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So,
ever since Marvel started to make movies out of their comics, I have been very interested in the universe and the comics. That said, the pure amount of them is so incredibly big that when I actually want to start reading, I get discouraged because I definitely won't be able to read them all.
What bout you?
I read a lot of Spider-Man and X-Men comics back in the nineties, Spider-Man more than anything. I only have one Hulk comic out of the whole batch and haven't read anything from any of the other superheroes. I know Marvel invented the "Ultimate" universe for the reason you mentioned if you wanted to check that out. I wouldn't get too discourage. I never read too many in order and were able to follow them easily enough. Ben Riley's Scarlet Spider was around during this time so I'm kind of biased towards him. I was sad when he ditched his Scarlet Spider look for a revamp of Peter Parker's original costume.
I used to read Astonishing Spiderman and Essential X-Men, although I stopped collecting due to lack of funds (or, rather, because my parents wouldn't buy them for me anymore) and I went through a period of several years without them. I read most of the Clone Saga and Age of Apocalypse, though. I was never really interested in the Hulk, Daredevil, Fantastic Four or any of the others...that hasn't changed at all. I've got a few first issues lurking around somewhere, but only because they're first issues and will hopefully be worth something in the future. I only wish I knew what happened to my collection of older comics...
I've gotten into Avengers Universe since they reset it a couple of months ago, although to be honest I'm more inclined to just buy the graphic novels that collect the issues as they come out...especially considering they come out in advance of the comics over here, since the Americas are several months ahead of us. I've always wanted to read the Ultimate Spiderman comics, and now that Superior Spiderman has finished I am seriously contemplating ordering the six graphic novels that collect the issues...that sounded like a pretty good story.
I've read a few of the Uncanny X-Men comics and currently reading the new X-Men reboot with the female team. The Phoenix saga was probably my favorite storyline. Haven't read any Marvel comics other than that.
The third part of Maximum Clonage was the first comic I ever read. Managed to get my hands on the last part, but never got the whole thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noire
I used to read and collect Amazing Spider-Man comics when I was 10-14 or so. I read a bit of a few others, such as X-Men, but collected almost exclusively Spider-Man, and more specifically almost exclusively the Amazing Spider-Man series. I still have quite a collection that I've always meant to sort through and figure out exactly what I have.
I haven't read many comics in the past dozen or so years, though.
X-men and the X-Books were my favorite titles when I was young though I did dabble in Captain America, Iron Man, Daredevil, and of course Spider Man. My best friend in elementary was a huge Silver Surfer fan so I got exposed to the cosmic side of the books as well. Honestly, if you start reading one franchise, you'll eventually learn the details of the rest. I was really big into the collectible card series so I learned a lot about the greater Marvel Universe.
So it's not too difficult, especially with Wiki's and the internet to help you sort out things. The big thing is to just start small, pick one series and if you like it go from there and just slowly learn what you need to know to understand the books and then from there you'll kind of find out more about the rest of the franchises that crossover into each other.
Nah. I haven't read many superhero comics and started super late into adulthood, but I've stuck pretty much exclusively with DC in terms of superheroes so far. :shobon:
I bounced back and forth between Marvel and DC quite often as a child. Spider-Man and X-Men were an integral part of my 90s upbringing.
After over a decade of being too cool for superhero comics, I've come around in a big, big way. If you're feeling kind of lost and you don't know where to start with all this marvel crap, you're not alone. It's really the only reasonable way to feel about it. I suggest Grant Morrison's run on NEW X-MEN. It's great because it's self-contained, super engaging, and it kicks off just a little after we all stopped following capes and started reading Vertigo in 2000. If you've ever seen the X-Men movies or (better) cartoon, you need no extra knowledge of these characters and situations for it to be a genius re-examination of the essentials of the X-Men concept for the 21st century. If you only care about Wolverine, New X-Men breathes new life into Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and creates new characters that go on to do interesting things.
I started out reading NEW X-MEN after the Days of Future Past movie came out, and since then I've read
- A significant amount of Chris Claremont's run on UNCANNY X-MEN including The Dark Phoenix Saga (best), Days of Future Past, Brood Saga (second best), From the Ashes, and I plan on going back at least for Mutant Massacre and Inferno
- Joss Whedon's ASTONISHING X-MEN (It's great but read Claremont first)
- Grant Morrison's JLA run (an intentional retort to Alan Moore's WATCHMEN?)
- Jack Kirby's Fourth World series (might be my favorite of this list)
- Morrison's SEVEN SOLDIERS (read everything else on this list first)
The best advice I can give you besides Read New X-Men is to click on this thread, select an appropriate Amazon affiliate and purchase SUPERGODS by Grant Morrison. SUPERGODS is a non-fiction history of the superhero genre going back to Action Comics #1. It brought some crucial context to my media world: Marvel and DC Comics are almost unique in the world of art in that they're a collective fantasy that no one creator can have control over. It's a true collaboration between artist, writer, editor, and reader, and it's been going on for seventy years and it's amazing.
EDIT: The important thing is to have fun, and everything on my list is at least that. Some of it is genuinely mindblowing, heartbreaking, actual genius (New X-Men).
EDIT2: I read text-based books too I have a degree in Englishhhhhhh
Well I would've love to start with something simple like Spider-Man but what do I choose? Do the newer series actually disregard the oldest or should I start at the very first Spider-Man comics and read through them all till now?
Yes. Where should one start with Spider-Man? I keep looking at Ultimate Spider-Man, but I really just do not like the art. So I haven't read it yet.
I myself have been recently getting really into reading comics, although Deadpool is the only Marvel superhero(orwhatevs) that I read. I have a couple Supermans and DC's Final Crisis. Most of Marvel that aren't Deadpool are based from books, like Ender's Game or The Dark Tower.
Honestly, if you start out reading Lee/Ditko's stuff from the 60s, you will probably quit pretty early. It's not that that stuff's bad, it's just that it takes time and experience for you to understand what was so good about it. You might be best served by reading Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man for a while and then working your way backwards to Stan Lee's run.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ergroilnin
Although I don't really know anything about what's going on with Spider-Man in like the last decade to maybe there's a more recent jumping-on point.
I started with the Amazing Spider-Man (original series) and loved it, but admittedly I was 10-years-old at the time and it was 17 years ago. I'm sure there are plenty of developments in the past many years, so there may be a more modern starting point if you don't want to start with decades-old stories.
I don't know, maybe you should start with the Ultimate line since it was kind of meant to be a modern reboot of the various Marvel franchises, I know Spider-Man is still kind of reeling with fans for the One More Day storyline which was not popular with any of the fanbase. Which is always been the books problems for the last 20 years which is that it does good and then things like the Clone Saga or One More Day show up and hurt the franchise for years.
Ahaha oh the clone saga. I remember that scandal.
I picked up some Black Panther on free comic book day. I'm not sure what to recommend as I haven't read many comics.
I was reading Runaways for a while. I ought to catch up on that...
One of my friends got me into the new Ms. Marvel comics; so, I'm caught up with that. Also, I have huge folders of Cosmic Marvel scans that I will eventually comb through, and I just downloaded the Infinity Gauntlet comics. :D
Yes.Quote:
Do you read marvel universe comics?
If you have a smartphone or tablet get the Marvel app. They have comic sales a lot and sometimes they have specials where like hundreds of comics are free to download. Then if you're not sure what to read you just pick one of the bazillions in your account, download and start reading.
I have like 300 unread Spidey comics in my backlog (from one of their free download days) and now I'm reading Guardians of the Galaxy cause it was on sale :shobon: