Digital Comics haven't found their exact place in the world yet but publishers keep on giving it a go and often break their price point to try and entice more readers. This weekend sees a 3 day sale of a slew of Vertigo books for only 99 cents each on the ComiXology iApp. It's mostly first arcs of the following books available but there's a great variety to choose from. Hit the jump to peek at the checklist for this sale and pick out a few titles you should definitely try like American Vampire or Fables or Hellblazer or plenty more.
If you don't have the ComiXology iApp already then you should invest. As far as digital comics go, this is the one for me. I like most of the things about it, especially on an iPad, but the price point usually keeps me out. Such a shame.
This weekend, just open up the app and you'll see the above banner showing you where to find the Vertigo sale. You'll find the comics on the checklist below available for a buck each.
Here are the ones I know you should buy (and thank me later for):
American Vampire #1-5
This first arc has fat issues at 32 pages each because Stephen King is writing half of it and focusing on the origin of Skinner Sweet. This book is so sweetly awesome and only $5 for that first arc is a steal on so many levels, both page count and quality. Do it, it's a lock!
DMZ #1-5
It was after only the first trade of DMZ that I knew I was reading something that completely captured me. I rate this entire series in my Top 10 of all time and it kicks off strong so dip a toe and let me know what you think.
Northlanders #1-8
Another Brian Wood entry, this book is fantastic but the opening arc is incredibly solid. $8 isn't too much to drop to get this thick tale of a Viking getting revenge. The blood on the page is visceral and the character behind the story is inspiring. This is a very smart and still fun book.
The Other Side #1-5
The Vertigo debut of Jason Aaron, this is a Vietnam War comic that you won't quickly forget. This is the complete tale, and a bargain (it's only a buck an issue, you get that, right?), so I see no reason why anyone can ignore this opportunity.
Sweet Tooth #1-5
I picked up the first issue of this, when it hit the stands at a dollar, and wasn't won over. I didn't get back into the tale until the trades and I'm kicking myself for not having bought in on the ground floor because this book is devastating and sweet and haunting. It's the epitome of a smart Vertigo book. Pick up this first arc and get a good sample, let yourself be won over.
What Should I Buy?
I haven't read any of the other stuff up there and I'm not sure what to get. I want to buy Jeff Lemire's Animal Man in September and I feel like I should know some history of the character so I'm wondering if this is a good place to dip a toe on Grant Morrison's run. Do I have to buy all the 9 issues available or is there a smaller arc within that 9?
I haven't read any of Brian Wood's Demo work, can I read the second one without having read the first one? At this bargain price I feel I should at least buy the issues and sit on them til I get my hands on the first volume.
I've read some Fables and plan to catch up at some stage but there's never any burning desire. I don't have much interest in Sandman from what little I've read. I'm leering at iZombie plenty and not sure if I should take the $5 plunge. The same goes for Hellblazer...decision, decisions.
Conclusion
These $1 sales nearly always suck me in. It's a great way to pick up a trade's worth of content for much less than a trade. It's great and while I can't shelve the material and present it I can still enjoy the story. I usually use these sales to try something I probably wouldn't commit a trade's worth of cash on but I'm intrigued to sample. What are you going to buy in the Vertigo 3 Day 99 Cent Sale? Let us know in the comments and also let me know if you follow any of my suggestions and what you make of them.
Follow each of us on Twitter:
4 comments:
i think american vampire is awesome, but you really need to try out the sandman, its damn beautifu
Basically I would be able to recommend practically all of these titles. American Vampire, Fables, DMZ, Unritten, Lucifer, Animal Man etc. etc. Lists like these make me realise how many amazing comics have been made under the Vertigo banner... and a lot of crap as well, but since this list has mostly the good stuff: moving on.
Sandman is one of my all time favourites, although I'd say that the first volume being offered here was my least favourite arc of the whole series. I didn't really get hooked until the 2nd trade, I'm not sure how other people's opinion on this corresponds with mine though.
Demo is all done-in-one, so you won't need to read any issue from the first run, or any at all really, to enjoy the comic. I'm the type of person who likes series that have a bigger story within the issues. Probably why I never liked shows like CSI. However I thought the stories in Demo were very well done and strong that this didn't even bother me.
Morrison's Animal Man is one of the easier titles from Vertigo for a comic reader to get into, as it's basically a DC superhero comic. The first four issues tell 1 story, but I'd get the fifth as well as some of the "strangeness" within the entire run starts there.
Fables. If I had to choose one and only one comic to buy every month it would be this one. Willingham has taken a simple idea like bringing fables into the real world, and has made a truly amazing title from it. Every time I read a new issue I just get the feeling it gets better & better.
Wow, I've read a ton of these.
American Vampire: The first volume hasn't come out in paperback yet, but the day it does it's mine. Although this is a killer deal, I'd rather have the actual volume.
Fables: I agree with Oscar. Fables is terrific. I just recently caught up on the last four or five trades, and it's just such a consistently satisfying read. A very unpredictable title with excellent character work and some great art by Mark Buckingham (the man draws some great goblins).
Cinderella: From Fabletown with love: I didn't care for this miniseries at all. Since it's a Fables spinoff, I was all over it, but I'm not a big fan of Roberson's writing.
iZombie: I tried the first issue and that was enough for me. This might be really appealing to some readers, but it wasn't my cup of tea at all.
The Other Side: What a fantastic series. Jason Aaron got started with a bang, and Cameron Stewart's art is always a treat. This is a fantastic read, and truly one of the high points of the Vertigo imprint. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Sweet Tooth: I love Sweet Tooth. Not that there was any doubt after his Essex County trilogy, but Jeff Lemire has an uncanny ability to squeeze loads of emotions into very quiet moments. He's an incredibly smart and talented storyteller, and Sweet Tooth is a really strong addition to his body of work. I have a special fondness for writer/artists, too, so that only sweetens the deal. The third volume just came out, and the quality doesn't drop at all.
The Unwritten: I love Mike Carey. The Unwritten seems like a real labor of love for him. As much as I love his X-Men, and I hope he keeps writing X-Men comics forever, this is clearly the type of story the man should be telling. Peter Gross's art is great, too, which never hurts.
Sandman: Again, I agree with Oscar. Sandman is without a doubt the finest comic I've ever read. It's dense, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. I'm not crazy about all of the artists, but it's just such a great read that some subpar art (in my opinion) doesn't bring it down at all. The first trade is by far the weakest of the series, so if you can get through that you're in for a real treat.
DMZ: This is another outstanding series. Brian Wood has turned out some fantastic done-in-one stories on this title, and the ongoing arc of protagonist Matty Roth is fascinating. Another highly recommended Vertigo title.
Basically what I've learned from Cinderella and Jack of Fables is to steer clear of the Fables spin-offs. Unless it's written solely by Willingham, like 1001 nights.
It's not that they are bad, it's that they just aren't as good as the main title and that is what one (me) comes to expect from a comic connected with Fables.
Basically the same thing as with most all the Sandman spin-offs apart from Lucifer and also the Death minis.
I've already got the following trades for Sweet Tooth on my to buy list after being pleasantly surprised by the first 5 issues. I guess I should put the trade of the Other Side on my next online purchase as well.
Probably a little overdue since I like Aaron's Scalped as well.
Post a Comment
Thanks for checking out the Weekly Crisis - Comic Book Review Blog. Comments are always appreciated. You can sign in and comment with any Google, Wordpress, Live Journal, AIM, OpenID or TypePad account.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.