Best 3rd party "super hero" type titles?

Thought the traditional big-2 characters will always be my favorites, I'm finding I really like some third party titles. A little because of the freedom of a creator owned title (& the more realistic violence doesn't hurt either) but I think mostly because they're generally much shorter/self-contained & are thus enabled to tell a good story more easily (as opposed to a Superman or Batman or Spiderman who will for all intents & purposes go on forever. They are much more like a TV show that just goes on week to week (with "arcs") than a movie/book that tells a story then is done). I think Invincible supports this (in a way) because - while it's not bad at all - going on for 100+ issues I think it's lost some of the magic it had early on.

Titles I've read so far include:

• Invincible
• Irredeemable/Incorruptable
• Superior
• Halcyon
• The Strange Talent of Luther Strode

Many of those have Superman type "top dog" type characters(/powersets), but I don't think I need that. What are some other great 3rd party titles that fall roughly into the traditional "super hero" genre? (Roughly, as TSToLS doesn't explore those themes as much as the others).

Anything by Valiant. It's the only 3rd party to have a "universe" similar to Marvel/DC with crossover and references etc.

Yeah, definitely. Everything is connected, it's awesome.

I have The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, which is awesome, and I'm planning on getting Irredeemable/Incorruptible. They seem nifty.

TMNT by IDW. Definitely one of the top 10 best comics being published right now.

@i_like_swords: I definitely recommend them. Both explore "humanity"/the human pysche very well (Waid's a great writer of course), with Irredeemable being more "universe spanning, big picture" and Incorruptible being more "life on the streets" (but both great).

regarding Valiant, I did think Harbinger & Bloodshot looked cool (back when someone did a "3rd party comics you should read" thread), but I know they're newer so I might wait to read them (ie: so I don't have to wait month-to-month. All those I listed I read after they were done (or for Invincible, it was already almost 100 issues in)).

Q on Valiant - is that a good thing? (the connectivity) ie: Does it mean you have to read a good deal of it for things to make sense? (Because the (relatively) self-contained nature of the titles I mentioned was something I liked. The story started & in a (relatively) short number of issues, it was over (& that universe was "done").

Project Superpowers / Black Terror

Shadowman or TMNT

Harbinger sucked me back in. Probably one of the best titles going. I'm also liking the current Miss Fury and Dark Horse's X is extremely gritty and I love it.

Weird, I'm not getting notifications when people "reply" me...but thanks for the recommendations everyone! I'm def going to do my research on some of these titles!

TMNT, Hellboy, X-O Manowar

Spawn by Image, Vampirella by Dynamite, X-O Manowar by Valiant, & Doctor Solar by Darkhorse are all good.

Agreed. Valaint's the best.

Astro City.

BB