Are you looking for any types of comics in particular? Because a lot of people think comics are all superhero comics (and to be fair, a lot of them are), but there's a lot of indie comics that are completely unrelated to the DC/Marvel superhero universes.

That being said, here are a couple of my personal favorites that I think fit really well for high schoolers who may or may not be familiar with comics:

• Gotham Academy: semi-normal teenagers try to survive and live a normal life in Gotham. It’s every high school Batman story you ever wanted wrapped up in gorgeous art and Scooby Doo-level hijinks. Batman family members cameo from time to time, but mostly completely focused on the original characters, especially Olive Silverlock and Maps Mizoguchi. No real knowledge of the Bat-universe required, though general familiarity with the concept of Batman and Gotham is helpful. Genre generally is 'teen rom-com with a side of psychological horror'.
  
• The Legend of Wonder Woman, Ray Dillon and Renae De Liz: The Legend of Wonder Woman is a technically out-of-continuity all-ages story that’s a sort of revisit/retelling of Diana’s Golden Age/pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths origin, but slightly updated for the modern reader; it has gorgeous art and a flowing narrative, and captures the very best of Wonder Woman, in my opinion. It was written a couple of years ago for Diana’s 75th anniversary. If you loved the movie, this is the comic for you; it’s her origin story all over again, but deals with the mythology much better and provides a more in-depth look at Diana’s childhood on Themiscyra and her relationships with multiple characters like Etta Candy and Steve Trevor. It's a very contained miniseries that's definitely worth a look. It’s also a really accessible and beautiful way to get into WW. It’s got absolutely beautiful artwork, the story is well-written, and the characters are delightful. Also, World War II, so that’s always fun. Genre is 'period superhero drama and coming-of-age story'.
  
• Matt Fraction's Hawkeye: Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe utilizing Hawkeye, making him a much more accessible character, I don't feel bad about recommending this. Clint Barton and his protege/ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop go on a globetrotting trip to uncover a massive conspiracy. Volume 1 (My Life as a Weapon) is pretty accessible for non-comic readers and requires only the basic knowledge of who Clint is, since they basically go over his backstory during the course of the narrative. Also incorporates very clever use of sign language (since Clint is partially deaf and uses hearing aids). Genre is squarely in-between 'superhero comedy' and 'political spy thriller'.
  
• Fables, by Bill Willingham: if you've ever seen the show Once Upon a Time, Fables is sort of a similar concept of fairy tale characters in the real world. However, it's a vastly different series. Basically, fairy tale characters flee to our world from their various universes from an unnamed evil menace and take up residence in New York's Upper West Side (called 'Fabletown'). The series generally follows the adventures of Mayor Snow White and Sheriff Bigby Wolf, but it ran for so long that everyone kind of gets a turn at leading an adventure. Many of the volumes are contained stories and independent from each other as long as you understand the basic concept of the universe, so necessary knowledge of the universe and lore is super low. The first volume, Legends in Exile, follows Bigby as he investigates the apparent murder of Snow White's sister Rose Red. The series was a commercial and critical success and snagged several Eisner Awards (the highest award in comics, basically the Academy Awards of comics) over the course of its 15-year run and six spin-off series. Genre is....generally 'high fantasy', but spans everything from detective noir to psychological drama.
  
• Monstress, by Marjorie Liu: An epic fantasy series famous for its worldbuilding, beautiful art, and Tolkien-esque ambitious storytelling. The first volume won several Harvey and Eisner Awards. The synopsis is as follows: "Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers. " This series fits squarely into YA and incorporates a lot of the same tropes found in YA fantasy stories. Genre is 'YA epic fantasy.'
  
  I'll second Gotham By Gaslight (mentioned by someone else), and I also would love to recommend Superman: Red Ron to you because it's a great comic even though I'm not sure it fits your criteria; the basic plot of the three-issue miniseries is "What if Superman landed in the Soviet Union instead of Kansas and became the USSR's main hero instead of Superman?" and is a really great character exploration of Clark and what it means to be Superman.
  
  You might also find that, if you give them the option of superhero comics, your students will want to gravitate towards the comics starring teen heroes (like Teen Titans, Young Justice, Young Avengers, The Runaways, etc). I'm happy to provide some recommendations on that front as well for smaller, more contained, and accessible stories (Robin/Batgirl: Year One and Teen Titans: Year One would be good starts).
  
  Also sidenote: Listen: everyone recommends Watchmen, but tbh it is the most emotionally exhausting, unnecessarily grim and gritty comic I’ve ever read in my life (and I read a lot of comics). It's well-written and is an excellent example of literary storytelling in the comic/graphic novel format, but it's just...not worth it. It really isn’t worth your time unless you and your students genuinely enjoy the ‘super dark deconstruction’ kind of story.

> Is the "All New, All Different" Series still considered a good starting point for beginners? Bisides ANAD theres Marvel NOW! and Marvel Legacy (which confuses me even more)

• 2012—2015 Marvel NOW! is a relaunch initiative for some ongoing titles (not all). There were multiple "waves" with renumbers, new stories, etc.
  
• 2015 Secret Wars (event comic that [SPOILERS?] creates a new universe with parts of Earth-616 "main" universe and parts of Earth-1610 "Ultimate" universe)
  
• 2015—present All-New, All-Different Marvel involved renumbering every ongoing title, but there was still a mix of new stories and continuations.
  
• October 2016—present Marvel NOW! 2.0 is a continuation of most Marvel NOW! stories with some new ones.
  
• September 2017 Marvel Legacy begins with a special 50-page one-shot comic (like DC Universe: Rebirth) after the current Secret Empire event concludes. Instead of annoyingly restarting at #1 again, most titles are reverting to "legacy" numbering (e.g. The Amazing Spider-Man #789). There will likely be a mix of new stories and continuations of ANAD Marvel stories.
  
  IMO, it's all needlessly convoluted, confusing, and, despite having the intention of drawing in new readers, it sometimes does the exact opposite.
  
  > Do I need to read all the past runs/entries of a series to understand whats going on? Or should I just pick the most recent Run for a series. And do newer Runs explain what happend in past Runs?
  
  Good writers will always refresh/recap important events, but the occasional unexplained reference might slip by. Some stories are more self-contained than others, but then you have less connections to the larger shared universe that so many love. The traditional beginning-middle-end story structure is more familiar (i.e. feeling compelled to read every character's origin first), but it's not required to enjoy a story. You've likely seen movies with non-linear narratives or the sequel movie is actually a prequel. We didn't know Darth Vader's origin until WAY AFTER his first appearance.
  
  Unfortunately, not all comics are high-quality productions, but they might contain the important plot points needed to understand other comics. I don't recommend reading a bunch of poor-to-mediocre comics just to "complete" the larger story. It's almost always never worth it considering how many other great comics there are that you could be reading instead. In this case, I'd just Wiki the bad stuff.
  
  > Is Ms. Marvel 2015 a continuation to the 2014 series?
  
  Yes. The renumbers (#19 --> #1) are just annoying publisher practices to draw in new readers.
  
  All that said, here's my usual copy/pasta for new readers:
  
  MARVEL STARTER GUIDE
  --
  ---
  
  How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems
  
  Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? What time/resources are available i.e. how many comics could/should be read before burning out?
  
  Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).
  
  Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.
  
  Where to buy (US):
  
  
• Digital: Marvel Unlimited, Comixology, e-library (e.g. Hoopla - free), webcomics (free)
  
• Print (collected editions): instocktrades, ISBNS, library (free)
  
• Print (singles): midtowncomics, mycomicshop, DCBS
  
  Modern Marvel characters/teams:
  
  
• Alias (Jessica Jones) | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Avengers | Kurt Busiek
  
• The Ultimates 1-2 (Avengers) | Mark Millar
  
• New Avengers | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Avengers / New Avengers | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2
  
• Black Panther | Christopher Priest
  
• Captain America | Ed Brubaker
  
• Captain Marvel | Kelly Sue DeConnick
  
• Daredevil | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Daredevil | Ed Brubaker
  
• Daredevil | Mark Waid
  
• Deadpool | Joe Kelly
  
• Doctor Strange: The Oath | Brian K. Vaughan
  
• Fantastic Four / FF | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 1
  
• Guardians of the Galaxy | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen, et al. | Cosmic
  
• Hawkeye | Matt Fraction
  
• Immortal Iron Fist | Brubaker & Fraction
  
• Inhumans | Paul Jenkins
  
• Iron Man: Extremis | Warren Ellis
  
• Invincible Iron Man | Matt Fraction
  
• Marvels | Kurt Busiek
  
• Moon Knight | Warren Ellis
  
• Ms. Marvel | G. Willow Wilson
  
• Planet Hulk | Greg Pack | Hulk 1
  
• Punisher Max | Garth Ennis
  
• Thor | Jason Aaron
  
• Ultimate Spider-man | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Vision | Tom King
  
• New X-Men | Grant Morrison | X-Men 1
  
• Astonishing X-Men | Joss Whedon | X-Men 2
  
• Uncanny X-Force | Rick Remender | X-Men 6
  
  /r/Marvel sidebar for more info.
  
  Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
  
  Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
  
  
• Avengers Disassembled | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Secret War | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• House of M | Brian Michael Bendis | X-Men 2.5
  
• Annihilation | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 1
  
• Civil War | Mark Millar
  
• World War Hulk | Greg Pak | Hulk 2
  
• Annihilation: Conquest | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 2
  
• Messiah Complex | Brubaker, Kyle, Yost, et al. | X-Men 3
  
• Secret Invasion | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 1
  
• War of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, et al. | Cosmic 3
  
• Messiah War | Kyle, Yost, Swierczynski | X-Men 4
  
• Dark Avengers / Utopia | Bendis, Fraction, et al. | Dark Reign 2
  
• Siege | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 3
  
• Realm of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, Reed | Cosmic 4
  
• Second Coming | Kyle, Yost, Fraction, et al. | X-Men 5
  
• Fear Itself | Matt Fraction
  
• Schism | Jason Aaron, Kieron Gillen | X-Men 7
  
• Avengers vs. X-Men | Bendis, Brubaker, et al. | X-Men 8
  
• Infinity | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2.5
  
• Secret Wars | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 3
  
  Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Literary/natural narratives? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Social/political commentary? Family-friendly/explicit content? Optimism/pessimism? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
  
  Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.
  
  
  

I hope it isn't too late, but here are some that haven't been mentioned yet and are definitely warranted a look:

Berlin books one and two by Jason Lutes. Two graphic novels following the lives of many different characters in the city of Berlin, Germany in the 1930s leading up to the war. It has a very diverse cast of characters, and it's portrayal of Berlin as a very cosmopolitan city very slowly being transformed is a gripping read.

Jar of Fools, also by Jason Lutes. The story of a failing magician, his mentor suffering dementia, and his ex-girlfriend all recovering from the tragic death of his brother, and how their lives intersect an aging con-man and his younger daughter. Really great read.

Top Ten by Allen Moore and Gene Ha, this is kinda a super hero comic but it's really more than that. The premise is all the super heroes live in the same big city, and the series follows the people who police this city. It's more sci-fi mystery than super hero comic. It's very good. There are two collections for this series, and two spin offs.

Anything by Jason, but my favorite of his is his graphic novel I Killed Hitler. But all of his comics are amazing and right up your alley.

Mail Order Bride by Mark Kalesniko, seems like it would be right to your tastes.

And if you liked Blankets, I'd recommend Goodbye Chunky Rice by the same author. It's a bit more childish, but very sweet, and thematically all about friendship and growth.

And thought it's been mentioned before, I just want to iterate Atomic Robo. It's one of the best if not the best current series published. Check out http://www.atomic-robo.com for free samples of the stories. I dare you not to get hooked.

Advice from a woman in her mid-thirties who has worked in a comic book store:

Whiteout - not much romance, but great crime/mystery
http://www.amazon.com/Whiteout-Definitive-Oni-Press-v/dp/193266470X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313775790&sr=1-4

Strangers in Paradise - so awesome (6 volumes I think)
http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Paradise-Pocket-Book-Collection/dp/1892597268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313775719&sr=8-1

Fables - if she likes fantasy (many volumes, ongoing)
http://www.amazon.com/Fables-Vol-1-Legends-Exile/dp/1563899426/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313775940&sr=1-1

Excellent comic writers your mother might like:
Greg Rucka
Darwyn Cooke
Neil Gaiman
Bryan K Vaughan
Brian Michael Bendis

Vertigo and Oni, along with other independents and smaller publishers, are great places to look for stuff. Watchmen, Dark Knight, etc are all comic classics, but not good for those not already familiar with the genre.

There is lots of great fantasy out there like Bone, and many comic book stories in tv (Doctor Who, Buffy, etc) or novel universes (Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs, Lauren K Hamilton, etc).

I would stay away from anything superhero to start, if she isn't into that genre already. When/if she is interested, try easing her into it with something like:

Any Astro City graphic novel by Kurt Busiek
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Big-City-Astro-Vol/dp/156389551X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776496&sr=1-2

Superman For All Seasons (Superman)
http://www.amazon.com/Superman-All-Seasons-Jeph-Loeb/dp/1563895293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313776360&sr=8-1

Batman: Year One
http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Year-One-Frank-Miller/dp/1401207529/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776472&sr=1-1

Top Ten - superhero police procedural
(there's also Powers by BM Bendis or Gotham Central)
http://www.amazon.com/Top-Ten-Book-Alan-Moore/dp/1563896680/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776536&sr=1-1

Daredevil: Yellow
http://www.amazon.com/Daredevil-Yellow-Unnumbered-Jeph-Loeb/dp/0785134441/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313776756&sr=1-2


Many of these you can order online, but consider supporting your local comic shop by buying through them.

I don't have a strong sense of what you've read, outside of "a lot". Aaand I see that my first "lesser known" book I thought of has 8600+ ratings on Goodreads. Hmm. Well, I'll start there anyway, I'm a mad lad.

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart. So heckin' good, and even though bad stuff happens it's got a lighter tone than a lot of the stuff I read.

The Tiger's Daughter by K Arsenault Rivera. Full disclosure, I'm not 100% of the way through this one yet so technically idk if it sticks the landing. But so far it's a neato epistolary novel about demon-fighting lesbians.

I can't imagine you've somehow avoided knowing about it, but the Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone is so dang good.

I'm linking directly to Amazon this time, because DANGIT I WANT PEOPLE TO BUY THIS ONE - Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. If you read comics/graphic novels this one isn't really lesser known either, but seems like most of the sub doesn't? Literally the ebook version is $3.99, SOMEBODY LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TELL THEM TO BUY THIS ALREADY.

Ahem. Sorry. Anyway. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett does get some love on this sub, but it should get more. I'm temporarily on a pause for this trilogy because the second book kinda lowkey broke my heart in places (but was still really, really good) and just the blurb for the third book suggests it might turn that up to eleven, but I really need to get back to it.

You know, I'm just not going to pretend that I'm coming up with lesser-known books anymore. Hyperion by Dan Simmons is amazing. The Canterbury Tales but as far-future Sci-Fantasy works so much better than it sounds like it would. And if it sounds like it would work well to you, be advised that it still works so much better than it sounds like it would.

I will close out with a book I will recommend because it is a book that I always recommend; Child of Fire by Harry Connolly is some of my favorite urban fantasy. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Grimweird is a term I just made up that seems like it kinda fits? I dunno man, words are hard. But I do especially want to recommend this one because the author is trying to bring the series back and I really want it to work, because I loved these books.

*Edited to fix links

Judging by your post and your comments in this thread, I think you might like Supergirl, the current one that is. Now it's one of my favourite books, so I recommend it a lot, but there are some specific things you've said here that make me think you'd like it:
>Ya like more morbid stories not the happy go lucky like superman

She's had it pretty tough ever since the start of the New52. She's faced with the destruction of her home, loss of her family, alienation from humans and discovery of her powers all at once. Since arriving on Earth she's had to get used to humans - some of whom want nothing better than to exploit her, others are just scared of her and only one actually reaches out to her. One interesting twist on her origin which has never been done before is that she can't speak any Earth languages when she first arrives, isolating her even more. Even in space - she's off-Earth in the current arc - it's not much friendlier. Supergirl has definitely had the toughest journey of the three out of her, Superman and Superboy. She isn't all gloomy, though - there is optimism in there too and when she does triumph you really appreciate it after what she's gone through. This is what makes me keep reading it, the book really makes you feel those moments are earned.

>but lately I've been reading a lot of spiderman

One of the DCU's most long-established teenage characters right here. I don't actually read Spider-Man but I think he's known for a lot of talking to himself and a lot of internal characterisation? The New52 Supergirl is like that - her opening arc especially is very internalised, although it thankfully avoids an over-reliance on text and is very well told by the art in combination with the narrative. Mahmud Asrar, the penciller for most of the first 20 issues, was very good at this. He's also good at dynamic action scenes, which is good because this is an action-slanted book often. She isn't as witty as Spider-Man, although she does have some sardonic wit which has started to come out more in the recent issues as she's realised she really cannot catch a break (I'm not kidding about that. She can't even go out for a pizza without running into a villain.)

So maybe give it a shot? Starting from the beginning would be your best bet, imo. The origin arc is out in trade and the second trade is out too.

I've posted this before, but I'd recommend:

Infinite Kung-Fu is a really cool and gorgeous kung-fu comic.

King City is hilarious and fantastic.

The Nao of Brown is great, but a lot more serious the other two.

Same with Asterios Polyp, more serious but it's a beautiful book and a really good read.

American Born Chinese is a great book about appreciating your identity.

Sexcastle is over-the-top, ridiculous 80's action movie fun.

I used to work at a comic book store and love comics! Here are my recommendations:

For Marvel:
New Silver Surfer Comics (Although I might be partial because he is my favorite superhero.)
New Ms. Marvel They do a great job of making the comic very relevant for today. No idea why it is this much on Amazon, but you can find it for cheap elsewhere.
Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. Supposed to be hilarious because Joss Whedon.

Great if you like Post-Apocalyptic Stuff:
Saga is great for beginners. My housemate had no interest in graphic novels and now she is hooked because she started with Saga.
Y: the Last Man has such a compelling storyline, can't stop reading the series!
Rover Red Charlie because I love animals and apocalypses! I always can't wait for the next one! (Also find it cheaper elsewhere)
We3 Your heart will die, but you will wish you had more to read!

Two I haven't read yet but are supposed to be Apocalyptic:
Sweet Tooth Look weird but cool.
Prophet Looks intense but worth the read.

For myself Blacksad because he is a cat detective. Need I say more?

And check out the Humble Bundle Image comic sale because you can buy some for one cent or the others for way cheap if you want some digital copies to interest you.

Edit: Added missing links and comments below for one super comment!

Anything by Alan Moore. Promethea is a personal fave, but might not be the best place to start. Top Ten is also very good if cop drama overlaid with some super-hero stuff sounds appealing. Watchman is a cornerstone of the form, but you will definitely appreciate it more if/when you have a fair bit of 'capes & tights' superhero work under your belt.

Blankets is just stunning. I've bought it 3 times already and have the new hardcover edition on perorder.

Stardust is another great one by Neil Gaiman. It's also unique in that if you enjoy the story you can experience it in 3 different, but all very good, forms. The original comic, the prose novel, and the film all work quite well and give a nice window into what bits a pieces work better in each form.

Of course no comic list is complete without Maus and Understanding Comics.

• First and foremost, Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Really, pick up the first volume.. and then I dare you to stop reading.
  
  
• Everything Warren Ellis touches generally turns to gold, but I especially loved his Transmetropolitan series. Science fiction, anarchy, general badassery.. fantastic all around.
  
  
• Ghost World has been mentioned, and while I liked that, I thought David Boring was a superior work from Clowes.
  
  
• Just picked up The Unwritten, a new series by Mike Carey. After finishing the first volume, it looks pretty promising.
  
  
• Demo was dark and angsty, but in a good way.
  
  
• Marvel 1602 was a really interesting take on superheroes.. and again, penned by Gaiman. He fucking rules. Oh, and another Gaiman favourite of mine: Books of Magic.. Gaiman knows the right way to write John Constantine.
  
  Edit: Also, you might want to give manga (asian graphic novels) a try! Good ones to get started with are Death Note and Bleach. I also liked xxxHolic (though I never finished the series), and the anime film for Akira was amazing so I can only imagine that the manga would be just as good -- if not better!

Honestly, if you've never read any comics before, I'd recommend you start with one of Marvel's Ultimates series, or DC's New 52. A lot of fans pan them, but they're a great launching point. I liked just a couple suggestions, feel free to look around and find something that piques your interest. Pick a character that you know a bit about and like, and follow their line.

If you really like Deadpool, a good start is the Cable and Deadpool series. It really forms a lot of modern Deadpool's... Deadpoolness, and the two characters play off each other wonderfully.

Your friend has fantastic taste, but I don't see:

• Casanova
  
• Doom Patrol
  
• Scalped
  
• Starman
  
• Sweet Tooth
  
• DMZ
  
• American Vampire
  
• Irredeemable
  
• Chew
  
• Locke & Key
  
  Frankly, any of those would fit in fucking perfectly with that collection, and your friend would pretty much think you were a complete badass. Basically, just browse through those and pick the one that you think sounds the coolest, they're all great and are all very much within your friend's wheelhouse. Your friend's sensibilities are all laid out pretty bare there, she likes a little bit "dark" and a touch of "grit," but with a very clear tendency towards the "cerebral," the "meta contextual," and the "indie/intellectual." So, that's what I stuck to with this list. These are all sort of obvious, but obvious in a "cool" sort of way... the way the movie "the omen" is obvious to a horror fan, or the film "Brazil" is to a sci fi freak, but probably not to a general audience. You dig?
  
  You're welcome :D

So, the Ragnarok storyline and what leads up to it is generally not very well received. I personally haven't read it, but don't hear great things.

However, all of the work on Thor since then has been fairly outstanding.

The story that brought Thor back to comics was done by JMS. The writing is fairly good, but the artwork is some of the best Marvel has ever done and it makes it almost a must read. Kieron Gillen then continues these story arcs for a bit up until the "Siege" crossover event which features Norman Osborn's HAMMER going up against the Avengers at Asgard. I personally like Gillen's writing more but the artwork isn't quite as strong. It's still good, put Olivier Copiel's artwork is close to flawless so it's hard to compare.

After this, Matt Fraction came in for a bit. Honestly? The arc is underwhelming. It's very possible to skip this.

After this, Jason Aaron came in and is still working on this title right now. I think his first arc is a must read for any Thor fan.

So if you're really looking to dive into Thor, I would probably start with the JMS arc that is immediately post Ragnarok. If you want to get into the current Thor story and skip some of the other material, you can jump to Jason Aaron's run. Here are the links for amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Thor-Vol-J-Michael-Straczynski/dp/0785117229

http://www.amazon.com/Thor-God-Thunder-Vol-Butcher/dp/0785168427

For Marvel Comics

How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems

Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? What time/resources are available i.e. how many comics could/should be read before burning out?

Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).

Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.

Where to buy (US):

• Digital: Marvel Unlimited, Comixology, e-library (e.g. Hoopla - free), webcomics (free)
  
• Print (collected editions): instocktrades, ISBNS, library (free)
  
• Print (singles): midtowncomics, mycomicshop, DCBS
  
  Modern Marvel characters/teams:
  
  
• Alias (Jessica Jones) | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Avengers | Kurt Busiek
  
• The Ultimates 1-2 (Avengers) | Mark Millar
  
• New Avengers | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Avengers / New Avengers | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2
  
• Black Panther | Christopher Priest
  
• Captain America | Ed Brubaker
  
• Captain Marvel | Kelly Sue DeConnick
  
• Daredevil | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Daredevil | Ed Brubaker
  
• Daredevil | Mark Waid
  
• Deadpool | Joe Kelly
  
• Doctor Strange: The Oath | Brian K. Vaughan
  
• Fantastic Four / FF | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 1
  
• Guardians of the Galaxy | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen, et al. | Cosmic
  
• Hawkeye | Matt Fraction
  
• Immortal Iron Fist | Brubaker & Fraction
  
• Inhumans | Paul Jenkins
  
• Iron Man: Extremis | Warren Ellis
  
• Invincible Iron Man | Matt Fraction
  
• Marvels | Kurt Busiek
  
• Moon Knight | Warren Ellis
  
• Ms. Marvel | G. Willow Wilson
  
• Planet Hulk | Greg Pack | Hulk 1
  
• Punisher Max | Garth Ennis
  
• Thor | Jason Aaron
  
• Ultimate Spider-man | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Vision | Tom King
  
• New X-Men | Grant Morrison | X-Men 1
  
• Astonishing X-Men | Joss Whedon | X-Men 2
  
• Uncanny X-Force | Rick Remender | X-Men 6
  
  /r/Marvel sidebar for more info.
  
  Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
  
  Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
  
  
• Avengers Disassembled | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Secret War | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• House of M | Brian Michael Bendis | X-Men 2.5
  
• Annihilation | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 1
  
• Civil War | Mark Millar
  
• World War Hulk | Greg Pak | Hulk 2
  
• Annihilation: Conquest | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 2
  
• Messiah Complex | Brubaker, Kyle, Yost, et al. | X-Men 3
  
• Secret Invasion | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 1
  
• War of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, et al. | Cosmic 3
  
• Messiah War | Kyle, Yost, Swierczynski | X-Men 4
  
• Dark Avengers / Utopia | Bendis, Fraction, et al. | Dark Reign 2
  
• Siege | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 3
  
• Realm of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, Reed | Cosmic 4
  
• Second Coming | Kyle, Yost, Fraction, et al. | X-Men 5
  
• Fear Itself | Matt Fraction
  
• Schism | Jason Aaron, Kieron Gillen | X-Men 7
  
• Avengers vs. X-Men | Bendis, Brubaker, et al. | X-Men 8
  
• Infinity | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2.5
  
• Secret Wars | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 3
  
  Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Literary/natural narratives? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Social/political commentary? Family-friendly/explicit content? Optimism/pessimism? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
  
  Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.
  

Good Tuesday!

I've been absent from the community for awhile, and I've missed you guys!

As for geeky stuff, the biggest thing for me right now is my new Oculus Rift. After hoarding AMEX points for several years, I decided it was time to cash-out and snag the device I built my rig for 2 years ago! OMG, this is the best purchase I think I've ever made! Been playing Robo Recall, Echo Arena, and Superhot VR and I can't express how I feel about this thing. My wife FINALLY tried it out last night, and I should have recorded it on video...the gasps she made as she turned around and realized there was more environment behind her was...magical. My reward tonight will be jacking into Elite: Dangerous with my cousin-in-law (hopefully) and tearing through the cosmos in search of bounty and something to shoot at!

The rest of my gaming time is now spent with either Horizon: Zero Dawn or PUBG. Haven't really had much time for anything else due to family stuff as my youngest prepares to enter kindergarten!

Also...I turn 40 this coming Sunday...part of me is excited...part of me is depressed...not sure why. Its just a number, right?

Also, if you've never seen them, there are two Ghostbusters graphic novels that I HIGHLY recommend!

Ghostbusters: Total Containment

Ghostbusters: Mass Hysteria

Lots of fun, great art style and I wonderful way to expand on the universe of the ORIGINAL team.

Have a great week, ya'll!

I read graphic novels/comic books pretty regularly. I'm not much for Marvel or super hero stories though. If you want a few things that are slightly different, check these out. Granted, I haven't gotten through the whole series on some of these yet. Some of these books are new enough that they are still actively being written. However, I still want to recommend the following because whatever I did read impressed me pretty well, with both writing and art.

I'm giving you Amazon links so you can see some of the artwork on these books.

http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Volume-HC-Royden-Lepp/dp/1936393271

http://www.amazon.com/Abandoned-Cars-Tim-Lane/dp/1560979186/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417910452&sr=1-4&keywords=tim+lane

http://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Girl-1-Times-Squared/dp/1632150557/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417910503&sr=1-1&keywords=rocket+girl

http://www.amazon.com/Transmetropolitan-Vol-1-Back-Street/dp/1401220843/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417910548&sr=1-1&keywords=transmetropolitan

I want to warn you about Preacher, but I don't want to say too much. I still recommend this series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preacher_(comics)

http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Vol-Brian-K-Vaughan/dp/1607066017

http://www.amazon.com/Trailers-Mark-Kneece/dp/1561634417/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417911042&sr=1-1&keywords=trailers

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Tooth-Vol-Deep-Woods/dp/1401226965/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417911160&sr=1-2&keywords=sweet+tooth

http://www.amazon.com/Revolver-Matt-Kindt/dp/1401222412/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417911196&sr=1-11&keywords=matt+kindt

I think that's good for now... :D

OH! And lastly, if you're like: oh, these books look cool, but I'm not sure if I want to spend the money checking them out just yet, your local library might have a selection of graphic novels. I know here in NYC, our library system has a HUGE selection of comics, your library might too!

If you want a summary of the Avengers, Wikipedia is your best option: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers_(comics)

The Guardians haven't actually been around very long in comics time. The team that stars in the movie was only introduced in the comics in 2008, although many of the individual characters have existed since the 60s and 70s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_(2008_team)

Summaries are a really boring way to read stories, though. If you want to start reading some good stories that are reflected in the movies, I can definitely give you some recommendations:

• Avengers Assemble by Kurt Busiek, vol. 1 - Kurt Busiek wrote the Avengers from 1998 to 2002, and his run includes some great, classic stories featuring villains like Ultron and Kang the Conquerer. Characters that will be featured in Age of Ultron like Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, and Ms. Marvel (now Captain Marvel) also feature heavily. This is the first of five volumes that make up his whole run.
  
• Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos and Infinity Gauntlet by Jim Starlin. Rebirth of Thanos is a great read that leads into the classic Infinity Gauntlet story, which will tell you everything you need to know about Thanos.
  
• Guardians of the Galaxy by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning vol. 1 - Abnett and Lanning basically created the team you see in the movie, and this first volume of the series about them is a great place to start.
  
  Now, I would recommend checking your local library first, they may have a lot of these available to check out. I'd also want to let you know that Marvel has a digital subscription service called Marvel Unlimited which has every comic I just mentioned available to read for $10/month or $70/year. It's a real good deal.

• The Dark Knight draws heavily from The Long Halloween and plenty of the Joker's lines are taken straight out of a prose issue collected here. There's also the obvious influence of The Killing Joke and The Man Who Laughs. The Killing Joke was also the primary influence on Tim Burton's Batman.
  
  
• Batman Begins draws from a number of stories include Year One, Blind Justice and The Man Who Falls which is collected here.
  
  
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier was based on the fairly recent Ed Brubaker run which is phenomenal.
  
  
• The Dark Knight Rises combines elements of Knightfall, No Man's Land and The Dark Knight Returns. The Dark Knight Returns is also a major influence on the upcoming Batman V Superman.
  
  
• The Avengers mainly draws from the original first issue of The Avengers, which is collected here and retold again here in a modern setting, as well as The Ultimates. There are plenty of shots that feel like they were lifted right out of The Ultimates. On a side note, Joss also wrote the introduction to the book years ago and it was through doing this that he figured out exactly why the Avengers work.
  
  
• The X-Men movies tend to draw more from the 80's, especially Chris Claremont's run. X-Men 2 draws heavily from Gods Loves, Man Kills. X-Men 3 is loosely based off of The Dark Phoenix Saga as well as Joss Whedon's relatively recent Astonishing X-Men. The Wolverine draws from Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's [Wolverine mini-series] and Days of Future Past is based on, you guessed it, Day of Future Past. Even though X-Men: First Class takes it's name from the comic of the same name it has more in common with the early Stan Lee stuff. X-Men Origins: Wolverine draws from several comics include Wolverine's Origin mini-series and Weapon X. The first X-Men movie isn't really based off any particular arc although it did heavily influence Ultimate X-Men.
  
  
• The upcoming Daredevil TV series seems to be drawing heavily from Frank Miller's run, particularly his origin story The Man Without Fear. While Miller's main run took place in the late 70's/early 80's The Man Without Fear came out in the 90's.
  
  
• Guardians of the Galaxy takes its line-up from the 2004 series but the plot of the movie is all its own.
  
  
• Avenger: Age of Ultron seems to be an original story that's taking it's cues, at least in part, from Ultron Unlimited which is collected here.
  
  
• Man of Steel was heavily influenced by John Byrne's 80's reboot although its structure is heavily modelled on the 2010 graphic novel Earth One. There are also bits and pieces taken from Birthright, Secret Origin and All-Star Superman.
  
  
• Iron Man 3 certainly takes its cues from Extremis but a lot of it is just pure Shane Black. The first Iron Man isn't based on a particular storyline but Tony's origin stuff in Afghanistan is almost identical to the flashbacks in Extremis that revamp Tony's origin for a modern context. Iron Man 2 borrows a little from Demon in a Bottle and Armor Wars but ultimately does its own thing.
  
  
• The writer of the Fantastical Four reboot has mentioned that they've been influenced by Ultimate Fantastic Four.
  
  
• Ant-Man follows an original story but is primarily influenced by the Scott Lang Ant-Man books from the late 70's/early 80's.
  
  
• The Thor movies aren't based on any particular storyline but they are vaguely influenced by Walter Simon's run as well as J. Michael Straczynski's run
  
  
• Green Lantern draws heavily from Geoff John's run, especially his near-perfect origin story Secret Origin
  
  
• AKA Jessica Jones is based on the incredible Alias.
  
  EDIT: Formatting

Do you have a price range? Figures are nice because they are cool to place in your room and it is more fun to receive than a movie, poster, shirt, etc. The NECA brand figure for the new movie is pretty sweet. If you search NECA Pacific Rim, they have some awesome figures from that movie, too. Most Godzilla fans like Pacific Rim. The chibi sets are awesome as well. I have them in front of my computer. This graphic novel is really amazing, and I would even recommend it to non-Godzilla fans.

There's The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, one of my personal favorites but definitely on the weird side. - http://www.amazon.com/Invisibles-Vol-Say-Want-Revolution/dp/1563892677/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320418749&sr=8-1

The Sandman books which are easily the most compelling modern mythology that have been put down in comic form - http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Vol-Preludes-Nocturnes-New/dp/1401225756/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320418825&sr=1-1

Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis, frequently called the best sci-fi graphic novel ever, and I tend to agree with that - http://www.amazon.com/Transmetropolitan-Vol-01-Street-Revised/dp/1401220843/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320418877&sr=1-1

And if you want a really strange series I'd suggest trying to find a copy of Jodorowsky's The Metabarons. Another one of my favorites, and his most accessible story (the man is a genius but he also appears to be completely insane until you get acquainted with the stuff he's done) but still, it's like Shakespeare meets connan the barbarian filtered through DBZ, fastened to a rocket made out of Warhammer 40k and shot into the sun.
http://www.amazon.com/Metabarons-1-Othon-Honorata/dp/1594650004/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320419305&sr=1-5

The Marvel Universe can be daunting to get into with so much history involved but it's definitely worthwhile. Before you start buying physical books without knowing what's what, I'd suggest trying a Marvel Unlimited subscription ($10 a month / $70 for a year).

Explore through the tons of books on there, or if you want to be a bit more thorough you can use it in conjunction with this site.

As for recommendations... Iron Man: Extremis is a good jumping on point. A lot of what you see in the IM films was lifted directly from that book. I've never been much of a Hawkeye fan, but I really enjoyed Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon.

Check out some more Matt Kindt work - Mind MGMT is fabulous, and I really enjoyed Red Handed.

Also, if you want the DC version of Civil War, released ten years earlier and (IMO) much, much better, give Kingdom Come by Mark Waid a look.

I haven't read Bunn's Deadpool, but IMO the absolute best Deadpool is Joe Kelly's.

Just some other books to check out:

• Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender (also available in Complete Collections)
  
  
• Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
  
  
• Planetary by Warren Ellis (Omnibus also available)
  
  
• Chew by John Layman
  
  
• Starman by James Robinson
  
  
• The Maxx by Sam Kieth
  
  
• Asterios Polyp by David Mazzuchelli
  
  
• Bone by Jeff Smith (there's also a full-color edition but it's out of stock and much more expensive, not that it matters - the art is considerably better in black & white)
  
  
• Stray Bullets by David Lapham (you can get individual volumes for about $12-$15 bucks each but there's 12 of them, the $45 omnibus is considerably better value for money)
  
  
• Scalped by Jason Aaron.

I like to pick up trade paperbacks of comic book series sometimes. Descender has been a sci-fi one that I've really like, with a cool combination of art and story. And I recently finished the first volume of Monstress that was a fun twist on the usual magic and fantasy genre. My favorite band, Coheed and Cambria has a lead singer/song writer that writes a comic book series and then makes music to help tell his story. His series is called The Amory Wars.

Do you have any favorites that you'd recommend? I'm open to any genres.

What type of stories do you like to write for your comic books?

Other dude that commeneted on here (/u/u83rmensch) had it right w/ suggesting Thinkgeek. At least 30% of the links I'll put below are from there. They've got very Trekkie-centric gifts. If you don't like my list, just go to Thinkgeek and search "Star Trek"

Or, consider my suggestions:

• First off, dump the pinball machine, the Klingon costume and the TOS comics. There's only a thin slice of the Trek fandom that could afford shit like that. And they know exactly what they're looking for and how to get it. A list site isn't going to help them find it.
  
  
• Add in one/some/any of the Eaglemoss Trek replicas. They're part of the a monthly subscription service that mails you an awesome replica of all sorts of different Trek ships from throughout the series, once every month. Or just buy the one you want off of eBay.
  
  
• Throw in a commbadge prop. Everybody loves those.
  
  
• For the canon fan, give 'em Federation: The First 150 years - the narrative-centric version of Star Trek's history
  
  
• For the production fan, give 'em Star Trek Vault: 40 years from the Archives, which stresses the functional and production and merchandising/marketing side of making Trek accessible to the media public.
  
  
• The TNG hoodies are awesome.
  
  
• Thinkgeek and co. had letter openers available, but fuck it. Get a real Bat'leth.
  
  
• This gets into the subjective/opinion/my-2-cents sphere of opinion, which can be dangerous ground for Trekkies...but I think that, if you want to suggest a pretty spot-on and really awesome Trek comic book, you should have a look at the Assimilation^2 2-pack. I loved it.
  
  This is, in my opinion, a sliiiiightly more Trekkie-suave set of gifts that would surprise and entertain a fan of the series. Not all Trekkies think alike, so I'd expect a few folks might disagree with some of my suggestions, but I feel like this better represents stuff Trekkies haven't already seen time and again in stores like FYE or Hot Topic (or simply cannot afford.)

It depends on what you want to read.

If you want to read the 80's Marvel comics, pick up the Classics trade paperbacks.

If you want to read the new IDW comics, I would advise you to start with the IDW Collection Phase Two. It collects the first few issues of the More Than Meets the Eye and Robots in Disguise (now just "Transformers") comics. These are the current ongoing books, and the ones everyone talks about today, so it's a good place to start if you want to catch up with the current storyline.

If you want to start at the beginning of the IDW comics, you can pick up the Phase One collection. It's good, but the story is a bit of a slow burn.

If you're a G1 cartoon fan, you could start right in the middle with All Hail Megatron. The art is mostly spot on for the cartoon, and it's easy to pick up for a new reader, but the story overall is a bit...meh.

There are other collections besides the ones I linked to if you don't want to splurge on a hardback. Those collections are just a good start if you're interested in the comics.

Well, you've come to the right thread, friend! :D

What kinds of books/movies/TV do you normally tend to enjoy?

A brief scan of your reddit history seems to suggest you like Star Wars. There are a lot of new Star Wars comics out, many of which have gotten pretty good reviews. A new one starring a lesbian/bi woman, Doctor Aphra, just started. She was also featured in the latest Darth Vader comic (which I haven't read yet, but have heard good things from the people on this sub and in general!).

For another space fantasy type thing, I would also recommend checking out Saga, which is one of the most popular titles right now and features some LGBTQ characters in its supporting cast.

I have been reading comic books since about 2006 and here is my take.

Movie Tie-in Comics:

Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week

Iron Man 3 The Movie Prelude

Marvel's the Avengers: Black Widow Strikes

Avengers: Road to Marvel's The Avengers

There is also a Thor 2: The Dark World prelude comic currently being released.

Main Stream(616) Comics:

Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction is amazing and Matt Fraction is currently write this so it is ongoing.

Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares by Matt Fraction

Iron Man: Extremis by Warren Ellis is used parts of IM3.

Captain America Vol. 1: Winter Soldier, Book One by Ed Brukaber This will get you started on Brukaber's run with writing Captain America, his whole run is amazing.

For Thor check out this IGN Article

Planet Hulk and World War Hulk are good crossover events.

"Ultimate Universe" Comics:

The Ultimate Universe was created by Marvel to show what would happen if the heroes began poping up today and puts modern twist on heroes. For example image your grandfathers WWII GI Joe mindset in the body of a 26 year old for Captain America.

Ultimates Vol. 1, Ultimates Vol. 2, and The Ultimates 2: Ultimate Collection by Mark Millar are fantastic.


Edit: I should add that you should go and find your local comic book store.

The original Supergirl origin is from 1959. Comics from that era were written primarily for young children. They have a certain goofy charm to them, but their age really shows. If you want to read it, pick up Supergirl: The Silver Age Vol 1.

In 1985-1986, DC rebooted all of their continuities into a single streamlined continuity during Crisis on Infinite Earths. Supergirl died during this event because editorial wanted Superman to be the only surviving Kryptonian. DC still liked the idea of a Supergirl existing, so a protoplasmic being with shapeshifting and telekinetic powers named Matrix created by a good version of Lex Luthor in a pocket dimension ended up on the main Earth. She went by Supergirl, and later merged with a young woman named Linda Danvers (original Supergirl had gone by Linda Lee, and then Linda Lee Danvers after she was adopted). This period for Supergirl was every bit as weird as it sounds, although I really like the Peter David series.

Eventually Kara was allowed to exist again, and returned in the Superman/Batman series, with her intro being reprinted in a recent Vol 1 of that series. It was also adapted as an animated movie Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Her origin later got retconned at the start of the New Krypton event.

Then in 2011 Barry stuck his dick in the timeline and Flashpoint rebooted the DCU again, resulting in the New 52, complete with a new origin for Kara. Just start with Vol 1 of this series. Skip the H'El on Earth crossover and read a wikipedia summary. Rebirth follows after Vol 6 of the series, and does a couple thing to work in some elements from the show with mixed success. More recently the series got a new writer and she went on a space adventure with best doggo Krypto and I'm enjoying it a lot.

If you are willing to consider trades then maybe the better way to ease into them is to read series that you couldn’t feasibly get single issues anymore even if money wasn’t an issue. Series like Marvel’s Alias (not related to the J. J. Abrams show of the same name), Punisher Max (Think Secret Service but better and it has nothing to do with superheroes), Y the last man (one of the best books ever written), Preacher (I have a feeling it will either be too dated or too dark and messed up for your liking but it is one of the most imporant indie series ever writen), Transmetropolitan (same as Preacher but in a Sci Fi setting), Scalped, and 100 Bullets. You really only can get these series as trades at this point. You wouldn’t be any less of a comic collector reading them as trade because no one but those who were there at their start could have read them in single issues.

As far as series that are coming out now that you should be reading, take the advice of everyone else has given you. Get in on Saga, Manhattan Projects and the others now because we don’t normally have this many amazing indie series all coming out at once and I can’t imagine new ones will continue to pop up like they have. Get in on everything now because there is no telling if anything in the future will be as good as what we currently have.

In order:

Civil War

Secret Invasion Optional since it doesn't really involve Cap, but it sets up the fall of Shield and how Osborne forms Hammer

Siege

And if you need to fill in the gaps for Siege, you should totally read the JMS run of Thor too 'cause it was pretty awesome. That's what I love about comics, all the interconnecting stories.

A while back, there was a Humble Bundle that included almost everything in the IDW Ghostbusters series. Because I deeply care about reading things in the right order, I looked up the publication dates of each of the books included, which didn't waste as much time as the length of the list would make it look.

My original post is here.

I made that list before I read the series, but after reading the series, I'll add this: The order I listed is accurate, but you don't need to read all the stuff before Series 1. It's all technically canon, but it's not really important, and doesn't come up often at all. But the 2009 video game is pretty important, so I suggest you also familiarize yourself with that plot if you haven't already.

So I suggest you either start with Total Containment, the hardcover containing the entire first series; or just the first paperback volume.

On a related note, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters" is also canon, and I think it's pretty alright, but it's not essential if you don't want to spend that money. "Get Real" is important, though.

Happy Birthday! <333

The fact that it is the weekend and that Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow makes me happy. >:D

My favorite food varies month to month. But, at this point, probably Parmesan Twists. :DD

Here is the item from the WL. I have always wanted to read it. :3

Have a good day! :D

This has come up a few times lately.
Christopher Priests run is really well liked, but can be hard to get a hold of (part 1: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Panther-Vol-The-Client/dp/0785107894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375741722&sr=8-1&keywords=black+panther+client)
Who Is the Black Panther? is a great read/intro (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Panther-Who/dp/0785136592/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375741761&sr=8-2&keywords=who+is+black+panther)
And then there's the Black Panther: Man without Fear series where he takes over Hell's Kitchen from Daredevil and kicks ass: (part 1: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Panther-Without-Fear-Vol/dp/0785145230/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375741870&sr=8-1&keywords=black+panther+man+without+fear)
And lastly, Black Panther Secret Invasion: (http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Invasion-Panther-Jason-Aaron/dp/0785133976/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375741907&sr=8-1&keywords=black+panther+secret+invasion)

I believe those are the most well regarded of the Black Panther solo stuff, and I enjoyed them for sure

The Ghostbusters Wika is a great place to start. Here is the IDW Publishing Ghostbusters ongoing issue #1 page. Highly recommend picking up the hardcover editions. Total Containment and Mass Hysteria are both amazing and beyond worth it. Collecting the single issues is also great, especially when you collect variant covers.

Check out this reading guide! Everything from the beginning up until Infinity Gauntlet is a must read for the character, but after Infinity Gauntlet it's best to skip to the modern age stuff; a reading guide for that can be found here. Thanos plays an important part in Annihilation and then comes back at the end of the run, but Thanos Imperative is kind of confusing and the emotional impact is lost if you don't read the stuff in the middle.

After that you've got Thanos Rising which is a modern telling of his origins (which is controversial amongst fans but I enjoyed it). From there you can go to Hickman's Avengers/New Avengers which includes Infinity where Thanos is one of the main antagonists and plays a part throughout the rest of the run.

Jim Starlin, Thanos' creator, did three graphic novels over these past few years but they really range in quality, and the continuity is weird. (Liked the first, second was dreadful, and the third was the best)

If this all seems a bit overwhelming and you just want to pick up a few trades, the ones I have in my collection are: Captain Marvel & Thanos' Origins, Essential Thanos/Warlock, Thanos' Rebirth and Prelude to Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Gauntlet, and a handful more but those are the ones I'd recommend highly!
If you have any more questions about anything I'll do my best to answer them!

I haven't read very many of Doctor Who comics, but I came across all of the issues of the Four Doctors event and decided to pick them up. I enjoyed the story quite a bit.

It looks like it's about to come out as a single volume in February.

The only other DW series that I read was the Star Trek TNG crossover (here's Part 1 and here's Part 2), which was a fun read as well.

Silent War, if you can find a copy. It was the first Inhumans-centred story I read, and I highly recommend it.

I'm pretty sure Iron Man: Extremis was my first Iron Man story, and I've since gone and read the whole Iron Man catalogue (still working on the annuals though).

I'll second /u/redeyej3dii 's Matt Fraction suggestion and also recommend checking out Armor Wars. This collection features the leadup to Armor Wars. Armor Wars II isn't as essential, but it's still enjoyable. CBR has a good rundown of Iron Man stories too. Enjoy!

I'm with you on this. I hope you and the rest of the SpaceGodzilla fan club have read the SpaceGodzilla part in Godzilla: Half Century War. Easily the best Godzilla comic book/graphic novel, and the SpaceGodzilla part is the best part of it.

Godzilla series usually are great. If you're more interested in good Godzilla comics I would recommend Godzilla: Half Century War. You have to be a bit careful when buying Godzilla stuff, since the quality can vary wildly (IDW for ya) but when it's good, man is it good.

New 52 and rebirth for sure.

Some of her older stuff is being reprinted and it's good too.

[New 52] (https://www.amazon.com/Supergirl-Vol-Last-Daughter-Krypton/dp/1401236804/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503174827&sr=1-1&keywords=supergirl)

[Rebirth] (https://www.amazon.com/Supergirl-Vol-Cyborg-Supermen-Rebirth/dp/1401268463/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503174827&sr=1-6&keywords=supergirl)

[Peter Davis series] (https://www.amazon.com/Supergirl-Book-One-Peter-David/dp/1401260926/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503174827&sr=1-7&keywords=supergirl)

[Mid-riff series] (https://www.amazon.com/Supergirl-Vol-1-Girl-Steel/dp/1401260934/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503174827&sr=1-8&keywords=supergirl)

edit*: Also Supergirl being super because it's the best.

If you have Netflix there was a black panther animated short that is a pretty decent starting point. There are definitely cooler stories, but I thought it was a nice quick way to acclimate someone to the character.

One of my favorites, which is also a good starting point I think, is Christopher Priests Black Panther vol 1 the Client Just using that link to show exactly what I'm talking about by the way not saying you have to buy it

I really enjoyed the Flash. As sacrilegious as this may sound, I picked it up because it was in the "On sale" shelf in the comic store. I read the first two pages and loved it. Couldn't believe it was in that shelf.
If Batman isn't your thing, feel free to scope out [Supergirl] (http://www.amazon.com/Supergirl-Vol-Last-Daughter-Krypton/dp/1401236804/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422375879&sr=8-1&keywords=supergirl+last+daughter+of+krypton&pebp=1422375879095&peasin=1401236804). I've been enjoying it thus far.

Edit- typos

I finally gave up on the book I'd been trying to read for the last few months. I realized it was sucking all the joy out of reading. Putting it down made my life better.

Since then, I've read a couple of graphics, Monstress and Sex Criminals. I enjoyed both, even though I find the art in Sex Criminals a bit offputting.

I also started Machinations. It's kinda like Terminator would be without the time travel. The protagonist is a clone with missing pieces of memory. It's clearly a first work, but it's exciting and I'm enjoying it.

I definitely like Kylo more than Rey. I'm super HAPPY with the entire cast including Rey. But my heart has always been with the bad guys. I knew I was going to love Kylo the most the moment I saw him. In fact the moment I saw him I looked at my boyfriend and said "You're costuming that." like he didn't have an option, I'm making him a Kylo and he's going to be mine and that's that!

But I LOVE the point you brought up that this movie really makes you sympathize with the bad guys and I loved that. You feel for Finn who is freaked out by the power and cruelty of the first order and you actually feel for Kylo who is struggling between light and dark. Watching the promos and getting hyped, I never imagined I would feel for Kylo. I assumed I'd sit there and think he was amazing but I didn't think I'd connect with him, it was actually kind of nice! I'm circle jerking, I know, I can't help it.

Here's a list of shit you need to pick up:

The visual dictionary

The Art of Star Wars the Force Awakens

And you mentioned having a book with layouts of the death star and such so you may like Incredible Cross Sections.

And from what EVERYONE I know has been telling me, The Force Awakens novelization is a must read if you want juicy little details that weren't made crystal clear in the movie!

Also, if you are not reading the comics. STOP. RIGHT. NOW. AND. READ. THEM!!

In order of priority:

Darth Vader

Star Wars

Princess Leia

Shattered Empire

And read Kanan if you're a Rebels fan. I HAVE the comic I just haven't read that one yet!

But no seriously that Darth Vader comic. The stuff that happens. UGH. NERDGASM. After reading them and re-watching the movies in preparation for TFA I fell in love with the originals all over again. It was like that fresh awesome new love I had for them the first time! So good!

I would start with finished non-superhero series. There are great superhero comics or story arcs, but imho it's more difficult to recommend something. So I'd start by recommending Chew and Transmetropolitan. Another favorite of mine is "I Hate Fairyland" by Skottie Young. The thing that brought me to comics was Sandman by Neil Gaiman. I also really like The Incal by Jodorowsky/Moebius. Those last two are great, but maybe not for everyone going into comics. The graphic novel with the most impact on me was probably Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá.