Where would a new reader start with "Love and Rockets"?

[Chris Jones]

I mean, yeah, this is pretty self-explanatory. The only L&R story I've read is The Education of Hopey Glass which I liked quite a bit, but parts of it seemed to be designed to benefit from prior knowledge of a few of the characters. What's a good Love and Rockets story to get on the ground floor with in terms of getting a feel for the series as a whole, and then where would I progress from there should I enjoy it?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[Karen El]

Depends whether you like the early SciFi and superheroes L&R or the later, more realistic stuff. Personally, my favourite story ever is Maggie vs. Maniak, with the epic Mechanics second. I even like the surreal BEM, though that took a few readings to get into. These are all early stories, and give you some of the background to the characters, even though the spaceships and dinosaurs seem to have disappeared from their world. Kind of weird, since Maggie started off repairing robots and stuff.

[Jim Ritchey]

It was great from the start, which is where I started--huge Jaime fanboy, here. The complete unpredictability of the early issues is one of my favorite things about it. LURVED Penny Century as super-heroine sequences.

I find this shocking, Chris.

[Chris Jones]

Karen: I think from what I've seen I'd prefer the more realistic stuff, although I certainly wouldn't be averse to getting into the dinosaurs/robots stories if I find the "real world" stories good.

James: What, that I've barely read any Hernandez Bros.? I know, right?! It's been on my to-do list since forever.

[SmoManCometh]

I'm currently reading from the beginning: Maggie the Mechanic. I'm sad to hear that the dinosaurs and robot reparing stuff will be gone. I love how it feels like sunday strips/archie comics meets pulp-pop culture-romance comics meets superhero sci-fi stuff.

[michealdark]

Get the Locas trade (the original series is collected in 3 soft covers and 2 oversized hard covers) and the Palomar trades (collected in 2 softcovers), then move on to the new stories, because since the series has returned it's been producing equally as stellar stuff as it did in the 80's.

[Thequeerjock]

Love and Rockets X was one of the first trades I read, and it's very newbie-friendly IMO.

[Chris Jones]

What I think I'm going to do is ask for the "Locas Collection" library from Fantagraphics for Christmas. Apparently it collects every Maggie/Hopey story and it's 1320 pages for $65 if you order it from FG's website which is not fucking bad at all.

[AndrewCrossett]

I have both the Palomar and Locas hardcovers. I think those give you most of the continuity stuff from the original run of the comic.

I like the Palomar stories much better. I didn't care at all for the early Maggie the Mechanic stuff with the science fiction elements, dinosaurs and so forth.

[michealdark]

Gilbert does the fantasy stuff better than Jaime I think. Jaime does his best stuff with more slice of life material.

[bert]

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Palomar stuff. . just never really excited me.

but I 2nd (3rd?), the recommendation of the Locas trade.

Maggie-Hopey ARE what most folks think about when you say "Love and Rocket's" stories.


(cept for those who also love Penny Century and Palomar)

[Karen El]

I love Penny Century. I mean she is the quintessential comic book nerd. Only she's pretty. But plays at being a superhero in a world that has real superheroes.

If I was blonde and hetro and had a rich boyfriend I would totally be Penny Century.

[Phantom Eagle]

Locas (http://www.amazon.com/Locas-Maggie-Hopey-Stories-Rockets/dp/156097611X), Palomar (http://www.amazon.com/Palomar-Heartbreak-Soup-Stories-Rockets/dp/1560975393), Mechanics (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Rockets-Vol-Music-Mechanics/dp/B000FA4TYS), Penny Century (http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Century-Love-Rockets-Book/dp/1606993429)... it's all good. Those are some great suggestions so far. I really dig the Hopey and Maggie stuff, but almost all of the work I've ever read by Los Bros. is excellent. House of Raging Women (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Raging_Women)...

[michealdark]

Yell yeah it is. Even Birdland, which is just a porn book, is still a very enjoyable read. And not in the way you're thinking.

[FanboyStranger]

Oh, Jeez, you need both the Locas and Palomar HCs. The early Jaime stuff is a little rough as far as story, but the art is gorgeous. (And when he hits his stride, which is very early in a story set in Costigan's mansion, he's absolutely sublime. For, like, twenty years!) Beto is on mark from the beginning-- Blood of Palomar is seriously one of the finest graphic novels ever, with the emphasis on "novel"-- but I think his L&R stories suffered in the second HC, Luba. It's still great stuff, but I think his new stuff in the L&R annuals is a lot better,

Get Locas II without reservation. It includes the Education of Hopey Glass stories, but a lot more.

Shit, a thread on L&R and Sons of Anarchy in one night. Makes me remember why I love you guys so much.

[FanboyStranger]

I love Penny Century. I mean she is the quintessential comic book nerd. Only she's pretty. But plays at being a superhero in a world that has real superheroes.

If I was blonde and hetro and had a rich boyfriend I would totally be Penny Century.

And I'd totally be Ray. But a lot paler...

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Though-- like many-- I prefer the material that followed, Maggie The Mechanic has it's own charm.

[Infra-Man]

There's a good primer on how you can possibly start reading Love and Rockets on the Fantagraphics website: http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=76&Itemid=135

[michealdark]

I'm in love with Hopey.