Comic books - how do you get started?
By
Agent White,
Posted on: 2012-05-22 10:33 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
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Agreed, once you've read this you're going to be sorely disappointed by other superhero comics, for the most part. You never want to start with top quality!!|
Originally Posted by Dark One
Avoid Watchmen. That is not a starter by any means.
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Yes, that is sarcasm.
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Many's the person I got hooked on reading comics using Watchmen. Also, I've loaned it out so many times and not gotten it back that I'm up to my ninth copy of it. Which is currently loaned out.|
Originally Posted by Clave_Dark_5
Agreed, once you've read this you're going to be sorely disappointed by other superhero comics, for the most part. You never want to start with top quality!!
Yes, that is sarcasm. |
The nice thing about it: you don't need to know anything that happens before, or anything that happens after it. It is 100% self-contained. And for an 80's comic with an omnipotent blue man, its gritty realism was far enough ahead of its time that the story holds up well today, even with the story being anchored in the 1980s itself.
Scott McCloud said that comic books are not novels that happen to have pictures, or movies but in book form, but a unique form of expression that has the ability to tell stories you can't tell in any other way. Book four of Watchmen is still, twenty five years later, my best example of that principle.
A quarter century later, I still consider Watchmen to be state of the art sequential art story telling.
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No, you don't want to start with overrated nonsense, IMO. The same goes for Dark Knight Returns.
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Originally Posted by Clave_Dark_5
Agreed, once you've read this you're going to be sorely disappointed by other superhero comics, for the most part. You never want to start with top quality!!
Yes, that is sarcasm. |
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This is exactly what turned me right off of trying to casually read comicbooks many many moons ago.|
Originally Posted by Hit Streak
This is exactly the type of thing I was concerned about with comics. Feeling like I was picking up on a major story line in the middle without knowing why things were happening the way they were.
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Fortunately, I had a friend who would lend me full arcs and/or tradepaperbacks of things he really enjoyed and/or thought I would like. So... I was a cheater comicbook reader.
Not a bad way to go though... ask around the office!
I'm not the best to give advice about this, but I agree with what others have said. Grab a few things of character you think you'd like (or have always liked and want to check out) and/or grab some trade paperbacks or full runs so you can actually read a completely story arc and get a taste for it.
Personally, I love Watchmen and have no problems suggesting it for a first-timer... it just depends on whether you're into a more intelligent, dark, heavily character-driven work of art or not.
I can't honestly say that everyone will love (or like) Watchmen... Even if I think they should!
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Many's the person I got hooked on reading comics using Watchmen. Also, I've loaned it out so many times and not gotten it back that I'm up to my ninth copy of it. Which is currently loaned out.
The nice thing about it: you don't need to know anything that happens before, or anything that happens after it. It is 100% self-contained. And for an 80's comic with an omnipotent blue man, its gritty realism was far enough ahead of its time that the story holds up well today, even with the story being anchored in the 1980s itself. Scott McCloud said that comic books are not novels that happen to have pictures, or movies but in book form, but a unique form of expression that has the ability to tell stories you can't tell in any other way. Book four of Watchmen is still, twenty five years later, my best example of that principle. A quarter century later, I still consider Watchmen to be state of the art sequential art story telling. |
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
Go to a Library and check out a trade paperback.
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DKR isn't a bad read. Taken as a stand-alone project, it's entertaining. But taken in overall context w/a number of Miller's works after that, I think you can see just how crazy Frank was going to get.|
Originally Posted by Dark One
No, you don't want to start with overrated nonsense, IMO. The same goes for Dark Knight Returns.
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Thank you for the time...
@Travlr (Main) / @Tymers Realm (Test) 
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DKR & the sequel are two of the worst purchases I've ever made.|
Originally Posted by Tymers_Realm
DKR isn't a bad read. Taken as a stand-alone project, it's entertaining. But taken in overall context w/a number of Miller's works after that, I think you can see just how crazy Frank was going to get.
Thank you for the time... |
I can't recall anything of Frank Miller's that I actually like. There may be stuff but I'm just not remembering his name being attached to it. The only thing of Moore's that I've liked is The Killing Joke.
Ah, the excitement of exploring unknown territory. Tempered by knowing there is a LOT of territory to explore. (And that's only the domestic options. International possibilities offers even more treasures worth discovering.) Welcome to the world of comics, Hit Streak!
Like deciding to explore animation for the first time, the sheer volume available is daunting. My best advice: Pick a theme and enjoy whatever you can find.
Sure, you'll probably end up in the middle of a story without knowing what is going on. That is actually a good thing. If you can enjoy storytelling without the back story, you can know you definitely found something worth pursuing. If it doesn't interest you quickly, move on. Once you find something you like, then fellow fans can help you track down legacy issues. Just remember that there is no obligation to become a devoted fan of popular titles. Or a fan at all of any comics, for that matter.
If you still want a "Start Here" point, grab a week's worth of regional newspapers and read all the comics. Odds are you'll quickly learn from that variety which type of drawing style and storytelling you enjoy. Once you can tell the community that, we can give you details about more specific titles to pursue.
If newspapers are too low-tech or not convenient, there are a variety of titles for your perusal in the Link your current fave (worksafe) Webcomic! thread.
Don't forget that there are plenty of comics to enjoy right here in City Of Heroes. Both official and fan made issues.
Alternately, go to a bookstore. Our local Barnes & Noble has a good selection of current comic books. I like to reward myself from time to time by spending a few hours sampling titles. After finding something I like enough to spend money on, Google searches helpfully provides extensive information on related titles plus online/B&M locations for tracking down copies.
Like all products, purchased items tell the producers that there is an interested market. So remember to buy what you like if you want to see more of the same.
PS The comic that I enjoyed most and has had the biggest impact on me is ElfQuest. (Especially "The Original Quest".) It has the added bonus of being completely available online at the official website.
Oh yes, you might also want to look up our wayward comic writer's book, Common Grounds. It seems as though Troy has been et by the trapdoor alligators up in Canadia-land. 
The only comic I read continuously through my youth was Doctor Who weekly/monthly/magazine, which many of you will know is a Marvel publication. So I "got into it" by reading something based on a favorite TV show.
I did pick up the occasional other comics (2000AD and Superman) but it wasn't until I got to university that I really had access to a wide range of comics.
Oh yeah, and of course, Asterix the Gaul, who is indubitably a superhero.
I really should do something about this signature.
If you're not looking to collect, I suggest skipping comic books in their native format altogether. It's much better to acquire collected story arcs in 'trade paperback' form, or better yet (IMO) in novelised form when available.
Goodbye may seem forever
Farewell is like the end
But in my heart's the memory
And there you'll always be
-- The Fox and the Hound
Novels are a completely different media.
If you want other media straight adaptations of comic stories, the BBC did audio plays of The Death of Superman, and Knightfall. I would imagine they would be available for download somewhere (I had the Superman one on audio cassette - it melted 
)
I really should do something about this signature.
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I've been poking through Marvel's digital archives... and I can say this happens *way* too much for me. (Add to that just sort of mystery-gaps - "Oh, we have issues 87-115, then jumped to 217, then started renumbering at 1... twice" and it gets annoying.) |
Originally Posted by Hit Streak
This is exactly the type of thing I was concerned about with comics. Feeling like I was picking up on a major story line in the middle without knowing why things were happening the way they were.
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... honestly, way back when I was younger, (A) I didn't care much (I think I read Micronauts more than anything else,) (B) most of my comics came from the library (Sgt. Rock, etc,) and (C) the stuff I bought I got into from the beginning. (GI Joe, Transformers, the New Universe series.) Which, for the last, is *much* harder to do now. Yep, didn't really read the classic supers.
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I have to agree with this for Marvel. I'm not sure who wrote the arc, but the "Streets of Poison" arc in Capt A was really good as well.|
Originally Posted by Speculator
Avengers Kree/Skrull Saga
X-Men by Chris Claremont/John Byrne - especially Dark Phoenix Saga Daredevil by Frank Miller - Elektra Returns and Born Again stories Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock by Jim Starlin Thor by Walt Simonson Hulk by Peter David . |
Also want to agree with Tenzhi, get the TPBS. They are great.
The one that made me a collector, til recently was this one:
Probably the 1st comic I ever bought with my allowance.
And if you've read Marvel recently (up to the end of Thanos Imperative) You can understand why I don't actively collect the "Floppies" anymore.
I still collect Gold Digger from Antarctic Press and I'll keep getting it until Fred Perry stops doing it. The other books I'll wait an extra month and pay less for on comixology.
My recommendations:
Previews magazine. These come out every month and you can subscribe; this is the single best way to get an overview of what's out there right now by just about every publisher there. You're never going to get a better entry point into seeing what the market's into at the moment and more importantly, something that speaks to you as a reader. A lot of the time, comic shops won't carry independent titles or lesser-known titles. I know this because I worked in a comic shop a decade ago, and sometimes you just have to take a chance on a title that looks promising or has an interesting premise. But Previews is that first look-in to what you'll get into that's on shelves right now.
Trade paperbacks. Browse the shelves, browse the libraries. Maybe there's a comic you've heard of you'd like to have a read of. Or an adaptation of a movie, or a graphic novel you've heard good things about. Take your time, browse. If your local comic store doesn't let you browse and have a bit of a read, go somewhere else.
Good luck starting in on stuff! And don't worry, the bigger comic companies regularly do 'jumping on' issues when a new writer starts, and don't require you to know everything that's gone before.
S.
Part of Sister Flame's Clickey-Clack Posse
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If DKR has a weakness, its that its influence was so powerful its difficult to see its innovative take today.
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Originally Posted by Tymers_Realm
DKR isn't a bad read. Taken as a stand-alone project, it's entertaining. But taken in overall context w/a number of Miller's works after that, I think you can see just how crazy Frank was going to get.
Thank you for the time... |
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Quote:
GD is truly a unique title. One I've enjoyed over the years. It's action adventure with a mash-up of of Fantasy/Superheroics/Anime/Fighting Games/Pop Culture/Cheesecake & Beefcake/Parody that has been going strong for about 20 years.|
Originally Posted by Dr_Illuminatis
I still collect Gold Digger from Antarctic Press and I'll keep getting it until Fred Perry stops doing it.
|
Thank you for the time...
@Travlr (Main) / @Tymers Realm (Test)
One of these days, Marvel is going to offer digital comics unlimited that will either be html5 or have an iOS app (instead of flash) and I'll really become a comic guy.
I have the same problem - I collected comics when I was a kid, but I liked seeing things "from the beginning", so I ended up with boxes full of Image/Valiant comics like Rai, etc. Lately I've been reading irredeemable. I've read some graphic novels (mostly from the library) of marvel stuff, but I really hate having no idea what I'm reading; I have this cultural knowledge of various heroes, but I hate not knowing what is and is not canonical. I need an easy way to see the timelines of the various incarnations of these "universes".
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One great way to get a look at a LOT of history is the Marvel Essential Collections. Granted, they are black and white reprints, but they cover 12-15 issues at a time. If you're looking to catch up on things from a timeline/historical standpoint, they are a good way to go (at least for older comics). I know a lot of libraries carry the Essential collections.
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Originally Posted by Plasma
One of these days, Marvel is going to offer digital comics unlimited that will either be html5 or have an iOS app (instead of flash) and I'll really become a comic guy.
I have the same problem - I collected comics when I was a kid, but I liked seeing things "from the beginning", so I ended up with boxes full of Image/Valiant comics like Rai, etc. Lately I've been reading irredeemable. I've read some graphic novels (mostly from the library) of marvel stuff, but I really hate having no idea what I'm reading; I have this cultural knowledge of various heroes, but I hate not knowing what is and is not canonical. I need an easy way to see the timelines of the various incarnations of these "universes". |
�Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.� ― John Wayne
�Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!� - George Carlin
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These days superhero books tend to cover niche's depending on the characters. Any particular superheroes and/or teams you like?|
Originally Posted by Hit Streak
One thing I've never been able to get into growing up has been comic books. Not because I don't think superheroes are awesome. More because I fell in love with baseball and have always collected baseball cards.
But, being surrounded by this awesome community and the culture here at Paragon, I can't help but be curious enough to start reading. So, I come to you, City of Heroes community. Tell me what the best way to get into them would be. Where do I start? I'm sure there's some subculture stuff out there that can bring heated conversations, so please don't let it fall to that. |
But one thing to keep in mind is that there are comics that cater to just about every genre, not just superheroes.
Like horror? Try Walking Dead from Image or the new Hellraiser series from BOOM! Studios.
Sci-fi? Anything from Rebellion/200AD.
Absurdist black magic zombie humor? Go for The Goon from Dark Horse.
A lot of properties also have ongoing adaptions, like Star Wars and the Buffyverse. And just to name a few, but the Transformers, Star Trek, Godzilla, Dr Who, Ghostbusters, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have also had a lot of comics, or new serieses'ses that have come out within the last few months or few years.
Tales of Judgment. Also here, instead of that other place.
good luck D.B.B.
I agree with using your local library. If it has a comic book/graphic novel/manga section (or any derivative thereof) then take an afternoon out, grab a random selection of comic books, and start reading. Some you will like, some you won't - but you'll be able to make up your mind on your preferences without any preconceived views based solely on characters and titles.
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This is actually a pretty good suggestion, but you can branch out a bit depending on the type of genre you're really interested in:|
Originally Posted by Agent White
Start with a gateway comic. Like Watchmen. Or Sam and Max.
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For a gothic sort of feel, Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series was pretty good. Also: "Death: The High Cost of Living."
If you like crime drama I can thoroughly recommend "100 Bullets."
If you like odd science fiction, give the first TPB of "Planetary" a try. (The whole series is good, but you wouldn't want to buy all 4 books if you don't like the first.)
Like Westerns? Try "Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo" or the Ennis/Dillon series "Preacher." (Note: the latter can be found very offensive by some people and is not for the faint of heart.)
There are also super hero stories where you don't have to be invested in a large universe: Watchmen and Astro City are really good. I think "Marvels" is collected in a TPB version and is a good gateway read. ("Kingdom Come" is excellent, but if you're not too versed in the DC universe the mind-boggling number of characters can be daunting.)
Do you want humor and adventure? Jeff Smith's "Bone" series is fantastic (and you can get the whole series in one big volume).
Horror? Try "The Walking Dead" or "John Constantine: Hellblazer." (With Hellblazer, see if you can find the "Dangerous Habits" TPB as a gateway read. It's not as weird as some of the earlier stories, but it really defines the Constantine character pretty well.)
Other fun suggestions:
Hellboy
Y: The Last Man
Cerebus (but only the volumes: "Cerebus," "High Society," and both volumes of "Church & State." It really kind of ran out of steam towards the end of C&S 2.)
Arc# 92382 -- "The S.P.I.D.E.R. and the Tyrant" -- Ninjas! Robots! Praetorians! It's totally epic! Play it now!
Arc # 316340 -- "Husk" -- Azuria loses something, a young woman harbors a dark secret, and the fate of the world is in your hands.
I started reading them when I was about 10 and restarted at about 22, and began both times the same way: Just pick a book that looks interesting and leap in.
I began with X-Men #8 or 9, can't remember, but I know it was a crossover with Ghost Rider, and just kept reading from there. Pretty quickly you get a sense of characters going forward, and you get the joy of digging through back issues of series you start to really like to gain the history. These days it's so much easier, with TPB collections, Comixology and other digital sources. WE also have handy wiki's and fan generated data bases to fill in gaps on things you're unfamiliar with as you go.
Personally I work a good bit of the week and rarely have extra cash for monthly issues, so I use the Marvel Digital Unlimited for 10 bucks a month, unlimited reads on classic stories. If you haven't read it, it's new to you, right?
And like many others have said, don't limit yourself to just the Big Two companies or super heroes. Comics are so much more than just spandex, though I love that area most.
@Sylver Bayne
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You have the internet! Use it if you have to!
Sure before coming in the middle may have been a problem, but not anymore.
Also, I came into the middle of storylines when I started reading comics. It's really not that hard to catch up.
Also, don't dismiss the big two companies. You may actually enjoy their stories. As a new reader, you may in fact enjoy their stories more, since you're not bogged down with knowing the past ones.
Also, do you watch television? Have you ever watched a show and said "OMG WTF DI THEY JUST DO TO MY FAVORITE CHARACTER NOOOOOO!"? If so, be prepared to do that with comics as well.
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