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We’ve gotten enough requests for a “beginner’s guide” from commenters and via direct messages that we’re going to pull the trigger and put one together. And for some of it, I’m going to need the help of you, the comics fans of Gamma Squad. But we’ll get to that part. First… how do you figure out what comics you like?
First and foremost, you should visit your local comics shop, if you have a local comics shop, and say hello. Talk to the clerk and tell him you’re new to comics, tell him what you like, and ask what he’d recommend. The days of comics shops being tiny nerdy enclaves that only a select few hang out at are effectively dead, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that all of those guys went out of business around 1999.
The nice thing for new readers is that there are vast numbers of collections out there right now, and comic book publishing is incredibly diverse thanks to cheaper publishing technologies and a “long tail”. If you don’t care about superheroes, there’s plenty out there for you to read.
Take a flip through a trade or two and, this is important, buy something. This both sets you off on the right foot with your FLCS, and it gets you a comic to read. Don’t be shy about pulling something off the shelf because it catches your eye: Comic books are often as much about appreciating well-rendered art as they are about enjoying a well-written story.
What comics to read really depends both on your story tastes and your style. But, if you’re just starting out and want to get a taste for the genre, I recommend starting where a lot of comics really began: With Will Eisner, and his newspaper strip The Spirit.
Who Is This Eisner Guy?
The name Will Eisner comes up a lot among comics geeks because in many ways, he was the defining force of comics for decades. Kind of like any appreciation of jazz starts with greats like Duke Ellington or Charlie Parker, or an understanding of film starts with Citizen Kane, Eisner is where it all began.
And The Spirit shows it. A lot of the reason comics were viewed as entertainment for children and man-children for decades is because, honestly, while comics from the early days of the medium can have their charms, they were… well, a lot of them were juvenile crap. Seriously, they’re interesting for historical value, but few if any of them hold up as art.
Quite a lot of Eisner’s work in The Spirit is still vital even today. His strips range from light-hearted pokes at social mores of the time to allegories about finding beauty in unexpected places to psychological studies of sociopaths, all of them crammed into seven pages. Eisner experimented relentlessly with storytelling and artistic technique, and got away with it because he was technically writing a newspaper strip and was working for himself.
And yes, Frank Miller made it into a godawful movie. But the less said of that, the better.
So, that’s a starting point. For current comics fans, weigh in below; give us some of your favorite books and books you’d recommend to people just starting out. We’ll collect all that in Part Two, coming Monday, where we talk about publishers, what they do, and how they work.
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Also: there is no wrong comic to buy. Some comics are less accessible, some are of lower quality, some are bluewater comics, but if you like what you see, BUY IT.
Good point.
I can agree. Sometimes you just wanna read a bunch of Archie.
This is true. [microcosmpublishing.com]
Amen to that!
Caveat – all my recommendations are going to be old, I don’t read as much as i used to…
I would recommend starting with some collections that have an ‘end’. To me, the hardest part about starting was that some of these stories were 20 years old already.
Start with the books – Year One, Born Again, Watchman – these i find myself re reading every few years.
It gives the newbie a more familiar structure, but by then end, you can just start grabbing weeklys.
Same with Sandman. I really like the Hunter Rose – Grendal books as well.
As you can see, i need some newer suggestions myself.
Watchmen for sure. I’ve been getting before watchmen, but it’s…. interesting.
Batman Graphic novels are phenominal as well. The Killing Joke, especially.
Usually I stay over on the KSK side of thing, but I had to way in here and help.
First, if you know of a couple superheroes that you like, check out some of the titles they are in. With DC starting over with the new 52 and Marvel NOW there are great wasyt to start off on a title. You can also start off during “special events” that usually happen every year Although they are not always the best, the stories that coem from them help you with continuity.
For independant stuff It is good to read here, bleeding cool, or the “comics” section of the flipboard app. it has a wide variety of blogs collected into one location. it is awesome.
Some titles for teams/heroes that I pick up and like.
Batman: GREAT title, currently has “death of the family” storyline which is fantstic.
Avengers, new avengers, uncanny avengers: I have liked all three but with them all only during the first arc it is easy to jump in.
All-New X-men: Really like the story here and the fallout from AvX
Wolverine and the X-Men: Extremely fun title with the story focusing on the Jean Grey school and the balance between kids as students and superpowered beings that can fight. Its funny and lighthearted with enough action to get through.
Iron Man: Havent been sold on this yet, but I got the first arc and may keep it. It’s tony being tony.
Thor: God of thunder: Always have loved Thor, but this title focuses in on him in the 9 realms and as a diety, not galavanting around with the avengers as much.
Indestructible hulk: So far the biggest suprise for me. It makes Hulk and Banner human again and has started out extremely well.
Fantastic four: Not as big of a fan, but if you like cosmic sotries and wonder this would be good for you.
Deadpool: Probably my favorite. Hilarious and violent, but ou wont be seeing any gripping storylines. It’s deadpool being deapool and it is awesome.
Daredevil: This is your story book. Absolutely spectacular for one of Marvel’s “B” charcters. Highly reccomended
Hawkeye: Runner up favorite book. Fun art and story. Makes Clint Barton a likeable guy who goes though everyday people problems with a variety of single-issue adventures that test hsi skill.
Cable and the X-Force: Interesting story after AvX. Liked it so far.
Superior Spider-Man: I was subscriber for Amazing Spider-man from issue 500 to the end. I am still very skeptical of Superior, but it dives into a different angle and a significantly different way spider-man has ever been.
The Walking Dead: In some ways it’s better than the show, others, I don’t like it as much, but if you are going to pick up this title, you HAVE to start from the beginning with the Compendiums, because everything in the story builds off everything before it.
I probably missed a couple because I pick up alot of stuff that seems interesting to me, but as you can tell, I am a Marvel-first guy. I’m diving into a few more indies, but the Marvel heroes have always been a part of my life.
The biggest key is to READ FOR THE FUN OF IT! If you think in the way that this can be a money making opportunity, you will not be able to appreciate the books as much. GOOD LUCK!
Stupid spelling on my iPad….
I introduced my son into comics when the New 52 started last year, depsite the fact I was a Marvel reader when I was kid because it seemed like a great place to start. He wound up being a fan of Suicide Squad and the various Batman books. I also gave him Dark Knight Returns, Killing Joke, and Daredevil’s Born Again run. When Thor came out, I bought him the Beta Ray Bill run in trade paperback.
The Mechanics’ Institute Library in San Francisco has a Graphic Novels section (which also includes Peanuts and Gasoline Alley collections) which is a good resource. [www.milibrary.org]
In the years I’ve been coming here, never had an account (or a reason to comment) until this post. Some recommendations not yet mentioned…
For those interested in either the history or the form of comics, I highly recommend Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s The Comic Book History of Comics and Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics. They pair really nicely together for a long weekend of comics knowledge.
On the capes side of things, I think Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run is excellent, and it’s all on sale this weekend on Comixology. It may be too filled with references to older Chris Claremont stories for a casual reader. To fix that, I would recommend Essential X-Men Volumes 1 and 2.
For film noir fans, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal is excellent, and pretty much any collaboration of the two is worth reading. Brubaker’s Captain America run was also very good, but spans roughly 25 trades and more than a few crossover events.
For fans of anything, I recommend Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina, both by the brilliant Brian K. Vaughan. His latest, Saga, is also great and easy to catch up with since there’s only the one trade so far.
I suppose it’s all about where you’re from as well. In the UK, Wednesday was (and still is) THE day to look forward to – new 2000ad prog day. For a few years now I’ve been trying to get my American friends into it – remarkably easy to pick up, consistently great writing and interesting storylines – being an anthology it’s filled with one offs, as well as familiar faces. Plus, it’s not afraid to kill off major characters (oh, Johnny Alpha, how I miss you)
Man, finding Rebellion/2000 AD stuff can be a grade-A pain in the ass in the US. But you’re right, anthology books are useful as well. Dark Horse Presents is crammed full of great comics and often is the genesis of their ongoing books.
My friend’s wife is an artist and I got her in by recommending some guys I liked, but I’ve found that a great way to get people into comics is to remind them that they aren’t just superheroes. They’re as broad of a medium as anything else, and can tell any story. That being said, the only must buys for me right now are Batman and Daredevil. Because I like superheroes.
Heh, half my must-buys are superheroes, and the other half science fiction.
As far as things not already mentioned, I highly recommend most things by Matt Wagner. Mage, in particular, is a great combination of Arthurian (and other) legend with what quite often feels like superheroics. His Batman and the Monster Men is solid, as is his Trinity (not to be confused with the more recent one). His art is simple, clean and expressive, and he clearly loves the characters he is writing about.
“The Power of Iron Man” by David Micheline is excellent. Dealing with Stark’s struggle with alcoholism, as well as watching his personal life fall apart, and the impact it has on his super-heroics.
Squadron Supreme is a great look at the impact of heroes on societal development, that also has some more traditional super hero action.
If there’s a movie, tv show or anime you love that is based on a comic book character or graphic novel, check out the source material. This way you are getting familiar with the comics medium through stories or characters that you already have a connection to. A number of people I know got into comics that way.
Also, Free Comic Book Day (the first Saturday in May) was my gateway to comics several years ago. Its a good way to see what’s out there from the big two as well as smaller publishers. The Oni Press Sharknife/Hysteria free comic pushed me head first down a slippery slope of $60 a month in comic subscriptions.
Depends on what you’re into. For superheroes I’d recommend the Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One (if you’re into DC) or Daredevil: Born Again and the first Ed Brubaker Captain America omnibus (if you’re into Marvel). For non-superhero fare I’d recommend Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillip’s brilliant Criminal and Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon’s Preacher. Stay away from anything written by Mark Millar.
I also want to take a second to give a tip of the hat to my LCS: Stories Comics on Broad in Richmond. I was 14 when I started going there and the counter guys there (Glenn and Jason) were invaluable in getting me hooked on comics. They weren’t snarky, they weren’t judgmental when I started out buying old Venom and Cable books, and they steered me towards great stuff.
If you’re in Richmond stay as far away from Dave’s Comics as possible.
I started a few months ago reading full trades in Barnes and Noble, then took the plunge and bought The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, All Star Superman, and The Killing Joke. I’ve found a LCS and bought my very first comic with Black Beetle (thanks to this site). I feel weird about starting a series in the middle so I haven’t bought any other book yet.
Glad to hear you liked the Black Beetle!
don’t be too scared to jump into the middle of something. there are so many reviews and recaps on the internet that it’s pretty easy to get caught up on a title. If it looks interesting buy it now, don’t pass on it and regret it later.
Thanks Devil, I’ll take your word for it. I just needed a little push to jump in the middle of something. I guess this means I owe you a soul now…
I would recomend for Marvel and DC, download their apps, because hey have a large selection of free read’s. A lot of first issues are free to read so you can get an idea if hat particualr comic/story arc is something you would enjoy. Also decide on how old you want to go. I liked a lot of old (by today) comics when they came out, but now a day’s I find those old (before 1996-97) comics not to my liking. Both in art and inking and writing. Don’t get me wrong, there are some classics that are “must reads” but a lot of the comics I find don’t hold up to today’s comics in style and story. Also you can always go to a Barnes and nobles and read a bunch of comics to figure out which you like.
A lot of people have already mentioned the really good oldies, so I thought I’d mention some of the relatively newer ones that can snag peoples’ interest and have them explore the older stuff. Also some older stuff sprinkled in.
Superhero:
– Batman: Earth One
– Batman: Gates of Gotham
– Batman: The Black Mirror
– Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men
– Ed Brubaker’s Captain America Omnibus
– Kurt Busiek’s Astro City (Vol 1: Life in the Big City)
– Batman: Gothic (or really, any of the earlier LoDK run collections, like Shaman and Venom — the earlier stories were specifically designed to get people interested in Batman again with accessible stories that did not require too much knowledge of the extended Batverse)
Non-Superhero
– The Fall – Ed Brubaker
– Criminal – Ed Brubaker
– Sleeper – Ed Brubaker
– Y the Last Man – Vaughan
– Tintin – Herge
– Preacher – Ennis
– The Boys – Ennis
The Ennis stuff is a maybe, it’s not for everybody, obviously.
Also, this might not be super popular, but I really enjoyed Spider-Man 2099. I haven’t read much else in 2099, but I’ve heard that I should read Doom 2099 and stay away from the rest of it.
People who’re already into capes are gonna appreciate The Boys more, but people who can’t stand superheroey stuff are gonna like it, too. Hell, even if you’re on the fence, anybody ought to like that series. For people who are turned off by superheroes, I’d add Ennis’ PunisherMAX run, Azzarello’s 100 Bullets, and Scott Snyder’s American Vampire to your list.
Azzarello’s 100 Bullets was awesome. I think I subconsciously left it off because I found the ending so MEH. Was hoping for some a little more spectacular and satisfying after the build up.
I agree that anybody would enjoy the concept of The Boys — when I say that he might not be for everybody, I’m referring to his penchant for going over-the-top when it comes to violence and debauchery, even the whole point of most of the debauchery is to signify what absolute dicks people with super powers would be. I personally loved it all.
The Boys is definitely not for children. After Volume 5 of the trades I learned pretty quick not to read those on the subway.
Oh, man, I was reading the original Mask comics on Amtrak and some five year old kid looked over my shoulder right at the moment I popped up the panel of the mechanics having mufflers rammed down their throats and their face skin pulled over it. That… was a fun conversation.
I’ll credit this site for getting me back into comics. It helps to know what newly released titles are coming out so you can start with a story from the beginning. Or start off with some TPB’s depending on what you think you might be into. I started off with Kurt Busiek & Cary Nord’s Conan and went from there. Anything by Brubaker and Phillips. The latest run of ‘Batman’ with stories by Scott Snyder, including ‘The Court of Owls’. Snyder also has a good horror title called Severed.
Right now I’m really digging Bedlam and Saga. Star Wars just started a new run so theres that. Animal Man!
Glad to hear we got you back into comics, he said chuckling as your disposable income vanishes. :-)
Oh, Kurt Busiek’s Astro City is also a really great series that fans of the superhero genre would like. Most of the stories are “slice of life” of what it’s like to be a normal person, or a superhero, in a world where super powers and magic etc. is real. The first trade, Life in the Big City, features about six or so great standalone stories. He experiments with longer form stories later, in The Confession and The Dark Ages, but I think the best are the “one and dones.”
Should also be noted that a lot of Busiek’s work in Astro City is almost directly (a loving) counter to the Frank Miller-esque fascination with making super heroes dark and gritty. I love the dark and gritty and it makes for compelling stories, but I always respect Busiek for telling stories that are just as compelling while still tipping his hat to the sort of things that made Golden Age superheroes inspirational.
I’ll recommend wikipedia. If you do find yourself in a situation where you think you want to pick up something but you’re afraid of getting in over your head, do a little light research on wikipedia. It helped me when I was dipping my toe in the Jack Kirby 4th World stuff.
if you’re looking for specific books to recommend, stuff that will hook a new reader into both reading comics and reading specific characters:
some stuff lately has penetrated the collective unconscious so deeply (hehehehe) that you can get involved with something that has a shitload of backstory. No reason why Batman, Avengers, Thor, Hawkeye or Superman couldn’t be picked up and read cold as they are being published now. I do have specific books that I think would be more interesting to new readers (it is an atrocious comic, but Hush is also like a bad Greatest Hits album and will get people reading more; I’d recommend regular Avengers or Assemble over NA or UA; God of Thunder is amazing; fraction’s Hawkeye is pure joy in comic book form; literally anyone can read All Star Superman and love comics, superman and humanity as a result).
Saga is another one where they may not be familiar with the form but they’ll recognize the tropes right away, and Staples is amazing.
Atomic Robo is the single finest gateway comic i’ve ever seen. anyone at any age who has the slightest proclivity towards sci fi loves robo. Same with Manhattan Projects, though that skews older and more science nerdey.
Thor: God of Thunder is pretty sweet, as is Deadpool Killustrated. Definitely Hawkeye though. It’s the best book out there right now.
Even if superheroes are all you really want to read, give some other genres a try too. I even tend to prefer Eisner’s non-Spirit work like Dropsie Avenue, Heart of the Storm, etc. The man was THE master of the medium.
I collected comics (DC) from 8-13 years of age. I was a huge New Teen Titans fan, loved George Perez, Marv Wolfman. Also collected All Star Squadron, JLA, Flash. I quit right when Crisis on Infinite Earths ended. I guess puberty kicked in and girls took over (?). I have a five year old son, and rediscovered a lot of my youth with DC when I started watching Batman Brave and Bold on Cartoon Nework, before it was cancelled. I’ve also been really interested in picking up some comics again. I feel like I stopped collecting right when things were getting interesting, as indy companies (Dark Horse) were picking up and material was getting more “real”. I’m really wanting to rediscover Nghtwing, but also want to delve into other parts of the DC universe. Any suggestions?
The new Wonder Woman is spectacular. Scott Snyder’s Batman is also great. Nightwing I go back and forth on with a book. And I’ve got a huge soft spot for the Suicide Squad, myself.
For a good time, read every issue of Punisher:MAX. Especially Jason Aaron’s run on it. These comics are the reason why Punisher (MAX version, not that pussy from the 616) is my favorite character.
Two old comics I didn’t see mentioned here:
Superhero:
Starman by James Robinson
Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis
That was supposed to say
Non-superhero:
Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis
for kids:
I started out with these mainstays, and they really fed my love of the comics medium:
The Adventures Of Tintin
Sergio Aragones’ Groo The Wanderer
Archie comics
from there I moved into the some of the DC/Marvel books, but for the most part I stay away from the superhero stuff.
for adults:
Alan Moore:
The Watchmen
V For Vendetta
Neonomicon
Frank Miller:
Sin City
Warren Ellis:
Gravel
Global Frequency
Freakangels
Transmetropolitian
Garth Ennis:
Preacher
Crossed
The Boys
Ed Brubaker:
Criminal
Fatale
Brian Wood:
DMZ
Northlanders
Brian K Vaughn:
Y: The Last Man
Ex Machina
Robert Kirkman:
The Walking Dead
Invincible
Some other good ones that I’m surprised have not come up yet:
Hellblazer and Fables. Both Vertigo books.
I’m kind of getting away from supers lately. I really enjoyed Harvest from Image and Revival is a pretty good series so far.
Anything by Ed Brubaker is great. All the Criminals are good, Sleeper was fantastic, his Captain America run was great, his Daredevil run was great, and the Iron Fist he did with Matt Fraction was really good too.
I also suggest checking out the Marvel cosmic books from a few years ago. Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the two Annihilation min-series.
One more great book to check out is Locke & Key. Great story with really good art.
I was first introduced to comics by a friend who lent me the first few volumes of the Sandman Chronicles and a teacher who lent me Maus, both around the same time. Blasted away all my misconceptions about comic being childish and spurred me to seek them out on my own. Definitely a lot of good comics already mentioned, but I think The Unwritten deserves a mention as well.
This is terrible advice. If when I started getting into comics someone’s first piece of advice for where to start to me had been “Well you probably want to start with this 75 year old comic strip you’ve probably never heard of” I probably would have backed away slowly and never picked up another comic book.
The Spirit is something you recommend to someone who’s already been introduced to comics and is looking for new stuff to read.
A good piece to someone coming into comics now (who’s probably watched a bunch of super hero movies enjoyed them and wants to get their feet wet) would be to start them with some Batman or Spider-Man.
I’d probably go with Year One or Long Halloween for Batman, and definitely just give them the first volume of Ultimate Spider-Man for Spidey.
Oh and Watchmen.