How do you get into a comic?

Just so you know I mean American comics not Japanese comics.


I was curious with how randomly they seem to change how exactly do people get into them? Do they start at the beginning, or just the latest story arc?

Hm, I've recently read quite a bit of comics myself. Since I had access to digital comics, I was pretty much able to start at the very beginning of what I wanted to read.

I would say that it depends on how someone follows comics. I think that people into buying the actual issues or new readers who want to try something out start in the latest story arc. American comics always have a recap to make it easier for readers to follow at the beginning of each issue. Manga is actually the same thing if you were to read it in a Shonen Jump or similar magazine and I'm sure people pick up manga in the middle of the latest chapters. There's usually some kind of overview, and then a brief synopsis of what is going on in the latest storyline to allow new readers to follow. Then among the more avid comic fans who use online resources to read their comics, I suppose they start from the beginning.

Depends if I've seen it before in some shape or form.

I went to the Anime club one day in highschool (it was raining and I liked the teacher hosting the club, so it was more visit the teacher than anything) and they were playing the Claymore anime. I thought "hmm this is interesting; dunno what the hell it's about, but i'll look into it" Went home and looked up the manga and just started reading. I'm more a reader because I enjoy reading with pictures over reading sub titles.

If it's random and out of the blue, I'll read the first chapter or so. If i like it, continue, if not, stop reading. Like the art, read the story, if you don't like the story, you can still admire the art. I think it's a lot of personal preference. I haven't ever had access to American comic books though, which is why I haven't really read the Marvel/DC type ones. I pick it up every now and then when I go to a bookstore, but then again i just go to read for kicks. I don't have the time and patience to do this any more, so it's rare that i get a chance to do so.

If it's random and out of the blue, I'll read the first chapter or so. If i like it, continue, if not, stop reading. Like the art, read the story, if you don't like the story, you can still admire the art. I think it's a lot of personal preference. I haven't ever had access to American comic books though, which is why I haven't really read the Marvel/DC type ones. I pick it up every now and then when I go to a bookstore, but then again i just go to read for kicks. I don't have the time and patience to do this any more, so it's rare that i get a chance to do so.

What I find about picking up and getting into western comics is that you've got them running around with different authors, multiple different series for the same character, crossovers, changing canon, and so forth. It seems kind of daunting when you put it in perspective and it seems hard to find a place to even start. After a while and a conversation about this subject, I've concluded that comics are usually made for newcomers to jump in and not feel lost. Comics tend to give brief explanations on who characters are to make them easier for new readers to pick up and it's also fanservicing (loosely used here) those well educated on the characters. Also, alternate universe canon tends to be easier to follow because it's so self-contained compared to all sorts of crossovers and so forth, i.e. Civil War, Marvel 1602, and so forth.

I only read short comics. Like Witchblade, The Darkness or whatever. I have the same problems with it as I do with anime.