Looking to get into comics (I like DC!)

Looking to get into comics (I like DC!) (Read 1098 times)

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Grogrog

#1 July 11, 2008, 01:42:21 am

Master of ALL the moogles!
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So I've always had an admiration for comics, but I never so much really got into them, so that's basically what I'm looking for here, advice. I was wondering if anybody could give me a starting place to look into for DC comics. Things I'm interested in reading about are Batman, Flash, and the Justice League, or any other general recommendations anybody can give me. Any help appreciated.

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pburn

#2 July 11, 2008, 01:45:14 am

What, me worry?
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When you say getting into comics, do you mean like reading some trade paperbacks and shit or going to the comic store every week to buy new issues?

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Grogrog

#3 July 11, 2008, 01:47:34 am

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Quote from: Psyburn on July 11, 2008, 01:45:14 am

When you say getting into comics, do you mean like reading some trade paperbacks and shit or going to the comic store every week to buy new issues?

Anything really. I like buying comic books, but I want a place to start out (where I'll probably just read stuff online). Like there is no point in me going every week to buy a new issue when I haven't read any previous issues of a series, or any earlier series. I want a starting point.

Like "Oh you like batman you should read this series and then move onto this one if you like Flash" or stuff like that, if it makes sense. D:

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Kaworu

#4 July 11, 2008, 07:31:39 am

kaworu*Sigh*Isnt he the cutest person ever
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it's not s good time to get into DC at the moment since every series seems to be in the middle of some big story, and final crisis and shit. It's all too continuity heavy rihgt now. I mean going back a year or so you could check out the Sinestero corps war in Green Lantern, and try and check out 52. They're the two best things DC've done lately. but everything out at the moment is kinda based on what happened in other stories.

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Grogrog

#5 July 11, 2008, 08:59:42 am

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Quote from: The Octave Doctor on July 11, 2008, 07:31:39 am

it's not s good time to get into DC at the moment since every series seems to be in the middle of some big story, and final crisis and shit. It's all too continuity heavy rihgt now. I mean going back a year or so you could check out the Sinestero corps war in Green Lantern, and try and check out 52. They're the two best things DC've done lately. but everything out at the moment is kinda based on what happened in other stories.

But that's my point I guess, I'm looking for a starting point, so I can lead my way into where it currently is. I want to read the slightly older stuff so I can follow the older stuff. I just need recommendations for a place to start.

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Kaworu

#6 July 11, 2008, 10:53:24 am

kaworu*Sigh*Isnt he the cutest person ever
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well if you wanna catch up, yuo kinda should read...
Identity crisis
infinite crisis
52
sinestro corps
blah blah but I guess a lot of what's going on could be worked out with a quick 20 minutes on wikipedia.
For Batman I'm kinda out of date but there's batman and son and the ressurrection of ras al ghul which're kinda essential reading to get what's going on now. Also Gotham Underground is pretty great.
Flash I dunno, I only really read about him in JLA, his own comics never really appealed to me.

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pburn

#7 July 11, 2008, 06:16:51 pm

What, me worry?
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It's always a good point it start whenever some big event starts, because right after it drops off you'll be on the same page as everyone else. I did that when I first got into comics with House of M. But if you start doing that you'll be buying a dozen $3 comics a week. And well, DC is a mess so...........

Personally I recommend going to a (knowledgeable) local comic store and asking the clerk for what to buy.

Last Edit: July 11, 2008, 06:18:27 pm by Psyburn

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local_dunce

#8 July 11, 2008, 09:55:40 pm

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Comics that I always recommend to other people:

Watchmen
Everyone will recommend this to you so I'm not going to say much about it. You can google it and read all the fanboy dick sucking. It's a good comic if you haven't read it check it out but I bet you've read it already.

Black Hole
This is my favourite comic. It's about teenagers in like SEATTLE SUBURBIA 1970 or something experimenting with sex and drugs and this strange disease breaks out among teenagers forcing them to go and live in the woods and shit. It's crazy as hell but it's mad atmospheric and really cool if you can get over some of the SUBTLE SAFE SEX MESSAGES.

The Invisibles
Steel recommended this to me and I never finished it because it is kind of the comic book equivalent of repeatedly hammering your face off a brick wall but getting pleasure from it at the same time (this is what I told idiotkid.) It is cool that this shit happens and they end up dragging the marquis de sade out of time itself and all sorts but it is also HEAVY GOING if you are not into that shit. I started to find it a chore to read in places but OVERALL GOOD.

100 Bullets
Yeah this is cool. It is about this guy (agent graves) who comes to these people who have been wronged and says HERE IS 100 UNTRACEABLE BULLETS FOR YOU TO GET YOUR REVENGE. CAN YOU KILL? WILL YOU KILL? and the story that then stems from that character either taking or not taking these 100 bullets and whether or not they have the stones or can morally go out and take revenge. It's pretty good, I'm only about 3 volumes in at the moment though.

now is the winter of our discontent

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helter skelter

#9 July 13, 2008, 05:05:49 am

SBB is coming. Bricks and Noodles beware.
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Grab anything by Paul Pope if you want to see good comics.

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the_hoodie

#10 July 19, 2008, 12:37:07 am

asdfg!
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Quote from: The Octave Doctor on July 11, 2008, 10:53:24 am

well if you wanna catch up, yuo kinda should read...
Identity crisis
infinite crisis
52
sinestro corps
blah blah but I guess a lot of what's going on could be worked out with a quick 20 minutes on wikipedia.
For Batman I'm kinda out of date but there's batman and son and the ressurrection of ras al ghul which're kinda essential reading to get what's going on now. Also Gotham Underground is pretty great.
Flash I dunno, I only really read about him in JLA, his own comics never really appealed to me.

So I'm in this same boat as Grogrog and maybe I'm just stupid but this is not any help to me at all. I need issue numbers of something. I tried going on wikipedia and looking it up but it is all so confusing! So more specific details please!

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Marcus

#11 July 19, 2008, 12:51:39 am

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I honestly don't know how anyone can follow Marve and DC continuities. I usually grab one-shots and limited series from the big 2 but all that final crisis and 52 and earth 616 and crazy shit that's been happening for the past 30+ years baffles me and constant retcons piss me the hell off.

With that said, if you're looking for some straight up indie material I'm the man to talk to. As far as mainstream shit goes, here's what I recommend that's already available in TPBs and collections:

Invincible - I think the hiatus is over and new issues are starting but I'm not 100%. All I remember is the massive (yet awesome) cliffhanger but I stopped caring after 2 months of nothing.

Kingdom Come - I can't follow DC's continuity but this is one of their better stories which is about this dude that has a chance to prevent the superhero apocalypse of sorts.

Batman: Hush/The Dark Knight Returns/Year 100/The Killing Joke - screw serials, Batman SHINES in miniseries.

Superman: Red Son - a really awesome miniseries about Superman landing in the Soviet Union instead of America.

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the_hoodie

#12 July 19, 2008, 06:16:49 am

asdfg!
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Also does anyone have recommendations for Marvel comics?

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pburn

#13 July 19, 2008, 06:24:34 am

What, me worry?
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Quote from: the_hoodie on July 19, 2008, 06:16:49 am

Also does anyone have recommendations for Marvel comics?

Marvel is a really really broad universe. Right now it's secret invasion so I recommend you just pick up everything related and start from there. You won't understand like half the shit that's going on but once it drops off it'll be easy to adjust. I did the same thing with House of M. But that's only if you really want to start collecting comics and shit.

As for TPB I can't think of anything from the top of my head. You want to read Alex Ross's work on Marvels, The Punisher MAX series is really good. Uhhhhhhhhhh.... Frank Miller's Daredevil run is great, the stuff revolving around Bulleye and Elektra. Of course you want to pick up da essentials. Pick up Daredevil V2 also.

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Marcus

#14 July 19, 2008, 08:09:48 am

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To put things simply enough the stories are turning into massive soap operas and the DC universe is all about who's fucking who and the Marvel universe is all about who's a skrull it's ridiculous.

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Kaworu

#15 July 19, 2008, 08:41:21 pm

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Quote from: the_hoodie on July 19, 2008, 12:37:07 am

So I'm in this same boat as Grogrog and maybe I'm just stupid but this is not any help to me at all. I need issue numbers of something. I tried going on wikipedia and looking it up but it is all so confusing! So more specific details please!

Identity Crisis 1-6/7 (I forget)
Infinite crisis 1-7
52 1-52
Sinestro corps checklist

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pburn

#16 July 19, 2008, 08:51:15 pm

What, me worry?
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Quote from: the_hoodie on July 19, 2008, 12:37:07 am

So I'm in this same boat as Grogrog and maybe I'm just stupid but this is not any help to me at all. I need issue numbers of something. I tried going on wikipedia and looking it up but it is all so confusing! So more specific details please!

Start reading batman by picking up every single comic on the BATMAN R.I.P checklist going on now, so when it's done you're on track.

Yeah you're really better off asking the dude at your local comic store man. It's not hard.

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local_dunce

#17 July 19, 2008, 11:16:28 pm

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Marcus do you not feel Invincible is a little empty and teen-based sometimes? For a superhero comic it is pretty cool but after a while I got really sick of him going through all this TEEN EMOTIONS stuff.

now is the winter of our discontent

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Marcus

#18 July 20, 2008, 02:31:09 am

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Quote from: Jet Son on July 19, 2008, 11:16:28 pm

Marcus do you not feel Invincible is a little empty and teen-based sometimes? For a superhero comic it is pretty cool but after a while I got really sick of him going through all this TEEN EMOTIONS stuff.

Honestly I'm pretty mixed up about how I should feel about it because the original selling point was based on the fact that it was like a silver age Jack Kirby/Stan Lee style story and the art was fun and colorful with some pretty witty and well written dialog.

Then Omni-Man started ripping people in half and beat the shit out of Invincible (literally) and it was a pretty big "WTF" moment. After that I reanalyzed the series and realized that it doesn't take itself too seriously so I shouldn't do the same and now I find it both humorous and entertaining so it gets my money.

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local_dunce

#19 July 20, 2008, 10:58:04 am

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Yeah I really enjoyed the beating the shit out of and tearing people in half but I just think, Invincible doesn't need to protect his identity. Having a costume is cool but he doesn't NEED to go to college and hang out and shit and have this pager. Why does the government not just put him on full time payroll, why do they keep up the charade of I AM A NORMAL KID.

Anyway the last I saw of it was when him and his dad were fending off GIGANTIC SPACE STRONG MEN who came to invade earth. I'm kind of torn though, I just feel it is a little teen angsty sometimes.

now is the winter of our discontent

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EvilDemonCreature

#20 July 24, 2008, 07:02:27 pm

i don't like change
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One of the best comic books I read was Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics".

That is, if you are into that "informative non-fictiony" type of thing.
(It did make me want to read more comics, I just need to find the opportunity.)

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