by So superheroes, we know them, we love them. And don’t lie to me that you don’t because Avengers Endgame made 1.2 billion, that’s billions with a b, dollars in just its opening weekend. So it is safe to say the colorful world of cape clad heroics has caught your attention once or twice. However, like many plagued in this genre, you have no idea how to start. Do not worry dear reader because, like you, I was once a lost and confused soul who wanted to read comics but was bombarded by so many choices that I would just slink away. So I am here to simplify that journey for you. Now in this article, we won’t be focusing on which specific comics to read. Just how to get started on them for new readers. Honestly, if you just wanna pick up whatever looks cool to you, you can totally do that. That’s what I did whenever I was struggling to read something new. So don’t take this article as the only way to do things. With that being said, let’s begin.
Pick a Character or Team
Now starting off, you’re gonna wanna pick a favorite or interesting character or team you wanna read about. Maybe you saw Captain America kicking ass in 2014 during Winter Soldier and wanted more of that goofy Metal Gear inspired action. Or maybe you heard that X-Men are coming into the MCU soon and wanted to read up on some of those adventures. Whoever it is, that’s probably your best starting point. A character you connect with is a jumping off point for a larger world. It’s easier to learn a character than it is a total universe. With how interconnected the world of Marvel and DC are within each other and how often the characters crossover with each other, you’ll be exposed to the larger comic world eventually. But to start easy, pick a character of a team you like, love, or are mildly interested in and grow from there. Or pick multiple, it’s your journey. For me, when I got into comics, specifically Marvel, I went to the four corners; Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Avengers.
Where to Read
Now, over the years you’ve probably heard that comics are an expensive hobby to get into. They can be if you let them, I will acknowledge that, but there are ways to get around it. For one, in a digital world, it’s easier (and more convenient) for them to be read digitally. Luckily, you have a few options-
Comixology: An Amazon company launched in 2007, this is probably where you’ll do the bulk of digital purchases. Here you can buy individual issues, comic bundles, and collected editions. However, the real value lies in Comixology Unlimited. For nearly 6 dollars a month you can have access to a selection of comics from various publishers for one low price. Marvel, DC, Comixology Originals, Image, Indie, even Manga. It even offers discounts on selected titles for purchase. Even better, it offers a free month trial for you to try out. Only downside is that you’ll need an Amazon account to access the service, but that’s negligible at best.
Marvel Unlimited: Only interested in reading Marvel? Way ahead of ya, through Marvel Unlimited, you’ll have access to just about every comic Marvel has published up until about a year ago. This is to incentivise you to actually go out and buy those comics, but if you’re just getting into them this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. In addition to that, a feature that I was more especially grateful for, were the reading guides they offered. Wanna read the Civil War event chronological order? Here are the comics neatly packed together for your reading. Got a character you wanna read about? Here’s a list of their greatest hits. Overall, for Marvel fans, it’s not gonna get much better than this.
DC Universe Infinite: Want to explore the other side of the coin with DC? Good news! They have their own DC Comics reading app! Similar to Marvel Unlimited, readers can enjoy just about every comic DC has published up until about a year ago (depending on your plan). Unlike Marvel Unlimited, DC offers different tiers for their subscriptions; Free, Standard, and Ultra. The Free tier offers a few select comics to read for free on rotation and their comics for mobile users called DC GO (basically Webtoon style comics for their app). Not terrible but you won’t be able to go too in depth with any characters or storylines this way. For that you need one of the paid tiers. The Standard tier will get you most things including event, character, and crossover guides, just like Marvel Unlimited, and the newest comics 6 months after their print release in stores. With this tier you get access to over 27,000 comics to get you started for 7.99 a month. However, if you want the most with your subscription, in addition to previous features, the Ultra tier will get you access to even more comics, over 34,000, an expanded catalog of their different publishing labels such as DC Vertigo and Black Label, and new comics a month after their print release in stores for 12.99 a month.
Indie Comics
Not interested in either of the big two? Completely fair! If you feel like exploring the indie scene and seeing what’s out there outside capes and tights then GlobalComix is just right for you! Indie comics are often overlooked but don’t let that stop you! Without as many restrictions coming from major publishers, indie comics are able to explore different genres, tones, and ideas that aren’t usually found in Marvel or DC. Mostly because they primarily stick to super hero stories. Publishers like Dark Horse and Boom! Studios offer a variety of stories spanning genres and tones so honestly with indie comics just pick up what looks cool or interesting to you. If you want to stick to super hero journeys, I highly recommend Boom! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series and Image Comics’ Radiant Black. Great reads all around. With indie comics there’s no such thing as a bad starting spot, not that it was before, but especially true now. Pick a genre and you’re guaranteed to find something that suits your interests after snooping around for a bit. As to where to read them online, GlobalComix offers a similar service as the previously mentioned apps and websites, just without those handy reading guides that Marvel and DC have curated. But largely, indie comics are standalone experiences and don’t often intersect unless the publisher or author wants them to. As such, they are probably the easiest comics to get into no matter what.
Stand Alone Stories and Elseworlds
With indies being far easier for readers to grasp and collect with how standalone they are, where does that leave the Big 2? Luckily, both companies have set out in modern years to create standalone and contained stories in the form of graphic novels. Both companies have at least one graphic novel for every of their major characters. The more popular the more likely they are to have something to read for them. The downside to this is you don’t really get a feel for a larger universe but for first time readers this would be more of a positive than anything else.
If you remember Step 1 then you should already have a few characters or teams in mind to read about. It’ll be worth a look to see if they have any elseworlds or standalone adventures that can be separate from everything else. For those out of the loop, Elseworlds was a term DC coined to allow writers to take known characters and play with their sandbox. It essentially lets the writer get a little creative without harming the status quo the character is known for or to simply to tell another take on that character. These stories range from turning Batman into a vampire, retelling Superman’s origin in a new way or perspective, and other what if scenarios. While these kinds of stories are mainly prominent in DC, they came up with the phrase. Marvel has few elseworld type stories but they don’t have a specific label for them so a bit more research is required on their part unfortunately. However they do exist and are worth the effort to find. A few of my favorites include Spider-Man Noir by David Hine, Marvels by Kurt Busiek, and Daredevil: Yellow by Jeph Loeb. There are far, far more than this, they just take some digging.
In addition to Elseworld type stories there are stories that can be read standalone. A lot of the time long running series have had so many iconic stories that many of them can be found collected and read on their own. Sure you might be a little out of the loop but a lot of the bigger stories are used as the basis for the movies. Winter Soldier? Straight up based on the comic of the same name. So you won’t be completely lost. So if you just wanna read through a character or team’s greatest hits that’s a totally valid way of doing that. Some of my favorites are Thor: The Saga of Gorr the God Butcher, Wolverine by Chris Claremont, and Daredevil Born Again by Frank Miller.
Conclusion
Now that it’s all laid out for you, hopefully this makes your comic reading journey all the more easier to begin with. Whether it’s Marvel, DC, Indie, or otherwise, I hope you have a great time reading as much as I do! Comics have become such a foundational portion of pop culture like nearly no other. It’s only right that we make our journey into that world all the more easier for readers. A good hobbyist doesn’t gatekeep. Ever. So hopefully these tips helped you out! Stay tuned for a list of beginner recommended comics from Marvel and DC comic soon…
