# Help a comic book virgin become... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524 "2004-09-28T17:59:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/1 "2004-09-28T17:59:56Z")
Well the obvious finish is “deflowered”, but that sounds more than a little naughty. OK, I’ve never read any comic books. Honestly, I always thought they were a little silly. But now I think the opposite - they’ve got to be fun, and entertaining. But they’re not cheap. And there’s millions of them! I’d like to read but I don’t know where to get them or what to read. Do libraries have them? I have read exactly two graphic novel series and enjoyed them: Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku. I am not ready to read most of the Marvel stuff but I really like the X-Men. Maybe that would be a good place to start. So…how do I get my hands on them? And can you recommend a good place to start? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/2 "2004-09-28T18:07:20Z")
Ah, you said the two magic words. Help, and become. (What? 😉 ) Well, personally, if you like the X-Men, I’d recommend starting with some trade paperbacks (big softcover editions that collect many issues) of Ultimate X-Men. If you like that, move on to the regular X-Men titles, perhaps - or branch out to other trade paperbacks. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/3 "2004-09-28T18:13:32Z")
Best of luck getting your toes wet. The “general consensus” (feel free to search the SDMB for threads on this) is that the two best superhero-related graphic novels are Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons **The Watchmen** and Frank Miller’s **The Dark Knight Returns**. I really enjoy both. Seems like a good place to start. From there, you can head into X-Men territory, other Alan Moore works (V for Vendetta and Miracleman are held in very high esteem, as are other of his works), and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series… Have fun. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/4 "2004-09-28T18:25:19Z")
I wrote out a whole post, submitted, and it got eaten by the ether. Sigh. I don’t discount the value of Watchmen and Dark Knight, certainly. But it’s my opinion that when one wishes to form an addictio - er, life-long love affair with comics, one plays to the interests already there. Plus, those two are kinda heavy reading, and are more enjoyable after a few years comic background anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/5 "2004-09-28T18:46:19Z")
**Astonishing X-Men** is your best bet to start out with. It’s a new title being written by Joss Whedon (of Buffy, Angel and Firefly fame), and it’s fantastic. We’re only 4 issues in, so there’s not a lot of ground to catch up on. And if you are worried about having to read tons of backstory, Joss is writing this with new readers in mind - you don’t need to know the intricacies (or even the existence) of the Phoenix Saga, who the hell Cable and Bishop are, or anything overly complex. Certainly, there’s a place for that - but only for a small portion of the audience. ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/6 "2004-09-28T19:19:04Z")
By comics, are you thinking of superheroes only? Or superheroes and manga? Or other aspects as well? You might want to take a look at Johanna Draper Carlson’s website [Comics Worth Reading](http://www.comicsworthreading.com/). Here’s her review of [Maison Ikkou](http://www.comicsworthreading.com/gn/maisonikkoku.html). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/7 "2004-09-28T19:26:29Z")
Papermache Prince, I do have a fondness for manga, so I’ll try that. I think I will try some of the X-Men stuff. I really like the movies, and I keep bugging my SO: what happens next? Where did she come from? Who’s who? ---
**Author:** ![ussentinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ce7236/32.png) [@ussentinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ussentinel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/8 "2004-09-28T20:36:09Z")
My two cents: I recommend two trade paperbacks. While Batman: The Dark Knight Returns depicts a “futuristic” Batman. I suggest Batman: Strange Apparitions which collects the Engleheart/Rogers run of Batman from '70s Detective Comics for something a bit more contemporary. IMO the stories still hold up today and most of the classic Batman villains appear. I also like any of the “Alias” trades from Marvel; perhaps “The Origin of Jessica Jones” might be a nice place to start (though not in order it was published). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/9 "2004-09-28T22:15:30Z")
Some British GNs from the anthology comic 2000AD. **The Ballad Of Halo Jones** three stories over (i think) four books. **Bad Company.** Make sure you go for the original - there are several sequels, of decreasing quality. \*\* Judge Dredd : America\*\* \*\*Button Man - (books I, II and III ) \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/10 "2004-09-28T22:44:58Z")
Strongly agree on **Astonishing X-Men** The “Dark Phoenix” trade paperback is also a good one. There’s (IIRC) a trade paperback from DC called “Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow”, one of the best 10 Superman stories ever written. If you like X-Men, you may like The Legion Of Super Heroes. The problem is that there’s no easy “jumping on” place that’s been collected. MAaaaaaaybe “The Great Darkness Saga” but I dunno how much you’ll get if you don’t know who the fifty-thousand characters in it are. There’s a new reboot(I think) or version coming out in a month or two that might provide easier access. More later. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/11 "2004-09-28T22:54:33Z")
There are anthologies of titles you can enjoy without knowing 40+ years of the characters’ publishing history, and these are strongly recommended: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Leave It to Chance Love and Rockets I’m not sure how a person can hop on the X-Men and Legion bandwagons at this point; hell, even the Teen Titans require a familiarity with comics that goes back at least to 1979! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/12 "2004-09-28T22:56:30Z")
I’ll third **Astonishing X-Men**. Virtually everything I know about XMen is from the movies, so I’m hardly an expert; nevertheless, there have been very few moments in the series where I’ve been confused. (And when I have been confused, I’ve just kept reading, and things quickly become clear). It’s got a lot of moments of hilarity in it, as well as a genuinely interesting premise (which, for all I know, has been done a bajillion times; still it’s new to me). Other than that, pick up the bound copies of _Sandman_, and you won’t be sorry. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/13 "2004-09-28T23:22:49Z")
Try _Usagi Yojimbo_. Very nice illos, & arguably the best written comic on the stands. > **[Amazon.com: Usagi Yojimbo, Book 1: The Ronin: 9780930193355: Sakai, Stan, Lee,...](https://www.amazon.com/Usagi-Yojimbo-Book-1-Ronin/dp/0930193350)** > > Amazon.com: Usagi Yojimbo, Book 1: The Ronin: 9780930193355: Sakai, Stan, Lee, Stan: Books [http://www3.tfaw.com/tpb/profile.html?cart=4272118685168794&sku=48190](http://www3.tfaw.com/tpb/profile.html?cart=4272118685168794&sku=48190) Look for the _Blue Monday_ series or graphic novels by Chynna Clugston-Major. Fun stuuf, & everything Archie & the Gang could be, if somebody at Archie Comics had balls. [http://www.onipress.com/graphicnovels/gn.php?id=9](http://www.onipress.com/graphicnovels/gn.php?id=9) Also, check out _PS 238_ . Their website > **[PS 238 - Pusat Informasi Terupdate](http://ps238.com/)** > > Pusat Informasi Terupdate Read the free comics in the “School Notes” section. Fun. And reminds me of my own childhood. But without the capes, of course… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/14 "2004-09-28T23:26:42Z")
_Sandman_ is a good recommendation. It’s a great series and it requires no prior knowlege of any comic book universe (there are a couple of appearances by other DC characters but they’re incidental and not knowing them won’t ruin the story line). If you’re going to try out X-Men, you might want to read the _Ultimate X-Men_ collections. These are recent titles that basically re-started various Marvel titles from a new contemporary beginning (there’s also Ultimate versions of Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers). So they’re perfect for someone looking to avoid having to know a lot of back-story. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/15 "2004-09-28T23:40:47Z")
I don’t know much about comics nowadays (I stopped collecting in the early '90s), and I love the X-men, but you may not want to start reading them. The thing is, they are the centerpiece of the biggest complex of related comic books in the business. Once you’ve started collecting one X-title, it’s way too easy to find yourself with a dozen titles you absolutely can not get through the month without. And it starts getting really expensive. Of course, if you have the money, go ahead. But don’t take the first taste if you can’t handle the gorilla that will be on your back by the end of the year. One more thing–take care of your comics. I know, you probably don’t see yourself collecting books for their monetary value. Many readers feel this way, and I certainly didn’t buy them with the intent of selling them some day. But you will find it hard to forgive yourself if you are casual about your books (just tossing them in a backpack, leaving them lying around in random stacks, rolling up the covers \) and then hear that one of the books you had new and destroyed is now selling at a 5000% markup from what you paid for it. As long as you’re paying for comics, you can buy the bags, boxes and such to keep them nice. It’ll be worth it to your peace of mind, even if you never sell a single issue out of your collection. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/16 "2004-09-28T23:50:20Z")
> [@Elenia28](#): > > But they’re not cheap. And there’s millions of them! I’d like to read but I don’t know where to get them or what to read. Do libraries have them? > > I have read exactly two graphic novel series and enjoyed them: Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku. The answer to your first question is that many libraries do have them. If your local lbrary doesn’t have them, then ask if they can get them in for you. (Libraries can’t get the stuff people want if people don’t ask for it.) And if you liked those manga titles, then I’d suggest going on to: Chobits Hikaru no Go Kare Kano Love Hina Marmalade Boy Naruto Oh My Goddess! (AKA Ah My Goddess!) Rurouni Kenshin (All of those manga series are also anime series as well). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/17 "2004-09-28T23:55:14Z")
One more specific item of advice. If by “the Real Capital of NYS” you’re saying you live in Albany, NY, then you should go to Earthworld Comics at 537 Central Ave. A top notch store. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/18 "2004-09-29T00:09:46Z")
If you think traditional comic books are silly, adolescent power-fantasy muscular spandex fluff, go grab a copy of anything with the word **“Astro City”** in the title. It’s super-heroism done with lots of humanity and heart and care, and without cheese nor stupidity nor disrespect (for both the reader and the genre). If nothing else, start with [**Astro City: Life in the Big City.**](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/156389551X/qid=1096416500/sr=8-4/ref=pd_csp_4/002-7743795-1892066?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) Six self-contained stories, requiring absolutely zero foreknowledge of the characters or the situation. If the first story alone doesn’t have you feeling sadly sympathetic for the world’s most powerful super-hero, you’re beyond hope… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/19 "2004-09-29T00:30:26Z")
**Elenia** , I know you have a lot of time on your hands now (inferred from other threads) but jumping into the comic book world is a bad idea. I got out of it because it became too expensive to follow story lines across multiple titles, and character plot lines started getting recycled. And that was just in the Marvel Universe. I can’t imagine life in the DC World (hey, the whole multiverse-thing is gone, so I can use ‘world’) is any more simple. Let’s face it - how many monthly titles featuring one character is too many? I say \>1. Find something else to do. Discover what’s on dusty shelves at the library, take up rugby, design a working perpetual motion or cold fusion machine - anything is cheaper and less heartbreaking than becoming a comic book fan after being old enough to get a driver’s license. And now, I will go hide in a bomb shelter to minimize the forth-coming flame damage. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524/20 "2004-09-29T01:20:16Z")
Comic book virgin? Is that like an ordinary virgin, except with skin-tight spandex, quadruple-D-cup breasts, and a giant letter “V” emblazoned on your torso? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-comic-book-virgin-become/266524.md?page=2)