View Full Version : Alternative Superhero Comics
horatio616
06-08-2007, 07:07 PM
Yeah, probably an oxymoron, but what I'm looking for is non-Marvel or DC superhero books. I see all kinds of them solicited in Previews but I never see them in shops. I'm all crossovered and mega evented to death and I'd like to read some good superhero stories that aren't tied to any other book. Haven't exactly warmed to Invincible after reading the first trade but I plan on seeking out the rest to see if it grows on me. I'm also hearing good things about something called Dynamo 5. I've also got a TPB on order of a series I read in floppy a couple of years ago that I enjoyed called Battle Hymn. Does anyone have any recommendation?
p.s. This might be a pretty good podcast topic.
luthor
06-08-2007, 07:29 PM
Start getting the Savage Dragon trades. The first 75 issues of that series are some of the best superhero comics ever published.
horatio616
06-08-2007, 08:51 PM
Start getting the Savage Dragon trades. The first 75 issues of that series are some of the best superhero comics ever published.
Ah! I actually have the first 75 or so. I quit when they rebooted continuity. (Seemed like a good excuse to drop it.) I remember it being pretty good.
davegraham
06-08-2007, 09:25 PM
Does Wildstorm count as DC? I've been enjoying Stormwatch PHD. It is a bunch of Wildstorm characters (some old and some new) that hits the beats of a police/detective story. The premise is that Stormwatch's budget has been stripped done considerably and a team is needed that can develop methods and catch the bad guys without having to power up the big guns (because orbital satellites and mecha-style body armor costs the tax payers too much money). The main characters are heroes and villains with powers and costumes. You don't need to know anything about the previous Stormwatch books. When something from the past is referenced everything you need to know is told to you in this book.
horatio616
06-08-2007, 09:34 PM
Does Wildstorm count as DC? I've been enjoying Stormwatch PHD. It is a bunch of Wildstorm characters (some old and some new) that hits the beats of a police/detective story. The premise is that Stormwatch's budget has been stripped done considerably and a team is needed that can develop methods and catch the bad guys without having to power up the big guns (because orbital satellites and mecha-style body armor costs the tax payers too much money). The main characters are heroes and villains with powers and costumes. You don't need to know anything about the previous Stormwatch books. When something from the past is referenced everything you need to know is told to you in this book.
Wildstorm counts.
I'm currently reading PhD. It's the only one of the reboots that didn't disappoint. I'm a big Stormwatch fan from way back, especially the first 25 issues of the original run and the Ellis run, particularly Change or Die.
horatio616
06-08-2007, 09:37 PM
One of the cool things about the nineties, or maybe the uncool thing, is that there were new superhero universes popping up all over the place. I saw in Previews that they'll be releasing a tbp of the first few issues of Valiant's Harbinger. I never read much Valiant, other than an excellent run by Bart Sears on X-O Manowar. I'm tempted to pick it up just for nostalgia's sake.
mister-s
06-08-2007, 10:39 PM
Dynamo 5 really is the way to go.
Does Astro City count?
k-dizzle
06-08-2007, 11:28 PM
Powers by Brian Bendis.
humphrey-lee
06-10-2007, 07:52 AM
Get BLACK SUMMER #0 if you didn't already. It's by Warren Ellis produced by Avatar, and it was only 99 cents. It looks to be something.
s-sanchez
06-10-2007, 10:32 AM
Invincible gets better in the second trade, thats when the big twist happens.
Dynamo 5 is a good choice
I love Godland, it's more cosmic than superhero but its definitely a superhero book.
Bomb Queen is a great book, but it's also a villain book and might not be what you're looking for.
I brought up NOBLE CAUSES in a voicemail to the podcast, I remember Rob saying he dropped it but I still like it and think its a great book.
AFTER THE CAPE was really good, it's finished (for now) and was only 3 issues so you should have no problem finding it.
Empowered (http://www.darkhorse.com/profile/profile.php?sku=14-043) By Adam Warren was fun.
It's too bad you said Wildstorm counts because I think WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY is great.
jgg0610
06-10-2007, 01:33 PM
Definitely stick with Invincible through at the least the first three trades. They are really one complete story. Dynamo 5 is also awesome. I think somebody already said it, but you can never go wrong with Powers.
xyzzy
06-10-2007, 01:42 PM
Top 10 by Alan Moore. Though guess ABC is now owned by DC. So maybe you count that.
How about Love Fights by Andi Watson. That's published by Oni.
Demo by Brian Wood, published by AIT/Planetlar. It definitely has characters with super-powers, even if they're not super-heroes.
humphrey-lee
06-10-2007, 07:27 PM
Top 10 by Alan Moore. Though guess ABC is now owned by DC. So maybe you count that.
How about Love Fights by Andi Watson. That's published by Oni.
Demo by Brian Wood, published by AIT/Planetlar. It definitely has characters with super-powers, even if they're not super-heroes.
Love Fights is a great call, I just looked over at the bookshelf and remembered that. The ULTRA trade from Image is a great little alt take on superhero life too, and I second Godland too for whoever said it.