how to get started with comics

hi i am brand new to comics and i want to start, my problem is i like to start from the beginning but with comics running for so long etc i dont know where the best place is. can someone point me to the best origin stories in the marvel universe to get started because i look for say avengers and when i find it i look and its say the kids of the original avengers or whatever i dont mind reading that but i would like to find out what happened to the original ones and stories about them before going onto the new avengers.........this might be long winded and hard to answer so sorry for that but is there a website or document that spells out the timelines and what comic number and volume to look for etc. if anyone could help i would be most grateful. if this is the wrong place to post im very sorry this is my very first post.

Its always a bit tricky to try and get into comics which is why the publishers like to do reboots or find other ways to make it feel like a fresh start for new readers to jump in. You could prob jump into the N52 from dc without much trouble. They basically redid all the backstories and made it so you wouldn't need to know what had happened in the 70 or so years before. With Marvel, its a bit harder and harder still due to how certain groups have 3-4 different teams and the rosters change so often. So I would say pick a character or two you like then work from there. Its easier to get backstory and all that when you are concentrating on a character rather than a whole group of them as with say Avengers or X-men unless you want to back 20 or so years and start there. Once you find a comic you like you can look into the higher recommended writer runs which are usually available as trade paper backs and omnibuses or cheaper as black and white reprints which Marvel did as the Essentials series. You can also look up backstories on internet data bases. Another way to do it is to find writers or artists you like and try to collect their work.

Best money you can spend is the Marvel Unlimited app. I think it is like $10/month and has 15000 comics you can read. They add more every month, it might be weekly, and there is about a 6 month lag from the latest release to what is on Unlimited. If issue 15 of a certain comic just came out you will probably find up to 8 or 9 on the service. I use an Ipad but I think you can use any tablet or just use a web browser on your computer. Using the app on my iPad i can pull up a list by character or series title and they also list the events and group all of the various cross over books for that event together, it probably works that way on other tablets or the pc as well.

It also has a discover tab that will bring up a bunch of different characters and teams or various stories and events and then give you a link to the corresponding comics. I was only an X-Men reader and recently decided to start getting back into comics and into the other stories. Started using the service and it was the best decision I could have made.

thanks to both of you i will try the marvel unlimited app......is there a trail period by any chance?

@thewhit:

They are running a first month free promotion right now. Says use code STARWARS at checkout. Looks like it ends on the 5th.

wow thanks i will get on it i looked on the app and it kinda looked ike everything i need for marvel that is, is there ewt for dc or should i just start with the new 52 on dc?

This how i get people into comics i tell them to read

what is? the new 52 or marvel unlimited?

@thewhit: sadly nothing similar for dc. But starting with the new 52 I highly recommend. It's how I got into comics cause it's so easy and lots of the stories are good. Then once you feel comfortable you can go back and read good old stuff.

thanks everyone iv got marvel unlimited and getting the hang of it but i have one last question does anyone know if captain america only has 1 origin story and thats the one with captain america punching hitler in the 40's but is there a new origin story i can look for that was printed around 80's, 90's or noughties because im gna start with captain america. or does anyone know how to point out origin stories from the cover if you get me, i doubt thats possible but im just wondering, thanks again

@thewhit: I would highly recommend the New 52 for DC and Valaint haven't been back that long and alot of comics have a few books imo. haven't got an opinion on Marvel as I only read what I really like.