I have never picked up a comic book before so I was wondering what would you recommend?
Yikes, this is an impossible question because I have no idea who you are or what you like. That said, I’m going to assume you’re asking me because something about my blog makes you think you might trust my taste.
Before I recommend some comics, I recommend that you talk to people who sell comics for a living, like in your local comics shop. They usually have great recommendations.
There is a somewhat helpful article about getting started reading comics at this link.
If you are interested in mainstream superheroes, you might have to get used to the idea that there is an ongoing, neverending story in a huge shared universe, and any given comic you read is just a small window on that huge neverending universe. There is no beginning and no end, just dive in and make the world your own.
And lastly, I recommend that you don’t get intimidated if you don’t like the first book you pick up, if the comic shop is overwhelming, or if you encounter some mean people at first. Comics is a fun-loving community with a huge diversity of tastes and genres, and you are sure to find something you love if you keep looking long enough.
If you like Star Wars, read SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. It’s easily the best, most accessible book on the shelves right now. (This book does have coarse language and nudity.)
If you like serious kickass grown-up feminism with a sci-fi dystopian twist, check out BITCH PLANET by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro. (This book does have coarse language and nudity.)
If you like Marvel superheroes, try CAPTAIN MARVEL, which is about a kickass superheroine Avenger who is often in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, or try MS. MARVEL by G. Willow Wilson & various artists, which is a charming young-adult story about a Muslim teenager in New Jersey who gets superpowers.
If you like humor and non-stop off-the-wall fun, try THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL by Ryan North and Erica Henderson. It is incredibly fun, funny, and smart, and it kind of exists in its own world.
If you saw Marvel’s Daredevil or Jessica Jones on Netflix, you might like DAREDEVIL by Mark Waid & art first by Paolo Rivera & Marcos Martin, then by Chris Samnee, and ALIAS (JESSICA JONES) by Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Gaydos.
Mark Waid & Chris Samnee are also currently working on a BLACK WIDOW series which I haven’t read but with that creative team it’s probably excellent.
If you like DC superheroes, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely is a very accessible classic Superman story that also exists in its own world.
My personal favorite superhero comics of all time are the 1940s Wonder Woman comics by William Moulton Marston & H.G. Peter. They are harder to find, but DC publishes Archive Editions of their old comics, so look for the WONDER WOMAN ARCHIVES.
<<UPDATE: Newer than the Archive editions are the Chronicles editions, which are much more affordable and combine the Wonder Woman stories from both Sensation Comics and the Wonder Woman series. So look for THE WONDER WOMAN CHRONICLES.>>
If you are looking for self-contained non-superhero graphic novels, I highly recommend BLANKETS by Craig Thompson, which is a coming-of-age story about a devout Christian boy experiencing an intense crush on a girl. Some of my friends on Twitter have recommended I KILL GIANTS by Joe Kelly & J.M. Ken Niimura, which is about a “girl struggling with life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.”
And if you like my blog, may I humbly recommend JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH, published by Superdames Comics and edited and co-written by D.M. Higgins (that’s me!) and various writers & artists. It’s about a couple of queer super-scientists who solve crimes and catch bad guys with nothing but their smarts and their improbable inventions … and maybe a raygun or two. Each book is completely self-contained and contains several self-contained short stories, so you can pick up and read any issue with no prior knowledge.
There are a ton more things I could recommend but hopefully this will help you get started. Welcome to comics. Happy reading!
