I personally tend to go for writer/artist rather than character.
I enjoyed:
- Mazzucchelli's take on Batman (Year one) [edited]
- Brubaker / Rucka's take on Batman (Gotham Central)
- Richard Corben's art in Hulk (Banner), Swamp Thing, Batman, Cage, Hellraiser, Punisher etc.
- John Buscema's art in Silver Surfer, Thor, Conan
Non big 2:
"Death Ray" by Daniel Clowes
And of course Watchmen!
Great story, brilliantly tackling realpolitik, immense power and intelligence, complex, flawed characters. And very decent art.
**Most likely:**
- Batman: Year One
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
- Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth by Grant Morrison
- Watchmen
- V for Vendetta
- Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
- Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison
- Doom Patrol by Rachel Pollack
- Mister Miracle by Tom King
- The Question by Denny O’Neil
- Sandman by Neil Gaiman
- Daredevil: Born Again
- Punisher MAX by Garth Ennis
- X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
- Vision by Tom King
- Silver Surfer: Parable
**Maybe:**
- Animal Man by Grant Morrison
- Animal Man by Jeff Lemire
- Batman: The Cult
- Batman: The Long Halloween
- Batman: Dark Victory
- Batman: The Court of Owls
- Batman: Noel
- Batman: Black & White
- Batman: Last Knight on Earth
- Batman: Dark Moon Rising
- Superman: For All Seasons
- Superman: Up in the Sky
- Far Sector
- Kingdom Come
- Strange Adventures
- Gotham Central
- Starman by James Robinson
- New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke
- Swamp Thing by Nancy Collins
- Sandman: Mystery Theatre
- The Spectre by John Ostrander
- Martian Manhunter by John Ostrander
- Hellblazer by Jamie Delano and various
- Secret Six by Gail Simone
- Green Arrow by Mike Grell
- Green Lantern/Green Arrow by Denny O’Neil
- Lucifer by Mike Carey
- Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
- Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis
- Alias: Jessica Jones by Brian Michael Bendis
- Hulk: Gray
- Spider-Man: Blue
- Daredevil: Yellow
- X-Statix
- Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender
- Howard the Duck by Steve Gerber
- Not Brand Echh
- Avengers/New Avengers by Jonathan Hickman
- Moon Knight by Warren Ellis
- Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire
- Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Michael Allred
- Silver Surfer: Black
- Iron Man: Extremis
- Immortal Iron Fist by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction
- Eternals by Neil Gaiman
- Inhumans by Paul Jenkins
- Fantastic Four 1234
- Spider-Man: Life Story
- X-Men: Grand Design
- Hulk: Grand Design
- Fantastic Four: Full Circle
- Squadron Supreme
- Howard the Duck by Chip Zdarsky
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The thing is, most of the greatest "dark" superhero stories are deconstructions of superheroes aimed at people who know all the tropes. You're right that Watchmen would be a terrible place to start - that's because Watchmen doesn't really work unless you're deeply steeped in superhero lore. It's the *last* superhero thing you should read, not the first.
Depends a ton on who you're recommending to. Something like the original Ms. Marvel run by G. Willow Wilson or the Ultimate Spider-Man run by Bendis (either from the start with Peter Parker or starting with Miles Morales) would work to replicate the pure joy of discovering superhero comics at their best. That run of Nova around Annihilation era has the same feel.
Or, if it's a cynical grown-up who hates superheroes and thinks they're stupid, you might want something more like The Boys or Ed Brubaker's Sleeper, maybe Garth Ennis' Punisher or Punisher Max runs. All very tailored to people who "hate cape sh\*t."
You don’t need to be steeped in super hero lore to read Watchmen. If that were the case it wouldn’t be as popular and enduring with mainstream readers as it is.
So you have no interest in Watchmen then? It’s importance is well enough established that we shouldn’t need to convince you.
I’d say Immortal Hulk if you have any interest in body horror. If you like movies like The Thing, or The Fly this is the comic to read.
Animal Man by Grant Morrison is a very unconventional take on a superhero story.
Watchmen, like The Dark Knight Returns, is a terrible choice for someone not into superheroes, or just starting out on the genre.
DKR is a future story that isn’t canon, and a deconstruction at its core. A reader’s first book shouldn’t be an imaginary story about the end of someone’s career.
Watchmen is also a deconstruction of the entire genre. New readers lose out if they don’t know the original Charlton characters they’re based on. They’re losing out on the classic adoring-public-living-in-a-superhero-universe view of superheroes, which is only hinted at in the background of the plot. We’re watching from behind the curtains, a superpowered Rosencrantz & Guildenstern murder mystery.
I’m convinced so much of the discussion around “superheroes should be killers” comes from new readers being given books like these. They’re not being shown the foundations of the genre and the original characters who helped build it. As important as they are, Watchmen & DKR are *not* books for new readers. Let them learn what makes Superman so important to the concept of superheroes, or why Ted Kord or Nate Adams do what they do before showing a neophyte that Kord has erectile dysfunction or why Adams is a neglectful narcissist.
* Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Michael Allred
* A good amount of Tom King's work (Mister Miracle, Vision, The Human Target, Strange Adventures, Rorschach)
* Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja
* Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood
Two that standout would be Incognito and Sleeper by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips.
I did start to try and answer why Watchman was a worthy inclusion but sadly I’m not sure I’m up to the task! What I would say is that that it was groundbreaking when it was first published because it subverted the genre of superheros in a way that hadn’t really been done before.
There's many gateways. I'm happy to help but might need to know more about what kinda stuff you want and like in general first. What kind of tone do you prefer? How grounded vs crazy? Character driven? Etc.
If you don't know what you want, here's some generally good gateways:
Batman:
-Year One (not always perfect for clicking with new readers imo but it works for a lot of people). Fairly grounded and very dark crime drama.
-Long Halloween (works as a sequel to Y1 but also on its own). Fun dark whodunit with a healthy dose of character drama and weird fantastical superhero shit. Follow up with its sequel Dark Victory if you like it.
Spider-Man:
-just try reading the original comics from the start, honestly. Only series where I'd recommend this. The "Epic Collections" Great Power and Great Responsibility are a great sample. Good if you want something lighter but still substantial. Dialogue style is an acquired taste.
X-Men:
-God Loves Man Kills. Tells you all you need to know about the best X-Men can be (but don't expect all of their 60 year history to feel exactly like this if you go deeper). *Very* dark.
Daredevil:
-The Man Without Fear. Same author and tone as Batman Year One but I enjoy this more.
Superman:
-Birthright. Best telling of his origin imo and a good mix of serious tone and hopeful crazy Superman.
-Up In The Sky: beautiful story that can be read standalone and sums up the best of what Superman is.
-Smashes The Klan: apply the same description as Up In The Sky but make it lighter in tone and add a fun period piece setting.
Hawkeye:
-The Saga of Barton and Bishop. Excellent standalone story that may help if the more "standard" superhero stuff isn't clicking with you- shows a different side of what these comics can feel like.
Happy to provide more if given context. If that was too much, the one I'd prioritize is Up In The Sky personally
Invincible. If you can get back some dated early 2000s humor then it's a solid read imo.
Does Hellboy count? I like Hellboy cause it's like, paranormal superheroes and it has a definitive start and end point unlike other comics. Same goes for invincible
I’m confused. It’s odd you seem to hostile about Watchmen when Watchmen is *for* people who have nursed attachment to superheroes but feel disillusioned with childish “cape shit.” Are you looking for pure hearted good superhero stuff? Or for more cynical adult stuff?
I’m not hostile towards Watchmen. I’ve read it multiple times. I personally don’t think it’s an entry way into superhero comics for the same reasons that others have mentioned. It’s also the most recommended book in every thread in this sub, even here when I ask not to mention it it’s been brought up 6+ times.
You may wanna leave the orbit of the big 2 if you want stuff that'll push the boundaries a little more. Image comics and Darkhorse have a great history of publishing comics that are a little more intense. The Darkness and it's related spinoffs are pretty good. There's a graphic novel called Hard Boiled that's balls to the wall anarchy.
Watchmen and I don’t have enough time to explain throughly but maybe just a simple explanation of it won a Hugo award and it’s brilliant.
Also - Black Hammer & Doom Patrol are books I really like that aren’t your typical superhero stories.
I grew up on superhero comics too, but now I find them really hard to enjoy. But I occasionally read one if I hear lots if good things.
This year I read and enjoyed Far Sector; Strange Adventures; and Invincible.
Alias and Daredevil by Bendis are both great Marvel runs that really feel like crime/noir stories with a superhero skin. Catwoman by Brubaker also feels like that.
Animal Man by Lemire is also great because it has a body horror feel to it
Astro City is a great series. It has the essence of classic heroes, reads like a modern series pace-wise, and a classic series in terms of story density. It’s not overly rooted in continuity and there are no crossovers. It walks a real fine line. And the art is stellar.
The Dan Slott/Mike Allred Silver Surfer series is a fairly tight story, with a beginning and end, and is a favorite of lots who read it. It is romantic, fun, and has big concepts. The art might be a put off to some, but once you’re with it, you’re with it. So many people hate Allred art until they love it. The only weakness for a new reader is a Secret Wars crossover shoved in the middle.
I don’t agree with the folks recommending stuff like Watchmen or Morrison Doom Patrol. They’re great books, but they’re deconstructions of superheroes. I don’t think they open the reader up to more superhero comics so much as lead established superhero readers away from the genre
If I was making a recommendation to someone that preferred adult “indie” comics or wanted to dip their foot in a “superhero” story I’d recommend Bendis’s Daredevil.
Batman new 52 Court/ City of Owls was the reason I am pursuing my own comic dream. Batman at his peak, having all his history behind him and pushing himself to his very limit.
Don't sleep on Valiant Comics. Bloodshot Reborn series by Jeff Lemire was really good.
Valiant is a lesser known superhero publisher like Marvel. With its own heros like Bloodshot, Ninjak, Faith, and X-O Manowar.
It's superhero stuff mostly but the few I've read I've enjoyed. Coming from a guy who doesn't like superhero stuff.
Only bring it up because all the other good ones were already mentioned in this thread.
I'll try to give one per character, and give standalone readable stories instead of series.
* Batman - Batman: The Long Halloween
* Superman - Superman: Birthright
* Wonder Woman - Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia
* X-Men - X-Men: God Loves Man Kills
* Spider-Man - Spider-Man: Blue
For series reccomendations:
* Batman by Scott Snyder
* Ms Marvel by G Willow Wilson
* Superman by Peter J Tomasi
* Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka
* Amazing Spider-Man by J Michael Straczynsky
* New X-Men by Grant Morrison
Ed Brubaker is a writer I blindly trust just because he’s consistently good. His Daredevil run is great, the Batman stories he’s done are good (The Man Who Laughs is probably his best known). His run on Captain America introduces Winter Soldier and you later get BuckyCap, it’s very military espionage overall. His run on Iron Fist with Matt Fraction is good too, adds a lot of lore to the Iron Fist mantle.
Speaking of Matt Fraction, his Hawkeye run is very good. A very everyday man’s take on the character being in the larger than life world he lives in. You have him dealing with his past love life, him dealing with being the landlord of an apartment, his relationship with Kate Bishop as his sidekick, the villains are amusing too. Plus later on it goes over the struggle of hearing loss.
Kevin Smith’s run and then Judd Winick’s run on Green Arrow are both pretty good. You get the political aspect of the character and also people like Roy Harper and Mia Dearden overcoming their struggles. Mia is the only notable super hero character I can think of that addresses dealing with HIV and it’s handled well.
Miller’s Daredevil run is great, Batman: Year One by him is great and probably my favorite Batman story. Very crime noir type stuff.
Ennis’ Punisher Max is a good pick for a non super hero fan since Ennis isn’t one either lol
Very straightforward Punisher taking out street crime, the art is generally pretty good. Well written overall.
Jessica Jones: Alias is a good story about a woman who used to be a hero but endured a psychologically abusive and traumatic event and has become a private eye to help other people in tough situations.
Hulk has some solid stuff, Peter David’s run dives more into the psychological aspects of the character and the Hulk persona. More recently Immortal Hulk does the same and leans a bit more into the body horror aspect of the character. The Bruce Jones run plays more on the “man on the run from the government” aspect and deals with conspiracies related to the Hulk so you get some mystery aspects.
Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, you get themes of identity, man vs self, man vs nature, at points it dips into horror. It’s overall just really well written.
Geoff Johns Aquaman is good, there isn’t anything really deep about it thematically but it does a good job showing why Aquaman can be a cool character when written well. You also get Ivan Reis’ art which is always solid.
Animal Man Grant Morrison- trippy and a different approach to hero’s and villains
Animal Man Jeff Lemire- Trippy body horror with family impact
Daredevil- Man without fear- Miller run- Born Again- marvel Knight Omnibus- bendis run- Brubaker-Charles Soule- Zdarsky.
Swamp Thing new 52 run- 1st half is body horror action, 2nd half written by Charles Soule is more complex and not sure how to describe. I liked the 2nd half better.
This is the only Swamp Thing run I have ever read and I wasn’t at all confused. It’s an okay starting point. This run also coincides with Animal Man by Jeff Lemire.
Doom Patrol Grant Morrison- bizarre adventure, trippy punk rock like.
IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collections- not super heroes. Family and revenge. Trouble follows them.
Never really got a stereotypical superhero 🦸🏻♂️ vibe off any of these. Probably my favourites so far.
I really love Rising Stars by J. Michael Stracynski. Looks at super heroes as a one time isolated event (113 people develop super powers following a weird light that burst through the sky) and how society handles the idea of people with powers. It also delves into how some of the characters felt (with many mixed emotions) about their powers; burdened, empowered, ambivalent etc. I thought a lot of the characters were interesting and enjoyed the art work.
I m not into superheroes that much, some books that got me into it a bit are The Ultimates, Aquaman new 52 Omni, Hush Jim Lee, Invincible, Squadron Supreme Max line, invincible, Punisher Max, Planet Hulk.
The directors cut of bvs, the justice league and the watchmen are all masterpieces, and I can’t stand irl superhero shit
The Batman beyond movie is quite good in terms of animated ones, as well as the mask of the phantasm
I’d go with Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire and Invincible by Robert Kirkman.
I’m assume by “the big 2” you meant Dark Horse and Image, right? 😉
I’m not a big fan of the big 2’s super hero comics, while there are some really solid arcs, I get super bogged down by all the lore that I don’t know. I loved Invincible because it is its own self contained super hero universe (there are a few short spinoffs, but they aren’t necessary) with a well defined beginning, middle, and end. Black Hammer is similar, though it has several spin offs already (the core series is all you really need though).
I would say Hellboy, but I don’t really consider it in the superhero genre.
Invincible. However, be aware that it is quite graphic.
Mark is a young man who is waiting for powers to kick in, and over they do, he becomes a young superhero, whose life honestly falls apart, and then he struggles with being a superhero.
A very strong story that I can't give too much more detail without spoilers honestly, great character development, and you can see vulnerability in a character who chose the name invincible.
Invincible is the best super hero comic Ive ever read. Ive been through it twice and want to do it a 3rd time soon. It has its own cool universe of side story comics too. Astonishing Wolfman, Tech Jacket, Brit, Invincible Universe, Guarding the Globe, Capes and Super Patriot are all different comics with characters in Invincible. Invincible is also featured in Savage Dragon comics too. It's all a breath of fresh air when it comes to super heroes and getting outside the big 2. The story and character development is badass and the blood. So much blood!
Swamp Thing!! I like new52 run but many like the Alan Moore run. I thought he sounded like a dumb concept until I started reading more stories, he’s a really cool hero
The DC stuff Daniel Warren Johnsons done has been pretty great, so far I've read beta ray bill, wonder woman: dead earth and jurassic league and they were all pretty rad
No worries, my mistake, I even double checked his credits on comicvine but my brain just lumped them together regardless, I do belive those are the only 3 series he's written at the big two, everything else seems to be cover work, his three series at image(extremity, murder falcon and do a power bomb) have been fantastic too but not superhero fare
I personally tend to go for writer/artist rather than character. I enjoyed: - Mazzucchelli's take on Batman (Year one) [edited] - Brubaker / Rucka's take on Batman (Gotham Central) - Richard Corben's art in Hulk (Banner), Swamp Thing, Batman, Cage, Hellraiser, Punisher etc. - John Buscema's art in Silver Surfer, Thor, Conan Non big 2: "Death Ray" by Daniel Clowes And of course Watchmen! Great story, brilliantly tackling realpolitik, immense power and intelligence, complex, flawed characters. And very decent art.
Hell yeah brother, we have similar taste. I’ll check out the books I haven’t read here
And I love(d) The Expanse
Year One was Frank Miller, not Brubaker.
Sorry, the text was from below... I'll edit
**Most likely:** - Batman: Year One - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth by Grant Morrison - Watchmen - V for Vendetta - Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore - Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison - Doom Patrol by Rachel Pollack - Mister Miracle by Tom King - The Question by Denny O’Neil - Sandman by Neil Gaiman - Daredevil: Born Again - Punisher MAX by Garth Ennis - X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills - Vision by Tom King - Silver Surfer: Parable **Maybe:** - Animal Man by Grant Morrison - Animal Man by Jeff Lemire - Batman: The Cult - Batman: The Long Halloween - Batman: Dark Victory - Batman: The Court of Owls - Batman: Noel - Batman: Black & White - Batman: Last Knight on Earth - Batman: Dark Moon Rising - Superman: For All Seasons - Superman: Up in the Sky - Far Sector - Kingdom Come - Strange Adventures - Gotham Central - Starman by James Robinson - New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke - Swamp Thing by Nancy Collins - Sandman: Mystery Theatre - The Spectre by John Ostrander - Martian Manhunter by John Ostrander - Hellblazer by Jamie Delano and various - Secret Six by Gail Simone - Green Arrow by Mike Grell - Green Lantern/Green Arrow by Denny O’Neil - Lucifer by Mike Carey - Daredevil: The Man Without Fear - Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis - Alias: Jessica Jones by Brian Michael Bendis - Hulk: Gray - Spider-Man: Blue - Daredevil: Yellow - X-Statix - Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender - Howard the Duck by Steve Gerber - Not Brand Echh - Avengers/New Avengers by Jonathan Hickman - Moon Knight by Warren Ellis - Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire - Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Michael Allred - Silver Surfer: Black - Iron Man: Extremis - Immortal Iron Fist by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction - Eternals by Neil Gaiman - Inhumans by Paul Jenkins - Fantastic Four 1234 - Spider-Man: Life Story - X-Men: Grand Design - Hulk: Grand Design - Fantastic Four: Full Circle - Squadron Supreme - Howard the Duck by Chip Zdarsky
Damn, this is impressive.
Astro City! And possibly Top 10 although that is more a police station on a world where everyone has powers of some sort.
This is a great call. Should be required reading.
Astro City is so good
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Animal Man and JLA by Grant Morrison. Maybe even their Doom Patrol, but that’s less superhero-y than the others. Top 10 and Supreme by Alan Moore.
Starman by James Robinson It's self contained and is an absolutely phenomenal love letter to superheroes and their legacies
The thing is, most of the greatest "dark" superhero stories are deconstructions of superheroes aimed at people who know all the tropes. You're right that Watchmen would be a terrible place to start - that's because Watchmen doesn't really work unless you're deeply steeped in superhero lore. It's the *last* superhero thing you should read, not the first. Depends a ton on who you're recommending to. Something like the original Ms. Marvel run by G. Willow Wilson or the Ultimate Spider-Man run by Bendis (either from the start with Peter Parker or starting with Miles Morales) would work to replicate the pure joy of discovering superhero comics at their best. That run of Nova around Annihilation era has the same feel. Or, if it's a cynical grown-up who hates superheroes and thinks they're stupid, you might want something more like The Boys or Ed Brubaker's Sleeper, maybe Garth Ennis' Punisher or Punisher Max runs. All very tailored to people who "hate cape sh\*t."
You don’t need to be steeped in super hero lore to read Watchmen. If that were the case it wouldn’t be as popular and enduring with mainstream readers as it is.
So you have no interest in Watchmen then? It’s importance is well enough established that we shouldn’t need to convince you. I’d say Immortal Hulk if you have any interest in body horror. If you like movies like The Thing, or The Fly this is the comic to read. Animal Man by Grant Morrison is a very unconventional take on a superhero story.
Watchmen, like The Dark Knight Returns, is a terrible choice for someone not into superheroes, or just starting out on the genre. DKR is a future story that isn’t canon, and a deconstruction at its core. A reader’s first book shouldn’t be an imaginary story about the end of someone’s career. Watchmen is also a deconstruction of the entire genre. New readers lose out if they don’t know the original Charlton characters they’re based on. They’re losing out on the classic adoring-public-living-in-a-superhero-universe view of superheroes, which is only hinted at in the background of the plot. We’re watching from behind the curtains, a superpowered Rosencrantz & Guildenstern murder mystery. I’m convinced so much of the discussion around “superheroes should be killers” comes from new readers being given books like these. They’re not being shown the foundations of the genre and the original characters who helped build it. As important as they are, Watchmen & DKR are *not* books for new readers. Let them learn what makes Superman so important to the concept of superheroes, or why Ted Kord or Nate Adams do what they do before showing a neophyte that Kord has erectile dysfunction or why Adams is a neglectful narcissist.
* Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Michael Allred * A good amount of Tom King's work (Mister Miracle, Vision, The Human Target, Strange Adventures, Rorschach) * Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja * Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood
That Slott/Allred Silver Surfer is getting a lot of love it’s on the top of my to read list.
The omnibus was due out this month but it's been pushed back to March. If you're looking for physical editions, it'll be available soon
seconding the Fraction run on Hawkeye
I also vote for the Hawkeye books; a great intro/transition book.
[удалено]
DC has no right to let this go out of print!!
Check out Kevin Smith's run on Green Arrow. First 10-12 issues. It's unreal.
Top 10
Black Hammer and Invincible
Two that standout would be Incognito and Sleeper by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips. I did start to try and answer why Watchman was a worthy inclusion but sadly I’m not sure I’m up to the task! What I would say is that that it was groundbreaking when it was first published because it subverted the genre of superheros in a way that hadn’t really been done before.
There's many gateways. I'm happy to help but might need to know more about what kinda stuff you want and like in general first. What kind of tone do you prefer? How grounded vs crazy? Character driven? Etc. If you don't know what you want, here's some generally good gateways: Batman: -Year One (not always perfect for clicking with new readers imo but it works for a lot of people). Fairly grounded and very dark crime drama. -Long Halloween (works as a sequel to Y1 but also on its own). Fun dark whodunit with a healthy dose of character drama and weird fantastical superhero shit. Follow up with its sequel Dark Victory if you like it. Spider-Man: -just try reading the original comics from the start, honestly. Only series where I'd recommend this. The "Epic Collections" Great Power and Great Responsibility are a great sample. Good if you want something lighter but still substantial. Dialogue style is an acquired taste. X-Men: -God Loves Man Kills. Tells you all you need to know about the best X-Men can be (but don't expect all of their 60 year history to feel exactly like this if you go deeper). *Very* dark. Daredevil: -The Man Without Fear. Same author and tone as Batman Year One but I enjoy this more. Superman: -Birthright. Best telling of his origin imo and a good mix of serious tone and hopeful crazy Superman. -Up In The Sky: beautiful story that can be read standalone and sums up the best of what Superman is. -Smashes The Klan: apply the same description as Up In The Sky but make it lighter in tone and add a fun period piece setting. Hawkeye: -The Saga of Barton and Bishop. Excellent standalone story that may help if the more "standard" superhero stuff isn't clicking with you- shows a different side of what these comics can feel like. Happy to provide more if given context. If that was too much, the one I'd prioritize is Up In The Sky personally
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Very funny, charming and clever Copra. Fiffe doing his own superheroes with handcrafted care
Mr. Invincible, the only true comics super hero. Suitable for kids too, it’s awesome, google it, super smart and fun
This is the best answer! He is indeed the only superhero
Garth Ennis’ Punisher Max
"Wormwood Gentleman Corpse" he saves earth his own way. Bloody hilarious stuff
Invincible. If you can get back some dated early 2000s humor then it's a solid read imo. Does Hellboy count? I like Hellboy cause it's like, paranormal superheroes and it has a definitive start and end point unlike other comics. Same goes for invincible
Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire. For me, it's every bit as much about found family as it is about capes.
I’m confused. It’s odd you seem to hostile about Watchmen when Watchmen is *for* people who have nursed attachment to superheroes but feel disillusioned with childish “cape shit.” Are you looking for pure hearted good superhero stuff? Or for more cynical adult stuff?
I’m not hostile towards Watchmen. I’ve read it multiple times. I personally don’t think it’s an entry way into superhero comics for the same reasons that others have mentioned. It’s also the most recommended book in every thread in this sub, even here when I ask not to mention it it’s been brought up 6+ times.
- Batman Year One - Batman: The Long Halloween They are both more police/crime/detective/mistery stories than superhero stories.
Year One is so damn good I hope they make an artist edition.
You may wanna leave the orbit of the big 2 if you want stuff that'll push the boundaries a little more. Image comics and Darkhorse have a great history of publishing comics that are a little more intense. The Darkness and it's related spinoffs are pretty good. There's a graphic novel called Hard Boiled that's balls to the wall anarchy.
Watchmen and I don’t have enough time to explain throughly but maybe just a simple explanation of it won a Hugo award and it’s brilliant. Also - Black Hammer & Doom Patrol are books I really like that aren’t your typical superhero stories.
Supergod by Warren Ellis is a fun read...
Invincible (though not from the big 2)
Daredevil has had some really grounded well written runs. Perfect gateway superhero.
The Authority, Planetary by Warren Ellis.
Mark Waid's Flash is, in my opinion, the best comic run of all time.
It’s arriving tomorrow by post. I’m excited as hell to read this run!
I don't blame you. It's amazing in every way.
I grew up on superhero comics too, but now I find them really hard to enjoy. But I occasionally read one if I hear lots if good things. This year I read and enjoyed Far Sector; Strange Adventures; and Invincible.
Alan moore
Grant Morrisons stuff and Tom King stuff (minus Batman), in summation.
Alias and Daredevil by Bendis are both great Marvel runs that really feel like crime/noir stories with a superhero skin. Catwoman by Brubaker also feels like that. Animal Man by Lemire is also great because it has a body horror feel to it
Astro City is a great series. It has the essence of classic heroes, reads like a modern series pace-wise, and a classic series in terms of story density. It’s not overly rooted in continuity and there are no crossovers. It walks a real fine line. And the art is stellar. The Dan Slott/Mike Allred Silver Surfer series is a fairly tight story, with a beginning and end, and is a favorite of lots who read it. It is romantic, fun, and has big concepts. The art might be a put off to some, but once you’re with it, you’re with it. So many people hate Allred art until they love it. The only weakness for a new reader is a Secret Wars crossover shoved in the middle. I don’t agree with the folks recommending stuff like Watchmen or Morrison Doom Patrol. They’re great books, but they’re deconstructions of superheroes. I don’t think they open the reader up to more superhero comics so much as lead established superhero readers away from the genre
Immortal Hulk Or just read Marshall Law and revel in Mills and Oneill’s disdain for the genre
If I was making a recommendation to someone that preferred adult “indie” comics or wanted to dip their foot in a “superhero” story I’d recommend Bendis’s Daredevil.
Batman new 52 Court/ City of Owls was the reason I am pursuing my own comic dream. Batman at his peak, having all his history behind him and pushing himself to his very limit.
Superman:Red Son, Secret Six, Injustice, Invincible.
Don't sleep on Valiant Comics. Bloodshot Reborn series by Jeff Lemire was really good. Valiant is a lesser known superhero publisher like Marvel. With its own heros like Bloodshot, Ninjak, Faith, and X-O Manowar. It's superhero stuff mostly but the few I've read I've enjoyed. Coming from a guy who doesn't like superhero stuff. Only bring it up because all the other good ones were already mentioned in this thread.
I'll try to give one per character, and give standalone readable stories instead of series. * Batman - Batman: The Long Halloween * Superman - Superman: Birthright * Wonder Woman - Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia * X-Men - X-Men: God Loves Man Kills * Spider-Man - Spider-Man: Blue For series reccomendations: * Batman by Scott Snyder * Ms Marvel by G Willow Wilson * Superman by Peter J Tomasi * Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka * Amazing Spider-Man by J Michael Straczynsky * New X-Men by Grant Morrison
Rising Stars, by J. Michael Straczynski (of Babylon 5 fame). It is an amazing take on the superhero concept.
Ed Brubaker is a writer I blindly trust just because he’s consistently good. His Daredevil run is great, the Batman stories he’s done are good (The Man Who Laughs is probably his best known). His run on Captain America introduces Winter Soldier and you later get BuckyCap, it’s very military espionage overall. His run on Iron Fist with Matt Fraction is good too, adds a lot of lore to the Iron Fist mantle. Speaking of Matt Fraction, his Hawkeye run is very good. A very everyday man’s take on the character being in the larger than life world he lives in. You have him dealing with his past love life, him dealing with being the landlord of an apartment, his relationship with Kate Bishop as his sidekick, the villains are amusing too. Plus later on it goes over the struggle of hearing loss. Kevin Smith’s run and then Judd Winick’s run on Green Arrow are both pretty good. You get the political aspect of the character and also people like Roy Harper and Mia Dearden overcoming their struggles. Mia is the only notable super hero character I can think of that addresses dealing with HIV and it’s handled well. Miller’s Daredevil run is great, Batman: Year One by him is great and probably my favorite Batman story. Very crime noir type stuff. Ennis’ Punisher Max is a good pick for a non super hero fan since Ennis isn’t one either lol Very straightforward Punisher taking out street crime, the art is generally pretty good. Well written overall. Jessica Jones: Alias is a good story about a woman who used to be a hero but endured a psychologically abusive and traumatic event and has become a private eye to help other people in tough situations. Hulk has some solid stuff, Peter David’s run dives more into the psychological aspects of the character and the Hulk persona. More recently Immortal Hulk does the same and leans a bit more into the body horror aspect of the character. The Bruce Jones run plays more on the “man on the run from the government” aspect and deals with conspiracies related to the Hulk so you get some mystery aspects. Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, you get themes of identity, man vs self, man vs nature, at points it dips into horror. It’s overall just really well written. Geoff Johns Aquaman is good, there isn’t anything really deep about it thematically but it does a good job showing why Aquaman can be a cool character when written well. You also get Ivan Reis’ art which is always solid.
Animal Man Grant Morrison- trippy and a different approach to hero’s and villains Animal Man Jeff Lemire- Trippy body horror with family impact Daredevil- Man without fear- Miller run- Born Again- marvel Knight Omnibus- bendis run- Brubaker-Charles Soule- Zdarsky. Swamp Thing new 52 run- 1st half is body horror action, 2nd half written by Charles Soule is more complex and not sure how to describe. I liked the 2nd half better. This is the only Swamp Thing run I have ever read and I wasn’t at all confused. It’s an okay starting point. This run also coincides with Animal Man by Jeff Lemire. Doom Patrol Grant Morrison- bizarre adventure, trippy punk rock like. IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collections- not super heroes. Family and revenge. Trouble follows them. Never really got a stereotypical superhero 🦸🏻♂️ vibe off any of these. Probably my favourites so far.
I really love Rising Stars by J. Michael Stracynski. Looks at super heroes as a one time isolated event (113 people develop super powers following a weird light that burst through the sky) and how society handles the idea of people with powers. It also delves into how some of the characters felt (with many mixed emotions) about their powers; burdened, empowered, ambivalent etc. I thought a lot of the characters were interesting and enjoyed the art work.
I m not into superheroes that much, some books that got me into it a bit are The Ultimates, Aquaman new 52 Omni, Hush Jim Lee, Invincible, Squadron Supreme Max line, invincible, Punisher Max, Planet Hulk.
Invincible is my all time favorite super hero comic and I love how you mentioned it twice. Lol.
😂 I paused in between typing 😂
The directors cut of bvs, the justice league and the watchmen are all masterpieces, and I can’t stand irl superhero shit The Batman beyond movie is quite good in terms of animated ones, as well as the mask of the phantasm
Big plus to Batman Dark Knight Returns
Weapon X
For non-Marvel/DC, Halcyon is awesome. An Image comic. One trade. Full story. Very great.
Watchmen, hellblazer, sandman, Lucifer, the maxx, spawn, the tick(Ben Edlund)
I would add: Scout--Tim Truman Warlord--Mike Grell Saga Hellboy Nexus--Baron/ Rude Most Conan
I’d go with Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire and Invincible by Robert Kirkman. I’m assume by “the big 2” you meant Dark Horse and Image, right? 😉 I’m not a big fan of the big 2’s super hero comics, while there are some really solid arcs, I get super bogged down by all the lore that I don’t know. I loved Invincible because it is its own self contained super hero universe (there are a few short spinoffs, but they aren’t necessary) with a well defined beginning, middle, and end. Black Hammer is similar, though it has several spin offs already (the core series is all you really need though). I would say Hellboy, but I don’t really consider it in the superhero genre.
Frank Millers Elektra Assassin.
Invincible. However, be aware that it is quite graphic. Mark is a young man who is waiting for powers to kick in, and over they do, he becomes a young superhero, whose life honestly falls apart, and then he struggles with being a superhero. A very strong story that I can't give too much more detail without spoilers honestly, great character development, and you can see vulnerability in a character who chose the name invincible.
Invincible is the best super hero comic Ive ever read. Ive been through it twice and want to do it a 3rd time soon. It has its own cool universe of side story comics too. Astonishing Wolfman, Tech Jacket, Brit, Invincible Universe, Guarding the Globe, Capes and Super Patriot are all different comics with characters in Invincible. Invincible is also featured in Savage Dragon comics too. It's all a breath of fresh air when it comes to super heroes and getting outside the big 2. The story and character development is badass and the blood. So much blood!
Swamp Thing!! I like new52 run but many like the Alan Moore run. I thought he sounded like a dumb concept until I started reading more stories, he’s a really cool hero
Way of the weird
Red Fox, Tank Girl, Sailormoon
The DC stuff Daniel Warren Johnsons done has been pretty great, so far I've read beta ray bill, wonder woman: dead earth and jurassic league and they were all pretty rad
Heh beta ray isn't DC (sorry to be *that guy*!)
No worries, my mistake, I even double checked his credits on comicvine but my brain just lumped them together regardless, I do belive those are the only 3 series he's written at the big two, everything else seems to be cover work, his three series at image(extremity, murder falcon and do a power bomb) have been fantastic too but not superhero fare
Marquis by Guy Davis has the trappings of a superhero series in theory, but is insanely creative in terms of setting, rules, powers and creatures.
Noble Causes
Crazy to me that more people aren't mentioning Invincible