Every year DC Comics releases a list of what they call "Essential" Graphic Novels. These are the graphic novels that they recommend to new readers to get caught up on the best of DC Comics. They are good for getting people into classic DC stories such as The Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come, All Star Superman, as well as many more recent comics written by Geoff Johns.
There he is . . . Totally sane
People are always asking me what they should read when a new movie or TV show comes out. My problem is that I'll recommend like 100 things because I'm such a huge fan and I read a lot of different comics. I thought I'd take a page of out DC's book and do a "Recommended Reading" page. Since Arrow, the Flash, and Gotham are coming back soon and Supergirl will be premiering in a couple weeks I'll throw out some suggestions. Now keep in mind that this is all my opinion, although a suggestion or two may come from the actual DC Essentials list. These are some of my favorite comics and I reread them every few months because I love them that much. Without further ado . . .
IF YOU LIKE GOTHAM READ BATMAN: EARTH ONE
Gotham tells the story of a young Jim Gordon and his quest to clean up a very corrupt city. On the outskirts of Gotham is a young boy named Bruce Wayne dealing with the loss of his parents to a horrific, unsolved murder. Batman Earth One is a very well written story about the rise of a very inexperienced and, frankly, unheroic Batman. This version of Bruce Wayne has never left Gotham City. Instead, he was trained by his father's old friend, now butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce believes that the police department and the mayor, Oswald Cobblepot, were responsible for his parents' murder and seeks justice.
Every time I watch Gotham it makes me think of this book. The book was written by the immensely talented Geoff Johns. In it, Gotham City is a maze, dangerous, and filled with corruption. The Penguin is the mayor and when things don't go his way he sends the Birthday Boy to take care of the problem.
Oh my god! That's terrifying!
I see Batman: Earth One as where Gotham is ultimately heading. Given Geoff Johns' current position as DC Chief Creative Officer, it's no surprise that his stories are probably first and foremost on the list of inspirations for the producers of DC's TV division. I mean, hell, if I wrote a number of best sellers during my time as a comic book writer I'd want them to be realized on screen too! Lucky for him, his stories are incredible and cinematic already. Like I said, Batman: Earth One is a very interesting, world building story. Familiar characters like Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, Harvey Bullock, and Alfred Pennyworth are very different than we are used to seeing but still interesting and make for a wonderful, rich supporting cast, much like they do on Gotham. This is definitely the book I would recommend if you are a Gotham fan.
IF YOU LIKE ARROW READ GREEN ARROW: QUIVER
Arrow tells the story of billionaire Oliver Queen. After five years lost from home, he comes back to his home city to save it from corruption, criminals, and anyone that threatens it. Quiver tells the story of a mysteriously resurrected Oliver Queen that returns to Star City to protect it. The book focuses on the Justice League (former and past members) trying to figure out the mystery of Oliver's return and the strange gaps in his memory. SPOILERS - it's revealed that Oliver is actually what's referred to as a "Hollow." He's a body without a soul and a whole mess of demons are trying to creep into his body. It's a strange premise but the story is really good. And it's written by Kevin Smith, director of Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, among other films.
This season of Arrow will be dealing with magic and mysticism. It sounds like it will be a little more fantastic than the previous seasons. I don't think that this new season will feature all the craziness of Quiver but there will be a lot of things that we haven't seen yet with a previously "grounded, gritty" series.
IF YOU LIKE THE FLASH READ THE FLASH: ROAD TO FLASHPOINT
The Flash tells the story of a young scientist who was struck by lightning and became imbued with super speed. He uses his fantastic powers to protect the people of Central City from other super powered people. Road to Flashpoint is about Barry Allen still struggling to deal with being alive and reconnecting with his job and family. Central City then receives a visitor from another dimension named Hot Pursuit. He's revealed to be the Barry Allen from that dimension. He's searching for a time anomaly so it can be destroyed to restore order to the space-time continuum (or something like that).
Season 2 is the year that Barry will start travelling through the multiverse, or possibly the multiverse will be coming to him. I talked before about how I think that this season will feature other versions of Barry Allen. I think it would be cool to see other Barrys. Another heroic one, a villainous one, or maybe even a regular one that never gained his speed. And yes, Road to Flashpoint is a Geoff Johns story. It's also brilliantly written and features a surprise appearance by Eobard Thawne. I don't think Thawne will play a part in Season 2, but given that he's the Flash's greatest Rogue, it's unlikely we've seen the last of him. Zoom is confirmed to be the Big Bad this year. In the comics, Zoom is the alter ego of rogue profiler Hunter Zoloman. Going off the awesome twist last season with Harrison Wells and Eobard Thawne, I'm willing to be the writers/producer have something else up their sleeve regarding Zoom's identity.
IF YOU LIKE SUPERGIRL THEN READ SUPERGIRL: POWER
Supergirl tells the story of a young woman named Kara, who has spent her whole life hiding her extraordinary powers from the world. Then, a catastrophic event forces her to reveal herself. She takes up the mantle of Supergirl, promising to defend the Earth from evil. Power tells the story of young Kara Zor-El trying to find her place in a world full of heroes. And since she wears the iconic "S" on her chest, she's targeted by a certain bald billionaire.
Jesse Eisenberg better start bulking up!
Ironically, I think this series is going to be somewhat the opposite of Power. It seems like Superman is the only known superhero when the series starts. When Supergirl was relaunched as a comic book series in the early 2000s there were dozens of heroes. During Power, Kara decides to meet them all and try to learn as much as she can from all of them. She confronts not only Luthor, but her own dark side (literally). Loeb crafted a really interesting and exciting story to kick off Kara's new adventures. It's been confirmed that Red Tornado will be making an appearance, so that's one hero that will be showing up. I don't know who else will be showing up, but Power is a who's who of DC heroes that would be awesome to see on the show.
I'll be honest here, I held back . . . A LOT. I could probably recommend a dozen more comics to read to get everyone excited about the new seasons. But I kept it to one a piece cuz a longer list would take more time and I'm lazy. And yes, I did not mention Lucifer or iZombie because I have not read those comics. But if I do, I will do a new list! For now though, I hope you check out these comics and enjoy them while simultaneously enjoying the new seasons of DC on TV! Cheers!
Till Next Time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie!
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