Last week, I had to buy a recent comic from an online store, due to the fact that I hadn’t got out to an Actual Shop in time to snatch a copy of Batman Inc #9 upon its release. When the issue arrived – promptly and at a reasonable price, thanks very much Books ‘n’ Comics - there was a little promo bookmark from DC chucked in. This promotional item exhorted readers to “get ready for” The Man of Steel by buying six graphic novels/collections of stories about the character.

The thing is, with one notable exception, I don’t think the recommendations were actually very good. It’s partly that they’re largely comics that I didn’t really like – but more significantly that if you’re specifically pitching at people who want to see what all the fuss over Superman might be about in advance of a huge movie in which they’re supposed to care about him, then I really don’t think that the chosen books do the job.

What’s more, I’ve already seen people online who say they don’t really “get” the character, but are keen or at least curious to learn, asking which Superman stories they should read in order to try and get a handle on him. So for each of DC’s five recommendations (two of the six were in the same series of books, so I’m counting them as one), I’ve come up with one of my own that I think better gives a good impression of why the character is the greatest and most enduring of superheroes. And I’ve even shown you where you can buy them, just to prove that I’m not entirely opposed to the principle of DC hawking these books as a movie tie-in.

So, let’s get started with the totally unsurprising turn of events that is Alternate Cover recommending that you shouldn’t buy a JMS book…

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For various reasons, we’ve been unable to get a proper episode of the podcast recorded and edited in March or April – so to fill in the gap, we’re putting out this special “Point One” issue, because we really wanted to get around to recommending and discussing Brian K Vaughan and Marcos Martin’s The Private Eye. Having done that, to pad out a bit more time we subjected ourselves to a SPECIAL CONTEST, courtesy of the quiz book Obsessed With Marvel, to determine once and for all which of the two of us knows more about Marvel Comics. Would noted Marvel expert James, or not a noted Marvel expert Seb, be the champion? LISTEN AND FIND OUT.

As usual, you can get us on iTunes here, or via the RSS feed here. Or you can even listen directly on the site via the link below. We’ll be back in May with a full, proper episode to get us back on schedule!

The Alternate Cover Comics Podcast – Episode 7.1

… and no, not the new, younger, hipper, watered-down DC Universe Constantine title that debuted this week (more of that on the next podcast), nor the inevitable emotionally-and-narratively unsatisfying final issue of Hellblazer. But, rather, the fact that DC and Comixology have rather marvellously – in just about the only good thing DC have done in the last couple of weeks – put every single issue of Hellblazer on sale, for 99c (around 69p) each, until next Thursday.

Now, you could just go and buy every single one of the 300 issues right now – but who has £200 or so to spend on comics in one go, especially when a fair chunk of them are a bit rubbish? With that in mind, then, if you’ve always wanted to start reading the misdaventures of John Constantine but have no idea where to start, let me offer a few suggestions as to which issues and storylines stand out from the various writers’ runs…

Jamie Delano Era (#1-40)

Obviously, given that the first issue is free, you should definitely start there. Early Hellblazer under Delano is a mostly pretty unsettling horror comic, but if that late-80s-British-urban-horror thing is your bag, then you should  give the first handful of issues a go and see what you think. Issue #11 is notable for telling about the Newcastle event, a pretty major moment in Constantine’s backstory. To be honest, though, although they’re important in establishing the character (and moving him away from his roots in Swamp Thing), I’m not the biggest fan of Delano’s issues overall. They’re worth dipping into, but they’re far from the most definitive take.

As Delano’s run goes on, a few big-name creators pop in for fill-in issues. The results are mixed, however. Grant Morrison and David Lloyd’s two-parter, issues #25 and #26, is a bit disappointing given their pedigree – worth picking up if you’re a fan of either creator, though. Rather significantly better is issue #27, an utterly wonderful done-in-one by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean called “Hold Me”. I’ve talked about it on here before, but basically, if I were to recommend one individual issue of Hellblazer (as opposed to an arc), this would be it.

Garth Ennis Era (#41-83)

Look, I can’t stress this enough – Garth Ennis’ run on Hellblazer is one of the best runs by any creator in comics ever, and if you’re thinking about laying down a wodge of cash on this sale, then the very first thing you should do is buy every one of these issues.

If you want specifics, mind, then I’d say that Dangerous Habits (#41-46), Tainted Love (#68-71) and the hugely and depressingly epic finale Rake at the Gates of Hell (#78-83) are the standouts. There are also some lovely single issues here and there – #63 (Constantine’s 40th birthday) and #76 (drinking with Brendan’s ghost) among them. But really, in much the  same way as you wouldn’t necessarily pick out single arcs of Preacher or Sandman, because they’re specifically long-form layered narratives that develop their characters throughout, the same is true here. Start with Dangerous Habits, and read the whole damned lot. Seriously. Go. Do it now.

Paul Jenkins Era (#84-128)

This is probably the largest chunk of Hellblazer stories that I’ve barely read any of – probably because it’s the one DC have pretty much wilfully refused to put in trade. From what I have seen of it, it’s a bit flat and inessential – although it couldn’t really be anything else, following Ennis – so I can only really recommend dipping in if you’re a completist who’s going after the entire lot.

This “era” actually starts with a one-shot by Delano, followed by a couple of issues by Eddie Campbell, but neither are particularly essential either.

Warren Ellis Era (#129-143)

An odd grouping on Comixology’s part, given that the first six issues are actually Garth Ennis’ brief comeback story, Son of Man (#129-133). Much more light-hearted than Ennis’ original run – while still ridiculously unpleasant at times – it’s worth a look if you like seeing Ennis and artist John Higgins at their most excessive.

As for Ellis, his run was of course truncated due to the furore over “Shoot” (which, if published, would almost certainly have been his best issue on the title). I’m not massively keen on his initial arc, Haunted, though it has its fans. I think he really comes into his own with the four single-issue stories that follow – with his final issue, Telling Tales (#143) the best of the lot. Still, there are so few issues that picking up his entire run hardly breaks the bank, and it is Ellis.

Brian Azzarello Era (#144-174)

There are people who may tell you the Azzarello era of Hellblazer is great. These people are wrong. If you must investigate for yourself, then give his first arc, Hard Time (#146-150) a go. It’s about as good as it gets – as the run goes on, it really does fall to utterly catastrophic pieces. Don’t bother with the two Darko Macan issues that precede Azzarello, either.

Mike Carey Era (#175-215)

I really like the first two issues (#175-176) of Carey’s run, which return him briefly to Liverpool (Carey’s home town as well as Constantine’s), have art by Steve Dillon, and introduce the excellent Angie Spatchcock. After that, though, I find the run a bit patchy. The first arc proper, Red Sepulchre, which follows on from the introductory two-parter, is quite decent – but the run later gets bogged down in stuff with Swamp Thing that, while perhaps harking back to the roots of the character, feels a bit out of place. The celebratory Issue #200 is worth checking in on, though, featuring as it does guest appearances from artists and characters of Hellblazer past.

Denise Mina Era (#216-229)

An underrated run, this. Although ostensibly split into shorter arcs, it’s another longer-form story line, predominantly set in and around Mina’s native Glasgow. Try the first part, Empathy is the Enemy (#216-222) and if you like what it’s doing, the second half is worth sticking with as well.

Andy Diggle Era (#230-249)

Truncated by Diggle’s sudden move to a Marvel exclusive contract, this run consists of a number of shorter storylines and shows a really strong grasp on the character. In at the Deep End (#230-231) and Joyride (#234-237) are both pretty great. There’s also a break for a good two-parter, Newcastle Calling (#245-246) set back in Constantine’s punk days by Jason Aaron, with art by the great Sean Murphy. With his closing three-part arc, The Roots of Coincidence (#247-249), Diggle starts to set in motion a move back towards the slicker, more confident John Constantine of the early (even pre-Delano) days – but with his departure, it stops short in preparation for the next run…

Peter Milligan Era (#250-300)

Still more recent in the memory, Milligan’s run is pretty up and down in nature, and is perhaps coloured now by the knowledge that everything in it heads towards the character’s final ending – even though it never began with that intent. Scab (#251-253) is quite good, as is Hooked (#256-258). The Long Crap Friday (#260), meanwhile, is the better of two one-shots that both feature utterly amazing pencil-based art from Simon Bisley. But after that, things falter somewhat – India (#261-264) is a bit dull, although the punk-based No Future (#265-266) is quite fun, with the return of Bisley to boot.

By this point, at least, you’ll probably have an idea of whether you want to carry on with the really quite drawn-out final few storylines (I didn’t, to be honest) – particularly when Shade the Changing Man gets involved. If you like Milligan’s style, there’s still stuff to enjoy, but otherwise (and with a brief stopoff for John and Epiphany’s wedding in #275) you might just be best skipping on to Death and Cigarettes (#298-300) just to see how it all ends…

It’s a Brian Michael Bendis-fest for this month’s podcast, as we feature-review the first issue of Powers Bureau (or, if you will, Powers: The Bureau). In addition, in a slightly off-format capsule reviews section James compares and contrasts Bendis’ All-New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men, while Seb does the same with Scott Snyder’s Batman and Grant Morrison’s Batman Inc. We also dust off John Byrne’s Spectacular She-Hulk #1 from 1989, and count down our top five Superhero Day Jobs. Why aren’t there any superheroes who double as comics blogger/podcasters, anyway?

As usual, iTunes listeners can subscribe here, while the plain old RSS feed is here. And you can listen to the ep right here on the site in most browsers, by clicking the link at the bottom of this very post.

The Alternate Cover Comics Podcast – Episode 7

Alternate Cover powers into the new year with an injection of Fresh! New! Young! Trendy! Excitingness! as James (30) and Seb (30) review Kieron Gillen (37) and Jamie McKelvie (12)’s Young Avengers #1. We also count down our top five Younger Versions Of Existing Superheroes, run through some capsule reviews including Mara,Chew and Hellblazer, and turn our Dusting Off gaze on the first issue of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men. You can probably stop doing that, now.

Regular listeners may note we’ve made a couple of teeny format changes this time out – nothing major, but we’re always looking to tweak and improve the podcast, so if you do have any feedback on it – positive or negative! – or if there’s anything you’d suggest we do differently, do let us know in the comments below or via Twitter.

iTunes listeners can subscribe here, or alternatively the plain old RSS feed is here. And as ever, you can even just listen to the ep in your browser by clicking the link at the bottom of this very post.

The Alternate Cover Comics Podcast – Episode 6

Admit it. You all saw this one coming. While there are some books from 2012 that we haven’t got around to reading yet which could have given some on this list a run for their money (Prophet and Manhattan Projects spring to mind), there was only ever one book that was going to top this list, and that’s Hawkeye. It’s done more in six issues than some series manage in six years.

On paper, this project was in serious danger of being a dud. Fraction’s form at Marvel has been inconsistent at best, Aja was never going to be available for every issue, and historically, Hawkeye has proven unable to support a title. His last solo series died after eight issues, while his recent team-up series with Mockingbird managed only six. Expectations were low. So it was a double surprise when Marvel put out one of the best superhero series, not just of the year, but of the century. If it lasts long enough, maybe even of all time.

That’s because Hawkeye isn’t just entertaining, although it is that. It’s also experimental and aesthetically coherent in ways that few comics are. It’s got all the spirit and originality that Marvel’s best runs display – Lee and Ditko’s Amazing Spider-Man, Gerber’s Howard the Duck, Claremont and Byrne’s X-Men. Comics this good don’t come around very often, and when they do, you cling to them and hope the ride never stops. They’re the books that cast a shadow over everything that follows. There are enough techniques and ideas in Hawkeye to keep an entire decade of writers and artists inspired for years to come. You’re going to see them again and again, and each time you’ll remember where you saw them first.

Somehow, what Fraction has managed to do is metabolise the slicker-than-thou, medium-bending action of Casanova into a Marvel Universe superhero title. Aja displays a complete mastery of the page (it’s tough to imagine anyone else cramming 20+ panels onto a page and still make it look so fucking gorgeous) while guest artist for issues 4 and 5, Javier Pulido, proves that a lighter, Kirby/Steranko-influenced style can work just as well, illustrating a hotel gang war like it was a 40s screwball comedy and somehow maintaining the tone. Colourist Matt Hollingsworth, meanwhile, is the best example of what the right colourist can for to a series, complementing the pencils with deliberately limited palettes, never overwhelming them.

The basic idea behind Hawkeye is a simple one: he’s the man on the street who’s an Avenger in his spare time. Sometimes, that means he’s dealing with extortionist landlords. Other times, it means he’s being abducted from a rooftop cookout by SHIELD. The series reads like an action movie about a street-thug turned secret agent, as the unflappably down-to-earth Hawkeye and his Girl Friday Kate (also code-named Hawkeye) bicker and fight, as much with each other as with the villains they’re trying to defeat. The book’s pace is relentless, but it never seems like a slight read. Every panel and piece of dialogue seems to do two jobs at once. It’s dense, but not fatiguing. Simple but not facile. It’s not a gritty series, but the character study is intense and realistic. When Hawkeye thinks he’s falling to his death, he’s not sarcastic or scared: he apologises, even though no-one can hear. It’s a subtle reminder of the context of everything Hawkeye does. Of his practical, hands-on, one-day-at-a-time approach to achieving the redemption that he doesn’t feel he deserves, and doesn’t realise he’s already attained.

In 2012, Hawkeye released only six issues, but you could pick up any one of them and make a case for it being one of the best individual comics of the year. And that’s why it’s our favourite series of 2012. Realistically, nothing else even had a chance.