Starter Comics, Compiled

Last week, many of you were kind enough to suggest graphic novels for first-time comics readers. I've compiled those suggestions and added a few of my own to form one list, organized loosely (very loosely) by genre and ready for consultation. If you're looking to get someone into comics - or better yet, if someone you know is looking to get into comics - why not consider giving them one of these?

This list doesn't reflect any one person's taste. Please note that these are not all-ages titles. Expect periodic updates. Titles marked with an asterisk are my personal favorites.

History/Journalism/Non-fiction:

Ho Che Anderson, King
Chester Brown, Louis Riel
Guy Deslile, Pyongyang (*)
Larry Gonick, The Cartoon History of the Universe
Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics (*)
Jim Ottaviani, Fallout, Suspended in Language, Dignifying Science, etc.
Joe Sacco, Safe Area Gorazde (*) and Palestine (*)
Art Spiegelman, Maus (*)
Bryan Talbot, Alice in Sunderland (*)

Historical Fiction:

Nick Abadzis, Laika (*)
Nick Bertozzi, The Salon (*)
Will Eisner, Dropsie Avenue (*) and Last Day in Vietnam
Ben Katchor, The Jew of New York
Jason Lutes, Berlin
Scott Mills, Big Clay Pot
Eric Shanower, Age of Bronze (*)
James Sturm, The Golem's Mighty Swing (*) and Above and Below

Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction:

David B, Epileptic (*)
Alison Bechdel, Fun Home (*)
Raymond Briggs, Ethel and Ernest
Eddie Campbell, Alec: How to Be an Artist (*), After the Snooter (*), and The Fate of the Artist (*)
Will Eisner, To the Heart of the Storm (*)
Lat, Kampung Boy (*) and Town Boy
Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis
Craig Thompson, Blankets

Fantasy:

Neil Gaiman, Sandman
Lawrence Marvit, Sparks
Jeff Smith, Bone
Bill Willingham, Fables

Mystery:

Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera, Scalped (*)
Brian Michael Bendis, Torso
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, Criminal (*)
David Lapham, Murder Me Dead
Jason Little, Shutterbug Follies (*)
Paul Karasik and David Mazzuchelli, City of Glass (*)
Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, From Hell (*)

Horror:

Charles Burns, Black Hole (*)
Junji Ito, Gyo and Uzumaki
Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben, Swamp Thing (*)

Action:

Howard Chaykin, American Flagg! (*)
Andy Diggle and Jock, The Losers (*)
Warren Ellis and various artists, Global Frequency
Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Preacher
Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Lone Wolf and Cub
Frank Miller, Ronin (*)
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, We3 (*)
Grant Morrison and various artists, The Invisibles (*)
Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira
Greg Rucka, Queen and Country
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo
Bryan Talbot, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright (*)

Superheroes:

Will Eisner, The Spirit (*)
Scott McCloud, Zot! (*)
Frank Miller, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (*)
Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli, Batman Year One (*)
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen (*)
Alan Moore and David Lloyd, V for Vendetta (*)
Grant Morrison and Richard Case, Doom Patrol (*)
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, All Star Superman (*)
Grant Morrison and Chas Truog, Animal Man (*)

Romance and Romantic Comedy:

Miki Aihara, Hot Gimmick
Kyle Baker, Why I Hate Saturn
Tim Fish, Cavalcade of Boys
Terry Moore, Strangers in Paradise
Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim
Alex Robinson, Box Office Poison
Fuyumi Soryo, Mars
Yu Watase, Imadoki
Andi Watson, Breakfast After Noon
Ai Yazawa, Paradise Kiss

Comedy and Satire:

Kyle Baker, You Are Here and The Cowboy Wally Show
Rich Koslowski, Three Fingers
Martin Rowson, The Waste Land (*) and Tristram Shandy (*)

General Fiction:

Jessica Abel, Mirror, Window and La Perdida
Daniel Clowes, Ghost World
Dave Gibbons, The Originals (*)
Gilbert Hernandez, Palomar (*)
Jaime Hernandez, Locas (*)
Paul Hornschemeier, Mother, Come Home
Derek Kirk Kim, Same Difference and Other Stories
Peter Kuper, The System
Dave McKean, Cages
Rutu Modan, Exit Wounds (*)
Jason Lutes, Jar of Fools
Bryan Lee O'Malley, Lost at Sea
Seth, It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken
Bryan Talbot, The Tale of One Bad Rat
Adrian Tomine, Summer Blonde
Chris Ware, Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth (*)

Comments

[Greg Morrow]

In non-fiction, add Larry Gonick's Cartoon Histories of the Universe.

[sean]

For what it's worth, Mother Come Home is not autobiographical.

[Marc]

...as I said, VERY loosely...

Nor, as it turns out, is it by "Paul Hornscheimer."

[Michael Denton]

Hornschemeier is another story, however!

Hey, you left out American Elf! :( I think it's great fun.

And I can't believe that I forgot to add "True Story Swear to God" by Tom Beland, it's the best romance comic that's been made in quite some time.

[Michael Denton]

I also neglected that for fans of Queer as Folk and such shows, "Calvacade of Boys" by Tim Fish (Poison Press) is sure to please. It's three volume TPB in the romantic comedy genre.

[Michael Denton]

Scott Mill's "Big Clay Pot" might be another good one - it's very sweet. Not convinced about it's newbie draw, but it's a contender

[Matt Maxwell]

GYO over UZUMAKI? I think not!

Though, for the record, I didin't find either of them scary.

[Chad]

Sorry for a mostly-OT comment, but do you think there's a market in comics for historic non-fiction?

Of the ones you listed, "Age of Bronze" seemed to be the only one to spark any real enthusiasm, but I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong.

[Marc]

I'm not sure I'd call Age of Bronze non-fiction, meticulously researched though it is. And I think there is a market for both history and historical fiction in comics; Maus, one of the most successful comics of all time, is historical non-fiction.

By the way, hello to everybody coming over from MSNBC! Look for more comics content today with a review of Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers project.

Also linked in that same column: this guide to making comics by Jessica Abel.

[Jennifer]

I'd add Watchmen to that list. Also, the compilations of Warren Ellis's excellent Global Frequency. And J. Michael Straczynski's Supreme Power and Midnight Nation.

[Marc]

Hi Jennifer,

While I don't want to get into justifying particular selections or omissions, I should probably explain why Watchmen isn't on the list despite being one of my all-time favorites.

I wanted to build a list of graphic novels that are especially accessible for first-time comics readers (prompted by a friend with no comics experience who wanted to know what to start reading). Watchmen is as good as it gets, but it depends on a familiarity with certain superhero conventions and traditions for full effect. Now, I'm sure many people have been handed it as their first comic and have enjoyed it just fine, but I wanted to build a list of ideal choices that require little to no background in comics. I think there are other superhero comics, even other Moore superhero comics, that are more fully self-contained. The same goes for other acknowledged classics like Miller's Dark Knight Returns - probably fairly accessible, given how well-known Batman is, but maybe not the best starter comic.

Similarly, I don't know if a work like Supreme Power, which trades on the reader's knowledge of DC Comics characters and Marvel's prior work with the Squadron Supreme, is an ideal introduction to comics either. (On the other hand, maybe not knowing that Marvel has been to that well before works in its favor.)

Global Frequency, on the other hand, with its new characters and self-contained stories, is a great suggestion. Thanks.

[Mark]

Nice list, but I have to say I was disappointed that Terry Moore's Strangers didn't appear. While Moore does occasionally wander into the melodramatic, his work remains particularly inviting to a comic neophyte.

Also, Arcudi's Mask nicely juxtaposes how Hollywood typically views comics and how comics actually are (it's also incredibly funny/horrible). I was more than a little disappointed when realized I would not be seeing Jim Carrey hacking up cars with a double-bladed battle axe singing "I've been working on the railroad!"

[miranda elizabeth]

Really, Transmetropolitan belongs on the list ahead of the relentlessly ugly Preacher. I recognize Preacher as "good" - but almost medically so, in that I just don't like it. I avoided it when it first started coming out, started reading it on the heavy recommendation of a couple of people in 1999, quit after three volumes, and finally, upon heaving a deep sigh, picked it up again about six months ago. Kept expecting my opinion to improve, but it never, ever did.

Meanwhile, Transmet had more weak issues where Spider did nothing but wander around the city commenting on the poor, poor citizens, but overall, it has a great deal more charm.

Also, not sure that Hot Gimmick - while decent - is the romance manga I would recommend. It's good, but there are plenty just as good and accessible. People who liked the two you recommend should try things like Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa (her hugely popular Nana anchors the new magazine Shojo Beat) and the ultra-angsty Mars (can't recall the author, but since manga is shelved alpha-by-title in most shops, it should be easy to find).

[Peter Merholz]

Eightball. Eightball. Eightball. By Dan Clowes.

And any of the Hellboy trade paperbacks.

[Marc]

Ghost World, on the list under "General Fiction," was originally serialized in Eightball. The list is built around accessible, self-contained graphic novels ideal for first-time comics readers, not ongoing series.