The Official Quintessential Comic Book Recommended Reading

Link · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:50 pm

I'm saving this post as well as the post subsequently after it and the one after that to break some shit down for the folks who end up posting somewhere "I like Batman, what should I read?" and other assorted stuff. PLEASE feel free to contribute your lists of "required reading" categorizing it however you see fit and I will edit them into my posts (also, please include links to where you can purchase the book on Amazon or elsewhere if possible.) I'll get things started in this topic :

Batman

If you like the recent Nolan movies, read these in the following order:

- Batman: Year One
- Batman: Snow
- Batman: Long Halloween
- Two-Face: Year One
- Batman: Dark Victory
- Catwoman: When in Rome

- The Killing Joke (actually this can be read at any time really.)

If you just like Batman and/or the Batman characters:

- Batman: No Man's Land
- Gotham Central
- Gotham City Sirens
- Secret Six
- Catwoman: Selina's Big Score
- Catwoman by Ed Brubaker

Note: The links are coming shortly.

Link · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:51 pm

Marvel comics go here.

Link · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:51 pm

Other comics go here.

Darkseid · **Joined:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 5:43 pm **Posts:** 2555

For Runaways, you want everything up to the Whedon arc, volume 8. The series drops in quality after that.

Goligoth · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:23 pm

What if I'm a fan of Jason Todd?

Mongo · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:26 pm

Goligoth wrote:

What if I'm a fan of Jason Todd?

Then I would have hoped you would have read Red Hood - The Lost Days 6 issue miniseries that just came out that takes place during the time period right after the Joker and when he comes back.

Goligoth · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:33 pm

Mongo wrote:

Goligoth wrote:

What if I'm a fan of Jason Todd?

Then I would have hoped you would have read Red Hood - The Lost Days 6 issue miniseries that just came out that takes place during the time period right after the Joker and when he comes back.

That just became #1 on my list, thanks

Link · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:06 pm

Goligoth wrote:

Mongo wrote:

Goligoth wrote:

What if I'm a fan of Jason Todd?

Then I would have hoped you would have read Red Hood - The Lost Days 6 issue miniseries that just came out that takes place during the time period right after the Joker and when he comes back.

That just became #1 on my list, thanks

Speaking of, what was that "Joker Origin Story" where he was the down and out comedian who dressed as the red hood and fell into the vat of chemicals?

Kaiserhawk · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:08 pm

Link wrote:

Speaking of, what was that "Joker Origin Story" where he was the down and out comedian who dressed as the red hood and fell into the vat of chemicals?

Wasn't that The Killing Joke?

Ehsan · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:22 pm

I really enjoyed The Dark Knight Returns. Not the best story, but it had a very epic and good feel towards it, albeit Miller doing a much better job in Year One.

Amazon has some awesome deals for getting three books for a good deal, being
The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, and Year One. All together in a bundle for $30.

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Killing-Jo ... 466&sr=8-3

I would like to recommend Kraven's Last Hunt into the list for Marvel. I don't know what other people's opinions are, but I found it to be one of my favorite Spider-Man arcs.

If you want to dig into the history, Marvel re-released the first issues of heir popular franchises like The Amazing Spider-man, The Fantastic 4, and X-Men in a collection. Each collection has about 15 issues. Again, you can et a 3 pack bundle for $30 on Amazon.

Link · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:11 pm

Kaiserhawk wrote:

Link wrote:

Speaking of, what was that "Joker Origin Story" where he was the down and out comedian who dressed as the red hood and fell into the vat of chemicals?

Wasn't that The Killing Joke?

Spoiler

Kaiserhawk · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:13 pm

Link wrote:

Kaiserhawk wrote:

Link wrote:

Speaking of, what was that "Joker Origin Story" where he was the down and out comedian who dressed as the red hood and fell into the vat of chemicals?

Wasn't that The Killing Joke?

Spoiler

I looked it up, I was right

Link · **Posted:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:15 pm

Yeah, I just checked. You were right. There was another one with the Red Hood stuff in it too though, that played off the fact that Batman remembered that it was the Joker. It may have been "The Man Who Laughs Last", or something like that.

Shady-Lurker · **Posted:** Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:13 am

Link wrote:

Yeah, I just checked. You were right. There was another one with the Red Hood stuff in it too though, that played off the fact that Batman remembered that it was the Joker. It may have been "The Man Who Laughs Last", or something like that.

I don't know if it's a different book, but, "The Man Who Laughs" was a re-telling/remake of the first Joker story from BatMan #1

Sheep Cannon · **Posted:** Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:14 am

Green Lantern
Green Lantern Rebirth - Hal Jordan comes back to life and exercises himself from The Spectre and Parallax
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Reb ... 784&sr=1-4

No Fear - the first arc back as GL, reintroduces both Hector Hammond and the manhunters which become a bigger part down the road
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Boo ... 827&sr=1-2

Sinestro Corps War - the first big crossover with GL Corps and introduces the Sinestro Corps
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Sin ... 827&sr=1-5

Secret Origin - A flashback origin story of Hal Jordan getting his ring and working with Sinestro to track down Abin Sur's killer. Also a prelude to Blackest night and Rage of the Red Lanterns.
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Sec ... 827&sr=1-9

Rage of the Red Lanterns - Explains Atrocitus and introduces the Red Lantern Corp
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Rag ... 827&sr=1-7

Agent Orange - Introduces the Orange Lantern Larfleeze
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Ora ... pd_sim_b_1

Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps Recharge - The reforming of the GL corp and the return of Guy Gardner and John Stewart to the GL Corps.
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Cor ... 963&sr=1-2

Emerald Eclipse - The GL Corps book that leads into Blackest Night.
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Cor ... 993&sr=1-4

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At this point I need to make and aside. First is to bring up 1981's Tales of the Green Lantern Corps. I'm pretty sure the six part mini has recently been re-released which is the first appearence of Nekron and acts as suplimental reading for Blackest Night. The other thing worth mentioning is 1986's Tales of the Green Lantern Corps annual which is the first ever mention of The Blackest Night written by Alan Moore and served as the blueprint for not only the 2009 event, but also a large chunk of Peter Tomasi's work on Green Lantern Corps.

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Blackest Night*
Blackest Night
http://www.amazon.com/Blackest-Night-Ge ... 029&sr=1-1

Green Lantern: Blackest Night
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Bla ... 092&sr=1-3

Green Lanern Corps: Blackest Night
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-Cor ... pd_sim_b_1

*The problem with reading Blackest night in trade is that, as far as I know it has yet to be collected in chronological order. Instead they just collected the event in order in their own respective series. The other thing about Blackest Night folks should know about is the heart of the story lies in these three trades. Yes there are more but those delve more into supplemental reading and unless you're a diehard DC fan you'll probably get bored or confused by some of it. If you're looking for the reading order I'll put it in a spoiler right here in it's entirety.

Spoiler

Btw Link I'd probably make a general DC and general Marvel section for company wide crossovers. As far as DC goes here are the one's I'd recommend:

Crisis on Infinite Earths - Pretty much the starting point of all things DC in the past 25 years
http://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Infinite-E ... 180&sr=1-1

Identity Crisis
http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Crisis-C ... pd_sim_b_2

Infinite Crisis & The Infinite Crisis Companion - The 2005 follow up to Crisis on Infinite Earths that reshaped th DCU and affected all titles.
http://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Crisis-G ... pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Crisis-C ... 289&sr=1-1

52 - The year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Also IMO the only good weekly series DC has done to date.
http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-1-Geoff-Jo ... 359&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-2-Geoff-Jo ... 359&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-3-Geoff-Jo ... 359&sr=1-4
http://www.amazon.com/52-Vol-4-Geoff-Jo ... 359&sr=1-3

Sheep Cannon · **Posted:** Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:53 am

The Flash (Barry Allen)
The Flash Rebirth - Barry Allen has finally come back since his death back in Crisis on Infinite Earths and is out to find out why
http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Rebirth-Geo ... 486&sr=1-5

Seeing as how Barry Allen has just come back that's about the only relevant story of his in trade out now; but prior to his return both Bart Allen and Wally West took up the mantle, and personally I feel the Wally West stories flesh out the villains and supporting cast far better.

The Flash(Wally West)
Wonderland
http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Wonderland- ... 519&sr=1-2

The Secret of Barry Allen - Don't let the title fool you, it's a Wally West story
http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-Secret- ... 519&sr=1-8

Ignition
http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-5-Ignit ... 19&sr=1-10

Blitz

Rogues - a collection of issues each centering around one of the Flash's rogues
http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-2-Rogue ... 719&sr=1-7

Rogue War
http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-Rogue-W ... 519&sr=1-6

And while not out yet: Geoff Johns Flash Omnibus
http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Omnibus-Geo ... 19&sr=1-13

Havokk · **Posted:** Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:32 pm

You all forgot to add the AUNT MAY PORNO COMIC

Arremer · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 4:48 pm

There's an indie comic that came out two years ago called Bad Kids go to Hell.

It combines snotty rich kids in detention of the Breakfast Club, and the Murdering Maniac of the 80s movie horrors

The Official Quintessential Comic Book Recommended Reading

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