What Non-Current Marvel Stories Are You Reading Now?

Since I've had significant gaps in my collecting, there are lots of times when I need to track down and read past titles or stories to get "caught up." I know in other forums, discussing old stories as though they were new would be frowned upon, BUT NOT HERE!!

So what are you getting "caught up" on in the Marvel Universe?

Me? Since Marvel decided to finish the storyline of The Twelve recently, I did a little research at my comics shop, and ended up buying a trade of the first 6 issues. I started reading it last night, and I really like it so far. It's a J. Michael Straczynski story that took place during Marvels "Civil War" period, about a group of heroes during WWII that get cryogenically frozen and forgotten about, only to be awakened in 2008. Kind of like Captain America did back in the day. But I like it a lot so far. It's really well-written, and discusses the differences between heroes from the '40's as compared to what we think of heroes today. It's interesting to see them struggle with their new reality.

I have no idea why Marvel quit it with issue 8, and then decided to finish the story starting with issue 9 4 years later. So you will see these at the comic shop for a few more months, as I believe it was always supposed to be a twelve issue story. But it's good. Check it out.

I also recently bought a set of three huge TPB's that collects all of Grant Morrison's Uncanny X-Men Run. That's next on my old trades list to start on when I get a chance.

So what older stories are you guys "discovering" for the first time?

I recently bought the complete Bruce Jones Incredible Hulk run. I think it's issue 34-73. Anyway it's a reintroduction of the "Man on The Run" Bruce Banner trying to saty one step ahead of the government and a secret organization called "Home Base". Awesome stuff so far.

Also recently read both "Marvels" and "Marvels Eye Of The Camara" limited series'. Both are stories told from the perspective of a freelance photographer who snaps pics of the "Marvels" in action. I highly recommend both series. Comic stories aren't supposed to make you tear up. These ones did.

Man, that totally makes me feel like reading Marvels again. It's probably been 10 years or more since I last read it, and I don't remember much. All I remember was that Alex Ross put a bunch of Easter eggs in the artwork. I know the Beatles were in there somewhere, I think in. Funeral scene?

I really want to dig them out now.

Marvels is a fun read. Great art, although it's not so awesome as when I first saw it back in the nineties (I think). I'm now reading the Marvel Masterworks Uncanny X-Men hardcovers and it's so much fun. The first three volumes are stories I've never read before since those haven't been published in dutch when I started reading them in the eighties, and later on I get to the stories I remember buying and reading when I was a kid.

I don't know if it's nostalgia but to me it still holds up. It's still fun to read and the artwork is fantastic. Real solid drawing by Cockrum, Byrne and Austin.

I'm also reading an Essential FF volume. I'm finally appreciating the work of Kirby. When I was much younger I thought it looked ugly and crowded, but now I see how dynamic everything is. Poses full of energy and drama. The stories are corny but sort of fun but the art is cool.

I was the same way with Kirbys art.I always thought they looked like block-heads compared to other peoples work. But now seeing how much of a history in this hobby Jack had, they are great to me.

No one reading Johnathan Hickman's Fantastic Four run? I think it's (ahem) fantastic. At first it felt like reading a Warren Ellis comic but with likeable characters. But where Ellis gets stuck in throwing out high concept science ideas, Hickman gives us an actual story to follow. And it's a story on an epic, cosmic scale. Steve Epting does a great job with the visuals and since it's mostly his work and a few fill in artists, it feels like one cohesive storyline. I'm buying all the hardcovers but I'm hoping for a Johnathan Hickman Fantastic Four Omnibus down the line.

RoBoP wrote:

No one reading Johnathan Hickman's Fantastic Four run? I think it's (ahem) fantastic. At first it felt like reading a Warren Ellis comic but with likeable characters. But where Ellis gets stuck in throwing out high concept science ideas, Hickman gives us an actual story to follow. And it's a story on an epic, cosmic scale. Steve Epting does a great job with the visuals and since it's mostly his work and a few fill in artists, it feels like one cohesive storyline. I'm buying all the hardcovers but I'm hoping for a Johnathan Hickman Fantastic Four Omnibus down the line.

I've kept up with Hickman on both the Fantastic Four and FF lines. It was hard for me to get into at first, but it's really grown on me. I think I like Fantastic Four a lot more than FF, though. I especially liked the last issue where it was just showing Ben Grimm aging slower than anyone else, and outliving most of his peers. That was a great book.