If you were to teach a course on comics, how they function, and how to make them, what collections would you have your students read, and in what order? Try and pick at least six. Here’s my syllabus:
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Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
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Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
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DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke
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Empowered Deluxe Edition Book Two by Adam Warren
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Y: The Last Man Books One through Five by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra
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American Flagg! Definitive Edition by Howard Chaykin
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Strangers in Paradise Omnibus by Terry Moore
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Jack Kirby’s The Fourth World Omnibus
And what more really is there? (JK there’s a TON of comics I’d love to put on this list but can’t because it would be too long and crowded with comics of a similar genre or style)
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Oh! And somewhere in there would be Daredevil: Born Again. Maybe in between 2 and 3?
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@McEddard
Good choices! I wanted badly to put All-Star Superman on there, but I don’t want to assume the students already have a pre-existing knowledge of these characters. All-Star is a little too embedded in the DCU to be able to hand it to a new reader. I also wanted to put Pax Americana on the list, but it’s kind of the same problem there.
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I would use
Watchmen: Kick it off with arguably the greatest comic of all time.
The darkness is society and authority
Mister Miracle
A recent hit, but perfect thematic tie to Watchmen.
All-Star Superman
Introducing some lightness but still focused on cost.
Amazing Spider-Man (Silver Age)
#1-36
Killing Joke
Reintroduction of darkness
Doom Patrol: Morrison
Dense and different
Finale: Sandman
The weird and wild.
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@Batwing52, that is true of All-Star, good thing I didn’t include Final Crisis. Can you imagine the blown heads?
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@McEddard
So class, how did we do with last night’s reading?
crickets
Uh, teacher?
Yes…?
What the heck is a “Darkseid”?
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I’d say that required reading needs to include or be a prequest:
Hero of a thousand faces - Joseph Campbell
The Sophocles Edipous trilogy
The three musketeers by Dumas
Man and Superman by GB Shaw.
That gives a base from which to build on.
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The first three issues of Superman in Action Comics (to contrast with more complex character development in modern stories).
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s first Spider-Man story for comparision and the silver age hero design.
Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns
Jack Kirby’s Fourth World
Wolfman & Perez’s the Judas Contract
Mike Grell’s first 6 issues of Jon Sable, Freelance (sorry, but issues 3-6 are the best origin story I have ever read).
John Byrne’s Superman Man of Steel which re-invented Superman and turned him into something more interesting.
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Select From
Book
THE MYTH OF THE
AMERICAN SUPERHERO
by John Shelton Lawrence
and Robert Jewett
GOLDEN AGE
(1938-1956)
Superman 1 Siegal Shuster
Batman 1 Finget Kane Robinson
SILVER AGE
(1956-1971)
1961 Flash 123 Flash of Two Worlds
Original Flash Jay Garrick, Earth 2 parallel world introduced. Schwartz Fox Infantino.
1961 Amazing Spider Man Stan Lee Steve Ditko
BRONZE AGE
(1971-1986)
1973 Night of the Stalker from Detective Comics #439,
1984 Swamp Thing Anatomy Lesson Alan Moore
MODERN AGE
(1986-2011)
1986 Comic Book Dark Knight Returns Frank Miller
1986 Comic Book Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons…
1993 Death High Cost of Living Trade includes Sound of Her Winds Neil Gaiman
1996 Supergirl 75 to 80 Linda Danvers Supergirl meets Silver Age Kara el Supergirl
2000 Planetary
NEW 52
(2011-2016)
Aqiaman Volime 1
Shazam Justice League Backup
REBIRTH
(2016-)
Wonder Woman Year One
Is this a comics history class or a comics making class?
@MistfitH
Both, or one or the other. I’d say I did mine as more of a comics making class, if that helps.
If i am a new reader i read the post crisis stuff to be honset
