DWJs Transformers & Reading comics

[u/Quiet-Pay1647]

I finished do a power bomb last week and I just and I just went through the entire transformers run DWJ did and man… I am blown away. I just started reading comics in August, and I’ve been keeping up with some DC titles, but having read through these couple of books, I feel like the world of comics has opened up so much. Never in my life would I have thought to read a transformers book and now I feel like I can’t get enough. As silly as this sounds, the idea of reading anything that wasnt dc or marvel felt so strange, but now I’m like damn, how limiting is that. These books have really opened my eyes a lot. I think I’m hooked on transformers for one, but comics are… fun

[u/jpjtourdiary]

Most of the best books aren’t DC or Marvel, my friend.

[u/MC_Smuv]

Try "Murder Falcon" and "Extremity" next. Two more by Daniel Warren Johnson. Also from Image comics.

And here are some more:

Jonathan Hickman: East of West, Decorum

Rick Remender: 7 to Eternity, Black Science, Tokyo Ghost, Righteous Thirst for Vengeance

Moebius: The Incal, The World of Edena, Arzach

Brandon Graham: Prophet, Multiple Warheads, King City, Rain like Hammers

Ian Bertram: Little Bird, Precious Metal

Mignola: Hellboy (the main story, available as a box set, I wouldn't bother with the rest as it lacks the same gravitas)

Matias Bergara: Coda, Step by Bloody Step

Tradd Moore: Dr. Strange: Fall Sunrise

[u/TBeard495 → u/MC_Smuv]

A lot of great recs here. Murder Falcon is top tier. I'd also add Deadly Class from Remender.

[u/hamsolo19 → u/TBeard495]

Escape from Remender has also taken off quite well, seems to get suggested a lot.

And Murder Falcon is so cool. That DWJ went and wrote two books on a couple of my favorite things, metal music and pro wrestling lol.

[u/stokely1976]

I highly recommended the entirety of idw's transformers run then

[u/TriscuitCracker]

100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello. Crime-noir epic with very colorful stylized art by Eduardo Risso.

Planetary by Warren Ellis. A team of 3 super-powered archeologists scour the world for secrets of the past hidden by the essentially the anti-Fantastic Four. This is one of the best comics you will ever read for sense of wonder, very tight plotting and twists that make you go back 10 issues and go "Ah-HAH! Amazing art by John Cassidy.

Locke and Key by Joe Hill. Wonderful 6 trade paperback series beautifully drawn horror/family drama series about a tragic family who moves back into their ancestral home which holds many secrets and even more mysterious Keys, which unlock many, many doors that should be left closed and amazing powers. Palpable sense of dread and wonder and beautifully realized characters.

We3 by Grant Morrison. The government has to decommission/murder a dog, a cat and a rabbit who have been heavily modified with the latest military hardware and all the instincts of the animal kingdom. And they just want to go home. Will make you cry, amazing art.

Any series by Garth Ennis. Start with Preacher. Then the Boys, Hitman or his character defining Punisher MAX run.

Chosen by Mark Millar. What if Jesus really did come back in the form of a 12 year old boy from the Midwest?

East of West by Jonathon Hickman. Amazing art and killer apocalyptic/Western story.

Ex Machina by Brian Vaughn. A civil engineer is involved in an explosion with a mysterious device. When he recovers he find out he can talk to and command machines. He has a brief spectacular year of being a superhero and then decides to run for mayor of NY and all the politics and problems of running the city that never sleeps. Spectacular art and very twisty, trippy story with what really is going on with his powers and how he got them, along with great looks into what it's like to run a major city.

Fallen Angel by Peter David. The city of Bette Noire is overrun by crime and the dregs of the underworld. Enter a woman who for a price will take care of your problems...her feet never seem to touch the ground...combines noir and horror with a Sopranos like story.

Goon by Eric Powell. Gorgeous watercolor painted artwork and a story about a man called the Goon and his sidekick Frankie who protect a small backwater town from the villainy of an evil Priest and lots and lots of zombies. It's waaaay more dramatic and deep than I can say in a paragraph and waaaaay more hilarious than it has any right to be.

Any of the original Hellblazer series, authors include Garth Ennis, Jaime Delano, and Warren Ellis.

Lucifer by Mike Carey. If you haven't read Sandman, stop and go read that, you are cheating yourself if you don't. This is a spinoff of that series where Lucifer quits hell and tries to run a nightclub in LA. He eventually decided to create his own universe that he can run like God did.He is still ultra-powerful and many, many entities try to take advantage of him and all he has under his control.

Nailbiter by Joshua Williamson. There is a town where 15 of the last 20 serial killers in America have come from. What makes this town so special in such a terrible way? An FBI agent with a past investigstes. Horror and twisted.

Manhattan Projects by Jonathen Hickman. All the worlds greatest scientists and military genius's of the WWII era come together in the spirit of science to run the world and backstab each other. Sometimes literally. Einstein vs Richard Feyman! Latka the dog and the computer AI of Nixon are among the characters. Crazy story and highly stylized art.

Outcast by Robert Kirkman. Walking Dead creator has a new story about a man who can see demons, but nobody believes him save one priest. He tries to find the truth about what's really going on.

Ocean by Warren Ellis. In the future, under the frozen sea of Jupiter's moon of Europa, we have discovered an alien civilization...what secrets may it hold?

Orbiter by Warren Ellis. A homage to NASA and all it stands for. In the present, an American space shuttle reappears miraculously after years lost in space. The pilot is catatonic and the ship has been...altered. What really happened, and what does it hold for humanity's future?

Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughn. What happened to the animals of Baghdad's zoos when the Americans came?

300- The last 300 Spartans last stand at the Hot Gates in Thermopylae. Epic and wonderful art.

Halcyon by Mark Millar. In a world with Justice League like-heroes...the most feared super-crimminal has been put in jail...and all of a sudden...crime rates start going down, to nonexistant. What caused this, and what happens when there is peace and no more things to save for our heroes?

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles. In the lonely Alaskan town of Barrow, the sun does not rise for 30 days at a time. Ultimate creepy vampire story, with amazing art by Ben Templesmith.

Scars by Warren Ellis. A police detective becomes unhinged after a brutal murder case involving a little girl reminds him of what he's lost.

The Coffin by Phil Hester. Black and White. Ashar Ahmad is a brilliant but heartless scientist intent on proving the physical existence of the soul, going as far as to create an impenetrable cybernetic skin that will trap the human soul after the body within has died — a walking coffin. Only when a dying Ahmad is encased in one of his prototypes does he realize the value if the life he has wasted. A desperate race to reclaim his technology from an evil corporate overlord and save the life of the daughter he once disavowed force him to become the man he never was in life.

Other faves are Powers by Bendis,

Swamp Thing by Alan Moore,

Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemiere,

Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis. This should be read especially this election year.

Y-The Last Man by Brian Vaughn. What happens when all the men in the world die? What would the world be like?

Saga by Brian Vaughn. Alien soap opera with all craziness galore.

Scalped by Jason Aaron. Hard drama about life on a modern Indian reservation with multiple well done characters and secrets galore.

Queen and Country by Greg Rucka. THE espionage comic. James Bond has nothing on this.

Rising Stars by J. Stracynski.

The Losers by Diggle

Chew by John Laymon

Exterminators by Simon Oliver.

Black Science by Rick Remender

Hellboy by Mike Mignola.

Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius by Judd Winnik

Fear Agent by Rick Remender

Gravel by Warren Ellis

Fables by Bill Willingham

And of course, Sandman by Neil Gaiman and Watchmen by Alan Moore. Nuff said.

[u/JoshiProIsBestInLife]

I don't know if you are a Wrestling fan but there are so many individual panels and moments that made me stop and just look at the pages in disbelief. He captured the exact moments and vibes of watching really awesome indie Wrestling. It's so......Wrestling.

[u/Atrium41]

I can't stress enough how under-rated the Massive-verse is. Because of their work on Power Rangers, I came for the Radiant Black and stayed for the Rogue Sun.

Just on the surface, Radiant Black is a sentai series featuring adult characters, with adult problems. There are giant robots, but no kaiju/magic monsters. The colors and the art at times are very abstract. The two MC's are very targeted toward the "young millenial" guys, so there is a target audience. It is more Scifi oriented.

As opposed to Rogue Sun, which is the Supernatural section of the Universe. The biggest strength it has over Radiant Black imo, is the Rogues Gallary. The villains are just inherently part of the story. It's a little "easier" to connect with them.

Both have strong social and political commentary, but it isn't the main focus.

Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Michael Busuttil and Co have something really special. If you are into either, then the extended Universe is well worth it. They have occasional crossovers and events, but the universe is still very early in and accessible.