#comics recs

[which-star]

guess who wants you to read SILK 👍👍👍

[gffa]

I adore your batman stuff very much. I recently read the Wayne Family Adventures, and now I really want to read some more. Do you have recommendations on comic lines to follow?

Hi! I'm glad you're having fun with getting into comics and enjoying the posts around here, it's always nice to have new blood (or returning blood, in my case)! <3 I would give a gentle caution in that Wayne Family Adventures is sort of in a class of its own in a lot of ways, the characterization is much softer and fluffier, while the mainline comics are darker and messier, the characters are definitely not always as nice as they are as in WFA. That's no shade on either of them, just that I want to give a quick warning that if you're stepping from one to the other, the culture shock can sometimes be more than you're expecting. (And also keep in mind that comics are a shifting landscape, there's no one "true" version of many of the landmark moments of characters' lives, you'll see events often retold, you'll see comics that later get retconned, you'll see comics that are in different continuities/set before or after a universe-wide reboot, etc. Don't worry about it, just recognize that you're reading a story to enjoy that story, not as Hard Continuity!) That said, some of the lighter comics that I think would be fun if you're looking to come over from WFA are:

Li'l Gotham is a cute parody series that's super adorable, has some lovely art, and is nice little self-contained stories that are humorous. It's not in mainline continuity and it's even softer than WFA, but it's deeply charming and it's a fun, quick read.

Super Sons (2017) by Peter Tomasi is in mainline continuity and it's focused on Damian Wayne and Jonathan Kent becoming friends, bickering all the while, and getting into hijinks. It tends to lean more humorous and cute, so it's a nice stepping stone up to regular comics.

Robin and Batman (2022) by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen is a good litmus test for whether you might like regular comics--it's a short 3-issue mini-series focused on Dick's early days as Robin and the complicated, thorny relationship he has with Bruce about it. It's one of my favorite, it balances what a terrible gremlin he was with what a little angel he was and the emotional beats are painful in the best way.

Robin: Year One (2000) and Batgirl: Year One (2003) by Scott Beatty/Chuck Dixon and Marcos Martín/Javier Pulido are good places to start for both characters, and hold up okay considering their age. The art is a bit stylized in a way I really like, it lends it a charming old-fashioned vibe while still being pretty to look at, and there's some solid character moments in both.

Nightwing (2016) by various (starts with Tim Seeley, but it's been several authors by now) is one of my go-to recs, I think it's a great jumping on point, has a lot of really nice art, and often tells fun stories, as Dick has some of the best connections to various other characters in the universe.

Nightwing (2016) by Tom Taylor starts with issue #78 and is a great jumping-on point and Taylor's writing is just very light-hearted, action-packed, quippy, and fun. Starting here saves you from having to slog through some of the worse arcs of Dick's series, you get Bruno Redondo's fantastic art, and you can feel the affection for the character, the author and artist love this character and want to make him very cool, as well as they love his relationships with other characters, so you get good Bruce guest appearances, Babs appearances, Damian appearances, Wally appearances, Jon appearances, etc.

Robins: Being Robin by Tim Seeley and Baldemar Rivas was a fun self-contained mini-series that had all the Robins working together and I don't think it should be taken super seriously as a case story, but it had some quality banter, some hilarious moments, and a great look at these chaotic gremlins all shoved into a mini-van together to go solve a case.

Batgirls (2022) by Conrad Michael W./Becky Cloonan and Jorge Corona is focused on Babs, Cass, and Steph as a trio and being adorable together, with some humorous moments, cool art, and fun Batfam moments. It's nice that they get the spotlight and the chance to shine (it's their book, so they get the majority of the cool moments) and it's not super-long and you can jump right in.

Batman: The Knight by Chip Zdarsky and Carmine Di Giandomenico is a "Bruce travels the world to learn the skills he needs to become Batman" and I'm really in love with the way Zdarsky writes a Bruce who is deeply complicated, messy, coming from a place of loving deeply, but also this man has twenty seven different flavors of fucked up trauma going on in that hell brain of his. Zdarsky's current run on the main Batman title has been my jam, but that's a bit of a darker leap than this one, and I think this one is a great way to get to know Bruce Wayne as a character.

Batman: Urban Legends volume 5 has a story called "The Murder Club" that is basically "Thomas and Martha Wayne are time traveled into the future and see what's become of their son, they're not thrilled about it, but come around when they see the people that love him so deeply--primarily Dick, Damian, and Alfred." and was an absolute BANGER for me for feelings, gorgeous art, and some great character moments.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest (2022) by Mark Waid and Dan Mora is an absolute knock-out, it's Bruce and Clark in their early days of their friendship, where Waid is one of the best writers in the industry for how fun his stories are but also how well he knows the characters, Mora's art is often THE portrayal I think of when I think of the characters, and there's a ton of bonus guest appearances from various characters across DC's universe. Also, I am biased, Dick tags along a lot, as he's still Robin at this point in time, and it's a great dynamic between the three of them.

Batman: One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze by Gerry Duggan and Matteo Scalera was easily the standout of the "One Bad Day" stories for me, it's set in the early days of Bruce & Dick as Batman & Robin and it has ADORABLE sunshine gremlin baby Dick Grayson, a genuinely touching story about Mr. Freeze and his wife, and some beautiful art.

Year One: Batman/Scarecrow (2005) by Bruce Jones and Sean Murphy is a fun look at the early days of Scarecrow, but also has absolutely banger baby Dick Grayson content, there's a scene where Bruce literally just grabs him by the scruff of the neck to haul him out of the way of a crowd about to stampede and it's the funniest thing because that 12 year old could destroy your face with his fists but also Bruce can literally pick him up one-handed. There's some great banter in there and it's just a super fun dynamic.

As you make your way through this list, keep the author/artist and year listings in mind, as often times there are multiple series under the same title and some are more relevant to what you're looking for right now than others. Like, there have been three different volumes of "World's Finest", but I want to direct you specifically to the 2022 version because I think that'll work better for you. Similarly, Nightwing 1996 is one of my faves, but I think the 2016 version will work better at drawing you in right now. This is definitely biased in favor of my faves, but I honestly think they work for good jumping on points for someone new to comics and who's coming from WFA and might not want to get into the messier stuff of the mainline comics right away. Hopefully, you'll enjoy these and anyone else who wants to transition from WFA to reading mainline continuity comics, feel free to join us! Yeah, comics fandom can be a bit of a pill sometimes, but genuinely there's a lot of really fun moments to love and the characters are so much more fun when you're reading their stories with all the history and depth behind them!

[pluckyredhead]

For your Fourth World reading do you have a reading order you could share with us? Or recommendations on where to start? Sorry if this has been asked before

No need to apologize! I've been meaning to write up my Fourth World recs so thank you for the reminder. Also it is unfortunately a short list lol.

The Fourth World by Jack Kirby:

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen: Kirby wrote and drew issues #133-148. This is where he launched the Fourth World, and where we first saw Darkseid and a number of other characters and concepts. It is a little tangential to the main Fourth World storyline (and some of it, like the two Goody Rickels issues, is REALLY weird and not necessarily in a good way). I would say if you are interested in the Fourth World from a comics history perspective, you should read Kirby's Jimmy Olsen, but if you are interested from a blorbo perspective and just want to read about Orion or Scott or whoever, you can skip it.

New Gods (1971): This is Orion's series. An absolute must, this is the heart of the Fourth World. The original run is issues #1-11 (there are a couple series that pick up the numbering, but the first 11 issues are the real deal).

Forever People (1971): I would say this is the other book that is really central to Kirby's magnum opus and the themes he was exploring. Again, less interesting from a blorbo perspective (I'm sure Mark Moonrider is someone's blorbo...) but it's only 11 issues so I would recommend reading it for the historical/thematic value. Do it for Kirby!

Mister Miracle (1971): The other blorbo! Kirby's original run is #1-18.

New Gods (1984) #6: In 1984 DC reprinted the original New Gods run as double-sized issues (so #1 contains the original #1 and #2 from 1971, etc.). Issue #6 reprints the original New Gods #11 and then adds new material to "conclude" Kirby's story. But you'll want to continue and read...

The Hunger Dogs (also called DC Graphic Novel #4): This was Kirby's conclusion to the Fourth World saga. It's not his original vision, but it's the most DC would allow him. He is not quite at the heights he was in 1971, but it's nice to see him get a chance to conclude his tale, and it's a must-read if you ship Orion and Lightray.

The Fourth World by people who aren't Jack Kirby:

New Gods (1991): This is Rachel Pollack's run and it's excellent. The art is extremely 1991 but the writing makes up for it. The last three issues of the series are written and drawn by John Byrne instead, and they're fine - you can read them or skip them, doesn't matter.

Orion (2000): Walt Simonson's run, AN ABSOLUTE MUST-READ. RUN DON'T WALK. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS. Orion suffers so much and it's so delicious to me.

Solo #7: There are only two pages of Fourth World content in here but it's Orion betting Scott he can come up with a death trap Scott can't escape and then literally just trying to kill him for fun while Lightray has a panic attack. Orion and Scott are both lunatics and I love that for them. Brothers of all time.

Both of DC's YA graphic novels about these characters, Mister Mircle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles and Barda by @ngoziu, are excellent.

AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS IT. Scott and Barda are in JLI which I will always recommend, but it's not strictly speaking a Fourth World book. Orion is in Grant Morrison's JLA which is a classic, but he doesn't have a huge role in it as I recall. You should already be reading Kelly Thompson's current run on Birds of Prey because it's perfect but Barda is especially perfect in it.

The nice (?) thing about the Fourth World is that every writer basically completely ignores all previous writers except Kirby so there's not a lot of continuity to track. If you read Kirby, you can encounter the characters anywhere else and know everything you need to know.

Happy reading!

[blackbatcass]

Recommendation request- I'm currently in a weird spot where I consider myself a big Dick Grayson fan, but I only know him from stuff like Titans books and Outsiders 03, and I've never really read any proper Bat-adjacent books with him so I have a hard time conceptualizing his place in the bat family. Any particular favorite runs or issues that focus on that aspect of the character?

Yeah i can help with that!!

If you want to get a good feel for Dick as a character on his own your best bet would probably be Nightwing (1996) although it is very long and not always perfect. For batbooks:

If you want to look into his Robin days I think Robin: Year One is like a must. Only four issues and it's very fun!

Robin and Batman (2021) is also like gutwrenching but so so good and explores Bruce and Dick's early relationship

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying and Batman: Prodigal are good intros to specifically Dick & Tim's relationship! Alpod is Tim's introduction and Prodigal is the first time Dick got to fill in as Batman, after everything with Knightfall. Prodigal especially is essential Dick reading!

Cataclysm and Batman: No Man's Land are very very long but I think are pretty essential batfam reading, like it kind of created the concept of the batfamily lol. Dick isn't featured in it too overly much compared to everyone else but you can look up his specific appearances if you only want to read for him!

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and its sequel Bruce Wayne: Fugitive are, of course, Thee batman comics of all time. They're arcs with a full ensemble batfam cast that I think will help show Dick's various relationships & place in the batfam!

Batman/Nightwing: Bloodborne is only one issue but it is a phenomenal exploration of Bruce and Dick's relationship. augh

If you're interested in his relationship with Damian and the Dickbats era, your best bet is probably Batman and Robin (2009), Batman (1940) #684-707, and Gates of Gotham. That whole era is...let's say... A Mess and there was just sooo much going on, you might want to look for a more complete reading list if you want to experience the whole era and context but those are the stories that focus the most on Dick and his relationships.

Batman: The Black Mirror is also a very good Dickbats story!

That was probably way more than you wanted but i hope it helps!!

[figcatlists]

Alternative comics and literary graphic novels chart

This chart is a selection from my list of 200 alternative, art, and experimental comic books, as well as graphic novels with a literary bent. I arranged the chart in reverse order of publication to highlight the more recent titles; I also excluded some of the obvious big-name classics to make it somewhat more interesting than your standard "comic books aren't just for kids starter pack".

[wintersettled]

NOOOOO DONT READ AND THE OUTLAWS ITS OOC FOR EVERYBODY AND MISOGYNISTIC NOT TO MENTION WRITTEN BY A S*X OFFENDER??? Please be cognizant of who you're supporting! Part of my reluctance in recommending comics like red hood lost days is due to the presence of racist writing and characterization for characters such as Talia that appeared especially post 9/11...

Anyways if you would like good recommendations for the three main characters (Jason, Roy, and Kory) i wont make a whole list but I'll mention some ongoings or recent comics theyve been in that have been nice 🥰

JASON TODD has recently appeared in issue 2 of Juni Ba's The Boy Wonder which is a really great ongoing revolving around Damian in his early days as Robin!! The writing for Jason was really great but I'd recommend you all read the comic which currently has 3 issues out! It's a great comic and a super quick read 💞 currently Jason is also in Red Hood: The Hill which I haven't read myself yet but I've heard mixed reviews so take that with a grain of salt! Today the first issue of Robin Lives! dropped which is in an alternate reality where the should we kill robin poll went the other way 😯 it's really great so far so I recommend you pick it up! Heres a site made by oomf with more Jason comics 💞

ROY HARPER is currently featured in Green Arrow (2023) alongside his daughter, Lian. I think this is a great way to get to know more about Roy as well has his family, especially with the most recent issue 13.

KORIAND'R is currently a main character in Titans (2023) which has gorgeous art but I'm afraid I'm not entirely too keen on as someone who is a fan of the titans... sadly Kory hasn't received a lot of great writing recently but I would say this is some of the best (low bar) she's been given in a while...

Sadly these three have received a lot of mediocre and out of character writing in recent years but if you're looking for some recent stuff from them I would recommend you start here 🥰 sometimes it can be nerve wracking to start reading but these comics are all early in their runs so theres no need for concern there! Happy reading 💞💞

[cubistemoji]

All of my comic recs from 2022 posted on WWAC and cobbled together in a single post- Jan 11

This was saved to my drafts in January and never posted, but here it is now because I stand by these recs!

Thieves by Lucie Bryon

Thieves is so, so pretty! I’ve been a fan of Lucie’s art for a while, and I was excited to see her use her talents for a full-length graphic novel. The limited color palette, off-white paper, and adorable art style create a dreamy, classy reading experience. It’s also a lovely story about partying, first love, the end of high school, and stealing stuff! Ella has a problem: it’s the day after a party at her crush’s house and her apartment is full of things that do not belong to her. Fortunately, Madeleine not only likes her back, she’s willing to help Ella secretly return all the stolen stuff to its rightful owners... and more. Ella, Madeleine and their friends all feel like such real, believable characters. I love how cheerful and extroverted Ella is and how well that contrasts with Madeleine’s more reserved nature. Thieves is funny, beautiful, and full of heart!

Love and Leashes by Winter

Love and Leashes is the only Webtoon I’ve read this year that made me laugh out loud at every single episode. Ji-u Jeong and Jihu Jeong, coworkers with similar names, enter an unusual arrangement in which Jihu, a submissive who’s been hiding his kinks from everyone around him his whole life, asks Ji-u to be his master. Ji-u, who’s cool and competent on the outside and shy on the inside, considers running away immediately, but instead decides to try this thing out for a bit and see if she likes it. Spoiler: she does! Despite the subject matter, the actual content of this Webtoon is fairly safe for work.

What really makes Love and Leashes stand out is the eccentric cast of characters surrounding the main couple, as well as the couple themselves. They care a lot about each other and prioritize clear communication, trying to figure out how to best make each other happy while not causing problems at work or with their friends and family. And boy, are their friends and family... a lot. Jihu has a group chat of fellow BDSM enthusiasts he met on a forum, Ji-u has a younger brother and work friends, Jihu’s high school friend owns a bar, and they all have so much going on. And whenever all of these people intersect, it is so, so funny. I don’t know how accurate the BDSM stuff is as depicted here, but the characters focus on consent, communication, and mutual enjoyment, and figuring out how to live in a way that makes them happiest.

I spent money on this comic! I can’t think of anything else I straight-up enjoyed, just had fun reading, as much as Love and Leashes this year. I’m going to tell my kids this was 50 Shades of Grey or however that meme goes.

Clown Corps by Joe Chouinard

If you’ve seen that Frasier meets Columbo comic going around on Twitter, you may not be surprised to learn the guy who drew it also does an ongoing webcomic about organized battle clowns. Clown Corps follows the adventures of reformed burglar turned reluctant clown college student Mary McBell and her clowning cohort as they work to stop a shadowy organization bent on destroying the entire Clown system. It’s hysterical, with great stylized action sequences, physical comedy and fourth-wall-bending humor, but also moments of surprising gravity as the characters grapple with the troubled pasts that brought them to clowning in the first place. The art improves quickly for a webcomic, and the characters are both silly and serious (one of the best fighters in the class can only kick ass when he’s asleep!) I caught up in a day and wished I could keep reading.

Pyramid Game by Dalgonyak

I am so obsessed with the Webtoon Pyramid Game right now it is unreal. I made a Youtube video about it. I drew fanart for it. It’s SO GOOD and NO ONE UNDERSTANDS.

Pyramid Game, by Dalgonyak, is a comic about gaslighting, gatekeeping, and girlbossing all at once. Suji is the new kid at an elite private school and it turns out her new class has a complicated hierarchical system of bullying, created by the richest and most powerful teenage girl in Korea specifically to get back at the nicest girl in the world who slighted her in some way the readers haven’t learned yet. It’s SO MUCH. It’s got some very messy homoerotic subtext (and text!) It’s got the most toxic friendships I’ve ever seen in a Webtoon. It’s got really appealing character designs and a fun and interesting protagonist who takes no bullshit from anyone ever and is going to beat the billionaire at her own game. Eventually. I believe in her!

I like Pyramid Game because I love this kind of mean girl drama; it’s got all the fun parts of a political intrigue story with none of the confusing world building to go with it. The bullying the girls take part in is creative, high-energy and visceral, but what really makes this comic so hard to put down is how keenly observed every character is, how real and complex and distinct they all feel, even the minor players in this game that act more like pawns for the leads to take turns pushing around. … Maybe I will write a full review about this comic someday.

Suji Seong could beat L in Death Note but Light Yagami could not survive a day in “The Happy Class” of Love High.

What Happens Next by Max Graves

I am at all times thinking about What Happens Next by Max Graves. It’s a pretty dark comic about what happens when some terminally online Tumblr tweens… have to deal with the aftermath of committing a gruesome murder, years after the fact. What I find really fascinating about this comic (besides the fact that I can never remember the title D:) is how accurately it portrays every detail of this hyperspecific internet community I remember so vividly from my own teenage years, and the kinds of people that participated in those spaces. It really captures… something. I don’t know. It does make me want to know What Happens Next.

Black and White: Tough Love at the Office by Sal Jiang

Do you think all yuri manga is too soft and sweet and schoolgirl-ish? You should check out Black and White by Sal Jiang, a workplace lesbian comic that I hesitate to call a romance, given how the two leads resolve their sexual tension by hatefucking in the conference room. Not appropriate for all ages, this yuri. The rivalry between Shirakawa and Kuroda crackles with chemistry, and Jiang draws the two of them fighting and having sex with a specificity that makes the whole thing feel grounded, rather than the ethereal above-it-all purity older yuri comics often have. I also like how they’re both good at their jobs and have good relationships with their coworkers, who see them as reliable and helpful and sweet. The contrast between their public personas and how they beat each other up in private makes Black and White impossible to put down.

Drip Drip by Paru Itagaki

I think Paru Itagaki should be allowed to draw whatever she wants forever. Drip Drip (which I discussed in a past Pubwatch) is incredibly weird, gross, and horny, much like her acclaimed longform series BEASTARS. But it’s also extremely interesting, and definitely a comic I will never forget reading. Drip Drip is about a woman so sensitive to germs that she gets a nosebleed every time she touches anything that isn’t 100% sterilized. She wants to find love and have sex, but every time she tries, her nosebleed scares men off and ruins the mood. When she finally finds a guy she thinks she can be with, it turns out he has dark secrets of his own. The single-volume story follows several of her attempts to rid herself of her curse, with a bonus unrelated one-shot about Santa Claus thrown in at the end.

Itagaki’s imagery and unusual choices of environments and locations make her comics very memorable: I haven’t reread this since October and I can still see the splash pages in my head like I’d read it yesterday. Itagaki and Tatsuki Fujimoto (of Chainsaw Man and Look Back fame) kind of occupy the same space in my head in their commitment to their singular, very specific vision. A kind of boldness I wish I were capable of.

[fancyfade]

Oracle Babs fans

What are your favorite Oracle Babs stories that aren't in Birds of Prey, or Oracle: Year One or her arc in Suicide Squad? I feel like I've read all my favorite Babs stories so often and I need more. am I missing any hidden gems?

[zeroducks-2]

What comics do you recommend to someone basically new to comics?

it depends on what you like! There are lots of technically good comics and lots of technically bad comics, but personal tastes play a big part.

I'm not a big expert actually, but here's a few suggestions from the top of my head if you want to try some (mostly) self-contained, enjoyable stories. Writing in brackets who's the main focus of each of them, so you'll know what you're getting yourself into.

"The Black Mirror" by Scott Snyder (Dick Grayson) "The Court of Owls" and "The City of Owls" by Scott Snyder (Bruce Wayne) "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore (Batman & Joker) "Watchmen" by Alan Moore (N/A) "Under The Red Hood" by Jude Winick (Jason Todd) "Flashpoint" by Geoff Johns (Barry Allen) "Running Scared" by Joshua Williamson (Flash & Reverse Flash)

All of them (beside Watchmen) require you to know at least a little about the main characters, but I assumed you do. If you want something more character-specific let me know!

[gffa]

I’ve been watching The Batman (2004) because it’s on Netflix and you know what? My memories of this show being Pretty Good Actually hold up!  It’s a little dated, but the art style has some spunk, the voice acting is delightful, the banter is genuinely fun, Dick Grayson is a horrible little chaos gremlin as he should be, and I will die on the hill that bb!Babs is criminally underrated, especially as she navigates her jealousy over this punk shrimp who apparently just waltzed in and got Batman to train him and gets to officially be his partner, but then also sees that he’s just a kid and he’s not actually all that terrible, so they still banter, but drift towards mutually making fun of Batman and just absolutely ROASTING Black Mask together, and it’s all very Sometimes Batman Media Is Good Actually.  (Though, I always say you should just start with season 4 when the Flying Graysons episode happens, that’s where it’s the best and you can pick it up just fine.)

[pluckyredhead]

hey! if you have time, do you have any recommendations on what comics to read for a good grounding for the arrows? i know you have a roy-specific reading list, but if you have any comics recs for the family in general, or especially mia and connor, i would be forever in ur debt 💜 thanks!!

Sure! Here's a Green Arrow/Arrowfam recs list, with emphasis on Connor and Mia, in chronological order:

Green Lantern/Green Arrow: This has been collected under various names but anything with "Green Lantern/Green Arrow" in there is likely to get you what you're looking for. These are the iconic Hal/Ollie teamup stories from the 70s by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams (originally published as Green Lantern (1960) #76-87 and #89. Ollie had been around since 1941 but it wasn't until around this time that he really developed into the character we know him as today, and this is a great introduction to that. It also contains "Snowbirds Don't Fly" and "They'll Say It'll Kill Me But They Won't Say When," the two-part Roy addiction storyline; the beginnings of Ollie's relationships with Hal and Dinah; and John Stewart's first appearance. These comics are 50 years old so they are definitely dated in many ways, but they're masterpieces and so, so beautiful to look at.

Green Arrow v1 (1983): This four issue miniseries is hard to find but I love it. It's basically what if Ollie starred in an Agatha Christie novel, and it's so fun.

The Longbow Hunters: The miniseries that created the "modern" Ollie (this was in 1987 but that's still "modern" according to comics historians). Ollie and Dinah relocate to Seattle and deal with several serial killers, including Shado. Great characterization, beautiful art. Content warning for sexual violence and torture.

Green Arrow v2 (1989): Continues on from The Longbow Hunters and runs for 137 issues. The first 80 issues are written by Mike Grell (who wrote and drew The Longbow Hunters) and they're all very solid. If you're just looking for Connor, he is introduced in #0, which comes between #90 and #91 (comics lol); he's a regular character until #100, at which point Ollie dies and Connor becomes the lead for the rest of the book. If you really just want to read about Connor, you can completely skip to #102, which is the first one he stars in properly, and just read from there. He's delightful in them and the art is solid. Content warning in that Connor's globetrotting adventures mean a lot of ethnic stereotypes and orientalism, sadly.

Green Arrow v3 (2001): This is the book where Ollie comes back. It begins with "Quiver" by Kevin Smith and Phil Hester which is my FAVORITE GA book of all time and serves up Arrowfamily in a way it's never been served before: we get Dinah, Roy, Connor, AND this story introduces Mia! This volume unfortunately gets worse as it goes along and by #60 it is hot garbage but I would recommend the following key issues:

#11-15, "Sounds of Violence," in which Connor gets shot and Ollie loves him so so so much.

#32, in which Roy and Connor bond.

#34-39, in which the Arrowfam fights the Riddler and Demons; a very good Mia story.

#43-45, in which Mia is diagnosed as HIV positive and becomes the new Speedy.

Green Arrow v I don't even know anymore, the Rebirth volume (2016): After about a decade of just unreadably horrible comics, this is very much a return to form for Ollie: he's a swashbuckler who is dating Dinah and raging against injustice again, and that's how I like him. It's not a perfect comic but it was such a breath air after so many years of crap.

Green Arrow v who knows (2023): This is the current comic and it is a shot of joy straight to my heart every single month. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[redjaybathood]

Hardware (1993)

Okay, so I finished the first 4 issues of Hardware. And it's amazing, groundbreaking, awe-inspiring. I read a review that was like "yeah it was good for its time" - excuse me? It's good, period. It's a comic book that doesn't treat neither the reader nor the character half-heartedly. It was as much a pleasure to read dialogue as follow the fighting sequence. The metaphors, which I raved about earlier, are very cleverly used. The story itself, in my opinion, has great weight and relevance.

Slightly spoilery description below.

You feel for Curt, a smart and talented black man, who, sure, gets some chances other peers wouldn't necessarily get (the school his benefactor puts him in, college fund). But when he graduates, and goes to work for Alva - the rich white dude in question - and makes him so much money with his inventions and innovative technology. Alva builds his company's profits and reputation on his back. It's only fair that Curt wants to have a part of this company, a share of the revenue created by him. He did that, he made all those millions possible. But he gets cold water thrown in his face. The man he thought was his friend, his equal, basically almost family - he never considered him any of those things. Just a tool.

Driven by this injustice and realizing that his benefactor isn't the benevolent man he thought he was, Curt starts to investigate him. If that's what he did to Curt, then what did he do at other times, when there's no such a link of debt between them? (and yes, at this point Curt returned more than enough to Alva to consider Alva being indebted to him)

Turns out, Alva also launders money, sells stolen weapons, and more. And Curt tries to do the right thing and sends the information to the police, to politicians, to the press. He doesn't hear back. The reason is simple as that: Alva is in the center of a web of corruption. Nobody has the desire or/and political will and power to take him down.

So, Curt builds himself a suit, using his workplace as a warehouse, a storage unit, and a temporary base. And he names his suit - his superhero name - Hardware.

Now that I know more about the reasoning behind the name, I appreciate this choice even more.

[ID: a comic panel from "Hardware" comics, #4. There is a bird perch. Curt Metcalf is hanging his helmet on it. He says: "Hey, you asked the question first: what do I want to accomplish? I don't know the answer yet... But I'm convinced that somehow, Hardware is the right tool for the job."

Next panel, he takes away his hand. A parakeet lands on the perch, on his helmet's strap."

End of ID]

The art (especially the suits) takes some to get used to, like any late eighties - nineties comics, but it is very worth it. Besides, other times it's outright pretty, as seen above.

[figcatlists]

European comics chart

A list of recommended Franco-Belgian BDs and other comic books from mainland Europe, from classics to modern favorites.

This is a selection from my longer list of European comics and graphic novels (with links to Goodreads, Wikipedia, and French-language database BDTheque).

[spite-and-waffles]

Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 1 (1989–2006)

(Alternate format)

(alt included)

More info on the Wikipedia page including blurbs.

All issues and TPBs are available for free download on Get Comics.

See also

Complete chronological list of Batman storylines and collected editions

Complete list of Batman Vol. 1 issues (1986–2011)

Complete list of pre-reboot Detective Comics (1986–2011)

Complete list of Shadow of the Bat Vol. 1 (1992–2000)

Complete list of Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 1 issues

Complete list of Gotham Knights Vol. 1 (2000–2006)

Complete List of Batman Mini-series (1986–2011)

Complete List of Streets of Gotham Vol. 1 issues (2009–2011)

Complete List of Batman Elseworlds stories

Complete List of The Batman Chronicles Vol. 1 (1995–2001)

[trust-and-jump]

FINALLY I know why she was put in Arkham Asylum!

I first read Countdown to Final Crisis looong time ago and, while I knew, of course, how Jean and Ray divorced, I didn't know what exactly happened to put her in Arkham Asylum before her becoming a host for Eclipso.

I... wow. I mean I saw some of it once in some fanfic. which I can't find now. But I didn't know.

jeez, no surprise Ray Palmer fled. He felt guilty.

And he made everything worse after that. Oh. This. This is very sad. I have more sympathy for him now.

Identity Crisis #7

[also look at the Superman&Lois and Tim Drake&Jack Drake things. Lois survived. Jack... not so much.]

[fiapple]

pspspsp…

rec me media that has heavy thematic focus on the power of human connection, pretty please!!!

i am horrifically sad, & i need to beef up my tbr/tbw lists anyway.

the connection can be platonic or romantic, or some combination thereof, but, um… i have issues & would rather avoid plots centring around biological families. i’m not saying outright to strike something as a rec just because of that, just that it’s not necessarily my preference. platonic families, though? i dig it.

i prefer majorly if not entirely adult main casts, though i’m open to things that fall outside of that. as for genre, i’m quite partial to slice of life & other forms of realistic fiction, as well as magical realism, fantasy of manners, psychological horror, gothic fiction, & horror-fantasy. i’d rather avoid the ya genre, though i’m not gonna give it a hard no.

additionally, when it comes to the medium i’m fine with any, but if you are recommending a video game i do ask that you recommend a play-through for it instead, as i do not have the resources to play most games.

thanks!