What Collected Edition are you reading now?

[Balakin]

I’m about halfway thru. I’m kind of confused. Gordons’s wife.....Barbara??? Isn’t Barbara Gordon’s daughter, who got shot by the Joker in TKJ? Who became Batgirl/Oracle?? Or is it Barbara Sr. And Barbara Jr?? J/K. I’m sure there’s some completely insane continuity issue that I don’t know about. Forgive me, I’m relatively new to comics and reading all these classics for the first time.

Originally the young Barbara who became Batgilr and Oracle was Gordon's niece and I think she got adopted later? Barbara was Jim's wife and if I'm not mistaken she was pregnant with Jim jr in Year one? Jim jr disappeared later for ages and popped back up in Black Mirror.

I would recommend reading Batgirl Year one (and Robin Year one too) btw. It won't set this straight (although it goes with the niece version IIRC) but it's a really damn good story, lots of fun (but very different to year one).

[2nd line g]

Originally the young Barbara who became Batgilr and Oracle was Gordon's niece and I think she got adopted later? Barbara was Jim's wife and if I'm not mistaken she was pregnant with Jim jr in Year one? Jim jr disappeared later for ages and popped back up in Black Mirror.

I would recommend reading Batgirl Year one (and Robin Year one too) btw. It won't set this straight (although it goes with the niece version IIRC) but it's a really damn good story, lots of fun (but very different to year one).

Are Batgirl/Robin Year One collected in the same volume? I think I saw it somewhere. Either way, I’ll get both. I’m getting a bit addicted to anything Bat family related. Thanks!

[Balakin]

Are Batgirl/Robin Year One collected in the same volume? I think I saw it somewhere. Either way, I’ll get both. I’m getting a bit addicted to anything Bat family related. Thanks!

There is a tpb collecting both. Robin came out as a deluxe sometime this year and Batgirl is announced for 2019 too (if you prefer deluxes).

[Orion]

If I understand correctly, it's a prequel but to be read after the main book, right?

Yes, publication order-wise it came after the main book and so "should" be read that way, but it's not like there are any spoilers to the main book or anything (like there would be if you watched SW prequels first, etc).

[Graphic Autist]

I finished reading the FF Epic titled The New Fantastic Four. After John Byrne left, I had read very little FF, even up to the present.

I very much enjoyed the Simonson stories, and the other ones weren’t bad either.

Good build quality as well...thick paper.

[2nd line g]

Avengers Epic Collection vol 2 - Once an Avenger...

[FluffySheep]

I finished Aquaman Volume 4: Death of a King HC today. I thought it might have dipped a bit after Throne of Atlantis, but no, this was still really good. I've really enjoyed Johns' stuff, but now I'm moving onto Jeff Parker's Aquaman Volume 5: Sea of Storms HC.

[Dr Hank]

Just got done reading Identity Crisis for the first time. This is the most "modern" DC comic I've read, I'm mostly a silver-bronze age fan. But I actually really liked the story and most of the art. I'm a big Watchman fan so maybe that's why I liked it, it's definitely in that vein. Wasn't perfect but a pleasant surprise- I'm going to read Infinite Crisis next.

[awayne83]

Just got done reading Identity Crisis for the first time. This is the most "modern" DC comic I've read, I'm mostly a silver-bronze age fan. But I actually really liked the story and most of the art. I'm a big Watchman fan so maybe that's why I liked it, it's definitely in that vein. Wasn't perfect but a pleasant surprise- I'm going to read Infinite Crisis next.

This seems to be very divisive of fans, but I always enjoyed it as far as events go. Think people who just take it for face value tend to like it more. I pretty much try to approach all stories that way, and don't get too caught up in arms over characterization and whatnot.

[Foxy]

Just finished Absolute Transmetropolitan Volume 3. What a great series! Would recommend that to anyone.

Until now, everything I've read by Warren Ellis was good (Planetary, Global Frequency, his Secret Avengers run and Transmetropolitan).

Now I have to decide what to read next. I may dive into the Jodoverse. Or maybe Silver Age Spider-Man? Or American Vampire? There's just too much stuff on my shelves. Makes it hard to pick something... (first world problems, I know )

[Dick Grayson]

This seems to be very divisive of fans, but I always enjoyed it as far as events go. Think people who just take it for face value tend to like it more. I pretty much try to approach all stories that way, and don't get too caught up in arms over characterization and whatnot.

Poor characterization is the least of the problems with Identity Crisis Taking a beloved female character and raping her in order to create some kind of half-assed mystery is a level of misogyny I can do without. I have trouble reading a lot of Alan Moore's work due to his casual use of rape as well; it's just not something I'm looking for in comics, especially when it seems to have no reason for being there other than "hey, let's rape a woman here because why not?" In Identity Crisis, for me, it came across as "we need to make a gritty, dark, ADULT story. How can we do that and take it to the next level? Of course - RAPE!"

I enjoyed the Zatanna mindwipe stuff and its fallout though, especially as it related to building up to Infinite Crisis. But yeah, I felt the story getting there could've been better!

[FluffySheep]

I finished Aquaman Volume 5: Sea of Storms HC today. I wasn't sure about it to begin with but I was enjoying it by the end. Now I'm reading Aquaman Volume 6: Maelstrom HC.

[ArkhamJamie]

I finished Aquaman Volume 5: Sea of Storms HC today. I wasn't sure about it to begin with but I was enjoying it by the end. Now I'm reading Aquaman Volume 6: Maelstrom HC.

Once you finish Vol. 6, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Would you say the Parker run is a worthy follow-up/solid continuation of the first four volumes? Huge fan of Johns’ run but have never committed to reading the rest of the New 52 series.

[awayne83]

Poor characterization is the least of the problems with Identity Crisis Taking a beloved female character and raping her in order to create some kind of half-assed mystery is a level of misogyny I can do without. I have trouble reading a lot of Alan Moore's work due to his casual use of rape as well; it's just not something I'm looking for in comics, especially when it seems to have no reason for being there other than "hey, let's rape a woman here because why not?" In Identity Crisis, for me, it came across as "we need to make a gritty, dark, ADULT story. How can we do that and take it to the next level? Of course - RAPE!"

I enjoyed the Zatanna mindwipe stuff and its fallout though, especially as it related to building up to Infinite Crisis. But yeah, I felt the story getting there could've been better!

See, divisive!! Lol

[Dr Hank]

See, divisive!! Lol

Yeah I can see that! Honestly I thought it was pretty harsh at first, but it wasn't handled "poorly" to me or anything. I mean I didn't react as if they just put a rape in there for the sake of being edgy or something, it didn't seem exploitative to me. I thought the story progressed from that point in an interesting way, though I do think they somewhat neglected going more into Elongated Man's reaction to everything that happened to his wife. Maybe that was the point though, that he just kind of shut-down emotionally. The funeral scene was done well though.

I just read Crisis on Infinite Earths earlier this year for the first time and I thought this was a good, modern "follow up" story to that. I can see though how some might be turned off by the level of violence or feel like they "retconned" some story and character elements.