Honestly, Wacom is the way to go. The only real questions are: how much you have to spend, and how big you want it? The two are not unrelated, since the larger tablets are more expensive.
From my own experience, and from reading of others' throughout the years, don't go for the largest or the smallest tablet, somewhere in the middle is best. And... in checking their website just after I wrote that (so as to be able to get more specific), it seems that they've reduced the sizes available in their flagship line (the Intuos Pro) to 3: small, medium, and large.
In fact, Wacom has done a bit of rebranding with the names of their tablet lines. From their website:
Intuos5 is now Intuos Pro. Bamboo pen tablets are now Intuos.
Anyway, my personal recommendation – if you can afford it – is an Intuos Pro in the medium size—it's the best balance of features, space, and price. And don't buy it directly from Wacom, you'll find better deals from various online merchants.
Lastly, unless you're very well-heeled I'd advise against even looking at the Cintiq line. It's painful to see their splendor and to know they're so far out of your price range. Or so it is for me, and you might as well spare yourself the pain.