What to Read After Watchmen > Genres > Superheroes
Superhero Comics
The Authority by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch
The Authority revitalized superhero comics with a large-scale action, sharp dialogue, and a realistic team of characters engaged in global defense from multiverse invasions. The Authority is recognized for revitalizing the superhero genre with a series that is both exciting and thoughtful. Optimistic but complex, Hitch's bright and crisp artwork coveys the magnitude of the storylines.
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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller with Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley
A natural partner to Watchmen, Miller's Dark Knight Returns sees the eponymous hero come out of retirement to face old foes after the fall of Gotham to gang violence. Dark Knight Returns presents a contemplative, self-critical Batman, and addresses many similar themes to Watchmen, including justice and politics and the motivations for vigilantism.
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Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
From Frank Miller, this origin story of Batman is a natural pairing to The Dark Knight Returns. While not as bleak or gritty, Batman Year One is a mature and strong introduction to the characters of Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon for new readers, and enough of a reinvention with numerous allusions for long-time fans.
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Ex Machina by Brian Vaughan and Tony Harris
Described as "The West Wing meets Watchmen" by io9.com, Ex Machina is set in an alternate New York, in which the first real superhero, Mitchell Hundred, a man with the ability to speak with machines, retired from crime fighting to win the election for mayor. Well paced with particularly human characters, this is a uniquely American work which will appeal to readers of Watchmen and Y: The Last Man.
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Promethea by Alan Moore and J.H. Williams III
Sophie Bangs, in researching a term paper, uncovers a legacy of imagination in the form of the goddess Promethea, who has lived through various hosts throughout history. Moore explore ideas of female power, creativity, folklore and archetypes, and complex page layouts from Williams complement the mythic storyline. Moore fans should be drawn in by the highly intellectual themes and rich story-telling.
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