What book would you suggest to someone who never read any comic books?

I would introduce them to the work of Alan Moore. Which comic book issue/graphic novel would depend entirely on the type of person I was trying to persuade but maybe something like Tomorrow Stories. There is something funny but also brimming with ideas in that series which would encourage them to pursue his greater works.

An excellent question, one that I myself asked before in this thread.

Though I'm sure I wasn't the first. Still, that thread is full of good suggestions.

Forget anything anyone else has to say. V for Vendetta. Just do it.

Kingdome Come.

I was gonna say Watchmen, but I'm not sure that would be the best graphic novel to start someone off with... Personally I'd pick Preacher - unless of course the person is ultra-religious. It's an amazing story, and anyone who doesn't see the beauty of graphic novels after reading this series, you can probably count as being braindead.

Well, my introduction to comic book world was with Watchmen. I was 29 when I read that. I loved it, but I'm not sure I want to read them regularly.

You kidding? The extra religious are the perfect target audience for Preacher.

I disagree 110%. While the story is good the presentation and flow is just crap. If you're trying to bring someone into comics, I think this would sour them.

A book I have used to get folks into comics was League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol I. Until the movie came out and put a pre-conceived sour taste in their mouths. Now I use Badrock or Brigade. I figure nothing would bring someone into comics then the foil-embossed goodness that is Rob Liefeld.

Kidding of course. May Xenu shoot me down if I was serious. These days I use TOP 10 to try and lure others into comics.

JS

It's kind of an impossible question to answer without knowing someone's tastes, but I'll try anyway. The Dark Knight Returns and Preacher are what made me addicted to comics, but they may not be for everybody. Y: The Last Man may be a good place to start as well.

Also, am I the only comics fan who doesn't like Kingdom Come? Beautiful to look at, but otherwise completely unengaging and forgettable.

Did anyone ever do an illustrated version of "The Story Of O"?

I'm not talking about what graphic novel you'd use to shake someone to the core here. I'm talking the type of graphic novel that would get someone to want to come back for more. Most of the ultra-religious people I know would just get offended and put the book down.

Watchmen and Kingdom Come are terrible suggestions. Deconstructions of the comics and archetypes that this person has never read before? Pass. And V for Vendetta is a joyless slog at the best of times; I can't think of any book that would turn off a new reader faster.

Like with any medium, it's best to start light and enjoyable and work your way up. I'd give them Jeff Smith's collected BONE paperback and CREATURE TECH.

What he said.

The way I understand it, this isn't a hypothetical that supposes someone has never even heard of comics or superheros. I only picked up my first graphic a couple of years back, it was Y: The Last Man, and I found that something hardhitting really opened up the potential of comic books for me beyond the silly kid's stuff I expected it to be. I love Bone, but I'm not sure it would have affected me as greatly if it was the first I'd ever read.

I think you need to bring a lot of comic knowledge to the table to fully enjoy Kingdom Come.

My friends got me into comics by handing me the trades of Brian Bendis's Alias (no relation to the tv series). It's set in the Marvel universe, and there are some elements of superhero deconstruction, but mostly it's just a fun, quick read full of jokes and wacky mysteries.

Also, Fables, Runaways, Y: the Last Man: all good choices.

Click on that link to Patrick's thread, too. I just read it and there aren't many suggestions we could make that weren't already made there.

shit you want good stories for never having read comics??

go pick up the Essential X-men (the second wave)

those stories (with dark pheonix and such) are some of claremonts best work

try that or

try and find any of Peter Davids run on the Hulk

for new stuff
get the Ultimate books (specifically Ultimate Spiderman or X-men)

for higher level thinking i'd say

Sandman from DC
Watchmen from DC
Kingdom Come from DC
alan moores Swamp Thing

newer stuff
Ghost Rider: Redemption (for the artwork alone)
Wolverine (almost anything, but try and find the Essential #1 for the first wolverine stand alone series)

I read through the other thread too, and there are some great suggestions there. For me, comics rise and set with Kirby. I think that you could start off with a collection from the Silver Age when he was at the peak of his powers. Maybe pick something from the Marvel Masterworks (isn't that what it's called?) series. Not the origins, but the next set. I think that the Fantastic Four with the Surfer, Inhumans, etc. would be a great place to begin. Anything with lots of drawings of huge machines or outer space. Better yet, giant machines in outer space.

Maybe some Steranko too? There is a great reprent from Marvel of his run on Nick Fury. It's got Nick in a space suit on the cover.

I'd also recommend to a new reader--or to an old reader--Michael Chabon's novel, The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I liked Chabon before this came out, but he completely transformed his style for K&C. The story goes deep into the history of comics, but it covers so much more.

I usually suggest the Long Halloween for people who are keen on exploring comicland but are a bit unsure. 100% success rate so far.

While it's obviously true that you wouldn't want to hand someone a comic that draws extensively on the reader's prior knowledge of superheroes, or something similar, I think comic fanboys tend to overestimate how "inside" comics can be. For one thing, there really aren't that many people who haven't read a comic at some point in their life, and the concept of a superhero was never particularly hard to grasp even before the current glut of movies made everyone familiar with the concept (both the general guidelines and the specific characters).

In other words, I don't see why a reasonably intelligent person couldn't pick up "Watchmen" and enjoy it without knowing anything about Marvel or DC continuity. "Kingdom Come", besides being kind of overrated to begin with, DOES rely more on your knowledge of various DC characters, so that probably isn't a good suggestion. But I don't see any reason why someone needs to be steered away from superheroes. I'd unhesitatingly recommend "Nextwave" or "Tom Strong" or "All-Star Superman" to someone who seemed like they'd be receptive. Even something like "She-Hulk", which draws heavily on past continuity, doesn't actually depend on it--it's still a self-contained, entertaining story.

People do have the capacity to fill in the blanks of a characters' past history with their imagination. I'm walking proof--I literally only started reading superhero comics in the past 5 years or so, and my knowledge of continuity mostly comes from reading books about comics than from reading the actual comics themselves. Which makes me more "inside" than some guy off the street, but my knowledge is pretty limited, especially post-Bronze Age. I still don't have that much trouble following, say, "52". Not that I'd recommend that one, but you get what I mean. The key thing is that a comic has to be entertaining and engaging in and of itself, something that most mainstream titles have forgotten in their rush to be caretakers of a particular character and their history.

I'd stay away from The Ultimates; they're entertaining but don't really serve comics that well, in my mind.

I'd suggest a good run on a well-known title; Ellis' run on The Authority, Ennis' run on Punisher, Dixon's run on Nightwing, Brubaker's run on Cap, Romita on Spider-Man, the original Phoenix Saga - anything of the like. Give a taste of a comic with some merit but not completely devoid of comic conventions.

Jesus, there are some terrible suggestions in this thread. No offense, but there are a ton of people who are going to turn their nose up at any superhero comic, if that's the first thing you give them. And if you're talking about someone who has never read any comics, I'd wager they'll fall into that category. I mean, a Peter David HULK comic? Seriously?

Good things that have been mentioned already are Y, FABLES and PREACHER.

Depending on the person, I've had success with BLANKETS, KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND and Evan Dorkin's MILK & CHEESE. If the person is at all into video games, I'd say SCOTT PILGRIM could be a strong bet. The first TRANSMETROPOLITAN trade is good for any scifi fans or Hunter Thompson aficionados. Women are suckers for any Chynna Clugston Major comic.

And, honestly, some of the best comics for complete non-comics readers are the BIG BOOK OF... series from Factoid Press.

My vote's for Alex Robinson's "Box Office Poison." For one thing, it's not superheroes, and while I love the capes stuff, the point has been made that almost anyone who would be inclined to like superheroes has probably tried a comic already. Second, the big, chunky format of the "BOP" collection seems like it would be pretty satisfying and familiar for readers of "normal" books. Third, Robinson's storytelling and paneling are damn crisp and clear for a newbie reader while still exhibiting some pretty creative layouts that show what comics excel at. Fourth, it's just a great, accessible and pithy story with characters almost anyone can relate to.

I think starting with Tin Tin and Bone are good enough.

Preacher's what got me back into comics a couple years ago- and I've since then gotten a few others reading graphic novels thanks to it. I'd say give them the first two trades- by the end of the second they'll be hooked.

Another good suggestions, but probably a bit more out-there is the Maus trade, for anyone (perhaps someone a bit older) looking for an honest-to-god hard-hitting experience. I've also had pretty good responses to WE3. But as I mentioned, these really depend on the type of person you're dealing with.

If you're talking about non-mainstream or genre-specific comics, an excellent book just came out called "An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories".

Edited by cartoonist Ivan Brunetti (Schizo), it includes short stories by Jeffrey Brown, Gary Panter, Tony Millionaire, R. Crumb, Richard McQuire (his legendary RAW strip "Here"), Marc Beyer, David Mazzucchelli, etc, as well as excerpts from larger works by Chris Ware, Dan Clowes, Art Spiegleman, Henry Darger, Seth, Chester Brown, the Hernandez Bros, Julie Doucet, and on and on.

It's a perfect jumping-off point for anyone unfamiliar with "independant" comics, and should be available in most bookstores.

Funny you should say that, Alex. Whenever one of my friends asks me why I read "those things anyway", I always hand them the first two Preacher trades and tell them that if they aren't interested in finding out what happens next after the end of the second one, then I wouldn't bother trying to force it on them.

What do you know . . . by the end of the second trade, I always get a call, SMS or email asking when I can drop off the next few books, without fail so far.


Further to the list of recommendations, though, I'd also like to throw 100 Bullets out there . . . that is, if the person in question likes being led through more twists and turns than The Overlook Hotel's hedge maze.

i think the ultimates is good because it is exactly how that book and those characters should be. But if i had to choose 1 book it would be The Filth. The filth will be to the next generation what the watchmen was to the last.

That's the worst idea I've ever heard. The Filth is a great book. But for most people, especially those with IQ's lower than like 200, having it be their first read would probly ensure that they never touch another graphic novel again.

I really don't agree. I'm not saying you HAVE to give them superhero comics (and yes, PodBay, of course I know some people would turn up their nose at superhero comics, like the many people who added "depending on taste" to their posts) but there are clearly more people who like Spiderman and the X-men than are reading their comics. More to the point, superhero comics vary wildly in style, especially recently. The fact that someone didn't like a Jack Kirby comic from 1967 doesn't mean that they wouldn't like Nextwave or Watchmen. I still don't like or read most mainstream superhero comics, but I enjoy a lot of the fringier stuff.

And people who are criticizing superheroes as an entry drug and then turning around and recommending Preacher as something that has broader appeal...are weird.

true, it is so i have others to talk to about comics with besides people who want to talk about the newest DC crisis comic or Y the last man

On a side note to my previous post i think Pride of baghdad is a great entry book. I think brian K. vaghn is mediocre at best but this was OK, not great but ok. While reading i thought this was something i'd get my old room mate who was a girl. And the art is spectacular. And all the talk about preacher, garth ennis books may be everything that is wrong with comics. Why read ennis when a much much better book by ellis, millar, brubaker, carey, or morrison or most anyone is usually less than a foot away on the shelf.

Good call, BONE is awesome(not familiar with CREATURE TECH though).

I'd suggest finding stuff that they enjoy in other mediums to start them off. Some of the Simpsons comics I used to see weren't bad, and if they like say, the Spider-Man movies, get them one of those massive old school Spidey collections(Masterworks?) to start them off. Same with some of the other comics that have gone on to film. If I knew someone who loved Sin City but hadn't read the books I'd toss "A Dame to Kill For" their way. Stuff like that.

I may be in the minority on these boards, but I'm not a big book reader. My interest in movies like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the Shining, and Fight Club lead me to tracking down those books, which lead me to reading lots of other Hunter S. Thompson and Steven King books, as well as picking up Choke. It's kind of a "gateway drug" of sorts that eased me into reading more. Maybe that just works for me, but it seems like a decent way to go.

Don't mistake claims of "broader appeal" with "you should give it to Grandma for Christmas." But the fact is that, as a comic, Preacher does have broader appeal than most superhero comics. And I'll join in the chorus of people who have had first-hand success with giving Preacher to people who turn their noses up at superhero comics.

EDIT:
Yeah, but everybody was adding "depending on taste" and then listing nothing but superhero books. The only non-cape books that had been recommended before I posted that were Preacher, Y and Fables. Good books, but way more people were recommending things like
Byrne/Claremont X-Men, which, while I love it, would be utterly laughable to somebody that hadn't grown up with Marvel storytelling conventions.

That's exactly how I got hooked myself, actually- friend got me them for my birthday. I cursed him afterwards and went out buying every other book in the series.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sin City. Seeing Miller's work with pen and ink is enough to get anyone with a passing interest in art wet.

Yeah, I'd have to think the primary turnoff for people who don't read comics is that they seem to be about a bunch of silly-looking guys in tights. Even when said guys in tights are given "serious" treatment as in Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen, there's a suspension of disbelief that might be hard for some to overcome.

PodBay has some great suggestions for non-comics readers. One-off graphic novels might be a good bet, since they don't require backstories or commitment to future stories. Maus, Persepolis, Black Hole, Fun Home, Pride of Baghdad, Blankets, maybe something by Joe Sacco or Chris Ware... Palomar might be a bit of a commitment, since it's a huge collection, but it's exceptionally accessible for anyone who's watched a soap opera or prime-time drama.

If you're trying to bridge the gap for someone who's more intrigued by the fantastic than the purely autobiographical or realistic stuff, but doesn't want to deal with Spider-Man and the like, Y, Ex Machina, Fables, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Preacher would be great suggestions.

I don't think Chris Ware is the best for beginning readers, as the panel layouts can be very demanding.

PERSEOPOLIS is a nice suggestion, though. Timely, too.

How is FUN HOME, by the way?

I'd recommend "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac" or "Squee" for something off-the-wall but still funny and they can ponder later.

Yeah, that's probably true. Ware's also probably a little too meditative and slow-moving for anyone looking to get hooked right off the bat. It might be like recommending Todd Solondz to someone looking for a fun romp of a comedy. For melancholy relationship stuff from a male perspective, Blankets is probably a better choice, anyway.

Excellent. I haven't read much of Bechdel's other stuff, which seems to be more soap opera-y, but it's a very moving portrait of her family, specifically her closeted dad.

As someone who has only recently started reading graphic novels (and not very frequently at that), I'm going to second Dave's suggestions and stress Marjane Satrapi, Craig Thompson, Allison Bechdel, and Joe Sacco. Also worth noting (though not yet mentioned) is Epileptic by David B. If the person that we're talking about is more accustomed to reading novels, the above are all excellent, narrative-driven, yet self-contained, graphic novels. They're also a smaller step from comic strips than many other graphic novels, which novice readers might find more palatable. I find the graphic violence and heightened drama of some of the big graphic novel favorites a little off-putting and, frankly, silly.

Re: Bechdel - Fun Home is one of the best books I've read this year. If you enjoy it, I'd highly recommend tracking down the collections of her Dykes to Watch Out For strips (don't let the nice ladies at the feminist bookstore scare you). I think calling them soap-opera-y is a tad too stong, but they do have a through-line and can be pretty big on the relationship drama at times. Fantastic storytelling, though.

Some people would prefer Preacher to superheroes. A lot of other people would run screaming away from it in the other direction. And I know *THAT* from personal experience--even when I happened to be carrying a trade and gave it to some people who were casual comics readers, don't object to violence and edginess, and are not religious, they gave it a flip and responded with variations on "This looks incredibly dumb and juvenile", and I was hard pressed to disagree.

The fact is that if we're talking about someone who's "never read a comic before" then we're probably not talking about someone with an edgy sensibility. I seriously doubt Preacher is going to appeal to most women, for instance, whereas I've hooked several on Promethea, Top Ten, Watchmen, and even V For Vendetta (though the latter, my sister, was already a fan of the movie). I've even loaned my female friend my issues of the current She-Hulk and she enjoyed them, though I don't think she's going to become a regular comics reader anytime soon. Likewise, if I'm going to give something to young kids, what do you think they're going to prefer? Vintage Spiderman or Arseface?

There are non-comics readers to whom I would give Preacher, but I disagree that it has "broader appeal". This isn't a wide-ranging defense of superheroes, by the way. I agree that Claremont X-Men issues are a pretty bad choice (though a hell of a lot more people read it back in the 70s than are reading comics today). I just dislike the implication that superheroes are some kind of mystical secret form of literature which only us brainiacs can decode, even if it's intended as disparagement.

Anything by Norwegian writer/artist Jason; his work is deceptively simple looking w/ its Sunday Comics aesthetic, but the content is the very definition of sneak attack.

Just to touch on this point for a second, the majority of people I have turned onto comics with Preacher are, in fact, women. My wife, one of my best friends (who's very "proper", surprisingly enough), and quite a few others.

I think the reason might well be that once you get past the extreme violence, religious issues, profanity and sick humour, what you have in Preacher is what every girl loves - a love story of the highest order. That's all Preacher is at the end of the day.

Plus, they all comment on what they'd let a man like Jesse do to them . . . I think you give females too much respect in the "fairer sex" area, dude.

I think Craigmack's question needs to be more specific.
If we're talking an adolescent boy, Spider-Man, X-Men, etc. are fine. If we're talking about someone who mostly reads non-fiction, Maus and Persepolis are probably excellent places to start. If it's someone who likes exaggerated, far out action with a little humor, Preacher might work.

There's no single, great entry point that will work for all people. It's like asking "what movie would you suggest for someone who's never seen any movies?"

Oddly enough...

http://chud.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95521

I would think if someone's looking for superhero comic to have non-comic people read, they could try Bendis' "Powers". Doesn't have all the back story the mainstream ones have and it comes at the genre from a different angle.

Precisely.