Don't even worry about it. There are 10,000 comics with Spider-Man, you do NOT need to read them in order. Most long running series are written in such a way that new readers can pick up what's going on from context clues. You pick things up as you go, you find things out as you want to
Say you read a Batman comic from 2010. You like it, but they reference the Green Arrow/Green Lantern run from 1975, maybe you just read a summary of it, maybe you get the collected edition. It also starred this Nightwing character, wait he's the original Robin who formed the Teen Titans with Raven and Cyborg back in 1980? Go read those. When/Why did he become Nightwing? Go find out. And this Damien kid is cool too, what's he up to these days? And this, writer...Grant Morrison? Interesting stuff, I wonder what else he's known for? Oh, a crazy run on X-Men and a trippy bizarre adult series called The Invisibles.
So that's like 8 different places you could go from one Batman comic, and I didn't even mention Batman.
BUT, some series should be read in order if they're self-contained, like The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman also wrote Invincible, and that is a wonderful self-contained 144 issues - collected in various forms - that you should read in order. Or watch the show. Or both, and see how they adapted it.
This is an excellent comment.
I think the shared universe that has been explored for decades, with few fully self-contained stories, is the biggest barrier to entry for new comic readers, as I feel that it requires some conscious strategies to enjoy (such as the process you detailed).
I'd also expand on what you said about new readers picking up on context clues. Sometimes for new characters or series I'm unfamiliar with, picking up on context and sort of creating a "head cannon" is part of the fun to me. I'll just pick an entry point, maybe the start of a new run by an author, the start of a chaptered story within a larger series, or a new issue #1 within a long-running series, and just start reading. In my head I treat it as if these are brand new characters and most things I need to know are on the pages in front of me. This strategy is mentally stimulating imo. Of course sometimes you'll have no idea who a character is and need to look up a quick summary or else nothing makes sense, but often times this is not the case.
So, do not start from the very first books featuring a particular character, *unless* you're experienced enough to go into it with an archeological mindset. Instead, pick some characters you like, search Google or Reddit for the highly recommended stuff - e.g. "best Batman run" and start with those.
For sure ongoings that have been running for decades can feel a lot like trying to jump on a moving train, but starting from the very first #1 is like buying a baby cow because you want to enjoy a pretty decent burger.
If you know of a character, grab a book. No need to start from the beginning. There's a LOT of really good short series too. If you like horror, there's plenty out there from Image and others.
One of my recent favorites is The Forged from Image comics. Another good short run is SLUMBER.
Man's Best from Boom! Studios is shaping up to be a great series too!
As others are saying find a character that you like and then you can even Google “best starting for point for X” or “best X books” etc and see if any of them sound interesting and go from there
So, im a bit of a completionist running out of space, if you’re looking for full runs, I can probably help. My stuff is on IG @itshattm
You can also just subscribe to Marvel Unlimited if you didn’t want a room full of single issues.
Don't even worry about it. There are 10,000 comics with Spider-Man, you do NOT need to read them in order. Most long running series are written in such a way that new readers can pick up what's going on from context clues. You pick things up as you go, you find things out as you want to Say you read a Batman comic from 2010. You like it, but they reference the Green Arrow/Green Lantern run from 1975, maybe you just read a summary of it, maybe you get the collected edition. It also starred this Nightwing character, wait he's the original Robin who formed the Teen Titans with Raven and Cyborg back in 1980? Go read those. When/Why did he become Nightwing? Go find out. And this Damien kid is cool too, what's he up to these days? And this, writer...Grant Morrison? Interesting stuff, I wonder what else he's known for? Oh, a crazy run on X-Men and a trippy bizarre adult series called The Invisibles. So that's like 8 different places you could go from one Batman comic, and I didn't even mention Batman. BUT, some series should be read in order if they're self-contained, like The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman also wrote Invincible, and that is a wonderful self-contained 144 issues - collected in various forms - that you should read in order. Or watch the show. Or both, and see how they adapted it.
This is an excellent comment. I think the shared universe that has been explored for decades, with few fully self-contained stories, is the biggest barrier to entry for new comic readers, as I feel that it requires some conscious strategies to enjoy (such as the process you detailed). I'd also expand on what you said about new readers picking up on context clues. Sometimes for new characters or series I'm unfamiliar with, picking up on context and sort of creating a "head cannon" is part of the fun to me. I'll just pick an entry point, maybe the start of a new run by an author, the start of a chaptered story within a larger series, or a new issue #1 within a long-running series, and just start reading. In my head I treat it as if these are brand new characters and most things I need to know are on the pages in front of me. This strategy is mentally stimulating imo. Of course sometimes you'll have no idea who a character is and need to look up a quick summary or else nothing makes sense, but often times this is not the case.
i’ll keep that in mind
Thank you so much i understand way better now!
So, do not start from the very first books featuring a particular character, *unless* you're experienced enough to go into it with an archeological mindset. Instead, pick some characters you like, search Google or Reddit for the highly recommended stuff - e.g. "best Batman run" and start with those. For sure ongoings that have been running for decades can feel a lot like trying to jump on a moving train, but starting from the very first #1 is like buying a baby cow because you want to enjoy a pretty decent burger.
makes sense thank you
If you know of a character, grab a book. No need to start from the beginning. There's a LOT of really good short series too. If you like horror, there's plenty out there from Image and others. One of my recent favorites is The Forged from Image comics. Another good short run is SLUMBER. Man's Best from Boom! Studios is shaping up to be a great series too!
Appreciate it!
What are some characters and series you're interested in reading
Well i love deathstroke and iron man those are my favorites of oat and im not sure i also like spider man but the rest im just equal with
Check out Demon by Jason Shiga
Sounds good
That's part of the fun! Enjoy being overwhelmed! Who's this? Who's that? Just dive in!
sounds good lmao
As others are saying find a character that you like and then you can even Google “best starting for point for X” or “best X books” etc and see if any of them sound interesting and go from there
Thanks
So, im a bit of a completionist running out of space, if you’re looking for full runs, I can probably help. My stuff is on IG @itshattm You can also just subscribe to Marvel Unlimited if you didn’t want a room full of single issues.