Comics You Should Read, Really

Cleaning out my Drafts folder...

Every now and again I will give you Cliff's Comics He Thinks You All Should Read:

All Star Superman #2. Mythic, the perfect way to get ready for Superman Returns this summer at the movies. Grant Morrison artfully distills 70 years of Supermanicana within his own superimaginative patois, and I want to buy a page of Frank Quietly art from this book and frame it. Head over to Chuck at Seeley and Kane's and pick this up and issue 1 and you will be in business. Heady stuff.

Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy #1. Back in the 50's and 60's Joe Kubert revolutionized comic book storytelling for all generations to come, the beginning of the cinematic comic artist, and with this book he's back to challenge all comers. Fantastic storytelling, a gritty, pitch perfect WWII comic that is beatifully drawn, perfectly colored, and each page a masters class in the art of comic book storytelling, and how and why they are taking over the movies.

And coming up and back in a few weeks is Joss Whedon and John Cassiday's titanic Astonishing X-Men #13 (after a brief hiatus so they can faithfully make their monthly dates for this 12 issue run), and if you want to get on board for this legendary run find yourself a copy of Astonishing X-Men: The Saga, a nice encapsulation Cliff Notes version of their magnificent first 12 issues, or better yet pick up the nice trade paperbacks of all 12 issues and go nuts. Also breathtakingly cinematic, bold, with amazing dialogue, crisp storytelling and sharp, mythic appraisals of these classic characters (also contemporary cinema fodder). If these guys can do 36 issues this might be the best run on X-Men ever.