collector's edition, but I paid half price due to some finagling, and wouldn't own it otherwise. Which, in retrospect, feels like a damn shame that everyone can't enjoy this stuff.) It's not going to change :/

u/Sub93 · 2 pointsr/MeetPeople

I fell asleep not long after posting this, so my apologies for the late reply. I've been listening to that Veils EP this morning, I love it! Haven't had time to listen to Alive she died. Will come around it after finishing this post :) Veils does make me think of acts like Black Wing / Planning for Burial , maybe even a little bit Andy Stott or even Author & Punisher

There is lots of great synthwave around on the internet, look for Youtube channels like That 80's Guy / Asthenic / NewRetroWave they have great artists featured on their channels. You seem to have a good compatible music taste though, I also collect vinyl and now that I read my post back when somewhat hungover, I realize I could've put so much more stuff in there.

Black Metal albums I definitely recommend: Batushka - Litourgiya / Mgla - Exercises in Futility / Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life and loads more if you're interested! I like how monotone and raw the genre can be while at the same time being super versatile. It's like listening to a great painting or something, I have no idea how to describe it.

And please do recommend me books that are beyond niche, I just finished This is Not Fame: "A From what I Re-Memoir" by Doug Stanhope and am currently reading World of Warcraft Chronicle: Volume 1 but thats mainly because I just recently rebooted that game and am playing it casually and am enjoying getting deeper into the story through my virtual adventures. But I could use some books that are a bit less fiction :) Psyhorror, True Crime, Thrillers, I'm all for it. Definitely going to check out Ezra Blake. I do indeed like dark and grisly! Just seen that intro video on the website you linked, seems to be right up my alley!

I just seen The Rum Diary and read the book, I am a fan of Hunter S. Thompson his work! Same goes for Charles Bukowski. But I haven't been digging any deeper into stuff is comparable. They both write very different of course, but their outlaw persona's is what definitely attracts me!

Any free indie games I can get my hands on I will definitely play, one of my favorite indie games of all time is Valiant Hearts the feels.. ooooh the feels my friends...

Definitely like to hear more from you! And todays first drink, which I will consume in an hour or so (I have the day off!) will be for you!

​

​

u/Avengers_IT · 3 pointsr/Marvel

I'll give a crack at this:


Amazing Spider-Man is the primary comic that Spidey has appeared in and it has over 700 issues (damn close to 800 depending on how modern Marvel wants to count that) but it isn't the only one. His other titles and team-up books and team books put him in the thousands. So let's break this up.


Amazing Spider-Man 


The first 150 issues of Spider-Man are some of the best. You can collect this a few different ways but I would check out:


https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Amazing-Spider-Man-Masterworks-Vol-1/0785112561


Why should you start here? You get to see the magic happen as Peter becomes the hero and you get introduced to the vast majority of supporting characters that will continue to show up. There is a tonal shift after Lee steps down from writing duties that I personally enjoyed because during this era the characters grow in a way that haven't been able to in other eras. I think the conclusion of this era is with the death of Gwen Stacy and how that effects Peter's life. 


Amazing Spider-Man 200 to 400 are to be read when you are really ready to dive into the story. This is mid-80s (Secret Wars 1/2) to mid-90s (Clone Saga). I say this because it's around this time that the story is broken up where Story X Chapter 1 is in Amazing Spider-Man 312 and chapter 2 is in Web of Spider-Man 34 and Chapter 3 is in another comic. Aka it's confusing as hell. There are great stories here basically everything with Venom and Carnage but finding it is difficult. I would suggest a good reading list and Marvel Unlimited. For the Clone Saga check out: http://lifeofreillyarchives.blogspot.it/?m=1


If you are looking for a Spidey you are familiar with from the show I would read JMS's run. Personally it's not my favorite but the characterization will be very familiar to you here. 


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazing-Spider-Man-Ultimate-Collection-Graphic/dp/0785138935


A lot changes with Spidey at this story where he is basically soft rebooted. This pissed off a lot of people but oh well it's been over a decade. You can read this basically straight through but I will provide a few other jumping on points below. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spider-Man-One-More-Graphic-Novel/dp/0785126341

Slott's run has been going on for a while to the point that this is modern Spider-Man. The character growth is something I champion but I can see people's complaints about it. If you want to see Spider-Man as he is now start here. 


https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Spider-Man-Big-Time-Ultimate-Collection-Dan-Slott/0785162178


Some modern highlights to not miss:


Avenging Spider-Man/Avenging Superior Spider-Man (that might not be right name exactly) are fantastic. It's a team up book that explores his relationship with other Avengers and it is wonderful. 


Superior-Foes of Spider-Man is a classic and I don't want to say much more. 


Agent Venom sprawls out of Slott's run and is also an amazing story. I don't want to give spoilers on this one too but keep it in mind. 


Finally this takes us to the team books. Spider-Man joins the Avengers in New Avengers #1 and is on the team from here. Brian Michael Bendis who I'm going to go on about in a second wrote one to four concurrent Avengers titles between 2004 and 2011 that is a wild ride. I enjoyed them and I know they had some flaws but I think they are a must read. 


Side note Spidey was made a probationary Avenger in Avengers Vol 3 which is arguably the best Avengers run (I would rate it number 2). 


Finally the Ultimate universe ... Ultimate Spider-Man and the other Ultimate titles were some of the best comics Marvel has put out in a long time. BMB was able to capture the feel of the early era but maybe it completely his own. It is a work of art ... Until Ultimatum. This event destroyed the Ultimate universe. I hated it. The ultimate comics were still good to read after that but they lost something essential that they had when they first started. 


Now I wrote all of this by memory so I'm sorry if something is off but this should be a good primer. Please consult comicbookherald.com for more (and better) commentary about comics.


But most importantly welcome and have fun on your journey. 

Edit: forgot a link.

u/xkjeku · 1 pointr/comicbooks

These are all the modern Barry Allen Books in the order they occur. If you want to read the best of the best Flash stories The Flash by Mark Waid volume 1 is out and The Flash by Geoff Johns volumes 1-3 but these feature Wally West as the Flash who (in most people on this sub's opinion) is the best Flash. Wally is also my personal favorite comics character. So here's my Barry Allen reading order with brief explanations:

Flash Rebirth brings Bary up to speed with the world and shows him dealing with being a man out of time. This story kind of demeans Wally as character in my opinion, it makes him seem incapable of doing much and shows Barry doing things Wally can't do in this story despite Wally showing he's convincingly surpassed his mentor. I'd talk more about this but this isn't he post for that.

The Flash Dastardly Death of The Rogues is the best Barry Allen story, it is a must read

Flash: Road to Flashpoint. This story is pretty alright, the collected version has a lot of interesting one shots and such and it directly leads into Flashpoint. This doesn't get recommended often, but I enjoyed it and I think it should be at least mentioned

Flashpoint kicks off the New 52 and is a very well written Barry Allen story. This leads into the New 52 series

The Flash New 52 Vol 1-4 Collected in this omnibus. This has absolutely stunning art and it's the same art team that did Dastardly Death of the Rogues, the artists also double as the writers and they capture a good Barry Allen in my opinion. This run is great but everything after is pretty mediocre. This easily my favorite run on the character and it's very beginner friendly. If you want to just get one thing on this list, get this.

DC Universe Rebirth is a great story and Barry and a certain other speedster are very relevant to the story

The Flash Rebirth (2016) is the current ongoing, you can digitally purchase it or buy the issues individually from Midtown Comics (The website) or your LCBS. I'm linking the first volume of this run.

u/FlyByTieDye · 3 pointsr/batman

Ok, I think I should be able to help. For the most part, it is the same story within, it just depends on your preference of how you wish to keep and store your comics for longevity purposes.

This is the standard trade paperback, it contains the standard four chapters (which is the complete story) featuring I believe the modern recolouring, plus a few extras like word from author or else glimpses of art as it was in development. Trade paper backs are probably the most convenient way to read a comic, as they collect all the single issues needed into one self contained book. Some people though feel that trade paper backs do not keep well over time due e.g. the way the pages are bound together. I still I have my versions I bought in 2016, and it appears to have kept well.

There is the recent Deluxe edition, which again contains the same story, which is similarly recoloured, though it appears there are a few extra material pages from other artist commentaries, more behind the scenes arts and the like (mostly trivial unless your really keen on knowing the behind the scenes process). The big difference though comes from it being hardback, and being a higher quality product i.e. binding is better. It will probably keep better over time. There are many fans who prefer to buy Deluxe editions for their favourite stories to preserve them better for longer, but it does make collecting more expensive. It really is up to you on how much you are willing to pay for, how you store your comics (i.e. keep them standing up right on a bookshelf rather than stacked lying down on the floor), how long you intend to keep your comics around, how many other comics you are considering getting. Trade paper backs are the easiest ways to start for newbies, Deluxe are usually for more serious investments and collectors.

There is another version available that I'm not sure whether you had seen, but I will explain for clarity, too. That would be the Absolute Edition. The Absolute edition is the most expensive, and hence most fancy-pants way of collecting comics. It comes with anything you could imagine wanting to collect. For example, this version of Year One collects the modern recolour, scans of the original in original colour, full artist break down of each chapter, etc. I believe it would even be a larger size (to take in more detail), it is obviously hard cover, probably comes with it's own box, and is a serious luxury item.

Why would they make three different versions of the same story? Because they know some fans will buy it first in single issue, might collect it later in trade (either paper back for casual fans, or Deluxe for more long term keeping), and again there will be some fans whose love for the comic is so great that on a significant anniversary they can release a luxury item like this and some fans again will buy it all over, to pour over all the details and more again, and to show how much they love particular stories. Not every comic story will get an Absolute (just really notable ones, like Watchmen, The Killing Joke, etc.), but the ones that do will most likely have a largely dedicated fan base that will surely buy it all over again (and it's not as if they aren't gaining something from it too, if they do love it, and want more from it. You know, I'm not trying to be too cynical or anything, because I do understand wanting to get more from what you like, just like how movies might come with Director's cut, Director's commentary, etc, Absolute's are like that).

So, I hope I have been able to help, or at least clarify what it is you are looking at there. Please let me know if there is anything else you would like extra information on!

u/c_d_u_b · 10 pointsr/AskHistorians

Computer scientist here... I'm not a "real" mathematician but I do have a good bit of education and practical experience with some specific fields of like probability, information theory, statistics, logic, combinatorics, and set theory. The vast majority of mathematics, though, I'm only interested in as a hobby. I've never gone much beyond calculus in the standard track of math education, so I to enjoy reading "layman's terms" material about math. Here's some stuff I've enjoyed.

Fermat's Enigma This book covers the history of a famous problem that looks very simple, yet it took several hundred years to resolve. In so doing it gives layman's terms overviews of many mathematical concepts in a manner very similar to jfredett here. It's very readable, and for me at least, it also made the study of mathematics feel even more like an exciting search for beautiful, profound truth.

Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth I've been told this book contains some inaccuracies, but I'm including it because I think it's such a cool idea. It's a graphic novelization (seriously, a graphic novel about a logician) of the life of Bertrand Russell, who was deeply involved in some of the last great ideas before Godel's Incompleteness Theorem came along and changed everything. This isn't as much about the math as it is about the people, but I still found it enjoyable when I read it a few years ago, and it helped spark my own interest in mathematics.

Lots of people also love Godel Escher Bach. I haven't read it yet so I can't really comment on it, but it seems to be a common element of everybody's favorite books about math.

u/jim__nightshade · 1 pointr/comicbooks

Right i'm bored in work so here are some suggestions!

Joss Whedons Astonishing X-Men Run - Great run and you can tell how much Whedon loves these characters

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman - Never been a fan of the Four but Hickman has a great GREAT run here. Bit long and drawn out but if you like a slow build with a massive pay off this will be right up your street

Uncanny X-Force by Rick Rememnder Probably my most favored run out of marvel the last few years, great stories, great characters and a great ending.

If you enjoyed Saga basically anything from Image the last couple of years are fantastic and i genuinely prefer it to Marvel/Dc. My recommendations being Manhattan Projects, East of West, Black Science, Deadly class. The first two have a few volumes each and the last two have recently released their first trades.

What other characters do you love?

u/BaraBatman · 4 pointsr/DCcomics

Regarding Superman, don't worry about him, I hated him when I started reading comics (started with Batman) because to me it also seemed too OP for his stories to make sense, maybe I stayed too much with my vision of him instead of giving him a shot. He did grow on me, and is now one of my favourite characters. The stories that really helped for me to love him are Superman American Alien, All Star Superman and Superman Peace on Earth among many others. Don't worry if you still dislike him, it won't diminish your fondness of the rest of the vast DCU nor will it spoil you stories, just don't go into every story with a "ugh I hate him" and give him a few tries. Being such an important figure in the DCU you will cross paths with him several times, like him or not, better to make the most of it and not be too stubborn.

Regarding Watchmen, Watchmen is a story that deconstructs a lot of superhero tropes and cliches, so the best way to take the most of it would be to have read a lot of comics and really understand what this story is trying to break. So yes, you could read it now and like it, or you could read it in a few months worth of comics and really love it. At least I know that I love it a little bit more on every re-read, having read lots of comics in the interim.

---
And now the important stuff, where to start:

Yes, both New 52 and Rebirth are two completely perfect starting points, one being 5 years older than the other. Rebirth serves as a continuation of the N52, but starting on it right away won't diminish anything, it's a perfectly valid starting point and I recommend you to start there. The reason being that you have much less to catch up (no more than a year and a half). So what I would recommend is:

  • Start with Rebirth, with DCU Rebirth #1 and then read every character's rebirth series that you are interested in. Lets say Batman? Currently there's been only two volumes of Batman Rebirth released (vol 1 and vol 2 with the third one on september). Just pick his volumes, and after you have read this "Trade paperbacks" (collection of single issues), you can read the series on a weekly basis, buying the 2.99 single issues (or 'floppies'), which are currently in between the #10th and #25th issue.

  • After you have cought up with Rebirth as much as you like (you don't need nor have to read every character, just read whatever you like) you can both retroactively read the New 52 series and go on with the Rebirth ones. So let's say you finished every Rebirth volume you were interested in and crave for more, you can read, with Batman as an example, his 10 New52 volumes.

    ---
    As for where to read stuff, that's completely up to you. If you have a cool Local Comicbook Shop (LCS) near you, you should go and check it out, they have really cool people that can guide you in a much humane way than an internet stranger. If you don't, don't worry, I read most of my stuff online, so check out Comixology with all of their weekly sales! And the third option is to order everything online and get it delivered, some good sites are Amazon, InStockTrades and Bookdepository. Check out all of your options!

    If you are in the US go to your local library and check out Hoopla a really great way for you to read a lot of stuff for free!

    ---

    TLDR


    You want to start with the New 52?

  • Flashpoint (completely optional) -> pick a character -> read his volumes

    Here is a list of the first half of the New 52 (couldn't find a complete one)

    You want to start with Rebirth?

  • DCU Rebirth 1 -> pick a character -> read his volumes

    Here is a list of them all. Check out the "Road to Rebirth" tab, which has optional, stuff for you to read

    What would I do?

    Pick Rebirth, after finishing, read the New52 stuff while continuing with Rebirth
u/ohnoesazombie · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

I think the best way is to suggest a few that got me into reading. One or two are YA, but well-written enough that I find it as worthwhile a read at 28 as it did at 14.

Ender's Game - Earth Has made contact with an alien species, and... It didn't go well. A program is started to teach a new generation of soldiers how to fight this alien threat. Children are not allowed to be children for long when the future of mankind is on the line. Also, it's being adapted into what is shaping up to be a pretty badass movie.

Snow Crash - Written in the 90's, but it essentially pioneered the concept of the online avatar, and predicted the rise of the MMO. Also, pizza-delivering ninjas. Trust me on this. It's good stuff.

Neuromancer Classic cyber-punk. Most sci-fi is like you see in star trek. Clean and sterile. Cyberpunk is the dirtier side of sci-fi. Organized crime, computer hacking, and a heist on a space station. And Molly. This book is the reason I have a thing for dangerous redheads.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Considered by most to be the very best in sci-fi humor. Lighthearted, hilarious, and I find I can read it in the course of about two days. It is absolutely, completely, and utterly amazing.

American Gods - What happens to the old gods when we start worshiping the new ones? Can the likes of Odin or Anubis compete with our new objects of worship. like television or internet? Remember, Gods only exist as long as folks believe in them. The old Gods aren't going down without a fight, though...

Hope some of these strike your fancy. It's admittedly more sci-fi than anything, but it's all soft sci-fi (Where the science isn't as important as the fiction, so story comes first), and nothing too out there. Please let me know if you decide to try any of these, and especially let me know if you enjoy them. I always like to hear if I help someone find a book they love.

u/gingergeek · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Advice from a woman in her mid-thirties who has worked in a comic book store:

Whiteout - not much romance, but great crime/mystery
http://www.amazon.com/Whiteout-Definitive-Oni-Press-v/dp/193266470X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313775790&sr=1-4

Strangers in Paradise - so awesome (6 volumes I think)
http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Paradise-Pocket-Book-Collection/dp/1892597268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313775719&sr=8-1

Fables - if she likes fantasy (many volumes, ongoing)
http://www.amazon.com/Fables-Vol-1-Legends-Exile/dp/1563899426/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313775940&sr=1-1

Excellent comic writers your mother might like:
Greg Rucka
Darwyn Cooke
Neil Gaiman
Bryan K Vaughan
Brian Michael Bendis

Vertigo and Oni, along with other independents and smaller publishers, are great places to look for stuff. Watchmen, Dark Knight, etc are all comic classics, but not good for those not already familiar with the genre.

There is lots of great fantasy out there like Bone, and many comic book stories in tv (Doctor Who, Buffy, etc) or novel universes (Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs, Lauren K Hamilton, etc).

I would stay away from anything superhero to start, if she isn't into that genre already. When/if she is interested, try easing her into it with something like:

Any Astro City graphic novel by Kurt Busiek
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Big-City-Astro-Vol/dp/156389551X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776496&sr=1-2

Superman For All Seasons (Superman)
http://www.amazon.com/Superman-All-Seasons-Jeph-Loeb/dp/1563895293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313776360&sr=8-1

Batman: Year One
http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Year-One-Frank-Miller/dp/1401207529/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776472&sr=1-1

Top Ten - superhero police procedural
(there's also Powers by BM Bendis or Gotham Central)
http://www.amazon.com/Top-Ten-Book-Alan-Moore/dp/1563896680/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776536&sr=1-1

Daredevil: Yellow
http://www.amazon.com/Daredevil-Yellow-Unnumbered-Jeph-Loeb/dp/0785134441/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776756&sr=1-2


Many of these you can order online, but consider supporting your local comic shop by buying through them.

u/Mr_Smartie · 6 pointsr/comicbooks

Well, the thing about getting into Big 2 comics is that it's really easier than it sounds, especially since both companies have gone through major "reboots" a few years ago, with DC launching The New 52 (which reset or compressed several decades of continuity) and Marvel launching Marvel NOW!, both of which reset several titles to #1. You can pick up trades (or collected volumes of issues) from Amazon or read digitally on Comixology. Many local libraries may also have trades and graphic novels available to check out.

With DC, you can start off with #1 of almost any New 52 series. However, you don't always have to start with #1. Some series don't get good until a new creative team takes over and establishes a new status quo. In which case, you can start reading from where the new writers began, and not worry about what happened in the previous issues. Here is a list of DC New 52 recommendations I've made before:

> For Batman and Batman-related books, I recommend the following:
Batman (#1 - ongoing) Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls - The flagship title, by Scott Snyder.
Batman: The Black Mirror - This is actually just before The New 52, but I recommend this mainly because it's a very well-loved modern story that turned Scott Snyder (the current Batman writer) into DC's golden boy. It's also fairly accessible to new readers.
Grayson (#1 - ongoing) - Launched this year, and one of DC's best books in quite some time. Dick Grayson is an undercover spy. Very fun and character-driven.
Batman and Robin (#1 - ongoing) Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill - Character-driven title that focuses on the Bat family.
Catwoman (#35 - ongoing) - Selina Kyle as a mob boss. Very intricate plot.
Detective Comics (#30 - ongoing) - Manapul/Buccellato run. Fantastic art.
Nightwing (#1 - 30) Nightwing, Vol. 1: Traps and Trapezes - Makes a good complement to the Batman and Batman & Robin titles.
 

>For other characters, I would recommend:
Wonder Woman (#1 - 35) Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Blood - Brian Azzarello's 35-part epic of gods and mortals. Great story, great art.
Green Arrow (#17 - 34) Green Arrow, Vol. 4: The Kill Machine
The Flash (#1 - 29) The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward
Earth 2 (#1 - 26) Earth 2, Vol. 1: The Gathering - The James Robinson run (#1-16) is quite good, though Tom Taylor's run (#17-26) is still decent.
Red Lanterns (#21 - 37) Red Lanterns, Vol 4: Blood Brothers - A general understanding of the Green Lantern universe might be needed to fully appreciate this.
 

Marvel tends to reset a series whenever a new creative team takes over, or when a new status quo is put into place, so it's even easier to find a jump-in point. Just start with #1 of any series. Marvel also has a subscription service that allows you to digitally read any comic older than six months. Here are some recent series that I would recommend:

Matt Fraction's Hawkeye
Mark Waid's Daredevil
Superior Foes of Spider-Man
Nathan Edmondson's Black Widow
Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man
Cullen Bunn's Magneto
Tom Taylor's Superior Iron Man

You can look up these titles on Comixology and see previews for each issue. Just pick whatever sounds interesting to you, and start reading.

u/cantseeyounow · 0 pointsr/LifeAfterNarcissism

She should not be on Reddit. Like, nowhere near it lol. This is the site that has neonazis, r/incels, and is under investigation from the 2016 election. The place is a cesspool, and I've had unspeakable things sent to me from 'innocent' questions.

Keep her far away.

On the other stuff - has she tried comics? I haven't read Archie comics, but that might be something up her alley. Zines might be a thing to look into, as well. Here's some that I've found https://www.sweetcandydistro.com/kids-teens--parenting-zines.html (Maybe your local library has some? I don't really know how these things work.)

Something like Sailor Moon is pretty cutesy and fun, and I remember Cardcaptor Sakura having the theme of boyfriends, fun, and emotions/school, without it being too overbearing/heavy like other animes. Perhaps cutesy/fun stuff would fill the gap, and not be too graphic and 'real', while also being safe and informative. One thing I remember liking from that age is the Bone series https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Complete-Cartoon-Epic-One/dp/188896314X, and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (which has a comic series, as well as a TV show, I think), although that might not be informative at all, just something for fun.

I've also found this http://www.heroicgirls.com/the-best-all-ages-comics-for-girls-in-2015/ which might be a good resource. The site itself might also have some other good resources for you, as well.

Good luck!

u/REC_Blobkat · 1 pointr/Spiderman

Oh yeah, I'm definitely picking up Superior. I honestly bought the first volume thinking it was a stand-alone universe, and read about halfway through it before switching to Ultimate. I really loved what I read, but at the time I was more interested in reading about Peter Parker. Still super cool looking back and putting the pieces together realizing Superior is a part of the Amazing run. And I definitely want to try to stick to chronological order over anything, so I'll get to Spider-Verse in due time.

As for the Champions series with Miles, I kinda saw the titles, but ultimately I think I'm going to stay away from it. I honestly think I prefer just reading mainly about the individual stories rather than what they get into as teams (unless maybe it was like a 1-shot sort of team-up volume like Spider-Men).

Just for shigs, I'm gonna lay out my current understanding of the storyline and if you could interject anything that you think I'm missing out on or if I've got the order out of wack:

For the Miles Line -- Ultimate Miles books 1-3 (includes Spider-Men vol1, as well as 3 issues of Cataclysm in the 3rd book---should I still pick up Cataclysm as a standalone book?) > Edge of Spider-Verse > Spider-Verse > Secret Wars Prelude > Secret Wars > Ultimate End > Spider-Man Miles Morales Vol 1 then continue through to vol 4 (is Civil War 2 worth reading after volume 1? - I see some stuff recommending it as a big tie-in event) > Spider-Men II > Secret Empire > then another Miles Morales Spider-Man vol1 which I believe picks up currently??

For the Peter Parker line, I found a general "how to" guide that references Dan Slott's run, but I don't know if there are other author tie-ins or who picks it up after the end of Slott -- Spider-Man Big Time 1 > sneaking Spider-Island into the middle of the Big Time issues because it looks like it's only briefly touched on in Big Time > Big Time 2-4 > Superior vol 1&2 > Amazing Spider-Man: The Parker Luck > Edge of Spider-Verse > Spider-Verse > Amazing SM: Graveyard Shift > Amazing SM: Spiral > Amazing SM Worldwide 1-4 > Amazing SM: Clone Conspiracy > World Wide 5-7 > Amazing SM: Venon INC is this one a good read or ok to skip? > Word Wide 8&9 > then red goblin, then Spider-geddon (as per suggested by you haha; and I believe Spider-geddon runs up to current status?)

Separate from that, I guess I'd pick up the new Superior Octopus & Superior Spider after Clone Conspiracy & Spider-geddon respectively (probably once it's in a collected format), & maybe check out Spider-Gwen's run, and I also had the owner of the comic shop mention a separate Amazing SM line where it's Peter, MJ, and their daughter all with powers? (I can't remember the title for the life of me though).

u/PitifulAntagonist · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

I’m assuming you probably heard or read a lot of these already but their worth repeating on the chance that you haven’t.

  • The first four volumes of Superman/Batman are probably the best stand alone team up stories those two characters probably ever had. Between the four they deal with the kind of stories that only superhero books have done well. Things like multiple universe, massive crossovers, time travel, and introductions of legacy characters. They are also just damn good reads.

  • Kingdom Come is another story that really could only be done well in a superhero book. If you haven’t read it then you really need too.

  • Volume One and Volume Two of DC: The new Frontier are timeless superhero stories that really exhibits what makes them so special.

  • All Star Superman shows what a modern version of a Silver Age story would like. This has the special sauce that made comics good back in the 60s and 70s and its one of the best Superman stories ever told.

  • Superman: Red Son best example of an Elseword or Alternate universe story. Really good.

  • Marvel’s Secret Wars should be required reading. Kind of like how Catcher in the Rye or To Kill a Mockingbird is in public schools. It’s a corner stone for comics.

  • Crisis On Infinite Earths: If Secret Wars is Catcher in the Rye then Crisis is War and Peace. It is a tuff read for a new reader but it is masterpiece in terms of craft, storytelling, and the weaving of continuity.

  • Identity Crisis was mentioned before but I’ll repeat it because it is the superhero story the deals with issues typically never addressed in superhero books. It is controversial for some of the things that happen but ultimately very good book.

  • Superman: Our Worlds at War is probably a bit difficult to find at the point but it is a massive phone book size trade that show what a good multi author/artist collaborative crossover event can be like.

  • The Long Halloween and Dark Victory are two timeless Batman stories. I don’t care for Batman comics but these books are so good that even I like them.

  • Astro City just started back up again so a new printing of the first story should be just around the corner. It is a celebration of everything that make superhero comics great. Keep an eye out for this one.
u/ktsghhhfr · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Comic book memory, hmmmmmmm so many to chose from! :)

I suppose my favourite comic book - Scud: The Disposable Robot Assassin - by Rob Schrab gave me the best memories, not just from the awesome comic itself but because I got into it way late (it was released in 1995) so I found a copy of this amazing looking comic, and then had to hunt down the other issues. Leading to many trips to random, loveable comic shops of varying quality! Ultimately this led to me becoming much more of a comic reader, and developing some close friendships with comic shop staff, so without Scud, I would not have the encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Marvel Universe, Batman or James Kochalka :)

My choice of book is this one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawkeye-Volume-My-Life-Weapon/dp/0785165622/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp - not exactly something I've wanted for a while, but something I've had numerous people tell me I should be reading and something that piques my interest thoroughly :)

Happy May the Fourth folks and I hope everyone who went to a Free Comic book Day event got a lot more than the 3 comics that were left when I got to my local shop! :)

(I'm not that bitter, I hope there are some happy new comic readers out there enjoying them!)

u/ideatio · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

There's good and bad. As you can see above, I'm really liking Snyder's new take on the first year of Batmannery, but IMO, the new Robin origin sucks the balls of a million and one feral donkeys. Or something a normal person might say.

So with that in mind, my pre new 52 recommendations...

Batman: Year One Wouldn't be too surprised if you'd read this already. A gritty, 4-issue take on Batman's formative Batmanning, this has long been regarded as the gold standard. Highly recommended.

Teen Titans by Geoff Johns, Vol1 This features wildly different characterisations than New 52, however, I think it's solid work, and just fun comics. Features Tim Drake Robin. If this interests you, also consider Young Justice by Peter David, based around Tim Drake, Superboy, Bart Allen(Kid Flash,basically) and Wonder Girl. It's lighthearted and pretty accessible if you like teen drama/comedy.

If you're looking at Batman's early years, there's The Man who Laughs for the first Joker encounter, or Batman and the Mad Monk.

Batgirl: Year Oneis super fun, and Robin: Year One is also pretty good, this is Dick Grayson Robin.

Also, if we're talking about essential Joker stories and Batgirl, I can't avoid talking about the seminal The Killing Joke.

The whole Damien thing really requires reading all of Grant Morrison's trippy, sci-fi Batman run, a guide to which can be found here. This might be what you call intermediate Batman.

And I think that's a good primer for the Batman universe. Anything in particular you're interested in, i.e Batman and other heroes, Batman as detective, Batman as superhero? There are tons of paper devoted to whatever you're into.

P.S While it seems I haven't shut up in ages, this is just important stories of the last 20 or so years. I've got nothing if you want anything on Batman from 1939-1987. If you need some more Adam West-ish Batman in you're life you'll have to ask someone smarter :(

Ninja Edit: Singing Batman

u/uncletravellingmatt · 9 pointsr/TrueAtheism

It's all about the kids.

Your kids deserve a great education. Don't force them into an environment where they get nothing but one-sided indoctrination. Teach your kids about religion (not just your own, although that's a great start.) Learning stories about different religions is great http://www.amazon.com/God-His-Creations-Tales-Testament/dp/0763622117/ is wonderful, so are similar books about Greek myths http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Myths-Marcia-Williams/dp/0763653845/ Indian gods, etc. It's an important part of our culture, current events, literature, world news and history, etc. to understand different faiths.

If your 12 year old is old enough to be into a book like http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046 that could be great, too... or tell him/her about cool stuff on reddit, related to any given interest. Internet access does wonders for broadening people's horizons.

>There are times when I wish my world was a bit larger

Your kids might wish this as well. Think about what you could do for them -- are there options for student exchange, travel, getting involved in anything, anywhere that broadens their circle of friends and acquaintances outside of a homogenous community? That should be a goal in raising your kids.

u/PM_ME_YOUR_RHINO · 206 pointsr/nfl

The Raiders.

They're just so cool. The uniforms, logo, and name are badass. I don't know what it is, but the fact their colours are silver and black just really sticks with me. I remember watching one of the NFL Super Bowl champ rundown and they mentioned Al Davis always checking the uniforms to make sure they were silver, not grey.

On the topic, Al Davis was such a badass.

> He remains the only executive in NFL history to be an assistant coach, head coach, general manager, commissioner and owner.

  • He was also active in civil rights:

    > refusing to allow the Raiders to play in any city where black and white players had to stay in separate hotels. He was the first NFL owner to hire an African American head coach and a female chief executive. He was also the second NFL owner to hire a Latino head coach.

  • His motto, 'Just win, baby'.

  • John Madden coached them and reading his book was really fun.

  • Raider nation.

  • The Black Hole. Talk about intimidating.

  • Howie Long is one of my favourite ever players. Started after I read Maddens book.

  • Bo Jackson. I'm 21 and didn't grow up in the States much, and I had vaguely heard of Bo. Watching his 30 for 30 was beautiful.

  • Seen as working class team with an aggressive play style (historically).

    ---

    ^^I ^^also ^^think ^^the ^^ ^^49ers ^^are ^^cool.

    ---

    EDIT: For those interested, John Maddens book is called 'One Knee Equals Two Feet'. Here's a link for it on Amazon. It's quite old, but still a stonking great read.

    Also that word reminded me of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Buy it as well.

    EDIT 2: "If you're buying any of the books mentioned in these comments, Amazon has a physical book sale today. 30% off, use promo code HOLIDAY30" - thanks to /u/Mandarinez.

    EDIT 3: If you're interested in some Raider history check out Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders by Peter Richmond. - thanks to /u/Imaygetyelledat.
u/slvr13 · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

First off, I think this is the most elaborate contest I've ever participated in, so congratulations for that :P Fear cuts deeper than swords. I hope some of my items are awesome enough for some extra credit ;) Also I wasn't sure if duplicates are allowed. I will revise if necessary.

1.) Something grey and it's been on my wishlist.

2.) Rain, well not technically rain, she is a water bender :P Previously on my wishlist.

3.) Unusual, I think this is something I would use like twice a year. With ice cream or cereal.

4.) Someone else My sister and I want to start playing tabletop games. Previously on my wishlist.

5.) "Book" I took a little bit of liberty with this one because it's a graphic novel. But it's Batman, so...(Previously on my wishlist).

6.) Under a dollar.

7.) Cats There's a catbus in it, which is pretty much the best part of the movie. Previously on my wishlist.

8.) Beautiful As a Star Wars fan having the original trilogy on Blu Ray would be beautiful to me. I love high definition movies, especially ones that are aesthetically pleasing. Previously on my wishlist.

9.) Movie As a Browncoat, I would encourage anyone who has a remote interest in Sci-Fi to give this a chance. Previously on my wishlist.

10.) Zombie tool I don't think this needs explanation.

11.) (Updated) Useful for future. I have a desire to create meaningful video games. Previously on wish list.

12.) Add on I actually had this on my wishlist but removed it because add-on items are lame.

13.) Most expensive As previously stated, I want to be a game developer/designer so not only would it be fun to play with, I could create with it too. Previously on list.

14.) Bigger than breadbox Total in the box it is bigger than a breadbox. Previously on wishlist.

15.) Bigger than a golf ball It's a large book. Previously on wishlist.

16.) Smells good As a guy...I enjoy the scent of lavender.

17.) Safe for children toy I don't think this needs any introduction of why it's awesome.

18.) Back to school drawing helps keep me sane. Previously on my list.

19.) Current obsession I'm a noob to tabletop games. But have been wanting to get into it obsessively within the past month or so. And this also takes my love of A Song of Ice and Fire into the mix. Previously on list.

20.) [Amazing] (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XBR-65X900A-65-Inch-120Hz-Ultra/dp/B00BSREQI6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1376281533&sr=8-4&keywords=4k+tv) I've seen one of these in person at the mall and it literally made me stop walking the resolution was so incredible. I know it's as expensive as dicks...but man...when these are affordable...

Bonus 2) Made in Oregon I would have put Tillamook Ice Cream, since it's pretty awesome...but alas not on Amazon.

Edit: Changed an item because I saw it won't count because it's a duplicate.

u/Yokuo · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Hi there!

  1. This sexy microphone. You know what's awesome? Recording yourself on the computer. Or skyping. Or third thinging. And this mic has some pretty stellar reviews. I'd love to get a good mic for my computer. I'm considering getting in to making tutorials and posting them on one of those "learn how to do things" websites, but my current mic won't but it for that. Also, my current mic (which is really just a crappy headset) sucks.

  2. I can't remember if you like Game of Thrones, or if you've seen it, but the newest season is sitting on my wishlist. If you haven't seen it, you really ought to, as it's fantastic and I love it! And if you have, well, see it more! :p

  3. You know what else is good? The Walking Dead. And what's even more interesting than the show is the source material. There are three of these compilations (all are on my wishlists) that cover 50-ish volumes of the original comics each. It's no secret how into the series I am, and the comics don't disappoint. Give them a shot if you're even a little interested, regardless of this contest.

  4. Webcams are helpful, and anyone who ever uses one should have a good one. This seems to be a good one. I know I could use it, and I'm sure there's something fun you can use it for too :p

  5. Classics are good, even if they're a bit bogged down with awkward prequels. Star Wars is a fantastic series of movies, and they're all available here. I've really been wanting to rewatch them! I also have steelbook versions of the individual movies on my wishlist, but this entry is more contained.
u/Highfire · 8 pointsr/hearthstone

Uh... I'm kind of a decent resource?

I can certainly point you to a few different places. First, for "up-to-date" WoW-expansion related events, Nobbel's YouTube Channel is superb. I believe his longest video is the story of the Lich King -- following Ner'Zhul, Arthas and then the two put together. It's 3 hours and 15 minutes long.

For Lore of the Cards? SixGamers! Their two longest videos are for Rhonin and Vol'jin at 107 minutes and 113 minutes, respectively. He has also been working on Fandral Staghelm and we can expect that soon, which should be great.

For the gospel for what is and isn't canon in the Warcraft lore, alongside beautiful art and good reading? Warcraft Chronicle Volume I is great, and I really really look forward to the second volume. Note, that some of the lore has been changed through the Warcraft Chronicle, such as the lore presented in SixGamers' Medivh episode for Lore of the Cards. (47 minutes.

It's not too different, but the context in which Medivh's mother and father decided to have a child is different, and who Nielas Aran was is different as well. I'll give you the differences quickly here:

Pre Chronicle: Nielas Aran was the Court Conjurer for Stormwind. Aegwynn took a fancy to him as father of her child, seduced him and became pregnant, only using him. She left Medivh in his care before taking off.

In the Chronicle: Nielas Aran was a member of the Tirisgarde, a secret sect of the Council of Tirisfal, a secret sect of the ruling body of Dalaran, comprised of Elves and Humans that defended Azeroth from demonic incursions resulting from their use of the arcane. As member of the Tirisgarde, he was tasked with using artifacts and relics of great power that could be used to help subjugate the on-the-run Aegwynn, who refused to give in her Guardian powers back to the Council, partly due to the corruption of Sargeras, subtly whispering doubts.

In their chase, they bantered back and forth to find weaknesses. Nielas realised that Aegwynn wasn't oh-so bad, and eventually gave up, believing her innocence. The two fell in love, and Aegwynn wanted to make up for everything, and pass on her Guardianship. She wanted a child who could take up the mantle. Nielas saw a darkness in her and saw this as a way of helping her redeem herself, unaware of just how significant that darkness would become or who that darkness was.

Medivh was born, and Nielas then became Court Conjurer of Stormwind so he could raise his son alongside the best and brightest -- the King's son, Llane Wrynn and Anduin Lothar, who would eventually become the Lion of Azeroth. He also chose Stormwind due to its geographical distance from the other human kingdoms and consequently his ability to stay away from the Kirin Tor's powerful influence.

So, they ended up meeting, they ended up doing it, they ended up having Medivh with Nielas as more or less a single father and Medivh ended up befriending Llane/Anduin in Stormwind in both stories. The "key points" are the same. The main difference is how things were reflected on Aegwynn -- instead of a rather badass but callous woman who took everything into her own hands, she was a rather badass woman who eventually opened up to a capable and understanding man, working with him to take things into their own hands.

___

Sorry, that was a far longer explanation than I'd expected it to be. But hey, if you have any questions about anything (regardless of how silly it may sound), go for it!

u/Mitchellonfire · 5 pointsr/comicbooks

Used book stores usually have a great treasure trove.

If you aren't familiar, most comics come originally in single issues, but then are later collected into what's called trade paper backs, or TPBs. Collecting TPBs are much easier than hunting down original issues, and is a great way of starting a collection

For Captain America, I would start here. Also, take note, that a lot of used copies are for sell there that start about 5 bucks instead of the full price of $17. You'd have to pay for the shipping, of course, but it's still a great opportunity load up.

Edit: And while a lot of people have been disappointed with it, I've really enjoyed the current run of Captain America. You may like it, especially since you don't need to know a lot about his history to get into it.

If you want to work your way into the Avengers after getting a feel for Cap, a great starting place is Avengers Disassembled. I have been an X-Men fan most of my life, so jumping into the Avengers seemed daunting. This book was the start of the modern age for the Avengers, with writer Brian Michael Bendis tearing them apart, and then putting them back together through New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, and many other books from then on for years. I'm sure you could get a reading list of the order of which books came out when. Because since then, it has been more or less a big, interconnecting storyline where one event leads naturally to the other. The Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, etc. Great story telling that weaves a much bigger picture.

Also, any Superman fan will tell you probably the best Superman story is All Star Superman, and then maybe Red Son after that.

u/IrateGandhi · 2 pointsr/comicbooks


Sadly, I can't speak for DC Rebirth. I haven't read any of it. I can say that I loved the New52.

Batman list, in order of what I would read first.

  • Batman, Year One is a great story of Bruce's first year as the Batman. I loved seeing the way Batman evolved & the lessons he learned. I highly suggest this as your first read.

  • The Long Holloween was also a fantastic story. It reads a lot like a mystery novel. The ending is surprising and all around, this book is satisfying.

  • Batman New52 is a great storyline. It is a "reboot" aka a nice starting point for a series. If you love this story, read on with the New 52 & slowly get the "iconic" other stuff later.

  • The Dark Knight Returns is an interesting spin on things. Bruce is old and has hung up his mantle. But for reasons mentioned in the book, he dons the cape yet again. This, in my opinion, is a really great read after Year One & The Long Halloween. Those three just flow nicely IMO.

  • The Knightfall series (Vol1 Vol2 & Vol3) explain why Bane is one of the greatest villains Batman has ever had. If you're looking for a complete story arc, this is where you want to start.

    Staples for Batman

  • The Killing Joke is an iconic storyline that I would put on a must read list for Batman.

  • Hush is also a very great mystery story.

  • A Death in the Family is a pivotal story for the Bruce Wayne Batman.

  • Arkham Asylum is a really cool & unique story about Batman going into Arkham Asylum after it is taken over (sounds a lot like the first batman game of the recent trilogy). It is a really cool perspective & you should read it at some point.

    Flash list (I don't know as much about the Flash)

  • The Flash: Rebirth is a really great place to start. The world is established but this is a nice way to jump into the comics.

  • Flash New52 is where I would go after reading Rebirth. They flow nicely. I would read Vol 2 & Vol3.

  • Flashpoint, as you know if you watch the CW series, is a big moment for Barry. It's a similar story but done in a very different way. Reading this will feel fresh, even if you know the tv show.

    Batman/Flash related things

  • Catwoman New52 is amazing. I'm not sure if you're a huge Catwoman fan or if you hate her (seems most Batman fans go one of those directions) but if you are, her series is one of my favorite New52.

  • Justice League New52 was pretty cool.
u/I_love_aminals · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I used to work at a comic book store and love comics! Here are my recommendations:

For Marvel:
New Silver Surfer Comics (Although I might be partial because he is my favorite superhero.)
New Ms. Marvel They do a great job of making the comic very relevant for today. No idea why it is this much on Amazon, but you can find it for cheap elsewhere.
Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. Supposed to be hilarious because Joss Whedon.

Great if you like Post-Apocalyptic Stuff:
Saga is great for beginners. My housemate had no interest in graphic novels and now she is hooked because she started with Saga.
Y: the Last Man has such a compelling storyline, can't stop reading the series!
Rover Red Charlie because I love animals and apocalypses! I always can't wait for the next one! (Also find it cheaper elsewhere)
We3 Your heart will die, but you will wish you had more to read!

Two I haven't read yet but are supposed to be Apocalyptic:
Sweet Tooth Look weird but cool.
Prophet Looks intense but worth the read.

For myself Blacksad because he is a cat detective. Need I say more?

And check out the Humble Bundle Image comic sale because you can buy some for one cent or the others for way cheap if you want some digital copies to interest you.

Edit: Added missing links and comments below for one super comment!

u/hamburgular70 · 1 pointr/comicbooks

This site has a lot of really great info, especially for your boyfriend when deciding what to read and make sense of it all. I've used it a fair amount. This wikipedia article might help if he's into the big crossover stuff.

As far as another big one, Civil War is always a popular choice. It's one of the better comics of the last couple decades. He'll have heard all about it and seen the movie, so it might be neat to see what he's missing.

As far as other good stuff, a sort of out there one is the Authority. It's in a completely other comic universe with people he probably won't know, but it's really great. It was one of the first to show the gritty, flawed heroes, plus it supposedly inspired how a lot of the movies were shot. It's also by my favorite writer, Warren Ellis. I typically choose comics by writer.

Speaking of great writers, you could pick up the first volume of either Y: the Last Man or Saga, which are both pretty ubiquitous in the comic world.

And here's the link to Secret War. I included the links for clarity, but do please go to a local comic book store if you can. It's great to support them and they will typically give solid recommendations. Or be assholes. Or both.

u/Vicboy129 · 1 pointr/NoStupidQuestions

I started a couple of years ago and Ill just tell you what I did and what I found usefull
(apologize for lenght, didnt know i could write this much)

Now is a good time to start spiderman if you are willing to read some back story first. [Superior Spiderman] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Superior_Spider-Man)
Is a pretty interesting take on the character and I went into it knowing only what I read from that link. Basically Doc Oc puts his mind in Spidermans body and vise versa just before he dies (after his body is wrecked from years of fighting) and Octavius vows to be a better spiderman than Peter Parker (but with a little twist in his methods). Its also good because it ended recently and the new Amazing Spiderman starts off right after and its still early enough where you can catch up and read them as they come out in a short amount of time. If you watched the recent movies, or the TV shows (from the 90s at least, dunno bout the new ones) then you will know whats going on, and if you dont, a simple google of an event will usually catch you up in seconds.

I seriously reccoment some of DC Comic's Veritgo lines. These are basically not usually superhero themed and it (started off at least) as a darker more mature set of stories. My personal favorite: Y-The Last Man. In the comic, everything with a Y-chromosome (so basically all male mammals) dies off in an instant and the world is left to be run by women exceept for one guy named Yorrick and his monkey ampersand. The writting is consistently funny and its a really cool world idea they have going. A lot of these Vertigo series ended a while back and dont require any previous reading to get into them as they are usually self contained stories. A google search or browsing in a comic shop can show you some variety (side note: google if you are curious about something you see! lots of reviews and stuff out there)

If you wanna get into DC, they pretty much reset their universe in 2012 (calling it the New 52). I also really recommend the New 52 Batman run since it starts off with a new villain so you wont be left behind there ( at least with Batman, not the other batman titles like Batman Inc, Detective Comics, and Batman and Robin - though that last one is pretty great!) You can pick up the last 2 years of comics in volume form so you dont have to buy a bunch of the issues individually at once.

I didnt grow up with comic book shops so I bought most of mine online and didnt have employees at these shops to ask about but now that I do, they can often suggest stuff they are reading!

TL DR here are some thing I read and enjoyed:
1. New 52 Batman series (new and still going!)
2. the recent Amazing Spiderman (its a great time to hop on, just google anything you dont understand and you will notice you will stop doing it soon!)
3.. Y-The Last Man (funny and easy to follow)
4. Fables (same guy that wrote Y)
5. Justice League New 52 (easy to follow since it starts at their origin as a team)
6. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (funny with lots of pop culture)
7. American Vampire (reeeeally good vampire comic book that makes recent vampire shows/movies look like shit)

u/ob1jakobi · 4 pointsr/superman

I really enjoyed the Kingdom Come graphic novel as well as Superman: Peace On Earth. Although Peace on Earth is a Christmas story it is still really well done, and anything done by Alex Ross is worth picking up. Both show Superman pitted against his greatest enemy: the darker aspects of human nature.

Superman: Red Son is an interesting twist on the Superman story line, where Superman is raised in Russia instead of on the Kent farm.

The Superman: Man of Steel volume set by John Byrne is a nice introduction, but I personally feel it is really short and lacking in a lot of detail.

The Death of Superman is quite good too, and I would highly recommend picking it up; the final pages are really hard for me to get through, but that might just be me.

Superman: Secret Identity isn't technically about Superman, since it takes place on Earth-prime (a world where superheroes exist only in comics, kind of like our world), but I love how this graphic novel portrays humanity...

I hope that helps. If I can think of any more graphic novels I'll be sure to list them in an edit. Good choice on Birthright though, you won't be disappointed.

Also, I know you had mentioned that you wanted to steer away from the new 52 for now, but they are going to be coming out with volume sets here soon, so if you wanted to you could start off with Action Comics Volume 1. This way you could experience Superman as he becomes the greatest hero the world has ever known.

u/kylesleeps · 1 pointr/comicbooks

Saga - If you like stuff like Star Wars you'll love this.

Deadly Class - This is probably my favorite book being put out right now.

Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis - I'm currently rereading this run and it is even better than I remember. One of the definitive runs for one of the best characters the big 2 have produced.

The Walking Dead - I don't know about you, but I love zombies and this probably the best zombie story I have ever read.

Batman: Black Mirror - This actually has Dick Greyson as Batman instead of Bruce Wayne, but it is a great read.

Batman Court of the Owl - This is where you want to start if you want to read New 52 Batman Snyder, who also wrote Black Mirror, has had a great run on the series.

Annihilation - Starts a truly epic run of stories on the cosmic side of the Marvel universe. Unfortunately the physical copies are stupidly expensive, but if you don't mind reading digitally you should check it out.

This is just off the top of my head and I'm sure others, with more knowledge, can help more. Are there any characters or geners you particularly enjoy?

u/Jim-Jones · 7 pointsr/atheism

Some help:

Maybe Yes, Maybe No (LINK)

by Dan Barker

In today's media-flooded world, there is no way to control all of the information, claims, and enticements that reach young people. The best thing to do is arm them with the sword of critical thinking.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No is a charming introduction to self-confidence and self-reliance. The book's ten-year-old heroine, Andrea, is always asking questions because she knows "you should prove the truth of a strange story before you believe it."

"Check it out. Repeat the experiment. Try to prove it wrong. It has to make sense." writes Barker, as he assures young readers that they are fully capable of figuring out what to believe, and of knowing when there just isn't enough information to decide. "You can do it your own way. If you are a good skeptic you will know how to think for yourself."

Another book is "Me & Dog" by Gene Weingarten.

And Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story : Books 1, 2, 3

Here Comes Science CD + DVD

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins

Bang! How We Came to Be by Michael Rubino.

Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution
Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online

Also:

Greek Myths – by Marcia Williams

Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs – by Marcia Williams

God and His Creations – by Marcia Williams

"I Wonder" by Annaka Harris

"From Stardust to You: An Illustrated Guide to The Big Bang" by Luciano Reni

"Meet Bacteria!" by Rebecca Bielawski

See also Highlights for Children - this has materials for younger children.

Atheism books for children by Courtney Lynn

"It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me", "I'm An Atheist and That's Ok", "I'm a Freethinker", "Please Don't Bully Me" and "I'm a Little Thinker" etc.

Courtney Lynn has a couple more for grown ups as well.

Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online

A child's first book of evolution.

15 Holiday Gift Ideas for Secular Families

Bedtime Bible Stories by Joey Lee Kirkman - for mature teens only

Coming up: TINY THINKERS is a series of books introducing popular scientists to children, by telling their stories as if the scientists themselves were kids!