by ntnon » Sat Jan 11, 2014 1:52 am
(I added an addendum about DH, since it looks like you were typing as I was.)
I actually prefer V to Watchmen, although - at the risk of sounding patronising (I hope it doesn't read that way; certainly isn't intended to be) - it becomes greater every read as you really get to grips with all the levels not just of story, not just of history, reference and pastiche, but of pure comics craft. One issue has mirrored panels - the first echoes the last and so on until the two sides meet in the middle. Then there's the additional materials that really flesh out the world, and the asides about capes and... it does leave some cold, and I suspect there's also now a problem of age and being over- referenced. WATCHMEN and DARK KNIGHT RETURNS were (are) so, so influential and important that in some respects the originals seem stale and surpassed... although sadly neither has.
If you like Tom Strong - good! - you might also like Moore's Supreme, Busiek's Astro City or even the recent Conan comics. They all hearken back to the Golden/Atomic Age in style and tone (somewhat). Have you tried Promethea..?
My recollection of Bullets and Fables is that they are among the rare(ish) titles that start almost as strong as their best, so the first collections ought to give you a fair idea of whether it'll be interesting enough for you to continue with them. Sandman needs a little more perseverance, but is very mythical and intricate and epic. It's not much like Hellboy, but I got the same sort of vibe from each. And if you did like Sandman, then the companion series by Mike Carey - which can easily be read alone, and probably should - is even better. Lucifer remains one of my personal favourite Vertigo series'. And there are many great ones!