Comics | Where to Start (Plainly: Recommendations)

I'm going to base this post on where I started, with some added things, because I feel like I stumbled a few times but mostly got there. Through following advice of others on where to start and recommendations. First, we're going to go not superhero comics, we'll get to that.

First off, I'm going to be listing the trades just because I feel like thats the easiest way to get into any series, and most of the series I'm going to recommend have at least the first, normally the first two out.

East of West and Sage are similar on the genre of SciFi, but that's where the similarities end. I'd recommend Saga first, because I know some people have found East of West very confusing. Saga follows tow young lovers who are from species that are at war and hate each other, and it's their on the run story. Them and their infant child. And it's pretty incredible and gorgeous and, also, easy to follow. It's also explicit so if you're not comfortable with that, then I'd suggest giving that one a pass.

East of West is a SciFi western that follows the start of the Apocalypse by the four horsemen. And, let me just tell you - the art is gorgeous, the characters are interesting, the different people are amazing, and the politics is complicated and bloody. I highly recommend this series - and people say that rereading the first volume after reading it the first time really helped them grasp on to everyone, if you had trouble.

Two more visually stunning series that are more contemporary and magical are The Wicked and the Divine and Wayward. We'll start with WicDiv - the first two volumes are available now and it's incredible. The art and coloring is gorgeous beyond belief and the story line feels fresh and interesting, and the characters are amazing. I kind of enjoyed going into it pretty blind, so all I'm going to tell you if you somehow haven't heard of this series - gods are re-incarnated in people and they only live for two years before dying.

Wayward is about an Irish/Japanese girl who is making the transition to live in Japan with her mother, and she's not sure about it but she quickly finds out that maybe the magics of Japan aren't just folklore. Volume one of this is out so far, volume two coming soon, and the art is gorgeous, the magic is interesting and comes out more in recent issues.

You know how I said if explicit wasn't your thing Saga wasn't for you? Well that's true times ten for Sex Criminals. Also by Fraction, who will be mentioned below for his Hawkeye run and I'm sure you've heard his name if you've been following my blog. People seem to waver on Sex Criminals but I've never seen anyone that's disliked it outright. It's a story about two people who meet and realize they both share a kind of strange ability - time freezes when they orgasm (I said explicit, it's pretty graphic at points. There might be a scene where he gynecologist explains contraceptives while stripping. Not actually doing so but that's what the comic shows). And from that - don't you want to read it? I did. And I'll ready anything by Fraction and Zdarsky.

I'm going to stop myself there for right now because I feel like that's enough indie comics to get you started. They're all Image, but I do love Image and haven't read much by anything others. And those all feel very user friendly - they're all good, got good story lines and art (gorgeous art for some), and also are pretty cheap for trades, Image is good about that.

And now, onto the superhero comics - I suggest giving Watchmen a read, I didn't love it but I did enjoy it and I also just think it's a good kind of commentary on the genre. And don't watch the movie, just save yourself.

First, before even getting into the recommendations - you need to be aware that it's going to be confusing if you think about too hard. And that you're never going to really be able to know everything, there's years and years of backlog and history. And they will decide to reboot series or the whole universe, or have events that bring in everything. It is complicated, but it's not scary complicated. If you can handle putting things in separate universes and sometimes not knowing things - though I've never been confused beyond just a slight what are you talking about? before - then you're good. Also good maybe not reading in complete order - carry on.

If that all just sounds like too much work or like it's going to give you a headache and confuse the hell out of it - then just give it a miss, maybe try contained comic series or the ones related to movies/TV shows. I'm not going to judge you for it, and no one else who is worth or time is going to either. It's complicated and can get expensive if your library isn't well stocked.

(Also, a disclaimer, I haven't gotten as into DC as I have Marvel, so these recs, and future ones, will be heavily Marvel until I do get more into DC, which I would like to do).

Now - places to start.

For where to start with more current things, I think Fraction's Hawkeye is relatable and gorgeously illustrated and deals withs Clint's disability towards the end. Also there's a dog. It's mostly about what Clint gets up to not on the clock, and it shows him as pretty fumbling. And I liked that Clint, he's related and entertaining (I also enjoy highly trained, can do anything Clint, but human disaster Clint has a special place in my heart since he was my entrance to it). It's also a limited run, four volumes, so there's a definite beginning and end, a whole story. And it's a hell of a good one.

Runaways - I don't know what the hell took me so long to start this series, and I haven't finished the run but I'm throwing it in here because I've read the first eighteen issues (complete collection volume one) and it seems like a fantastic starting point. It's super hero related and there is mentions of the outside universe and, in those first ones, you run into some others - two i had never heard of, my knowledge is lacking in some areas. Either way, they are kind of separate, at the beginning at least. Which I feel like is a good introduction to a comic with characters with superpowers, and in for the marvel universe (well, for that universe of the marvel universe). Still - fantastic series.

Captain Marvel - Carol might be one of my favorite characters. She's competent and smart as hell and in the more recent issues she's in space with a cat, just saying. She's an interesting character, though, and a good as hell on. (And Kelly Sue DeConnick. You don't know who she is? Well, friend, then you are in for a treat).

Ms. Marvel - I feel like everyone's been talking about since it started running. A muslim american teenage girl taking over Carol's old persona and becoming Ms. Marvel. Kamala is one of my favorite characters - she's young, in high school, but she wants to do good, wants to help. And there's some great commentary on how millennial's aren't what people think they are (we are, I'm a young one but I'm still in those years myself). Also there's some great cameos, and it's normally highly amusing.

The one DC thing I'm going to recommend because I'm sticking to things you can buy trades for - I'm sorry, DC, I'll try and do better but you make it hard with no subscription service - is the new run of Batgirl. The first volume is called Batgirl, Volume One: Batgirl of Burnside. And the way social media and technology in general is used in this comic is the main reason I wanted to pick it up. Some people have been shitting on it for that - but it's, I feel like, something I could see easily happening to a young girl whose a superhero and trying to her, failing at points and succeeding at others. It's fast-paced and interesting and I really liked the main character, Barbara.

I'm enjoying writing up these posts and hope to do some more posts with just some general recommendations. I'm not an expert, not by a long shot, but I'm finally in a space where I feel like I'm not an impostor when I"m giving out recommendations/suggestions

 If you have - or are planning to - read any of these, I'd love to hear about it. And if you are going to go and read them, report back your thoughts, I'd love to hear them! Also, if you already started - where did you start?

Comics | How I Got There Through Manga
Comics | My Pull List (9/15)

Comics | My Pull List (9/15)

I do have a local comic book shop and I am ashamed at how little I actually go to it. And there are actual reasons for it - it's tiny and slightly creepy from the outside because of it's location, but the people are super nice and such - but the main, slightly shameful reason, is because of two places: Midtown Comics and Amazon. I'm not that shamed about the MidtownComics part - where I get my pull list, which we'll get to in a minute - but I am kind of ashamed of the Amazon part. Either way - this post is about my pull list, not my Amazon shame.

So my pull list. When I get it changes depending on my reading mood - and what is actually actively coming out from said pull list - but currently I'm bi-weekly which means every two weeks in this case. It'd probably be better, and save on shipping, to just get it once a month but I like getting it bi-weekly so for now it's going to stay. (Cheapest shipping is a few dollars and since I'm not far from NY, it normally only takes 3 days).

I started this post a few months ago and it use to say here - it's not that long, pretty heavy on Image - and while the Image part stays true, I love a lot of what they do, the not that long part has completely gone out the window. I'm planning on writing up a post about single issues versus trades, but this is just all pull list. And, considering how long I just realized my pull list is, I'm not longer surprised I'm always a little behind (and am so far behind on some I could probably switch to trades easily).

We're going to go by publisher and I'm just going to list titles, no author/artist, just titles. First off, Dark Horse: Lady Killer (I was for the first trade so I can read it). And then DC, for right now the only one is Black Canary (which is so good).

And then there's Image and Marvel. We're going to start with Image and then, currently, my marvel stuff is secret was (obviously), so I guess I should do an update in a few months on this. Either way, Image: Autumnlands: Tooth and Claw, Birthright, Bitch Planet, Descender, Dying and the Dead, East of West, Empty Zone, Injection, Kaptara, Mythic, Nameless, Ody-C, Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl, RunLoveKill, Sex Criminals, Surface, The Wicked and the Divine, Wayward, Wolf, Wytches. 

Whew, Image is hefty for me. Marvel: Hawkeye/All-New Hawkeye, Secret Wars, Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos (haven't actually gotten to read this yet but I'm excited. And behind on all things secret wars, so behind), Planet Hulk (read it), Thors, Civil War.

I'm so glad I didn't bullet point those, because it looks about ten times longer that way. So obviously I have falling head first into comics, it's been over a year now since I started really getting into comics. And, on one hand, I'm really glad I did and I love them, but on the other hand - single issues everywhere, so behind.

So that is my pull list in all it's glory - if you read single issues, let me know what's on your list. Or if you're loving something that isn't on mine, I'm always up for recommendations.

Comics | How I Got There Through Manga

I don't remember a specific point where I fully got lost in graphic novels and manga, I just remember kind of different points of it, stages I guess. I adore graphic novels - they're works of art with stories, characters and plot and setting, and they're normally gorgeous.

Anyway - I remember reading manga first and Fruits Basket was my first manga or any kind of graphic novel and I loved it. My friends and I had marathoned the show and there were books to go with it, I was sold basically, and I am still sold. I reread them within the last year, and they still hold up, but I'm a little biased with the nostalgia factor. They're - very strange and adorable and can poke fun at itself and the genre in general, though this specific genre does seem to make fun of itself a lot.

A newer manga I started reading at the beginning of last year was Attack on Titan (I say was just because I feel behind and so many spin offs, but I was loving it and want to get back into that world). There's, of course, the anime but I had trouble getting into and I'm not sure why, but when I read the manga I read through them very fast, loving it and the horror and just everything.

And, moving away from manga - comics. I never got into super hero comics and I'm still kind of not (kind of? I might be lying to myself, but I'm not falling too far down the rabbit hole on DC/Marvel quite yet, just a little). But I've started trying a few of the less intertwined and confusing series. I really loved Matt Fraction's Hawkeye series  - the art and the story are both fantastic, and I kind of love Hawkeye a tad bit more now. I've since dipped my toe into some other comic series runs, most I haven't finished reading but I've tried Young Avengers (here for it, yes), Runaways (how haven't I read more then the first eighteen issues yet), Captain America (the Brubaker run, obviously, and I think it made my love for Steve Rogers a little bit of an obsession. Tad bit), Captain Marvel (yes), Ms Marvel (also incredible), Thor: Goddess of Thunder (read it), Black Widow (most recent run, have the last trade to go), Deadpool (dipped in with Merc with a Mouth), Batgirl, and I think that's it but I could be wrong, and there's other I want to try (Marvel Unlimited subscription is totally worth it so far).

Anyway, the point is - is that I've now read a lot of comics. I feel like headfirst into it surprisingly quickly. First, and still a large majority, reading Image titles, but I've also tried Dark Horse stuff and, obviously, Marvel/DC. And am now at the point where I get my bi-weekly (every two weeks) pull list from Midtown Comics and am so behind because I'm interested and want to read so many damn things.

Saying that, I didn't just switch from - what does 'trade' mean? - to - I have a pull list longer then my arm (might not be true, but pretty close). And it did start with Fraction's Hawkeye and then moved onto Saga, which introduced me to Image and their comics.

That's how I fell into this wonderful strange world, and I'm so glad I did, and it was definitely a long fall. I read Hawkeye, Volume One: My Life as a Weapon on January 2nd, 2014, and read volume 2 a little latter. And 2014 was definitely the year I fell headlong into it, so this isn't that surprising. Saga I got to in March, reading volume 3 in April. Preacher, Locke and Key - both series I haven't finished yet. And then I was also reading some more graphic novels.

And then it was what I'm going to call the silence before the storm, I was reading a bunch but really just a graphic novel randomly - I read Watchmen in this time, it felt necessary and it was pretty good, and reread Fruit's Basket - and then I found the East of West series, and I can't for the life of me remember how. This also lined up with driving up to Ithaca to visit my friend Haley, and the Ithaca comic book store is pretty cool - and it ended with me reading all three volumes of East of West (if you haven't heard me talk about this series, you should read it), and then reading volume one of Ms Marvel and of the newer run of Captain Marvel (I've gone back and read the one right before, but I've let go of my must read in right order thing a little with comics, it's less necessary, though I wasn't aware at the time).

From what I can tell my first single issue was Wytches, which is the only one I've read so far but mostly because it actually scared me, which I'm not use to for any kind of horror stuff. And a few days after that I read issue one of Wayward, still one of my favorites. And then The Wicked and the Divine. And that was just the beginning.

I'm not going to bore you further, though I find this super interesting - and probably will find it even more interesting to go back in another year and see how far I've come from that. It didn't really take a lot to trip me into the world of comics and, considering my love of art and good story telling, I'm not all surprised about it. And I don't regret it (maybe a little now that I've had to lug that collection up a flight of stairs when moving, but still).

How did you get into comics? Or have you not tried yet? If you don't know where to start I'm going to have a post about that in the next few weeks, also a graphic novel recommendations post, and also a post coming about what currently on my pull list. So if that's something you're interested in, let me know and I hope you look forward to it.

Happy Reading! (Let me know about the comics, though, or just what you're currently reading in any format).

2014: Book Reviews (16)

Part sixteen, I'm catching up surprisingly quickly, maybe I will be able to get these all up by the end of the year. As long as I don't read another ridiculous amount of books in December, we should be fine. Saying that, though, I think we should be getting right into the books.

Girl on Tour (Kylie Ryans #2) by Caisey Quinn (2/5)
My only note that I wrote down, after finishing this, was 'eh.' Which is think is a good explanation for how I feel about these books. These don't involve any thought to read, and the main character makes me want to shake her, at times, she's so... much still a teenager and so childish and no one ever just talks to each other. Argh.

Imitation in Death (In Death #17) by J.D. Robb (5/5)
I really enjoyed this one - the copying of past serial killers is one of my favorite things (wow, that sounded creepy), and it was really interesting in this book. And, of course, I just over the characters to death.

Warbreaker (Warbreaker #1) by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
I thought this was a standalone, at first, but I'm really glad he's going to expand on the story. Anyway - I really enjoyed this book. It was a lot different then what I expected, though his books always are, and while it was a little slow in the beginning, I kind of liked it that way. Really, really good.

The Think of the Doorstep by H.P Lovecraft (5/5)
Look, I read some Lovecraft! Technically, I think this was a short story, but it honestly creeped me out? I'm not sure why, books don't normally creep me out or scare me, but this one just... made me shiver a little. I'm slogging through a book with a bunch of his short stories right now - they're good, his language is just strangely dense, at least to me, and also I'd rather not read it before bed and dream of evil sea gods. Highly recommend checking out his stuff, though, what I've read so far is very good.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (4/5)
This was also different then expected, I didn't know it wasn't told from Jekyll's point of view - but I actually really enjoyed it that way. It was strange and very interesting. I'm glad I gave Stevenson another try, after not being able to finish Treasure Island. Though, I've always loved the Jekyll/Hyde stuff that came off this (this ended in me marathoning the BBC show Jekyll, actually. Surprisingly held up after so many years).

The Heroes of Olympus #1-4 by Rick Riordan (5/5)
I'm seperating out the last book for some reason - all of these were rereads, first of all. But I also don't want to spoil any of this series - if you liked Percy Jackson and the Olympians, then I'd definitely give this one a try, knowing it isn't Percy central, though they do show up. I really enjoyed this series, Riordan's books are fun and strange at points, and I like the humor.

The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan (5/5)
Short stories. I, surprisingly, hadn't read this before even though I bought it at some point intending to do so. It was cute, short and sweet, and I'm glad I read it before rereading House of Hades.

Percy Jackson: The Ultimate Guide by Riordan (3/5)
It was... cute? It was informative, but of information I already new. Maybe a good way to refresh yourself of what happened, but I kind of expected some new stuff, even a little, and I didn't find a scrap

The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan (5/5)
I adored this book - I know people had some problems with Percy and Annabeth kind of being pushed to background characters (among other problems that I'm not going to get into because spoilers), and that did annoy me a bit. But I was too over the moon about chapters from Nico's perspective. That's a main thing I wanted from this book and I got it, and am mildly obsessed with the Nico/Will thing, well I was right after reading this. I do kind of wish, even though I know it's a middle grade book, Riordan touched more heavily on how probably fucked up, excuse the language, all of these kids are. I'm thinking Percy, Annabeth, and Nico might need some therapy, and those two are definitely going to have extreme separation anxiety. Not to mention all the PTSD (and nightmares, and dreams).

The Arrival by Shaun Tan (5/5)
This was more a work of art then a graphic novel. It was truly gorgeous and incredible. There are no words in this graphic novel and I highly suggest checking it out.

East of West, Vols 1, 2, &3 by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta (5/5)
I didn't know what to expect picking up volume 1 - all I knew was strange possible future, apocalypse, four horsemen, a wild west-ish vibe. Holy shit, guys, this is a fantastic comic series. I loved these three and I am itching to get my hands on volume 4. Apparently this wraps up 'year one' of the series, and I don't know when they're going to keep going, if they are (I think they are, nothing is decided here, guys, give me more).

Chew, Volume 1 by John Layman
I... wasn't sure what to expect, but I ended up loving this. The different art style, the gore, the whole 'mythology,' the characters - I loved all of it and it was all slightly ridiculous. Fantastic - the whole black market chicken then is hilarious.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (4/5)
Lovely, beautiful art work (seriously it's stunning). A strange series of comic short stories, and a little sad.

In Real Live by Cory Doctorow, Jen Wang (4/5)
The illustrations in this, the colors, were lovely. It reminded me, originally, of Sword Art Online - the being inside a video game things. But then I realized they weren't, it was just how they were showing it. Still - I really enjoyed it, a lot of fun.

Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick (4/5)
I enjoyed this more then I expected - it kind of throws you into the story with no real explanation. But I ended up really enjoying it, it was a lot of fun.

Wytches #1 by Scott Snyder (5/5)
This actually gave me nightmares after. Probably shouldn't of read it right before bed. But it was very interesting and strange and creepy I'm definitely interested to read more. (issues are monthly, I believe).

Alcatraz and the Scriveners Bones (Alcatraz #2) by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
No surprise I loved this book - if you don't know I'd suggest checking into the first one, but only if you've read Sanderson before and/or know and enjoy his strange sense of humor (which I love).

Wayward #1, #2 by Jim Zub (4/5)
Really interesting, I'm intrigued to carry on. The colors are a lot of fun in this, bright. And I really like the part at the back that's an essay on something important/related to the story, it might be my favorite part (because I'm a weirdo).

The Wicked and the Divine #1 by Kieron Gillen (5/5)
Holy. Shit. I love it. I don't know why I was kind of instantly sold, but I am. The art and coloring is gorgeous and I love this idea and these characters. I highly recommend this (and I think the bind up of the first five or so issues just came out!)

And I think I'm going to end this part here. I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on these books, I hope I kept them all short and sweet enough, but with actually also giving you my thoughts. Any questions - just let me know. And if you've read any of these books, graphic novels, single issue comics - then I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

2014: Book Reviews (6)

I've read so many more books this year so far, it's completely ridiculous to me because I use to struggle to my goal of fifty or a hundred, now I've already blown past 50 books for the year. Anyway, onto the mini-book reviews, I think.

Young Avengers, Vol. 1: Style > Substance by Kieron Gillen (5/5)
I really enjoyed this, I really enjoy these compiled comic books, which is a whole different rant. Also, if you're looking to get into comics and have no idea where to start: Marvel Now, and I'd kind of like to do a post all about comic books / graphic novels / manga (but this will probably take months to do, so it definitely won't be up anytime soon).

Saga, Vol. 1 - 3 by Brian K. Vaughan (5/5)
So good, I'm just including all three volumes together. I didn't know what to expect going in, but it was so good, such a great beginning. I loved the characters, the art is gorgeous through all three volumes, and I love the way the stories told. Definitely recommending this whole series. It's definitely got mature content, though. I gave all three 5/5 stars, and I wish I could of given them more almost.

Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories From History Without the Fairy-Tale Ending by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie (5/5)
I wrote up a full review of this book here, but in short - oh man, so amazing, historical princesses that were real and the book was so well written. Also - even if it might not sound like exactly your cup of tea, if you run across it in a store, read the introduction, it made me smile, at least. (Feminism, princesses - what's not to like?)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
I read this book in the UK two part edition, but I'm just going to mention it here as one book, because as soon as I finished one, I picked up the other (though I did finish other books between the two, because this is a long book). I want to write a full review of this one, but I think I have to reread it. Bottom line: this book was one of those books that makes you just feel full, it makes you feel good and just like content. Does that make sense to anyone? (Recommended, so highly, all of his books actually).

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Meade (4/5)
I just keep reading these books, I mean I have the box set so I might as well just read them. And I did give this one a star higher then the first two, and I did enjoy it, but I also just don't know if I really care about these characters or where I can see the plot going. I'll probably end up picking up the next one at some point, probably, definitely no rush.

Bite Me (London Undead #1) by P.J. Schnyder (3/5)
I don't actually remember why I picked this up, it was really cheep, kindle, and someone I follow on Goodreads was talking about the newest one. It might of been two people. Anyway - it was fun and action-y. Werewolves, zombies, - just some light fun, enjoyed it though.