DC Newbie looking for good graphic novels

[Navdi]

Hello everyone,
I´m a recent convert to DC Comics, having read little except Marvel for the last 20 years. My experiences regarding DC are limited to Batman and some Superman. Lately, though, some of the DC graphic novels I have read have made me want to know more about some of these characters. My favourites have included the Grant Morrison JLA, Frank Miller´s Batman, and Kingdom Come. As what comes to format, I would rather read book size comics (graphic novels) than 20 pages of comic book at a time. I was wondering if someone could give me some pointers as to what I should get? Any good JLA GN:s out there? How about JSA? Any others of interest?

[Ro-gan]

Actually almost all the current JSA series has been converted to GNs. JSA has to be the best written comic out on the market right now (IMHO).

I also suggest:

Watchmen
Crisis On Infinite Earths
A Superman For All Seasons (Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale)
The Long Halloween (Loeb/Sale)
A Dark Victory (Loeb/Sale)

I'm not sure which Frank Miller's Batman you read already so I will just say:

Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller's DK2
[DK2 is a love or hate mini-series. As in: you love it or hate it]

And finally--

Nearly all the storylines from the current run of the JLA have been converted to GNs and are very good.

The Tower Of Babel (by Waid/Hitch) is one of the best JLA stories (IMHO).

[darius_dax1]

JLA and JSA are great starts. Any of the TPBs from those two titles.

I also like:
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Kingdom Come
Batman: No Man's Land (all 5??? volumes)
Superman: World Without a Superman
Batman: The Killing Joke
The Watchmen
The Power of Shazam

[Ro-gan]

darius and I seem to have the same taste.

I have to add that Batman: The Killing Joke is a great read. To me, this is one of the BEST Joker stories, ever.

[BigSoph]

Originally posted by Navdi
Hello everyone,
I´m a recent convert to DC Comics, having read little except Marvel for the last 20 years. My experiences regarding DC are limited to Batman and some Superman. Lately, though, some of the DC graphic novels I have read have made me want to know more about some of these characters. My favourites have included the Grant Morrison JLA, Frank Miller´s Batman, and Kingdom Come. As what comes to format, I would rather read book size comics (graphic novels) than 20 pages of comic book at a time. I was wondering if someone could give me some pointers as to what I should get? Any good JLA GN:s out there? How about JSA? Any others of interest?

Any GN with JSA is great although Virtue and Vice is the best (JLA/JSA crossover)

Our Worlds at War (2 volumes) are good, as is JLA: Earth 2

JLA: Earth 2 brings back mirror images of the JLA

Best JLA collections are Tower of Babel and Divided we Fall

[Rokk_Krinn]

Just a few recommendation about more traditional DC books:

*JLA: Obsidian Age (books 1 and 2) (Joe Kelly)
*JLA: New World Order (Grant Morrison)
*JLA: Tower of Babel (Mark Waid)
*JSA/JLA: Virtue & Vice (Geoff Johns)
*JSA: All pretty solid (esp. like Return of Hawkman)
*JSA: The Golden Age (Elseworlds) (James Robinson)
*Hawkman: Endless Flight (Johns)
*Starman: start at the beginning and work through :)
*Batman: Year One (Frank Miller)
*Batman: Long Halloween (Jeph Loeb)
*Batgirl: Year One (aka Killer Moth: Year Three, Boneyard :) )
*Green Arrow: Quiver (Kevin Smith)
*Dr-Midnite (self-titled, by Matt Wagner)
*LSH: Great Darkness Saga (Paul Levitz)

Less Traditional but too flipped out:
*Watchmen (Alan Moore)
*Animal Man: New Beginnings (Grant Morrison)
*Doom Patrol: Crawling from the Wreckage (Grant Morrison)
*Sandman Mystery Theater: Tarantula (Matt Wagner)
*Sandman: start at beginning, etc. :) (Neil Gaiman)
*Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits (Garth Ennis)
*Hellblazer: Original Sins (Jamie DeLano)
*Fables: (self-titled) (Bill Willingham)

There are tons more possibilities but I'll try to rein in my ramblings. :)

[Briel]

The Birds of Prey TP's

Nightwing: The Hunt for Oracle (also a BOP TP, just mistitled)

John Constantine: Hellblazer (all of them)

Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga

Wonder Woman (I forget the title, but DC just reprinted the first part of the George Perez run which reintroduced her after Crisis. Must reading.)

Check out The Wildstorm Universe while your at it:

Planetary, Wildcats, Storm Watch, and The Authority.

On these you just have to make sure you read the volumes in order.

[oogie56]

I am also new to DC. I own a few of the titles mentioned, but I too have been reading a lot of stuff lately. I know its not real popular with a lot of the DC fanboys, but I really liked the Ron marz run on GL. A really great set of stories-Hal goes nuts, becomes Paralax, tries to destroy the world, and Kyle becomes the new GL. Good Stuff. Can't wait for his new run on the title.

[rouge2]

Human Target
Human Target: Final Cut
Human Target: Strike Zones (Out tomorrow!)

Enigma
All Sandman (favourite one is "A Game of You")
Saga of the Swamp Thing
Shade: The Changing Man
Legion of Super-Heroes: Great Darkness Saga
All JSA
Books of Magic (Gaiman)
Black Orchid (also Gaiman)
Batman: Son of the Demon
Batman: The Killing Joke
Batman: The Cult
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Watchmen

[thugit]

Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: Dark Victory
Kingdom Come
JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice
and my all time favorite comic....

Superman For All Seasons

[raphael76]

I'll just chime in here with a couple of titles that haven't been mentioned. Flash is a really good read. The current run by geoff johns has been excellent. Also, the Mark Waid run was supposed to be really good, but I haven't read it yet. Any of that should be good. Nightwing was good, if you start with the first trade, Chuck Dixon did some really good work on Nightwing. I think the first trade is called a Knight in Bludhaven. I believe the first trade of Teen Titans, the new series is out, or will be soon. That's been a pretty good read so far. I'm not sure whether I'd recommend Crisis for a new reader or not. It certainly was the redefining moment in DC history, and as long as you can take it for what it is and not try and follow things too closely, you'll be ok. Also, there is a trade out for JLA: Year One. That's a really great story about the original Justice League. Good intro to Hal Jordan as well. That oughta do for now.

[Navdi]

Thanks!
A lot of good advice there. Right. Now I´m off to the comic shop to look if I can find some of those ;)

[Rokk_Krinn]

Hmm, I still have trouble thinking of "Wildstorm" as true DC so I didn't think to mention them but consider this a _strong_ seconding of Briel's recommendations.

Especially Planetary. Very especially Planetary.

(or if you're just a fun-loving sadist, check out "Stormwatch: Final Orbit" TPB which has to be one of the first times I've seen the Aliens (as in the ones from the great Ridley Scott/James Cameron movies) pop off a comic lines major characters. :) )

[Wyldstaar]

Preacher Vol 1: Gone to Texas through Vol 9 The Alamo
Fables Vol 1
Watchmen
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Y-The Last Man
Proposition Player
The Maxx Vol 1&2

[Century]

The Kingdom Come NOVEL, the real book, is also really good.

I am picking up Teen Titans today.

[K'un L'un Kid]

Here are a couple of personal favorites of mine:

Justice League: A New Beginning (DeMatteis/Giffen/Maguire): One of the most offbeat and quirkiest incarnations of the League ever. This one will be nice for a little levity next to all of the "grim n' gritty" on the shelves. If you like it, you might want to give "The Secret Gospel of Maxwell Lord" (which collects the next arc in that series, and "Formerly Known as the Justice League" (A recent miniseries that reunites the creative team and some of the characters) for more of the same.

The New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (Wolfman/Perez): Without a doubt, the best Titans story ever. It's got Deathstroke. It's got betrayal. It's got carnage and death, and it's got the first appearance of one Richard Grayson in his "Nightwing" identity. On top of that, it's got George Perez.

Batman: A Death In The Family: A pivotal, unforgettable moment in the life of the Dark Knight, and a darn good read to boot.

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn: The updated version of Hal Jordan's origins and first adventure as Green Lantern.

[SeeD Commander]

Originally posted by K'un L'un Kid
Here are a couple of personal favorites of mine:

Justice League: A New Beginning (DeMatteis/Giffen/Maguire): One of the most offbeat and quirkiest incarnations of the League ever. This one will be nice for a little levity next to all of the "grim n' gritty" on the shelves. If you like it, you might want to give "The Secret Gospel of Maxwell Lord" (which collects the next arc in that series, and "Formerly Known as the Justice League" (A recent miniseries that reunites the creative team and some of the characters) for more of the same.

Ooo, good call. A New Beginning is very underrated, imo. Plus, it has one of the greatest comic book moments of all time...Guy Gardner vs. Batman.

[Kill-Zone]

I have a question about Kingdom COme.

Can you buy the whole series of the comic book in one graphic novel?


Kill-Zone

[waaagh1]

Yes you can, hardcover or softcover.

[Navdi]

I just finished reading Crisis. Very epic, very good looking, lots of characters I don´t know, but I guess you have to start somewhere.

Some questions though.

What ever happened to Barry Allen?
Is the rest of the Marvel family still around (Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. etc.)

[saxman0829]

i would also recomend batman: death in the family. its a small trade about the death of jason todd, one of the robin's. its short, but in a ton of the batman plots since he has bee haunted by todds death, i think its kind of importaint to read.

[Jackygobang]

JSA the liberty files. For my money, it's one of the absolute greatest collections.

[Dr Mid-Knight]

Jackygobang you're right about that.

####SPOILERS#####
Drag the mouse over the text below to see it:

Only complaint with JSA:LF is the Batman/Superman thing being played again.

I was suprised by it being General Zod, however the Superman VS Batman song was a little tough to hear all over again. One of these times Superman is going to beat Batman.

[Briel]

Crisis is where Barry Allen truly dies. He is the one character they won't bring back, because he is meant to be a reminder of mortality for the ret of the DC Heroes.

The Power Of Shazam! GN and ongoing series are a must for your collection. CM was puting around before that, but it is Power that set up his position and relationships to the rest of the DCU.

I just read:

Wonder Woman: The Hyketia. It was very very good.

Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth by Alex Ross & Paul Dini with Diana looking very much like Linda Carter in some places.

Shazam!: Hope by the same. One of the better things I have read lately comics wise.

Quick but fun is also the Fantastic Four and Superman graphic novel. It's in the old treasury sized edition format.

[Aeturnus]

What I've Read

Best (IMO)
Green Lantern/Green Arrow vol. #1 (I got this signed by Neal Adams. *happy*)

Superman
Death of Superman
Our Worlds at War (vol. 1, vol. 2)

Green Lantern
Emerald Dawn

Teen Titans
The Judas Contract

JLA
Earth 2
New World Order
Obsidian Age
Tower of Babel
World War III

Batman
Dark Knight Returns
Death in the Family
Hush
The Killing Joke
Knightfall
The Long Halloween
No Man's Land
Terror

JSA
Black Reign
Darkness Falls
Return of Hawkman

DC Universe
Crisis On Infinite Earths
JSA/JLA: Virtue & Vice
Kingdom Come

Etc.
The Watchmen


I've read a lot more, can't remember titles.

[First Lensman]

The recent JLA/Avengers crossover was great.

The Kingdom (sequel to Kingdom Come mentioned above)

Trinity (I think this is available in a GN)

[First Lensman]

Originally posted by Kill-Zone
I have a question about Kingdom COme.

Can you buy the whole series of the comic book in one graphic novel?


Kill-Zone

Yes, I have it and it's sequel "The Kingdom"

[Ozymandas]

I'd strongly recommend anything above that 3 or more people mentioned.

I can't vouch for Batman: No Man's Land & Superman: World Without a Superman only because I haven't read them myself.

From just about anybody I know who's read it, Superman: Our Worlds at War is a world of #### (sorry, BigSoph, no offense).

I can't recommend Planetary enough but it doesn't touch any of the DC icons. With its delayed schedule, it's a book that you'd greatly benefit by reading in the TPB format.

A lot of the Vertigo stuff - Doom Patrol, Animal Man - is hot.

Crookedtooth lives & breathes TPBs (I'm more of a month-to-month guy, m'self). You can trust his input if he should chip in here.

[lilj]

The Planetary and Batman crossover was good. Showing us many different incarnations of Batman.

[BigSoph]

Originally posted by Ozymandas

From just about anybody I know who's read it, Superman: Our Worlds at War is a world of #### (sorry, BigSoph, no offense).



None taken. There are parts that I was going "huh?" but overall I liked it. The JSA OWAW story was the best part and they didn't include it in the GN...

I stand 100% behind JLA/JSA: Virtue/Vice

I also recently read Flash: Blitz and Superman & Batman Generations

Generations follows the concept of Superman and Batman starting in 1939 and actually aging them, killing off Lois and setting stories in new eras. Cannot give away too much but it ends in 2919 with both alive...and it works!

[Jackygobang]

Originally posted by Dr Mid-Knight
Jackygobang you're right about that.

####SPOILERS#####
Drag the mouse over the text below to see it:

Only complaint with JSA:LF is the Batman/Superman thing being played again.

I was suprised by it being General Zod, however the Superman VS Batman song was a little tough to hear all over again. One of these times Superman is going to beat Batman.









Yeah, i see your point.



I think the fact that Batman isn't the one who just came in, took names, and just defeated Superman by his lonesome is a step forward. It took the entire group to take him out, and even then they had to cheat. Sucks they killed Hawkman though, he was the absolute best comics design i'd ever seen.



One I personally like is the previously mentioned JL:New Beginning. I heavily second that.

[Snake_Eyes898]

Batman: Hush freakin rocks, especially Jim Lee's art. Its amazing.

Kingdom Come is my favourite DC story of all time. It doesn't get any better than KC.

All of the JLA trades out there seem really good, I especially liked New World Order.

I havent read No Man's Land, Tower of Babel, or any of the JSA yet, but I've heard nothing but good things about it, so I'm thinking of picking it up.

And slightly off topic here, if you want an awesome read, go pick up Wanted. The story rocks.

[Gimpy]

I loved The swampthing graphic novels, but apart from that i always had a thing for GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD TWILIGHT

[Sanity]

Are there any good Plastic Man graphic novels?

[Snake_Eyes898]

Superman: Red Son (sun?) is a great read.

[Snake_Eyes898]

Superman: Red Son (sun?) is a great read.

[ca551u5]

Batman Titles:
No Man's Land
Hush
The Dark Knight Returns
Killing Joke (This made my skin crawl. No other villain can do that!)

Green Lantern:
Emerald Dawn

DCU:
Crisis On Infinite Earths
Crisis On Multiple Earths

Superman:
World Without A Superman
Red Son

Wildstorms:
Stormwatch
The Authority
Planetary

Other:
The Sandman
Watchmen

Stormwatch and The Authority are actually some excellent titles, and while not in the same league as Watchmen, raise fascinating questions about what a world with superhumans would be like. All three titles are well worth checking out.

[Burches]

I also recently started reading DC and the one that started it was Dark Knight Returns. I then got Dark Knight Strikes Again, which is great if you ignore the little subplot of #### Grayson being a bad guy. It's lucky that you only see it in a few pages.

I have also enjoyed the Batman Graphic Novels:
No Mans Land
A Death in the Family
Hush
Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive

I also like

Teen Titans
A kids game (Interesting story about Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy reforming the Titans, it also has a nice, if short, fight between the Titans, and the JLA.

and of course:

Kingdom Come