Heard this before? So have we. We’ve drafted an open letter to those still on the fence. Just send those filthy casuals our way!

Dear [insert name here],

Congratulations! As crazy old Ben Kenobi used to say, “you’ve taken your first step into a larger world.”

Comics can be tough to wade into. Originally, they were ‘funny books’ with done-in-one stories designed to appeal to someone who just wants to pick up an issue here or there.

Seventy years on, the format has changed. Within DC or Marvel, otherwise known as The Big Two, we now have a massive volume of history between characters that new readers are expected to just ‘know’.

Discounting the long, multi-issue story arcs (jumping on a story at ‘Part Five of Seven’ is a tough endeavor. Thankfully, companies like Marvel have a little ‘previously’ page to get new readers up to speed), the other difficulty is that there are so many different versions of characters in modern superhero comics, that the casual fan might find himself picking up issues from different universes, and wondering why they don’t match up.

If I’ve made all this sound very difficult to grasp, it’s not. But it is intimidating.

For reference, it’s like someone picking up a DVD of Superman, then moving on to Man of Steel, and wondering why Henry Cavill isn’t Christopher Reeve. More importantly, this person now has no idea which origin story is the ‘right’ one. And the answer is both, depending on which story is being told at any one time. Man of Steel’s presence doesn’t immediately bulldoze over Richard Donner’s masterpiece and consider itself ‘canon’.

A great way to get started in comics is to buy a few trade paperbacks, or TPBs. These are often collectively referred to as ‘graphic novels’, even though it’s not technically right, but whatever. TPBs are collections of four or more issues, cheaper than the hardback versions, and contain the entirety of a story arc. A few really good ones I can recommend:





The Dark Knight Returns

Watchmen

Batman: Year One

Saga: Volume 1

The Flash New 52! Volume 1

The Walking Dead: Volume 1

Ultimate Spider-Man: Volume 1





Any other comic fan will give you a different list. It’s usually down to personal taste, but those are good ones to get started because they require very little history or knowledge to understand and appreciate. And what you don’t get right away, Wikipedia can help with.

The next stage, once you’ve found something you like, is to walk into your local comic book shop. Every city has one or two (ours in Cardiff is Comic Guru). Tell the person at the counter what you like, and ask for a recommendation. 99% of the time, the clerk will be a knowledgeable, thoroughly helpful individual who you will be able to shoot the shit with on your next visit. They, along with trusty Wikipedia, will be able to give you something starring the same character and help you identify which version of the character that is.

Eventually, by widening your reading material and making regular visits to your local comic shop, you will be exposed to more of the awesomeness that is the modern golden age of comics. You are now ready for your next step…

…Comic con.