Book picks similar to
The Twelve by J. Michael Straczynski


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comics-graphic-novels

Doctor Strange: The Oath


Brian K. Vaughan - 2007
    Doctor Stephen Strange embarks on the most important paranormal investigation of his career, as he sets out to solve an attempted murder - his own! And with his most trusted friend also at death's door, Strange turns to an unexpected corner of the Marvel Universe to recruit a new ally.

X-Men: Worst X-Man Ever


Max Bemis - 2016
    For someone who's never been special, never stood out, this could be his big moment. But as he gains entry into the halls of Xavier's School for Gifted Children, what exactly is his gift? He's used to being hated, but is he anything to be feared? Bailey struggles to find a place alongside his fellow students, but the X-Universe is a big one - perhaps Mystique will see his potential. Or could Magneto have just the mission for him? Max Bemis, front man of the band Say Anything, makes his Marvel debut with the story of a misfit among misfits, just trying to fit in. Bailey Hoskins? Worst. X-Man. Ever.COLLECTING: X-MEN: WORST X-MAN EVER 1-5

Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection


Jim Starlin - 2016
    Starlin stripped the Kree Captain to his core and then resurrected him as a truly cosmic hero. This may have been Starlin's first super-hero saga, but it introduced some of his signature characters: Mar-Vell's nemesis Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy's Drax make their first appearances and they continue to define the Marvel Universe today.COLLECTING: CAPTAIN MARVEL (1968) 25-34; IRON MAN (1968) 55; MARVEL FEATURE (1971) 12; MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL (1982) 1; MATERIAL FROM DAREDEVIL (1964) 105.

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear


Frank Miller - 1993
    He was raised by a single father, an over-the-hill prizefighter with one last chance to make it good - a chance that cost him his life! Taunted and tormented by children while growing up, Matt's life was irrevocably altered after he was blinded by radioactive materials while saving the life of an old man. The payoff? An unbreakable will and a keen intelligence, helping focus the super-senses he was blessed with during the accident. His story is one of love, pain, disappointment, and strength. Witness the tour-de-force origin of the Man Without Fear by industry legends Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.Collects Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5.

The Immortal Iron Fist, Volume 1: The Last Iron Fist Story


Ed BrubakerSal Buscema - 2007
    But where did this costume come from? Why did it wait for Danny all those years like a shadow of his future? The answer to those questions will stun both him and his readers, as Danny Rand leaps from the pages of his breakout hit in Daredevil to his own history-spanning kung-fu epic that will shatter every perception of what it means to be the Immortal Iron Fist!Brought to you by top-ten writer Ed Brubaker and breakout talent Matt Fraction (Punisher War Journal), with action-packed art by David Aja (Daredevil, Hawkeye).Collecting: Immortal Iron Fist 1-6

Spider-Man: The Death of Captain Stacy


Stan Lee - 1970
    The tragic death of Captain Stacy brings changes to the life of Peter Parker and has a drastic effect on his relationship with his first love, Gwen Stacy.The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #88-92

Cable & Deadpool, Volume 1: If Looks Could Kill


Fabian Nicieza - 2004
    Can two grown men armed to the teeth with deadly genetic weaponry live together without driving each other crazy? Action, adventure, black humor, black-ops, face-changing viruses, gratuitous France-bashing and lots of gunfire mark the return of two of Marvel's fan-favorite anti-heroes.Collecting: Cable/Deadpool 1-6

Fantastic Four, Volume 1: New Departure, New Arrivals


Matt FractionClayton Cowles - 2013
    through all of infinite time and space! And in the real absence of Marvel's First Family, a substitute FF, hand-picked by the real deal - Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk and the all-new Miss Thing - stand ready to guard the Earth and the nascent Future Foundation ... for the four minutes that the Fantastic Four will be gone. What could possibly go wrong?Collecting: Fantastic Four 1-3, FF 1-3, & material from Marvel Point One.1

Cable, Volume 1: Messiah War


Duane Swierczynski - 2008
    But no one's world has been rocked as hard as Cable, the time-traveling mutant from the future. He's been charged with the one mission that could save all of mutantkind - or, if he fails, damn it to extinction. And hot on his trail is a relentless enemy who won't stop until blood is spilled. No matter where... or when... Cable runs.Collecting: Cable 1-5

Deadpool, Volume 1: Dead Presidents


Brian Posehn - 2013
    The Marvel heroes can't be the ones to stop them...someone is needed with the reputation, skills and plausible deniability to take out these com-monsters in chiefs. Deadpool time is NOW! Be here as Deadpool de-un-deadifies ex-Presidents left and right...matching wits with Tricky Dick Nixon, fighting a grudge match against Honest Abe Lincoln, and battling Ronald Reagan--in space! Do you need more than that?! Fine, then: monkeys! And maybe Dr. Strange if you're good! This is the Deadpool series you will marry someday! In Wade We Trust! Collecting: Deadpool 1-6

Daredevil, Vol. 1: Guardian Devil


Kevin Smith - 1998
    The urban adventurers share many similarities- but just how different are they? In this titanic team-up, the Man Without Fear and the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler unite-but often rub each other the wrong way- to put a stop to an evil plan, by an unlikely group of 4 of Marvel's darker villains, hired by the Kingpin of Crim

Black Panther, Vol. 2


Jack Kirby - 2006
    but which way are the new heroes running? The King's favorite king returns in some of his earliest solo sagas Mutated monsters menace the wondrous reign of Wakanda Captivating Kirby classics not seen in nearly 30 years Collects Black Panther #8-13.

Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1


Christopher J. PriestAmanda Conner - 2000
    government’s Everett K. Ross. As the Panther investigates a murder in New York, Ross plays Devil’s Advocate in an encounter with Mephisto, and a new regime seizes control in Wakanda. When the truth behind the coup becomes clear, T’Challa finds himself an enemy of the state — and a major revelation threatens to destroy his relationship with the Avengers! Plus: Meet Queen Divine Justice — is she ready to join T’Challa’s deadly crew of female bodyguards, the Dora Milaje? Are they ready for her? Hold onto your pants, because Ross sure can’t! Collecting BLACK PANTHER (1998) #1-17.

Truth: Red, White & Black


Robert Morales - 2004
    Now, writer Morales pursues this idea and also draws inspiration from U.S. government experiments in the 1930s that left unwitting African-Americans infected with syphilis, leading to many deaths. Beginning his story in 1940, Morales incisively depicts the racism his various African-American characters confront both in civilian life and in the military. These black soldiers are compelled to act as test subjects for the super-soldier serum; some die, while others become deformed. Ultimately only one survives, Isaiah Bradley. Substituting for Captain America on a mission, Bradley discovers Jewish concentration camp inmates subjected to experiments. Ranging from heroic figures to pointed caricatures, artist Baker makes his varied styles gel. Drawing on copious research, Morales dramatizes how racism corrupted American history, yet verges close to asserting moral equivalency between America and Nazi Germany. Roosevelt was ultimately in charge of the super-soldier program: would he have approved these human experiments? Besides, how can one talk about "truth" regarding a fictional creation? Simon and Kirby devised a fable about an American everyman tapping his inner strength to combat genocidal fascism; Kirby helped pioneer positive depictions of blacks in comics. By adding Morales's backstory to Captain America's origin, Marvel has turned the character into a white superman who owes his powers to the deaths and exploitation of African-Americans.

Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More


Kelly Sue DeConnick - 2014
    Carol Danvers, comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision that will alter the course of her life - and the entire Marvel Universe - in the months to come. But as Carol takes on a mission to return an alien girl to her homeworld, she lands in the middle of an uprising against the Galactic Alliance! Investigating the forced resettlement of Rocket Girl's people, Carol discovers that she has a history with the man behind the plot. But when the bad guy tries to blackmail Carol and turn the Avengers against her, it's payback time! Guest-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy!COLLECTING: CAPTAIN MARVEL 1-6