Before we get too far along, I need to point out that in your comic reading journey, you will no doubt come across other readers who claim you MUST read one particular series or another, or how this or that comic is the greatest of all time, but be warned, these are all just opinions. Never feel obligated to read a story that doesn't sound interesting to you. The only thing you need to do is not be intimidated or afraid of digging in!
If you don't know what to read, you might want to start by thinking of what kinds of stories you are usually interested in: do you like Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, or Adventure? Do you like stories that explore a great mystery, shed light on a historical period from a different perspective, or bring a character to face their dark past?
Read on for more! Please note: this page is a work in progress!
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Once again, I find myself linking the How to Love Comics website, which has an incredible Recommendations section I drool over.
Finally, don't forget your Friendly Local Comic Shop Staff can be the best resource when it comes to comic recommendations, and are just waiting for you to stop by or call to pick their brain! Click here to LOCATE your nearest comic shops! Indie Recommendations:
While I can't list every comic that might strike someone's interest, there are a few solid "indie" series' I feel confident recommending to those with certain types of interests:
Man Eaters, Man-Eaters: the Cursed, and Spy Island by Chelsea Cain, Kate Niemczyk, Lia Miternique, Rachelle Rosenburg, & Joe Caramanga
Highlights: Feminist, Queer, Liberal Comedy Man-Eaters: Completed, 12-issues + 1 special TOP PICKS "A mutation in Toxoplasmosis causes menstruating women to turn into ferocious killer wildcats-easily provoked and extremely dangerous. As panic spreads and paranoia takes root, the fate of the world rides on the shoulders of one twelve-year-old girl. Part Cat People, part The Handmaid's Tale, MAN-EATERS will have everyone talking." The Cursed: Completed, 5-issues "MAN-EATERS: THE CURSED reunites the original MAN-EATERS creative team for another tale of adolescent feminist derring-do and supernatural hijinks. Maude, now 15, is sent to Craft Camp for the week. It goes south pretty quickly. Smart, laugh-out-loud funny, provocative, referential, scary, chock-full of ephemera, and compulsively re-readable. Plus, fairies. [ADVISORY: Do not read this book while you are actually camping.]" Spy Island: Completed, 4-issues See My Reviews HERE! The world's best spies keep watch over the Bermuda Triangle from a mysterious island outpost teeming with supernatural intrigue, monsters, and evil villains set on global domination. The best of these spies is named Nora Freud (no relation). She knows eighty-seven ways to kill someone with a cocktail toothpick, and she's used thirty-two of them. Lately though, Nora has started to feel like she's going through the motions. Close the temporal portal. Assassinate the genocidal maniac. Have sex with the MI-6 agent. Plus, the island has gotten kind of touristy. She agrees to one last mission. But when Nora's troubled marine cryptozoologist sister shows up unexpectedly, warning of mermaid attacks, Nora realizes that boredom is not her biggest problem." Publisher: Dark Horse (Spy Island) and Image Comics (Man-Eaters)
Bitter Root by David F Walker, Sandford Greene, and Chuck Brown
Completed, 15-issues Highlights: BIPOC Creators, Characters, and Themes "In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing, and only the Sangerye Family can save New York-and the world-from the supernatural forces threatening to destroy humanity. But the once-great family of monster hunters has been torn apart by tragedies and conflicting moral codes. The Sangerye Family must heal the wounds of the past and move beyond their differences… or sit back and watch a force of unimaginable evil ravage the human race. " Published by Image Comics
Bitch Planet and Bitch Planet: Triple Feature by Kelley Sue Deconnick and Valentine De Landro
Highlights: Feminist, female and queer-forward sci-fi Completed, 10-issues Triple Feature: Completed, 5-issues "2014 Best Writer Eisner Award nominee KELLY SUE DeCONNICK (PRETTY DEADLY, Captain Marvel) and VALENTINE DE LANDRO (X-Factor) team up for the very third time to bring you the premiere issue of BITCH PLANET, their highly-anticipated women-in-prison sci-fi exploitation riff. Think Margaret Atwood meets Inglourious Basterds." Published by Image Comics
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night by Ana Lily Amirpour and Michael DeWeese
Completed, 2-issues Highlights: art-house, female lead, demonic themes "Written by the director of the film of the same name rated 96% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, strange things are afoot in Bad City. The Iranian ghost town, home to prostitutes, junkies, pimps and other sordid souls, is a bastion of depravity and hopelessness where a lonely vampire, The Girl, stalks the town's most unsavory inhabitants." Published by Behemoth
Blackbird by Sam Humphries and Jen Bartel
Completed, 6-issues Highlights: Feminist, fashion eye candy, Jen Bartel art, fantasy and matriarchal themes "In this neo-noir fantasy, Nina Rodriguez is positive that a secret magic world ruled by ruthless cabals is hiding just beneath the veneer of Los Angeles. The problem: everyone thinks she's crazy. The bigger problem: she's not crazy - she's right. Can she unravel the mystery before the Great Beast catches up with her?" Published by Image Comics
Tokyo Ghost by Rick Remender and Sean Gordon Murphy
Completed, 10-issues Highlights: Sci-fi/Fantasy, dystopia/utpoia, violence and nudity, cyberpunk 18+ ONLY TOP PICK "The Isles of Los Angeles 2089: Humanity is addicted to technology, a population of unemployed leisure seekers blissfully distracted from toxic contamination, who borrow, steal, and kill to buy their next digital fix. Getting a virtual buzz is the only thing left to live for. It’s the biggest industry, the only industry, the drug everyone needs, and gangsters run it all. And who do these gangsters turn to when they need their rule enforced? Constables Led Dent and Debbie Decay. This duo is about to be given a job that will force them out of the familiar squalor of Los Angeles to take down the last tech-less country on Earth: The Garden Nation of Tokyo." Published by Image Comics
Seven to Eternity by Rick Remender and Jerome Opena
Completed, 17-issues Highlights: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, superpowers, somewhat Steampunk Ages 14+ "The God of Whispers has spread an omnipresent paranoia to every corner of the kingdom of Zhal; his spies hide in every hall spreading mistrust and fear. Adam Osidis, a dying knight from a disgraced house, must choose between joining a hopeless band of magic users in their desperat bid to free their world of the evil God, or accepting his promise to give Adam everything his heart desires." Published by Image Comics
Karmen by Guillem March
Completed, 5-issues Highlights: fantasy, ghost story, romance, growth, life after death 18+ ONLY TOP PICK "edgy new FIVE-PART SERIES about a highly unconventional angel named Karmen and the young woman she takes under her wing when a case of heartbreak strikes hard. Packed with surprises and metaphysics, this gorgeously drawn series deploys tenderness and humor as it dives deep into topics that matter." Published by Image Comics
Luna by Maria Llovet
Completed, five issues Highlights: fantasy, erotica, mythology, biblical story, artistic symbolism 18+ ONLY "When Teresa fatefully crosses paths with the Family of the Sun, she believes them to be exactly what anyone else in the late ‘60s would expect – a hippie cult whose leader claims to have met the divine. But secret blood rituals, powerful drugs and sex runneth amok will bring Teresa face-to-face with the truth about the Family, herself and the dark secret behind her dreams." Published by Boom! Studios
Faithless, Faithless II, and Faithless III by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet
Completed, 18-issues (6x6x6) Highlights: artistic, demonic, symbolic, intriguing, dark, erotic, twisted 18+ ONLY "All those little shadows and shapes that Faith catches at the peripheral of her vision start to take shape. There are omens. These events and details have Faith unsettled, but she moves past them with her attention drawn to something new: the Devil." Published by Boom! Studios
Paper Girls by Brian K Vaughn, Cliff Chiang and Matt Wilson
Completed, 30-issues Highlights: female-forward, coming of age, mystery, Stranger Things stole their plot Ages 13+ "In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smashhit series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood." Published by Image Comics
The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona
Completed, 5-issues Highlights: romance, horror, seclusion Ages 14+ "An artist named Ro retreats from the grind of the city to an old house in a small town to find solace and inspiration without realizing the muse within is not what she expected. Fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman will enjoy this beautiful, dark, and disturbing story of discovery, love, and terror." Published by Image Comics
Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
Completed, 32-issues TOP PICK Highlights: feminist, romance, erotica, humor, queer themes, personal discovery 18+ ONLY "Suzie's a normal girl with an extraordinary ability: when she has sex, she stops time. One night she meets Jon... who has the same gift. And so they do what any other sex-having, time-stopping, couple would do: they rob banks." Published by Image Comics
The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
Completed, 45-issues + specials Highlights: fantasy, mythology, drama, queer-themes, feminism, characters of color, mystery, etc Ages 13+ TOP PICK "Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critically thermonuclear floor-fillers Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to start a new ongoing superhero fantasy. Welcome to THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, where gods are the ultimate pop stars. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever." Published by Image Comics
Monstress Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Ongoing, past 30 issues Highlights: feminism, matriarchy, Asian themes, magic, power, mystery, dark tones 18+ ONLY "Steampunk meets Kaiju in this original fantasy epic for mature readers, as young Maika risks everything to control her psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, placing her in the center of a devastating war between human and otherworldly forces." Published by Image Comics
Moonshine by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso
Completed, 28-issues Highlights: noir mystery, werewolves, prohibition era Ages 17+ "Set during Prohibition, and deep in the backwoods of Appalachia, MOONSHINE tells the story of Lou Pirlo, a city-slick “torpedo” sent from New York City to negotiate a deal with the best moonshiner in West Virginia, one Hiram Holt. What Lou doesn’t figure on is that Holt is just as cunning and ruthless as any NYC crime boss. Because not only will Holt do anything to protect his illicit booze operation, he’ll stop at nothing to protect a much darker family secret...a bloody, supernatural secret that must never see the light of day… or better still, the light of the full moon." Published by Image Comics
DIE by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans
Completed, 20-issues Highlights: DnD, tabletop campaign games, fantasy, adventure, moral dilemas, queer topics Ages 13+ "DIE is a pitch-black fantasy where a group of forty-something adults have to deal with the returning unearthly horror they barely survived as teenage role-players. If Kieron’s in a rush, he describes it as “Goth Jumanji.” That only captures a sliver of what you’ll find in oversized debut issue—where fantasy gets all too real.? Published by Image Comics
Saga by Brian K Vaugh and Fiona Staples
Ongoing, over 50 issues Highlights: fantasy, sci-fi, space opera, betrayal, death, love, sex, magic, aliens, war 18+ ONLY TOP PICK "Saga is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples, published monthly by Image Comics. The series is heavily influenced by Star Wars, and based on ideas Vaughan conceived both as a child and as a parent. It depicts two lovers from long-warring extraterrestrial races, Alana and Marko, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their newborn daughter, Hazel, who occasionally narrates the series." Published by Image Comics
Lady Killer by Joelle Jones
Completed (?), 10-issues Highlights: feminism, murder for hire, espionage, action Ages 16+ "Josie Schuller is a picture-perfect homemaker, wife, and mother--but she's also a ruthless, efficient killer for hire! A brand-new original comedy series that combines the wholesome imagery of early 1960s domestic bliss with a tightening web of murder, paranoia, and cold-blooded survival." Published by Dark Horse
The Umbrella Academy, by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
Volume 1: Apocalypse Suite Complete, 6-issues Volume 2: Dallas Complete, 6-issues Volume 3: Hotel Oblivion Complete, 7-issues + extras Volume 4: Sparrow Academy (coming soon!) Highlights: indie superheroes, gothic, shitty science dad, complicated families Ages 13+ " In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-three extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world." " Published by Dark Horse
...and here are some decent starting points and reading orders for the traditional "Big Two:"
Marvel Comics Recommended "Starting Point":
One way to read Marvel comics is to go through their universal "events"- points in comics history that were important to all the characters and series' going at the time, surrounding a specific happening.
Here is a list of modern (Mid-2000's onward) Marvel Comics events:
Avengers Disassembled (2004)
House of M (2005) Civil War (2006) Planet Hulk (2006) Decimation (2005) World War Hulk (2007) Secret Invasion (2008) Dark Reign (2008) Siege (2010) Heroic Age (2010) Fear Itself (2011) Avengers vs. X-Men (2012) Age of Ultron (2013) Infinity (2013) Inhumanity (2014) Original Sin (2014) Avengers & X-Men: AXIS (2014) The Black Vortex (2015) Secret Wars (2015) Civil War II (2016) Inhumans vs. X-Men (2016) Secret Empire (2017) Damnation (2018) Infinity Countdown (2018) Infinity Wars (2018) War of the Realms (2019) Absolute Carnage (2019) Empyre (2020) X of Swords (2020) King In Black (2020) Hellfire Gala (2021) Death of Doctor Strange (2021) Devil’s Reign (2022)
Also recommended from Marvel Comics:
Invisible Woman (2019-2020) by Mark Waid and Mattia de Iulis (iuLis)
Highlights: Female Starring! Covers by Adam Hughes, w/ star variant artists. Completed; 5-issues Notes: Sue Storm Gets Hers.
Wolverine, Japanese Saga (1982) by Frank Miller
(first 4-issues of his first solo series)
Strikeforce (2019) by Tini Howard and Germán Peralta
Highlights: Female written! Gay; Characters of color. Team consists of: Angela, Blade, Spectrum, Spider-Woman, Wiccan, and the Winter Soldier. Completed; 9-issues. Notes: Strikeforce was one of the biggest breaths of fresh air at Marvel comics in decades, IMO. But, it was also a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, really. As the pandemic got settled over us all, comic creatives went "pencils down," meaning all creation stopped for a period, as well as all releases and printing. The thing is, Strikeforce, as well as Star, for starters, had another issue (at least!) completed and in the wings when the pause began, and was just...never released. And then cancelled. No, I will never let this go.
Spider-Man Blue (2003) by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale
Young Avengers vol. 2 (2013) by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
Highlights: Super Gay! Even the creative team. Complete; 15-issues Notes: The Kids are Alright
Johnathon Hickman's X-Men (Reading Order)
Highlights: varied creative teams, wildly inventive set-up, satisfying character handling. Notes: Want to read good X-Men comics? This is THE X-Men Universe re-vamp you have always been wanting. Trust.
Thanos Rising by Simone Bianchi and Jason Aaron
Complete; 5-issues Highlights: superbly told evil backstory! Notes: Like Villains? Like THANOS? Curious how he....came to be? This is it, this is the one for you.
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja
ages 13+ Highlights: MCU pull-material, won awards for a reason, put Clint on the map Notes: Serving as a great portion of the source material for the 2021-22 Hawkeye series on Disney+, this series doesn't hide what a prick Clint is, but at least makes him (somewhat) loveable about it.
Fantastic Four and Future Foundation by Johnathon Hickman
ages 13+ Highlights: Johnathon Hickman, space shit Notes: Hickman does his magic on Marvel's First Family! There's too many "FF" acronym's here, guys. Fantastic Four, Future Foundation, First Family...
Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
Highlights: Alex Ross art, beautiful and inventive retelling Notes: A concise and beautiful history of the marvel universe, from the invention of the original Human Torch to the beginning of the Modern Age, told by a news photographer.
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson
Highlights: really clear metaphor for mutants Notes: The basis for the film X2, sort of, pits the X-Men and Magneto against a church pastor who preaches that mutants are evil and should be eradicated. DC Comics Recommended Reading
Superman Smashes the Clan by gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru
Far Sector by NK Jemisin and Jamal Campbell
ages 13+; published through DC's Young Animal imprint.
Female Furies by Cecil Castellucci and Adriana Melo
ages 13+
Batman: Hush by Jeff Loeb and Jim Lee
ages 13+
Wonder Woman: Earth One by Grant Morrison and Yannick Paquette
Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death by Amy Chu and Clay Mann
ages 13+
The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
The ultimate Batman/Joker story.
All-Star- Superman by Grant Morrisson and Frank Quitely
Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Traveling Heroes by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams
Great silver-age comics which played the conservative space-cop and the rich, liberal Robin Hood off each other as they travel the US in the 70’s.
Batman: the Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
Frank Miller’s dystopian 80’s story of an older Bruce Wayne in a crappy Gotham gone to gangs. This is the dark, grim Batman that became Christian Bale and Ben Affleck. I recommend reading it after you've got some other good Batman stories under your belt.
Dark Knights of Steel by Tom Taylo and Yasmin Putri
Currently Ongoing of 12 issues Highlights: medeaval DC retelling, gorgeous art Recommended Graphic Novels:
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
All Ages
Maus by Art Spiegelman
WWII/Holocaust remembrance told from Cat and Mice
Dracula, Motherf--ker by Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson
overarching metaphors on symbolic vampires told with literal vampires.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
--
Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney and Robyn Smith
The Amazon Nubia learns of her heritage in a modern, "urban", coming of age story.
Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh
LGBTQ+ Vibes with one of comics' favorite gays as she comes of age!
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Marioko Tamaki
This one has earned LOTS of awards, for good reason.
Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists by Mikki Kendall and A. D'Amico
Stories of (see above) and the mark they made on the world in their lifetimes, and after.
I am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki and Yoshi Yoshitani
Starfire's queer, goth, plus-size daughter comes into her own.
Pantheon by Hamish Steele
Read the story of the Egyptian Gods--in comic form!
Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki and Joelle Jones
Another coming of age tale, for another legendary DC hero.
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
A Romantic Dramady of the Greek Gods, focusing on the relationship of Persephone and Hades.
Catboy by Benji Nate
mostly what it sounds like
Nimona by ND Stevenson
-- What About Manga?
Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango) by Yoko Kamio
The first Manga I ever read, for high-school aged and up.
Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani
Stitch and the Samurai by Hiroto Wada
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge
Way of the House Husband by Koyoharu Gotouge
Komi Can't Communicate by Tomohito Oda
Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo
Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama
My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi
My Dress-Up Darling by Shinichi Fukuda
Cardcaptor Sakura by Clamp
Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori
The Wallflower by Tomoko Hayakawa
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