How far back are you willing to go?

When you get into a character, how far back are you willing to read when it comes to stories involving them? Why?

As far back as they go.

All of them.

As far as they go, I'm still in the 90's for The Hulk, saddest character ever btw.

@xwraith: @farkam: even if it's far back enough that the character may be different than how we see them now?

It would be fun to see just how much they've changed over time.

Action Comics #1.....pretty much as far back as you could ever possibly go

Right to the beginning.

Yep.

The only character I've gone back farther than 10-20 years is Spider-Man. I've read Stan Lee's run on him - can't go back farther.

As far as I can. I like getting a little peak into the characters history instead of being restricted to one or two renditions of the character.

I'm surprised at the number of people willing to go all the way. Then again, I tend to follow creators more than characters, so maybe that has something to do with it.

I've done a fair amount of back reading for Daredevil, Superman, Captain America, Thor, Batman, and Spider-Man. Other than that, I tend to just read the most influential story arcs are jump into whatever's happening at the time.

I'll go to the latest retcon or silver age.

It tends to be whatever catches my eye. I'll go back to a favoured character's first issue if the trade is on the shelf at the comic shop (and I have the money). Some characters I'll deliberately go back and read all I can, but not many.

Dark Phoenix Saga for X-Men and Hellblazer V1 for John Constantine. Both 80's I think.

I'll usually start in the 80's and work my way to the present because that's pretty much encases the most current and recent stories (yes, I consider 30 years of stories to be recent). When I finish that, I usually then decide to move onto a new series or go further back in time though I usually find that stories before the 70's are too general and quick framed. Also depends on funds.

Depends. If I'm just starting, I like 5-1 years. If I really get into the character, I go to the beginning.

I try to stay away from the golden age and silver age because crisis on infinite earths erased those stories and Marvel doesn't use a lot continuity from back in the day