How I got into reading comic books — and how you can too.
Have you always wanted to get into comic books but don’t know how?
Growing up, I was always fascinated with comic book superheroes. Whether it be from Marvel or DC, back then I’d be excited when my parents would take me out to see a movie with my favourite characters in it. As I grew older, and with the rise of the superhero genre, I managed to delve into other comic book characters outside of the big comic book publishing giants. The more characters I saw, the more I wanted to explore comic books as a medium, in order to fully enjoy their stories. After some trial and error, I have managed to narrow the entire process down to 3 simple steps that you can implement today.
So heres how you can get into reading comic books.
1. Pick a character.
The easiest way to start is by reading comics based on your favourite character.
Often times, we would get confused by which comic books to read due to the sheer number of issues out there, covering various different characters. In order to solve this, we hone in on one starting character that we like, and we start by reading their comic book origins.
How do we do that?
2. Look up comic book reading orders.
Reading orders exist to sort out the chaotic history of our characters; a way to give us a clear path on what to read when we’re starting out.
There are tons of reading lists out there on the web, detailing various comic book “runs” or series by different writers. Most writers begin their runs with a recap of the character’s history, with earlier runs giving the most comprehensive backstory. Websites like Comic Book Reading Orders and Comic Book Herald are excellent resources that I go to pinpoint a character’s first appearance in the comic book space.
But by far, the most useful tip I can give you when it comes to reading comics is to..
3. Ask reddit.
There are so many veteran readers out there, who have given out some pretty good responses to most newcomer queries regarding comic book reading.
Reddit happens to house most of these readers, particularly in their respective comic book subreddits. There, you can find answers to most of your questions — as someone else would’ve already asked them prior — and also respond and interact with other Redditors in polls, discussions, and reviews.
A must-have in every comic book enthusiast’s arsenal, Reddit remains a staple of all the latest comic book news and should be frequented every now and then.
By doing these 3 things, I was able to familiarise myself with the ever-expanding comic book space and make it much more easier to navigate.
I still have a long way to go; I’m fairly new to reading comic books and there’s tons more to explore out there.
But I’m fairly certain I’ll be alright on my marvelous adventures, and so will you.
