Vertigo books:

DMZ
Scalped
Y The Last Man
Fables

Wildstorm books to read:

Ex Machina
Desolation Jones

Non-continuity DC Books to read:

The Golden Age
New Frontier
Kingdom Come
Dark Knight Returns
All-Star Superman
Superman: Red Son

DCU Books to read:

Manhunter
JLA
Birds of Prey
Detective Comics
Batman
Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes

With the exception of some of the non-continuity books listed, I've limited this to books currently being published. I also recommend trying at least one issue of anything Vertigo has ever published (Sandman, Sandman Mystery Theater, Preacher, Transmetropolitan, the Invisibles, etc. etc.) It's not all to everyone's taste, but I guarantee that Vertigo publishes or has published at least one comic that you will fall in love with.

Also: We3.

If we are suggesting DC titles to read. It's an older trade but, Gotham by Gaslight IMO was awesome.

Long as we're talking about Vertigo trades...I really enjoyed Garth Ennis' "War Stories". They take "historical fiction" (in this case, events that actually happened but focusing on characters that Ennis made up so that he can tell the tale) and just do an excellent job - you can tell Ennis really has some heavy respect for the people that fought in WWII (especially in his "Stories behind the stories" sections at the backs of the TPB's).

There's also an absolutely fantastic Vertigo series called "100 Bullets" but despite the fact that it's currently being published, I -strongly- urge you to read it in TPB form as I find it reads much better that way, especially this far into the story. The basic premise started out simple: You've suffered a great wrong and one day a man - whose name turns out to be Agent Graves - walks up to you with a portfolio containing proof of what happened to you (including who was responsible and all current info on whereabouts, habits, etc.) and one other item: a briefcase containing a gun and 100 bullets that are absolutely untraceable...even if caught in the act, Graves assures you, you will never be subjected to the law for using the gun. What do you do? That's the early premise...let's just say there's more to it than that.

You forgot JSA.

All these highbrow suggestions and I read DC books because I like the heroes:
Green Arrow (both)
Martian Manhunter
The Question (Read the 36 issue series from the late 80's, good stuff if the art is uneven sometimes)
The Atom(Ray Palmer, haven't tried the new one yet)
Red Tornado
Elongated Man
Plastic Man
Mr. Miracle, Big Barda
Superman, Krypto, Beppo, Streaky, Titano
Batman
WonderWoman
Green Lanterns
Legion of Superheroes
I'm more a team book person... expecially with limited funds.
so many more. I could easily drop $100 a month on titles if I had the money to spend.
yeah, I like the b&c&d listers, so what? but that's what you get from someone who quotes the Shogun of Harlem.


With a list like that you can tell I liked the character selection in Collateral Damage and Origin.

I don't know that a whole lot of what DC has been doing lately is really GOOD.

I mean, JSA is a 10/10 knock out of the park for me. JLA is up there. 52 is as well. But everything else I read in DC is definitely in the 7/10 range.

Whereas, with Marvel, I've been turned off ever since House of M. And that's not entirely Marvel's fault. I was trying desperately to get the House of M tie-ins, as well as the core book itself, and I never got them. The store owner was very cooperative and tried to get me some pulls, but he always seemed to forget at the time. Now that he has a new system, this is no longer a problem, but it ousted me from House of M pretty severely. Which didn't help Decimation at all. Which pretty much felt like a non-event, to me. And then there seemed to be no build-up at all to Civil War, which was my biggest problem with it at the beginning. We just had no reason at all for going into that event, other than the event itself. And Tony's character changing because a woman spat on him at church, just destroyed me. As a HUGE Iron Man and Captain America fan, I was completely destroyed by Civil War, and now that Cap's dead, I don't even care about 616 Earth anymore.

Annihilation, however, has been fantastic from the beginning.

Growing up, I always gravitated towards DC. I mean the ONLY reason why I ever got into Marvel was Gambit. Gambit is my favorite hero, but marvel is not my favorite universe. I only collect one book from Marvel and that is Immortal Iron Fist which to me is tied as the number one book in comics with JSA. I'll check out X-Men starting with #200 because Gambit returns, but I'll have to see what direction they're taking him.Here is a list of the titles I read.

DC Comics
Green Arrow--My favorite DC hero and close second to Gambit as number one.
JSA--Number one book out there with IIF.
JLA
The Spirit
Green Lantern
Outsiders
Teen Titans
The Flash
Superman/Batman
The Brave and the Bold

Marvel
Immortal Iron Fist

Good luck finding the second trade. I still have the first one siting at the comic shop, because the second one is on back order. Every week I've gone to pick up my books, and have left Vol. 1 behind because I don't want to get stuck half way, without being able to finish it.

And when Vol. 2 finally comes in, Vol. 1 will be on back order! What a world we live in!

Just do what I did - well, actually I got the original issues but I wanted a collected format as well - and buy the Absolute version. "New Frontier" is one of the few that I was comfortable paying the price for that on as, frankly, I felt it deserved the snazzy hardcover and slipcase edition.

Most (not all, but most) of the "elseworlds" titles I love. Beyond G by G, I recommend the following:

Kingdom Come
Batman, Master of the Future (the continuation in the Gotham by Gaslight universe)
Superman: Red Son
All the "tabloid" books by Paul Dini/Alex Ross (especially the Shazam and the Justice League)

Front

When I was reading the 5 titles leading up to Infinite Crisis, I remember saying several times that these were great titles, 1YL would be a great jumping on point for me, and I might just buy most of the line.

Then Infinitely Boring Crisis arrived. I haven't bought a single adult DC book since, though my son still enjoys Batman Strikes and JLU.

I've always been a Marvel Zombie, and I'm determined to not interrupt my collection of Avengers with a second 10-year long break from comics, but I'm not buying a whole lot of Marvel now that Cap's dead. Stupid Civil War.

Lately I've been pickup up several of the Virgin Comics stories. I particularly like Devi, but Seven Brothers and Sadhu are also good. I love the art in Ramayan, but it's still just getting started.

I don't read Marvel anymore. In fact, I hate Marvel. I loath Marvel. That started on March 7th.

I used to collect alot from marvel: Captain America, New Avengers, Ultimates, New Universal, Ultimate Power, Daredevil, Iron Fist, and about three other titles I can't think of.

I told my comic store to stop everything from Marvel.

I already had these from DC: Outsiders, Teen Titans, Flash, Green Arrow. I added more DC: JLA, JSA, Green Lantern, Batman/Superman, The Spirit, The Brave and the Bold.

Thanks Marvel, for letting me add more DC!

If you're looking for a fun title - that I think you son might enjoy as well - from DC to supplement your comic purchases while wading through Civil War mop-up (and not wanting to go "mainstream DC" but not necessarily Vertigo either) may I recommend "The Spirit"? I have yet to fail enjoying an issue and it's just a good simple - yet still meaty - return to the roots of comics.

I've raved multiple times over JLU as a comic any fan should give a try as even the so-so stories are still better than much of what I see dished out each week (heck, they made me want to read another story with Vibe!) and the ones they hit out of the ballpark are fantastic (essential Batman reading: last December's Christmas issue with Batman, Flash and Phantom Stranger - that scene with Bruce at his first Christmas after his parent's death gets to me every time). Glad to see someone else buys it, even if it's for his kid. (Of course, I also read "Mary-Jane Loves Spider-Man" so maybe I'm just looking for a bit more traditional comic fare of late).

Yeah, I love reading "The Spirit". Something about the old school art and the classic story in each issue is a good blend. I like it, at least give it a look.