Best Marvel stuff to read for someone new to comics?

Daredevil's got a new series that started about a year ago under Mark Waid, and it is fantastic. I'd recommend checking that out from #1, if you can. There are also trade paperbacks collecting the first two arcs, which would get you up to #10, and then you could pick up the few issues after that individually.

 

I'd recommend Wolverine & the X-Men, which started last year. Daredevil is also a good one.

A lot of Marvel titles would likely be best if you waited a month or two until the current Avengers vs. X-Men event is over. There will be a lot of great jumping on points after that. Most titles are being relaunched at a new #1 for new readers so that'd be perfect for you.

As for DC... the main Batman book has been fantastic and the Batman & Robin book has been decent. Nightwing has been enjoyable. I personally really enjoy Green Lantern but it's a bit heavy on continuity (going back maybe 6 years give or take) but you can always just jump on and figure it out as you go. This month debuts a new Lantern in Green Lantern taking Hal's place after the Annual that just came out. That might be a decent jumping on point.

DC titles are all getting 0 issues this month dealing with their pasts so it's a good time to jump in.

 

You might as well save some of your money and wait until October when Marvel starts it's slow roll out of new titles for it's NOW launch. It's aimed for folks specifically like you that are new to comics.

The first book coming out is Uncanny Avenger by Rick Remender, one of Marvel's best writers, if not the best. After that, they are going to roll out new #1's for Avengers, New Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and Bendis' All New X-Men.

As for Daredevil, I agree with Corp and JH, it's a terrific book. So are Wolverine and the X-Men and Uncanny X-Force. If you want to specifically stick to Spider-Man stuff, it's a good time for the franchise, the Venom title has been nothing short of great (also written by Remender up until it's most recent issue) and Scarlet Spider has been decent as well.

I'd like to recommend Journey into Mystery as well but I'm afraid that may be (for the lack of a better word) too advanced for a new reader to dive into and read. It's based on Thor's supporting cast and mythos.

 

Greg Rucka's Punisher has been excellent too, if you're at all interested in the Punisher. Bit of a slow start, but it's outstanding now.

 

Marvel keeps saying that NOW is supposed to be new reader friendly so I would think that continuity isn't going to be a major issue.

I would jump in with the current arc of ASM. The first issue of the current story was ASM #692 released 2 weeks ago. The character of Alpha (Spider-Man's new sidekick) was introduced and he is supposed to play a key part in events leading up and to ASM #700.

The only thing you need to know about Wolverine and the X-Men is that it spun out of the X-Men event "Schism" which involved Wolverine's falling out with Cyclops over the use of the younger mutants on Utopia. WATXM #1 has him re-opening the school in Westchester with help from Kitty, Iceman and Beast.

 

The continuity will all still be there with NOW; it's not like DC's New 52 in that respect. But since Marvel's pushing NOW as a major jumping-on point for new readers, references to past events and continuity will probably be pretty scarce for the first stories in each of the comics, at the very least.

Anyway, if continuity becomes an issue, just remember that you've already found your way to a comic-themed message board, so you've got a pretty solid source of information if you ever need continuity help right here. We actually have threads set up specifically for that, stickied at the top of the comics forums:

Marvel: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=383039
DC: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=379071

 

Yeah, I've always felt that continuity is only a problem if you make it one. You wanna know what happened, just ask the internet. It knows all....plus porn.

Also, I'm gonna recommend Marvels. Just cuz.

 

Hmm...there are plenty of great past stories that you can pick up in TPB. If you want absolute basic starting points, you can't go wrong with the death of gwen stacey or the dark phoenix saga.

 

Pick up Mark Waid's Daredevil, definitely, as has been suggested and as you've said you'll check out. You won't be disappointed. Or, in the event you are, know now that yes, it makes you a bad person.

Current X-Men comics might leave you scratching your head a little bit. You could go back to the beginning of Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force and should be able to jump on without too much trouble, since at that point the group composition is mostly new. You can probably figure out Wolverine and the X-Men as well (hint: Wolvie and Cyclops had a big lovers' quarrel), but the Avengers vs. X-Men tie-ins will be a little hit-or-miss. The stuff concerning the characters in the book and Aaron's continuing plot-threads will mostly make sense, but you'll have to look up some contextual information. And no, AvX isn't worth you getting into.

If you're interested in Iron Man, look up Warren Ellis's Extremis arc and give that a read. And otherwise, if you don't mind a bit of an odd tale with some characters on the outskirts, look up Warren Ellis's Thunderbolts arcs.

 

I've been collecting comics for 35 years. My main interest has always been Spidey but I also liked the main teams (FF, Avengers, X-men) and certain solo titles (DD, Iron Man, Hulk, Cap, Thor, Dr. Strange) along with a smattering of odds and end series/issues (ROM/Machine Man). I have been very disatisfied with the stuff they've done with all of these lately ((except DD) and have therefore decided to start over. I cut my subscription back to just Amazing (strictly for completion of the collection) and DD (as long as it is good) and am going back to read all the classics in chronological order. I'm gonna get the trades for the original Strange Tales, Journey into Mystery, Tales to Astonish and Tales of Suspence. I have a month by month list of all the comics that Marvel has ever put out and will start with November 1961, the month FF#1 was published. I am closing in on completing my Amazing Spider-Man collection - down to about 100+ issues left but it's slow going because I'm only purchasing high-quality copies, and those earlier issues cost a lot! - so I'm putting money I usually spent on current comics towards that and trades. I figure from 1961 thru roughly late 1980's/early 90's gives me about 30 years worth of reading. I'm looking forward to rediscovering all those old classics again and getting the taste of the current garbage out of my mouth.

 

Spider-Man sucks.

 

YOU SUCK!

 

No, Spider-Man does. I thought Anubis was pretty clear there, really.

 

Eh, pay no mind to those guys. Most folks bailed after OMD and are ignoring how well Big Time has been doing.

Their loss.

 

Issue #1... of everything your interested in.

 

Marvel wiped out the Peter/MJ marriage in an idiotic storyline where they make a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May's life.

 

You should be OK, they're pretty good about continuity on that book. If you have any questions like Corp said, there's the Stupid Question thread at the top of the main page and you can also go over to the Spider-Man forum in the comics section.

 

If you can get ASM from #688 onward, you'll get a really good Lizard story...