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Cerebus or Invincible?

Started by Hammerhead,

23 posts in this topic

Hammerhead

Hammerhead

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Hi forum members!

 

I am looking to start reading a new series, something I haven't read yet but have heard a decent amount of good things about.

 

The first two series that came to my mind were Cerebus and Invincible. My local library has many Invincible trades and a few Cerebus trades....but am not sure if I seen any early Cerebus trades there. hm

 

Anyway, I would like to hear what you folks have to say about these series if you read them and which one you would start with first. I will probably get around to reading both eventually.

 

Just so you know, the comics I read now and enjoy most of the time are:

Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, Punisher, Fantastic Four, Ultimate Spider-Man (MIles Morales) Walking Dead, Chew and Savage Dragon. There are a few other titles I pick up now and again and when I can afford to. I also have been getting Avengers VS X-Men but have only read the first 2. I plan on waiting to get them all and read them at once.

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Annihilus

Annihilus

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These titles are both good, but completely different reads.

 

If you're planning on reading the whole series in one go, pick Invincible if you want something that is a fast and fun read. Pick Cerebus if you're feeling more contemplative (especially the last half of the run). Don't get me wrong, Cerebus can be fun too, especially the first 150 or so issues. But it gets a bit maudlin at times.

 

IMO, you can't really read Cerebus without reading Dave's editorials and the letter columns, and that can get a bit time consuming.

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shadroch

shadroch

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Last year, I bought the Cerebus phone books with the intent of reading the entire series. I'd read from around 55 to 100 when they first came out. I completely lost interest in the 120s and ended up selling the later books unread.

Just one mans opinion.

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HarryRod

HarryRod

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Cerebus is amazing. If only Sim would start writing something of that caliber again, then all would be right with the world.

If you are starting from the beginning, then definitely go grab the "phonebooks"

Jaka's Story will knock you on your butt it is so good

 

 

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shadroch

shadroch

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Also, if the library doesn't have all the Cerebus from the beginning, I'd skip it. Jumping in the middle would be very off-putting.

 

 

You could skip the first phonebook. The early stories leave much to be desired, imo.

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HarryRod

HarryRod

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It seems like you mostly enjoy superhero titles, but i will throw out a couple more options here that i almost consider required reading. some of these you can pick up as trades and some, like Bone, you can get in an Omnibus edition. Others are some of the ongoing series i am currently readin:

 

Bone

Strangers in Paradise

Madman

Planet Hulk/World War Hulk

Uncanny X-Men: "Days of Future Past" and "Days of Future Present"

X-Men: Here Comes Tomorrow

X-Men & Alpha Flight Limited Series (Claremont at his best)

Sandman

Rachel Rising (This book is awesome)

Rising Stars

Midnight Nation

Hellblazer (especially Original Sins and The Devil You Know storylines)

Powers (the 1st series....the rest were pure )

Preacher

Just a Pilgrim (I love post apocalyptic stuff)

Y The Last Man

 

And finally....even though i can't stand Joey Q and abhor everything he has done to the comic business....read the ASM storylines One More Day and then go read One Moment in Time....the art is amazing, and the story, while pure heresy in my opinion.....is very, very good

 

 

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Aman619

Aman619

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First book of Cerebus are the early funny ones. a lot more frivolous than where Sim took the series after that. Cerebus wanders around getting into adventures, like a Conan pig, which was all Sim was setting out to do..

 

But what's fascinating is that as separate from the eventual serious saga Sim spent the last 275 issues spinning, he eventually went back and even tied all the one off plot lines of the first 25 issues together into the full story. Fascinating, but really not necessary. Just a parlor trick Sim pulled off for fun.

 

Overall, it's a great piece of work. An amazing piece of work.

 

But, It took Sim 30 years to create it, and, Sim changed a lot in that time. And the changes he went thru affected the project, and took it in directions fewer and fewer readers cared to go.

 

And as carefully as he had planned the entire storyline out in advance, it was puzzling and disappointing how the timing at the end felt rushed, like he had wandered too long in the middle leaving him not enough issues to pull it together.

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Ken Aldred

Ken Aldred

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Good list. I would add; Leave it to Chance :cloud9:

 

I will also recommend James Robinson's Starman.  Very consistent read.

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maloney414

maloney414

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Cerebus 1-100 are excellent.

Invincible was good up to #50 and trailed off...

 

I felt this way too about Invincible as a monthly reader. For me it started to trail off in the 40's. However, when I went back and reread the series it was better without the monthly breaks.

 

You should give it another try. I'm glad I did. (thumbs u

 

Issue #59 was the turning point for me. That Powerplex issue was unique, and afterwards we had the Invincible War, The Conquest arc, and eventually the Viltrumite War. The book has been great since then and is my favorite comic. I love Invincible. :cloud9:

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