Gosho Aoyama's Detective Conan manga has run more or less continuously since it launched in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 1994. It's accumulated 94 collected volumes thus far, a pretty intimidating number for anyone hoping to jump into the manga now. One dedicated reader decided to create a helpful beginner's guide, laying out which stories newcomers absolutely must read to catch up on the plot—and which ones they can skip all together. The result cuts the daunting 94 volumes down to almost half.

According to the anonymous poster's blog, here's the volumes to read to get yourself caught up.

Volume 1: Where it all starts

Volume 2: Introduction of Akemi Miyano

Volume 4: Gin & Vodka introduced

Volume 7: Includes "Piano Sonata Moonlight Incident." The list author notes that this volume isn't necessary, but enough people like this plot line that they might get mad if they left it out.

Volume 10: Detective Heiji Hattori appears for the first time.

Volume 12: Tequila and Bourbon first appear.

Volume 18: Ai Haibara appears.

Volume 19: More about Ai Habara

Volume 20: The Indiscriminate Stadium Threatening Case. The list author included it because there maybe unresolved clues in the story.

Volume 21: The beginning of the "Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story" arc and Kudo's debut as a detective. Volumes 23 and 24 contain more parts of the MPDLS story arc.

Volume 24: Vermouth appears.

Volumes 25-26: Resurrection series and the return of Kudo for awhile. The list author indicates these could be skipped.

Volume 28: Mermaid's Curse Case. Hattori reveals some big clues.

Volume 29: Bus Hijacking Case. Shuichi Akai appears

Volume 30: Shinichi Kudo faces Kaitō Kid and information about Saguru Hakuba is explored.

Volume 34: The New York incident.

Volume 35: Continuation of the NY Incident, also it includes a popular story focusing on Mitsuhiko.

Volume 37: Contact with the Black Organization, big trouble for the cast, and hints from the Game Company story all end up important to the current volume.

Volume 38: Same as above.

Volume 41: Is important for the events in volume 42.

Volume 42: A Dual Mystery on a Full Moon Night. A direct confrontation with Vermouth & Hattori tries his best.

Volume 43: Wrap-up talk (could be skipped).

Volume 48: Black Organization's Kir appears.

Volume 49: Same as above and Eisuke Hondō appears.

Volumes 56-59: Clash of Red and Black arc, the manga's longest, has FBI agent Shuichi Akai face off against the Black Organization.

Volume 60: Bourbon's chapter starts, Subaru Okiya debuts.

Volume 65: Shuichi Akai lookalike appears.

Volume 67: Same as above.

Volume 71: Important developments in the Shuichi-Ran love story,

Volume 72: same as above

Volume 73: Masumi Sera is introduced.

Volume 74: Contains a hint of upcoming events in volume 76. Could be skipped.

Volume 75: Wedding Eve chapters and Tooru Amuro is introduced.

Volume 76: Detectives' Nocturne arc and candidates for Bourbon's identity introduced.

Volume 78: The Jet-Black Mystery Train, the volume when many truths are revealed about the Black Organization

Volume 83: "The little sister from outside the domain" appears

Volume 84: The Tense Tea Party case and more information on Amuro's identity.

Volume 85: "The Scarlet Series" chapters revealing more about Amuro

Volume 86: Rum chapters begin.

Volume 87: Flashback to when Shinichi meets Ran for the first time, could be skipped.

Volume 88: More is revealed about "the little sister from outside the domain's" identity.

Volume 89: More information about Rum's identity.

Volume 90: New information about Scotch's death.

Volume 91: New elementary school teacher Rumi Wakasa is introduced, as well as Momiji Ooka.

Volume 92: Secrets about the Akai family are revealed.

Volume 94: Romantic developments between Shinichi and Ran as they go on a trip together alone.

The Detective Conan manga and anime franchise's latest film, Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer, is currently at the top of the Japanese box office and has earned 7,201,763,500 yen (about US$64.6 million) and has sold 5,526,858 tickets. The film is now the highest-grossing film in the franchise, with TOHO aiming for the film to earn more than 8 billion yen (about US$71.9 million).

Source: Hatelabo::Anonymous Diary via Hachima Kikō