I read monthlies, but I often drop them (I have no "collector" loyalty -- my sole test is whether I'm bored with title or look forward to reading it).

Problem is, I often get the feeling "this story might be worth reading if it gets good" but then I forget about it an move on. I also don't know what the story is called, or what issues to remember to get, so I don't know what trade to look for.


This thread serves two purposes:

1. For those of us that are reading a particular monthly, we drop a note while we're reading the monthly -- "be sure to get this one in trade if you're not reading it." We'll post the title, the name of the story arc, and a short note why it's good maybe.

2. For those of us that are curious about a title, we can ask how the storyline runs, which trade to get, etc.


The primary purpose is NOT to catch up on a whole backlog of great work that's been out for some time. It's more to try and keep up with new stuff that is coming out. Like if you're "waiting for trade" but have trouble keeping up with what's what.

This thread can be like a "log" to remember what you wanted to read.

I'll start with Secret Avengers -- if you haven't been buying this, make sure you get the first trade. Brubaker just dove right in with a Mars story involving the Serpent Crown. He's already crafted some cosmic stuff that seems like it's intended to trump the highest level beings in the Marvel Universe (like the Celestials and stuff).



So far there are three issues out and it keeps getting better.

Also, get Thanos Imperative. It's a 6 issue mini (we're three issues into it), and it's very good. There's an alternate universe next to ours called the "Cancerverse," where there is no death. Life just runs wild and is spilling over into ours. It's run by the Cancerverse Captain Marvel (who never died of cancer), and there's some linkage to Captain Marvel's death from cancer causing all this. It has the ultimate in galactic beings joining in the fight against the invasion.

And who's our ace in the hole? That's right: Thanos. Our Avatar of Death unleashed on the Cancerverse.

I'm bailing on Avengers Prime and Adjectiveless Avengers. Somebody let me know if it ends up good and when the trade comes out (if you can).

All comics for me now fit this bill. No more single issues.

I feel that if a comic book story is written well, one shouldn't be able to wait for the trade. A trade should be like a consolation prize if you weren't able to get the issues as they came out.

You read every trade that comes out? The point is to find the good ones from people that have read the monthlies.

Do you read every single monthly that comes out to see if it is written well? The point is to hear from people who are reading comics that you don't buy, but will catch it later because it turned out to be good.

You can always go buy the back issues if you'd rather catch up by reading monthlies.

Oh, no. I just read the stuff that I know is good (or that I think is good anyway) Fables, Walking Dead, Invincible, and the stuff that gets good buzz from folks like you and others around these parts.

Threads like this really benefit people like me who don't live near comic shops.

Any of you monthly readers have an opinion on the Marvels Project by Brubaker and Epting?

I bought and read them all. The idea was great (sort of re-imagining of early Marvels continuity by Brubaker) and the art was good.

But it fizzled. Never really went anywhere. Not a really gripping stand alone story. Could be a set up for more good stories set in that WWII era.

This is my take. I was very interested at the beginning, and then was rather let down
by each subsequent issue. It might have more relevance as Brubaker was most likely
setting the board for what he wanted to do next. In and of itself, it offered little.

I bought the Avenger's Origin series, and I would recommend ignoring it when it comes out in Trade.
It was kind of fun to re-visit Avengers #1, and to flesh it out a bit ala modern-day decompression, but
six issues added little real value, if anything.

On the other hand, so far after two issues (I have the third but was too busy yesterday to read it), I can
recommend Thor The Mighty Avenger. This is a much more interesting retake on Thor's early Silver Age
time at Marvel. And while some may find the artwork cartoony, or not exactly realistic, I find that it
works quite well within the context of the story.

I have really been liking Brightest Day and with it's cast it is pretty much a JLA book featuring the satellite era line up. Which is nice considering the actual JLA book has been aimless for a while.

I wish someone had warned me about Planetary. I just got around to reading the Absolute Vol. 1 this week and it seems to be Ellis wacking off to whatever politics or pop culture pops into his mind at the moment.

Or is he actually headed somewhere with all of this?

I would have warned you, but I would have warned you not to risk dying before you got a chance to read Planetary. I thought it was great. (But I haven't finished the last trade).

John Cassady is a master at giving the illusion that he is a good comic book artist. I'm impressed.

Any title that looks interesting, I'll buy the first and sometimes second issue before deciding if I want to continue. Trade paperbacks are like the Season One dvds you buy at the end of watching the season on television the way it was meant to be viewed, imo.

Perfect analogy.

Meh. I don't like floppies all that much. Too floppy. Much prefer trades. They're a lot tradier.

Totally not perfect analogy.

Fixed to make it kind of perfect.