There are some comics that have come out lately that have either surprised me, or that don't get a lot of attention. Think of this as a sort of "Recommended Reading" thread, and feel free to add your own.
Doctor Strange: The Oath
Written by Brian K. Vaughn and with art by Pablo Marcos, this is a brilliant take on the Doctor, feeling both classic and modern at the same time. The recently completed miniseries, guest-starring the Night Nurse, introduces a new, and very personal foe for Strange, and his friend and manservant, Wong. There's a matter-of-fact element to Doctor Strange's use of magic, which does nothing to diminish the fantastic elements of the story.
Casanova
Matt Fraction is my new favorite writer, and this book is one of the reasons why. It's equal parts love letter, spoof, and mishmash of everything from MADMAN to Steranko's SHIELD, and whatever happens to catch Fraction's attention when he's working on each particular issue. The book is in a similar format as Warren Ellis' FELL, featuring a 15 page self-contained story and extras for $1.99. This could result in lightweight fluff that doesn't really go anywhere, but it's actually one of the densest comics I've read. The art by Gabriel Ba perfectly suits the strange and light tone of the series.
Green Lantern
I'm not a big fan of DC or Geoff Johns these days, but when this book comes out I forget all about that. There's nothing all that groundbreaking about the comic, it's just good, solid, superhero action. Johns has sold me on the idea of Hal Jordan as a fearless action hero, something I never really got from the comics I read him in during the 80s and 90s. While still a cosmic book, the character is grounded by his supporting cast, something that often gets short-changed these days. The art by Ivan Reis is definitely influenced by Neal Adams, Alan Davis, and John Byrne, but Reis is developing into his own artist.
Fell
This is my favorite current comic. Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith tell horrible, beautiful, funny, and sad crime stories. It's rigidly structured (15 pages, generally 9 panels per page), but it's impressive what Ellis and Templesmith are able to accomplish each issue.
Punisher War Journal
Garth Ennis' PUNISHER series gets all of the attention, but this is the Punisher that I grew up with. Frank Castle smack in the middle of the Marvel Universe, crossing paths with criminals, villains and supervillains, and leaving many bodies in his wake. Like I said before, Matt Fraction is my new favorite writer, and this is the other reason why. The artwork by Olivetti is cartoony, but surprisingly fitting for the book. At times it reminds me of Mike Zeck.
Anyway, share your thoughts, or add your own books that you feel more people should be reading. I'll add more as I think of them.[/img]
