Finished Bone - Where to now?

[mattk]

That story was epic - like ridiculously epic. That was one of the best stories i ever read and i could go on and on about it, but chances are that you have already read it and probably liked it as well.

Here's my worry though - is there anything else in comics like this (remember - i'm fairly new to this stuff)? Not necessarily the genre, but just one solid honkin story that is... for lack of a better word... epic. I mean i finally finished my first stack of trades and there were some good stories, but golly, Bone was just it. I'm assuming it would have to be a collective work to get that whole beginning middle and end thing down, but just going out and buying the next volume of runaways isn't going to satisfy me now. I'm actually willing to jump on a superhero if it can give me an experience like this (and that says a lot). -just keep in mind that i am not a fan of scary stuff and R rated isn't my cup of tea. I did already read watchmen and that was epic, but not like bone was.

Is bone just in a class/category by itself? Thanks in advance.

[acomicbookgirl]

Hmmm... what to read after bone? What kind of stuff do you like?

[mattk]

I'm willing to try anything. I just pretty much want a self contained epic story... - I don't want to have to go through 10 trades in order to get an epic story, if there is one trade that contains an epic story in a series, that would be cool. But maybe what i'm searching for is the antithesis of comics, as they are not often collected or even written in the way that bone was... right?

[six-gun]

I'm willing to try anything. I just pretty much want a self contained epic story...

that's hard, most of the stories I'd suggest aren't collected into a monster volume like Bone.

[acomicbookgirl]

that's hard, most of the stories I'd suggest aren't collected into a monster volume like Bone. Six is right..

You might want to try the Minx line of books.. The stories are self contained. There's Pride of Baghdad, Marvels, V for Vendetta, X-men: The Dark Phoenix Saga and X-men: God Loves Man Kills.. I can go on.. You don't have to get x amount of trades for these..

[labor_days]

The apex.

http://img34.picoodle.com/img/img34/9/9/30/f_SiP75m_4ee3877.jpg

[acomicbookgirl]

Forgot about that one but he doesn't want to get x amount of trades to get a story though from what I understand.. Grant it, all he would have to do is get 6 pocketbooks which will do the trick.

[labor_days]

Yeah, I know. It's somewhat ludicrous trying to recommend an epic story contained in a single volume though. If you have to settle; settle for the finest of the medium.

[esophagus]

Watchmen, obviously.

[six-gun]

Watchmen, obviously.

he said he already read it


there is a SiP omnibus coming out

[esophagus]

he said he already read itOops. Missed that. DKR?

[humphrey-lee]

The Flight Anthology series...

[mattk]

Yeah, I know. It's somewhat ludicrous trying to recommend an epic story contained in a single volume though.

That's what i was worried of. I think this is starting to become my frustration with this medium of entertainment. I just spent over $40 on trades a week ago, and they lasted me about 10 days - which is an exception because one of them was Bone which is huge. So basically $40 is about 4 trades that would last me at most 8-10 days. So if i want to continue this i gotta spend around $120 a month. Or how about this, if i want to get the complete epic story of a series i have to buy 10+ trades for over $100. My wife and i both have jobs and we have plenty of extra money left over after the mortgage and equity payments, but i can't ask her if i can spend $120 a month - and part of that is because i don't want to spend that much myself. So i'm stuck with $40 a month gives me a week and a half of pleasure reading and then it's wait till next month.

Well, i guess that's just how this world of comics works... this is just a newbie coming to grips with it...

Maybe if i switch to weeklies it would spread out better, but i would feel dorkier (no offense ;)) and my wife might make fun of me.... hmm....

[esophagus]

That's what i was worried of. I think this is starting to become my frustration with this medium of entertainment. I just spent over $40 on trades a week ago, and they lasted me about 10 days - which is an exception because one of them was Bone which is huge. So basically $40 is about 4 trades that would last me at most 8-10 days. So if i want to continue this i gotta spend around $120 a month. Or how about this, if i want to get the complete epic story of a series i have to buy 10+ trades for over $100. My wife and i both have jobs and we have plenty of extra money left over after the mortgage and equity payments, but i can't ask her if i can spend $120 a month - and part of that is because i don't want to spend that much myself. So i'm stuck with $40 a month gives me a week and a half of pleasure reading and then it's wait till next month.

Well, i guess that's just how this world of comics works... this is just a newbie coming to grips with it...

Maybe if i switch to weeklies it would spread out better, but i would feel dorkier (no offense ;)) and my wife might make fun of me.... hmm....Switching to weeklied is probably your best bet. $120 will get you a fair pile of books in a month, spread out through the month. And on a week where you have little to nothing going on, you still have that opportunity to buy yourself a trade.

[jgg0610]

Another book along the same lines as SIP is Love and Rockets. It's currently being collected into 7 trades. The thing that differentiates it from the standard trade is that the page count is something around 250 pages per trade but they are so dense it actually takes longer to read than the page count would indicate.

[labor_days]

That's what i was worried of. I think this is starting to become my frustration with this medium of entertainment. I just spent over $40 on trades a week ago, and they lasted me about 10 days - which is an exception because one of them was Bone which is huge. So basically $40 is about 4 trades that would last me at most 8-10 days.

Well, i guess that's just how this world of comics works... this is just a newbie coming to grips with it...
Pretty much. I mean you can buy an Omnibi or a Showcase but that can just as expensive as trades.

Might want to try www.instocktrades.com. That ~$5-8 difference can save you some money.

Maybe if i switch to weeklies it would spread out better, but i would feel dorkier (no offense) and my wife might make fun of me...hmm...Pardon me while I laugh, bbbwhwahhaha!

Hahaha, haha, ha.

No seriously. You don't know what comic buying is like till you buy single issues, my friend. Trust (http://www.revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10110) me on that.

[esophagus]

Pardon me while I laugh, bbbwhwahhaha!

Hahaha, haha, ha.

No seriously. You don't know what comic buying is like till you buy single issues, my friend. Trust (http://www.revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10110) me on that.You were reading over 70 titles for $50-$70 a week. If he cut that in half, spending $25-$45 a week he could be getting up to 40 titles. Probably a hell of a lot more than he could get in trades for that.

[labor_days]

Yeah but then you browse the shop, listen to recommendations and pretty soon- you are spending $70 a week on single issues.

[esophagus]

Yeah but then you browse the shop, listen to recommendations and pretty soon- you are spending $70 a week on single issues.Haha, sooome people have self-restraint. But most of them aren't big comics fans.

[mister-s]

How about some Darwin Cooke - New Frontier? Definitely not as good as Bone, but still a classic.

Other things on my shelf that "feel" like BONE (I'm a BONE fanatic):

Usagi Yojimbo (up to 21 or 22 collected volumes at about 12 bucks a pop)
Tellos (2 trades? i have the issues...)
Marvel 1602 (I'm starting to reach)

The problem is that BONE is so good and unique...

If you pick up on monthlys, you should really check out Iron Fist. I don't know what, but I get that same sense of purpose in the characterization that I did while reading BONE.

[esophagus]

How about some Darwin Cooke - New Frontier? Definitely not as good as Bone, but still a classic.

Other things on my shelf that "feel" like BONE (I'm a BONE fanatic):

Usagi Yojimbo (up to 21 or 22 collected volumes at about 12 bucks a pop)
Tellos (2 trades? i have the issues...)
Marvel 1602 (I'm starting to reach)

The problem is that BONE is so good and unique...

If you pick up on monthlys, you should really check out Iron Fist. I don't know what, but I get that same sense of purpose in the characterization that I did while reading BONE.
I think the whole point was that he wanted a single volume. Marvel 1602 is definitely a reach, but a fantastic book nonetheless.

[decarabas]

Dammit.. my post didn't post... For an epic book the whole family can enjoy; Blankets! More 'real worldly' and a bit of a love story, but still a very good read. I picked up SiP after hearing the recommendation of the podcast, best choice i ever did, was just blown away by it.

For less epic, yet still self contained books i recommend Pride of Baghdad, the original James O'Barr's Crow, and Absolute Sandman Vol 1 (sure.. there's more to the story, but you can wait til the next volumes come out...). Also anything by Neil Gaiman... but that's me being biased.

[jaflanagan]

The thing is this. Bone was a series of trade paperbacks before he did the single volume. No one else has done that very much outside of the omnibus editions (which are expensive). But if you want the big epic stories, there are plenty. You've just got to read them bit by bit.

I'm thinking buying weekly comics (and we're doing our best not to take offense to your suggestion that there's anything dorky about that other than the pre-conceived notions you bring to it, which are just ****ing wrong) won't fill the need you're talking about. Rather, you could spend the same amount, or less, and get that epic story feeling many other places.

My favorites are Preacher (western, religion, gross out), Sandman (mythology, literature, fantasy), Fables (humor, excellent overall story), and many of the stories mentioned above. There are literally hundreds of years long epics, but not a one of them is collected into a single volume.

[jaflanagan]

just keep in mind that i am not a fan of scary stuff and R rated isn't my cup of tea. I did already read watchmen and that was epic, but not like bone was.

Didn't see that part. So disregard Fables and Preacher. But I think you're missing out.

[labor_days]

He could go the Absolute Sandman route if he's feeling wealthy.

[esophagus]

He could go the Absolute Sandman route if he's feeling wealthy.
I can barely afford volume one. Those are definitely what I'm buying with my Christmas bonus.

But yeah, what Josh said. Bone was published for 13 years before we ever got to see the epic we haev now.

[mattk]

The thing is this. Bone was a series of trade paperbacks before he did the single volume. No one else has done that very much outside of the omnibus editions (which are expensive). But if you want the big epic stories, there are plenty. You've just got to read them bit by bit.

Yeah, and i guess that's what i was worried about - bone sorta ruined me. Is this something you guys enjoy about the medium of comics, b/c i'm beginning to find it annoying. I am not a novel reader, but maybe i brought in the notion that comics could be my novel replacement, which doesn't really work out.


(and we're doing our best not to take offense to your suggestion that there's anything dorky about that other than the pre-conceived notions you bring to it, which are just ****ing wrong)

Easy... don't worry you're all cool in my book. I haven't been in a comic book shop since i was 13. Like i said, i'm just getting in and my wife is not all about me going to hang out in the comic book shop and drop a lot of money. I think it's nice that she is fine with me buying trades and wants to talk to me about them. I'm taking baby steps. Ever start something completely new?

____

I'm thinking since i enjoy collected comics but hate to spend the money on a story i am gonna read twice and is only gonna take me a day or two to read that I am gonna go down to the library (i live by a big one that has a lot of trades) and start going through some trades on days when i can just chill. I'll get through Sandman, New Frontier, DKR, etc. That way i can see what i like and maybe want to start picking up rather than drop all this cash and go from there.

I think i'll keep buying Minx and Doug TenNapel stuff since i know i'm digging them and they are self contained stories that i will want to read again.

Well thanks for the input guys, lemme know if you have any more. Thanks for putting up w/ the alien.

[esophagus]

Yeah, and i guess that's what i was worried about - bone sorta ruined me. Is this something you guys enjoy about the medium of comics, b/c i'm beginning to find it annoying. I am not a novel reader, but maybe i brought in the notion that comics could be my novel replacement, which doesn't really work out.
I've been looking for a massive epic like Bone, but I think the answer is obvious. You aren't in this for comics, or even Trade Paperbacks, you should just read graphic novels. I'm sure there are a few graphic novel series out there, but that works the same as Lord of the Rings being a series. You only buy it once, and you're done. Some will be big, some will be small, but you'll never have to go for the second one.

Examples:
Blankets
Maus (There goes the series thing, there is a Maus II, but they're both self contained)
Box Office Poison
Ghost World
American Born Chinese
Pride of Baghdad

I could go on all day.

[mattk]

I've been looking for a massive epic like Bone, but I think the answer is obvious. You aren't in this for comics, or even Trade Paperbacks, you should just read graphic novels. I'm sure there are a few graphic novel series out there, but that works the same as Lord of the Rings being a series. You only buy it once, and you're done. Some will be big, some will be small, but you'll never have to go for the second one.

Examples:
Blankets
Maus (There goes the series thing, there is a Maus II, but they're both self contained)
Box Office Poison
Ghost World
American Born Chinese
Pride of Baghdad

I could go on all day.

Agreed - good observation, i think i need to stick more to that stuff.

[labor_days]

Mattk, I think part of the problem we are running into in recommending stuff such as you originally asked for is that you requested completely "collected" series. Of which they're are few.

By their very nature monthly comics are serialized. Thus when collected in trade form, many of them don't tell the complete story, no matter how "epic" it may be.

It doesn't bother most people here so much because a lot of us enjoy both the trade and monthly formats (to varying degrees) or at least are comfortable with it at this point.

If you are looking for something to supplement your non-novel reading habits and still remain succinct; then you should be looking more appropriately for OGNs and the like.

Books such as the aforementioned Blankets, Pride Of Baghdad or Fun Home and The Homeless Channel, all fit the criteria you are asking for. But if asking for a completely collected volume of DMZ or Gotham Central, then the answer is no at this time and maybe never.

However ask for OGN recs. and as Eso alluded to, we could go on forever with recommendations.

[jaflanagan]

I think a well stocked library is a fantastic idea.