cap_ironman | Some Comic help

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Some Comic help

Last year, y'all gave me some great recommendations on TPB I should get with the amazon gift certificate I got for xmas. This year I'm get some money I can spend anywhere I want. So really I got two fold question I'd like your advice on.

First: Should I go to electronic comics?
I know I can acquire them at Marvel or Comixology. There may be other places I don't know about. I don't have a lot of space and if it is a decent option then I'd like to give it a try. I'll miss the paper, but electronic versions would be more likely to be reread than sit in the bottom of my closet in a box and plastic sleeves collection dust like my X-calibur and Elf Quest does. So, I was wondering what peoples opinions were on paper versus electronic and if I do go electronic who should I go with?

Second:What should I get?
I really enjoyed the Iron Man/Captain America tpb y'all suggested last time. And the Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes Ultimate Collection, gave me a good grounding on the teams overall history and beginnings. While I didn't have the money, Red Zone was suggested and sounded like a good one to get. If I do go electronic, I wouldn't be adverse to picking up one of the titles. At 4 dollars a pop(rounded up), more than one would be a bit steep for me. I need some money left over in my book budget for each month. :P

So suggestions on which collection/books I should perhaps pick up would be great. I'm still really hesitant to pick up and read the extreme angst fest that is the Civil War. Especially since, as I understand it, reading just the Civil War book leaves out a lot of the plot. I'm definitely thinking of grabbing Red Zone, lucre_noin did a good job on selling me on it earlier.

Psst, I don't know if I tagged this right. Let me know if there is a tag I should add or if misunderstood the tags I used.

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I tend to skip around a lot comics wise, so I won't recommend anything there, but it might by wise to go with comixology over marvel if you also like anything from DC, and if you have a Kindle and don't want to root it.

Comixology is available through apple, google store, amazon app store, and online. Marvel you can only get through the google and apple stores are online. I prefer Marvel's reader better though, it'll show the whole page and then zoom into the speech bubbles for you.

So if you go digital and don't have a kindle fire to worry about or don't care about rooting it, I would get the Marvel App.

On a side note, both apps sell comics by issue or by collection for a reduced price. It makes it pretty convenient.

I don't have a kindle. While I have a Nook simple touch, I was planning on reading them on my computer, my android phone and when I can snag it, my mom's Nexus 7.

That does sound pretty convenient.

I would go the Comixology route if you're looking to purchase single digital issues. They do frequent sales of older issues, making them more reasonable but still not as cheap as crawling through the scary boxes at my local used book store.

Marvel Digital's (http://comicstore.marvel.com/) app, at least for Android, is crap. It's been crap for ages and I don't see it improving anytime soon. However, if you don't mind reading in a browser (this works on my tablet too, kind of) and want the best bang for the buck, take a look at Marvel's digital unlimited (https://marvel.com/comics/unlimited). They lag behind on new releases, hafta squeeze every cent out of their customers apparently, but it's a good way to catch up on a ton of history in a hurry without going broke. It's also easier to run down all of the tie-in issues surrounding events. IIRC a single month's subscription is kinda high, but for a year it's more reasonable. Also, if you do subscribe, do a google search first for discount codes. There's almost always one lurking out there somewhere.

For new stuff, the sad truth is you'll save a ton if you can wait six months and buy the collected TPB. Amazon has such nice discounts.

Specific recs, are you looking for a focus on particular characters, team-y stuff, big plot points, more casual fun?

Edited 2013-04-19 00:47 (UTC)

I was given a month of digital unlimited for the xmas before last. That's where I read beginning of Avenger's Prime and a bunch of other stuff. Unfortunately, it seemed to have a theme of only giving you just enough to get interested. And had big holes that covered most the must read story lines people talked about. I was able to read Extremis and most of ultimate Iron Man(aka the blue boy.) They didn't have Avengers Disassembled and only a first few there of New Avengers and they only had a few what if issues from civil war. I found the whole thing rather frustrating and didn't choose to get another month. Has the catalogue of what they offered changed?

Most my experience with canon Avenger stuff has been MCU and the EMH cartoon. My favorites by far are Iron Man, Wasp and Hawkeye. Captain America in EMH was sorts flat. Unfortunately with the large time skip in the Captain America movie, most of the character building for him happened in the Avengers movie. I'm looking forward to the next Captain America movie to see hoe he develops. That being said, I really enjoy the Steve portrayed in the 616 fics I've read. I also really like the iron man/captain america trade paperback I have. It has been reread several times. :P So, I'd like to get to know 616 Steve/Captain America more. I'm also aware(or I should say been told) that Hawkeye in 616 has a different characterization and background in EMH then in 616. I've read his introduction to the Avengers in that one Trade paperback I have. Him breaking into the mansion amuses me to no end.

That was a bit of meandering, but I guess what I'm looking for, covers a couple points and does not need to be necessarily in the same story line.
- I want to learn more about what people are talking about when they talk about the various Avengers. Like Carol! I'd love to get to know her, so many people seem to really like her as a character.
- I'd like reading character and plot development of individuals, the team and the two together.
- I don't mind angst(it is marvel after all) but right now where my life is I want any angsty plot arc to have some resolution at the end and not to dump the reader feeling defeated and hopeless.(I want what I buy to be something I would reread) I definitely would like at least one of the things I pick up to have a quote unquote happy end.
- Tying in to the first point I'd like to get something that covers a major plot point. I think if get red zone though I'd have that covered? Unless ya'll have a better solution.

I don't know if that helps?

I've found holes in digital unlimited, but it's usually the recent stuff or a couple issues smack in the middle of something old (like, from the '70s) for no good reason. I just checked, and they definitely have all of New Avengers (the issues were added between 2007 and 2011), all of Avengers Prime, all of Disassembled, most/all of Civil War. (Know they have the main event and series tie-ins, and I've tracked down some kind of obscure CW related stuff there too.)

Part of the problem is that the trades seem to be collected under the name of the story arc, if there is one (Disassembled; Red Zone). Outside the TPB, Red Zone ran in Avengers volume 3 #65-70. MCDU's search engine is so terrible that it's almost always easiest to search for by individual issue number. Like, searching for Red Zone doesn't bring up the issues, searching for "Avengers v3 65" brings up a freaking reference to the issues but not the issues themselves. I found it under "Avengers 65" and then Avengers (1998 - 2004). And then, #67 shows up as unavailable from the actual page, but if you click the read button from the overall listing it does load.

I guess MCDU's slogan should be We probably have it, how hard are you willing to work to find it, sucker?

Team type recs are probably the way to go, since you'll get interaction between Steve and Tony (not all that common in their solo stuff) and a bunch of others.

New Avengers #1 is the logical jump in point for modern Avengery goodness. It picks up after Disassembled.

I don't agree with all of these (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/02/the-25-greatest-avengers-stories?page=1), but there are definitely good ones in there. Anything catch your interest?

The current run of Avengers (it's up to #9) and Avengers Assemble (up to #14) are the ongoing team + Steve and Tony books to look at. Avengers is all worlds-being-destroyed cosmic-entities-in-tight-shiny-outfits, while Assemble is more banter-over-breakfast lizard-people-in-the-sewers speed.

For Steve, you'll hear people mention Brubaker's Captain America. That's volume 5, which covers a lot of ground (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America_%28vol._5%29). Consider it background for the CA2 movie.

If you want to go old school, Tales of Suspense is the title where Iron Man (and Pepper, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Agent 13, a lot of villains) were introduced. Starting at #58, each book was split between an Iron Man story and a Cap story, with appearances by other Avengers too. A lot of the stuff has since been retconned, but modern writers keep returning to these old stories for inspiration.

After wrestling with it in my head for a bit, I think I'm going to go with the unlimited. I was orginially thinking of going for just a month and making a list of what to read, but my mom told me it is just another 15 dollars get the annual subscription. She has a point to 5 dollars a month is a great deal even with a 6 month lag. Did some research and in general there seems to be 6 month lag on new stuff.

Now that I'm not going after just 2 trade paperbacks I'm torn on where to start. Though I'll probably go read red zone first. Also probably hit the other comics covered in the tbp people have mentioned in this post.

After that... I've heard differing advice on whether to start with new avengers, disassembled or avengers forever.

I just saw that Marvel finally released an Android app that will access the unlimited digital sub. About to install it, I hope it doesn't suck...

Avengers Forever is a side series thing, so you could start there. And then Disassembled leads into New Avengers.

I've noticed from the reviews of it, that it works for some people, and for others it only works partically or not at all. Unfortunately, my phone(or maybe it is because I'm running Jellybean 4.2) is one of the ones where the swipe(page turn) function doesn't work. :(

Here's hoping there is a patch sooner rather than later.

Well, bugger. I was kinda hoping the app would be decent since it took them so freaking long to release it.

My standard recc for people wanting to read some Avengers or Cap & Tony stuff is Avengers Prime. It deals some some post-Civil War issues, but it's more standalone than most Marvel stuff is. The art and writing are really good.

I've read the first few issues of that back when I had the unlimited digital. That is definitely a good idea.

Red Zone is definitely a good one. I also recommend Avengers Prime.

If you want something that is just Iron Man, Extremis is very good, or Mask in the Iron Man, which is the living armor arc.

For just Cap, I highly recommend Captain America The Fighting Avenger. The artwork alone was enough to sell me on this book.

The living armor arc might be a good thing to grab I hear it mentioned and talked about often.

What does Captain America: The fighting Avenger cover?

That book has 4 different issues in it. There is the one that gives the book it's title. It's a good story about Steve's first day on the job, during WWII. He's very much an adorable little rookie. :-)

The other three are Marvel Adventures. One is mostly a solo Steve tale, as he helps to save a baby rhino. It's not as dumb as it sounds, honest. :-) The other two feature the whole Avengers team.

"Shields are not for throwing, shields are not for throwing!"

ha ha ha I get that now.

The story with Bartleby is awesome :)

Marvel Digital unlimited had all but MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #37 to read.

So thoughts: the various code names for captain america had me cracking up. Iron Man sleeping through Cap's presentation priceless. Storms comment about selling more posters than cap made me actually chuckle out loud. Natasha spending several pages just walking around on her hands, I just don't know what to say to that.. Baetleby just left a big smile on my face. I'm going to have to read more Marvel Adventures.

I'm glad you liked them! I haven't read much Marvel Adventures myself, but I know I should. From what I've seen, they all just look so cute. :-)

Hawkeye.

That is all.

wait. da very first pages of the new hawkeye comic. best comic ever, etc. etc.

Edited 2013-04-19 09:15 (UTC)

Heh, over on be_compromised, they get all excited every time a new issue comes out. It definitely makes we want to read it, but it will just limit me down to Clint and I'd not see much of tony and the other avengers yea? So maybe I should wait and pick up the trade around xmas(if one will be out by then?

Tony did a cameo in the Christmas issue (#6) and he mentions Cap quite a lot, but you're right. The premise of the book is "What Hawkeye does when he's not being an Avenger."

HOWEVER, it's not a humongous story line and it's SO MUCH FUN. You simply CAN'T deprive yourself. I personally didn't like issues 4 & 5, but the rest are magnificent.

The first 3 are on MDCU and well worth catching. Seriously, you won't regret it.

Edited 2013-05-07 04:22 (UTC)

I read em and did enjoy then. Have to wait for the next issue to be published on unlimited now. :P

Marvel Unlimited had the first 3 issues, so I just have to wait for the next one.

I recommend Marvel Unlimited-less than 60 bucks for a year's subscription. Thousands upon and of comics.

It was kind of a "gateway drug" for me though, as I got impatient waiting for newer stuff/basis in issues. I like the digital stuff, but I'm also now getting paper. it's nice that I can read my comics anywhere. My phone is kind of small, though.

The Marvel app for Android is the same as the comixology app, as far as I can tell.

hrmmm, mayhaps, giving another chance to marvel unlimited might be worth a try, for reading background stuff, or previewing something to buy. But, I think I'd want to work out a list before hand of what I want to read(check out) to see if it actually is available on there.(If that is actually possible.)

I've ended up deciding to go with this, after debating with myself and doing research. any suggestions where to start? That is an awful lot of comics.

It is an INCREDIBLE amount of comics.

I started out last Summer, after Avengers came out, so I feel your pain. I actually started by reading some collections from the library. Matt Fraction and Salvadore Larocca's Invincible Iron Man run blew my socks off, so after reading that, I developed a time line of what came before and after it and TRIED to read things somewhat in order (I say TRIED because it's not as straightforward as you might assume).

I picked the Avengers Disassembled storyline as an arbitrary starting point.

I took several short cuts and detours. My foray into the Marvel Adventures The Avengers (the more "juvenile," light-hearted line) was one that I enjoyed. I also enjoyed cutting over to the Ultimates. I know a lot of people don't like the Ultimates, but I kind of do - I think of it as a harder-edged AU where our heroes aren't quite so nice. I took a couple of days when I was sick in January to read the Ultimate Spider-man books from start to finish, which was well worth doing. That's a wonderful book.

I recently got back to what I started in the first place, and finally worked my way up to Civil War (and I'm glad I didn't jump right into it,because it's a depressing read even though it's REALLY excellent) and I'm now somewhere after Secret Invasion, but before Cap Reborn. I kind of read all around Civil War for most of the last six months, running up on it and then backing away or skipping over it.

The new Fraction/Aja Hawkeye, which I LOVE like BURNING (some of them are available on MDCU), lead me to find any Hawkeye stories I could find.

In fact, if I were to say "START HERE" for a fan of the Avengers movie, I would probably say you've got to read the current Hawkeye book - that's the one I practically forced my son to read and he's hooked now. If I were to say "START HERE" for an Iron Man fan, I would say you've got to read Fraction's Invincible Iron Man. Extremis is also a good starting point, but I was kind of glad I started with a post-Civil War title. If I were to say "START HERE" for a Cap fan, I would say start with Captain America (2002-2004). For Avengers generally, I would probably advise starting with either Avengers (1998 - 2004) or with New Avengers (2004 - 2010). Probably the former.

My big "DON'T start here" is DON'T start with Civil War, particularly if you like Cap/Iron Man. It'll break your heart in 927 pieces.

Sprinkle liberally with characters that catch your fancy, and cleanse the palette with some Marvel Adventures and/or Ultimates, depending upon the tone and flavor of AU that you prefer (light or dark, respectively). Marvel Adventures is just a lot of fun - lots of laughs and nothing too heavy. The current Kelly McConnick title "Avengers Assemble" is like that, too, for the first dozen issues. The three most recent ones have been heavier, but issues 9 - 11 are a hilarious little slice of Avengers heaven.

I guess, to sum up, I started with my favorite characters and followed the lines that grabbed me. I confess that I have very little interest in the earlier stuff (pre-90's) - I find the art and the story lines tiresome. Books get re-booted and reinvented for new readers all the time, so important events from the characters' pasts tend to get re-visited anyway. For example, I just read Captain America 601 which had some nice background on the Cap and Bernie Rosenthal story, which I was aware of, but hadn't read.

Because of the way comics timelines compress in real time, I got a big kick out of Cap's "original" Avengers ID card being signed by President Bill Clinton in that same issue.

I've ended up deciding to go with this, after debating with myself and doing research. any suggestions where to start? That is an awful lot of comics.

If you go digital, you might want to try out the reading formats for both comixology and marvel's digital before you decide on one or the other. They should both have some samples up that you can browse for free. I love comixology's presentation and kind of hate marvel's, personally.

I'm not too familiar with Avengers comics (if that's all you're interested in) except for Marvel Adventures: Avengers, one of the child friendly books that I use as an antidote to stuff like civil war. Not high quality lit but cute and fun stuff that happens outside the main universe.

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Some Comic help

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