Where to Start With Marvel Comics in 2016?

Where to Start With Marvel Comics in 2016?

So you’re new to Marvel comics in 2016. Welcome. Whether you used to be a fan and dropped off for years (curse you, Clone Saga!) or you just watched Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time and want more, this guide will help you choose starting places that are fun, excellent, and most importantly, accessible. Jumping into Marvel comics, with 75 years of celebrated continuity, can be a bit intimidating. This guide is designed to help get you rolling and to fall in love with the books!

1) Amazing Fantasy #15 + Amazing Spider-Man #1 to #10 (1963-1998)

I’d actually recommend any Marvel fanatic read Amazing Spider-Man #1 to #123 at least once, but that’s a pretty intimidating way to start the conversation. Reading the first 10 issues (plus Spidey’s origins in Amazing Fantasy) will give you a good sense how you feel about Marvel’s beginnings in the early 1960’s.

For the most part, I’m not going to recommend you go way back in Marvel history in this list. This isn’t to say I don’t recommend these comics, there are just more modern starting places for new readers.

2) Uncanny X-Men – Issues #94 to #119 (1963-2011)

This is another lengthy run that could quite easily extend to Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975) where it all begins and Uncanny X-Men #94 to #142 (and beyond). Again, for sampling and starting sake, I cap it with the first “essential” collection of 25 issues.

This is going to be a great starting place for any former/lifetime fans of the 1990’s X-Men animated series.

3) Frank Miller Daredevil #168 to #191 (1964-1998)

Want to check out the inspiration that makes Netflix Daredevil so great? It’s all here, and even better, in Frank Miller’s time on the devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

You could conceivably stop after issue #181, but I can’t think for the life of me why you would want to.

Frank Miller would go on to write two of the greatest graphic novels of all time in Batman: Year One and the Dark Knight Returns, but his Daredevil holds a special place in my sad, gritty heart.

4) Age of Apocalypse

This is probably the most insane pick on my list, as Age of Apocalypse is an immense X-Universe alternate reality event. If 1990’s excess and X-Men sounds like your kind of party, I do have a complete Age of Apocalypse story arc post.

5) Ultimate Spider-Man #1 to #13

I’d also wholeheartedly endorse the entire Ultimate Universe as a great starting place for new Marvel readers. The Ultimate U was Marvel’s year 2000 universe reboot, modernising the Marvel U to varying degrees of success. Ultimate Spider-Man is an absolute joy, and if you stick with it, will take you to that Miles Morales guy you’re probably hearing so much about (also awesome). Vol 1 collects #1-7 and you can grab the remainder from the second link.

6) Captain America: The Winter Soldier #1-21 (2004-2011)

The entire run by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is well worth your time, and the first twenty one issues will take you through Winter Soldier (the source for Marvel’s finest comic book movie adaptation) and right up to Civil War, the mega event inspiring Marvel’s 2016 Captain America movie.

7) Uncanny X-Force #1-18 (2010-2012)

Rick Remender has written some all time great comics for Image comics (Fear Agent, Black Science), but my personal favorite is his time on X-Force.

X-Force is a rogue, dark offshot of the X-Men, flying under the radar and taking care of the dirty problems the X-Men can’t handle. This lineup of Wolverine, Archangel, Psylocke, Fantomax, and Deadpool is as good as it’s ever been. Below collects #1-19 in Vol 1-4.

8) Hawkeye #1-22 (2012-2015)

Amazing. Seriously, drop what you’re doing and go check it out.

9) Ms. Marvel #1-15 (2014-2015)

Ms. Marvel comes closer to rekindling the high school drama and teenage exuberance of superhero powers found in the pages of 1963’s Amazing Spider-Man than anything else in Marvel Comics.

10) Jonathan Hickman’s Marvel Comics

Am I wishing for more wishes with my final pick for comic book starting places? Of course! I love Jonathan Hickman’s entire Marvel Comics output like some people love things like “family” and “life itself.”

While this may seem (rightfully) intimidating, if you read the Hickman-verse you will effectively be caught up on modern Marvel comics through 2015.