Comics, Where to start?

       Hello everyone and welcome back! I hope all your summers are going well! Okay, so one of the questions I'm asked the most when people find out I like Superheros and read comic books is...

     Okay, I would like to start reading comics, but I don't know where to start. Can you suggest some titles?

    And I understand, if you are not into comics it can be kind of confusing. After all, comics seem to have no definite end or beginning. And I get it, there are things you want to stay away from when reading comics. Such as excessive swearing, gore, and pervy stuff. You just want to read the tales of your favorite heroes without anything you don't agree with.

      So how does one know what to stay away from and what to read? 

 While just like with movies, comics have a rating system. For instance, Dc Comics rating system is 

E - EVERYONE: Appropriate for readers of all ages. May contain cartoon violence and/or some comic mischief
T - TEEN: Appropriate for readers age 12 and older. May contain mild violence, language and/or suggestive themes.
T+ - TEEN PLUS: Appropriate for readers age 15 and older. May contain moderate violence, mild profanity, graphic imagery and/or suggestive themes.
M - MATURE: Appropriate for readers age 17 and older. May contain intense violence, extensive profanity, nudity, sexual themes and other content suitable only for older readers.

   While Marvel's rating system is

ALL AGES - Appropriate for all ages.
T - Appropriate for most readers, but parents are advised that they might want to read before or with younger children. 
T+ TEENS AND UP - Appropriate for teens 13 and above. 
PARENTAL ADVISORY - Appropriate for older teens. Similar to T+, but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery. Recommended for teen and adult readers. 
MAX: EXPLICIT CONTENT - 18+ years old Most Mature Readers books will fall under the MAX Comics banner, (created specifically for mature content titles) MAX and Mature-themed titles will continue to be designed to appear distinct from mainline Marvel titles, with the "MAX: Explicit Content" label very prominently displayed on the cover. MAX titles will not be sold on the newsstand, and they will not be sold to younger readers. It says anything from explicit to non-explicit.

      I don't read the comics rated M or MAX. But it's good to know so you can stay away from them. Now comics are divided into two main groups, single issues, and volumes. On the single issues (which are very thin and about 32 pages) the rating can be found on the barcode

     Since Graphic novels are collections of single issue comics you usually can't find the ratings. But if you know the rating of the issue then you know the rating of the novel. Now since MOST comics deal with Arcs I suggest just buying/reading the Graphic Novels/Volumes that way you won't get all confused if you buy an issue that take place in the middle of an Arc. 

     But what is an Arc you ask? Well it is basically just an extended or continuing story that goes on for a certain number of single issues. Which mean you can usually just start with Volume 1 of whatever Arc you want.

     If your looking for the rating I suggest seeing if they have it on this site Comixology. This site is for buying digital single issues or Graphic Novels but they still have the rating of whatever it is on the side.

   Okay so now that I've told you about comic ratings I'll tell you some of the comics I  have enjoyed reading and you can see if they are worth checking out. 

So first up we got the comics the fall under E or ALL AGES

     The Marvel company has a whole host of All Ages comics out there. Now, most of the All Ages fall under the Title Marvel Adventures. Under this, you will find most if not all of your favorite heroes. Heroes like The Avengers, Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Thor, Wolverine: First class, and Marvel Superheros (which is basically like a different hero or team-up every issue). Out side that, there is also Power Pack and the Power Pack team-ups (Spider-man and X-men. There is a team up with Thor, Hulk and the Avengers but those ones are a little harder to find). These titles are aimed at Kids so there more on the humorous side. But they still tend to have a nice story/Arc in each comic. My personal favorites among this group are Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Power Pack (which is a story about 4 siblings who get superpowers from an alien horse).


   Dc has its E comics but those are more like loony toons and Scooby doo. There is a title in the E collection that I have read and that is Batman: Li'l Gotham, Tiny Titans. and Superman family adventures. They are rather funny but more for young kids.

     If you don't want to think too much about getting a comic I would suggest getting the titles mentioned here. Since as you go into Teen and Teen + it requires more consideration when you pick up titles.

Next up we Got T, or Teen

   

          Most comics rated T have some amount of language and maybe some mild nudity. But that is all depending on the writer, publisher, and title. Not all comics rated T are like that. Some have little to no language and no nudity. Here are some of the titles I found to be rather enjoyable within the Teen rating.

Aquaman New 52: vol 1-

      Okay so I'm sure half of you are like who the heck is aquaman? and those of you who may have some knowledge of him are like That guy? dude just look at these memes I have 

 He is like that guy from Sponge bob,

Aquaman is a loser dude.

         Your right. Before Aquaman was a really lame dude who could talk to fish and whose costume was so weird it looked like he got it at the reject consume store for half price. So when DC released the New 54 Aquaman reboot I was like 

     Okay I'll give him a try, after all I've always wanted to like this guy but he was just so lame in the past. 

      I've only read vol 1-4 and it. Is AMAZING. Aquaman New 52 tells the story of Arthur, who is the half human son of the late Atlantian queen. Arthur is not only rejected by his subjects for being half human but is also written off by humans as a joke. This Aquaman Arc is great! They do a great job with Arthur and his wife's character. It's kind of like a King Arthur story with Atlantians. But I should say there is this one page in vol. 1 where Mera needs a shirt (nothing is shown though). But besides that one panel it has been clean (But I've only read up to Vol 4) I highly recommend this series if you're looking for a comic with a great story in which you don't have to have any prior knowledge.

The Amazing Spider-man: Renew Your Vows

     This story takes place in an alternate future where Peter married Mary Jane and had a daughter. I won't spoil too much of the story, but what makes me suggest this novel is because the story is a very nice family story. Peter is now a dad who is ready to sacrifice anything to keep his two loves safe from the world they live in. Just as a side note the world they live in is now run by all of Spider-Man's old enemies. So yeah go check it out.


Justice League New 52: Vol 1

    This comics, which was part of DC's new 52 reboot, is basically an updated version of the forming of the League.  The reason I suggest it is because it was a cool reboot of the original story. If you didn't know in the very first Justice League comic the League came together when the earth was being invaded by aliens. Okay, I know what your thinking Oh that's just ripping off the Avenger movie! Well, when you consider that the first Justice League comic came out 3 years before the first Avengers comic I think it's safe to say alien invasions bringing heroes together started with Dc. This new reboot does a great job of keeping with the original but also adding a new twist to it.


 Giant Size Little Marvel AvsX

    So if you don't know this comic is more of a humorous one. It's kind of making fun of the main stream Avengers Vs X-Men. I'm personally not fond of the main stream AvsX, I find it rather ridiculous that the Avengers and X-men had to mix it up, and the story feels way too rushed and forced. But this comic was so funny I just had to suggest it. What makes it funny is that in the main stream line the Avengers were fighting the X-men over this entity that could end the world or bring mutants back from the brink of extinction. In this comic, they are fighting for something, not as world shattering. It's basically making fun of the whole AvX thing. Plus they are all babies so... What I like Rugrats.


Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol 1-5 2012

   This comic takes place in Marvels Ultimate universe. I wouldn't recommend any other titles in the Ultimate line but I genuinely like this line. So the story in this one is that the Mantle of Spider-Man has passed from Peter to a new guy named Miles Morales after Peters death (Yes I know it is sad, but hey stuff happens). But Miles has no idea how to be a hero and is unsure if he can live up to the name Spider-Man. It's a great coming of the hero story. If you liked Spider-Man Homecoming movie (which basically is this comic but with Peter instead of Miles) then I can practically guarantee you will find this comic enjoyable.


The Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk

   This Arc is one of the best Hulk stories you'll ever read. In this comic Hulk is sent into space because he has become too strong to leave on earth. But when his ship crash lands on an alien planet Hulk find that everyone is just as strong as him. It's a very well done story in which Hulk finally can find peace... Kinda. Oh, and if you read it you may notice that it is a lot like the movie/book John Carter well that's because that is where the inspiration for this epic came from. I totally suggest reading it before the next Thor movie comes out so you can know why all us comic geeks freaked out when we saw the Hulk.


Sentinel

   This comic comes from an awkward time in Marvel. The company wanted to publish some comics that people who liked manga (Japanese style comics) would enjoy. Despite its awkward art, it has a rather nice story. After his mother left, High-schooler Juston tries to come to grips with his emotions. But his life changes the day he finds a Sentinel (which is a mutant killing robot) is his junkyard. It's like a boy and his robot story that resembles the Disney movie "Big Hero 6". So if you were liked that then I'm sure you'll find this read enjoyable.





     Just so you know the comics I listed here do contain so swearing. But nothing really that bad and not a lot. If you like Marvel movies then you shouldn't have a problem with these.

     Now There are some comics I would strongly suggest NOT reading. Comics like Young Avengers, X-Men, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man (the ones before Miles), Ultimate Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Deadpool, Batwoman, Catwoman, and some Spider-man comics as these comics contain things I know you won't want to read about.  




Well that is all I got for right now, I hope if you're looking into reading comics this listed helped a little. Let me know in the comments if these sound like something you would enjoy. Or if you are a comic reader tell me if I left any really good ones out. 


Until Next Time! Stay True to the King!

Pictures and gifs used are not my own and nether do i clam then as such. All credit goes to their rightful owner/creators