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  1. #1
    Amazing Member Jokerr's Avatar
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    Default Advice For Getting into Marvel Comics?

    I’m a DC fan. I love DC comics but every so often I feel the need to change things up a bit.
    And every time I do, I just get discouraged or frustrated and happily go back to reading dc.
    Thing is I just can’t “get the hang of” Marvel. That’s kinda a stupid way of putting but yeah…
    So this is pretty much my marvel reading experience and how i felt about it :
    1, Infinity Gauntlet - it started off good but, the whole Thanos losing the Gauntlet because he subconsciously wanted to lose thing just felt like a total cop out, people hype this story up so much and it felt so overrated. I get the influence this story had on the marvel universe in the long run but as a standalone story it just didn’t seem that great.
    2, secret wars - Another comic that shows up in every top 10 list that makes me scratch my head. The hole plot basically consists of a bunch of heroes and villains fighting at one place, regrouping and then getting back together to fight some more. And the ending just pissed me off. I mean after 12 issues there was no real resolution to the story. Who is this beyonder? What happened to Dr. Doom? Who is this Spider-Women? The way she had been written in the story seemed like she was going to play some pivotal role, but she didn’t! Why was she even there? Why make her so suspicious? It was cool seeing how spiderman got the symbiote suit but that didn’t affect the plot. Secret wars left me with a lot of questions and no answers. And afterwards I learned the entire reason for it was to sell toy. Why is this story so highly regarded again?
    3, Civil War - Great comic, no complaints really
    4, Secret wars(2015) - Marvels “flashpoint” as I like to call it. Jumped into this without knowing anything, was a little confused at first but I got the basic gist of the story. It was pretty enjoyable for the most part.
    5, Secret Empire - This brings me to the most recent event that I read from Marvel. When the Hydra Cap first happened a lot of people hated it. But I was actually intrigued. I wanted to know what the big mystery was. So I started reading Caps ongoing title. I also read Civil War 2 which I kind of enjoyed to be honest. The tone and feel was a break from Dc and the art was nice, but I was more interested in the Miles Morales/Hydra Cap subplot than the actual “Civil War” that was going on. And when secret empire finally came out it was a huge disappointment. The story just dragged, and there were way too many things that weren’t essential to the plot. It became a chore to read plus the political nagging was a big turn off but I stuck with it because I had been following this plot line for too long to just let it go, and still wanted to know the truth. And after being promised something special, when it was all done and over with, it was just meh. Nothing mind-blowing, quit lazy writing imo. I felt like I’d wasted all of that time for nothing and haven’t read anything marvel since.
    So my question is this :
    What are some good Marvel stories! In chronological order what are some of the most essential events I need to read to understand the history and character Dynamics within the Marvel Universe. And what should I read leading up to those stories/events. What’s going on at the moment, any good ongoing series? Plus feel free to address/answer any of the above things I mentioned.
    Thanks

  2. #2
    Invincible Member MindofShadow's Avatar
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    I would advice stop jumping into events and start smaller honestly.

    You don't need to know every detail from the essential events. They tend to recap things in the early issues and you can go from there rather.
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  3. #3
    The King Fears NO ONE! Triniking1234's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MindofShadow View Post
    I would advice stop jumping into events and start smaller honestly.

    You don't need to know every detail from the essential events. They tend to recap things in the early issues and you can go from there rather.
    Same.

    You should focus on which sub-franchise you're interested in (Spidey, FF, Avengers, etc.) and start from there before moving into line-wide stuff.

  4. #4
    Uncanny Member XPac's Avatar
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    Easiest thing to do might simply be to follow creators you like.

    Writers do tend to float back and forth between marvel and DC. If there are stories from DC you really liked, the writer of that story probably wrote a few marvel stories too. Check those out, and go from there. Odds are decent if you liked his writing on DC, you might like his writing in marvel too.

  5. #5
    Hold your machete tight! Personamanx's Avatar
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    My advice is typically to just jump into a series that looks promising. Try not to think about the universe as a cohesive whole (It isn't, and can never be) or how "important" something is because it's all for nothing if it can't stand on its own as a comic. If you can hop in on a first issue that typically makes things easier, if Marvel/DC does one thing right with its frequent re-launches it is their ability to create a digestible starting point while acknowledging prior canon.

    The only considerable difference there is between Marvel, and DC (In my opinion) is that DC (historically anyway) tends to favour individual stories while Marvel does put a greater emphasis on creator runs. Jonathan Hickman's run on the Avengers titles is considered to be pretty solid as a huge, single story but the individual arcs aren't that great in isolation. While the individual arcs of Morrison's New X-Men work a bit better in isolation IMO, they're still a part of a greater run.

    Or just try looking at writers/artists you admired at DC, and check out the Marvel work they've done.

    House of M is a pretty solid event style series,

  6. #6
    Incredible Member bobellis75's Avatar
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    get out of the game of reading the big events.

    What characters seem interesting? What types of stories do you like (street level, cosmic, teams, individuals, etc)? What writers do you like? Start with that.

    You can't go wrong by picking an acclaimed run on books like Captain America, The Avengers, and so on...you'll have some familiarity built in with big name characters which helps.

  7. #7
    Astonishing Member Jekyll's Avatar
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    Who are your favorite DC characters? Perhaps we could recommend a marvel equivalent?
    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!

  8. #8
    Cosmic Curmudgeon JudicatorPrime's Avatar
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    Marvel events are so hit and miss. Definitely don't start there. Marvel appears to be on a cosmic trend these days, so brace yourself as there is a difference between Marvel cosmic and DC cosmic. The "street level" folks are all pretty much the same, give or take.
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  9. #9
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    If you wanna read Spider-Man the obvious starting point is the new #1 by Nick spencer, the first trade is out soon too if you wanna just start with the new story arc that started with #6

    other starting points could be the Big Time complete Collections then the superior spider-man complete collection


    Fantastic Four just had a #1 two months ago so there's a starting point for them. the tpb or omnibus by jonatahn hickman would be a good read as well.


    uncanny x-men #1 starts next month so if you want to read x-men i'd go with that. if you want to read things leading up to it i'd go with death of x, inhumans vs x-men, phoenix resurrection and the current x-men red.


    again avengers first trade is just out so you can jump in with teh currents eries. new avengers by brian michale bendis complete collections are good to start with.


    iron man, captain america, thor are all in the same situation with new #1s releasing and they all have at least one complete collection you could check out by a specific creator.

    or if you wanna go further back there's the epic collections which pretty much every character has at least one of
    DC: Action Comics, Batman, Batman/Superman, Batman and Robin, Batman Off World, Detective Comics, Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, JG: Flash, JL vs. Godzilla, JSA, Nightwing, Shazam, Superman, Titans, Beast World

    Marvel: Amazing Spider-Man, Fall of the House of X, Fantastic Four, Resurrection of Magneto, Spectacular Spider-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, WolverineL Madripoor Knights, X-Men

  10. #10
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    I would recommend just to pick a current series and go from there. If you are confused about an event or need to know more about a character, you can look it up online. Don't be afraid to wiki everything!

  11. #11
    Astonishing Member Ptrvc's Avatar
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    Events are generally not where you'll find the best stories. Even the "classics" benefit a lot from the novelty (at the time) of having so many disparate elements of the MU crossing over at once.

    I'd say pick an ongoing that would fit the tastes you already have (setting, scale, and tone) and start from there. Or one that strikes your fancy.

    It's hard to make recommendations without knowing your tastes. If I were to assume that you were a Batman fan, I'd say pick up either Spider-Man, Daredevil, or Punisher, (organized on a scale of least to most gritty.)

  12. #12
    All-New Member RikerDonegal's Avatar
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    Yeah, I would 100% agree with ever other poster: stop reading Events and stay away from them. Find a series or a run within a series and read that. Does it have to be new? How does 70s or 80s stuff sound? Depending on your tastes, there are lots of good self-contained runs that would probably be very, very enjoyable to read.

  13. #13
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    If events are your thing then keep reading them but I also would recommend staying away from them. If there is a writer or artist you like then jump on one of their titles. I also find it easier to get into a new series if it isn't part of a "family" of books; too many X-Men books that will inevitably crossover into a mega-event. Thor, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers just started with a new number 1 relatively recently again and are all pretty self-contained. I find Comixology or Kindle sales for digital are a great way to get comics at a reduced price, Marvel Unlimited gives access to a lot for a good price.

  14. #14
    Mighty Member jb681131's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jokerr View Post
    I’m a DC fan. I love DC comics but every so often I feel the need to change things up a bit.
    I was in the same situation as you. So I asked and mostly searched by myself and here are a few small to medium size books I would recommand:

    ORIGINE STORIES by Jeff Loeb
    Daredevil: Yellow
    Spider-Man: Blue
    Hulk: Grey
    Captain America: White
    -> available as individual tpb or in a compiled HC


    SPIDER-MAN

    The Very Best of Spider-Man - Compilation of must read early stories
    1.Amazin Fantasy #15 - first Siper-Man appearance
    2.If this be my destiny... The Final Chapter - Amazing Spider-Man #33
    3.Spider-Man no more - Amazing Spider-Man #50
    4.The Kid Who Collects Spiderman - Amazing Spider-Man #248
    5.Whatever Happened to Crusher Hogan? - Amazing Spider-Man #271
    6.The Sand and the Fury - Amazing Spider-Man #317
    7.Fathers and Sins - Amazing Spider-Man #365
    8.The Osborn Legacy - Spectacular Spider-Man #189

    Spider-Man: Wizard Masterpiece Edition - Compilation must read stories
    1.Nothing Stops the Juggernaut - Amazing Spider-Man #229-230
    2.Hyde in Plain Sight (aka Hyde & Seek) - Amazing Spider-Man #231-232
    3.The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man - Amazing Spider-Man #248
    4.Venom Strikes Back - Amazing Spider-Man #315-317
    5.The Death of Jean DeWolff - Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110

    Death of the Stacys - Two sad but very good stories
    1.Spider-Man vs. Dr. Octopus/And Death shall come - Amazing Spider-Man #88-92
    2.The Night Gwen Stacy Died - Amazing Spider-Man #121-122

    Kraven's Last Hunt (Epic Collection) - Collects Spider-Man/Wolverin, The Wedding and the aclaimed Kraven's Last Hunt
    1.Man Of The Year - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #20
    2.High Tide - Spider-Man versus Wolverin - prequel to The Hobgoblini Revealed
    3.The Hobgoblin Revealed! - The Amazing Spider-Man #289
    4.Mask - Web of Spider-Man #29 - sequel to The Hobgoblini Revealed
    5.The Wedges of Sin - Web of Spider-Man #30 - sequel to The Hobgoblini Revealed
    6.The Big Question - The Amazing Spider-Man #290 - prequel to The Wedding
    7.Dark Journey - The Amazing Spider-Man #291 - prequel to The Wedding
    8.Growing Pains - The Amazing Spider-Man #292 - prequel to The Wedding
    9.The Wedding - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21
    10.The Honeymoon - The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7 - Sadly not collected
    11.Part 1: The Coffing - Web of Spider-Man #31
    12.Part 2: Crawling - Amazing Spider-Man #293
    13.Part 3: Descent - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #131
    14.Part 4: Resurrection - Web of Spider-Man #32
    15.Part 5: Thunder - Amazing Spider-Man #294
    16.Part 6: Ascending - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #132
    17.The Wedding of the Year - Marvel Age #54 - includes interviews, the Shea Stadium and the Newspaper Strip weddings

    Birth of Venom - The main Venom stories
    1.Invasion! - Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8
    2.The New Spider-Man - Amazing Spider-Man #252-259
    3.Chance - Amazing Spider-Man #298-300
    4.Return of Venom - Amazing Spider-Man #315-317
    5.Monster Mash - Fantastic Four #274
    6.Til Death Do Us Part! - Web of Spider-Man #1

    X-MEN / WOLVERINE

    X-Men: Wizard Masterpiece Edition - Most important sagas
    X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga - Uncanny X-Men #135-137
    Days Of Future Past - Uncanny X-Men #141-142
    The Power of Proteus - Uncanny X-Men #126-128
    Demon - Uncanny X-Men #143

    Wolverine: Wizard Masterpiece Edition
    Wendigo - Uncanny X-Men #139-140
    Wolverine vs The Hulk - Incredible Hulk #340
    Wolverine and Captain America in WWII - Uncanny X-Men #268
    Viper & Silver Samurai - Uncanny X-Men #172-173

    Wolverine: Old Man Logan - Wolverine Vol. 3 #66–72, Giant-Size Old Man Logan #1

    Then it gets into massive sagas, not too easy to read

    CAPTAIN AMERICA

    Captain America: Man Out of Time by Mark Waid
    Captain America by Ed Brubaker - If you have the courage, but it's a good read (includes the Winter Solder - yes like the movie)

    HULK

    Incredible Hulk Prelude to Planet Hulk - Incredible Hulk #88-91
    Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk - Incredible Hulk #92-105, Giant-Size Hulk #1
    then World War Hulk - World War Hulk #1-5

    DAREDEVIL

    Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson - One of the best super-hero comics run ever
    Daredevil: The Man Without Fear - A great origin storye
    Daredevil: Born Again - one of the best written comics


    Have fun with all this to begin with !
    Sorry I don't know what to read for other comics such as Iron Man, The Fanstastic Four or Silver Surfer.

  15. #15
    Mighty Member jb681131's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jekyll View Post
    Who are your favorite DC characters? Perhaps we could recommend a marvel equivalent?
    No ! If you want to look elsewhere it's because you're fead up with what you have, so I don't thing looking for equivalents is a good idea !

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