(Part 2) Best horror graphic novels according to redditors
We found 1,835 Reddit comments discussing the best horror graphic novels. We ranked the 458 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
or Batman: Vampire
You can buy them now with the original names restored.
I used to buy these from the newsagents every time they came out. Compiled with Aliens v Predator and stuff. Around the same time a bunch of Terminator comics came from the same publisher, Dark Horse I think it was.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aliens-30th-Anniversary-Original-Comics/dp/1506700780
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aliens-Original-Comic-Sam-Kieth/dp/1506703569/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/258-0541758-0363109?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1506703569&pd_rd_r=d73c0a96-f1a3-4480-9110-87c11e4a4847&pd_rd_w=jJBRv&pd_rd_wg=oXASj&pf_rd_p=31fcc995-2418-43ae-a37c-f1ef453a46b3&pf_rd_r=G1684RB7EVQCJ42DT4MK&psc=1&refRID=G1684RB7EVQCJ42DT4MK
​
They're good, but they're not amazing. They feel a bit rushed and the ideas are great but you can tell they're trying to cram in as much violence to each issue as possible. When they're put together as one coherent story they feel too frantic.
Crossed is great if you love gore and fucked up shit. Basically it's a zombie-apocalypse idea except the zombies aren't dead and want to rape and kill everything. It's definitely not for everyone -- I personally don't know anyone else who can make it through a trade paperback. :(
NSFW/NSFL:
http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/CrossedPsycho1wraparoundcover1.jpg
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0230/7913/products/CrossedPsycho5Torture_1024x1024.jpeg?v=1368167920
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ku6SPRq8054/S-TTbM_v-ZI/AAAAAAAAAgM/lI2bfsvvapE/s1600/crossed+restaurant.jpg
https://freedomshammer.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/crossed.jpg
http://i1.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Crossed_Dolphin1.jpg
There's plenty more where that came from (~100 issues and two spin-offs). Start with Garth Ennis' initial run (Crossed: Badlands 1-10). The writing goes up and down after that, but the brutality and gore are consistent throughout. There was once talk of making the series into a TV show, but I don't know what network would ever even begin to think about dreaming of making that happen.
(http://marvel.com/comics/issue/55575/moon_knight_2016_1) | 2016-2017 | Lemire
http://smile.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Death-Family-New/dp/1401246028/
and I haven't caught up yet but he's also in here
http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Endgame-Scott-Snyder/dp/1401261167
Preacher!
You take the easy way out, and read these.
They come in single issues, trade paperbacks and books. The single issues will take forever to collect, the trade paperbacks is in 13 volumes at the moment, and the books are at 6 volumes, each spanning about 300 pages.
Unless you really need another heavy object around the house, stay away from the books.
this sea salt and this book
Hush is often regarded as one of the best Batman trades out there, so you're off to a good start.
Here's a rough list of other books you might enjoy, all widly embraced by fans of Batman while staying with a darker tone similar to Hush.
I''d also suggest reading Identity Crisis. Batman isn't the only character of the story, and while he doesn't make many appearances when he does he certainly makes an impact. Lastly, Gotham Central is also a great read, but it focuses on the GCPD MCU rather than on Batman himself, and how they deal with supervillains and working in a city with a masked vigilante.
Hope this helps.
Absolutely helped.
I think you would maybe enjoy:
That picture is from Moon Knight: The Bottom, the first volume of the 2006 series by Charlie Huston and David Finch. I highly recommend reading that series.
I also recommend the 2014-2015 series starting with Moon Knight: From the Dead by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire. After reading that series, hop onto the current series starting with Moon Knight: Lunatic by Jeff Lemire, Greg Smallwood, and Jordie Bellaire.
You don't need much context to read these series; they'll explain Moon Knight's backstory to you. I recommend using my Marvel Universe 616/Prime Earth Moon Knight Comic Book Chronology Project to keep track of how these series are ordered and also to see what else is available. Check out the Trade Paperback Collections tab for a list of trades.
There are a lot of answers to this. Moon Knight has had many series since his creation in the late 70's. There are fans who prefer the Classic Moon Knight, fans who prefer the Modern Moon Knight stories, and then people like me who love it all (except the early 90's trash). If you want the classic Moon Knight, which was written by Moon Knights original author, and his defining artist, I recommend the Countdown to Dark TPB. If you like the tone of those, your next step is to go for the Essential Moon Knight's 1, 2, & 3. These will cover the Origin stories, the major villains, the most important story arcs, and has some of the best comic art of the time. Keep in mind, all of these stories were written in the early 80's, and they are a product of their time.
For a more modern Moon Knight story, you really have two good options. You can either try the Huston/Finch Run by getting Moon Knight: The Bottom (and continue to volumes 2-5). They are a decent enough place to start on Moon Knight if you have no background on him. These stories tend to be very dark and very edgy compared to previous Moon Knight stuff.
What most people seem to be doing, however, is starting with the most recent run by Bendis/Maleev. It is titled quite simply Moon Knight This series is pretty self reliant, and seems to be very popular.
If you're interested in collecting trades rather than floppies, here are some links that will help. Books are in rough chronological order:
There's no trade that contains the remainder of the Marc Spector: Moon Knight book, sadly. At this time, he was semi-languishing in obscurity, and barring the occasional pop-up in a team-up book or a major crossover event, he wasn't appearing much. Then he got resurrected (pun intended) in '06:
Then he got a new book that sort of picked up where the last one left off.
He was on the Secret Avengers for a while, then sort of fell out of the team without any real explanation. Then he got another solo book, this time by Bendis & Alex Maleev
As you can tell by this & my flair, I'm quite the MK fan. Hopefully this wasn't too overwhelming, but I wanted to give you my fair & honest appraisal as someone who's read everything he's been in and knows what's good and what's not.
Gideon Falls by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino
Wytches by Scott Snyder and Jock
Crossed by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows
Plus one for Saga, but I just want to add in a few of my favorite comics because I love these books! Some of these aren't very mainstream, but I hope you guys will give them a try.
EDIT: For those into manga I also want to add Girls of the Wild's, it's an awesome manhwa about an all girls fighting school. Really funny with a lot of great female characters.
I've been reading a lot of horror recently, so I can suggest a few off the top of my head.
Hell House by Richard Matheson
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
The Shining by Steven King
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (You might hate this one.)
Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
Also, I'm not sure if you're into comics, but there's a bunch of great horror there. I recommend Locke and Key, Colder, and Wytches.
Well, my favorites are
The Moviegoer
The Road
A Confederacy of Dunces
Rendezvous with Rama
Watchmen
Snow Crash
Slaughterhouse-Five
Cat's Cradle
The Big Sleep
The Maltese Falcon
American Gods
A Clockwork Orange
Preacher
Fahrenheit 451
1984
Akira
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Lolita
Love in the Time of Cholera
Naked Lunch
Animal Farm
The Sandman
At the Mountains of Madness
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Brave New World
We
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Hack/Slash, Witch Doctor vol 1, Alan Moore's Neonomicon and crossed vol 1 to name a few.
The Ressurectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black You can see a couple of said pictures Here.
Please, for the love of all that is amazing, read Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. I had to read it all the way through as fast as possible just so I could see what would happen, and I was terrified throughout. Really solid, creepy, wonderful writing.
And once you're done with that, read Horns, which has one of the greatest monologues in all of horror literature. I feel I should caution you that this book is not horror in the sense of being full of blood and guts and terror, but manages to build an atmosphere of horror at what people are willing to do right under the surface of their "normal" lives.
Ignore the fact that he's Stephen King's son, and then finally read all five volumes (the fifth comes out this month) of Locke & Key, which has some great terror and incredible storytelling. Also ignore the fact that this is a comic book, and I guarantee you will have a good time with it--and will rage and worry and freak out at the things that happen in it.
So, yeah, I don't read a lot of horror, but when I do, apparently it's all Joe Hill.
LIST INCOMING:
I'm so in love with this range of books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Botanicum-Welcome-Museum-Kathy-Willis/dp/1783703946
I guess they're kids books but the illustrations are just beautiful and I actually got the postcard set for the botanical illustrations, and I'm going to have them framed for my house. I adore plant illustrations in this style.
Another one I love is: https://www.amazon.com/Resurrectionist-Lost-Work-Spencer-Black/dp/1594746168
The story is a bit average but the illustrations are so cool, I love anatomical illustrations and mythical beasts.
These two are also amazing: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Why-How-Illustrate-Mysteries/dp/1452108226 and https://www.amazon.com/Who-What-When-Illustrate-Sidekicks/dp/1452128278/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1452128278&pd_rd_r=RRYE5GWH9BWS2TPVV31X&pd_rd_w=K7qR6&pd_rd_wg=Mxunj&psc=1&refRID=RRYE5GWH9BWS2TPVV31X
I totally cried my eyes out over this one: https://www.amazon.com/Radioactive-Marie-Pierre-Curie-Fallout/dp/0061351326
And the illustrations are just so beautiful. Her story is just tragic and she was so brilliant.
If you wanna cry for a couple of years, this one: https://www.amazon.com/Laika-Nick-Abadzis/dp/1596431016
I guess not strictly about the science but there's a good amount of space related information and science tangential stuff, and its just such a beautiful book that I couldn't not recommend it. The final page is basically seared onto my memory forever :c
I'm utterly obsessed with this book: https://www.amazon.com/Sick-Rose-Disease-Medical-Illustration/dp/1938922409
ITS SO INTERESTING, its mostly medical diagrams and descriptions (I obviously have an aesthetic).
Hey, welcome to /r/comicbooks! This is definitely the place to ask any questions you have about comics!
I think you've got a pretty good list there. Here's a few more of my personal favorites that I think would fit in well with the kind of comics you want:
And these are some books that I think will be good for people who have liked the various comic book movies of the last decade:
The first place I would start is at the beginning. Most if not all can be purchased on Comixology for less than the physical copies, if you have a tablet.
This is the first three Aliens comic series that were done by Dark Horse Comics:
Aliens Omnibus Vol 1
The Aliens vs Predator books are the next best.
Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus, Vol. 1
The Predator comics are probably the weakest of the comics in my opinion. The first few series are in this book:
Predator Omnibus Volume 1
Unlike Marvel or DC, these Omnibuses are published in release order, so the next series are found in volume 2 of the title comics.
If you want the first Aliens series in a collectible format, the 30th Anniversary hard cover is good. It is a reprint of the original series in the original format. Some names were changed in the comics after Alien^3 was released. Those changes are not present in the hardcover and its in the original black and white.
Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comics Series
From what I can tell on Amazon. Anything listed as "The Complete Omnibus" are actually novelizations of the comic books. If you are looking for the comics, I would avoid those titles.
Mr. Freeze is my favorite villain and he actually has some good moments.
By far the best Mr. Freeze stories aren't comics at all, but episodes of Batman: the Animated Series: "Heart of Ice" was written by Paul Dini and set the fundamental origin of Mr. Freeze. Check it out here, episode 14.
Paul Dini also wrote a graphic novel (I don't know if it's standalone or not) called Mr. Freeze. It's kind of hard to find off the net, and I've never read it, but how bad could Dini on Freeze be? :)
Mr. Freeze is one of the villains in Loeb/Sale's Dark Victory, the sequel to Long Halloween. He is very visually interesting in the story, but not the main villain.
There was a miniseries told within Legends of the Dark Knight, I think it went for 3-5 issues or something, called Batman: Snow. It's been collected since.
In the New 52, Snyder and Capullo did Mr. Freeze in Batman Annual #1, rebooting his origin. It was pretty good, but I have problems with his new look. That issue is collected in Volume 2 of Snyder and Capullo's Batman series, The City of Owls.
Freeze was also the main villain in one of Batman: Dark Knight villain month issues, though I didn't read it.
Hope that helps!
P.S. Speaking of Loeb/Sale, they also did a graphic novel called Haunted Knight, which focuses mainly on Scarecrow and Mad Hatter. I don't know if you've ever read any Loeb/Sale team ups, but they're consistently awesome.
Agreed. Dark Victory is sadly overlooked. Also are the three Halloween specials that Loeb and Sale did before The Long Halloween:
Batman: The Three Halloween Specials You Should Read
Collected in this trade: BATMAN: Haunted Knight
Start here and keep plowing till you're in the Aliens comics (then keep going)
Not a traditional serial killer novel, but I thought of The Resurrectionist which just entranced me.
If you're studying medical stuff, you might be interested in The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth. It's half novel and half Grey's Anatomy-style drawings of weird creatures.
Practically I think that a stand alone is not that different from Volume 1 of a series so I would suggest Locke & Key Vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft.
If you are wedded to a stand alone I would suggest Revolver.
Already mentioned by other people that I also adore are Oglaf, Gunnerkrigg Court, and Girl Genius (steampunky wonderfulness!). I also like Hack/Slash (horror comic in which Cassie Hack, the "that girl who survived at the end of the horror flick" main character, hunts and kills horror movie slashers), and of course my beloved Girls with Slingshots! The Nonadventures of Wonderella is also awesomeness. (If you care for a steampunky sexytimes sort of comic by a chick artist, check out Chester 5000 XYV. Oglaf is also very sexytimes heavy.)
EDIT: Also should probly have mentioned that the ones I listed are all webcomics (yay free!) except Hack/Slash. For other non-webcomics, I also really like The Walking Dead (not really female protag though). Also, have you ever read the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels by Laurell K Hamilton? Well, whether or not you did, Marvel started making graphic novels of that series that I actually think aren't bad. This is the (complete) first one (based on the first Anita Blake novel, Guilty Pleasures).
Good book, just finishing my 3rd read through.
"Recorded Attacks" is coming out Oct 6
http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Recorded-Attacks/dp/030740577X/ref=pd_sim_b_5
It seems to be a graphic novel with the story by Max Brooks.
This graphic novel may interest you:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Zombie-Survival-Guide-Recorded/dp/030740577X
About "recorded" attacks through out history and how they were dealt with. A lot of empires/cultures I saw in these comments are in it.
Ok i figured what the Hell going on know so for the Omnibus book it's only come's with
Which = the The Dark Tower part of the comics that what the wika say's to get the others parts it's the Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Omnibus Slipcase that comes with
So it look like there going to be one more for the The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three Part of the comic books
Batman: Vampire
I, Vampire
American Vampire
X-Men vs Vampires
Captain Britain VS Vampires
Marvel Vampire Tales
Blade: Black & White
Blade: Blood and Chaos
Blade: Undead Again
Dr. Strange vs Dracula
Tomb of Dracula
Legion of Monsters
Bloodstone & TLOM
​
It goes deeper than that.
^ this made the top 7 stupidest attempts to reinvent Batman on cracked.com
No, you can get them all online via the Pirate Bay, but you can buy them on amazon.com and a pretty reasonable price. They ship really fast too, if you have prime!
Prequel might not be entirely accurate.
Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks is a graphic novel that has multiple stories about zombie encounters throughout history. I love it but it's a graphic novel not an actual novel so saying it is a prequel isn't entirely accurate but is kind of accurate.
That is NOT my experience in shopping for ebooks.
Chosen at random from my recommendations on amazon.com:
Breathless, same price as paperback
Full Dark, No Stars, Same price as paperback
Daniel X, -$1 from hardcover
The Art of Fielding: A Novel, +$1.88 over paperback
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever. = to hardcover
The Heroes of Olympus, Book Two: The Son of Neptune, -$1.41 over hardcover
Hell House, -$0.18 over paperback
Fight Club, -$2.57 over paperback
Prices are only slightly lower, if at all over physical books. Obviously this is a small sample, but whenever I go looking it is typically what I find.
Your overhead arguments are mostly false as well:
edit: formatting
One of these:
The Imago Sequence--Laird Barron
Inferno--edited by Ellen Datlow
The Dark--also edited by Datlow
Hell House--Richard Matheson
Ghosts--Noel Hynd
Things that Never Happen--M. John Harrison
Not sure if "scared" is the word for some of these. Profoundly unsettled.
Hell House
I'd go back even farther and suggest the Huston and Benson run on it.
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Knight-Vol-The-Bottom/dp/0785119078/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1G0HD1RB921QJM96VYR7
So Captain America has an ongoing comic right now which you can probably get the jump on. The first trade (#1 - #5) is here: http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Vol-Castaway-Dimension/dp/0785168265 you can probably find it at a local comic book shop or ask them to order it in for you. Then you can go and read the next one up until the individual comics and collect those or wait.
The movie (if you liked it and would like to read it - though the movie was not a direct adaption) was based off The Winter Soldier storyline by Ed Brubaker. http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Soldier-Ed-Brubaker/dp/0785187944/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396755272&sr=1-2&keywords=captain+america+the+winter+soldier is a link to it. Once again, you can order it off of Amazon or check your local comic book store to see what they have.
What I would recommend personally is Thor: God of Thunder. It is very well done and follows the story of three Thor's across three different timelines. http://www.amazon.com/Thor-God-Thunder-Vol-Butcher/dp/0785168427/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396755402&sr=1-3&keywords=Thor+god+of+thunder
There were a few tie-in series (Batman Adventures, Batman & Robin Adventures, Batman: Gotham Adventures, etc.) that were generally pretty good, if not great.
In addition, you'll want to pick up anything Batman from Bruce Timm and Darwyn Cooke's Batman: Ego and Other Tails.
EDIT: Even Matt Wagner's Mad Monk and Monster Men.
I can give you a hand with the post-Aliens, pre-Alien3 comics.
There's three arcs by Mark Verheiden, named Outbreak (Dark Horse, 1988), Nightmare Asylum (Dark Horse, 1989) and Female War/Earth War (Dark Horse, 1990) (the name for that one changes in different editions). They follow the adventures of Newt and Hicks (joined by Ripley at the end of Nightmare Asylum) roughly a decade after the ending of Aliens.
Obviously if you've seen Alien3 you know why the names had to be changed, and the art was also colorized (it had originally been in black and white). There was some backlash from long-time fans over the renaming so eventually Dark Horse relented and rereleased the comics in their original format, B&W art restored and names unchanged; seeing as these are now the official versions of the stories, you can probably consider them out-of-continuity, but they're still well worth reading.
If you want to read them in their original format, Outbreak is collected here and [the other two here](
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1506703569/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=X6ECBET4BH1WEARCE2ZK).
If you want the colorized, edited versions, they're collected together in the first volume of the Dark Horse Aliens Omnibus series, [currently available for pretty cheap on Amazon Marketplace](
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1593077270/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517986893&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=dark+horse+aliens+omnibus#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1517986925594). The rest of those Omnibi will collect the various Dark Horse Aliens comics up until that point, organised by the year they were published, though the series is ten years old so there'll be more besides.
This?
https://www.amazon.ca/Aliens-30th-Anniversary-Original-Comics/dp/1506700780
Batman: Haunted Knight is a pretty gorgeous trio of Batman Halloween specials from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. I remember that when I was around eight, I got a copy of the third story, Ghosts, and I read and reread that sucker so many times. Should be relatively kid friendly, if a little spooky.
I'd suggest just buying the paperback volumes, I believe they are up to volume 13 now. I say this because they look nice on your bookshelf. Volume 1
Collection one is the earth hive trilogy (earth hive, nightmare asylum, & female war). I've got the first two omnibus collections off amazon (I think there are eight in total) and they are pretty nice quality. This is a pretty awesome value.
http://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Omnibus-Vol-Mark-Verheiden/dp/1593077270
To be honest i'm not really sure what to say or where to start. There are alot of great comics to draw inspiration from. The most important thing is that the right authors/directors are chosen. I have no clue why the hell Paul Anderson's bad script was chosen to write/direct AvP..
Just read this and you will know what i mean. In my mind these comics are as true to the ALIENS and Predator franchises as possible.
You could pick up the Locke & Key Slipcase Set, that includes all 6 volumes. The only thing you'll be missing are the one shots that have come out so far.
Locke & Key is a great horror comic written by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King. It is a great story with a gay minor character who plays an important role in some of the later books. There's also a widowed mother character who struggles with alcoholism but eventually gets her shit together for the sake of her family. The complete series is available as a box-set for $60ish on amazon, which might be more than you want to spend but it's the kind of story where once you start you're going to want to read through to the end. I wouldn't recommend it because of the gay factor specifically, but I think it'd be a great read for anybody who can handle a bit of fictional murder. L&K on Amazon
I'm in the middle of reading Bone and loving it... I could see it appealing to just about anyone. I think the cute/funny factor gives Bone a broader appeal than other popular fantasy titles like Saga, which I see recommended all the time. TIME magazine said: "BONE combines the humor and look of early Disney movies with the scope of the Lord of the Rings cycle." Bone on Amazon
I've heard good things about but haven't personally read:
You might also look around /r/graphicnovels for inspiration.
Introduction to Comics
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite shows, movies, books, etc. Reading primarily for enjoyment or encyclopedic knowledge? Collecting? Have the time/resources to read 50 or 500 comics per character?
Don’t try to read everything at once. There’s too much. Forget about catching up, continuity, universes, etc. for now. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so they aren’t necessarily ideal starting points. Writers change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told. Remember, there are many great characters, creators, publishers, etc. to explore.
Pick an interesting character/team and seek their most popular/acclaimed stories. Focus on self-contained, complete stories in one corner of the universe. There will be unexplained references/characters, just persevere or Wiki. Don’t let the tangled web of shared-universe comics overwhelm you. Think of it like solving a jigsaw puzzle one small piece at a time until you finally see the big picture.
Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Don’t get stuck preparing/over-analyzing, just start reading. Do you like/dislike old/new comics? Specific writers/genres? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? All-ages/mature content? Follow these instincts. Didn’t understand a reference? Maybe read that next.
Acquire/Buy comics:
Marvel
DC
You can skip to the 2016 re-launch with DC Universe: Rebirth and then any Rebirth series #1.
Other
My favorite comic series ever is Locke and Key by Joe Hill. It just ended a couple years ago, so you can buy the whole series now in this slipcover set
Preacher by Garth Ennis is probably my second favorite series. I also highly recommend checking out Fatale by Ed Brubaker. If you want recommendations about currently ongoing series, just let me know.
I'd heard about this awesome book World War Z by Max Brooks and finally got around to reading it. I was hooked and wanted more. So a few weeks later I had gotten with a few writers and some local artists to make a graphic novel about what zombie outbreaks would look like throughout history starting in Mesopotamia all the way up through feudal japan to present day.
The week we did the first storyboarding, Max fucking Brooks released this
There is Recorded Attacks which I've been meaning to check out.
I read Brans: A Zombie Memoir last summer. It was amusing.
I'm sure it's on here someplace, but The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks
If you're looking for disgusting and horrifying, Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" has the most visceral descriptions of gore and violence I have ever read.
That being said "Hell House" by Richard Matheson. The book isn't particularly great, in my opinion, but the atmosphere created provides great tension. A real "afraid of the dark" kind of book.
Also, Edgar Allen Poe. The Pit and the Pendulum and Masque of the Red Death really haunted me for some reason.
Hell House by Richard Matheson. The very opposite of Hill House, also recommended by me below. Where Hill House is subtle and eerie, Hell House is a violent and brutal exploration of many of the same themes in Hill House. Written by the author of I am Legend, and What Dreams May Come, Hell House is one of the most infamously grotesque horror novels of all time.
The Bendis run you've begun reading is a very good book (with that creative team, it's no surprise) but I'm not 100% behind having the character center on having multiple personalities. To me, Moon Knight's always been stuck between a rock and a hard place regarding his interaction with the moon god and his mental health. As in, it's not apparent whether Spector is mentally sound or not regarding both of those things, mainly because the character himself can't tell. The Bendis run more or less just makes him mentally ill.
His 2006 run (starting with this) was pretty much the opposite in that regard, and it happens to be my favorite run. It doesn't bother with his problem with multiple personalities all that much, moreso it addresses his relationship with the moon god and whether or not he's really a hero or a petty vigilante. The latter mostly because it's set during Marvel's "Civil War."
There's a lot of older stuff (80s through mid-90s) about him, and it's all pretty good, although I'm not sure how much of it is relevant today. Once again they shift focus on the character's traits a lot, and change around his identity and superhero hallmarks/powers some more.
Other than that, the latest run by Warren Ellis is supposedly really good, and it doesn't seem to embrace too much of the past, so you can get into it without knowing all that much about the character.
Captain America Vol 5 issues 1-14 are what the movie is based on.
Captain America: Winter Soldier. It should be stocked up at most comic shops, because a new edition (and a variant for the edition) was printed for the sake of the movie.
Try The Cult (a personal favorite), Shaman (a pre-Year One origin story), Dark Moon Rising (Batman's first encounters with the paranormal; Monster Men and Mad Monk together), and the Black and White TPBs (a collection of stand-alone one shot stories by the best of the best artists and writers in the industry). The Long Halloween is required reading.
An idea of where they rank here
Thank you thank you.
As far as essential Bat stuff outside of what you've mentioned, I'd recommend the following:
"The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told" = This is a collection I bought way back in '89 - it is still one of the greatest collections of Bat stories I own. there is a ton of great stuff in here that is essential. It comes highly recommended.
"Strange Apparitions" = Another really great collection. Not sure why it is so insanely expensive, but if push comes to shove I'm sure you can find it digitally (wink wink).
I also think Matt Wagner's Batman stories are amazing: Batman and the Monster Men and Mad Monk are really great. They take place in the "year one" period so this is a stripped down Bats, focusing on brute fighting prowess and detective work.
"Ego" by Darwyn Cooke is also a very interesting tale told with a unique and compelling visual style.
These two runs are from the old series "Legends of the Dark Knight" two separate arcs written by two different people but both are fantastic. First is "Shaman" , which actually takes place concurrently with Miller's Year One and next I'd recommend the run collected as "Prey" a great Hugo Strange story. If you can find any floppies of this old series (they're probably in the fifty cent bin at your LCS) I'd recommend you buy them up - this series was really great for about the first 50 issues or so, lots of great runs by some really talented folks.
For a change of pace look into some of the Elseworlds books too. Gotham by Gaslight, Night Cries, Gotham Noir, The Batman of Arkham, I mean there are a ton of these, some stink but most are surprisingly good.
Hopefully that's a good start!
Batman Vampire
Since you've got Batman & Dracula there, may I recommend to you the whole trilogy? Also available are trades of Batman: Bloodstorm (Part 2) and Batman: Red Mist (Part 3).
The Batman vs Dracula is an awesome animated film from a great universe/show that bucked a lot of traditional Batman norms. I love it. But the Vampire trilogy is so, so much more.
There are three books with individual stories written as a 3 part arc, all under the same creative team. Rhat team, by the way, was the legendary pairing of Doug Moench as writer and Kelly Jones as artist. They created the entire Knightfall event and half, in my opinion, the best run on the book post-1990 and before Hush and NML, since I can't remember exactly when those were published.
The books are titled Red Rain, Bloodstorm, And Crimson Mist, if that give a you any idea of what you're in for. If it's still too little to lure you in, I'll give you a sample of some of the insane shit that happens in this trilogy:
Insane violence. Joker taking over a vampire coven without turning into one. Buckets of viscera. Dozens of notable characters dying. Beheadings. INSANE hyper-exaggerated art by the end of the series that 100% fits and never felt out of place (to me). If it were a film trilogy, the first two would be a hard R, and Crimson Mist would be NC-17.
You said you were 13 in another comment, right? I was 13 when I read Batman - Red Rain and it was really influential on me. I cannot recommend this trilogy highly enough.
Note: If you like the art/story, Moench and Jones' run (sans one inexplicably missing issue) is available as a TPB. Volume 1 is OOP and about $100 used, volume 2 is available now.
EDIT: Here's some links for those interested.
Batman - Vampire (TBP)
Batman by Moench and Jones, vol. 1
Batman by Moench and Jones, vol. 2
These are really widely known, but for completion of the Moench/Jones run I'm gonna post them anyway.
Batman - Knightfall omnibus vol. 1
Batman - Knightfall omnibus vol. 2
Batman - Knightfall omnibus vol. 3
For completion's sake. Support local comic shops whenever possible.
Are you looking for the actual issues or a trade? Because the Batman: Vampire trade collects those three stories. While it's technically out of print, there are still new copies available for about $20 (cover price) and some used ones available for less.
Check local book stores as well. I bought my trade copy from a local used book store for $8, in excellent shape. And the book store my friend owns had a copy in great shape for $10 until this weekend when they sold it.
On Amazon they cost about £10, I can't remember how much they cost in Waterstones, I think it's about £13.99. For Flash you should pick up volumes 1-4, make sure you get the new volumes as there were two volumes before New 52 called Dastardly Death of the Rogues and Road to Flashpoint, and you will probably be lost if you read them. Flash changes writer after Volume 4 and it gets awful. Batman is pretty good from Volumes 1-10, however you could skip 4-6 if you're on a budget, 4-5 are a retelling of Batmans origin and 6 is just filler issues that hadnt been collected in trades.
If you go on Amazon and look at other sellers for the item you will be able to get it New slightly cheaper, Amazon sells Flash for £12.99 but other sellers sell them for about £5+P&P
The Flash Volume 1: Move Forward TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401235549/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_v6zqxbMES0BZ6
Flash Volume 2: Rogue's Revolution TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401242731/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_C7zqxbQHD6MBP
The Flash Volume 3: Gorilla Warfare TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401247121/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_37zqxb4NHS2WD
The Flash Volume 4: Reverse TP (The New 52) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401249493/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_n8zqxbP6DZFPG
Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls TP (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401235425/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_k-zqxbJTPZ80Y
Batman Volume 2: The City of Owls TP (The New 52) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401237789/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_R-zqxbBWZTXE3
Batman Volume 3: Death of the Family TP (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401246028/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_f.zqxbEBF0Z98
Batman TP Vol 7 Endgame https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401261167/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_O.zqxbM7Z5RSZ
Batman Volume 8 has only just come out so it will be more expensive and Volumes 9-10 will be out later this year
The QI Book of General Ignorance
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Long Halloween
Watchmen
QI Book of the Dead
Remember, Remember: The History of Britain in Bite Size Chunks
Preacher: Gone to Texas
Preacher: Until the End of the World
Fables: Legends in Exile
Also a couple of Iron Mans and the Abominations.
Fair warning my tastes run to the non cape and stuff outside the "Big 2"
Fell, Transmetropolitan, The Authority all by Warren Ellis
Empire - Mark Waid
Preacher, The Boys - Garth Ennis
Absolution - Christos Gage
Incognito - Ed Brubaker
Powers - Brian Michael Bendis, to a lesser degree
off the top of my head
Preacher.
You can get all nine trade paperbacks at Amazon, for less than fifteen dollars each.
If you are willing to consider trades then maybe the better way to ease into them is to read series that you couldn’t feasibly get single issues anymore even if money wasn’t an issue. Series like Marvel’s Alias (not related to the J. J. Abrams show of the same name), Punisher Max (Think Secret Service but better and it has nothing to do with superheroes), Y the last man (one of the best books ever written), Preacher (I have a feeling it will either be too dated or too dark and messed up for your liking but it is one of the most imporant indie series ever writen), Transmetropolitan (same as Preacher but in a Sci Fi setting), Scalped, and 100 Bullets. You really only can get these series as trades at this point. You wouldn’t be any less of a comic collector reading them as trade because no one but those who were there at their start could have read them in single issues.
As far as series that are coming out now that you should be reading, take the advice of everyone else has given you. Get in on Saga, Manhattan Projects and the others now because we don’t normally have this many amazing indie series all coming out at once and I can’t imagine new ones will continue to pop up like they have. Get in on everything now because there is no telling if anything in the future will be as good as what we currently have.
This Batman trade paperback.
As the wise /u/Anitaxjffdskjarizard once said, "All roads lead to Batman", and here's how.
Squeaky hammer > Harley > Joker > Batman
Doubt there's too much difference in weight, but for each clean, relatively effort free slice I get with a katana, you'll be taking 2 or 3 full force slogs to beat in their skulls.
Fingers crossed we never haver to fight for more than a few minutes at a time. But when the whole worlds covered in zombies you never know. Have a read of World War Z or the Walking Dead for reference if you haven't already. They might just save your life.
Crossed. So fucked up I don't even like to think about it that much.
Hey there. Huge horror reader. My recommendations are just a two from the Crossed series. Come find me if you're looking for more
Crossed by Garth Ennis - I'd read the entire series, with breaks as it can get a little old and there are some rough patches. Nonetheless, I'd start with Ennis' first trade and Lapham's Crossed: Family Values (both are fully self-contained.)
Neonomicon by Alan Moore.
Start with Omnibus Vol 1. It begins with Outbreak and Nightmare Asylum which are essential reading. The comics in the other volumes are of very mixed quality, from brilliant to utter shit.
I would also recommend reading the novelizations of the movies. I'm about to finish the first one and it was very well written.
I haven't read it yet but I've heard this is great if you want to get into the comics
Comics: Aliens Omnibus Volume 1
Books: Aliens: Earth Hive
The book is the 'same' story as the first part of the Omnibus. Start with whichever medium you prefer. Shop around for better prices. Both are also available as EBooks.
I would recommend this:
http://www.amazon.com/Aliens-vs-Predator-Omnibus-Vol/dp/1593077351/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346734841&sr=1-2&keywords=alien+vs+predator
It's just a big collection of Alien VS Predator comics. Some of them long, others just a few pages. It is a pretty vast collection. Definitely a good place to start. If you read this and like it, there are plenty of other Omnibuses out there.
The Ressurectionist might fit that bill.
The Ressurrectionist - It is a fake biography of a medical researcher trying to prove that mythological creatures are actually within the ability of human DNA. The way it is presented is what makes it great. Seems like a really well researched biography with journals and articles. Also, it contains a really well done medical journal of the character's research.
just pick up volume 1 and go from there. I prefer to read digital on my tablet or laptop because it's a lot cheaper and instant gratification (Here on comixology for $4.99 http://www.comixology.com/Locke-Key-Welcome-To-Lovecraft-Vol-1/comics-series/3344) but if you prefer a physical copy amazon has a decent price on it ($16.49 http://www.amazon.com/Locke-Key-Vol-Welcome-Lovecraft/dp/1600102379)
Okay, so there's two comics that are in progress that I'm absolutely in love with and recommend to everyone I can. The first is The Unwritten which is written by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. The reason I mention their names is because after you read Sandman, you want to read their follow-up series that they wrote about Lucifer, which is by far, one of the best comics out there. But I digress. They're some of the best writers out there and they've come up with this AMAZING story that's not exactly what you expect it to be. Something akin to Harry Potter in this world takes off, selling millions of books in the series until the author disappears. His son, Tommy Taylor, shares his name with the main character in these books and continues on with his dad's publicity stunts, even if he rather dislikes the stories and the fact people associate him with the wizard. Until one day, a woman insists that he's the boy wizard grown up...which is somewhat driven home when the main character's pet flying cat shows up...and he starts meeting other literary creatures, like Frankenstein's Creature. He slowly gets tied up in this world his father created that might not be as fake as he thought, while trying to get to the bottom of not only his own existence, but perhaps the world's as well.
I picked up this book mainly because of the writers for it, but I have yet to be disappointed in a volume. It always entertains and keeps you on the edge of your seat with what might just happen. And the parallels between this Harry Potter-esque character and his real-life counterpart are close but distant, so you never truly know what's going to happen next. It's engaging and the characters are wonderfully fleshed out (such as the Hermione equivalent, the Ron equivalent that gets bitten by a vampire, the Voldemort like character, the man who's hunting them all down to murder them, etc.) and the story makes you doubt everything (in a good way) as to what's just part of the story his father wrote, and what's really 'real life' in this comic book. The art is engaging and ridiculously on point with various real locations throughout the world, but does well to keep the fantasy between the book excerpts and 'real life.'
My favorite parts in the comic are the ones that Tommy interacts and discussions life with Frankenstein's Creature, how it explores not only what is a monster, but what exactly is reality if you're created into reality. Are you still a figment? Are you a real creature? Can you still be controlled? It's definitely different and keeps you hooked. I LOVE these sort of stories, that make you doubt the reality of the character's canon, and with all the literary ties it has (in our world as well) but it makes you wonder about the barrier between our world and fiction. UGH, there's only so many words I can use for this comic, but it's really freaking amazing.
My favorite character in comics has become Lucifer from Sandman. He's developed into this interesting character rather than the normal BLOOD AND BRIMSTONE AND PUNISHMENT AND EVIL that most people seem fond of throwing him into. He's literally pushed and molded into the role he plays in the world, and he begins to doubt what truly is free will or God's will. He's still selfish at times and he doesn't help people unless it benefits him, don't get me wrong. But he's truly a sympathetic character that makes you wonder about what choices are truly ours and what's in "God's plan" in the long run. Plus, he also just flips a table, says fuck it, leaves hell and opens a bar in LA. How awesome is that? :D
[And if I may make a second suggestion, read Locke and Key if you like any sort of horror that's lovecraftian but not. It's only five volumes right now, with the sixth being released in February, but that gives you plenty of time to catch up!]
I checked it out the library at first, just to try it out and ended up really liking it. There are 3 omnibus volumes that you can pick up on amazon or most comic/book stores.
around $20 on amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Hack-Slash-Omnibus-Vol-1/dp/1607062739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330837804&sr=8-1
Hack/slash is my go-to series
There is a slipcase box set which contains all six paperbacks which can be found on Instocktrades or on Barnes and Noble. It will also be released by Amazon as well on November 25th, if you wanna buy it there. As for an omnibus, I have heard no plans so far.
They have six new for $25 on the US amazon, the first one seems to have international shipping as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Rising-1-Shadow-Death/dp/1892597519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347880338&sr=8-1
Rachel Rising is pretty good. I wouldn't try to track down all the individual back issues, because I think they'd be hard to find or really expensive. It's a smaller indie title. You can get the first 6 issues in a trade, though, and #10 just came out so there should be a second trade volume soon.
If you're into alien weirdness Saucer Country is pretty good, too.
Not to take away from your shop, but this is a pretty good deal:
https://www.amazon.com/Locke-Key-Slipcase-Set-Hill/dp/1631401394/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3GFF57PDOHO34&keywords=locke+and+key&qid=1550073462&s=books&sprefix=locke+and+%2Cstripbooks%2C199&sr=1-3
They are available in hardcover (with a slipcase), but may be moving OOP. There's just been a release of the same books in softcover. Either hunting for the hardcovers or getting it all in one go with the softcovers is worth it. I do not know about the large deluxe versions coming down the pipeline, they seem like they'll be significantly expensive but with a lot of bonus material.
Except the Wall isn't meant to keep wildling out, it's meant to keep the White Walkers out. So it compares even more poorly. It'd be like if Hadrian's Wall was meant for the purpose described for it in the graphic novel The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, which was to protect against a wave of zombies, not it's likely real world purposes of customs control and protection from barbarian raiders and invaders.
they are names of arcs/stories if you google them they are sold by themselves and or in collected versions
The Bottom is the beginning of v3 from 2006
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Knight-Vol-The-Bottom/dp/0785119078
Countdown to Dark are his early appearances
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Knight-Countdown-Doug-Moench/dp/0785148698/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343947426&sr=1-1&keywords=countdown+to+dark
Is that Winter Soldier OHC this one?
The whole Winter Soldier arc on Captain America (starting vol. 5). There's collected editions out on Amazon. They just released [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Soldier-Ed-Brubaker/dp/0785187944/ref=pd_cp_b_0)
Also, no the movies aren't canon in terms of the comic book universe.
Since the shield variant is still on amazon was hoping someone here had the other one.
My trade list only has various marvel premiere classic x-men hardcovers.
Is it this?
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Tower-Gunslinger-Omnibus-Slipcase/dp/0785188703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518900597&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+tower+marvel+omnibus
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Gunslinger-Omnibus-Slipcase/dp/0785188703/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-2&keywords=dark+tower+omnibus
Which one is the first?
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Omnibus-Stephen-King/dp/0785155414
or
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Gunslinger-Slipcase-Hardcover/dp/0785188703
Or does the order really matter?
part 1 and part 2 but drawing of the three hasn't been collected yet.
This sounds like a big commitment, but if you've read the books you won't want to mess around. Just go with this. You won't be disappointed.
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Gunslinger-Slipcase-Hardcover/dp/0785188703/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MDEWNM2FMT7EB2CBKMEA
Amazon links. it's generally 2 separate books
http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Monster-Men-Matt-Wagner/dp/1401210910/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401212816/
Batman and the Monster Men and its sequel, Batmand and the Mad Monk. These are both really, really good and don't have a lot of the more 'tragic' elements of Batman. Plus there's a solid love interest in there as well that actually serves the plot
Just saw this post, here's one that seems very, very silly but is actually well done: Batman: Vampire
Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. Batman faces off against Dracula, and minor spoiler, ends up becoming a vampire. But if you have a chance to pick it up, I highly recommend you do so, because it really does work with the whole Batman mythos. Think about it, the whole "noble vampire, must fight against giving into the bloodlust" theme that has been done very well in other strives fits perfectly with the ever-present "Batman doesn't kill because he doesn't want to cross the line" theme we see in a lot of Batman stories
Give it a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised. Although a side note, it was originally published as three different books, and you'll miss some of the emotional content if you just dive straight from start to finish without pausing between books
Here are a few suggestions off of the top of my head:
-Invincible
-Huck
-Head Lopper
-Bedlam
-Colder
-DC's Infinite Crisis
-Batman: Endgame
-Valiant: Man 'o' War - Volume 1
-Valiant: Bloodshot - Volume 1
-He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Hope that helps!
I realised it would probably be helpful to put Amazon links or something, so you can visualise the versions I am talking about.
> So I wouldn't have to read Night of the Owls to understand the other two owl ones?
That's correct. Court of Owls collects #1-7 of New 52 Batman. Cite of Owls collects New 52 Batman #8-12 and Batman annual #1. That's the main story. Night of the Owls collects Batman #8-11, Nightwing #8-9, All Star Western #9, Catwoman #9, Batgirl #9, Batman- Dark Knight #9, Batman and Robin #9, Birds of Prey #9, Red Hood and the Outlaws #9. So as you can see, it collects a lot of the main Batman story, but not all. But it also collects a lot of other chapters that aren't really needed to get the complete story, just additional extras of varying quality.
> But if it has some relevance when should I read it?
Basically, as Night of Owls goes, they invented new Talons for each of the other Batfamily members to fight. These Talons had not shown up previously, nor do they show up again, so Night of Owls is of little to no consequence to the main Batman story. I guess given that it was written at the start of a new reboot, it gave readers a good chance to test what each of the other characters feel like, in case readers wanted to branch out, but if you were interested in other characters, there are much better stories of theirs to read, and the tie ins are usually not all that great anyway. So, it has little relevance, and don't feel like you need to read it at all, unless you absolutely wanted to. But I wouldn't really recommend it, having done the same as a new reader myself.
As for the Joker stories, be very careful of the wording. The post-crisis story is A Death In the Family, (collecting the pre-New 25 Batman #426-429, a completely different numbering system, given that it's a completely differnt continuity). New 52 is Death of the Family (no "A", and collecting New 52 Batman #13-17. As you can see, it follows on from the numbering from the above Owls arc). To read the full story, you only need the Batman one. The Joker: Death of the Family edition collects Detective Comics 16-17, Catwoman 13-14, Batgirl 14-16, Red Hood and the Outlaws 15-16, Teen Titans 15, Nightwing 15-16, Batman and Robin 15-17, Batman 13, 17; & material from Detective Comics 15, Suicide Squad 14-15, Batgirl 13, Red Hood and the Outlaws 13-14, Teen Titans 14, 16; Nightwing 14, & Batman 14. So it collects some of the necessary material in Batman # 13, some of #14 and batman #17, but not the whole arc, hence why some of the scenes may have looked familiar. And again, it comes packaged with a whole lot more that once again you don't need. Where Night of the Owls invented a new Talon for each of the Batfamily members, J:DotF had Joker instead build a separate death trap for each of the Batfamily members. It's not really needed again, just another sample of other Gotham related characters and writers. So I don't know if I would describe the extra material as "missing" content, because it's not essential to understanding the Batman arc, just "extra" material, if you were interested.
In answer to your other comment (I'll just keep it here):
> Also why wouldn't you recommend a death in the family? just curious!
It's just not a good story in general. Everyone acts like it's so important to the Batmythos, but the title and cover give away anything you really need to know. For specifics, Joker goes overseas and gains diplomatic immunity, in it is really not all that socially or politically aware/correct in its portrayal of this. Joker also feels kind of dissonant to his modern portrayals too, rather than being the smart, manipulative and terrifying villain from say New 52, instead his just some grinning idiot wearing silly costumes, a lot of his plan make no sense, and his jokes don't really land. And the plot has a lot of "go over here, now go over there" and feels like it's just being pushed along to its ending, rather than having a reason to explore the territory that it does. Basically, if you were going to spend your money, there are much better comics to spend your money on.
> Also what books after the Death of the family have the Joker in it? Do most of them to an extent?
So, the next two arcs in New 52 Batman are set in the past/Batman's origin, being Zero Year. The first arc, Secret City, has Batman encounter Red Hood, who there is ambiguity about, but is basically Joker before he became the Joker. Dark City is a Riddler villain arc. Volume 6, Graveyard shift, I believe collects odd chapters, so it's not an arc per se, but contains a few side issues of Batman. The next proper appearance of Joker after Death of the Family would be Endgame. I haven't read past Zero Year myself, though I don't believe he shows up in Superheavy, Bloom or Epilogue in any major sense (he may briefly appear though, I'm not sure). After Epilogue, DC Rebooted again into the Rebirth continuity. There Joker is seen in The War of Jokes and Riddles (set after Zero Year and Before Court of Owls), and a few more times throughout King's run, (which I didn't follow too far), like appearing in the arc before the wedding, and again in City of Bane, etc.
> Also I wanted to get Endgame, but there's also a Joker and a Batman one, do I get both? Are they the same story but different sides?
So, Batman: Endgame contains Batman #35-40. Joker Endgame contains THE JOKER: ENDGAME collects the ancillary tales of Gotham City as it plays his endgame with it from the pages of BATMAN #35-40, ARKHAM MANOR: ENDGAME #1, BATGIRL: ENDGAME #1, BATMAN ANNUAL #3, DETECTIVE COMICS: ENDGAME #1, and GOTHAM ACADEMY: ENDGAME #1. This is one of the rare times where the alternate edition actually does collect the whole story, rather than just bits and pieces, so you could buy either version and get the complete story. The Joker edition once again involves other Gotham related characters and their association to the Endgame event. Some people say the extra chapters in the Joker version are distracting, but at least it has everything there, and you can read it however you want.
> Sorry I'm really confused about the Joker vs Batman versions
No doubt, haha. Dc was pretty confusing in their marketing of these products. I feel they definitely could have been more clearer about what each title/trade was in respect to the story proper versus tie ins. But on the other hand, they know if they slap an extra "Batman"/"Joker" on the title, people are going to be more likely to buy it than if it were just "Death of the Family, the tie ins".
> Sorry I'm just really confused, like I don't know what comics include what and what they overlap.
That's all right, you can always ask and people will be happy to help! It may also help to look into what issue numbers are contained in whatever trade/collection it is you own/buy/read. Most often writers will keep stories contained to the one title, so it's just a matter of following the issue number (there are exceptions though).
I hope this answer helps!
No it's a batman story but it's a sequel to death of the family, he's ruthless in it - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1401261167/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1459293622&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=endgame+batman&dpPl=1&dpID=51RILtJfrYL&ref=plSrch
Try out these:
Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comics Series https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506700780/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_syUWAb1PJ55PP
Aliens: The Original Comics Series-Nightmare Asylum and Earth War https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506703569/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_AyUWAb4R2JY9X
Aliens: Bug Hunt https://www.amazon.com/dp/1785654446/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yBUWAbA1HYKCX
---
As for Aliens: Colonial Marines, you could likely find a full playthrough of the game and cut scenes on YouTube.
I feel like you would like comics more than regular books. I personally like The Walking Dead comic series 1000x more than the show which is absolute trash now. While I do agree the book is not always better than the movie, I’ve seen a few cases where it is. Try reading Preacher, it’s one of my favorites.
I hope you enjoy it! Here are some of my favorites that I prefer over the Frank Miller stuff:
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (These are my favorites, lots of stuff taken from these in The Dark Knight film):
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Haunted Knight
Others:
The Killing Joke (You simply must read this one)
Batman and Son
Identity Crisis (Haven't read this one yet, but the plot sounds awesome!)
Non-Batman stuff:
Maximum Carnage (My first graphic novel that someone gave to me. It's spectacular!)
Watchmen
There's a pretty good Batman trilogy: Haunted Knight, The Long Halloween, and Dark Victory. It has more of the Gotham crime families in two of them, which is interesting. Also, I liked Frank Miller's Batman: Year One a lot.
If you also like graphic novels that aren't really "comics", I recommend Asterios Polyp (a man examines his life and a failing relationship through architecture and design), Maus I and II (a story about a Jewish family in the holocaust depicted as mice) and Persepolis (a memoir of a woman who grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution).
And by all means, for sure, read the Sandman books.
Also, there are two sequels to The Long Halloween.
there is another comic that goes with the long halloween and and dark victory, its called haunted knight http://amzn.com/1563892731
Easy, just get him a Zombie survival guide from Dymocks/Kinokuniya. What you have to watch out for is that you don't get him a shit one, of which there are many. IMO, The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks is the best one out there. If he hasn't read it, World War Z also by Max Brooks is excellent reading. It's not so much a guide as a collection of individual recounts, reports and stuff from different people over the course of a zombie breakout. It reads realistically which is more than I can say for the majority of Zombie related "survival guides" and books that are just stupid. They're making a movie out of it with Brad Pitt starring - just to show it's popularity.
If he hasn't seen The Walking Dead, getting him the seasons on DVD might be a good idea. Awesome TV show - again, realistic. If he's seen them, don't bother. I mean, he can just download them anyway so I guess this would be a crap gift unless he really likes the show. There are graphic novels that the show is based on which might be good.
If he's a gamer, might be good to get him ARMA II: Combined Operations. The reason I say that there's a great zombie survival mod for it called Day Z which is basically an online multiplayer open-world zombie survival like game. Trust me, he'll like it. Steam summer sale is on right now so ARMA II is 20% - if you can wait, don't buy it yet as it may go on sale for more (possibly up to 75%) if it goes up as a daily deal/flash sale/community choice. There's also a The Walking Dead game which I've heard is good. It's already been a daily deal so 25% is as good as it will get now.
Last of all, making him a kit might be cool. I put together this for a redditor last year. You can probably make a better one than me - I'll admit I cheaped out a little. Get a box or a backpack (you can cheap out on the backpack) and fill it up with things like a flashlight, a med kit (bandaids, bandages, surgical scissors, sports tape etc. things you can buy from a pharmacy), water purification tablets (this especially adds to it IMO), food (canned, power bars or, if you want to go the extra mile, MREs), thick army socks, a compass, etc. Basically just shit you'd take with you if you were going camping. Make it as compact/lightweight as possible.
Well, fuck, that turned out to be a lot longer than I intended. Anyway, good luck.
EDIT: Oh yeah, one more thing. What I did for that same redditor last year was that I wrote a survival plan for him. Basically, if you get him that Max Brooks Survival Guide, one of the things they suggest is hiding out in a prison (fortification, food, water, exercise yard, accommodation, weapons, remote etc.) - what I did was that I researched prisons in the walkable/bikable vicinity of his house and I mapped out routes to them from his house on a map I printed of his house from google maps.
That's what I heard (he wasn't credited though, so I'm not 100% if it's true or not but I believe it)! Grab this Punisher MAX one-shot before investing in the complete collections, it's really cheap and if you like that you'll definitely like the rest of the series, it's easily the closest thing to Manhunt that Punisher MAX has to offer and by closest I mean it's pretty much a Manhunt comic, complete with a snuff film plot, graphic executions (some with pencils), and a big dude with a gimp mask who kills people. Also try to grab the the first volume of Crossed while you're at it.
The AvsP comic that the first one is loosely based on tells the same story (queen accidentally gets loose on Predator hunting reserve, broken-tusked warrior Predator realizes everything's going pear-shaped and allies with humans to eradicate the Queen threat) except that
a) It's set firmly in the Aliens universe, on a farming colony on a planet called Ryushi and
b) It's actually good.
https://www.amazon.ca/Aliens-vs-Predator-Omnibus-1/dp/1593077351
Just going to mention that the Aliens VS Predator novel was amazing, and so were the graphic novel follow ups, pretty cool. Forget that horrible movie you saw. The original was the shit.
Thank you!
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"The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black" — https://www.amazon.com/Resurrectionist-Lost-Work-Spencer-Black/dp/1594746168
The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black I gave this as a Secret Santa gift a few years ago and still deeply regret not keeping it for myself.
Just bought it myself, but check out Locke & Key, supposed to be Lovecraftian
There are also nice hardcovers for each individual arc, but the Masters Edition is a better buy price wise.
Are those omnibuses this and this? If so, I will take them.
Hack/Slash kinda does but its more of a spoof of the Final Girl trope.
I really liked Hack/Slash. It's kinda like a final girl teaming up with Jason Vorhees to hunt down other serial killers.
It's true. Source.
the walking dead?
http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dead-Days-Gone-Bye/dp/1582403589
Though they're not exactly 'zombies' and its a comic series, not a book, Crossed is fantastic. Volume 1 is my personal favorite and I highly recommend it.
If that floats your boat, give Ferals a shot too!