Looks like I get to be the first to recommend Fables (plus spin-off Jack of Fables) and second Y: The Last Man. Both highly original in concept, burdened by no previous continuity (nor any previous lifetime, as with the Ultimates books - they read fine on their own, but much of their appeal to long-time fanboys is spotting the new versions of or references to what had existed in the regular Marvel Universe), and fully available in Trade Paperback format.
Back in the day, I was fond of a number of titles which are now long deceased:
Grimjack (antihero noir in a fantasy/SF multiverse–guns work some places; magic works other places; swords work everywhere)
Badger (insane martial-arts expert who can talk to animals and who lives with an ancient Welsh druid in a castle in Wisconsin)
Nexus (dark SF)
I’m gonna go with the Haunted Tank and the D.C. G.I. Combat masterpiece.
Jeb Stuart and retold war stories were always worth the wait . Well thought out stories… it was also artistically, and graphically important.
Great suggestions everyone, thanks. Suggestions on where to buy?
Surely the first recommendation will be my local comic book store. But I don’t like those guys, so how 'bout online? eBay? Is there a newegg equivalent for comic books?
By the way, I’m definitely just interested in reading, not collecting.
If you’re looking for trades, you can find them on Amazon at a decent price. If you’re looking for the single monthly issues, tfaw.com is OK.
Since you’re going for trades/hardcovers, anywhere that sells books should work. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, whatever.
eBay’s good for getting entire (or most-of) series at a go, but I don’t know how good they are for single volumes.
In that case, why not check your local library. Quite a few public libraries have some of the more popular graphic novels and trade paperbacks – because any patron can request the library acquire a copy of a book, even kids who just don’t want to buy the comics.
My local county libraries have pretty much all the JLA, Superman, and Batman trades, quite a few X-Men and Avengers, and an oddly ecclectic mix of other titles. Still a pretty good way to dip your toes in without taking the plunge to buy.
If you’re looking for straight super-hero fun, with little or no continuity, I would definitely NOT go for the Ultimate line. No, my suggestion, if we’re talking Marvel, is the Marvel Adventures line. Especially the Avengers or Fantastic Four books. Digest size books, extremely inexpensive for four issues, and just a heck of a lot of fun. There’s Spider-Man, Avengers, and FF right now, and Iron Man starts this month.
If you like DC, I’d head over to The Batman title (the Johnny DC line based on the cartoon) or the surprisingly good Legion of Super-Heroes title based on the cartoon. NOT the regular-universe title (although it’s good, IMHO; I just wouldn’t start anyone off on it).
Sandman, Watchmen, Fables, Supreme…yeah, it’s all good, but it’s not what I’d give to someone who wants to sample comics based on recent movies. Definitely the Marvel Adventures digest collections.
I absolutely love the Scott Pilgrim series.
I strongly disagree, since Marvel Adventures and Johnny DC titles are written specifically for very young kids, and we don’t want to turn the OP off by making him think the genre is intentionally dumbed-down.
For a relatively American style Japanese comic, I would recommend Eat-Man. If I recall correctly, it’s a favorite of Jim Lee who even drew a couple of shots of Eat-Man for the comics.
The library is an excellent suggestions, and most Half Price Books and other secondhand bookstores have a bunch of trade paperbacks, and occasionally hardcovers. Barnes & Noble has a nice “sit in the store and read our books while sipping coffee” policy, so you can browse for stuff you like that way.
I like Ultimate Spider-man, but that and maybe Ultimate Fantastic Four are the only books from the Ultimate line I would really recommend. I also would **not ** recommend the Johnny DC and kid-oriented titles, unless that’s really what you’re looking for.
A bunch of the titles mentioned above are standalone stories written by people who also wrote for more continuity-heavy titles, so if you find an author you like, you might decide to check out some of their more involved stuff.
Oh, nobody’s yet recommended Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, which is excellent. A lot of stories don’t hold up after 25 years, but that one still kicks ass. It’s readily available in five or six trades, and has some intersection with the mainstream DC Universe, but not enough to make it problematic. Everything you need to know is explained in the book, and if you ever have questions, this internet thingy really comes in handy.