Where to Start? Getting Into Superhero Comics Made Easy

On some level, comics are one of the most accessible media in the world. I mean, they're extremely visual, you can make them with supplies you probably have at home, and historically, they've been relatively inexpensive to buy (current comics excluded). In the past, the way to get into comics was exceedingly straightforward: you picked up whatever issue happened to be on the newsstand and just dove right into the middle of the storyline that was going on at the time. I still think that approach is totally valid, I do it myself quite often, and I encourage others to do it, but I also see how this may be unsatisfactory to modern readers. I think that largely as a result of streaming culture, many readers and viewers, when approaching a new series, want to "start at the beginning" (after all, you wouldn't want to just pick a random episode of Breaking Bad, This is Us, or Succession as your starting point, right?). However, this is much, much easier said than done with superhero comics. Not that it can't be done.

Sure, if you want to get into The Walking Dead or The Boys, just pick up the first volume. There are some spin-offs that you can track down if you want, but you basically just read each book in order. Superhero books are, to the frustration of many, not so straightforward. Not only are there so many eras, timelines, and reboots, but in many cases, the earliest iterations of certain characters barely resemble the iconic versions that everyone knows and loves (check out early Batman and X-Men).

Because of this, there's one question that inevitably comes up for new readers: where do I start? We've dug into some of comics' major characters and found the comics that are ideal for those looking to take the plunge into the world of superheroes but feel overwhelmed and intimidated. While you are certainly welcome to go back and read the very first issues to feature these characters, I'd argue that in many cases, there are later works that do a much better job of capturing the spirit of the heroes in a way that's familiar, accessible, and gives you a solid foundation for understanding your new favorite heroes.

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So, you want to get into Batman? Read Batman: Year One

Batman may very well be the most important fictional character of the 20th century (possibly all time?), but you’d probably never know it based solely on his early comic book appearances. Luckily for all of us, we have Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Year One, originally published in the pages of Batman #404 – 407 (although, don’t let that worry you—you don’t need to read the previous 403 issues whatsoever). Miller gives us a Bruce Wayne at the very beginning of his crime fighting career and manages to capture everything you’d expect out of the dark knight: he’s brooding, determined, mysterious, and perhaps most importantly, human. Mazzucchelli crafts a vision of Gotham city that is both lived in and mythical, cast in shadow and full of crime—the perfect setting for the legend of Batman to spread. Here’s the thing about Year One: it’s the perfect book for new fans, but it’s something you’ll keep coming back to after decades and decades of Bat fandom (not that I’d know anything about that). If anyone tells you that Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is the superior Batman comic, just politely nod and keep reading Year One.

So, you want to get into X-Men? Read X-Men: Grand Design

So, we need to have some real talk: X-Men is, without question, the most difficult superhero comic for new fans to get into. There are a few major reasons for this. Firstly, unlike comics that focus on a single hero, like Spider-Man or Batman, there are a ton of X-Men characters, all with complicated backstories. Secondly, the movies simply differ from the source material more than with most superheroes, so if the films are your primary point of reference, it may be difficult to make the leap to comics. Thirdly, there are SO. MANY. X-MEN. COMICS. Some would argue that the best place to start is Giant-Size X-Men #1, followed by the Claremont run (starting with Uncanny X-Men #94), since it's so instrumental in shaping the X-Men we know and love today, however, I would argue that Giant-Size #1 and those early Claremont issues don't quite capture the spirit of the characters … at least right away. Grand Design, however, distills a lot of complex X-Men history into a relatively small number of issues, presenting the information in a way that's accessible, and perhaps more importantly, chronological. If you want to ease into things by just focusing on Wolverine, then the best place to start is the 1982 miniseries.

So, you want to get into Spider-Man? Read Ultimate Spider-Man

The early Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Spidey stories do a shockingly good job of establishing the core of Peter Parker, but if we're being honest, they kind of tough to get through (although, you should absolutely skim these issues—Ditko's art is weird and awkward and claustrophobic in all the right ways). However, in the early 2000s, Marvel had the idea to create a line of Ultimate books that would offer a fresh, modern take on major heroes (as in, no prior knowledge of the convoluted history was required). While the Ultimate books could be hit or miss (I tried so hard to like Ultimate X-Men), one of the high points was Ultimate Spider-Man, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by longtime Spidey artist Mark Bagley. While some of the references feel very 2000s, Ultimate Spider-Man is an accessible, streamlined version of the wall crawler that hits on major themes, events, and characters with little to no filler (at least for the first few years).

So, you want to get into Daredevil? Read Daredevil: Born Again

Daredevil has had the privilege of being written by some top tier scribes over the years (including Bendis, Brubaker, Smith, and Waid), but when it comes to books that really demonstrate why Daredevil is such a great character and why comic fans love him so much, it really comes down to figuring out which Frank Miller book(s) you're going to want to go with first. Born Again is not an origin story, but it gives enough background for new fans, while telling the greatest (and probably most harrowing) DD stories in a tight four issues. If you have more time, I'd recommend starting with Daredevil #168 (when Miller went from artist to both artist and writer), but if you're short on time and not ready to fully dive into the DD rabbit hole, Born Again is the comic for you. If you do happen to want more of an origin, Daredevil: Yellow is a solid choice, but it is simply just not as good as Born Again. Also, if you've watched the Daredevil show, you'll see a lot of parallels—both thematically and visually.

So, you want to get into Superman? Read Superman: Birthright

While not the greatest Superman comic of all time (that is of course Morrison's All-Star Superman), Birthright is nonetheless a great retelling of Clark's origin that is neither overly drawn out nor rushed. Very few people understand what makes Superman work quite like Mark Waid, and Leinil Yu brings an aesthetic that is energetic, modern, and perhaps a little unexpected for a Superman book (in a good way). If you're looking for something with a little more of a classic, old-timey feel with the benefit of a more contemporary writing style, then Loeb and Sale's For All Seasons is also an excellent option. If you want something that focuses more on a young Clark and feels more grounded and human, then Secret Identity is the book for you. And after you've read those, then yes, read All-Star Superman.

So, you want to get into Wonder Woman? Read Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth

If you want a more in-depth origin story, perhaps go with Earth One or The True Amazon, but if you want a simple, classic Wonder Woman story that gets to the heart of why she's one of Earth's greatest heroes, then Spirit of Truth is the way to go. Author Paul Dini, with his work on Batman: The Animated Series, has a long track record of streamlining characters and sussing out their most iconic elements, and Spirit of Truth is no different. The painted art by Alex Ross is predictably great, and, as far as I'm concerned, goes a long way in demonstrating to new readers that superhero comics can attract some serious talent. If however, you have a basic understanding of Wonder Woman and want a wild, action-packed book to convince you she's actually cool, then read Dead Earth.

So, you want to get into the Incredible Hulk? Read Hulk: Gray

Speaking of Loeb and Sale (the iconic duo behind Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman: For All Seasons), their Hulk miniseries is pretty great for new readers. It checks pretty much all the boxes you'd want it to: it's relatively straightforward, goes back to the early days of the character, gets into the psychological components of the Hulk, and features art from Tim Sale, whose work is always legible, moody, strange, and striking. Of course, once you read this you may want to check out Hulk: Grand Design, then the greatest Hulk run of all time (as in, the Peter David run).

So, you want to get into Iron Man? Read Iron Man: Extremis