Throughout the years many of our friends and colleagues who’ve never read comics have asked us to recommend books to them.  Like good pushers, we always have a stash of gateway books to ease them into the world of comics.  Some are light, some are heavy, some are conventional and some push the boundaries of the genre.  All of them are solid reads and for the most part they’re accessible enough to pick up and start reading with only a cursory knowledge of the characters involved.   Here are some of our favorites:

10. Astonishing X Men (issues 1-24, Giant Size #1)- Joss Whedon and John Cassaday re-energized the flagging mutant universe with this whip-smart take on the X-Men.  Fast paced and jam-packed with great dialogue and fan favorite characters, this is a loose, light read that is accessible to die hard mutant fans and newbies alike.
   
9. Kraven’s Last Hunt- This story, published in the late 80’s, ran for six issues across three Spider-Man titles.  Written by J.M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Mike Zeck, the story takes Kraven’s obsession with being the ultimate hunter to new, maniacal heights.  Kraven sees Spider-Man as his most formidable enemy, and hatches a diabolical scheme to beat him physically, mentally and spiritually to prove once and for all that he is the ultimate hunter.  The end of book five is a true shocker, one that had legions of Spidey fans picking their jaws up off the floor as they flipped the last page.

8. Captain America (volume 5, issues 1-50; volume 1, issues 600-present)-  Ed Brubaker’s Captain America took the comic world by storm in 2005 and has yet to relinquish its position as one of the most consistently brilliant runs in modern comics.  Brubaker has expertly infused established Cap storylines and plot threads with new ideas and dimensions, creating a story that has put Cap squarely back on the map of relevant characters in the Marvel Universe.  Ask most fans what title you should pick up if you haven’t been reading mainstream comics for a while and it’s a pretty safe bet that many of them would recommend Cap.

 

7. Daredevil: Born Again- Written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, Born Again is a story that put the Kingpin of crime and Matt Murdock on a collision course.  The Kingpin begins to dismantle Murdock’s life one piece at a time, using Karen Page (Matt’s former lover) as the catalyst for his downfall.  Karen is now a pornographic actress and strung out on heroin, and the Kingpin uses the link between her and Matt to begin systematically stripping away every facet of the successful life that he has built for himself as a powerful New York attorney.   Matt then has to pick himself up out of the gutter (literally and figuratively) and reclaim his life while going up against the Kingpin at the height of his power.   A brilliant tale of loss and redemption, Born Again is a true classic.

6. Arkham Asylum- Okay so this isn’t exactly easy reading, but this masterpiece by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean brilliantly explores madness, evil and mercy in a genre-smashing visual and literary feast.  Batman is called in to defuse a crisis at Arkham Asylum- it appears that the inmates, led by the Joker, are now running the show.  They’ve threatened to kill hostages unless their one demand is met:  they want Batman to come in.  What follows is a dark journey down the rabbit hole, as Batman must face some of his toughest adversaries while battling his own demons.  The story is uncompromising in its exploration madness, and Harvey Dent plays a pivotal, tragic role in Morrison’s tale.  The book is fully painted by McKean and spares nothing in its grizzly portrayal of the events that occur behind Arkham’s walls.
   
5. All Star Superman- This title ran for twelve issues between 2006 and 2008 and injected new life into the flagging Superman mythology.  Grant Morrison subtly skewed the Man of Steel’s universe, giving the run a fresh, almost post-modern feel.  Frank Quitely’s odd but beautiful artwork complemented Morrison’s viewpoint wonderfully and the award winning series really put Supes back on the map.
 
4. Batman: Year One- The stylistic template for Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, Year One, by Miller and Mazzucchelli expertly re-imagines Batman’s origin.  The storytelling style is sparse but intelligent and insightful, and the tale shows the beginnings of the working relationship and mutual admiration between Gordon and Batman.  Wildly popular among Batman fans and hugely influential in the canon of Batman stories, Year One is a must read.
 
3. The Killing Joke- This short, brutal Batman story features Joker at his worst.  Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, The Killing Joke explores the tragedy of the Joker’s origin juxtaposed against him committing brutal crimes against the Gordon family.  It’s hard to discuss this story without giving too much away; just trust us when we tell you that this isn’t kid stuff- the Joker’s actions in this book changed the DC universe and forever altered his character arc, setting him up as the true embodiment of evil and madness.
 
2. The Dark Knight Returns- While Year One shows Frank Miller’s restraint as a writer, The Dark Knight shows his willingness to go all out in order to bring a lavish world within a story to life.  TDK is a Batman story on steroids, unveiling a future world where current DC icons like Bats, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Arrow are past their prime.  Batman is brought out of retirement by Two Face, and ends up at odds with (you guessed it) the Joker, who’s back for one more round of murderous insanity.  The final resolution of the conflict between Batman and the Joker is stunning and brilliant, but the real treat here is seeing the ideological battle between Batman and Superman culminate in an epic fistfight; one that is for keeps.