Self-contained Ultimate universe where new readers can start with the very first issue and not miss anything. Hits on all major teenage Spider-Man story beats, friends, and villains. Considered one of the best modern Spider-Man runs of all time.
Short, beautiful, touching, heart-warming story about a young Peter Parker torn between two romantic interests and maturing emotionally. Only 6 issues = a low-commitment peek at the character for new readers.
JMS' run is well-regarded for making Peter Parker and "average guy" again, just trying to pay rent and survive adulthood. It's dark, funny, dramatic, well-paced, and introduces new status quo/mythos, even supernatural elements.
A fresh start for Peter Parker after Civil War. His memory has been reset and everything is new/different. He's back to his roots: struggling to pay rent, learning how the world works, and fighting his rogue gallery. Closest thing to a "reboot" Amazing Spider-Man has ever had = new reader friendly.
Peter Parker is back in his groove, he's leading the Avengers, has a new girlfriend, and landed a major career opportunity. This eventually sets up one of the coolest modern Spidey stories in Superior Spider-Man below.
In this redefined Iron Man techno-thriller action story, the Extremis chemical can imbue people with volatile superpowers while Tony Stark is accused of being an irresponsible arms dealer. When an old friend asks him for help, Tony attempts to unravel the Extremis mystery which proves dangerous, challenging, and potentially beneficial as a means for a major Iron Man suit upgrade.
In this celebrated modern run, the billionaire genius playboy with new Extremis Iron Man suit is targeted by international terrorists, tries to protect superhero identities before losing all brain function, loses his fortune/fame, prevents his technology from being misused, struggles with alcoholism, repels foreign invaders, and ultimately attempts to rebuild his life and forge a better future.
Self-contained Ultimate universe where new readers can start with the very first issue and not miss anything. Hits on all major teenage Spider-Man story beats, friends, and villains. Considered one of the best modern Spider-Man runs of all time.
Short, beautiful, touching, heart-warming story about a young Peter Parker torn between two romantic interests and maturing emotionally. Only 6 issues = a low-commitment peek at the character for new readers.
JMS' run is well-regarded for making Peter Parker and "average guy" again, just trying to pay rent and survive adulthood. It's dark, funny, dramatic, well-paced, and introduces new status quo/mythos, even supernatural elements.
A fresh start for Peter Parker after Civil War. His memory has been reset and everything is new/different. He's back to his roots: struggling to pay rent, learning how the world works, and fighting his rogue gallery. Closest thing to a "reboot" Amazing Spider-Man has ever had = new reader friendly.
Peter Parker is back in his groove, he's leading the Avengers, has a new girlfriend, and landed a major career opportunity. This eventually sets up one of the coolest modern Spidey stories in Superior Spider-Man below.
In this epic fantasy, gods have been disappearing across time/space and past, present, and future Thors attempt to unravel the mystery of the God Butcher. The adventure continues with returns of ruthless Dark Elf lords and romantic interests, a look into Thor's life outside of superheroics, otherworldly prisons, multinational corporations, and the Devourer of Worlds.
by dgehen 2018-11-10
You could start at one of the following places for Modern Spidey:
JMS' run, beginning at The Amazing Spider-man (vol.2) #30 (amazon link )
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about stories/characters from TV, movies, games, etc. that you already like. Do you seek “good” storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Are you here to collect or read? How much time/resources are available?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).
Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.
Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Literary/natural narratives? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Social/political commentary? Family-friendly/explicit content? Optimistic/pessimistic characters? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
Modern Essentials
Ultimate Spider-Man | #1-160 | 2000-2008 | Bendis
Spider-Man: Blue | #1-6 | 2002 | Loeb
Amazing Spider-Man | #30-57, 500-545 | 2001-2007 | Straczynski
Amazing Spider-Man (Brand New Day) | #546-647 | 2008-2010 | Slott, et al.
Amazing Spider-Man (Big Time) | #648-700.5 | 2010-2013 | Slott, et al.
Superior Spider-Man | #1-33 | 2013-2014 | Slott, et al.
First, check out the Marvel Comics Guide in the sidebar. There's an Introduction to Comics and Starter Recommendations.
Keep in mind: the comics are very different from the movies.
For a fresh cinematic/action/comedy universe that doesn't require any prior reading:
For character you mentioned in other comments:
Iron Man
Iron Man: Extremis | #1-6 | 2005 | Ellis
Invincible Iron Man | #1-33, 500-527 | 2008-2012 | Fraction
Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man | #1-160 | 2000-2008 | Bendis
Spider-Man: Blue | #1-6 | 2002 | Loeb
Amazing Spider-Man | #30-57, 500-545 | 2001-2007 | Straczynski
Amazing Spider-Man (Brand New Day) | #546-647 | 2008-2010 | Slott, et al.
Amazing Spider-Man (Big Time) | #648-700.5 | 2010-2013 | Slott, et al.
Superior Spider-Man | #1-33 | 2013-2014 | Slott, et al.
Thor
Thor | #1-12, 600-603 | 2007-2009 | Straczynski
Thor: God of Thunder | #1-25 | 2012-2014 | Aaron
You could start at one of the following places for Modern Spidey:
JMS' run, beginning at The Amazing Spider-man (vol.2) #30 (amazon link )
Dan Slott's run, beginning at The Amazing Spider-man #648 (amazon link ) - yes, there was some renumbering with mucks everything up.
Wait until August with the new relaunch of Amazing Spider-man by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley (article link)
If you want a "from the beginning" run, you could go with the Epic Collections (link ) or, for a more modern take, check out Ultimate Spider-man (link ).
Ultimate Spider-Man
Peter Parker:
Peter Parker (616) & Miles Morales (Ultimate):
Miles Morales:
Other Recommendations
Peter Parker:
Peter Parker (616) & Miles Morales (Ultimate):
Miles Morales:
Other recommendations:
Other recommendations (adult Peter):
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about stories/characters from TV, movies, games, etc. that you already like. Do you seek “good” storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Are you here to collect or read? How much time/resources are available?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).
Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.
Where to buy (US):
Recommendations:
Hulk:
Iron Man:
Spider-Man:
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Literary/natural narratives? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Social/political commentary? Family-friendly/explicit content? Optimistic/pessimistic characters? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.