What comics do you recommend to non-comic readers?

[mikephoen]

As a few others have mentioned, it depends on the person. At the store when we get people asking what to start on who havent read in many years, or havent read at all, I usually try to find out what movies or books the person is into, and if they are looking for superhero or non-superhero. Here is a partial list of the things we recommend every week, in no particular order:

 

Superhero:

 

Kingdom Come

Marvels

Dark Knight Returns

Watchmen

Top Ten

Batman Long Halloween

Superman Red Son

Ultimate Spider-man

Ultimates

Invincible

Ennis Punisher

Astonishing X-men

 

Non-SuperHero

 

Sandman

Preacher

Y the Last Man

Invisibles

Sin City

300

From Hell

Girls

Walking Dead

Fables

StarDust (now that its finally back in print)

Bone

Serenity

 

I'm sure there are a ton more, but thats a good start.

[Duffman_Comics]

I'd forgotten about Maus. Great choice. Red Raven is dead on though, the book(s) have to be tailored to the "inductee".

 

When a comic book movie hits, does anyone find others asking about the originals?

 

My experience is Nooooooooo.

 

For some reason the larger public kind of ignores the roots of the character/film and seems to think they were made in a bubble.

[djpinkpanther67]

When I was in Iraq, I brought my GI Joe collection (about 40 or so issues) & donated them to the USO to give out to anyone who wanted to read them. They went over very well. I'm currently trying to work out shipping issues with someone who said they are going to send me approx.1000 or so comics from the 80's. I'm going to take them up to the Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl Germany and give them out to all my wounded comrades who are in recovery...

 

As for the original question,

Any FF TPB of the Lee/Kirby era or Byrne era

ASM Lee/Ditko - Lee/Romita TPBs

another option are the DVD-ROM comic collections (UXM, FF & ASM that I know of)

[showcase4]

we all have (I hope) got non-comic reading friends and family.

What books do you get them to read in the vain hope they'll either "get it" or at least be a little more tolerant of your strange habits?

 

[s-man]

Id recommend what I grew up on, Select issues of:

 

Uncanny X-Men

New Mutants

Hulk

Spider-man

 

and then Id even recommend Marvel & DC's Universe Handbooks to get them interested in other characters and find out what catches their eye

[Duffman_Comics]

we all have (I hope) got non-comic reading friends and family.

What books do you get them to read in the vain hope they'll either "get it" or at least be a little more tolerant of your strange habits?

 

 

Now, is "Jiz"American for ice cream and is that girl undressed for fear of soiling her clothes?

[chromium]

Pedro and me.

[Sid]

So far just,

Fell

 

to kids,

archie

spider-man

[TiQuinn]

From Hell

The Killing Joke

Sgt Rock - Between Hell and A Hard Place

Sgt Rock Archives

Old EC Horror Comic reprints

[johnenock]

To add a few new ones, I'll go with:

 

Transmetropolitan

DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore

The New Frontier

[alecholland]

I usually recommend non-superhero books such as:

 

Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid On Earth by Chris Ware

Lone Wolf & Cub by Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima

The Spirit by Will Eisner

A Contract With God by Will Eisner

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Good-bye Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson

MAD by Harvey Kurtzman & Others

Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

 

Suitable for all ages:

 

Owly by Andy Runton

Herobear and the Kid by Mike Kunkel

 

If it had to be superhero stuff, I suppose:

 

Early Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby & Stan Lee

Early Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko & Stan Lee

[mikephoen]

I cant believe I forgot Maus! Everyone should read Maus.

[Smokinghawk]

Bendis' Daredevil run

Mack's Daredevil arc about the abused kid (I work with therapists and my social circle is artists, so it's a perfect fit)

Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth

Maus

Jack Chick comics, to bring my lost friends to the truth.*

 

 

 

 

 

*just kidding, of course.

[paperheart]

bone

[Red Hook]

I usually recommend non-superhero books such as:

 

Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid On Earth by Chris Ware

Lone Wolf & Cub by Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima

The Spirit by Will Eisner

A Contract With God by Will Eisner

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Good-bye Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson

MAD by Harvey Kurtzman & Others

Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

 

I gave my daughter "A Contract With God" as a Christmas present. She is a college soph and not into comics......I gave her a mini-sized lowdown on Eisner....I'm curious to see what she thinks of it.

 

Red

[selegue]

I usually recommend non-superhero books such as:

 

I agree. Many people who "don't like comic books" really just don't give a damn about superheroes.

 

I agree with the high recommmendations for Bone (I was surprised that someone here couldn't stand it, but that's why they make more than one flavor or "ice cream") and would add Love and Rockets, American Splendor.

 

Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid On Earth by Chris Ware

A Contract With God by Will Eisner

 

the collected trilogy is worthwhile

 

Suitable for all ages:

 

Tintin!

 

If it had to be superhero stuff, I suppose:

 

Hardly worth the bother. People who don't care for superheroes when they're young rarely catch the bug later.

 

Jack

[That Ron Dude]

Hate

Uncle Scrooge

Eightball

Cud

Tintin

Maus

Watchmen (only if they are younger and enjoy science fiction)

[Rodey]

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Walking Dead

[Ijiwaru Sensei]

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History

Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Persepolis II: The Story of a Return

Road to Perdition

[irchooker]

Recommendations for people who do not read comics, but I would like to share my interest in the genre with them and why I enjoy comics as a storytelling medium:

 

Wet Moon by Ross Campbell

12 Reasons I Love Her by Jamie S. Rich & Joelle Jones

Fables by Bill Willingham & various

Love The Way You Love by Jamie S. Rich and Marc Ellerby

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Strangers In Paradise by Terry Moore

 

Recommendations for people who are familiar with comics and enjoy science fiction/horror movies and novels:

 

The Crow by James O'Barr

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and Dave Lloyd

Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

Swamp Thing by Alan Moore and various

Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Micheline

Miracle Man by Alan Moore and various

 

Books I'd recommend for superhero addicts who have read all the 'great' works and are jaded by the industry:

 

Animal Man by Grant Morrison and Chaz Truog

Kraven's Last Hunt by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck

Invincible by Robert Kirkman and various

Grendel: The Devil Inside by Matt Wagner and Bernie Mireault