# What comics should I look for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454 "2016-05-10T01:41:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/1 "2016-05-10T01:41:35Z")
I tend to do my comic book reading in spurts: read them for a year or two, then drop them for a decade or so. I’m toying with the idea of getting back again and am looking for ideas. My preference: [ol] [li]No superheroes. The form seems pretty moribund to me.[/li][li]Few fight scenes. They bore me. I can take a page or three, but epic battles are just plain dull.[/li][li]No sadism for sadism’s sake. A liitle bit of grit is fine, but I don’t find people having their faces eaten by rats entertaining.[/li][li]Good characters and strong plots.[/li][/ol] I tend to prefer graphic novels (even collected ones), so I don’t have to go to the store all the time. To give you an idea of my tastes, the last book I read seriously was _Fables_ (in collected form). The last book I read issue by issue was _Preacher_ (I quit after awhile, tired of the of the need to be more and more gross). My favorite of all time is _Sandman_, with _Swamp Thing_ (Len Wein version), _Watchmen, V for Vendetta_ (well most Alan Moore), and _Maus_ (though that is sort of outside the genre). The guy at the comic book store suggested _Autumnlands_, which was pretty good (first volume). Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/2 "2016-05-10T01:50:32Z")
[_Archie Comics_.](http://archiecomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Archie1.jpg) Seriously, they’re in the middle of a major renaissance right now. They’ve ditched the old house-style art and gotten some of the biggest names in artists and writers on board. If the relationship comic angle doesn’t grab you, they’ve got [ones with zombies in, now.](http://comicbookcitypodcast.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/AfterlifeWithArchieMagazine_04-0.jpg) And the occasional [Great Old One.](http://cdn2.denofgeek.us/sites/denofgeekus/files/styles/insert_main_wide_image/public/awalist2_1.jpg?itok=pBX0AfzN) [_Locke and Key_](http://www.followingthenerd.com/site/wp-content/uploads/locke-and-key1.jpg) is a great, high-concept horror comic. Following the brutal mudrer of his father, teenager Tyler Locke has just moved back to his dad’s old home, the rambling, pre-Revolutionary mansion known as Lockehouse, along with his mother and two siblings. They start to find keys hidden around the house - and then they start finding the doors they open… Excellent, Lovecraft-tinged horror with an eye for the surreal. [_Saga_](http://techgeekgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/3c02d0_40bbe6b0a3b74b84887831d3b840a601.png) is arguably the best science fiction story being written right now. Imagine Romeo and Juliet, except in space, and Romeo has horns. Also, Inspector Javert is there for some reason, and [he’s a television set](https://imagecomics.com/uploads/releases/saga_005_cover.jpg). It all makes sense in context. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/3 "2016-05-10T01:59:06Z")
Also, [_Sex Criminals_](http://talkingcomicbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/SC1.jpg). Two people find out that they share a unique superpower. When they have sex with each other, time stops. They decide to use this ability to rob banks. There are unforeseen complications with this plan. Also, in direct contradiction of your instructions, [_The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl_](http://41.media.tumblr.com/ae36f6f96f3d1305b4d74d5f798cbee6/tumblr_o0ga21VDRN1ro0mlvo1_1280.jpg). Because everyone should be reading it. [_Everyone._](http://cdn.gifbay.com/2012/09/what_the_world_needs_now_is_love_sweet_love_no_not_just_for_some_but_for-1554.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/4 "2016-05-10T02:07:03Z")
I’ll second Locke & Key. A bonus: the run has ended so you can get a complete story. Another one which you may have read since it has been out for some time is Y: The Last Man. Nearly every male mammal on earth just suddenly up and dies except for Yorick and his pet monkey. It’s another one that has ended so you get a full story. I have been enjoying Lazarus. It’s about a future where families control the world and fight amongst themselves for resources and power. It does have some fight scenes but I don’t think they are over done. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/5 "2016-05-10T02:15:00Z")
Missed my edit window but realized I forgot a recent one: Paper Girls. It is set in the 80s and to describe it further is to spoil the fun. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/6 "2016-05-10T03:06:53Z")
My current favorite is Gold Digger. Okay, yeah, it has some superheroes as guests, but the principal characters are Gina Diggers, hyper-archaeologist, and her were-Cheetah sister. Sexy, snarky, satiric, decent art, good characters, extreme situations. (They toss galaxies around the way ordinary superheroes toss city buses.) Somewhat more accessible is the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Aimed at teens and tweens, there’s enough fun here for grown-ups. Ian Flynn (writer) has been knocking 'em out of the park for years now. Webcomic: Girl Genius. Still mad! Now with more trilobites! Finest art ever, and a pretty solid storyline. (Complex; a little tough to pick up in the middle.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/7 "2016-05-10T04:15:19Z")
One of my current favorites is [Rat Queens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Queens). The third book was just published. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/8 "2016-05-10T06:17:48Z")
I’ll second _Saga_, very good stuff. The only other non-superhero book I’m reading that I’d recommend is _Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye_. Not sure if that’s the sort of thing which would appeal outside of Transformers fans, but it’s got very rich story and characters, and anyone who’s a fan of Doctor Who would feel right at home with the style. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/9 "2016-05-10T06:30:21Z")
**Queen & Country** was pretty good, but really I’d just suggest getting into manga. No superheroes and a wider variety of styles and topics than all of Hollywood. Try **Nausica** or **Aqua Knight** , maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/10 "2016-05-10T12:03:16Z")
I’ll third Saga. I’ll also strongly suggest [Y: The Last Man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y:_The_Last_Man) and [Lazarus](http://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-1-Greg-Rucka/dp/1607068095/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462881754&sr=8-1&keywords=lazarus). ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/11 "2016-05-10T12:31:18Z")
I still reread _Love and Rockets_ comics by the Hernandez brothers. Jaime’s stories center around Maggie and Hopey, two Latina punk rockers who are now entering middle age. Gilberto’s characters started out as a family from a fictional town in Mexico, who each wind up getting involved in magic realism, gang wars, government plots, B movies and body modifications. Jaime’s art style is more noir, like the absolute black and white Spirit comics. Gilberto experiments with a lot of abstract art forms and expressionism. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/12 "2016-05-10T12:35:51Z")
I’d recommend everyone take a look at _Marvels_. Yes, it has superheroes and fights, but the main storyline is focused on the everyday citizens and what the whole superhero phenomenon looks like from their point of view. The entire thing is hand-painted and absolutely gorgeous. Some knowledge of major Marvel Universe plot points from WW2 up to about the mid-70s would be helpful to fully appreciate the story, but it’s not absolutely necessary. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/13 "2016-05-10T13:03:41Z")
I’ve read some of _Y: The Last Man_ and liked it and I have heard lots of good things from Squirrel Girl. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/14 "2016-05-10T13:21:29Z")
You sound like a horror fan. So, for you, I suggest the following: _Anything Brian K. Vaughan. Maybe even_ Runaways,\*\* which is in a superhero universe but not the same old thing. IDW is currently doing comics about Douglas Adams’s **Dirk Gently.** A sort of whimsical take on horror comic motifs. I’ve not read much of it, but **Platinum End** is a manga with really weird (kind of socially inept) angels trying to manipulate suicidal humans into fighting each other until one–becomes God? I’m not sure. And–and this may seem out of left field–John Allison’s **Giant Days.** Mostly more slice of life, though of course related to the Scary-Go-Round/Bad Machinery/Mordawwa webcomics with their giant grab bag of British fantasy/horror tropes. I think you’d probably like the misadventures of three very freshmanny college freshmen, with an occasional touch of the surreal via unreliable narration. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/15 "2016-05-10T14:59:46Z")
If you liked _Sandman_, you might want to give Mike Carey’s _Lucifer_ ( [announcer]now a major TV show![/announcer] ) a try. I think Carey does a good job with the character. If his writing appeals to you, you can move on to _Crossing Midnight_ ( supernatural doings in modern Japan with competing Yōkai ) or _Unwritten_ ( the secret supernatural world and power of literature ). ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/16 "2016-05-10T15:06:08Z")
I highly recommend Transmetropolitan, which is several years old (and its story is concluded). You can get the entire series’ in graphic novel compilations pretty readily available on Amazon and elsewhere, I believe. It’s about a foul-mouthed journalist in a sci-fi/cyberpunkish setting (looks like New York of the future), and it’s hilariously funny. Very adult – lots of sex and bad language, moderate amounts of violence (but occasionally graphic violence). Great characters and stories, both funny and serious. It’s by far my favorite comic book series. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/17 "2016-05-10T15:30:31Z")
[Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Corrigan,_the_Smartest_Kid_on_Earth) ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/18 "2016-05-10T16:54:57Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > … > > [_Saga_](http://techgeekgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/3c02d0_40bbe6b0a3b74b84887831d3b840a601.png) is arguably the best science fiction story being written right now. Imagine Romeo and Juliet, except in space, and Romeo has horns. Also, Inspector Javert is there for some reason, and [he’s a television set](https://imagecomics.com/uploads/releases/saga_005_cover.jpg). It all makes sense in context. Another vote for _Saga_. The story, the art, and the characters are utterly fantastic. Best thing I’ve read since _Sandman_, which is my all-time favorite. Speaking of which, are you aware that Gaiman recently released another _Sandman_ story? It’s called _Overture_, and tells the story of Morpheus’ last adventure before he was captured by Burgess at the start of the main series. I thought it was great, better than my least favorite volumes, but not as good as my all time favorites (Vols I, II, and IV). It’s approximately as long as one of the trade paperbacks, but it’s only available in hard cover. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/19 "2016-05-10T17:02:04Z")
It sounds like you like genre stuff, not necessarily slice of life or reality based stuff. The Sixth Gun ran for several years, but is now wrapping up. It’s available as TPB. Summary- The Sixth Gun takes place in super natural old west, shortly after the end of the Civil War. The story centers around a set of six mystical pistols, each imbued with dark powers. The wielder of each pistol gains an ability unique to that weapon, and is tied to the pistol until his or her death. I’d also recommend a book called “The People Inside” since it is amazing. It’s a book that can only exist within this medium and also transcends the medium. I can’t talk up this book enough. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454/20 "2016-05-10T17:21:21Z")
**Elfquest** is my favorite comic book/graphic novel series of all time. I think a lot of people are put off by the thought of a graphic novel about cutesy little elves, but it is fairly gritty (for example, the first few pages involve the elves’ ancestors being murdered by ancient humans, and then flashes forward, where one of the elves is being tortured by humans). The characters, plot and artwork are all top-notch. There are thousands of pages of Elfquest, but the Original Quest is [here](https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Elfquest-Original-Quest-Elf-ebook/dp/B00LU2QBSW?ie=UTF8&keywords=elfquest%20the%20original%20quest&qid=1462898628&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2). You can also [read it for free](http://elfquest.com/read/digitalEQ.html) at [elfquest.com](http://elfquest.com), along with most of the rest of the saga. And seconding **Runaways**. The later books are a little iffy, but I loved the first few. Many of the other recs are on my to-read list, but they are not at my local library and I haven’t gotten around to requesting them from the other libraries in the system. I really should get on that though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comics-should-i-look-for/754454.md?page=2)