I’ve always had a slight interest in comics but i feel so overwhelmed when i walk into a comic book shop. i have no idea what to look for, i don;t want to buy a certain series and then have no idea whats going on because of stuff in past series. I’m just wondering what what you guys suggest for someone like me, series, tradepaper backs etc
thanks
If you want to get into marvel comics, you can do What I did and start out with reading the ultimate series. This would be a good place to start cause there aren’t NEARLY as many comics/TPB’s to track down.
I also recommend you read the Watchmen, its too good!
I haven’t read much DC, so i’m in the dark there
Batman: Year One is a good starting point. So is, Batman: The Long Halloween and, the sequel to said story, Dark Victory.
You could also pick up Invincible. All of these books mentioned are available in Tradepaperback format.
i’m really interested in marvel so that would be good
I’m fairly new to this myself- I’ll just list what I’ve started with
mostly it’s been
Manhunter
Green Lantern stuff, and
JSA
All DC though.
preacher series
preacherrrrrrr!
i’ve heard a lot of good things about the walking dead
Marvel and DC both collect their classic comics in archive compilations. If you’re interested in the classic stuff, I’d check those out.
I’m not much of a Marvel guy, so I won’t step on the Marvel fans’ toes, but Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman For All Seasons are both excellent modern takes on their respective characters. And if you’re interested in some more off the wall stuff, Brian K. Vaughn’s Y: The Last Man is great, and it’s collected in trade paperbacks. Alan Moore’s V For Vendetta is also sold as a trade paperback, and is way better than its recent film adaptation (this is true for all of Moore’s adapted works, actually).
And I second the Watchmen recommendation, but I would hold off on that until you’ve gotten some more conventional superhero titles under your belt. Watchmen is best appreciated once you’ve gotten a solid footing in the superhero genre.
Runaways is a great read, and you don’t have to know much of anything involving the rest of the Marvel Universe in order to follow/enjoy it.
Justice League of America!, and Brave and the Bold!
and you can’t go wrong with All Star Superman, I have YET to meet anybody who’s read it, who didn’t like it!
Just so ya know, the classic stuff can be very hard to read. I bought essential Punisher, and I still haven’t been able to get myself to sit down and read it for any length of time. Pick up the much older stuff at your own risk.
Off hand I’d say walk into your local comic book shop on a day it’s not too busy (never a wednesday) and strike up a conversation with someone who works there. If they are cool people (they usually are but you never know) they can help you a lot with the books that are right for you, just tell them what you are looking for and what you are interested in and so on.
But yeah Marvel’s Ultimate comics and DC’s All Star comics are very new reader family, that’s why they were created - for people who don’t want to be bothered with 40 + years of continuity. Though skip over All Star Batman & Robin unless you are just getting it for Jim Lee’s pencils oooh…
And given your avatar I’m assuming you know that Berserk is available in English and they’ve moved past the TV Series. I’m… assuming you know that already but you never know… 
Co-sign with Deathscythe. I found those TPs at a library so you might want to look there if your comic shop doesn’t have those.
Another co-sign. The problem is getting the issues. Just get the trade paperbacks for 8 bucks. Excellent writing and artwork. Then again I might be biased since I’m pobably the only Runaways fanboy on here.
NO.
And if you don’t wanna have any trouble with not knowing what the hell’s gooing on, start reading Transmetropolitan. All issues were collected in 11 tradepapers.
You will laugh. Often.
I’m going to disagree. I couldn’t stand most of the ultimate comics. I felt they went and shitted on a lot of the older conventions I loved, and the new style just didn’t appeal to me. Of course I’ll read almost anything Marvel Knights or MAX now, so what do I know.
I really can’t see a reason you will need to be buying anything but trades, as there is so much out there for you to read now. 52 when it gets a trade release would be good, but I don’t know if it would have the same meaning if you aren’t already connected to some of the characters.
My personal favorites right now are Cable/Deadpool and Punisher Max. That punisher is overly gritty most of the time, but cable/deadpool if hilarious. Every time deadpool talks is awesome. If you can enjoy deadpool’s style of nonsense then pick up that.
I’m a big fan of Runaways, so you aren’t alone. I’m actually enjoying the current arc BTW.
berserkotaku45: If it wasn’t for Ultimate Spider-Man, I probably would’ve started collecting comics and such. Give the first trade a look see.
If you don’t wan’t to get into the hassle of researching and jumping into 616 Marvel, the Ultimates and (I heard) Ultimate FF are good reads too. Can’t say much about Ultimate X-Men though…
The Incomparable, All-Powerful, Majestic, Unbeatable, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Moderator-Sanctioned, Inedible sano should create a sticky thread to end all threads… “Yo! New People! REQUIRED READING!”
Every single time a guy starts a thread asking for reading suggestions, I get so frustrated that I just want to yank off my pubes. Not that I don’t want to help train a padawan, but I feel obliged to take a stand against redundancy. This is like using the terms “all-powerful” and “omnipotent” in the same sentence. Come on now.
I just figure new reader threads are gonna happen a lot regardless.
EDIT: Why are you being so nice? Do you have X-Force #1 hanging on your fridge yet? 
From now on, I’m gonna start recommending the most hard-to-comprehend shit I can think of.
incomprehensible garbage like:
The Spider-Clone Saga
Dark Knight Strkes Back
Crisis on Infinite Earths
The last hundred issues or so of Spawn
and
Anything created by Liefeld.
I didn’t realize people actually read his stuff. I was under the impression that they looked at the pictures.