How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) by 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.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital. instocktrades for physical (US). ISBNS for price aggregate.
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 older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Suggestions to improve the guide are welcome.
by Tigertemprr 2017-09-09
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? How much time/resources are available i.e. how deep do you want to dive?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, 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”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. 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/creators/publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.
Where to buy (US):
Digital: Marvel Unlimited, Comixology, e-library e.g. Hoopla (free), webcomics (free)
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? Optimism/pessimism? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? How much time/resources are available i.e. how deep do you want to dive?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, 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”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. 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're most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best comics integrate events seamlessly. 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? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Family-friendly/explicit content? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
by Tigertemprr 2017-08-19
This request may be too "general" to elicit quality responses i.e. non-specific criteria = no personalization = long list of popular titles = Sidebar. Let us know more about which characters/genres you're interested in, reading habits, previous knowledge, etc.
In the meantime, here are some modern Marvel character/teams I recommend:
Modern Marvel events/crossovers are usually most appreciated by readers already well-versed in relevant continuity, but you may want to familiarize with major plot points anyway:
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through decades of mediocre comics for far too long. Remember, there are so many other great characters/stories/publishers to explore.
First appearances/origins are not always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained stories. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character, but just try to ride along or Wiki if you must.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital. instocktrades for physical (US). ISBNS for price aggregate.
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 inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
No worries. Buying comics is needlessly complex - those of us with experience might as well share the wealth of knowledge.
A final heads up - the omnibus may just cost more than the two premier hardcovers put together. They aren't always the most economical option... but if you're not worried about ten bucks one way or the other, put it out of your mind.
The premier hardcovers and omnibuses have the same binding, so there is effectively no difference in quality. It really comes down to whether you want the complete run in two volumes or one.
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) by 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.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital. instocktrades for physical (US). ISBNS for price aggregate.
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 older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics (and publishers) to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
Events/crossovers can be 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 continuity changes.
Discover your preferences and let them inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
by Mc_Spider_02 2017-08-19
This is copied from a Reddit user I don't know, but credit goes to him/her:
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics (and publishers) to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Marvel Unlimited for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
Events/crossovers can be tedious. They sometimes intrude on your favorite character series and don’t feel as concise/well-planned. Generally, the best comics integrate these smoothly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to read them just to familiarize with major plot points.
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/veterans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics (and publishers) to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Marvel Unlimited for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
Events/crossovers can be tedious. They sometimes intrude on your favorite character series and don’t feel as concise/well-planned. Generally, the best comics integrate these smoothly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to read them just to familiarize with major plot points.
Modern (2004-2015) Marvel events/crossovers (in rough reading order):
Discover your preferences and let them inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
by Tigertemprr 2017-08-19
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to veterans, and you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics and publishers to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Discover your preferences and let them inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Events/crossovers can be tedious. They sometimes intrude on your favorite character series and don’t feel as concise/well-planned. Generally, the best comics integrate these smoothly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to read them just to familiarize with major plot points.
Marvel Unlimited for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
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.
Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.
by Tigertemprr 2017-08-19
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? What time/resources are available i.e. how many comics could/should be read before burning out?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, 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. never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).
Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. 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're 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? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Family-friendly/explicit content? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
Recommended/popular comics fitting these criteria:
NOTE: Ratings are group averages, require 2+ opinions, subjective, rounded, and in flux.
Suggestions to improve the list are welcome.
It seems like you're interested in the Bendis era which starts as far back as Avengers Dissassembled.
Here are some suggested event reading. NOTE: "Cosmic" and X-Men stories are largely self-contained and only mentioned because they're awesome.
Marvel Events/Crossovers - Modern Essentials (2004-2015):
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) by 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.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital. instocktrades for physical (US). ISBNS for price aggregate.
Recommendations:
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Check out the /r/Marvel sidebar for more.
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 older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Suggestions to improve the guide are welcome.
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? How much time/resources are available i.e. how deep do you want to dive?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, 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”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. 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/creators/publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.
Where to buy (US):
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
/r/Marvel sidebar for more info.
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? Optimism/pessimism? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
/r/Marvel sidebar for more info.
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? How much time/resources are available i.e. how deep do you want to dive?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, 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”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. 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):
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They're most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best comics integrate events seamlessly. Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
Modern DC characters/teams:
Alternatively, you can skip to the Rebirth re-launch with the DC Universe: Rebirth event and then any Rebirth series #1.
Modern DC events/crossovers:
Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Family-friendly/explicit content? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
This request may be too "general" to elicit quality responses i.e. non-specific criteria = no personalization = long list of popular titles = Sidebar. Let us know more about which characters/genres you're interested in, reading habits, previous knowledge, etc.
In the meantime, here are some modern Marvel character/teams I recommend:
Modern Marvel events/crossovers are usually most appreciated by readers already well-versed in relevant continuity, but you may want to familiarize with major plot points anyway:
Suggestions to improve the list are welcome.
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through decades of mediocre comics for far too long. Remember, there are so many other great characters/stories/publishers to explore.
First appearances/origins are not always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained stories. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character, but just try to ride along or Wiki if you must.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital. instocktrades for physical (US). ISBNS for price aggregate.
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 inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Suggestions to improve the list are welcome.
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
No worries. Buying comics is needlessly complex - those of us with experience might as well share the wealth of knowledge.
A final heads up - the omnibus may just cost more than the two premier hardcovers put together. They aren't always the most economical option... but if you're not worried about ten bucks one way or the other, put it out of your mind.
Just from a readability standpoint, the smaller hardcovers are nicer books. Balancing a 7 pound, two-and-a-quarter-inch thick, 1300 page comic book on your lap is certainly an experience I'd suggest anybody try once, but they can honestly become a pain in the ass to read.
The premier hardcovers and omnibuses have the same binding, so there is effectively no difference in quality. It really comes down to whether you want the complete run in two volumes or one.
Final plug for something other than (just) Darth Vader: Marvel reprints the older, non-canon Star War comics that were originally published by Dark Horse in really fantastic value-priced collections called "Epic Collections" ... some of those titles are lightyears ahead of anything Marvel has put out in the past three years (though, to be fair, some of them are also considerably worse). I highly recommend most of the content in this one for a better take on Darth Vader, and I'll never miss an opportunity to plug Knights of the Old Republic because it is probably my favourite comic ever
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) by 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.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital. instocktrades for physical (US). ISBNS for price aggregate.
Recommendations:
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Check out the /r/Marvel sidebar for more.
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 older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Suggestions to improve the guide are welcome.
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
Check out the /r/Marvel sidebar for more.
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics (and publishers) to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Marvel Unlimited / Comixology for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Events/crossovers can be 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 continuity changes.
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
Discover your preferences and let them inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
This is copied from a Reddit user I don't know, but credit goes to him/her:
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics (and publishers) to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Marvel Unlimited for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Events/crossovers can be tedious. They sometimes intrude on your favorite character series and don’t feel as concise/well-planned. Generally, the best comics integrate these smoothly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to read them just to familiarize with major plot points.
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to creators/veterans. Don’t try to read everything, else you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics (and publishers) to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Marvel Unlimited for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
Modern (2000's+) Marvel characters/teams:
Events/crossovers can be tedious. They sometimes intrude on your favorite character series and don’t feel as concise/well-planned. Generally, the best comics integrate these smoothly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to read them just to familiarize with major plot points.
Modern (2004-2015) Marvel events/crossovers (in rough reading order):
Discover your preferences and let them inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Forget about continuity, universes, timelines, etc; it's all very confusing, even to veterans, and you'll be wading through mediocrity for too long. There are so many other great comics and publishers to explore!
First appearances/origins aren’t always good starting points. Creative teams change often and characters get re-worked e.g. never caring about Hawkeye until Fraction & Aja’s interpretation. Focus on well-received and relatively self-contained series. Pick an interesting character or team and seek their “greatest hits” stories.
Discover your preferences and let them inform your next comic selection. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, and/or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Events/crossovers can be tedious. They sometimes intrude on your favorite character series and don’t feel as concise/well-planned. Generally, the best comics integrate these smoothly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to read them just to familiarize with major plot points.
Marvel Unlimited for digital comics. instocktrades for physical retail (US).
Modern (2000's+) Marvel characters/teams:
Modern (2004-2015) Marvel events/crossovers (in rough reading order):
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
Modern DC characters/teams:
Alternatively, you can skip to the recent Rebirth re-launch by reading the DC Universe: Rebirth event and then any Rebirth series #1.
Modern DC events/crossovers:
DC also publishes varied-genre, creator-owned comics for “mature readers” under separate imprints (e.g. Vertigo):
Recommendations matching these criteria:
NOTE: Ratings are IRL reading group averages, subjective, rounded, in flux, and require 2+ opinions. " - " = unrated but worth mention.
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:
Doctor Strange
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Check out the /r/Marvel sidebar for more.
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.
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? What time/resources are available i.e. how many comics could/should be read before burning out?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, 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. never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).
Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. 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:
MARVEL
Modern Marvel characters/teams:
Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They're 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:
DC
Modern DC characters/teams:
Alternatively, you can skip to the new Rebirth re-launch by reading the DC Universe: Rebirth event and then any Rebirth series #1.
Modern DC events/crossovers:
Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Family-friendly/explicit content? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.