This one's a bit different. Normally I'd recommend five random comics that I think everyone should check out. This time around, all five are Ed Brubaker comics: four current series, and one older one.



Criminal
Art by Sean Phillips. CRIMINAL is comic book crime fiction at it's best. Influenced by everything from film noir to 70s caper films, each arc follows a different member of the criminal class, exploring both why they're criminals and how they pull off their crimes. I've only read the first arc, "Coward", but it was one of the best stories I read last year. I'll be picking up the second trade as soon as it comes out, but I'd gladly buy this every month if I had better access to a comic shop.

Vol. 1 Coward
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/078512439X/105-5931757-2540422

Captain America
Art by Steve Epting and Mike Perkins. Yes, Cap is dead, but that doesn't stop Brubaker from telling entertaining superhero/spy stories around him. Winter Soldier has developed from a "Dear god, I hope they don't bring back Bucky!" idea into a fascinating character on his own. Add in intriguing subplots involving Sharon Carter, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Sin, and others, and you've got the best comic Marvel's publishing, and my personal favorite run on Captain America.

Vol. 1 Winter Soldier Book One
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/search/105-5931757-2540422?node=1&keywords=brubaker&x=0&y=0&preview=

Vol. 2 Winter Soldier Book Two
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785119213/105-5931757-2540422

Vol. 3 Red Menace Book One
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785123210/105-5931757-2540422

Vol. 4 Red Menace Book Two
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785122257/105-5931757-2540422

Vol. 5 Civil War/Captain America
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785127984/105-5931757-2540422

Daredevil
Art by Michael Lark. Imagine "Born Again" were still being published. This run is similar in tone, and nearly as good. Matt Murdock's a lawyer, his identity is (mostly) secret, he's having issues with his wife, and he still has to go out and get the crap kicked out of him as Daredevil.

Vol. 1 The Devil, Inside and Out Book One
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785119884/105-5931757-2540422

Vol. 2 The Devil, Inside and Out Book Two
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785122419/105-5931757-2540422

Vol. 3 The Devil, Inside and Out Book Three (Oct. 10, 2007))
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785124845/105-5931757-2540422

The Immortal Iron Fist
Co-written by Matt Fraction. Art by David Aja. Thanks to Fulton for turning me back onto this book. This is a superhero comic by way of pulp novels. More often than not Iron Fist is in over his head, and not entirely sure of what's really going on, but he kicks Hydra butt (among others) despite all that. Aja's one of the best new artists I've seen, with serious storytelling chops. As Jason's said, if you enjoyed the Robinson/Harris Starman, you'll probably enjoy this book. As an added bonus, each issue features flashbacks drawn by artists like Travel Foreman, Sal Buscema, and Russ Heath.

Vol. 1 The Last Iron Fist Story (Nov. 14, 2007)
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/0785124896/105-5931757-2540422

Catwoman
Art by Darwyn Cooke. Brilliant reimagining/relaunching of Selina Kyle as Catwoman. The whole run, as well as the prequel (written by Cooke), Selina's Big Score are available in trade format.

Selina's Big Score
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/1563899221/105-5931757-2540422

Vol. 1 The Dark End of the Street
http://astore.amazon.com/imwan-20/detail/1563899086/105-5931757-2540422

Links and pics to come later.

I'm reading all four of those titles on a monthly basis. And they're my favorites.

Criminal is the most recent addition. I don't usually go in for the hard stuff (this is an ICON title), but the first person narrative is like reading a compelling novel.

Immortal Iron Fist -- this character's real strength is finally being exploited by Brubaker. The coolest thing about Iron Fist is that he is basically the current holder of an office. Brubaker has run with that -- the legacy aspect dominates the storytelling. Plus, we now have other "iron fists" our there, from neighboring people groups -- and some of them are apparently not good.

Cap and DD are in a transitional time right now -- so I'm sort of waiting for the next big movement.

If this page doesn't make you want to pick up IMMORTAL IRON FIST, you should probably check into a hospital - you might be dead.

Oh, and remember to give Matt Fraction credit for IIF - by Brubaker's own account, each issue is usually around 70% Fraction.

Somebody wanna give me a ride? I'm not seeing it.

I want a Dog Brother #1 one-shot.

We have yet to steer you wrong, Frank. You know how you thought you'd hate Booster Gold? This is better.

Hi-Ya kung-fu comics tend to leave me cold. I'e always found Power Man to be ten times more interesting than Iron Fist.

Power Man and the other Heroes for Hire are also in the book from time to time. For example:

So, you like Shaft more than Enter: The Dragon I assume?

Ed Brubaker is God. Nuff said.



Apart from that is that Sleeper is also a great title by Brubaker .

Eddy B. and BKV are my homies. Guaranteed good reads.

I'll be by to pick you up in my hearse. We can go straight to the cemetery.

Cap 1-25 is available in an omnibus.

Worth picking up. It's gone downhill since issue 22 or so for me.

As for Iron Fist, not too into kung fu/karate characters.

I'm still liking Cap, but something needs to happen. Serious water treading post-25 albeit with some nice moments thrown in... but not Bru's fault I suspect.

I think the cliffhanger in the last issue pretty much guarantees something is going to happen.

Loved the first Cap winter soldier trade.
The second, not so much.

And yes, i've been thinking for some time now to pick the imortal iron fist trades.

Oh, I'm sure. I'm just impatient. I also want Cap back from the dead soon.

Finally read the latest issue of Iron Fist. Oh my god, it's so damn good. Fraction, Brubaker and Aja are just doing phenomenal work on this book. I will gladly pay Frank a crisp one dollar bill if he reads it and doesn't like it. That's US dollars, Frank.

Seconded. Except for the dollar part.

Oh, and you can read the first issue for free online, here:

http://www.marvel.com/digitalcomics/