Comic Book recommendations part 1
I didn't get a chance to post anything today and I'm not going to post anything of significance now so don't look into it.
Ravi mentioned a couple of days ago that he was curious as to what I considered some of my choices for top comic book stories. I thought about it and spat a couple back to him. He suggested I put it into this blog, which is a good idea.
I took a cue from iTunes Artist Essentials and divided this up into 2 sections: The Basics and Deep Cuts. The Basics are my book choices that should be read by anybody who's interested in comic books as a medium. Deep Cuts are stories that take a little more to get into which amounts to either an experimental story or a story deeply rooted in the history of the series. Still, they're both worth checking out. So, without further ado:
The Basics:
The Watchmen -- Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created this classic book during an era where comic books were trying to capture a legitimacy in the medium. This is following the uber-camp of the Adam West Batman. Although Adam West Batman was a huge success and was absolutely crucial to the survival of comics post-Wertham (comics would've died had it not been for the Batman tv show in the 70's. It's as simple as that), it did serve to present comic books as nothing more than kid's fare. Alan Moore changed that with this pivotal work. The ideas and themes used in this 12 part miniseries are still being used in mainstream comic book works today, including ambiguous morality, superheroics as a metaphor for passion and isolation, introduction of real world problems to supplement archvillains, etc. If your mental association of comic books are Archie and Adam West, this book will change that; I guarantee it.
The Dark Knight Returns -- Frank Miller's magnum opus (well, magnum opus until he did Sin City) is by far the definitive Batman book. Following the Adam West camp of the 60's and the social consciousness of Neal Adams's Batman in the 70's, Frank Miller brought Batman back to its roots with this 4 part miniseries. This interpretation of Batman is by far the most complex form of Batman ever. It clearly defined the boundaries of Batman, the capabilities of Batman, the mentality of Batman, and the moral compass of Batman. Beyond that, however, this is just a really good story. If you want to understand why Batman stands as one of the most popular comic book heroes in the world, this book will tell you.
Kingdom Come -- Alex Ross and Mark Waid crafted an epic story with this Kingdom Come 4 part miniseries. In the cynicism of the late 90's, with the advent of the anti-hero in the forms of Wolverine and Spawn, Alex Ross and Mark Waid's Kingdom Come reminded readers just what the appeal of traditional heroism was. Beyond that, it reestablished morality and infused the iconic superheroes of the DC Universe with a sense of belonging. If you think Superman is as outdated as Santa Claus, reading Kingdom Come will tell you just how important he is.
Astonishing X-Men -- The first storyarc is entitled Gifted. This is the current main on-going X-Men title. It's also written by Joss Whedon (yes, the Buffy creator) and drawn by John Cassidy. Joss manages to craft a fantastic X-Men story, pulling the characters away from the black leather world of Bryan Singer's movie X-Men and putting them back into their superhero costumes. The dialogue's spot-on and the Cassidy's artwork is amazing. If you want to read good old fashioned superhero action and adventure, read Astonishing.
Midnight Nation -- J. Michael Straczynski (creator of Babylon 5) ventured into comic books after Babylon 5. One of his first ventures is the graphic novel Midnight Nation. This story is a very elegantly crafted story about a man's struggle to understand the afterlife and regain his soul. It's deep but subtly so. It is extremely emotional and adventurous. In the end, the story just captivates you. It also showcases Straczynski's amazing storywriting ability, with storytelling elements that echo his masterpiece Babylon 5. If you want to read a deep but simple story of discovery, read Midnight Nation.
Bone -- Jeff Smith's epic story Bone is a fantasy story delight. The first thing you'll notice is that the humor and art style is remeniscent of an animated movie. It's no wonder because Jeff Smith's art background includes a stint at Disney as an animator. The complete collection of Bone is available and is what I recommend. However, it clocks in as one of the most expensive book on this Basics list. However, it's well worth it. While starting relatively light, Jeff Smith interweaves classic Fantasy tropes into a classic Tolkien style pastiche while still retaining an extremely unique voice. The end result is an extremely inventive and fun story that will last awhile and become embedded in your imagination. If you want to read a great fantasy setting comic, read Bone.
Sandman -- Neil Gaiman's comic book masterpiece 10-volume work is both amazingly beautiful and amazingly deep. If you read the whole thing (which I recommend) it'll cost you a pretty penny. If you're trying to save money or just want a taste of the writing style, then read the 4th book: Seasons of Mist. I recommend you pop on Wikipedia or find a comic book fanatic friend to explain the first 3 books before you dive into the fourth one. Still, it's an emminently beautiful set of stories that examines every facet of mythological basics as well as humanity. If you want to be amazed, read Sandman.
Deep Cuts:
will be continued tomorrow.
---
ADDENDUM: I totally forgot a book:
Maus -- Art Spiegelman's 2-part magnum opus of a story is one of the most famous comic books works in the country because it transcends comic book as a medium. It's used to help teach both young students and analyzed by older students in classrooms all across the country. This survivalist story about Spiegelman's father in Auschwitz is touching, raw, heartfelt, and representational of what comic books provide more than any other medium: accessibility. Because of the anthropomorphic animals in the role of humans, the story presents a very easy to approach quality. However, once you get into it, you realize that Maus is more than just talking mice. If they didn't make you read it in high school or college, read it now. It's definitely worth it.
Ravi mentioned a couple of days ago that he was curious as to what I considered some of my choices for top comic book stories. I thought about it and spat a couple back to him. He suggested I put it into this blog, which is a good idea.
I took a cue from iTunes Artist Essentials and divided this up into 2 sections: The Basics and Deep Cuts. The Basics are my book choices that should be read by anybody who's interested in comic books as a medium. Deep Cuts are stories that take a little more to get into which amounts to either an experimental story or a story deeply rooted in the history of the series. Still, they're both worth checking out. So, without further ado:
The Basics:
The Watchmen -- Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created this classic book during an era where comic books were trying to capture a legitimacy in the medium. This is following the uber-camp of the Adam West Batman. Although Adam West Batman was a huge success and was absolutely crucial to the survival of comics post-Wertham (comics would've died had it not been for the Batman tv show in the 70's. It's as simple as that), it did serve to present comic books as nothing more than kid's fare. Alan Moore changed that with this pivotal work. The ideas and themes used in this 12 part miniseries are still being used in mainstream comic book works today, including ambiguous morality, superheroics as a metaphor for passion and isolation, introduction of real world problems to supplement archvillains, etc. If your mental association of comic books are Archie and Adam West, this book will change that; I guarantee it.
The Dark Knight Returns -- Frank Miller's magnum opus (well, magnum opus until he did Sin City) is by far the definitive Batman book. Following the Adam West camp of the 60's and the social consciousness of Neal Adams's Batman in the 70's, Frank Miller brought Batman back to its roots with this 4 part miniseries. This interpretation of Batman is by far the most complex form of Batman ever. It clearly defined the boundaries of Batman, the capabilities of Batman, the mentality of Batman, and the moral compass of Batman. Beyond that, however, this is just a really good story. If you want to understand why Batman stands as one of the most popular comic book heroes in the world, this book will tell you.
Kingdom Come -- Alex Ross and Mark Waid crafted an epic story with this Kingdom Come 4 part miniseries. In the cynicism of the late 90's, with the advent of the anti-hero in the forms of Wolverine and Spawn, Alex Ross and Mark Waid's Kingdom Come reminded readers just what the appeal of traditional heroism was. Beyond that, it reestablished morality and infused the iconic superheroes of the DC Universe with a sense of belonging. If you think Superman is as outdated as Santa Claus, reading Kingdom Come will tell you just how important he is.
Astonishing X-Men -- The first storyarc is entitled Gifted. This is the current main on-going X-Men title. It's also written by Joss Whedon (yes, the Buffy creator) and drawn by John Cassidy. Joss manages to craft a fantastic X-Men story, pulling the characters away from the black leather world of Bryan Singer's movie X-Men and putting them back into their superhero costumes. The dialogue's spot-on and the Cassidy's artwork is amazing. If you want to read good old fashioned superhero action and adventure, read Astonishing.
Midnight Nation -- J. Michael Straczynski (creator of Babylon 5) ventured into comic books after Babylon 5. One of his first ventures is the graphic novel Midnight Nation. This story is a very elegantly crafted story about a man's struggle to understand the afterlife and regain his soul. It's deep but subtly so. It is extremely emotional and adventurous. In the end, the story just captivates you. It also showcases Straczynski's amazing storywriting ability, with storytelling elements that echo his masterpiece Babylon 5. If you want to read a deep but simple story of discovery, read Midnight Nation.
Bone -- Jeff Smith's epic story Bone is a fantasy story delight. The first thing you'll notice is that the humor and art style is remeniscent of an animated movie. It's no wonder because Jeff Smith's art background includes a stint at Disney as an animator. The complete collection of Bone is available and is what I recommend. However, it clocks in as one of the most expensive book on this Basics list. However, it's well worth it. While starting relatively light, Jeff Smith interweaves classic Fantasy tropes into a classic Tolkien style pastiche while still retaining an extremely unique voice. The end result is an extremely inventive and fun story that will last awhile and become embedded in your imagination. If you want to read a great fantasy setting comic, read Bone.
Sandman -- Neil Gaiman's comic book masterpiece 10-volume work is both amazingly beautiful and amazingly deep. If you read the whole thing (which I recommend) it'll cost you a pretty penny. If you're trying to save money or just want a taste of the writing style, then read the 4th book: Seasons of Mist. I recommend you pop on Wikipedia or find a comic book fanatic friend to explain the first 3 books before you dive into the fourth one. Still, it's an emminently beautiful set of stories that examines every facet of mythological basics as well as humanity. If you want to be amazed, read Sandman.
Deep Cuts:
will be continued tomorrow.
---
ADDENDUM: I totally forgot a book:
Maus -- Art Spiegelman's 2-part magnum opus of a story is one of the most famous comic books works in the country because it transcends comic book as a medium. It's used to help teach both young students and analyzed by older students in classrooms all across the country. This survivalist story about Spiegelman's father in Auschwitz is touching, raw, heartfelt, and representational of what comic books provide more than any other medium: accessibility. Because of the anthropomorphic animals in the role of humans, the story presents a very easy to approach quality. However, once you get into it, you realize that Maus is more than just talking mice. If they didn't make you read it in high school or college, read it now. It's definitely worth it.
posted by Chris "Krang" Yang | 12:01 AM
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