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Thread: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

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    "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Okay, I admit I'm a little weird. I like superheroes. I like supers movies and cartoons. I just don't like comics all that much. It's really not even that I don't like comics, I just don't like having a single story spread over months or even years.

    I've recently discovered the wonderful world of graphic novels and trade paperback collections. So, what would you recommend I should pick up? I'm especially looking for stuff that's particularly representative of certain characters (e.g. If you only read one Captain America story, get this...) or stuff that's "groundbreaking" (which I'm led to believe The Watchmen is).

    I've already been sold on Batman: Dark Knight Returns and The Watchmen . Any other suggestions?
    Life is forcing me out of gaming, but I'm gonna go kicking and screaming!

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    I'm really partial to Daredevil: Born Again.......which is labeled as Daredevil Legends Vol. 2. currently.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Kingdom Come
    Astro City (Confession/Tarnished Angel)
    Ultimate Spider-Man Hardcovers (in order)
    Avengers Forever
    Daredevil: Born Again
    Rising Stars (in order)

    I'll think of more.
    Alice, the world
    Is full of ugly things
    That you can't change
    Pretend it's not that way
    That's my idea of faith
    -Ben Folds

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    I'm going to put in a third vote for Daredevil: Born Again. Definetely a Must Read, and it has a high degree of re-readability.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    I second that third vote and offer my second vote to make four.
    Alice, the world
    Is full of ugly things
    That you can't change
    Pretend it's not that way
    That's my idea of faith
    -Ben Folds

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Squadron Supreme (the Gruenwald stories from the mid-80s.)
    V For Vendetta and the Miracleman and Swamp Thing collections by Alan Moore.
    The various JLA, JSA and Starman collections from DC. dw
    "Who know what evil lurk in hearts of men? Not me, maybe that guy over there!" - Win Eckert as Bizarro-Shadow

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    I don't know if it's ever been collected into a graphic novel, but V For Vendetta is one of my all-time favorite miniseries.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    JSA and Starman are both thick with continuity, it probably won't be as appealing to a brand new reader as it is to us hardcore addicts. JLA suffers from this to a lesser degree (depending on which trade you buy)
    Alice, the world
    Is full of ugly things
    That you can't change
    Pretend it's not that way
    That's my idea of faith
    -Ben Folds

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Quote Originally Posted by Eyendasky80
    Kingdom Come
    Astro City (Confession/Tarnished Angel)
    Ultimate Spider-Man Hardcovers (in order)
    Avengers Forever
    Rising Stars (in order)

    I'll think of more.
    I'll second everthing listed above, except Avengers forever. I am a fairly decent avengers fan, and that story left me lost and confused. And as much as I love Busiek, it was not very good. Likely his worst work (which still makes it better than most but definately not in an "essential" collection.

    I'd add the other Astro City Trades (Life in the Big City and Family Album)
    I'd also add Marvels - The history of the Marvel U seen throught the eyes of a newsman/photographer. Written by Busiek and painted by Alex Ross.

    I'd second the JSA trades. Johns has a talent for writing continuity heavy stuff without losing the new reader. The JLA trades - just go for the Rock of Ages and whichever one is the invasion trade that was the start up of the Morrison run.

    Teen Titans - The Judas Contract.
    You know how you play with a cat by dangling a peice of sting within his grasp, and then pull it away as he grabs for it? If the string isn't exciting and tempting the cat won't grab. But if you pull away early too many times and deny him too often, the cat gives up in frustration. The skill is in finding the sweet spot between those extremes where its fun for you and the cat.

    That's what a GM's job is.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Oh yeah and Eyendasky80's sigline reminded me.

    The Ultimates Volume one and two.
    The Ultimate Spiderman (start with the first couple and see if you like them) - I've never been much of a spiderman fan, but I've really enjoyed the USM.







    Edited for spelling - in the word Ultimate the "t" comes before the "i" - *sigh*
    You know how you play with a cat by dangling a peice of sting within his grasp, and then pull it away as he grabs for it? If the string isn't exciting and tempting the cat won't grab. But if you pull away early too many times and deny him too often, the cat gives up in frustration. The skill is in finding the sweet spot between those extremes where its fun for you and the cat.

    That's what a GM's job is.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Quote Originally Posted by Darren Watts
    Squadron Supreme (the Gruenwald stories from the mid-80s.)
    Now there is a writer who really got into his comics.










    Sorry.
    You know how you play with a cat by dangling a peice of sting within his grasp, and then pull it away as he grabs for it? If the string isn't exciting and tempting the cat won't grab. But if you pull away early too many times and deny him too often, the cat gives up in frustration. The skill is in finding the sweet spot between those extremes where its fun for you and the cat.

    That's what a GM's job is.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Spider Man: Kraven's Last Hunt
    "The noir hero is a knight in blood caked armor. He's dirty and he does his best to deny the fact that he's a hero the whole time."- Frank Miller
    Corven's Heroes & Villains Thread
    http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24198
    Corven's Champions Timeline
    http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53132

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    V for Vendetta: The best Punisher story to not feature the Punisher

    The Essential books, especially Essential Fantastic Four and Essential Spider-Man: It's almost inexcusable for anyone interested in a Silver Age style game to not own a few of these books.

    Batman-The Long Halloween: One of the best Batman stories in recent memory, possibly a more definitive Batman tale than Dark Knight Returns. No, really.

    Green Lantern-Emerald Dawn: It's because of stories like this that fans have been begging for Hal Jordan's return for years.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Quote Originally Posted by egyptian
    The Essential books, especially Essential Fantastic Four and Essential Spider-Man: It's almost inexcusable for anyone interested in a Silver Age style game to not own a few of these books.
    And if they were printed in color, I'd be all over then. I don't want to buy a coloring book. I want these, but I hate reprints that change something that basic - It is a sin as bad as colorizing old B&W movies, so I don't buy them.
    You know how you play with a cat by dangling a peice of sting within his grasp, and then pull it away as he grabs for it? If the string isn't exciting and tempting the cat won't grab. But if you pull away early too many times and deny him too often, the cat gives up in frustration. The skill is in finding the sweet spot between those extremes where its fun for you and the cat.

    That's what a GM's job is.

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    Re: "Essential" Graphic Novels / Trade Paperbacks

    Graphic Novels:
    The Death of Captain Marvel
    X-Men: god Loves, man kills

    trades:
    Essential What If? (not sure if this is out or not, but it SHOULD be)
    any of the Elseworlds stuff
    Kingdom Come
    It is unclear why the bear, which was wearing ice skates at the time, attacked Mr Potapov. The bear was later shot by police. Deadly attacks are rare in the country's circuses, which often train bears to wear skates and play ice hockey.
    --snippet from news article

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