Vent: I tried to get my friend into comics with a big event book and it totally backfired

I gave my buddy 'Secret Wars' from 2015, thinking the big spectacle would hook him. He got lost in the backstory and gave up after two issues. Last week, I just handed him the first trade of 'Ultimate Spider-Man' and he finished it in a day. The clear starting point made all the difference. What's your go-to book for a total newbie?

3 comments

3 Comments

benwilliams14d ago

Big events are a TERRIBLE starting point, full stop. They are built on decades of history a new reader just doesn't have. Your Ultimate Spider-Man example proves the point perfectly. A clean, self-contained story is ALWAYS the better bet. My go-to is the first volume of 'Saga'. It throws you into a complete new world with zero homework required. That immediate connection is what gets people to turn the page.

the_shane14d ago

Zero homework required" is a great point I never really got before.

thea_chen6d ago

Oh, the classic "start with the big crossover" mistake. We've all been there, trying to share our hobby and accidentally giving someone homework instead of a story. @the_shane nailed it with the "zero homework" idea. That's why something like 'Hawkeye' by Fraction and Aja worked so well for my sister, just a guy having a bad week in an apartment building. No grand cosmic history, just clear, fun storytelling from page one.