The Fastest Man Alive may be known for his quickness but you’re going to want to take your time and enjoy these classic stories about the Scarlet Speedster. Here are some of my favorite Flash stories for you to speed your way through. The Trial of the Flash- This two-year arc sees Barry Aleen on trial for the murder of the evil speedster Zoom. It’s an emotional gauntlet full of twists and turns that will have you trying to figure out what’s going on all the way to the last panel The Return of Barry Allen- Barry Allen is back…
Category: Comics
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- Crime Comics
Not all comics are about superheroes. In fact, in the early days of the medium westerns and crime fiction were the predominant story genres. In honor of that long lineage here are some great crime comics for you to sink your teeth into. Criminal– An anthology series written by Ed Brubaker with each arc featuring a new self-contained story. Brubaker goes out of his way to subvert the expectations of the genre while still adhering to its conventions. A compelling read. Sin City– Frank Miller’s classic black and white noir series of stories that spawned two feature films. Gritty, fun,…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s Guide to Binging Through the Apocalypse: Wonder Woman Arcs
Wonder Woman is one of those characters that often are better in theory than execution. A powerful woman warrior, who fights monsters and misogyny, is a great role model for women (and men) everywhere. But unfortunately, there are far less epic Wonder Woman stories than there should be because she’s been subject to writers who didn’t have a clear idea of what to do with her. But when some one gets the character right, they can really knock it out of the park. Here are ten great Wonder Woman stories for you to check out. A League of One- Technically…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s Guide to Binging Through the Apocalypse: Indie Comics
While I do love mainstream comics, if you want the good stuff, the highly experimental and deeply personal stuff, indie comics are where it’s at. Here are some of my favorites I’ve read over the years. Maus- The first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize. Artist Art Spiegelman tells the story of his father who survived the Holocaust. The work is profound and unique and as important a piece of literature as you’ll find on any library shelf. My Favorite Thing is Monsters- A young girl investigates her neighbor’s death in 1960’s Chicago. And there are werewolves. And Nazis.…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- X-Men Comics
The X-Men were my first fandom. More than that X-Men comics are what turned me into an avid reader, a trait that has defined me my whole life. So, I’m always trying to share my love of Marvel’s Merry Mutants with others. Here are ten great jumping-on points if you’re looking to expand your x-men knowledge during this lockdown. Gifted– Joss Whedon of Buffy, Avengers, and Firefly fame got his own X-title called Astonishing X-men. It was genius. Gifted is the first arc of that run. Age of Apocalypse– Twenty-five plus years later this is still one of the most…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s Guide to Binging Through the Apocalypse: Superman Comics
The most well-known superhero in the world, an immigrant with God-like powers who tries to uphold the values of Truth and Justice. It’s amazing just how many writers screw this guy up. But here are ten Superman stories where they got it right. Superman for All Seasons– A four-issue mini-series (one for each season) with each issue narrated by a different character from Superman’s life. This series not only focuses on the core elements of the Superman Mythos but is an insightful look at how those around Superman perceive him. Superman: Birthright- I wouldn’t blame you for thinkingSuperman’s origin story…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- Avengers Comics
Now that they are the best-selling movie franchise of all time its easy to forget that the MCU avengers look a lot different than the comic’s Avengers. Maybe now is a good time to reacquaint yourself with the original versions of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Avengers: No Road Home– A love letter to all of Avenger’s history that features some of the team’s lower profile but most stalwart members. Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers/New Avengers run- In 2012, Jonathan Hickman took over writing duties for the relaunches of both the Avengers and New Avengers titles. Using the two books to tell separate aspects…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- Justice League Comics
The Justice League is one of those teams that seems better in theory than it often does in practice. It’s hard to put that much power together and still give the series pathos and stakes. But here are some great stories to start with that do just that. So if you’re trying to get caught up on your JLA lore here are a few good places to start. Tower of Babel– The story that proves even when Batman screws up, he’s still a badass. Ra’s al Ghul steals Batman’s contingency plans on each Justice League member and subsequently neutralizes the…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- Image Comics
In 1992, a group of high-profile creators broke off from the Big Two and formed Image Comics, a vehicle for them to develop and publish their own creator owned titles. While at times bumpy, the idea was a success and Image now stands as the third largest comics publishing house and has produced some of the best comics ever written. Here are some of my favorite titles from their line. The Walking Dead– The now completed zombie epic that launched a thousand AMC shows. In my opinion a vastly superior story to the television narrative. Robert Kirkman knows how to…
The Eclectic Eccentric’s guide to binging through the Apocalypse- Spider-Man Comics
Spider-man is one of the most iconic characters around and if you want to know why check out my The Franchise entry on him here. But today I’m not here to break down what makes him tick, I’m just here to recommend some good wall-crawler reads. Remember this is not a top ten list. I’m mostly aiming for longer stories or starting points that will give you something to due during your lockdown. So I’ve left out some classic one or two issue stories. But I think you’ll enjoy what’s left. Ultimate Spider-Man- I could have named just about any…