Here is another book recommendation, aimed at people who new comic readers who are trying to find a place to start. This is a project I’m doing for Out of Lives that started with A Beginner’s Guide to Comic Books. Most of my Tumblr followers are well-versed in comics, but in case you overlooked any of these suggestions in the past I thought I’d share these posts here:

Welcome to the fourth in a series of twenty recommendations, designed to turn the comic-curious into the comic-crazed. The first five suggestions are all self-contained volumes that require no prior knowledge or understanding, then after next weeks post we’ll graduate to some more in-depth runs and keep building from there.  If you’re new to comic books but interested in developing your knowledge, first check out A Beginner’s Guide to Comics, where we all the basics will be covered for you.

If you happen to enjoy one of the main recommendations, there are always three further books to try, that share a similar creative team, title character, or tone. So far we’ve covered a variety of genres within the medium, from straight-up superhero stories, to a handful of creator-owned projects. This time we’re going to split the difference with a Marvel book with decidedly less capes and tights:

Old Man Logan was an eight-issue run on the main Wolverine title by the superstar team of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. This was at the hight of their power, when they were fresh off a certain event book, and they were pretty much in a position to choose any project they wanted to do. For new readers, this story has the benefit of being unconnected to any continuity, as it’s set in an alternate future where the villains decided to band together with their far superior numbers and take out the superhero community for good. Very few of the old guard are left alive; only really the people who the villains have nothing to fear from. This includes a Hawkeye without the benefit of his vision, and a Wolverine who refuses to pop his claws. The reason behind Logan’s turn towards pacifism is kept secret at first, but when you are finally given the answers it will all make sense.

This is a story about two old friends taking a cross-country trip through some exceedingly unfriendly territory, in order for Logan to make enough money to keep the local mob off his family’s back for a few more weeks, only in this case the mob are also the severely inbred children of Bruce Banner. Several big characters from the wider Marvel universe make an appearance, and the world they inhabit feels remarkably fleshed out for such a short run. This is in no small part thanks to Steve McNiven’s cinematic storytelling and attention to detail. The world is quite a dire place, and there are a couple of truly gut-wrenching moments, but there’s also some levity and bombast that make the story more well-rounded, and less like a typical post-apocalyptic nightmare.

This story is said to be the inspiration for the in-production Wolverine movie, so if you’re interested in picking up a copy before that, you can find it in a single Trade Paperback, an oversized hardcover, or as part of Mark Millar’s Wolverine Omnibus, which also collects his previous run with John Romita Jr. For digital readers you’ll also find it on both Comixology and Marvel Comics Unlimited.

If you like this one you may also be interested in…

Civil War by Mark Millar & Steve McNiven

The same two creators have done a couple of books together, but the most well known is Marvel’s Civil War event. Most people will have a working knowledge of this story, and the imagery above really says all you need to know, but if you want to know more about this book you can have a look at Enduring Events: Civil War, in which the entirety of the event is discussed, from the build-up to the fallout. You can find this in trade paperback, a freshly reprinted oversized hardcover, or you can splurge on a boxset that includes all of the tie-in stories. The usual digital options are available as well.

Secret Wars: Old Man Logan by Brian Michael Bendis & Andrea Sorrentino

When the first run finished in 2009 we thought we’d seen the last of the elderly Wolverine and his hellacious western reality, but that wasn’t the case, as in 2015 alternate worlds collided in Marvel’s Secret Wars event, and Old Man Logan was given life anew. In the tie-in mini-series to Secret Wars, Wolverine went on a globe trotting journey across the domains of Battleworld, bumping into alternate versions of a variety of characters who’d managed to survive the end of all things. 

Brian Bendis cleverly builds on what Mark Millar established, and adds some of his own twists to the mythos, and Andrea Sorrentino provides some pencils that actually rival Steve McNiven’s. This short run leads into an ongoing series by the same artist, but written by his collaborator on Green Arrow, Jeff Lemire. You can collect this story in a trade paperback, an incoming Secret Wars companion hardover, or the usual digital services.

East of West by Jonathan Hickman & Nick Dragotta

If you’re looking for something in a similar dystopian-cowboy-future setting, then this might be the book for you. East of West is an ongoing series, currently in its sixth story arc. It follows the four horsemen of the apocalypse, with a particular focus on Death, but to say too much about the story would spoil something, as it is as cleverly orchestrated as science-fiction gets. 

Hickman is a meticulous planner who spends a great deal of time moving his characters around the board, revealing secrets one by one until everything is bought together in a grand finale. If that sounds like the kind of story you’d like to experience as it happens, then you can catch up on the series with the oversized Apocalypse: Year One edition, or five trade paperbacks. The entire series is also available on Comixology, and the first issue is only 69p (99c), so you can try it out for the price of a chocolate bar.

That brings us to the end of another round of recommendations. Next week will be the last time we focus on the short, standalone stories, as we’ll be moving onto slightly bigger runs of 3 to 6 volumes in length. They’ll cost you a bit more, but the rewards are even greater, as some of the best runs in comics were finished in less than six volumes. To keep track of all the future posts just bookmark the original article, and scroll down to the bottom to the index, which is updated shortly after each recommendation goes live, or just come back in a weeks time. Thanks for reading.

Welcome to the second entry in the growing list of comic recommendations. This is a project I’m doing for the Out of Lives network, and it’s aimed at people with less knowledge of the medium. I expect most of my followers are familiar with a lot of these suggestions, but there might still be some books in here that you haven’t gotten to yet.

If you’re a noob, then the best place to start would be A Beginner’s Guide to Comics, where I go through all the basics. These recommendations will take you from single volumes, to short runs, all the way up to the lengthier series.

For the second entry things are going to get emotional…

The more popular a character is, the more books are published in their name, the more convoluted their history becomes, and the more substandard stories they become involved in. That’s just the nature of this business; everyone wants to get their hands on the webslinger, but not everyone has safe hands. Finding great and accessible Spider-Man stories is a bit like ordering food at a questionable restaurant while in a foreign country. You might end up eating a lot of shit before you find something you like.

In Spider-Man: Blue, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale manage to retread one of Peter Parker’s most tragic stories (there are a lot to pick from), while juggling a handful important side-characters and half a dozen of his classic villains. It’s a look back at the classic era of Spider-Man, but through a modern lens. Tim Sale’s art style and storytelling sensibilities are perfect for this, and along with colourist Matt Hollingsworth he achieves the perfect tone for this somber story.

Along with his exclusive writing partner Jeph Loeb, these two have told a handful of emotionally resonant tales about some of Marvel’s biggest heroes, but this one is probably the most special. It’s a sharp reminder of just how tragic a figure Spider-Man is, and a great example of why he’s such a fantastic character. If you only ever read one Spider-Man book, this should be the one you choose.

This story has been released on its own in an oversized hardcover and trade paperback, but is also collected with Daredevil: Yellow and Hulk: Grey in a bigger OHC. You can also find it on Comixology and Marvel Comics Unlimited.

If you liked this you might also enjoy…

Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale

If you like what Loeb and Sale have to offer in Spider-Man: Blue, then the chances are you’ll enjoy everything they’ve done together, but The Long Halloween might be the most ambitious and significant. This is a 13-issue maxi-series that covers a full year of Batman’s early career, and in a similar way to Blue, a variety of Batman’s rogues gallery are featured. Each issue tells a fairly standalone story, but they all contribute towards a larger murder-mystery plot. 

These are the days before Robin, so Batman is a more morose and lonely figure than ever. The sequel, Dark Victory, shows how Bruce Wayne came to be the ward of the first Robin, Dick Grayson, and it makes a fantastic companion piece to this if you’re interested in seeing more. This story has been released a few times in TPB so should be easy enough to find, but if you want a really special copy then you’ll have to track down a copy of the Absolute Edition.

Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley

This run might be a bit too much for a new reader, as it’s now well over 200 issues long, but if you’re looking for something to really sink your teeth into then this might be the Spider-Man story for you. In 1999 Brian Michael Bendis was given a rare opportunity to retell the early years of Spider-Man in a brand new version of the Marvel Universe. This Ultimate universe was a modern re-telling of some of the most popular characters origins and early adventures, so during these stories Peter Parker is still in high school, living with his Aunt May, working for J. Jonah Jameson, having lots and lots of girl problems. The series has gone through many reboots, but has always retained its core sensibilities. Not only is it the most accessible long-form Spider-Man story, it’s also the most consistently well told, which is why Bendis is still writing a version of it today.

If you want to sample this title to see if its for you, then you can pick up the first TPB for cheap, just make sure you buy the one called Power and Responsibility, as they’ve reset the numbering a couple of times over the years. There are OHC’s and Ultimate Collection TPB’s that collect two volumes each, and an Omnibus that collects the first 6 volumes. You can also find the whole series on Comixology and Marvel Comics Unlimited, just look for the one with (2000) written next to the title, or you’ll end up accidentally starting halfway through. For a full reading order of Ultimate Spider-Man volumes you can use this list to guide you.

Silver Surfer: Requiem by J. Michael Straczynski & Esad Ribic

If you’re looking for something as emotionally resonant as Spider-Man: Blue there aren’t many Superhero comics that can measure up, but that’s not to say there are none at all. This four-issue mini-series  tells the story of the Silver Surfer’s final days, as he discovers that his body is deteriorating and  doesn’t have long left to live. During his long life, the Silver Surfer has travelled across the entire universe, impacting the lives of billions of people. When he puts his mind to is, JMS can be a very poetic writer, and the narration in this story effectively expresses the emotion and tragedy of what the character is going through.

Even though it’s told on a grand scale, it’s actually a very personal story about looking back on your life and saying a final goodbye to the people and places that are most important to you.  Joining Straczynski on this series is Esad Ribic, one of the few artists that still paints their interiors, and he provides some truly stunning work here. Some of the story takes place on Earth and alien worlds, but a lot of it is in the vastness of space. Ribic cleverly uses large panels of blackness to set the tone for this dark story about a man who is questioning his significance in the universe. This book is quite difficult to find in print, but you can get it digitally on Comixology and Marvel Comics Unlimited.

That brings us to the end of Comics 102. If you want to keep up with this list of suggestions, they’ll be going up on Out of Lives a few days early, and they’re all bookmarked at the bottom of this post. If you’d rather stick with Tumblr then follow me to subscribe. As always, feel free to send me your feedback and questions the normal way. Thanks for reading.

Welcome back to another guide through Marvel’s most significant runs, this time focusing on all the Avengers releated material written by Brian Michael Bendis. Please check out my blog for an archive of the previous reading lists and other posts, and remember to follow me to subscribe to future content.

This is a long and involved reading order. The Avengers franchise lead the way for the Marvel Universe (and still does to a large extent), so this run ties heavily into a number of summer events and a few stories by other writers This list will guide you down the road and tell you where each story fits together. 

All of these volumes are available in trade paperback. Everything by Bendis until Siege was released in OHC, including all the events. There is also an Omnibus that collects the first six volumes of New Avengers plus Disassembled. During the heroic age they stopped doing the OHC’s but you can get Premier Hardcovers if you’re that way inclined.

As usual, here is the key:

Bold text: Main Series
Normal text: Supplemental
CAPITALS: EVENTS/CROSSOVERS
Italics: Notes

Now let’s get started.

AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED - Brian Bendis & David Finch
For more on this story check out Enduring Events - Avengers Disassembled

SECRET WAR - Brian Bendis & Gabrielle Dell’Otto
This story takes place in two time-periods, one before Disassembled and the other after. This is the best time to read it.

Young Avengers V1: Sidekicks - Allen Heinberg & Jim Cheung

New Avengers

The first volume of New avengers is available across seven Oversized Hardcovers and there is an Omnibus collecting the first six volumes with Disassembled, as well as the individual PHC/TPB’s listed below:

New Avengers V1: Breakout - Brian Bendis & David Finch
New Avengers V2: Sentry - Brian Bendis & Steve McNiven
The first volume picks up right where Disassembled left off, and the second introduces The Illuminati for the first time.

Young Avengers V2: Family Matters - Allen Heinberg & Jim Cheung

HOUSE OF M - Brian Bendis & Olivier Coipel
The first big event story which crosses over with Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men team. For more on this event check out Enduring Events - House of M

New Avengers V3: Secrets and Lies - Brian Bendis & David Finch
New Avengers V4: The Collective - Brian Bendis & Steve McNiven

Road to Civil War: Illuminati - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
CIVIL WAR - Mark Millar & Steve McNiven
New Avengers V5: Civil War - Brian Bendis & Various
Road to Civil War contains an Illuminati one-shot by Bendis that acts as a prelude to Civil War and sets up the Planet Hulk storyline. However you collect this, make sure it includes the Confession one-shot by Bendis. 

Mighty Avengers

Mighty Avengers was collected in two OHC’s as well as the regular PHC/TPB’s.

Mighty Avengers V1: The Ultron Initiative - Brian Bendis & Frank Cho
New Avengers V6: Revolution - Brian Bendis & Leinil Yu
From this point Mighty Avengers and New Avengers take place side by side and regularly interact with each other.

Planet Hulk - Greg Pak & Various
WORLD WAR HULK - Greg Pak & John Romita Jr
These books follow up on Civil War: Illuminati, but don’t have any noticeable ramifications for the rest of the Avengers books.

Thunderbolts V1: Faith in Monsters - Warren Ellis & Mike Deodato
Thunderbolts V2: Caged Angels - Warren Ellis & Mike Deodato
These books become relevant after Secret Invasion, and this is probably the best time to read them.

Mighty Avengers V2 Venom Bomb - Brian Bendis & Mark Bagley
New Avengers V7 The Trust - Brian Bendis & Leinil Yu

NEW AVENGERS: THE ILLUMINATI - Brian Bendis & Jim Cheung
This is a series of one-shot focusing on the early adventures of The Illuminati, jumping forward in time each issue and eventually arriving at the beginning of Secret Invasion. 

SECRET INVASION -Brian Bendis & Leinil Yu
New Avengers V8: Secret Invasion Book 1 - Brian Bendis & Various
New Avengers V9: Secret Invasion Book 2 - Brian Bendis & Various
Mighty Avengers V3: Secret Invasion Book 1 - Brian Bendis & Various
Mighty Avengers V4: Secret Invasion Book 2 - Brian Bendis & Various
Secret Invasion is the culmination of what started in the first issue of New Avengers. For more details check out Enduring Events - Secret Invasion

Secret Warriors V1-6 - Jonathan Hickman & Caselli/Vitti
This series picks up with the Caterpillar team from Secret Invasion and tells it’s own massive story. Check out the Hickman’s Marvel Reading List for more information about how this fits into the jigsaw.

Spider-Woman Agent of S.W.O.R.D. - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
The character goes through some things in Secret Invasion, this picks up from there. If you like Bendis & Maleev together then here is the time to read this.

Dark Avengers

Bendis’ issues of Dark Avengers have been collected into a single OHC as well as the individual volumes listed below.

Dark Avengers V1: Assemble - Brian Bendis & Mike Deodato
Dark Avengers V2: Molecule Man - Brian Bendis & Mike Deodato
This is a spiritual continuation of the Thunderbolts idea, and the biggest ramification of Secret Invasion is explored here. 

New Avengers V10: Power - Brian Bendis & Billy Tan
New Avengers V11: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme - Bendis & Billy Tan
New Avengers V12: Powerloss - Brian Bendis & Stuart Immonen

SIEGE - Brian Bendis & Olivier Coipel
Siege: Dark Avengers - Brian Bendis & Mike Deodato
Siege: Avengers - Brian Bendis & Various
These three books comprise the entirety of the Siege storyline and mark an end to this age of the Marvel Universe. for more information on the Siege event check out Enduring Events - Siege

Avengers: Prime - Brian Bendis & Alan Davis
This is a segue between Siege and Avengers, it isn’t necessary to understanding the overall Avengers story, but if you want more Bendis its here.

Heroic Age

Avengers Volume 1 - Brian Bendis & John Romita Jr
Avengers Volume 2 - Brian Bendis & John Romita Jr
At the start of the Heroic Age this book feels more like the flagship title, focusing on the main Avengers team that moves into Avengers Tower,

New Avengers Volume 1 - Brian Bendis & Stuart Immonen
New Avengers Volume 2 - Brian Bendis & Stuart Immonen
New Avengers continues to focus on the more street-level characters, lead by Luke Cage after the team moves into Avengers Mansion.

Secret Avengers V1: Mission to Mars - Ed Brubaker & Mike Deodato
Secret Avengers V2: Eyes of the Dragon - Ed Brubaker & Mike Deodato
Secret Avengers V3: Run the Mission… - Warren Ellis & Various
These volumes have more to do with Ed Brubakers Captain America and Iron Fist runs, and they’ll appear in future reading lists.

FEAR ITSELF - Matt Fraction & Stuart Immonen
Fear Itself: Avengers - Brian Bendis & Various
It’s debatable as to whether Fear Itself is essential reading. The ramifications are felt in Thor and Captain America rather than Avengers, but to understand Bendis’ tie-in issues you might want to read the event itself.

Avengers Volume 3 - Brian Bendis & Daniel Acuna
New Avengers Volume 3 - Brian Bendis & Mike Deodato

YOUNG AVENGERS: CHILDREN’S CRUSADE - Allen Heinberg & Jim Cheung
This story is a follow-up to Young Avengers by the same creative team. It involves the Avengers and has some lasting impact which is dealt with in AvX.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN - Bendis/Hickman/Brubaker/Aaron/Fraction & Various
Avengers Volume 4: AvX - Brian Bendis & Walter Simonson
New Avengers Volume 4: AvX - Brian Bendis & Mike Deodato
This event finally concludes the story that started in House of M and ran through the X-Men line for the next several years.

Avengers Volume 5 - Brian Bendis & Brandon Peterson
New Avengers Volume 5 - Brian Bendis & Mike Deodato
These final volumes of each series wrap up a lot of loose ends, but Avengers also contains two annuals that play into Age of Ultron.

Avengers Assemble Volume 1 - Brian Bendis & Mark Bagley
This volume was deliberately kept continuity-light and involved the same team line-up as the movie to create an accessible book for new readers. The Guardians of the Galaxy also feature heavily, but it’s not essential to the story.

Moon Knight Volume 1 - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Moon Knight Volume 2 - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Another Bendis & Maleev series, included because of it’s implications for Age of Ultron, and because it’s a good read.

AGE OF ULTRON - Brian Bendis & Bryan Hitch/Various
This is the story that finally closes the doors on Bendis’ years long run on The Avengers. It also has ramifications on the time stream which are felt in the Ultimate Universe, and play into Hickman’s Avengers as well as Bendis’ X-Men.

I hope you have found this reading list informative. This is a long and sprawling run through several years of continuity. Please check out the other posts on my blog and remember to like/follow. Thanks for reading.

I’ve been getting some questions about what should be read and why something isn’t included, and I’m happy to answer those as they come up, but I think it might be helpful if I supplement my regular posts with reading lists where they’re relevant. 

The goal of my organisation technique is to keep as many books as possible in some sort of reading order. It’s something that I give a lot of thought to and over the last few years I’ve created some reading lists to help other people.

Everyone’s personal reading list will be slightly different, but this is mine. Most of these books can be found on Marvel Comics Unlimited, and the physical formats are described below.

All my reading lists follow the same format and I’ll include the following key with each one.

Bold text: Main Series
Normal text: Supplemental
CAPITALS: EVENTS/CROSSOVERS
Italics: Notes

Daredevil is a character with an abundance of fantastic material, it’s embarrassing really. Everything is broken down by creator and I’ll highlight jumping on points by separating runs into blocks.

Daredevil: Yellow - Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale
A great prequel story set during the early days of his career, available in Premier HC, Paperback or the OHC which also contains Spider-Man: Blue and Hulk: Gray

Frank Miller’s Run

This is the Chronological order for Frank Miller’s Daredevil, there is a bit more you can get in a companion book but I don’t want to complicate things too much. This isn’t the order the books were released in and outside of the numbered volumes these books can be read in any order. 

There is an omnibus that collects the numbered volumes and the second collects the supplemental material. There’s also an Elektra Omnibus, all of which are being reprinted for a second time in 2016.

Daredevil: Man Without Fear - Frank Miller & John Romita Jr
Elektra: Assassin - Frank Miller & Bill Sienkiewicz
Daredevil Volume 1 - Frank Miller
Daredevil Volume 2 - Frank Miller
Daredevil Volume 3 - Frank Miller
Daredevil: Born Again - Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
Elektra Lives Again - Frank Miller

Ann Nocenti had a good run on Daredevil, but only some of it has been collected in trades, the full issues are 236, 238–245, 247–257, 259-291, 500. This is the time to read those issues if you’re interested. The most notable volume is probably Typhoid Mary with John Romita Jr. An Epic Collection for this run has been solicited for January 2016.

Daredevil V1: Guardian Devil - Kevin Smith & Joe Quesada
Daredevil V2: Parts of a Hole - David Mack & Joe Quesada

I wouldn’t miss these volumes as there are some big developments, a character is introduced who returns later, and the art is fantastic.

Brian Bendis’ Run

These volumes are collected in two out of print Omnibus editions, five oversized hardcovers (V2-6), three Ultimate Collection paperbacks, and the individual volumes listed below. 

Daredevil V3: The Wake - Brian Bendis & David Mack

Daredevil V4: Underboss - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Daredevil V5: Out - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Daredevil V6: Lowlife - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Daredevil V7: Hardcore - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev 

Daredevil V8: Echo: Vision Quest - David Mack
This volume is a departure from the story Bendis and Maleev are telling, but it’s well worth reading.

Alias V1-4 - Brian Bendis & Michael Gaydos
This is a good time to read Bendis’ Alias series as it’s loosely connected to his Daredevil run. They share some of the same supporting characters and Jessica Jones works as one of Matt Murdock’s bodyguards for a time. This run is available in an Omnibus, two Ultimate Collections or four paperbacks.

Daredevil V9: King of Hells Kitchen - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Daredevil V10: The Widow - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Daredevil V11: Golden Age - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Daredevil V12: Decalogue - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev
Daredevil V13: The Murdock Papers - Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev

This is the end of Bendis & Maleev’s run and it’s left on quite the cliffhanger. At this point you can read Daredevil: End of Days as it’s the spiritual final volume of Bendis’ run, but it technically takes place at the end of the continuity so I’m listing it last. 

Ed Brubaker’s Run

Daredevil: The Devil Inside and Out V1 - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark
Daredevil: The Devil Inside and Out V2 - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark

Immortal Iron Fist - Ed Brubaker/Matt Fraction & David Aja
This is a good time to read Iron Fist, it picks up with where Danny Rand leaves off in Daredevil at this point, plus it’s fantastic. It’s available in a Complete Collection of three trade paperbacks.

Daredevil: Hell to Pay V1 - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark
Daredevil: Hell to Pay V2 - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark
Daredevil: Cruel and Unusual - Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
Daredevil: Lady Bullseye - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark
Daredevil: Return of the King - Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark

These volumes are available in two Omni’s, three Ultimate Collections, or the seven trade paperbacks outlines above.

Daredevil: Father - Joe Quesada
If you want to take a break from the main story this is a good time to read this volume, which is an exploration of Daredevil’s relationship with his father… but the real draw of this book is the fantastic artwork.

At this point Brubaker leaves the book in another cliffhanger, unfortunately this one isn’t as satisfyingly resolved. Andy Diggle’s run starts off well but goes downhill fast. They are the minimum you need to follow the story, or you can skip them altogether if you’re not worried about continuity. 

Daredevil: The Devil’s Hand - Andy Diggle & Various
Daredevil: Shadowland - Andy Diggle & Antony Johnston
SHADOWLAND - Andy Diggle & Billy Tan
Daredevil: Reborn - Andy Diggle & Davide Gianfelice

Mark Waid’s Run

This is Daredevil’s return to form, though with a very different tone to what came before. These stories are being collected in 5 OHC’s as well as the individual volumes listed below:

Daredevil Volume 1 - Mark Waid & Paulo Rivera
Daredevil Volume 2 - Mark Waid & Marcos Martin
Daredevil Volume 3 - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Daredevil Volume 4 - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Daredevil Volume 5 - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Daredevil Volume 6 - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Daredevil Volume 7 - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee

Marvel NOW Relaunch

Daredevil V1: Devil at Bay - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Daredevil V2: West-Case Scenario - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Daredevil V3: The Daredevil You Know - Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Daredevil V4: The Autobiography of Matt Murdock - Waid & Samnee

This concludes Mark Waid’s fantastic run on Daredevil, after which the series is being relaunched by Charles Soule and Ron Garney in the ‘All-New Marvel’

Daredevil End of Days: Brian Bendis & Janson/Maleev/Mack/Sienkewicz
This is the final Daredevil story which can be read any time after Bendis run.

I hope people find this useful, if the feedback is good I’ll include more of these in future. If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know, and come back tomorrow for the next shelf reveal. Thanks for reading.

Welcome to another entry in the Wishlist. Most of these posts will be about longer series that deserve to be given an Omnibus, but there are some shorter runs that are just as deserving of an oversized treatment.

As a writer Bendis is well-respected at Marvel, and a lot of his work is published in an oversized format, but there are some glaring omissions. Bendis teams up with some of the best artists in the industry, like Steve McNiven, Olivier Coipel, Sara Pichelli, and (my personal favourite) Alex Maleev.

Some artists just deserve to have their work printed in the best possible format, and Maleev is one of them. Most of his collaborations with Bendis are available in OHC, but there are a few exceptions.

Moon Knight by Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev

Moon Knight is a character that has a loyal fan base, but a lack of great material. There have been some decent runs, but the quality has been fairly inconsistent. When Bendis started his run it was quite different to what came before.

The setting changed from New York to Los Angeles, where Marc Spector produces a TV show based on his own origin story and superhero exploits. That just serves as a backdrop to the main story, where Moon Knight comes up against the local super-mob and comes into possession of the head of Ultron.

Not only does the book move to a new setting, the supporting cast changes as well. Echo from Bendis’ Daredevil run is bought in, and Moon Knight’s mutliple personalities switch from millionaire Steven Grant and every-man Jake Lockley, to Spider-Man, Wolverine and Captain America.

This made for a great twist, as people new to the character are instantly familiar with the personalities at war in Moon Knight’s mind, and the three have such different outlooks and methodologies that it made for some interesting internal narration. 

It didn’t go down as well with the Moon Knight purists, as some people felt it was more of a stunt than a plot device, and it wasn’t the same character they know and love. But it made for a pretty entertaining read while it lasted.

The run only went for 11 issues, which is collected in two trades. Sadly the second one is out of print and no longer easy to find at cover-price, so it would make sense for this book to be re-printed. Maleev’s art should be reason enough to go with the Oversized Hardcover instead of the Complete Collection format.

How would you feel about a Deluxe version of this series? What series do you have on your wishlist? Let me know and I might write about them next time. Otherwise, please check out my reading lists, story recaps, and other posts using the links provided. Thanks for reading

As I previously mentioned in The New Order Part I, the knock-on effect of expanding my Big-Two collection has been that all the creator-driven titles that made their home on the main bookcase have been displaced.

Fortunately there was a contingency plan in place, as (the shelves formerly known as) the Multimedia bookcase had plenty of room for expansion. The top two rows have remained the same as before…

The shelves in the main bookcase have fixed widths, but one of the benefits of the Expedit range is that you can build it without fixing the dividers, then slide them in where you like.

I previously had quite a few of Bendis and BKV’s books in the Secret Stash, but opening up the third row has allowed room for some of my favourite creators to have all their books on display. 

As Bendis, Brubaker and Vaughan release more and more boks I’ll have to do some shuffling around, but the versatility of this bookcase allows for that much more than the combined Billy units did.

One of the other benefits of the Expedit shelves is that they’re deep enough to fit a deluxe edition on either side. This unit isn’t backed against a wall, it’s sideways on as it’s used to divide the room in half. On the other side there are even more books…

The thing about moving the dividers around is that it effects both sides of the bookcase. I’ve tried to use the space as logically as possible for the amount of books I have in each section.

This side is all grouped by Publisher rather than creator. The top row is for hardcovers and the second row is for paperbacks. The Vertigo paperbacks are beneath the Vertigo hardcovers and the same goes for the Image books.

This is a more functional side as this is where my desk is. I’m not as concerned with presentation here, so there aren’t any outward facing books except for Fear Agent, and that’s out of necessity. I mentioned that this unit will fit a deluxe on either side, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for Library Editions or Absolutes.

As some of the creators on this side publish more and more books I’ll probably open up the bottom row and move them to the other side. Jonathan Hickman, Rick Remender, Matt Fraction and Greg Rucka are all strong candidates for a move over the next couple of years. 

So that’s how the new organisation system works, and all this re-arranging has given me the urge to tackle some big runs. I’ve just finished going through all the modern Cosmic Marvel from Annihilation to Annihilators, so I’m going to write up a post about that for next week (hopefully).

I’ve also just finished East of West Yr1 (which was fantastic) and now I’m wondering what to tackle next. If you have any suggestions or books you’d like to know more about in my collection please let me know and I may re-read those next.

Thanks for reading, please check out any of my previous bookshelves, reading lists and story recaps by clicking these words or using the links at the top of the page. Don’t forget to Follow if you want to subscribe to future posts, and go read some more comic books.