Image Comics; $9.99

Before comic book readers became aware that writer Geof Johns and friends were building the Ghost Machine universe, he, artist Gary Frank, and colorist Brad Anderson introduced their first creator-owned Geiger to fans in a six-issue series from Image.

In the wastelands of an Earth ravaged by nuclear war years earlier, survivors must contend with “nightcrawlers” (dangerous, mutated creatures), the “Organ People” (who capture the relatively healthy as transplant donors), scarcity of resources, and more. Against this backdrop stands Geiger, “John Glow” or “the Meltdown Man.”

Johns and company have created a world that is compelling and populated it with characters that are equally intriguing. In the grand tradition of great comic books, the anticipation of each new issue begins the moment one finishes reading the previous one.

Since the robust launch of the Ghost Machine imprint, there’s now another Geiger series, but this collection is a great way to get into the story from the beginning. There is a more expensive hardcover collection which folks who are already fans may very well want to pick up. If, though, you’re just trying Geiger on for size, it’s hard to beat that $9.99 trade paperback.

– J.C. Vaughn