Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 17
  1. #1
    All-New Member Cloudy Coast's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florence, South Carolina
    Posts
    5

    Default First Time Reading Comics

    Hi everyone! I've finally decided to give reading comics a try! Problem is I have no idea where to start. I'd like to start with reading some modern Spider-Man. I have no clue which are important and which aren't and which go with what story lines, etc. I found a list but it confuses me a bit. Here it is, https://www.comicbookherald.com/amaz...rn-marvel-era/ What does it mean by collects? Do I need to jump around between those specific comics in order or what? Any help or suggestions of your own would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Extraordinary Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Global
    Posts
    6,779

    Default

    Welcome to comics my friend!

    So you like Spidey. As it is, we are nearing the end of one of the longest authors on Spider-Man! I honestly think a great place to start is with the 'classics', for instance, the 'big' Spider-man stories such as where Gwen Stacy dies.

  3. #3
    Astonishing Member Jekyll's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    4,177

    Default

    Welcome! It’s also nice to see a member not to far away as Florence isn’t to far from Savannah, GA. I love Spider-Man and have several recommendations for modern stories where you won’t be that lost.

    First I would recommend Chip Zdarsky’s Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man. It’s a lot of fun and was designed to be an easy jumping on point for new readers and fans. It has two collected trades available.

    Amazing Spider-Man is starting with a new creative team in July and would also be a good jumping on point.

    For older stories I also like the Epic Collections and they also have recaps available.
    AKA FlashFreak
    Favorite Characters:
    DC: The Flash (Jay & Wally), Starman- Jack Knight, Stargirl, & Shazam!.
    MARVEL: Daredevil, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), & Doctor Strange.

    Current Pulls: Not a thing!

  4. #4
    All-New Member Cloudy Coast's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florence, South Carolina
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by FlashFreak View Post
    Welcome! It’s also nice to see a member not to far away as Florence isn’t to far from Savannah, GA. I love Spider-Man and have several recommendations for modern stories where you won’t be that lost.

    First I would recommend Chip Zdarsky’s Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man. It’s a lot of fun and was designed to be an easy jumping on point for new readers and fans. It has two collected trades available.

    Amazing Spider-Man is starting with a new creative team in July and would also be a good jumping on point.

    For older stories I also like the Epic Collections and they also have recaps available.
    Thanks for your quick reply to my post! It's awesome that you're in Savannah! I've actually been quite a few times! I love him too, one of my top favorites. I'll definitely give them a shot thanks so much!

  5. #5
    Extraordinary Member Gaastra's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    8,321

    Default

    If you want classic stories try these.

    https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spide...ion+spider-man

    https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spide...ion+spider-man

    https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spide...ion+spider-man

    https://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Bi...ider-man+venom

    https://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-De...+of+the+stacys

    If you want a quick crash course check out the marvel Spider-Man handbook.

    https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Encycl...r-man+handbook

    If you want a "what if" series with a younger spidey in todays time try this. (note it's not part of the main marvel universe)
    https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spid...e+spider-man+1


    If you want a quick tour of marvel history try marvels or the marvel first books.

    https://www.amazon.com/Marvels-Kurt-...vels+alex+ross


    https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Firsts...SZN1SDHV8T9ZZD


    Also welcome to the forums.

  6. #6
    Ultimate Member WebLurker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    10,073

    Default

    If you wanted to try Spider-Man comics, I'd highly recommend starting with Ultimate Spider-Man instead of the mainline Amazing Spider-Man; it's really good, gives you a decent overview of the character and mythos and is far more streamlined in terms of continuity and crossovers (you don't need to read half-a-dozen other series to get the full story), making it a good first comic series. It's not part of 616 continuity, though, and if it's important to you to get into 616 Spidey, I suppose the new run after Dan Slott's will be a built-in jumping-on point. However, I still think that Ultimate is one of those series that's a must-read regardless of continuity.

    Another idea if you want an easy starting point for 616 Spidey; the Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collections series collecting the vintage comics from the beginning on down do have the first two volumes covering the original Lee/Ditko run, with vol. 3 on the way in a month or so. The Epic Collections are printed out of order, so there eight thick books worth of material in total so far, albeit jumping around (there will be at least 22 volumes when it's finished). It's not current stuff, if that's what you want, and you do need to take into account that they were a product of their time, but I've found them to be worthwhile reading overall.

    Outside of Spidey, I've found Runaways to be really enjoyable and extremely "new to comics"-friendly. The series did seriously seesaw in quality after original writer and creator Brian K. Vaughn left, but the original eighteen-issue story is a must-read IMHO and it has been recently revived, so it's relevant to the present. (If you wanted to try the revival series, you'd probably get the most out of it if you'd read the original runs -- which can be found in either a four-volume Complete Collection set or eight regular trade paperbacks (the trade for the first revival story arc, Find Your Way Home, has a reading order for those inside the covers). The Runaways characters did have some important development in other series after their's ended, but Find Your Way home has built in exposition to cover that.)

    Hawkeye: Kate Bishop, while canceled (the last trade paperback comes out this month), was also one of the best modern Marvel comics I've seen (I haven't read the last trade yet, but the first two were great). It's more of a mystery series than a superhero series, but Kate can keep up with, if not outperform, Spidey in the wisecracks department and it does do some nice character work. It's something of a continuation of Matt Fraction's award-winning Hawkeye series (which you should read; it's that good) and the brief All-New Hawkeye sequel series. You can read Kate Bishop separately and get something out of it (I did that; in fact, my enjoyment of it was the reason I went back to find the earlier Hawkeye stuff), but I think that reading them in order is a more enjoyable experience.

    I also love X-23 stuff, but her story is spread across so many series that it might take a bit of homework to hash out a reading order. Also, with the exception of the original two origin story miniseries (Innocence Lost and Target X), and maybe her stint in X-Force and first X-23 solo series, I'm not sure that that much of her comics are instant classics the way stuff like Ultimate Spider-Man, Runaways, and the various Hawkeye series are.

    I'm not exactly a mainstream comic book reader, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask if you want to get caught up on the big movers and shakers. However, the aforementioned series, some past, some present, are among the best of the best that I've found in the Marvel franchise. Whether or not anything here strikes your fancy, I hope you end up with a list of stuff that you enjoy.
    Doctor Strange: "You are the right person to replace Logan."
    X-23: "I know there are people who disapprove... Guys on the Internet mainly."
    (All-New Wolverine #4)

  7. #7
    Extraordinary Member Gaastra's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    8,321

    Default

    Outside of Spidey, I've found Runaways to be really enjoyable and extremely "new to comics"-friendly.
    I agree. Runaways is a great jump on book. Another is ms marvel. Young full of energy teen who is a hero fan gets her own powers. Lots of great stories in it. Great for new readers and a fun main hero.

    And yes the marvel epic collections are great for reading older books. Avengers under siege is a good one.

  8. #8
    Astonishing Member Jekyll's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    4,177

    Default

    Ah well I should have recommended my favorite non Spider-Man title going right now, which is Charles Soule’s Daredevil. It has been very solid and enjoyable. Again, you don’t need to know a whole lot of back story on DD to enjoy.
    AKA FlashFreak
    Favorite Characters:
    DC: The Flash (Jay & Wally), Starman- Jack Knight, Stargirl, & Shazam!.
    MARVEL: Daredevil, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), & Doctor Strange.

    Current Pulls: Not a thing!

  9. #9
    Latverian ambassador Iron Maiden's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Latverian Embassy
    Posts
    20,623

    Default

    The one thing I would recommend to any new fan, no matter what hero you want to read about, is to sign up at the Marvel site for their Marvel Unlimited. This is their digital library of over 20,000 comics going back to the Golden Age. I'm not sure if their sale is still on but sometimes you can try it out for a month for $5.00 for new customers. Then you can go back and read all those classic Spider-Man stories from the Silver Age onward. They are constantly adding new issues every week.
    Last edited by Iron Maiden; 05-14-2018 at 08:04 AM.

  10. #10
    Ultimate Member WebLurker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    10,073

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gaastra View Post
    I agree. Runaways is a great jump on book. Another is ms marvel. Young full of energy teen who is a hero fan gets her own powers. Lots of great stories in it. Great for new readers and a fun main hero.
    Read a little bit of the first issue of that in a library. I don't really have the space for one more series in by budget, but I would add that if I did; I liked what I saw and know of it and have heard consistently good things about it.
    Doctor Strange: "You are the right person to replace Logan."
    X-23: "I know there are people who disapprove... Guys on the Internet mainly."
    (All-New Wolverine #4)

  11. #11
    All-New Member Cloudy Coast's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florence, South Carolina
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Iron Maiden View Post
    The one thing I would recommend to any new fan, no matter what hero you want to read about, is to sign up at the Marvel site for their Marvel Unlimited. This is their digital library of over 20,000 comics going back to the Golden Age. I'm not sure if their sale is still on but sometimes you can try it out for a month for $5.00 for new customers. Then you can go back and read all those classic Spider-Man stories from the Silver Age onward. They are constantly adding new issues every week.
    I signed up for it just two days ago! I've been adding everyone's suggestions to my library! So as of now I've got: Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man (1999), Amazing Spider-Man (2014), The Amazing Spider-Man (2017), and Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as the Marvels series for a bit of a recap. Does this seem like a nice line up to start me off?

  12. #12
    Ultimate Member WebLurker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    10,073

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Cloudy Coast View Post
    I signed up for it just two days ago! I've been adding everyone's suggestions to my library! So as of now I've got: Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man (1999), Amazing Spider-Man (2014), The Amazing Spider-Man (2017), and Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as the Marvels series for a bit of a recap. Does this seem like a nice line up to start me off?
    "Marvels," was that the mini with rise of the superheroes seen through the eyes of a photographer? That's a good choice.
    Doctor Strange: "You are the right person to replace Logan."
    X-23: "I know there are people who disapprove... Guys on the Internet mainly."
    (All-New Wolverine #4)

  13. #13
    Latverian ambassador Iron Maiden's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Latverian Embassy
    Posts
    20,623

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Cloudy Coast View Post
    I signed up for it just two days ago! I've been adding everyone's suggestions to my library! So as of now I've got: Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man (1999), Amazing Spider-Man (2014), The Amazing Spider-Man (2017), and Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as the Marvels series for a bit of a recap. Does this seem like a nice line up to start me off?
    You did get off to a good start! I'm more of a Fantastic Four fan myself but the FF and Spider-Man have been linked for a long time. Johnny Storm and Peter Parker are around the same age and Peter did join the Future Foundation for a while. In fact this was because he was specifically mentioned in Johnny's will. There were a couple of Spider-Man/Fantastic Four mini series a few years back. They're fairly self-contained.

  14. #14
    All-New Member Cloudy Coast's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florence, South Carolina
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WebLurker View Post
    "Marvels," was that the mini with rise of the superheroes seen through the eyes of a photographer? That's a good choice.
    It certainly is! I just finished the final book in fact! It was really cool to see the rise of the heros through the eyes of everyday people I never really thought of her end of it all before. But I'm glad you think so too!

  15. #15
    All-New Member Cloudy Coast's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florence, South Carolina
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Iron Maiden View Post
    You did get off to a good start! I'm more of a Fantastic Four fan myself but the FF and Spider-Man have been linked for a long time. Johnny Storm and Peter Parker are around the same age and Peter did join the Future Foundation for a while. In fact this was because he was specifically mentioned in Johnny's will. There were a couple of Spider-Man/Fantastic Four mini series a few years back. They're fairly self-contained.
    I'm glad you think so! I plan to read some FF eventually. I'd like to learn to appreciate them as nearly all the exposure I've had to them were terrible movies and a few scenes from comics I've seen here and there.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •