As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) keeps getting more and more movies, many probably feel like they need to have watched all the previous movies to keep up with the in-universe lore. This is especially true with the upcoming “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” However, the MCU only has 15 years worth of content. How exactly does someone catch up with the Marvel Comics lore, which has been running for over 60 years?
After watching many of the MCU films two years ago, I wanted to start reading Marvel comics to get a better understanding of some of these random side characters, or potential stories that the MCU would be adapting next. However, I was in the exact situation above: I had no idea where to start and felt too intimidated to just pick up something and start reading. I felt like I would have no idea what would be happening in-universe and wouldn’t know many of the characters, and ultimately, that I wouldn’t enjoy what I was reading because it was too confusing.
One of the key differences to highlight between comic books and standard literature is that it’s much easier to pick up the equivalent of a “sequel” in comics than for a novel. Many comics begin with some form of short recap of what’s happening in the story if it’s a continuation. They’re also much shorter in length, so comics don’t have time to dwell on “insignificant” details for world-building purposes like some novels do. The current state of something like the Marvel Comic Universe is like if every James Patterson book took place in the same universe and referenced each other. That’d be so unapproachable that James Patterson wouldn’t be able to put out 10 books a month anymore.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that there is more to comic books than just Marvel and DC superheroes. Eventually, I ended up taking a trip to Phantom of the Attic Comics over on South Craig Street because my friend and former Tartan writer Zivan Vasquez worked there. I didn’t intend on getting anything, but he recommended a series called “The Nice House on the Lake” by James Tynion IV, and I haven’t looked back since. Though “The Nice House on the Lake” is published by DC Black Label, it’s got nothing to do with the broader DC Comic Universe, and is honestly one of my favorite series.
When getting into comics, I think a great place to start is with a standalone series that requires no prior knowledge, like “The Nice House on the Lake.” It’s entirely self-contained, has great world-building, and the art is fantastic. There are plenty of DC and Marvel comic lines that also fit this description, and there are tons of guides online about places to start with specific characters. I’d also recommend going to the Carnegie Library in Oakland and just checking out a comic collection. It’s free, and you don’t have to commit to reading the whole thing if you don’t like that specific character or feel too overwhelmed by in-universe events and information.
If you’re anything like me, you end up branching out really fast and want to know the lore of the characters you’re reading or know what exactly happened in that one comic book from 1997 that was referenced once or twice. The first two Marvel Comic Universe-wide books I read were “House of M (2005)” and “Avengers (2012),” which both feature too many characters to count, and many of the characters who have also appeared in the MCU are slightly (or totally!) different. I relied on the Marvel Wiki to learn about some of the characters, but I’m really glad that I just jumped into these comics like I did. I learned about a lot of new characters and the history of the Marvel Comic Universe that I didn’t know before (like, Captain Britain is a thing?!). If you’re willing to just jump right in, it’s very rewarding!
One of the considerations I would also like to make is that comic books also like the do “modern” retellings of characters origins to make it a little bit more approachable for new readers. For instance, this past week, “X-Men Blue: Origins” ret-conned Nightcrawler’s backstory and gave new and old readers alike a new story for Nightcrawler’s birth and Mystique’s powers. While there were other problems I won’t get into about this story, many characters have this “modern” start at some point, whether it be an origin story or a character rebirth of sorts. This helps divide characters or stories up into “eras,” which gives easier starting points for new readers.
All of this is to say, it’s never too late to start reading comics, and I actually highly recommend just picking something up from Phantom of the Attic or the Carnegie Library! There are so many non-superhero comic lines that don’t have extended lore that are approachable and cover a wide range of topics that serve as a good starting point for getting into comics. Even though there are decades behind some of these comic lines, it’s never too late to just pick something up and start enjoying it!
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