Ciao!

AH-Hah! I beat Dahl to it! I get to post the list of mustreads:

First off, if you like the DKR...you will love Miller's stint on Daredevil. The movie was fun, but I don't think it really captured the nobility of the character: Marvel's answer to Batman.

The Watchmen is the next obvious choice of reading. Not only widely accepted as the "best comic ever besides the dark knight returns" but truly a cerebral endeavor. It's a story that develops with each perusal in much the way that I think Star Wars WISHES it did (I love Star Wars by the way).

When it comes down to badassness, I can only recommend the X-men. Unfortunately, it is large in scope and broad in pocketbook. Arrghh...limited space...losing consciousness...

I suggest that Josh and Josh and anyone else help me with this, but there are specific X-men issues that are just plain bold:

The issue were Storm sacrifices her elemental power to protect the scalawag criminal, Rogue, from fascist American protection gangsters.

The issue where, in a fit of dejection, Dazzler tries to bring down the Juggernaut in a Scottish (Irish?) snowfield.

The issue where Kitty Pride, a fourteen year old girl, faced an angry mob of bigoted college students.

When Kitty tried to smoke one of Wolverine's cigars.

When Wolverine fought Sabretooth alongside Psylocke in the X-mansion.

When Rogue and Colossus mopped up the Reavers in their Australian bar.

The Genoshia thing.

The Phoenix things. (cont...)

When Angel lost his wings (not really X-men, but mostly X-factor issues)

When Storm got her mohawk (New Mutants)

The Fall of the Mutants (all series)

All of Chris Claremont's issues and most of Jim Lee's.

I know I was pretty vague, but I am sure one of the Josh's will be able to post the issue numbers of these listed issues for me and list many more important issues.

X-Men are the shit.

Love,
Micah

I'm guessing what you are looking for is primarily comics that are collected in trade form such as DKR.

I think you would enjoy Astro City by Kurt Busiek quite a bit. It plays with the idea of superhero comics in an interesting fashion; looking at the effect of superheroes in the world would really be like on a human level from both the heroes and normal people's perspectives. The Confession is a really good collection under that title, but then again, I think they all are.

While not accurately fitting into the superhero genre, Planetary by Warren Ellis is also an amazing...metacomicesque book. There is an ongoing storyline of three powered individuals searching the world for the strange; but all the strange things they find mimic either specific comic related themes/characters, or different styles of fiction in general. Good on a lot of levels...I have the collections thus far if you want them.

The Invisibles is a different type of comics...it might not be your style, but I enjoy it.

www.artbomb.net might be a good site for you to visit as well. The brainpowered articles might turn you on to somethings, or just the general reviews. Seperated by genre too...fun stuff.

Interesting question about European super heroes. At first I thought I wouldn't know any but actually I think you could count "Asterix and Obelix". (from France but translated into so many languages)

This is about a gaulic village permanently beating of Julius Caesar (in 50 BC) due to a magic potion brewed by their druid.
It is very funny. Maybe this comic is an exception.

I think the whole concept of comics is more American than European.

If you're looking for another good Batman TPB, I recommend Batman: Arkham Asylum. It's one of the creepiest stories ever written, in any form of literature. Grant Morrison sure can write Batman, and Dave McKean created the best looking Joker ever, even better than in Dark Knight Returns.

For a different spin, I recommend Art Spiegelman's Maus: A Survivor's Tale, which tells the story of his father's life in a Nazi concentration camp through the perspective of mice (as Jews), Cats ( as Nazis), Pigs, and Frogs. It's so good that the Pulitzer Prize Board actually created a catagory specifically to honor it.

Amen on Arkam Asylum AND Maus. You may also be interested in From Hell. A little dry and not quite so actiony as X-Men, but good nonetheless. My favorite Grant Morrisson story is Flex Mentallo:Man of Muscle Mystery. Of course, I am a confirmed member of the drug culture, so it may not impress you as much.

Animal Man is great stuff.

Sandman and X-men would be my primary suggestions though. Sandman for its artistry and X-Men for its immediacy.

Love,
Micah

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. Feel free to give me more. I did go ahead and order three trade pbacks: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Year One, and Watchmen.

I leaned towards Batman, since he's a character I know. And I'd like to get Frank Miller's take on the "birth" of Batman.

If any of my "local" friends want to loan me comics (they think I'd like) to read, please let me know. I'll take very good care of them.

You should read "the authority". It is really a re-thinking of the super hero. It's violent and fun and really makes you think. In the introduction to teh first collection, Grant Morrison points out how super heroes always SAVE the world, but they never CHANGE it. The Authority DOES change it. You would like it. Thus far, my experiences in Europe have yielded no super heroes. Or at least no significant non-american tradition. Oh, the latest issue of Daredevil has a scene in Bolivia! Check it out!

-??A?, in answer to your question 'are super heroes comics a unique american art form?'
Probably. Britain (home) has long produced comics about war heroes The Victor' was the comic I used to get. They would feature stories about historical incidents from any part of European history. But these heroes don't war tights and generally can't fly. My tip for a good read "V for vendetta" by Alan Moore. This is better than watchmen - me thinks! And any thing by Will Eisner. He invented serious comic books! Wow