Some more love for the Ultimate lines. Ultimate Fantastic Four (especially the first two tpbs) is really underrated, IMO.

Aside from that, Runaways is made of win.

Oddly enough, I wasn't that moved by Ultimate Spider-Man, I think b/c it was so similar to the normal Spider-Man and so less innovative. Although, I gather that it might be worth it to get back to basics w/ that character.

And that's exactly the appeal for me with USM, at this point is the only real Spider-Man title on the shelves right now, IMHO. It's really updated the characters and the situations while keeping the familiarity that I grew up with. While all of the plots and characters arent exactly the same they still work. I'm not some super obsessive fan boy so I dont mind the changes at all.

can only deal w/ DC's maxi-series in trades, and even then I often need wikipedia's help. They're often too labyrinthine for me, and I like James Joyce and Gene Wolfe. I think Identity Crisis was one of the best (and notice how self-contained it is and how the word "multiverse" isn't used once ...), and I also liked Hush and For Tommorrow. I am probably just a sucker for Jim Lee's art and Superman all pissed off.

Even though I have almost all of the issues of IC signed by Meltzer and Rags Morales I really didnt care for the series that much for reasons that I wont go into here.

I used to be a Jim Lee fan back in the early days, now not so much. I find that there are fewer and fewer DC stories that interest me these days. Right now although I cant really make heads or tales of what's going on I really like FINAL CRISIS. I know something is brewing and it's building to head but piecing it all together is the fun part. I also, as I might have said before, really liked 52 in trade format (not singles).

I like to stop in comic shops I pass by on the street in the city, and I occasionally go buy a big bag of stuff, but I don't follow any of the big series (Marvel ,dc etc) on a regular basis. I'm totally hooked on the Astro City Series by Kurt Busiek. If you are not familiar with it, I'd really suggest checking it out. It's traditional 4-color heroes in a more "realistic" universe. It explores some themes of "what if superheroes were real?" and does a great job at it. Great storytelling too.

http://www.amazon.com...

Astro City is definitely great stuff...I love that it's just completely unironic, Silver-Age-y, weird science goodness :o)

Anyway, while I recommend Runaways, I must warn you that the new Runaways (they just started over with a new numbering) is...not very promising. The art's off-model, the dialogue and characterization even more so, and the plot is unimpressive and poorly structured (ending an issue with a group of superhumans blowing up the wall and demanding a member be punished for crimes? clichesauce.).