/u/dmull387's MEGA BLOWOUT RECS LIST THREAD, PART III
tagged: /u/CanardWC
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS
Maus I & II by Art Spiegelman If you haven't read this, stop what you're doing, go to the store, and get it as fast as humanly possible. This is one of the best comics you'll ever read.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi a memoir of the author's childhood in Iran and young adulthood between France and Iran, set during the Iran/Iraq war.
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud not just a fun read, but a great look into the comics process.
Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Book 1 by Stan Sakai following the adventures of one Miyamoto Usagi (Japanese for bunny) as a ronin (masterless samurai) who wanders through feudal era Japan finding local causes to fight for. This description does not do it nearly enough justice. The good news: These black and white comics come in bundles of over 400 pages for less than 25USD, so if you're on a budget and you want a lot to read, get these when they're on sale!
A Contract with God Trilogy by Will Eisner I've only read A Life Force, of the three, but I can confidently recommend all of it on that alone. This is the only time where I will break my self-imposed rule. That's how good A Life Force was.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel a memoir of Alison coming to terms with her father's death and her own sexuality.
Palestine by Joe Sacco a tale of Joe's trip to Gaza and the West Bank during the first Intifada. A gripping read.
Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco same as Palestine, but during the Bosnian war. Sacco's New Journalism approach makes for great comics.
Marked by Steve Ross a retelling of the Gospel of Mark in comics form, with modern flair. Its sequel is "Blinded," the story of Paul the Apostle. I haven't read it, so no guarantee on quality.
High Society by Dave Sim
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples The tale of a small child being raised in the middle of a war that no one is winning, fought by people who didn't even start it. I can't do it justice here.
Bone by Jeff Smith collected across ten paperbacks or a single collection, it's considered one of the greatest writer/artist single works of the past 20 years
Atomic Robo by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegner This is a fun story about a robot created by revolutionary
madscientist Nikola Tesla. He's very long lived, which allows Brian to put him in situations from the 1920s all the way up to the present day and beyond. It's family friendly and just incredibly funny. also available online.The Complete Zot! by Scott McCloud straddling the line between superhero comic and slice of life tale, this collection of comics contrasts the idealized 1960s style utopia of Zot's world with the issues of 1980s USA.
Invincible Ultimate Collection Vol 1-4 by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley (also collected as Compendium 1.) I got this from my own local library and read it while my father was in the hospital. A great tale of a superhero that's a mix between Spider-Man and Superman.
NON DC UNIVERSE STORIES PUBLISHED BY DC
Astro City: by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
"What's life like in a world where superheroes are commonplace?"
That's it. That's the whole premise. They focus on different characters depending on the arc. It goes back to 1995, but the newest books are just as accessible as the oldest ones.
Life in the Big City: Introduces us to such characters as The Samaritan (Superman), Winged Victory (Wonder Woman), Crackerjack (a mix between Booster Gold and a non-costumed hero), Jack in the Box (a crazy Ditko character pastiche), The Honor Guard (Justice League/Avengers) and, of course, the citizens who interact with these heroes.
Confession deals with the story of The Confessor, a Batman-like character whose secrets may destroy Astro City. The collected volume contains my single favorite story of all time, The Nearness of You.
Family Album Focuses on The Furst Family, aka Astro City's Fantastic Four, and their version of Franklin/Valeria Richards. Additionally, the origin of Jack in the Box, and a few other families are expanded on.
The Tarnished Angel: Steel Jack, a villain whose skin is made of metal, knows something is going wrong in his neighborhood. But how can he let the heroes know the truth when he has to walk the line between freedom and a return to the hoosegow so diligently?
Local Heroes: Done in one tales about some of the smaller time heroes of Astro City and beyond.
Shining Stars: Back from a hiatus after the end of the Dark Age, Shining Stars focuses on some of the previous characters we've seen, like Samaritan and the Furst Family, along with a few new faces.
Beyond the DCU
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Sandman by Neil Gaiman et. al. This has one foot in and one foot out of the DCU. It reads nearly independently of the universe, and focuses on the life of one of the Endless, concepts that were there before gods, Dream.
The Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Raynor (Paradox Press) That's right, Road to Perdition was a comic book before it became the incredibly successful Tom Hanks movie.
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (Vertigo) you'll always remember, remember the fifth of November, because once people read this tale, they never @%$&ing shut up about it.
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K Vaughn (Vertigo) A story set during the second Iraq War. The ending will haunt you.
We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely This is a standalone story, but it also plays tribute to the work that Morrison did on New X-Men (Since you'll notice New X-Men is on the Marvel list, I highly recommend both.) One of the first comics that brought a tear to my eye.