A shelf of comic book volumes for sale at the local Barnes and Noble bookstore. The store moved locations from Rittenhouse Square to 17th and Chestnut in 2023.
A wider view of the graphic novels section, showing several people browsing the shelves. The store moved locations from Rittenhouse Square to 17th and Chestnut in 2023.
Some of the authors’ comic book volumes, in a pile on the floor. Most of these volumes can be found at the Barnes and Noble, with the exception of a few Spiderman comics that were ordered online.
Single issues of the X-Men (2019) run from Fat Jack’s Comicrypt.
A page from AXE Judgement Day (2022). The volume features several full page spreads as pictured above.
With over 60 years of popular brand names in the world of comic books like DC, Marvel, and other notable series, it can be overwhelming to pick a franchise to follow. Here are some of my picks for new readers, casual fans, and more.
Stand-alone comics are a great place to start because they don’t rely on existing knowledge of the universe they are set in. Mainly self-contained stories, they alleviate the confusion of jumping into a long-running series such as X-Men. Here are a few comic books I recommend for people who need a jumping-off point:
My number one recommendation is Watchmen (1986). While published by DC Comics, it does not take place in the main DC universe. An alternate history exploration of superheroes in America, with plenty of gritty social commentary. It also has a unique color palette, while still using the flat color art style of the 1980s. Widely regarded as one of the most influential comics of the ‘80s, this limited series also got several spinoffs and a TV show set after the events of the first book.
If you know a little bit about the characters or have seen a few Marvel movies:
Secret Wars (2015) has characters from the Marvel universe, but the story itself is self-contained. Featuring the impending end of the world, it also serves as a soft reset of the Marvel universe and its continuity. It features many iconic characters while taking place in an entirely different world that makes knowledge of the existing lore mostly irrelevant.
Secret Wars brought the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man into the main Marvel universe, which leads to one of my favorite series, Spider-Man (2016-2018). It’s written by Brian Michael Bendis, who is one of the creators of the Miles Morales character and has been on the storyline since its creation.
Other notable mentions in the post Secret Wars universe are Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018-2022), and A.X.E.: Judgement Day (2022). The Spider-Man run picks up immediately after the previous one mentioned, and Judgement Day features some incredible artwork.
If you are interested in getting started, series such as Spider-Man volumes and the full Watchmen collection can be found in the graphics novel section of the new Barnes and Noble near Friends Select (1708 Chestnut St.). For individual issues, I go to the comic store on 20th and Sansom, Fat Jack’s Comicrypt.
