The title of this thread says it all. I'm going to make an effort to branch out beyond my Marvel and DC comfort zone, and I'm asking for recommendations from all of you. I put "up to" and "or more" in there so folks can recommend however many titles they want.
I am a trade waiter, so if you can include the title of a recent trade or one of a good jumping on point, do so if you can.
Just based on the positive vibes seen on this board for both, I've already decided to order the first trades of
- Mudman
- Saga
Replies
Just some quick clarification: do they have to be titles that are currently ongoing, or can they be ones that have run their course? Also, do Vertigo and Icon books count as non-Big Two?
At any rate, I'll start with Rachel Risingby Terry Moore (Abstract Studios). A clever horror book, the first issue starts with our protagonist, Rachel, waking up after having been murdered and left in a ditch in the forest. From there, it's so far been a little bit character study as Rachel tries to figure out what happened, and a little bit horror as, well, Rachel figures out what happened. Moore populates the book with fun and interesting characters (as is his wont), and is able to come up with some pretty creepy scenes.
The first volume, The Shadow of Death, just came out in TPB in March, so this is a good time to hop on.
I'll also repeat my referral of MIND MGMT by Matt Kindt (Dark Horse Comics). It's only one issue in, so it's not in any trades yet (obviously), but you could always whet your appetite by reading one of Kindt's OGNs (3 Story and Super Spy are probably the closest thematically, but Revolver is good, too).
And I'll give a quick nod to Jeff Smith's Rasl (Cartoon Books), an inter-dimensional thriller about a mysterious man named Rasl who jumps between realities, and the people who are after him. It's already out in three volumes, with a fourth on the way; the series is wrapping up with its final issue (#15) in July, so you can either use this opportunity to catch up before the big finale, or else I imagine it won't be too long before Smith releases a collection with all 15 issues in one book...
I'll give it some thought, John, but off the top of my head I can second Alan's suggestion of Rachel Rising and I will add Berni Wrightson's Frankenstein Alive, Alive!
I heartily recommend Baltimore: The Plague Ships by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden with art by Ben Stenbeck. This is a story about a monster hunter trying to clean up after a plague puts an end to World War I.
Well, I like crime dramas, so I just started getting Super Crooks by Mark Millar and Lenil Yu, which is about a gang of third-rate supervillains pulling an Oceans 11-type sting on a retired heavy hitter. I think it's just a four-issue miniseries.
Irredeemable and Incorruptible just concluded their runs, although, frankly, I thought they both had just about run out of gas. I think the first year's worth of stories on both titles were the best if you wish to check them out.
For a sunnier look at an ersatz Superman, don't miss Love and Capes when it comes back around. I dropped in on a comic shop out of town a couple days ago and found issue #12 in the half-price bin, and was happy I did.
Probably the non-Big Two title I look forward to the most each month is Life With Archie. This What If?/Elseworlds-type story of a grown-up Archie and friends has been consistently entertaining.
That's for starters.
Or you could just check out the webcomic here.
ClarkKent_DC said:
For a sunnier look at an ersatz Superman, don't miss Love and Capes when it comes back around. I dropped in on a comic shop out of town a couple days ago and found issue #12 in the half-price bin, and was happy I did.
Hmm. Here's a few:
Atomic Robo: This is a series of mini-series about a sentient robot created by Nikolas Tesla. Lots of hijinks ensue around science, but plenty of action too.
Chew: It's somewhat hard to describe this comic, but it centers around a man who is a cibopath, able to taste something and know it's entire history. Bizarre but funny.
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The Unwritten: This is an intrigue book about the son of an author who based a series of Harry Potter like books on said son, and the trouble it causes him. The first arc just finished, but the new one is pretty interesting.
Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo has multiple volumes, some with many short stories, some with a long story-arc, and they are all fantastic.
My top 5 non Marvel/DCU titles right now are probably:
Resident Alien: I've said it elsewhere, but this Northern Exposure meets X-Files series really works for me. Issue 2 arrives next week, I believe!
New Deadwardians: My favorite among the new Vertigo launches... which is very unexpected, considering it was the only one I wasn't even planning to pick up!
Fatale: Noir crime mixed with Lovecraftian horrors. Sign me up!
Saga: Inventive and wonderful, with a solid foundation in character.
Dark Horse Presents: I don't love everything in this anthology --who could? -- but every issue is really solid, and often leads me to books I wouldn't have tried otherwise... such as Resident Alien, and the upcoming The Creep.
Also: The Goon: I don;'t know why it took me so long to turn on to this, but Eric Powell is doing wonderful work, issue after issue. They all seem to be done-in-ones, so find one you like the looks of and give it a try.
Oh, yeah! Very much agreed!
Doc Beechler (mod-MD) said:
One more:
I've talked on this board before about how IDW's Dungeons & Dragons by John Rogers and Andrea di Vito is one of my favorite books. (A new issue hasn't come out since February or so, and IDW's been very elusive about whether there will ever be more, but until I officially hear it's cancelled, I hold out hope.) There's nothing world-shaking about this book, but Rogers writes smart, fun characters saying smart, fun things, and fleshes out the world swiftly and without losing momentum on his well-plotted stories. Add to that di Vito's beautiful artwork (which especially pops in the collected editions), and it's as solid a comic as you can find. There are three volumes collecting the issues that have come out so far — Shadowplague, First Encounters, and Down — and you don't need to know anything about D&D to enjoy these.
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