Best graphic novels according to redditors
We found 45,328 Reddit comments discussing the best graphic novels. We ranked the 7,350 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 45,328 Reddit comments discussing the best graphic novels. We ranked the 7,350 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
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.
> 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.
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^^I ^^also ^^think ^^the ^^ ^^49ers ^^are ^^cool.
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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.
Fear not, Graphic Novels exist for this very reason!
A lot of people don't follow series via individual issues, mainly because it can cost so much the more series you follow. Trade Paperbacks are just collections of separate story arcs within a run (usually about 6/7 issues) at a lower price. This is a good way to go for reading up on Deadpool.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - i no longer takes my problem too seriously after reading this
​
The End of Procrastination - it really helps to put your life in order
Batman: Year One is a fantastic way to begin. It introduces the major elements, tells a solid story, and the art work is fantastic.
The Long Halloween and Dark Victory are my next two suggestions. They're also my personal favorites (and Christian Bales!).
Others of note:
The Killing Joke
Arkham Asylum
Batman: Absolution
Batman: The Cult
A Death in the Family
Batman: Hush
I've got a few more but they're a bit scattered in terms of story line or canon. I'm also an outlier but I didn't care for "The Dark Knight Returns."
His back story is covered in the comic Shepherds Tale. Though I'm not 100% it's canon.
If you haven't, do yourself a favor. The whole thing is stupid cheap to read now https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Complete-Cartoon-Epic-One/dp/188896314X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2NAGQHCAN1U8N&keywords=bone+complete+cartoon+epic+in+one+volume&qid=1571269829&sprefix=bone+comp%2Caps%2C206&sr=8-1
There is a good way, buy it as a trade (all-arc-in-one), like this one (http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Gauntlet-Jim-Starlin/dp/0785156593). As long as you have a small amount of awareness of who the main folks in the story are (which you will if you've seen any of the Marvel movies), you should be good to go!
my flatmate got this Bertrand Russell graphic novel, it's damn good.
amazon link
guardian review
For anyone too lazy to look for it
NBA Players as Superheroes:
> Infinity Gauntlet
http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Gauntlet-Jim-Starlin/dp/0785156593
most big comic bppk arches are availabe as trade paperbacks. search for comic name + TPB and you'll find it.
Volume 1
Volume 2
The Shepherd's Tale
The other two are alive, yes. When we the players fought C'thun way back in Ahn'qiraj, we fought what amounted to the tip of a finger. When we defeated Yogg in Ulduar, we had the help of a half dozen Titanic Keepers, some of the most powerful beings the Titans left behind. Neither Old God is dead, and even if they were I don't know that it would significantly reduce their threat. After all, Y'shaarj has been dead for millennia and we spent a whole expansion fighting what was basically a few drops of his blood (the Sha in Pandaria).
Most of our Old God lore can be found centralized in Chronicle Volume 1. You could also check out Wowpedia if you want to get trapped for hours.
Most of what we know about the Old Gods happened many thousands of years before the events of the Warcraft games, so a lot of it comes from sources like these.
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Edit: Swapped the WoWWiki link for a link to Wowpedia instead. After looking at both, it seems that WoWWiki is pretty out of date.
Bone
The complete volume, it's so worth it and good for all ages.
This
Everything we thought we knew was a lie.
Ysera used to be the mother of Cenarius that freaked me out when I found that out.
(The War of the Ancients Trilogy describes Ysera as the mother of Cenarius, which was changed to Ysera and Malorne were lovers then changed again.)
Neptulon the Tidehunter and Ozumat are one that's stuck in my head the longest. I was legit so excited for the abyssal Maw raid. We could have dealt with Queen Azshara and instead of getting tentacle Deathwing we could of got N'Zoth back in Cataclysm. Would have made the story more coherent along with the missed War of the Ancients raid we also missed out on.
The entire War of the Ancient time travel book was a pretty big retcon as well.
Back in vanilla I remember being confused about AV when it's was Frostwolf land and the alliance recognized it but, then it was changed to the frostwolf invaded Alterac land.
Garona's parentage was changed to be less graphic and also Medan being removed. Blizzard put a lot of resources into him outside the game just to drop him.
Religion used to be a lot bigger a lot of references to Hell, God, angels etc. Changed to the light
Female Night Elven druids
Miev's death.
All the blood elves following Kael to outland jk no they didnt.
Most of the Warcraft 1 campaigns if I remember right.
The constant shifting of Arthas/Nerzhul and what is actually happening in the mind of the Wrath LK.
Read the comic! It's great! http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Volume-The-Shepherds-Tale/dp/1595825614
> It’s so confusing, why shouldn’t I just be able to follow his story from beginning to present?
> (I’m using Batman as an example but really I’d like help understanding how to follow comics in general as they’re all laid out this way, with overlapping arcs and timelines and such)
This isn't entirely how comics work. In general, it's not the only way other mediums work either. The REQUIREMENT that everything follows a strict, traditional/conventional 3-act structure (beginning, middle, end) is self-imposed and not necessary for good story-telling. The "beginning" of comics happened decades ago and the "end" is nowhere in sight; comics are perpetually stuck in the "middle".
You're already used to non-traditional narrative structure; it's used very often in other mediums. Why does Star Wars get a pass but not superhero comics? Did you see how Darth Vader "became" Darth Vader before he was introduced for the first time? Do you refuse to watch/read/play anything that will potentially have a prequel and ruin your "sense" of chronology? Did Memento or even Pulp Fiction melt your mind? When you go watch Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, there aren't going to be in-depth introductions for every character.
It's OK to embrace your preferences. Most people like following stories from beginning to end. Now that there is 70+ years of comic history to explore, third parties have attempted ordering it all in some subjective, complicated chronology. It's not really possible, though. How do you handle flashbacks, especially when they're embedded in another story? Do you have to change the chronology to per-panel precision? What about simultaneous story releases? Alternate universes/timelines that are fully/partially "canon" and/or merged/retconned later? Varieties of characterization by multiple writers/artists?
Most of what made these superheroes "cool" in the first place was very topical. What powers do they have? What does their costume look like? Their backstories and character growth/development were fleshed out over the coming decades, more specifically in the "modern" age of comics when the demographic started transitioning to include adults.
There's no "perfect" or "definitive" sequence of events that Batman's story occurred in. That severely limits creators from writing new stories for the character without requiring hard continuity reboots. If you start solidifying that Batman grew up in X, met character Y, fought character Z, in a strict order that can't be changed, then you can't write stories that occur in between those moments. If you plan out Batman's entire chronology to fit a realistic calendar where Bane broke his back on Wednesday and the Court of Owls revealed themselves on Friday, then you (1) will find it won't make sense (because that's not how comics are made) and (2) are stripping all of the "magic" of comics away. Keep in mind: 70+ year old shared universes are an unprecedented achievement of storytelling. No other medium has accomplished something of this scale for this long. You should expect to think of something unique like that a little differently than you might be used to.
I think it's easier to get into comics when you drop the "need" to read EVERYTHING, IN ORDER. You should just read self-contained stories and treat them like separate stories. Think of it like a jigsaw picture puzzle that you're solving one piece at a time. You won't see the big picture (continuity) until you manually piece random pieces of it together over time. You even start to develop your own "methodology" (head-canon, community discussion, etc.) of putting those pieces together (reading comics) in a way that makes sense to you personally. Comics should feel more like self-discovery/exploration than procedure/work.
This is (roughly) how I got into Batman and what I suggest to new readers:
You said in another comment below that others were treating you as a troll or an idiot. I don't think that's necessarily the case: many of us are just trying to present the facts, and may be a little bit frustrated due to how YECs typically react. For example, my earlier comment about how creation science does not count as science, and how Geocentrism is incorrect, I did not set out to treat you like an idiot (and if I did, I'm sorry). I did treat you as ignorant, which isn't as bad as it sounds. I'm ignorant to a lot of things. Everyone is. But I love to learn, because I love to expand my knowledge.
Ignorance can be cured. Stupidity can't. We encounter wilful ignorance a lot, and it gets very frustrating, so that colours what we say.
If you're genuine about your desire to learn more, I'll drop some suggestions for further inquiry. Some of the language may be abrasive, but please keep an open, skeptical mind:
I'll give you fair warning on this next one: it may have a profound effect on you. At the very least, it will help you understand our philosophical position better as atheists.
For reading:
Hopefully that gets you started.
There is a comic that gives Book's backstory.
SPOILERS
He was part of the Independence movement, who infiltrated the Alliance and worked his way into a higher-up military position. He eventually used this to cause a massacre of Alliance troops, after which he was discharged and disgraced. He later had a spiritual revelation and turned to god.
Deadpool, vol1 Dead Presidents
Dude! Ultimate Spider-Man! It's one of the best books Marvel's putting out right now.
Note, this one with Miles Morales. Not this one, or this one which takes place before it and stars Peter Parker.
If they like it and get to the end, then get them this one., which is the next series that focuses on him.
There's also this one with Miles Morales where he meets mainstream Spider-Man that is really great too.
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
For those of you interested, Manapul and Buccaletto (the creative team behind this page) did an excellent arc for The Flash from New 52 #1 through #29. These are collected in Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol 3, Vol 4, and Vol 5. I highly recommend reading them if you're interested in the comics, as they are a great introduction to the character of Barry Allen.
> She is wanting to learn more about Atheism and I was hoping to get some information from anyone that is willing to help me/us out.
(Be aware: atheism is spelled with a lower-case a. It's not a proper noun.)
A few book recommendations that aren't terribly anti-religion (or even pro-atheism) but are instead pro-skepticism:
Really, though, any book on world religions or mythology, like this one, would be appropriate. Examining what others believe and why they believe it is an important hurdle in becoming confident with your own beliefs.
Hey, if you wanna understand 1+1 all you need to read is this little beauty:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principia_Mathematica
I have not read it myself, because I am stupid, but I did read a comic book about how and why it was written: https://www.amazon.com/Logicomix-search-truth-Apostolos-Doxiadis/dp/1596914521
>is the character in the film different enough from the comics for it to be possible that I may not enjoy it as much? Is the spirit of the character similar enough in both media that I'll feel like I'm experiencing the same thing?
Let me answer that with this image.
>And the newbie-ish question, where should I look in terms of comic series? Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1? I'm vaguely aware of a reboot?
Not a reboot, but a relaunch. The first Guardians series featuring the modern Guardians was published from 2008 to 2011 and was written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. The current Guardians series was launched in 2013 and is written by Brian Bendis. You could start at the beginning of either series, but most Guardians fans prefer the 2008 series, which you can get in a nice new oversized paperback collection very soon: Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett and Lanning: The Complete Collection, vol. 1.
>Are there Rocket Raccoon stand alone comics? Are they worth checking out without reading Guardians first?
A Rocket solo series was just launched recently, actually. It's definitely worth checking out on its own. Take a look: https://www.comixology.com/Rocket-Raccoon-2014/comics-series/21368
Read this
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
I don't know which age groups it's for.
Alternatively you can give them books about lots of different myths and legends. Greek mythology is great.
To the latest Deadpool series? You can buy it at your local comic store or through the comixology app. I believe they are on Volume 7. Writers are Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan.
Here is the link to the first volume on Amazon
The best way to start, imo, is with graphic novels/collections.
Going into a store and buying individual issues is going to be overwhelming, as you experienced.
As a DC reader I can recommend some books for you:
Batman - Batman Vol.1: Court of Owls has the first few issues of New 52 Batman and it's fantastic.
Superman - All-Star Superman is a great book, and widely considered THE best Superman book.
http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Shepherds-Tale-Zack-Whedon/dp/1595825614
The lore has a lot of cliche's in it (just like this movie likely) but Blizzard was always such a master of the craft in just about all other areas that it quickly became acceptable. Their lore/world building is incredible, fun quirky humor, interesting style.
The movie will very likely be super over the top, but I'm otherwise guessing it'll be pretty fun. :D
Side note, if you or anyone else is interested in learning some of that lore through a more traditional format, this was recently released, and it's beautifully put together.
For Barry:
For Wally:
By the way, these are just starting points. I'll help you with an actual reading order if you need.
I've found Maus, which you might've heard of, to be an effective gateway drug. It's standalone and doesn't require any previous intimacy with the medium to be enjoyed.
If you are looking for something on the lighter side of things, Bone is a fantastic comedy/action adventure. I recommend the ridiculously priceworthy 1300 pages all-in-one edition ($23!).
Logicomix is really cute if you're looking for something fun and human.
An advisor I worked with when studying formal methods recommended it to me. I got through it in about 20 minutes, but it reminded me to be considerate of things I normally would ignore in the domains of computation.
The current run, by Brian Posehn, is supposed to be good. It starts with this book: http://www.amazon.com/Deadpool-Vol-1-Dead-Presidents/dp/0785166807
There's also the run by Daniel Way, which is the one /u/p_norm is talking about, which a lot of people dislike because it is too wacky. This is the chimichanga loving, 2 inner voices having, odd-ball. A lot of people find this run to be too wacky, and that it gets Deadpool wrong, but if you're new you won't care about that. Most Deadpool fragments you see on reddit are from this run. The writer also wrote the Deadpool game. It starts here: http://www.amazon.com/Deadpool-Vol-1-Secret-Invasion/dp/0785132732/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413815446&sr=1-1&keywords=deadpool+secret+invasion
Then there's the older run by Joe Kelly. This one is often seen as the Deadpool run. The problem is with how Marvel collected it. Issue #1 is collected in Deadpool Classic Vol. 1, together with his older mini-series, which I personally didn't like, and all the rest is in Vol. 2 onwards.
Currently, Marvel is on somewhat of a Deadpool spree, and has published a billion mini-series, most of which are good. Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, Deadpool Killustrated, Deadpool Kills Deadpool, Night of the Living Deadpool, Hawkeye vs. Deadpool, ...
You didn't miss anything. We don't know his backstory yet, but we will soon.
12 bucks for the hardcover. I recommend it. Definitely worth the purchase.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1595825614?pc_redir=1409213998&robot_redir=1
>[I'll help.](Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401216676/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_Whg6wbZKJTKB8)
It's $10 on Amazon. Or walk into any well stocked comic store and they'll have it.
Not OP, just helping out with some formatting (and links!) because I like these suggestions.
> 1) The Magic Of Reality - Richard Dawkins
>
> 2) The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
>
> 3)A Brief History Of Time - Stephen Hawking
>
> 4)The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking
>
> 4)Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari (Any Book By Daniel Dennet)
>
> 5)Enlightenment Now - Steven Pinker
>
> 6)From Eternity Till Here - Sean Caroll (Highly Recommended)
>
> 7)The Fabric Of Cosmos - Brian Greene (If you have good mathematical understanding try Road To Reality By Roger Penrose)
>
> 8)Just Six Numbers - Martin Reese (Highly Recommended)
Yes, God hates you and your car now that you've gone to the dark side. Here's an idea. Take it to a mechanic and find out the real reason, and after you get your car back, go buy the book The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True, by Richard Dawkins and put your mind at ease. :) But seriously, I hope you get your car on the road soon.
Dawkins' book, The Magic of Reality
Lesbian/Queer main characters:
Batwoman - She's a lesbian and her romantic relationships play a fairly important role in the series. Her villains are a bit B-list but they're enjoyable reads never the less. Some controversy over DC's decision to prohibit her "happiness" and troubles with the talented creative staff that are worth investigating beforehand but it's worth noting that these issues do not effect the trade paperbacks 1-3. Don't make my mistake and accidentally buy Batgirl comics and wonder when she's supposed to start kissing ladies.
Lumberjanes - The trade paperback is supposed to come out some time next year but individual issues are currently being published. All ages comic that portrays a scout type group at a summer camp full of monsters. I'm not personally reading it but I've heard nothing but good things.
Funhome - A proper "graphic novel." An unbelievably intelligent and nuanced perspective on gender and sexuality. Bechdel compares her coming out process against her late father's closeted homosexuality to draw an intimate but calculated portrait of American sexuality and family.
Lesbian/Queer minor characters:
Saga - Holy shit, I can't recommend this enough. So utterly fantastic that words fail me. I buy this for everyone I know who's even faintly interested in comics.
The Walking Dead - The queer characters don't show up for a long while but this is the series the very popular TV show is based on. It's a little "Drama-y" for me but my girlfriend's dad gobbles them up like there's no tomorrow.
Not queer but awesome:
Chew - A world where poultry is outlawed and people have superpowers only related to food. My mom called it "kind of weird" which it is. I can't get enough.
Revival - The dead come to life but they're mostly just cranky, okay, sometimes murderous, but not that often. Strong female protagonists.
I'd recommend:
Saga vol. 1 - awesome scifi comic by the writer of Y: the Last Man.
Locke & Key vol. 1 - vaguely Lovecraftian horror comic by Stephen King's son.
Egg Story - Awesome, super cheap graphic novel. An egg becomes a ninja!
All three are $29.33 at the moment.
But it really depends on your tastes. If you're mostly into superhero comics, those are not going to be good picks for you.
If you're interested in this sort of thing I would highly recommend Logicomix. It's a graphic novel that follows the development of Bertrand Russell's life and work.
Read Logicomix.
It is a graphic novel based on Russell's life and his search for logic/truth.
this link's url: http://www.amazon DOT com/dp/1607060760/ref=nosim/?tag=redditors-20The bolded part shows that this is a referral link, "tag=redditors-20" shows that his account name begins with "redditors" and he lives in North America (Region # is 20). He made an associates account for the sole purpose of spamming reddit. He gets 6%-12% of whatever you pay for on amazon in the next 24 hours after clicking this link.>
Referral codes on the end of links are not allowed, and your post will be removed. Repeat offenders will be banned.I understand if prople with pre-existing amazon associates accounts post referral links (to subreddits which permit them), but seeing somebody make an account for the sole purpose of spamming reddit sickens me. Enjoy your ban.EDIT: It was all a misunderstanding, it turned out to be a cookie left on my computer and not from OP's account. My apologies.
You should check out the Matt Fraction/David Aja run of Hawkeye. I don't really read comics much, but that series really made Hawkeye my favorite Avenger. Really great stuff, like an entire issue seen through the perspective of his dog.
The Killing Joke - FTFY
I feel like Nolan's The Dark Knight takes more influence from Jeph Loeb's Batman: The Long Halloween than from any other published stories. In fact, if you buy this trade version of the book, you can read an introduction from Chris Nolan and David Goyer where they discuss the influence this book had on their writing and filmmaking, as well as the cinematic quality of the book itself.
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
The cheapest legal way to read them is by purchasing Compendium One, Two and Three. That's the first 144 issues. Probably best to start with just Compendium One to ensure you like them.
*Edit: The Comics FAQ can probably answer any additional questions you may have.
I know this isn't a novel, but The Walking Dead comics are a great zombie read.
Warcraft 3 & Frozen Throne for sure.
WoW has some great lore, but most of it isn't totally related to Hearthstone. You could still run around and see loads of Hearthstoney things and see how they fit into the grand scheme of things.
Also, Warcraft: Chronicle is a great source of lore, but most of it is stuff from the beginning of the Warcraft universe that hasn't made its way into Hearthstone yet.
The answers you seek are here.
If you're not aware, his back story was finally revealed in the third serenity comic/graphic novel, "A Shepherd's Tale". I'm glad to know that story now but it makes me even more disappointed that we never got to see the characters react to that information on screen.
Ed Brubaker's current run is the definitive modern version of the character. You can buy the individual trade paperbacks but the cheapest way is through the 2 large omnibus collections that were released. The first one is 744 pages for $50 so it's a pretty good deal.
Start Here: http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Omnibus-Vol-1/dp/0785128662/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266089133&sr=8-7
Read Civil War: http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Mark-Millar/dp/078512179X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266089235&sr=1-1
Then Read This: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Captain-America-Omnibus/dp/0785138064/ref=pd_sim_b_1
and you will be pretty much caught up except for stuff that's come out in the past year or so.
If you'd prefer to read the softcover trades: start here: http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Vol-Winter-Soldier/dp/0785119205/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266089341&sr=1-2-spell
This isn't a "must read list", but going off your list, I think you would enjoy:
If you are looking for books to expand your literary chops on, I think blackstar9000 made a very good list.
For my recommendations on getting out of your element try these:
Hawkeye, and here's the first of the four trades containing Matt Fraction's run.
It's written by Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan. The first issue has Deadpool firing at a dinosaur creature with cats flying everywhere.
http://www.amazon.com/Deadpool-Vol-1-Dead-Presidents/dp/0785166807 is the correct cover, not sure if it's just the single comic or a collected version.
It sounds like you two are discussing the basics of epistemology.
>I told her that I would have to think about it, but that you can't be scared to learn about things that disagree with your beliefs. I told her that a lot of times it feels bad to have your beliefs challenged, and that this can cause you to avoid learning things that you don't like or immediately discounting them.
That's a very good place to start.
>At this point she basically said "Yeah you have to make sure you aren't just accepting something because it agrees with what you already think."
She seems to have discovered confirmation bias on her own. Well done her!
Maybe introduce her to some information on critical thinking.
Given her parents and your desire not to ruffle their feathers too muck, I'd avoid The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True for now. Maybe have a copy at your place that she might accidentally find on your bookshelf?
Perhaps The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark would be a good choice?
> you'd think so, but superhero movies have never increased sales in single issue sales, because unlike an adaptation of a novel, there is no original source material to pick up.
Most of the Marvel movies have been partially based on a preexisting stories. Infinity War, Black Panther, Thor Ragnarok, and Civil War for example. Granted the source comics can be very very different from the movies.
> The fact is that while comic book fans might watch the movies, movie fans don't pick up the comics, as such the comics & the movies need to be separate entities.
This is true but part of the reason could be how different the current comic books characters are from the movies. Example: you love Iron Man in the movies. You go to the store to pick up Iron Man comics. There are two Iron man comics on the shelf. One has Doctor Doom in it and Tony Stark is nowhere to be found in the whole comic. The other has a teenage girl as the star and Tony Stark is a hologram side character in his own book. Do you buy the books? Or do you just leave and not buy anything? Sales certainly seem to indicate the latter and lord knows there is plenty of anecdotal evidence as well.
I mean Game of Thrones and Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings all got sales boosts after the movies were successful so I don't see why comics would be any different.
Shepard's story is know, it is explained in The Shepherd's Tale
I bought my comics via Amazon:
Vol I - Those Left Behind
Vol II - Better Days
Vol III - The Shepherds Tale
Firefly/Serenity continued as a comic series for a while, [and they did in fact tackle this story] (https://www.amazon.com/Serenity-3-Shepherds-Tale-Various/dp/1595825614).
I recommend reading Logicomix. It's an excellent graphic novel about the life of Bertrand Russell and his "epic search for truth".
Watch: If you have already watched TWD and GoT, some other good TV series include: Fear the Walking Dead, True Detective season 1, Vikings, The 100, American Horror Story season 1 - Murder House and season 2 - Asylum, Stranger Things, Penny Dreadful, first few seasons of True Blood, Sons of Anarchy, Narcos, House of Cards, Bates Motel, The Last Kingdom, and that's all I can think of right now. You can also check out IMDb: Most Popular TV Series.
Read: Read TWD comics and read the Game of Thrones book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Just give the first A Song of Ice and Fire book, A Game of Thrones, a try and I guarantee you will be hooked and won't be able to put it down. I can't even stress how amazing both book series are compared to their TV show counterparts, especially the GoT books. There's so much detail in both TWD and GoT books that they didn't have time to fit into the TV series or didn't care, but reading the books really helps to understand certain characters and situations that occur in the show. You don't even have to actually pay money for the books, you can just download the ebook files to read them for free. (If you want to know where to download the ebook files for free, message me.) I actually always do that, if the files are available, and if I start reading it and enjoy it, I purchase the actual physical book, as I did with all of the GoT and TWD books. To save money when purchasing the physical copies of TWD comics, make sure to buy TWD comics in Compendiums (Amazon: TWD Compendium One) instead of individual books.
The Walking Dead is actually really easy to get into because it is only one series. You can start at #1 and read up to the current issue. The best and cheapest way you can do this would be to buy the two Walking Dead compendium that have been released. They go from #1-96 and they're around $35-40 each.
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Amazon links:
Bone
Akira
Mouse guard
Persepolis
Scott Pilgrim
Swamp thing by Alan Moore
Judge Dredd: The cursed earth uncensored
Nemesis the warlock
The league of extra ordinary gentlemen
Hellboy
Zot! by Scott McCloud
V for vendetta
Nimona
The sandman
Maus
American Flagg
Bean world
Dan Dare by Garth Ennis
Flintstones by Mark Russell
Giant days
Groo
The incal
Jonah Hex
The nam
Queen and Country
Rork
Usagi yojimbo
Nausicaa
>Hey huge marvel fan, (heathen, i know)
A lot of us read Marvel too you heathen!
Batman: Court of Owls, great place to start. Check the side bar or listen to these other lovely people too for more stuff.
It depends. I actually recommend not getting stuck reading religious arguments and anti-religious arguments. Try instead simply learning about the world. Your life and happiness don't need to be defined by religion, there's a lot more out there.
Read some books on science and history, not religious or atheist ones, just ones that expand knowledge. Things like Cosmos, or a History of the Peloponnesian War. Read about different cultures and their myths, like Edith Hamilton's Mythology. Read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. And in the meantime, just be a good person who loves their friends and family, and don't worry about God, or the lack thereof.
When you've learned more and feel comfortable, I suggest learning about the history of your religion, and what people actually believed, not just what the religion claims it was always like. Karen Armstrong's 'The Bible' is a good one. Read an annotated Bible and look at what's actually there. Then feel free to read an apologist and atheist book to hear both sides.
Most importantly, you should be learning for the sake of learning, and enjoy it. Don't feel guilty or torn. That you feel like you deserve eternal torment for simply participating in a ritual with friends and family is a fucking tragedy. Hell, Christmas and Easter are mostly made of pagan traditions, some explicitly outlawed in the Bible, but I'm sure eating chocolate eggs and decorating the tree doesn't make you feel sinful, not should it. We give these things our own meaning, there's no outside force causing you unhappiness or judging you.
>
>
> “Listen,” said Ford, who was still engrossed in the sales brochure, “they make a big thing of the ship's cybernetics. A new generation of Sirius Cybernetics Corporation robots and computers, with the new GPP feature.”
> “GPP feature?” said Arthur. “What's that?”
>
> “Oh, it says Genuine People Personalities.”
>
> “Oh,” said Arthur, “sounds ghastly.”
>
> A voice behind them said, “It is.” The voice was low and hopeless and accompanied by a slight clanking sound. They span round and saw an abject steel man standing hunched in the doorway.
>
> “What?” they said.
>
> “Ghastly,” continued Marvin, “it all is. Absolutely ghastly. Just don't even talk about it. Look at this door,” he said, stepping through it. The irony circuits cut into his voice modulator as he mimicked the style of the sales brochure. “All the doors in this spaceship have a cheerful and sunny disposition. It is their pleasure to open for you, and their satisfaction to close again with the knowledge of a job well done.”
>
> As the door closed behind them it became apparent that it did indeed have a satisfied sigh-like quality to it. “Hummmmmmmyummmmmmm ah!” it said.
From The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.
There is a great book I just wrapped up by Douglas Adams (author of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) called Last Chance to See where he goes with a zoologist to different countries and islands to account for endangered species or to see if they have finally gone extinct. They face a lot of adversity in these disparate countries and islands but his hilarious writing style makes for such a great adventure log.
Under 300 pages and I highly recommend it.
Absolutely helped.
I think you would maybe enjoy:
It's "Hawkeye (2012 - 2015)" This is the first volume
There are also some side stories that took place during the run, like Deadpool vs Hawkeye which is actually a fun Halloween arc
It is. It's Alex Ross on the art of this piece (Which is titled Justice, which he did with Jim Krueger), and he worked on Kingdom Come with Mark Waid, who is famous for his eight year Flash run, but he's currently wrapped up in Daredevil and The Incredible Hulk.
Kingdom Come is, in my opinion, one of the highest JLA or overall DC reads of all time.
A great place to start is with the current book it's being written by a die-hard Flash fan and has been knocking it out of the park with every issue (its on issue 11). Also, if you can find it I would suggest getting that in tandem with with New 52 Vol 1 "Move Forward" that book is a great introduction into Barry Allen as the Flash
A big part of the Flash is their legacy so I'll briefly explain that for ya. 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-New 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 heavily 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 (2009)
The rest I'll let you learn, but we love answering any questions you may have over on r/theFlash. Moreover, to find the official list of our recommendations check out the subreddit's wiki located on the top bar.
Here is a synopsis...
The Flash, Volume 2 (1987-2009):
Johns run starts at #164, and is more of a collection of one-shots, team-ups, and "Rogue Case Files" from #164 to #191. The later being an individual study on each of Flash's rogues John's wishes to flesh out and give an origin. John's does create a few of his own Rogues as well. Plainly put, John's is far better than Waid at creating villains while Waid excelled at writing Wally and the Family. I recommend getting them all, they are not only necessary but a real joy to read.
*Flash Fact!: these are all about Wally's time as Flash.
Barry's resurrection and takeover of the Flash solo titles begins with
Flash: Rebirth (2009) by Geoff Johns: #1 to #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 Flash, Volume 3 (2009-2010):
Flashpoint (2011) by Geoff Johns: #1 to #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.
The Flash, Volume 4 "The New 52" (2011-2016):
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 11 coming out next week. If you'd like to follow the exploits of the returned Wally West read Titans (2016-) you can also check out Teen Titans (2016-) to explore Kid Wally's development. Pick it up on Comixology or your local comic book shop!
*Flash Fact!: During the New 52 a different Wally West is revealed to be black (I call him Kid 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!
The Flash, Volume 5 (2016-):
Titans, Volume 3 (2016-): (Optional)
Did anyone else actually read the article? 'Telos', 'Night Force' or 'Blue and Gold' would not count.
>Before fans get too excited about finally pitching their untold stories about Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, they should know that DC Universe is NOT asking for narratives. It appears that they are not looking for fans to redefine a character’s origins, à la Batman: Year One, or for fans to provide alternate takes on a character, à la Superman: Red Son. Instead, they are looking for “non-narrative ideas inspired by the world of DC.” This could range from reality shows, game shows, travel shows, documentaries, or any other non-narrative category fans can think of.
Get the compendiums. There are three out so far. They have like 50 issues each in them and are 20-40 bucks. Best deal in comics. https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dead-Compendium-One/dp/1607060760/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1542150565&sr=8-4&keywords=walking+dead+compendium
The first compendium. It contains volumes 1-8.
Volume 16 releases in June, so the second compendium with volumes 9-16 should be out later this year, I'm thinking.
You can also buy each volume for under $9 each, if you don't want to wait for the second compendium
Watch Cosmos or other science video. Do science learning activities - Arduino is a thing now.
Or read a book.
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
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!
They don't explain it in the show or movie, but everything is explained very well in Shepherd's Tale. So far, all the comic stories have been pretty good and are a nice way to revisit The 'Verse.
http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Volume-The-Shepherds-Tale/dp/1595825614
Start with a good algorithms book like Introduction to algorithms. You'll also want a good discrete math text. Concrete Mathematics is one that I like, but there are several great alternatives. If you are learning new math, pick up The Princeton Companion To Mathematics, which is a great reference to have around if you find yourself with a gap in your knowledge. Not a seminal text in theoretical CS, but certain to expand your mind, is Purely functional data structures.
On the practice side, pick up a copy of The C programming language. Not only is K&R a classic text, and a great read, it really set the tone for the way that programming has been taught and learned ever since. I also highly recommend Elements of Programming.
Also, since you mention Papadimitriou, take a look at Logicomix.
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.
> can someone point me towards a comic or book?
It's collected as a trade, on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Long-Halloween-Jeph-Loeb/dp/1401232590
I'm sure other booksellers have it too.
Might help: http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046
This run captured the tone of Firefly, dare I say it, perfectly. I honestly think it did. I own/have read the others and quite frankly this sucked me right back into the 'verse. I know there are camps on either side of some of the others (Shepherd's Tale specifically), but I just don't see there being many that dislike Leaves on the Wind.
Enough of my opinion. Leaves on the Wind is a six part miniseries that takes place after Serenity. It is mainly written by Zack Whedon and illustrated by Georges Jeanty (of Buffy: Season 8 variety). While there are only six issues in this run, and no plans for making any more (that I know of at the time of writing this), demand speaks volumes.
Back to my opinion. If possible, purchase at your local comic book store to lend your support. Don't buy comics regularly and aren't sure what to expect at a comic book store? PM me, I'll walk you through it.
And now, contrary to what I just said, I will provide you with Amazon links to the other Firefly comics.
These are also all available on the Dark Horse website. It looks like pre-orders for Leaves on the Wind hardcover go earlier than on Amazon (Nov 5th compared to Nov 18th), which is not surprising as it comes directly from the source.
Stay shiny and keep flying.
Edit: Added Dark Horse link
I take it you haven't read The Shepherd's Tale?
We learn in this graphic novel:
http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Volume-The-Shepherds-Tale/dp/1595825614
I've read all the comics, they're all worth the read.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1595825614/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1414509618&sr=8-1
Shepherd's Tale is the title. (And it's $13.) I would still have loved to see it come out over a long series of episodes. One graphic novel was too short.
Ooo Russell's Paradox > Logicomix. Please, for the love of god, buy this. It bleeds awesomeness from so many places its disgusting.
Theres also Godel, Escher, Bach : An Eternal Golden Braid, which supposedly reaches even rarer heights of transcendence, but my non music notation understanding philistineness renders it partially inaccessible :(
hey, if you want to soak it in with some light reading, i'd suggest LOGICOMIX
http://www.amazon.com/Logicomix-An-Epic-Search-Truth/dp/1596914521/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413849778&sr=8-1&keywords=logicomix
I'm 15 and soaked it in pretty well I'd say. Enjoy!
I think it's from the new lore book that is coming out on the 15th.
128 pages of lore that fills in a lot of the holes quests leave us with and 25 full page paintings by Peter Lee, who I assume did the one we're discussing.
A book just came out that does a really good job. Its on sale right now on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-Volume-1/dp/1616558458
Bone is really, really great!
Edit: you can buy it in it's entirety here but it may be a bit daunting at 1300 pages. You can also buy it in single volumes
I'm not sure where you got the idea of Flash as a snob or jerk. I'd recommend the Buccellato / Manapul run from the beginning of the New 52. It's a fun, lighthearted-but-not-goofy superhero book. (I haven't read any of the Jensen/Venditti run that follows, so I can't speak to that.)
Check out The Flash: Rebirth. Next, read the series by Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, and Scott Kolins (2010-2011). It's collected in two volumes. After that, read Flashpoint, and then read the New 52 series.
Here's a breakdown:
In addition to these, you can check out a list of some more recommended Barry Allen reads here.
EDIT: Don't be discouraged if you find The Flash: Rebirth very continuity-heavy - it is. This was one of the first non-Batman comics that I read when I was getting back into comics, and I had no clue what was going on. The thing is, that frustration only encouraged me to dig deeper and understand more about this world. I hope you (or anyone for that matter) takes that approach when something comes along that doesn't seem to make sense.
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.
It's always a good time to begin reading DC Comics! Check out the Volume 1 TPB's of the characters you mentioned above. You'll be caught up before ya know it!
Wonder Woman Vol. 1
Batman, Vol. 1
Green Arrow, Vol. 1
As far as Batman goes, you're going to love Scott Snyder's run. It's next level. Picking up Justice League wouldn't hurt either. Don't miss out on great stories just because there's a big event coming up. DC has had some brilliant runs over the last few years and they're definitely worth reading regardless of Convergence.
EDIT: Just realized you're coming back to comics after only a year away rather than being completely new to the New 52. Definitely catch up, a lot of cool stuff has happened since you were away from these characters!
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Killing-Deluxe-Alan-Moore/dp/1401216676
Batman Year One
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401207529/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_iRgNDbRCC8PMX
I always suggest ultimate when this comes up. it separate from what you might know about the spider man universe, but is really really good anyways. also really fun because the stories of all the characters are different. there are a few "beginnings" but this is where ultimate really starts.
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spider-Man-Collection-Vol/dp/0785124926/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413160456&sr=1-1&keywords=ultimate+spiderman
edit: also, it is actually a complete story with origins and an end
http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle/dp/0345409469
http://www.amazon.com/Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-Douglas-Adams/dp/0345391802
http://www.amazon.com/A-Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X
https://www.amazon.com/Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-Douglas-Adams/dp/0345391802/ref=nodl_
It can sometimes kinda work that way with American comics...
For Deadpool, you can start with the Deadpool Classic books. There are four volumes, with a fifth one coming out soon. It does get a little confusing after that, though. I don't think the Classic books have collected the entirety of the first Deadpool series, which led into Agent X, which I'm not sure has been collected in trade paperbacks either. That then lead into Cable & Deadpool, of which there are three volumes. And then after that you have the current Deadpool series. There are trade paperbacks of those, but the numbering starts at volume 1... which can be really confusing if you want to start at the "real" beginning. Then there's the various mini-series titles which I won't even go into for fear of rage.
TL;DR: Start with the Deadpool Classic books, not plain ol' Deadpool.
Now, with Spider-Man, you have a few options:
You can just get into Ultimate Spider-Man, which is the "updated" or "modernized" version of Spider-Man that started in 2000. Very good stories, and reading them is relatively straightforward as far as Marvel goes. Start at volume 1 and move forward rationally from there for 22 volumes. Then the stupid starts with Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man volume 1, which is basically Ultimate Spider-Man volume 23.
The other options are the Essentials books, which collect the "old school" Spider-Man titles, dating back to the 60s, in big, black-and-white volumes. There are a few titles: Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Web of Spider-Man which I think will have an Essentials volume coming out later this year. There's also an adjective-less Spider-Man title from 1990 (91?) but I don't know if it's been given the Essentials treatment at all.
Or you could buy this thing and read until you fall over.
In 2011, DC launched "The New 52", a reboot that reset every title back to #1, and condensed/erased many portions of the old continuity, in order to make the new books more accessible to new readers. Generally, you can start with "trades", which are volumes of issues (generally around 5-8) collected in a novel form. Vol. 1 of any series is usually a good place to start.
 
For Batman and Batman-related books, I recommend starting with the following:
Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill
Nightwing, Vol. 1: Traps and Trapezes
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 made Scott Snyder (the current Batman writer) famous. It's also fairly accessible to new readers.
 
For other characters, I would recommend:
Green Arrow, Vol. 4: The Kill Machine - The first three volumes are heavily disliked by fans. Vol. 4 is when the next writer (Jeff Lemire) takes over, and he establishes a different status quo and tone, making it easy for new readers to jump in.
The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward
Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Blood
Earth 2, Vol. 1: The Gathering
Your work?
Good old Richard Dawkins does what he does best.
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
It says 12 years and upwards, but I don't think we should write off the younger readers so quick. They soak up information like sponges. The hardback is illustrated according to a customer review, which might make it more accessible for the younger readers.
>The hardback is profusely--almost to excess--illustrated with colorful pictures and diagrams all over every single page, often under the text. The paperback has NO pictures. None at all. It's on cheap paper too, the kind that will discolor in a few years. The hardback is, I suggest, much more appealing to younger readers. The paperback, perforce, focuses entirely on the text.
Religion has discovered that it's better to get them young to indoctrinate and brainwash them, which is why they're so hell-bent(!) on getting into schools for children. But that can go both ways. The younger the better, to lay good skeptical foundations for later life.
>It is a graphic science book aimed primarily at children and young adults. Dawkins has stated that the book is intended for those aged around 12 years and upwards, and that when trialling the book prior to publishing, younger readers were able to understand its content with additional adult assistance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_of_Reality
People are almost always nice, especially for starting people, though if you want to use the internet here's a link to Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Come-Mark-Waid/dp/1401220347
The [Chronicle] (https://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-BLIZZARD-ENTERTAINMENT/dp/1616558458) books are the best resource now or an almost full recap of the lore. From the literal creation of the universe to the end of the Second War. There are currently 2 volumes, with a 3rd coming. Other than that, there's a breath of novels and comics that delves into details of major events. Most are of good quality and worth a read. Wowpedia is also great. Other than that there's the previous 3 RTS games. Personally I'd recommend Warcraft III, as it setups most of what happens in the earliest WoW events and expansions.
There are 3 WoW history books that explain the story from the creation of the cosmos to the defeat of Deathwing (happened on 2011 year IRL).
They have a total of 552 pages (184 each), and mind you I DID say they are history books, as they are not literary books, they don't explore different subjects from different characters' point of view, they just state the events that happened in the order they happened, so they are pretty boring(like your average high school history book), but more interesting than history lessons since, for example the history of Europe doesn't include demons and giant dragons.
And it's not even the full story since a lot of things have happened in WoW since 2011 and are continuing to happen since it is an MMORPG with regular updates that continue the story forward.
TL;DR There is enough curriculum to teach MORE than a year of high school history
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!
The timelines are a bit of a mess, keep that in mind.
Basically it goes like this
[Vanilla Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms 1-60] - original wow, no "big story", just lots of small stories and world building in general. Unfortunately you will NOT see this anymore, apart from a few remaining untouched dungeons/raids. (see cataclysm)
Then demons invade through Blasted Lands portal and next expansion begins:
[Burning Crusade 60-70] - all outlands. It stayed untouched, so you can see it as it was. Overall story is stopping demons, but there's usually a per-zone story that focuses on something. A few max-level quests are cool (like Ogri'La faction, the Netherwing, etc). if you're a horde, recommend doing ALL nagrand quests. Note that Blood Elves and Draenei starting areas are considered part of TBC for purposes of timeline.
When we finally kill all big baddies, a big threat emerges in the north, and xpac begins:
[Wrath of the Lich King 70-80] - we go to Northrend. Almost everything is also untouched. There are a couple "big stories" (stopping LK, and weird stuff with old gods / titan keepers), and a lot of zone-wide stories. DK starting area takes place in this timeline.
When we finally stop LK, suddenly our original world got REALLY fucked up by Deathwing coming out. Cataclysm's area is all of the Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms remade to what they are now - so all "original vanilla" content is gone and replaced by Cataclysm version. This is why its weird for people, because they start levelling in Cataclysm areas, then move on to TBC areas (which are in the "past"), and stuff makes no sense. Cataclysm is also when Worgen and Goblin starting areas happen. Cataclysm both revamped the older low level zones (1-60) and also added new high level zones (80-85).
After that comes Pandaria (pandarian continent 85-90), then Draenor (draenor continent 90-100), then Legion (legion continent 100-110). To help you with the timeline, keep the below in mind:
If you start as a dwarf, gnome, human, Night Elf, Orc, Troll, Tauren, Undead, Goblin or Worgen, then your starting zone will be in Cataclysm (If we say original was Time 1, and legion is now time 7, then you start in Time 4).You will then continue levelling in same Time 4, before heading off to TBC (time 2), then WOTLK (time 3), returning back to Cataclysm (time 4), and then its pretty simple after that.
If you start as Blood Elf or Draenei, then you start in TBC (Time 2), after your starting zone you will jump forward to Cata (time 4), then at 60 you will return back to Time 2, and then time 3 -> time 4 -> onwards. Basically, your starting area is same "time" as you visit at levels 60-70, but your 15-60 zone is the time two expansions AFTER your starting zone. Its fucked, yes.
If you start as a panda, you're even more screwed. You start as MOP (time 5), before levelling in Cata/tbc/wotlk/cata, so your overall timeline will be 5-4-3-2-4-5-6-7.
If you pick a Death Knight class, you will always start as WOTLK time, BUT you also skip the 1-60 levelling. So you will basically be 3-2-3-4-5-6-7.
If you pick a Demon Hunter class, you will always start as Legion time, but also skip the 1-100 levelling. so you will be basically 6.5-7.
Yes, this is confusing. yes, its annoying. You will figure it out.
That said, if you're interested in lore, i REALLY REALLY REALLY recommend the 2 Warcraft Chronicle books -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-Hardcover/dp/1616558458
https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-Blizzard-Entertainment/dp/1616558466
They are fantastic, and cover time from [Beginning of time] -> [Beginning of Warcraft 3]. Third part is scheduled to be released soon(ish).
I also recommend either playing or watching Warcraft 3 and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne. They set up the events of WoW the mmo, and give a lot of important (and cool) lore.
If you search around for wow books, you can also find plenty of lists made to help new players start reading the lore.
Not so much Evolution, as reality inself:
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Shepherds-Tale-Dark-Horse/dp/1595825614
Logicomix is more biographical than purely educational, but it goes into some depth about 20th century developments in mathematical logic. Really entertaining and informative.
The Manga Guide to Databases is something I keep on the shelf mostly for its absurdity, but it was pretty useful in starting out to learn databases. There are a bunch of other entries in the series, too.
If you're interested in this area and only have a layperson's understanding of these things, I strongly, STRONGLY recommend this graphic novel biography on the life of Bertrand Russell, famous mathematician and logician. In it, they go over in simple terms some of his and his peers' more powerful findings and theories about the underpinnings of math, including this question you're asking here. Really, really good book.
Well, you could grab the compendiums one at a time and read all the comics that way.
Warning! Long-as-shit recommendation post incoming!
Halo:
There are several ones published by Marvel, haven't read any but my friend, whose a big Halo fan liked Halo: Blood line by Fred Van Lente
Mass Effect:
These are all written by Mac Walters, the lead writer of Mass Effect 3
Star Wars:
They have 25$ omnibii for most of the series they've made, except for the new Legacy, Star Wars by Brian Wood and Dawn of the Jedi.
Lighthearted books:
Sci-Fi:
There are also several Firefly/Serenity comics if that your thing, they are all good.
The best place to start is the current Superior Spider-man, Which stars a slightly different Peter Parker
Stuff with Vikings:
Other Recommendations:
Also Check out the sidebar's ''Where to Start reading'' section -------------->
EDIT: cleaned up a bit.
EDIT 2: Links, added links to digital version where I couldn't find floppies or HC/TPB that had come out yet. Reading Digital comics on a Tablet is recommended. Dark Horse has their own app, and Comixology has most publishers except Dark Horse and some smaller ones.
Here's a few off the top of my head!
Sooo many others, but this is good starter list. Fair warning: I have not read these with an eye as to what would be appropriate in a Christian environment. I am fairly certain that Stitches, Maus, and Locke and Key are all "safe."
Edit: Eff it here are some more.
You have already mentioned all of my other would be suggestions. :)
27012
xkcd is great, although I haven't read it in a long time. I meant to read some of SMBC a long time ago, maybe now I will :)
http://romanticallyapocalyptic.com/0 has some great artwork and an amusing story.
These two (1 and 2) are two of my favourites, but I'm not up to date on those.
Sorry, I'm not going to read through all of the posts to find out what people have and haven't posted. I'll just give you what I think would be your best resources.
Blizzard is releasing a series of three lore books that focus on outlining the universe and its history. The first is out: http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-BLIZZARD-ENTERTAINMENT/dp/1616558458?ie=UTF8&keywords=warcraft%20chronicle&qid=1465500960&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Check out Nobbel87's videos, he has most of the lore covered, and has some convenient playlists to watch his videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX34tk-noBVC4WVC9qQGyMw
For anything specific, check out http://wow.gamepedia.com
Check out /r/warcraftlore for lore discussion on Reddit.
The Chronicle Pt. 1
Here are the excerpts from the recently released official chronicles lorebook. If you are interested in this kind of stuff, I highly suggest picking up a copy. It is a really good read into the lore.
Night Elf Origin Excerpt (15,000-10,000 Years before the opening of the Dark Portal)
Tauren Origin Excerpt (12,000 Years before the opening of the Dark Portal)
If you want a zoomed out history of the world, go with Chronicle. So far only volumes 1 and 2 are out. https://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-BLIZZARD-ENTERTAINMENT/dp/1616558458
You should play Warcraft 3. It still holds up gameplay-wise and is the best way to consume the immediately-pre-WoW lore.
Chronicle Vol. 1 has a big section on the original Draenor, which is very similar to the AU Draenor seen in WoD.
https://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-BLIZZARD-ENTERTAINMENT/dp/1616558458/ref=nodl_
Grab this. It is over 1,000 pages. Worth every penny. http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dead-Compendium-One/dp/1607060760
Buy them on Amazon!!!
The first one here for $37.
The second here for about the same price.
Has anyone read the Walking Dead comics? This seems like a good price, but I really didn't take to the TV show and have heard the graphic novels are better.
Opinions please!
The Magic of Reality
http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046
I borrowed "The Magic of Reality" by Richard Dawkins (https://amzn.com/1451675046) from our local library and devoured it. It made me realize just how much religion had shut off my brain when thinking about people, history, science, and the natural world around me. The beauty and wonder of the real world as described in the book drove me to tears. There is so much left to learn and discover!
Now I can't shut up about it. I now talk about science and history with more passion than I EVER did about the Church. :D
Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale
I havent read it yet but this comic is supposed to be about is "mysterious" past.
If you really want to find out more about Shepherd Book's backstory, this is a pretty amazing read.
I had heard recently about the news that a comic was going to be in development soon but I had no idea there already were some comics made!
(edit: note to self, learn to look at the sidebar once in while...)
Just added these to my Amazon cart:
I believe that covers all released comics so far, correct?
Buy this. Issues 1-48 in a single book.
EDIT: Formatting
For Marvel Comics
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):
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
/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:
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.
Start Here
Conquest goes here but it's still OOP and expensive as hell. See chart for a read order and pick it up digitally.
Then go here
and then here
wait a few months and come back here
and then here
and finally here
If anyone is interested in reading comics but don't know where to start then I heartily suggest picking up the current Hawkeye book. The first trade is here. It contains the first 6 issues of Hawkeye, written by Matt Faction with art by David Aja.
Even if you aren't a fan of Hawkeye from the movies, actually especially if you aren't a fan, you should pick this up. It is wonderfully written and paced. Probably the best current on going Marvel book.
I also got into comics with Batman Rebirth, afterwards I found this list here on reddit and all of them are just great, few of them are even extraordinary and without any of them we wouldn't have the Batman we have right now.
If I had to pick some highlights, it were The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, No Man's Land, Black Mirror and Hush, especially Hush was fantastic.
Still love Batman Rebirth though.
The Killing Joke is rather short, but still quite good.
It is, without a doubt, the best. You can usually find it cheaper in the compilation "DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore".
However, if you want coloring/shading that is much improved over the original, check out The Killing Joke: Deluxe Edition.
If you have never read “Ultimate Spider-man” that where I would start. It’s a great entry point back into Spider-man. Alternatively you could start with Slott’s run of Amazing Spider-man which is basically the beginning to the modern Spider-Man. Slott’s run lasted for several years and is actually about to be over. Both Ultimate Spider-man and Slott’s run of Amazing Spider-man are offered as collections in TBP form. Amazing Spider-Man is starting over again at #1 in June. This will be a new creative team. If you are looking for a TV show, I’d recommend “The Spectacular Spider-man.” It’s only two season long, but does just about everything right when it comes to cartoon adaptations. Feel free to ask any questions! I can recommend more if you would like.
Edit:
Ultimate Spider-Man
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0785124926/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526663994&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ultimate+spiderman&dpPl=1&dpID=51wxuvpEdyL&ref=plSrch
Slott’s Run of Amazing Spider-Man
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0785162178/ref=sxts_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526664063&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65
Edit II:
If you live in the USA you can watch “The Spectacular Spider-man” TV show for free right now on Crackle. It has commercials but each episode only has a total of about four minutes of commercials spread across three breaks very similar to watching it on TV.
Edit III:
Here’s to a link to a Reddit post for reading order for Slott’s run of Amazing Spider-Man. It gets updated every so often.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Spiderman/comments/77dt8b/modern_spiderman_reading_order/?st=JHC908UX&sh=c1945e22
It's a good time to read The Infinity Gauntlet graphic novel if you haven't already. You can see how everyone fits in, and Nebula actually plays a key role.
http://smile.amazon.com/Infinity-Gauntlet-Jim-Starlin/dp/0785156593/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414552052&sr=1-1&keywords=infinity+gauntlet
This comic is "The Infinity Gauntlet" in which Thanos gets his hands on all of the Infinity Gems; this makes him pretty much all-powerful. He literally becomes God. Since Thanos is kind of a dick, this doesn't bode well for reality or its inhabitants.
Adam Warlock leads a plan to wrest control of The Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos' hands and an incredible comic ensues.
It's only $20 on Amazon, I highly recommend it. Your local comic store can order it for you as well, which is probably the better route to go.
Here's exactly where I'd start your kid. If you don't know, the ultimate universe was a line of books Marvel did for several years that was its own continuity outside their main earth-616 timeline. Ultimate Spider-Man largely follows the same story beats as OG Amazing Spider-Man but it uses the benefit of hindsight to trim the stuff that doesn't work, emphasize the stuff that was under-utilized, and so forth. Where your kid's concerned, it's very accessible and it's a complete story that runs for many more volumes after this and never changes author. It seldom even changes artist. It's my top recommendation for anyone who wants to get into Spider-Man but might not enjoy the 60s stuff right away.
After getting some reading under your belt, I'd also suggest checking out some of the books in the side bar.
Hope this helps :)
For Court of Owls, you only need New 52 Batman volume 1: Court of Owls, and New 52 Batman volume 2: City of Owls. There is a paperback that collects the tie ins (i.e. Nightwing, Robin, Redhood, Batgirl, etc fighting during this event) called Night of Owls, though it spoils a big reveal of City, so I would read it after City of Owls. In fact, the quality of each tie ins varies, with some being really poor in my opinion, so I probably wouldn't even bother with it, there are much better books out there you could be reading. Court and City are great though, and they make the start of Snyder's New 52 run, afterwards it leads perfectly into volume 3: Death of the Family, and then volume 4: Zero Year - Secret City and volume 5: Zero Year - Dark City, and so on. Snyder's run is really great, I recommend the whole thing!
The main arc is 7 or 8 issues and you can get it in trade paperback or kindle edition at amazon, also at Comixology.com in digital format.
There's Road to Civil War. It kind of sets the stage for the event.
Then, there's the trade for the event itself.. There's a hardcover version with a lot of extras that I'd recommend.
Also, Civil War: Frontline is a good series to pick up. It follows a couple of reporters as they cover what's going on.
If you're into Spider-Man, Civil War: Spiderman is a good trade to pick up. It collects issues of Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, etc. that take place during the event.
Also, Death of Captain America is a good trade to pick up. It takes place directly after Civil War and covers the Fallen Son event.
There's, of course, a lot more out there, but the links above are pretty good for getting the full story.
If that's a bit pricey for you, you can sometimes find people selling a full collection of the Civil War event on eBay for about 50 or 60 bucks.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
EDIT: Realized links were directing to the mobile site, so I changed it to the desktop versions.
Have a read through The Guide. Not to trip again, but it might give you something to relate your experience to.
Also The Guide. (Don't Panic!)
Well, my favorites are
The Moviegoer
The Road
A Confederacy of Dunces
Rendezvous with Rama
Watchmen
Snow Crash
Slaughterhouse-Five
Cat's Cradle
The Big Sleep
The Maltese Falcon
American Gods
A Clockwork Orange
Preacher
Fahrenheit 451
1984
Akira
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Lolita
Love in the Time of Cholera
Naked Lunch
Animal Farm
The Sandman
At the Mountains of Madness
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Brave New World
We
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Basically if he doesn't run the speedforce becomes unstable and does strange thinks like sucking up people.
I got them from random newsstands, but here's a Amazon link for the first trade paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401235425/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_cVdEub0W460ZK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401237789/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_aWdEub1Y4A0Q0
Vol. 1 & 2
Start with Scott Snyder’s run on Batman which started in 2011. It is a very well regarded run and starts fresh off a reboot.Here
Have you tried Amazon?
DC
Marvel
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
I think only the hardcover is illustrated.
The Magic of Reality. Recommended for adults, too.
All three of those storylines you can read just the core series, and it still makes sense. Tie-ins are usually there just to make the event come across as more large-scale.
Just FYI, Age of Ultron the movie isn't based on the comic series. It's a name-only thing. I really enjoyed it, but the general consensus is that it was terrible, so you might want to be cautious of that one.
http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Gauntlet-Jim-Starlin/dp/0785156593/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414065303&sr=8-1&keywords=Infinity+Gauntlet
http://www.amazon.com/Age-Ultron-Brian-Michael-Bendis/dp/078515566X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414065322&sr=8-1&keywords=age+of+ultron
http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Mark-Millar/dp/078512179X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414065338&sr=8-1&keywords=civil+war
The thing about reading comics is you've got to accept that your don't and can't know everything. Most people haven't read the entire back catalogs of their favorite character, I doubt even many writers have. Another big thing worth knowing about comics is that stories come in a few different formats. One offs are self contained stories. Most commonly you will find that your book is part of a 3-5 part story arc, so check the "backstory page" and see if it says part x of x. Lastly you have event crossovers. These are much larger storylines that affect the Marvel universe as a whole, usually lots of crossovers. As for a deadpool recommend starting point. I would recommend deadpools Marvel now relaunch
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0785166807/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_0OrMBbY0RXMB2
Congratulations!
Since I just recently was looking into what's out there to help parents raise kids to think critically, I'll pass on some of the books I found that you might find helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/
http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960/
http://www.grandmotherfish.com
Read the comic.
There's a graphic novel about exactly this called Logicomix.
Just a tip- go for the compendiums to save quite a bit of money. You can get 1000 pages (8 books) for 32$ each, instead of 12$ a book.
http://www.amazon.ca/Walking-Dead-Compendium-1/dp/1607060760/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397042529&sr=8-1&keywords=walking+dead+compendium
If you like the first few, please considering supporting the author by buying the books.
First half is only $35 on Amazon
How about the Chronicle book? It's full of amazing art and lore. Maybe you could get the Druid job crest put on a cake or something too.
https://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Chronicle-BLIZZARD-ENTERTAINMENT/dp/1616558458
If you're into comics, you might know this one already but just in case you don't: Bone, by Jeff Smith: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_(comics)
It's an amazing high fantasy story featuring those adorable bone creatures who get banished from their hometown and end up in the middle of a fantasy world with lots of stuff going on.
The story itself probably counts as epic fantasy, but it has a lot of humour and lighter parts. As the series has already been finished, there's a one volume edition available, combining all 9 volumes into one.
Bone
https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Complete-Cartoon-Epic-One/dp/188896314X
I know of Asterix but I don't think I ever really read it.
I read pretty much all of Tintin.
My mom would send the comics to me when I was at summer camp. I have no idea why she chose Tintin but when I was little we did spend a year in Switzerland and Germany so maybe that's where she learned of it? I know she got them at a local (now closed) bookstore in Indianapolis and maybe she just caught on to it there.
If you like that style then I might suggest Bone to you. It is an American comic but has sort of the same style as Asterix or Tintin.
Edit: Also the Smurfs. It was a Belgian creation but I only ever saw the Hanna-Barbara animated show which was a US product I believe.
Bone by Jeff Smith is an absolutely fantastic comic book aimed at kids.
Get the 4 Frank Miller Daredevil things, and The Animal Man Omnibus from Grant Morrison.
Oh and Jeff Smiths Bone.
http://www.amazon.com/Daredevil-Vol-1-Frank-Miller/dp/0785134735
http://www.amazon.com/Daredevil-Vol-2-Frank-Miller/dp/0785134743
http://www.amazon.com/Daredevil-Vol-3-Frank-Miller/dp/0785134751
http://www.amazon.com/Daredevil-Born-Again-Frank-Miller/dp/0785134816
http://www.amazon.com/The-Animal-Omnibus-Grant-Morrison/dp/1401238998
http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Complete-Cartoon-Epic-Volume/dp/188896314X
When I was 11, my first graphic novel series was BONE. It gets a little darker later in the series, which goes along with the macabre, but it's never too bad. There are some great images that are fantastic examples of macabre in graphic novels, while the rest seems to be lighter. The humor is slapstick and visual, but there's some good text jokes in there too. The story is pretty easy to follow. Minimal to no harsh language, and minimal to no sexualization. The art is gorgeous, and the books are very high quality. You might want to read through it first yourself, because it is quite good.
Here's an Amazon link for the big book that has all 9 books in it. I own the individuals because I bought them as they came out in color.
SAGA.
Its one of the hottest things going right now and the 3rd story arc starts up in two weeks. You can buy the first two volumes pretty cheap over at Amazon.com. I'll put links for them at the bottom if you're interested.
SAGA Volume #1
SAGA Volume #2
I read graphic novels/comic books pretty regularly. I'm not much for Marvel or super hero stories though. If you want a few things that are slightly different, check these out. Granted, I haven't gotten through the whole series on some of these yet. Some of these books are new enough that they are still actively being written. However, I still want to recommend the following because whatever I did read impressed me pretty well, with both writing and art.
I'm giving you Amazon links so you can see some of the artwork on these books.
http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Volume-HC-Royden-Lepp/dp/1936393271
http://www.amazon.com/Abandoned-Cars-Tim-Lane/dp/1560979186/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417910452&sr=1-4&keywords=tim+lane
http://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Girl-1-Times-Squared/dp/1632150557/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417910503&sr=1-1&keywords=rocket+girl
http://www.amazon.com/Transmetropolitan-Vol-1-Back-Street/dp/1401220843/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417910548&sr=1-1&keywords=transmetropolitan
I want to warn you about Preacher, but I don't want to say too much. I still recommend this series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preacher_(comics)
http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Vol-Brian-K-Vaughan/dp/1607066017
http://www.amazon.com/Trailers-Mark-Kneece/dp/1561634417/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417911042&sr=1-1&keywords=trailers
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Tooth-Vol-Deep-Woods/dp/1401226965/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417911160&sr=1-2&keywords=sweet+tooth
http://www.amazon.com/Revolver-Matt-Kindt/dp/1401222412/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417911196&sr=1-11&keywords=matt+kindt
I think that's good for now... :D
OH! And lastly, if you're like: oh, these books look cool, but I'm not sure if I want to spend the money checking them out just yet, your local library might have a selection of graphic novels. I know here in NYC, our library system has a HUGE selection of comics, your library might too!
I just finished the first compendium. It is amazing. So much happens and it is not like the show at all. The characters are better, the action is super intense, and you dont have to wait an entire season for something to happen. Every three pages some shit goes down.
Dont buy it in a book store. It's $60. On amazon it's $35. I got lucky and got it for $30 last year.
Here you go my friend!
https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dead-Compendium-One/dp/1607060760
This is the cheapest I could find. It's Amazon.com/Compendium 1.
Also, I've been reading since issue 1. I own 3-current in the floppies. It's really amazing how it has yet to get stale. I figured it'd end around issue 60 or so, like most 'long' continuing comics, and here we are, rounding 78, and no sign of slowing. Enjoy!
Trade paperbacks are probably the easiest. There's five of them out right now.
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Saga volumes 1, 2 & 3 by Brian K. Vaughan.
Y: The Last Man
Maus
If you haven't read the Civil War comic I suggest you do. Bucky will be a big part of things to come, they're not abandoning that plot for another Avenger's movie.
http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Mark-Millar/dp/078512179X
edit: that sounded super comic book nerdy pretentious. I didn't mean that. I just mean that the story doesn't dissolve, and it is a good read.
Thor god of thunder, and hawkeye are my two favorite books from marvel right now. hawkeye vol 1 is out, and vol 2 comes out july 9th. thor god of thunder vol 1 comes out june 11th.
link to hawkeye vol 1: http://www.amazon.com/Hawkeye-Vol-Life-Weapon-Marvel/dp/0785165622/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369147277&sr=8-1&keywords=hawkeye
Daredevil has been really good lately. Avengers has been a good read since release. All new X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and X-Men Legacy are worth checking out.
if you don't mind reading digital comics and are interested in older stories, marvel has a really sweet deal out. http://marvel.com/comics/unlimited 69.00 a year for all the comics you can read. the service doesn't have a lot of the brand new comics, but it has most of the events.
for an event list, I'd start with avengers disassembled, house of M, civil war, and just keep working your way to current. wiki has a list of events in order. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publication_history_of_Marvel_Comics_crossover_events#2000s
edit: I should add that if you have access to a local comic shop, hit them up. they would love to talk to you about comics, and should be able to put you on the right path. if there isn't one in your area, there are a few online shops that can hook you up with books.
Hawkeye practically doesn't exist in the MCU. Read Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon if you want to fall in love with what the character could be, then get very sad when you realize he might continue to be a cardboard cutout in the movies.
Somebody posted these in a GotG reading recommendation thread a while back: one and two. They're basically two versions of the same thing.
I haven't read any of this, but I'm probably going to get the Annihilation Omnibus and the Guardians of the Galaxy Complete Collection vol 1 pretty soon. Both collected editions were released this year, so hopefully an Annihilation Conquest Omnibus will be out soon, as well as vol 2 of the GotG Complete Collection.
If you're interested in Suicide Squad, I'd recommend you just start it. It was the first comic I read that got me interested in them, and now I've spent far too much money (or not enough.) I love the series. The first volume is called Kicked in the Teeth
If you like Harley in that series, I'd absolutely recommend her new solo series, the first volume of which just launched recently.
If you're wanting Flash, his New 52 run was made to be a jumping in point for fans. It's a great place to start if you're new to Flash.
If you want to try something slightly different, but still relating to the overall Justice League, Flashpoint rocks my socks every single time I read it (Or watch the movie)
And if you want something completely different but is one of the most awesome/entertaining things to read, you can't really go wrong with Demon Knights
Dawkins' "Magic of Reality" is well regarded.
You could try this, but I wouldn't expect to get very far regardless of what you offer them.
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spider-Man-Collection-Vol/dp/0785124926/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499722510&sr=8-1&keywords=ultimate+spiderman
I'd suggest Ultimate Spider-Man. It's a pretty great starting point and stars a teenage Spidey. The first trade is here.
Local comic book stores should have TWD comics, if not look online. I know amazon sells the compendiums (collection of about 50 issues) or you could buy them by volumes. Shop around online and see what medium you’d prefer. Here’s a link to help out.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1607060760/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_3/147-3855025-4383101?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RJV3QTS2RE3J140EJVXY
If you enjoyed Batman, I would highly recommend checking out the new Scott Snyder setup with the new 52 for Batman. Vol. 1 - Court of Owls and Vol. 2 - City of Owls is a fanatasic story arc that plays well with Batman (and I'm not a huge super hero comic fan).
After that it kinda went wierd, but still enjoyable.
Also would highly recommend Preacher (Careful with Preacher, as you WILL get addicted, and have to purchase all 9 volumes, but amazing story and well written with some adult humor/content btw).
Also Sandman, Y: The Last Man, and Saga all always good choices (Saga is being written as we speak, only volumes 1 through 3 are out, same author of Y : The Last Man. Fantastic mix of fantasy and sci-fi... again adult elements)
The Saga, Vol 1 and Vol 2 comics, because they are highest priority.
Saga is my new favorite thing, I've also been reading a lot of Gaiman's single work graphic novels - Marvel 1602 was FANTASTIC, Murder Mysteries one of the best unexpected short stories I've read in awhile, Mr. Punch super disturbing and dark.
World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 https://www.amazon.de/dp/1616558458/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nvVZAbA5PHH1Q
World of Warcraft: Chroniken Bd. 1 https://www.amazon.de/dp/3833232641/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EwVZAbHJB67EP
It is on Amazon in German and in english
For quick information I prefer wowpedia. If you're looking to spend money I highly recommend getting Chronicle.
Has he tried graphic novels? Some people who don't like reading - find it easier to read comics when they're just starting out. Bone is a great series.
Bone is just about my favorite graphic novel of all time, though it is not dystopian at all. More of a whimsical fantasy epic. But so so good.
Bone ( https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Complete-Cartoon-volumes-Single/dp/188896314X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496333887&sr=1-3&keywords=Bone )
The Muppets ( https://www.amazon.com/Muppets-Omnibus-Roger-Langridge/dp/0785187928 )
I don't really know your tastes but here are a few if you likes.
• If you like Lord of the Rings or Nausicaa, maybe try out Bone by Jeff Smith. You can get the whole series in a single vol: https://www.amazon.com/dp/188896314X/
• If you like crime stories, check out Stray Bullets: Killers by David Lapham: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1632152150/
• If you like historical adventure, maybe check out Cape Horn by Christian Perrissin, Enea Riboldi https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594650799/
• If you want a bit of real life/romance, check out The Nao Of Brown by Glyn Dillon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1906838429/
• If you like biography, maybe check out Alan's War by Emanuel Guibert
• If you like a taste of superpowers without superheroes and then throw in espionage, check out Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt. It's 6 vols but you really can't go wrong with it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1595827978/
Other great reads that can be easy to get into:
Check out The Shepherd's Tale.
You might want to try "Logicomix". Don't get fooled by the fact that it is a comic. It provides great contextual information regarding mathematics/philosophy. Fascinating read.
I would add Logicomix and Feynman.
You might find Logicomix of interest. It's not a formal text, but a interesting look at the early history of the subject.
People who liked this quote also liked logicomix
You could spend $18 for every 12 issues - or get the 6 issue trades for about $8-9 each...or...
Or you could buy compendium #1, and get the first 48 issues for $39. Save yourself about $33.
http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dead-Compendium-One/dp/1607060760
Oh you have options my friend.
The Walking Dead - Compendium 1 Pros - absolute cheapest method on a per-issue basis, only one book to worry about instead of multiple copies. Cons - Only released every 48 issues, so you get 1-48 but the next compendium won't come out for at least six more months as they just hit issue 90, so you'd be waiting a long time for the next group.
Trade Paperbacks
Pro's - still a better value than buying individually, released every six issues instead of every 48 so much, much greater frequency, if you have a book shelf having a bunch of these lined up on it looks "cooler" in my opinion.
Con's - more expensive per issue than the Compendium, still only comes out every six issues so can leave large gaps.
Ok well I'll try to give you a few series
Invincible. Really great superhero story by the guy that makes The Walking Dead if you've heard of that. Probably the best superhero book out there. (You can buy the compendium, the first 47 issues for like $40 on amazon). It's up to around 90 issues now.
Y the Last Man (10 volumes, complete. Its amazing. It's a comic where seemingly every man in the world except our hero has died. He tries to get to a lab in California to help find a cure for the disease that killed all the men and...etc)
I don't know much Fantasy...check out Demon Knights, volume 1 from DC comics is an ongoing series. Volume 1 (the first 7 comics) should be out in July. Sorry about the long wait :l
You can also check out the Walking Dead if you like zombies? Compendium gets you...maybe the first 60 issues I think? Its up to 94 now
For individual comics theres Midtown Comics, I don't know what shipping cost would be like to Europe.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Walking-Dead-Compendium-One/dp/1607060760/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1330920156&sr=8-3
1088 pages for $34
I cannot believe that nobody has mentioned Saga here yet. I mean, I love you all, but—
Okay, so, first thing's first, Saga is a comic book series, currently ongoing, by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples, set in a future where two neighboring worlds (one of which is a technologically advanced society, the other of which uses magic for interstellar travel) are locked in a galactic civil war.
A man from one side and a woman from the other, both soldiers, meet, fall in love, desert from their armies, and have a baby. The kid's birth is page 1 of issue 1. The couple are trying to turn their backs on the war, but the war won't turn its back on them. Powers That Be from both sides have hired mercenaries to hunt the couple down to the ends of the galaxy if need be.
The book is charming, terrifying, brutal, funny, and frank. Every character struggles with violence, its use, implications, consequences, and cost, even as they try to remain loyal to the people they love. The use of violence causes at least three times as many problems as it solves, over the long term—it's never without cost, even when it seems necessary and justified. And somehow the book accomplishes all that without feeling preachy, on scales from interpersonal to interplanetary. Really can't recommend this series enough, though I hope and pray that Vaughan and Staples know where they're going.
Also, at the risk of blatant self-promotion, I think, to judge from your comment, that we're concerned with similar issues about fantasy, morality, and escapism. When I wrote my book Three Parts Dead and the subsequent volumes in the series, I tried really hard to create a morally complicated & grey universe without using typical antiheroics. Anyway, might be interesting to you. But really, check out Saga.
Very easy:
http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Vol-Brian-K-Vaughan/dp/1607066017/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374402119&sr=8-1&keywords=Saga+trade
Edit:
And seriously, Saga really is awesome. Brian K. Vaughan is just all around awesome. You might even want to look into Y: The Last Man.
You could buy Saga online either from image comics or from amazon.
Marko is one of the main character (the one on the right, the other one is Prince Robot IV
I'm going to list what I think are important, or perhaps emblematic, Batman graphic novels with links to their
wikiamazon page, because the wiki pages were surprisingly unhelpful, so you can check them out. Hopefully you find something that interests you.The Dark Knight Returns: The book that revitalized the genre in the 80s. An important Batman read; however, I think there are better reads.
Year One: Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy borrows from Year One, and a lot of others I've listed, in some pretty cool ways. As the title suggests this comic tells the story of the beginning of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman.
The Killing Joke: The quintessential Joker story told by one of the most important men in comics, Alan Moore. The story is short, especially for a graphic novel, but fantastic.
The Long Halloween: One of my personal favorites. TLH highlights Batman's detective roots following him on a year long hunt for a serial killer. Much of the rouge gallery makes an appearance and the murder mystery elements are classic Batman at his best.
Hush: A good example of a newer Batman comic; it was first published serially during 2002 and 2003. Very good read, definitely take a look.
Arkham Asylum: A newer comic that I have yet to read but thought I would add it to the list because it usually comes up in conversations like this one. I'm hoping to read it soon.
From Batman: What Ever Happened To The Caped Crusader?
>"I'm the Batman, I protect the city. I rescue people. I investigate crimes. I guard the innocent. I correct the guilty. And I GET it. I mean I REALLY get it. The end of the story of Batman is he's DEAD. Because in the end the Batman dies. What ELSE am I going to do? Retire and play golf? It doesn't work that way. It CAN'T. I fight until I drop. And one day, I WILL drop. But until then, I FIGHT."
The image
From Batman Year One
>"Ladies. Gentleman. You have eaten well. You've eaten Gotham's wealth. It's spirit. But you're feast is nearly over. From this moment on -- none of you are safe.
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.
Pretty cheap here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345391802
but I don't know any free sources
It should be required in 3rd grade English. Watership Down? No, you're reading THIS.
http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Mark-Millar/dp/078512179X
Here's a the tpb, it's all parts of the main story, there are also tie ins such as the Iron Man tie in, all of which can be found here: http://www.comicbookherald.com/the-complete-marvel-reading-order-guide/guide-part-7-civil-war/
Most of them aren't necessary as they just provide different points of view. It's a great story and enjoy :)
ps. it only takes about 30 seconds to google "civil war reading order, but I like asking the /r/marvel community, too ;)
I had to mangle the quote a little bit, but it's from the first chapter of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
It depends on the agent. Obviously I'm not an agent, but I have a soft spot for funny SciFi - like The Book of Ralph or, or course, The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy.
Think funny (laughing with the story) vs ridiculous (laughing at the story). Think "Ice to meet you".
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an awesome starting point. I would recommend Brubakers whole run.
Hope this helps!
Hi, I'm trying to find a Spider-Man graphic novel for my little brother for his birthday. The only thing that I've come across is Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimate Collection Vol. 1
Is this good for someone his age? Art there better things I can get him?
​
I haven't personally read it but what would you probably be best for you is the Ultimate Spider Man series. It's basically an updated retelling of Spiderman's story set separate from the main continuity. Extremely new reader friendly and very well received.Here's a trade that collects the first 13 issues.
Omnibus has all the tie-ins (which you don't really need), while [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Gauntlet-Jim-Starlin/dp/0785156593/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408451414&sr=1-1&keywords=Infinity+Gauntlet) just has the main infinity gauntlet story
Although, if you can also get your hands on The Thanos Quest (which serves as a prequel showing how Thanos acquired the gems), that's worth a read
Infinity Gauntlet https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785156593/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BHxZCbZNBH0HZ
Someone who is completely new to comics is unlikely to understand the difference between 1610 and 616. And explaining it is only going to lead to more confusion!
I second Ultimate Spider-Man as a solid way to start:
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spider-Man-Collection-Vol/dp/0785124926/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=ultimate+spiderman&qid=1572824058&sprefix=ultimate+spi&sr=8-3
I really liked Batman:Hush. It has a "who done it" mystery feel, and it showcases a ton of Batman characters.
Matt Fraction's Hawkeye. This one is kind of hate it or love it, but I recommend giving it a shot. It's not exactly "a complete story" like you asked, each volume is a collection of shorter stories though . It's a very different take on a hero with no powers, on a world of supermen
Green Lantern Corps : Recharge I liked this one because the famous Green Lanterns aren't the main focus, but the Corps in general through the eyes of new recruits.
If you don't mind non-superhero comics, I also recomend looking into:
I Kill Giants. Can't say too much for this without spoilers, it's a very artistic heartwarming story
Seconds. A more fairy tale style story about a girl who gets the ability to magically correct mistakes she made in the past
Solanin. A coming of age story about a girl who decides to quit her job because she's not happy with her life