I love comic books.
No. Really. I really do. Storytelling encompasses more than prose and there is no better medium that reflects this than comic books. Sequential art has long been a storytelling medium, one dating back to the caveman, and in those ancient caves filled with depictions of every day life and myth lay the roots of every comic book writer and artist.
Every week, I take a look at what is new from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and other comic book companies. And every week, I become interested in something new.
That said, my comic book reading history is not complete. Not by a long shot. There are a great many classics that I have not read and in most cases that needs to be remedied as soon as possible!
So, I begin this journey with a poll. I asked friends on my Facebook page to give suggestions where I should start and here were the two most-mentioned graphic novels that I haven’t read:
 |
 |
Yes, both are major stories in their respective continuities. For more than two decades, I have heard of The Dark Knight Returns and X-Men: Days of Future Past. It’s safe to say both have had a huge impact on the history of the comic book medium.
For instance, The Dark Knight Returns is directly responsible for transforming the Bat titles from campy crap to a more realistic Bruce Wayne / Batman.
And X-Men: Days of Future Past is obviously the next X-Men movie, being directed by Bryan Singer and featuring a collision of past and present characters we’ve come to know and love.
So, treat this like a graphic novel cage match. Which should I read? And why?
All I can say is that The Dark Knight Returns still gives me shivers every time I re-read it. You will enjoy it.
As the result of your taking this poll, I read Days of Future Past. It was underwhelming. Only two of the repritnted comics actually did the future story line — most of the others were about points in the history of the X-Men and the addition of Kitty Pride to the team. Not recommended.
Although it’s cool to see Colossus go berserk before he gets overwhelmed.