Tarantino

I was a huge fan of the Punisher when I was younger and had every Punisher comic book. I liked the grittiness, the guns, the blood...it was like reading a rated R movie.

I've been looking to pick up a few graphic novels or 'one shots', and I'd like some recommendations along the same lines. Doesn't have to be 'super hero free', but something that's got a lot of action and a good story.

Sorry if this is vague, but I haven't read a comic in like...10, 12 years.

maingon

the walking dead

McHawkson

Sin City

One of Frank Miller's Daredevil one-shot graphic novel where Elektra came out alive - I forgot name of the book...

Couple of Japanese Manga such as Black Lagoon series (available at Rightstuf.com) - don't worry most of them are already in English language.

lattethunder

Scalped has everything you're looking for.

JasonF

Jinx, Torso, A.K.A. Goldfish, and Powers (all by Brian Michael Bendis).

You might also consider the Sin City comics -- I assume you're familiar with the movie, so if you liked that, you might enjoy the comics.

Josh-da-man

Preacher
The Boys

toddly6666

+1

Also:

Tarantino

Thanks guys. I'm hitting the book store tomorrow to get some reading material before my car goes in for it's tune up. I'll read some then.

reverie

+2

I loved this series.. it was the only comic I *really* looked forward to picking up every month.

Cathepsin

The Losers has a lot of great action and will soon be a major motion picture.

Frenzy

It has a Spanish speaking butler lizard. What's not to like?

boredsilly

+3

While I had some problems with the series, Preacher really is something special. It also fits in line with what you liked about Punisher.

Also, if you liked big Pun, his comics have been pretty great from what I hear. You could read any of the Garth Ennis stuff and be happy (he's the guy that wrote Preacher).

Tarantino

Today I picked up 2 books - 100 Bullets and Scalped. I was totally lost with 100 Bullets (guess I need to start reading in order) and I liked Scalped. I was under the impression that the 100 Bullets mag was a 'one shot', but it must have been a series.

slop101

I can't believe no one's recommended Criminal yet - it's like the most awesome dark, gritty, hard-hitting noir film you've never seen.

boredsilly

Oh dude, if you read 100 bullets out of order you just might die. That is an insanely complex series. I'm in the middle of it now, and it's amazing, but you definitely need to read the trades in order. It's worth it though.

Josh-da-man

I really miss that feeling. For me, it was Preacher, Sandman, and The Invisibles. Preacher was as addictive as crack, and with Sandman and Invisibles, I was guaranteed that Gaiman and Morrison were going to show me something amazing each month. Never mind that, month by month, each of these series was slowly building toward something truly epic.

I rarely feel that way about comics these days, when most creators are content to tell less ambitious stories and the miniseries rules.

The last time I was really excited about a series was Buffy season eight, but I lost a lot of my enthusiasm for that series during "Time of Your Life" (should have been awesome, was just *meh*) and all of those dull one-shots that followed it.

majorjoe23

You need to check out Garth Ennis's Punisher MAX series, it's likely exactly what you're looking for.

Hokeyboy

Criminal
Casanova
Fell
Fear Agent
Scalped
Ex Machina
Parker: The Hunted -- this is must reading
The Boys

slop101

Not really - maybe if it hadn't already been made into about a billion different movies it may have been interesting, but as it is, it's extremely derivative. Also, I think Cooke's style is more suited to '50s superheroes than it is to realistic crime/noir work.

Frenzy

Can you say something about this comic? Never heard of it before.

toddly6666

It's an awesome hard-R-rated (not X-rated, but on the cusp) book. This would make a great movie. If Kick Ass is the next shocking superhero movie, this one would be pretty shocking if it got made into a movie.

It's about one city (like an extreme Las Vegas) in USA that is created just for no good, sleaze, crime. And in charge of that city is Bomb Queen. She's a super villain - she's sexy and keeps up the town's quota of crimes and deaths. She's always filmed and followed by the media because she brings in good ratings. The corrupt govt of this city is pissed that she's taken total control of the city, the govt officials hire good superheros or assasins to try and take her out. It's an awesome book. Not for kids! But it's like a light, fun R-rated book. Who says violent, R-rated books always have to be dark and dreary. Not this one! And it's written well enough that you feel sympathy for this evil super villain bitch.

This is the cheapest place I've seen it for sale: http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p...sbn=1607061309 (that's where I bought mine)

Frenzy

Sold!

I don't live in the US so I have to pay a little more. But a nice hardcover should be worth it.

toddly6666

I just want to let you know it's continued on after this hardcover - there are more Bomb Queen stories after this one. Eventhough it's a self-contained story in this Omnibus, it still continues on.

Where do you live? Germany, Belgium, or Switzerland? You don't have any comic book stores that have a big selection of English comic books? If Bomb Queen wasn't an American title, I would have thought it being very German!

Frenzy

I thought Sauerkraut should tip you off.

Usually local comic shop stores are pretty expensive when it gets to imports. But there is always Amazon(.de). They have almost everything I want and the prices are very reasonable.

Hokeyboy

I disagree with absolutely everything you said. Cooke's style is perfect for the work, and as an adaptation YES we've seen the story told in POINT BLANK and PAYBACK, among other places, but I felt that other than McBain's original novel -- which I've read a bunch of times -- this is the best adaptation of the work yet.

But you can always