Time Warp Comics’ Beginners Guide to Comics

One of the most difficult questions to answer when getting into comics is “where do I even start?” Taking your first steps into the comic world may seem daunting when you come face to face with up to 8 decades of characters, retcons, and crossovers.  

The good news is: you don’t have to read any of it in order. Nearly every character has been passed through countless different writers and artists, and as a result many eras and story arcs act as their own individual starting point. 

Here are our picks for the best places for new fans to begin enjoying their favorite characters. 

Batman

With decades of stories and countless interpretations, Batman has no shortage of great starting points across multiple genres. There’s no going wrong with these choices!

Batman: Year One (Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli): It’s the series most beginner guides send you to first, and it’s short. It’s Batman’s early days told like a crime story, and you don’t need to know anything beforehand.

The Long Halloween (Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale): A series of holiday themed murders eventually leads to a year long city-wide gang war. This one includes all your favorite classic Batman villains. 

Court of Owls (Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo): A story about a secret society that’s been controlling Gotham for years, and is commonly speculated to be in The Batman: Part 2 (But that's just a theory!) This is the only comic I’ve gotten dizzy reading. 

What's new?: the current Batman run by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez began in 2025 with a new Batman #1, so that’s a fresh jumping-on point. And if you like a clean slate, DC’s 2024 Absolute Universe line is a fresh start largely free of continuity baggage.

Spider-Man

With multiple versions of Peter Parker and an expanding Spider-Verse, there's no shortage of ways to get into Spider-Man. Here are a few of our favorite places to start. 

Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, beginning at #546: It’s a great starting point for newer fans, and #546 is where you jump in. Peter’s marriage is gone (fans still argue about that), he’s broke again, and a new villain, Mr. Negative, shows up. 

Spider-Man: Life Story (Chip Zdarsky & Mark Bagley): Each issue jumps ahead a decade, so you watch Peter age from the 1960s to today. If you’re looking for a fun crash course on Peter’s life, start here!

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (Saladin Ahmed & Javier Garron): If you’re looking for something to fill the time while you wait for the next Spiderverse movie, or simply want to learn more about the character, this is an amazing point to start at. 

Ultimate Spider-Man (Jonathan Hickman & Marco Checchetto): Set in a separate universe where Peter’s a grown-up with a family, and you don’t need to know anything else.

X-Men

Between decades of team changes, alternate timelines, and universe-wide relaunches, the X-Men can be intimidating for new readers. Fortunately, there are several stories that make jumping in easy. 

God Loves, Man Kills (Chris Claremont & Brent Anderson): A preacher named Stryker believes mutants are abominations and sets out to wipe them out. It’s short, it stands alone, and parts of X2 were built from it. If you only read one X-Men story, make it this one.

The Dark Phoenix Saga (Chris Claremont & John Byrne): Jean Grey gains more power than she can handle, and the team has to decide what to do about it. It’s one of the most referenced X-Men stories ever, so you’ll start seeing it everywhere once you’ve read it. If you want to start at the very beginning of Claremont’s run, most recommendations begin with 1975’s X-Men: Second Genesis. 

Old Man Logan (Mark Millar & Steve McNiven): If you enjoyed Logan, this is a standalone story about an aged Wolverine in a future where the villains won. It’s often cited as an inspiration for the movie (But better!)

Are there any other series you’d want help starting? Reach out to us on social media, or visit us in person and we will help you there. Happy reading!