If you have Marvel Unlimited I would check if they have the "Thor" comics by Jason Aaron, they are really good, I think you'll like them.

If you don't hate Batman (not necessarily like him, but you are ok with him haha), "the Black Mirror" by Scott Snyder is super good, it is probably my favorite Batman story and Batman is not even Bruce Wayne, it is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, it is damn good and that one IS dark haha

Not Marvel or DC but judging by what you have said you like (kinda dark, bad ass hero who goes through everything, etc...) I think you would really, reaaaally, like "Preacher" by Garth Ennis. In my opinion, Preacher is one of the best stories in any medium ever, big claim, I know, but that's how much I like it. It is collected in 6 Tradepaperbacks/Hardcovers (60 issues and some miniseries total) at about 10-15 usd each for the trades, so this will keep you entertained for a while.

This is the first volume

My favorite super hero series of all time is "Invincible" by Robert Kirkman, it is a bit more "traditional superhero" stuff but with some really cool twists if you want to check that one out.

I am not a fan of Deadpool alone but if you want something with both him and Wolverine, I think "Uncanny X-Force" by Rick Remender is top notch, definitely my favorite Deadpool, I think the trick is to have him in small doses. You can get the whole thing in two oversized TPB's, here is the first one there are only two volumes, just check that it is the "complete" collection. This one is a bit more "lore" heavy where it will reward you for knowing the backstory, but I think that even if you don't know anything it will be entertaining, However, don't be afraid to google some stuff after you finish or ask here to avoid spoilers.

Daredevil by Mark Waid is also pretty good, that might be on your Marvel Unlimited subscription.


OHHHH, I almost forgot, "Astonishing X-Men" by Josh Whedon is fantastic, again, if you have previous knowledge of the X-Men it is a plus but I think it is new reader friendly. This one is a must, in my opinion as well. There are two volumes of this one, here is the first one (maybe it is on Marvel Unlimited?)

The other X-Men stuff that always gets recommended is New X-Men by Grant Morrison but that one is heavier and harder to follow along, maybe if you really like Astonishing, give this one a try. (again, check Marvel Unlimited, it might be on there)

And finally, I promise, "Runaways" by Brian K. Vaughan, the gist of it is that a group of kids one day find out that their parents are super villains and they decide to ... run away. Again, this is a fantastic read, it takes place in the Marvel Universe, and I think there is going to be a Netflix show sometime...? haha But really, this is one of my favorite stories ever as well, there are 2 collections by Brian K Vaughan, don't bother reading the ones written by anyone else, volume one . (Marvel Unlimited?)

That's all for now haha

Let me know which ones pique your interest and if you decide to pick up any of these, you'll have a blast. Again, if you have any questions ask away!


PS. Moving Pictures > 2112 :P

>I'm interested in reading the avengers or the guardians of the Galaxy, as they were my favorite marvel movies, but I get that I might want to start with the individual character's stories rather than jumping straight to the team up. Is there any series in marvel's line up that are must reads?

If you've seen the movies, I don't think you need to read individual stuff before you read a team-up book. There are some things different between the comics and the movies, but they're much more similar than they are different. The Avengers series by Jonathan Hickman that's currently ongoing is really good, here's the first collection: Avengers by Jonathan Hickman vol. 1: Avengers World. For the Guardians, the 2008-2011 series by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning is considered the best. Start here: Guardians of the Galaxy by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning: The Complete Collection, vol. 1.

>I love the x-men movies, although Even the little I've read about the comics on other sites has got me confused, since there are some that can hold goddesses or something, does that have something to do with their mutation?

There are no X-Men that hold goddesses. Storm was worshipped as a goddess when she was younger, but she's not actually divine. There are a few mutants who also have supernatural gifts/abilities, like Magik and Pixie, but they are not a result of their mutations.

>Some mutations I get like ice powers and fire, but then there are some that can bend reality? Can a mutation allow that?

Mutations can allow anything the writers decide to allow. Storm controls the weather. Nightcrawler teleports. Mutations have nothing to do with reality.

If you want to read some good X-Men stuff, I recommend starting X-Men with Grant Morrison's New X-Men. It's good stuff, and it's easy to get into. There's three volumes, starting with this one: New X-Men vol. 1. After that, you should pick up Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon, which is really good and picks right up where New X-Men leaves off. There's four volumes, starting with this one: Astonishing X-Men vol. 1.

>Captain america certainly appeals to me, since I am, well, american, and Thor also seems like a badass, but I'd really read anything from marvel, as all their superheroes seem great.

>Also, all the dead pool panels I've seen here are hilarious, but I don't know much about the character.

Here's some good starting points I recommend for Marvel heroes:

• Captain America by Ed Brubaker vol. 1: The Winter Soldier
  
• [Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron vol. 1: The God Butcher](http://amzn.com/1846535336
  )
  
• Deadpool by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn vol. 1: Dead Presidents
  
• Iron Man by Matt Fraction vol. 1: The Five Nightmares
  
• Indestructible Hulk by Mark Waid vol. 1: Agent of SHIELD
  
• Hawkeye by Matt Fraction vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
  
• Black Widow by Nathan Edmonson vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread
  
  Now, I would recommend checking your local library first, they may have a lot of these available to check out. I'd also want to let you know that Marvel has a digital subscription service called Marvel Unlimited which has every comic I just mentioned available to read for $10/month or $70/year. It's a real good deal.

I am so happy to see the Mingola-verse getting more love here lately.

MY HUMBLE OPINION ON HOW TO GET INTO HELLBOY AND/OR B.P.R.D. FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED BUT INTIMIDATED:

-First off, all supplementary books (which is everything not titled "Hellboy" or "B.P.R.D.") are not absolutely necessary. They add to the character depth, and offer some fun stories, but you can get the whole story from either Hellboy or B.P.R.D. by just reading those titles exclusively.

-Secondly, know that you can enjoy both Hellboy and B.P.R.D. separately from each other. I read Hellboy first, but it is not necessary to have read Hellboy in order to enjoy the story of B.P.R.D.. Hellboy seldom comes up in the canon B.P.R.D. stories, and even then, they either do a brief flashback/explanation to why, or you simply don't need to know.

-Your two jumping on points are: Hellboy vol. 1, Seed of Destruction and B.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs TP vol. 1

-Yes, I understand that starting this way with B.P.R.D. is technically a spoiler for Hellboy. If that concerns you, just avoid it and read Hellboy. I included both because they have different feels to them in terms of art and the types of stories. Some people will enjoy the brooding, stylistic nature of Hellboy and its focus on ancient folklore. Others may like the larger cast of characters and tightly plotted B.P.R.D., basically a detective team book featuring supernatural villains and world-wide implications.

-If you prefer starting from the beginning with Hellboy, and either really enjoyed the vol. 1 TPB or know you'll start fresh there, then I recommend the Library Editions, starting with Volume 1. That's an Amazon link, but I still prefer ordering from instocktrades, which I include in other links. They're oversized which highlight's Mignola's signature art, feature tons of extras, and look gorgeous on a shelf. If you want to get through them quickly and cheaply, buy the TPBs or check for when Dark Horse has a sale on their digital comics.

-With the Library Editions, the official story for B.P.R.D. begins after the events included in Library Edition Volume 3.

-As you may notice in the link above, the first book for B.P.R.D. I linked is only about a dollar more expensive than the first Hellboy TPB, but is actually 408 pages! These are paperback "omnibus" reprintings of the B.P.R.D. hardback collections (which in that form are still a deal too, imo. Just if you prefer hardback). You get the equivalent of three B.P.R.D. TPBs in one of these, for eleven freakin' dollars! It's honestly hard for me to think of a better value on the market right now equal in terms of quality of the physical book, quality of the story, and quantity of story. Fret not, Volume 2 of the paperback version comes out in late January. You'll be able to collect all of them by the end of next year likely, for around $45! That's 12 TPBs, if you're counting along.

I'll also say that personally, by the end of the third Plague of Frogs volume, it had me hooked unlike any other book before. It's why Arcudi is one of my favorite writers now. He's developed these characters to a point where you love them. They make me mad when they make rash decisions, or happy when something good comes their way. I'm sympathetic to their plight. I honestly think I like it better than Hellboy now. I really enjoy the style and story to Hellboy, but I've never felt connected to the book like I am with B.P.R.D.

Anyway, that's my gush for the day. Hopefully I've consolidated what seems like a daunting amount of material into a handful of affordable books. It's such an interesting mythos, there's nothing else like it out there. If you have any other questions, let me know!

You're absolutely justified in being confused about how comics work from the outside looking in. It's intimidating and doesn't compare to how much easier other hobbies are to get into. You browse a physical or online store and find a cover/title that seems interesting. You notice a few details: some people's names, a big title, a price, a number (that doesn't usually say issue or episode or anything recognizable), another big title (a series? season? brand? wtf?), ANOTHER title (maybe this one's the title of just THIS book?)... There's no order to this madness! I'd love it if they did something like:

Series: Batman

Continuity: Weird Universe 6

Season: 2

Episode: 3

...explicitly on the back or something for every issue, tpb, hardcover, etc. They also do renumberings and title changes for weird comic sales purposes. Anyway, it sucks, but here we are.

I really don't recommend people worry about canon or continuity when starting out. You should focus on GOOD STORIES. Inherently, the good ones will give you most of the information you need anyway. If it still bothers you, start out with self-contained graphic novels instead.

You may think you want to start reading ONE character from the 1960's all the way to present.. but you don't, I promise. In fact, go ahead and decide if you even want to read older comics (<1990) so you can narrow your list tremendously. Personally, I avoid older comics because the dialog is dated, colors are limited, they are usually less "mature" or progressive, and read like patronizing encyclopedias. I will only read a few highly-reviewed stories like Daredevil Born Again or Spider-Man Kraven's Last Hunt.

I'll keep using Iron Man as an example. When pairing a creative team with a title for however long they worked on it, that's called a "run". Warren Ellis' Extremis is a single story arc (usually about 6 issues or 6 months of comics) collected into one book like this. Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man run is like having 60+ issues or 4+ years worth of monthly comics divided into ~12 story arcs = 12 trade paperback books starting with this. I got so frustrated keeping track of this shit that I had to create more detailed breakdowns of comic books in runs like this. Note the two "Omnibus" that put 3 of the smaller books into 1 for convenience. These are some of the best modern series for Iron Man (they even used some of these stories for the movies). Here's another example using one of the best Captain America "runs" with Ed Brubaker for like 5 years worth of comics. I'll just add this too: crossovers/events are the WORST. They are mediocre to begin with and the tie-ins are never collected correctly to make a complete story (they're also shoehorned into some of your favorite stories sometimes!).

Just to be clear, the point here is that you can read all of these without having to read decades worth of other comics. Some people will insist you have to read issues x, y, z to under stand character B, then OTHER people will say that's crap and you should read character C's j, k, l issues to get a better history, and then others will say just hop right in. For new readers, I'm in that last category. Wiki if you absolutely have to. Worry about collecting/reading everything AFTER you've read some of the best stories to get you hooked first. It's a fucking rabbit hole and you can't see just how deep it goes yet. Also, if nobody has said it yet, there is more to comics than superheros. In fact, my favorite comics are made by other publishers like Image, Vertigo, Darkhorse, Humanoids, etc.

Right i'm bored in work so here are some suggestions!

Joss Whedons Astonishing X-Men Run - Great run and you can tell how much Whedon loves these characters

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman - Never been a fan of the Four but Hickman has a great GREAT run here. Bit long and drawn out but if you like a slow build with a massive pay off this will be right up your street

Uncanny X-Force by Rick Rememnder Probably my most favored run out of marvel the last few years, great stories, great characters and a great ending.

If you enjoyed Saga basically anything from Image the last couple of years are fantastic and i genuinely prefer it to Marvel/Dc. My recommendations being Manhattan Projects, East of West, Black Science, Deadly class. The first two have a few volumes each and the last two have recently released their first trades.

What other characters do you love?

If you're looking for standalone Spider-Man check out Spider-Man Blue. Great story that remasters the Silver Age tales of young Pete and his classic crew, but framed with the tradegy of future Pete recounting this tale.

Other Marvel recommendations:

Truth: Red, White, Black - Haunting tale of the history of the Super Solider formula. Robert Morales draws a lot on the real-life history of experimentation on black soldiers; the references he gives at the end of the volume are good reads themselves.

Marvels - An Alex Ross classic that explores the history of the Marvel Universe as seen by an ordinary photographer, right up until the end of the Silver Age. Gorgeous art and spectacular writing that pays homage to all the big Marvel beats.

X-Men Legacy (Marvel NOW) - 4 volume series that follows David Haller aka Legion, as he struggles to maintain a grip on his chaotic powers while finding his legacy in the wake of his father's death (dad being Charles Xavier). Great exploration of someone dealing with mental illness, touching first love, awesome action and humor. Great series that does not get bogged down in X-Men continuity.

Honorable Mention: Mini Marvels - Small gag comics that occasionally ran in Marvel comics some time ago. Cute art with beats that poked fun at the the current state of the Marvel U.

Well, the thing about getting into Big 2 comics is that it's really easier than it sounds, especially since both companies have gone through major "reboots" a few years ago, with DC launching The New 52 (which reset or compressed several decades of continuity) and Marvel launching Marvel NOW!, both of which reset several titles to #1. You can pick up trades (or collected volumes of issues) from Amazon or read digitally on Comixology. Many local libraries may also have trades and graphic novels available to check out.

With DC, you can start off with #1 of almost any New 52 series. However, you don't always have to start with #1. Some series don't get good until a new creative team takes over and establishes a new status quo. In which case, you can start reading from where the new writers began, and not worry about what happened in the previous issues. Here is a list of DC New 52 recommendations I've made before:

> For Batman and Batman-related books, I recommend the following:
Batman (#1 - ongoing) Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls - The flagship title, by Scott Snyder.
Batman: The Black Mirror - This is actually just before The New 52, but I recommend this mainly because it's a very well-loved modern story that turned Scott Snyder (the current Batman writer) into DC's golden boy. It's also fairly accessible to new readers.
Grayson (#1 - ongoing) - Launched this year, and one of DC's best books in quite some time. Dick Grayson is an undercover spy. Very fun and character-driven.
Batman and Robin (#1 - ongoing) Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill - Character-driven title that focuses on the Bat family.
Catwoman (#35 - ongoing) - Selina Kyle as a mob boss. Very intricate plot.
Detective Comics (#30 - ongoing) - Manapul/Buccellato run. Fantastic art.
Nightwing (#1 - 30) Nightwing, Vol. 1: Traps and Trapezes - Makes a good complement to the Batman and Batman & Robin titles.
 

>For other characters, I would recommend:
Wonder Woman (#1 - 35) Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Blood - Brian Azzarello's 35-part epic of gods and mortals. Great story, great art.
Green Arrow (#17 - 34) Green Arrow, Vol. 4: The Kill Machine
The Flash (#1 - 29) The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward
Earth 2 (#1 - 26) Earth 2, Vol. 1: The Gathering - The James Robinson run (#1-16) is quite good, though Tom Taylor's run (#17-26) is still decent.
Red Lanterns (#21 - 37) Red Lanterns, Vol 4: Blood Brothers - A general understanding of the Green Lantern universe might be needed to fully appreciate this.
 

Marvel tends to reset a series whenever a new creative team takes over, or when a new status quo is put into place, so it's even easier to find a jump-in point. Just start with #1 of any series. Marvel also has a subscription service that allows you to digitally read any comic older than six months. Here are some recent series that I would recommend:

Matt Fraction's Hawkeye
Mark Waid's Daredevil
Superior Foes of Spider-Man
Nathan Edmondson's Black Widow
Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man
Cullen Bunn's Magneto
Tom Taylor's Superior Iron Man

You can look up these titles on Comixology and see previews for each issue. Just pick whatever sounds interesting to you, and start reading.

I understand why you are weary to ask for specific books, but there are some books that are important to the marvel universe or comics in general which would be pretty safe bets.

For Instance:

• Marvels, which is the history of the marvel universe through the eyes of a reporter for the Daily Bugel. Shows events from the Namor and the original Human Torch, to Captain America, to the X-Men, to Spiderman, to Galactus. Really cool depiction of the marvel universe.
  
• The Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos tries to take over the universe. Very well recieved event that the 3rd and 4th Avengers movies will be "based" on.
  
• Secret Wars, much older than the other books so much campier style, but it was (I believe) the first big crossover book from any publisher. Its also where spiderman gets the black suit that turns into venom and great moments throughout.
  
• Annihilation (All three books), Was a relaunch of Marvel's Cosmic line and sets up for all of the cosmic books for many years to come. Very cool book. Can read with no prior knowledge whatsoever.
  
• Watchmen, Good book, very important to the comic medium itself. Published by DC but not set in that universe.
  
• The Dark Knight Returns, Again published by DC but very important to Batman and comics in general. And who doesn't love Batman.
  
• Any charcter has at least one trade that is good standalone and is important to the character, but without knowing your preferences I can't recommend specifics
  
  Even if these arn't your absolute favorite books, they are relevant to the history and there is a pretty high chance that you will want to read them at some point.

Sadly, I can't speak for DC Rebirth. I haven't read any of it. I can say that I loved the New52.

Batman list, in order of what I would read first.

• Batman, Year One is a great story of Bruce's first year as the Batman. I loved seeing the way Batman evolved & the lessons he learned. I highly suggest this as your first read.
  
  
• The Long Holloween was also a fantastic story. It reads a lot like a mystery novel. The ending is surprising and all around, this book is satisfying.
  
  
• Batman New52 is a great storyline. It is a "reboot" aka a nice starting point for a series. If you love this story, read on with the New 52 & slowly get the "iconic" other stuff later.
  
  
• The Dark Knight Returns is an interesting spin on things. Bruce is old and has hung up his mantle. But for reasons mentioned in the book, he dons the cape yet again. This, in my opinion, is a really great read after Year One & The Long Halloween. Those three just flow nicely IMO.
  
  
• The Knightfall series (Vol1 Vol2 & Vol3) explain why Bane is one of the greatest villains Batman has ever had. If you're looking for a complete story arc, this is where you want to start.
  
  Staples for Batman
  
  
• The Killing Joke is an iconic storyline that I would put on a must read list for Batman.
  
  
• Hush is also a very great mystery story.
  
  
• A Death in the Family is a pivotal story for the Bruce Wayne Batman.
  
  
• Arkham Asylum is a really cool & unique story about Batman going into Arkham Asylum after it is taken over (sounds a lot like the first batman game of the recent trilogy). It is a really cool perspective & you should read it at some point.
  
  Flash list (I don't know as much about the Flash)
  
  
• The Flash: Rebirth is a really great place to start. The world is established but this is a nice way to jump into the comics.
  
  
• Flash New52 is where I would go after reading Rebirth. They flow nicely. I would read Vol 2 & Vol3.
  
  
• Flashpoint, as you know if you watch the CW series, is a big moment for Barry. It's a similar story but done in a very different way. Reading this will feel fresh, even if you know the tv show.
  
  Batman/Flash related things
  
  
• Catwoman New52 is amazing. I'm not sure if you're a huge Catwoman fan or if you hate her (seems most Batman fans go one of those directions) but if you are, her series is one of my favorite New52.
  
  
• Justice League New52 was pretty cool.

Depending on your price range, you could consider as something like a trade paperback (softcover collection) or a hardcover/omnibus that would collect more issues of the story (or sometimes an entire story arc).

Based on the stories and characters you mentioned, some suggestions you might want to look into include:

Uncanny X-Men Omnibus: Volume 1, Volume 2, and/or [Volume 3]
(https://www.amazon.com/Uncanny-X-Men-Omnibus-Vol/dp/0785199225)
New X-Men Omnibus
Astonishing X-Men Ultimate Collection: Book 1 and/or Book 2
[X-Men Legacy Legion Omnibus]
(https://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Marvel/X-MEN-LEGACY-LEGION-OMNIBUS-HC/OCT161003)

Shop around, instocktrades.com is a great comic dedicated site with great pricing, Amazon has a great selection, or you could also use a site like Comic Shop Locator to find a dedicated comic shop near you that could also help you out with suggestions.

If your husband reads books digitally on a tablet or laptop, something to consider might be a subscription to a service like Marvel Unlimited ($70 for 1 year) or Comixology Unlimited ($6/month). Both act as a kind of "Netflix for comics" in that with an active membership you can browse and read thousands and thousands of comics. Marvel Unlimited offers access to Marvel Comics titles only, and has an extensive selection of 20,000+ comics. Comixology Unlimited offers a smaller selection of Marvel Comics but also titles from other comic book publishers such as Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW, Boom! Studios and more. It offers a selection of 10,000+ comics, mostly offering the first or second collection of a series as a sampler which you could then decide to purchase separately if you really enjoy a series.

Happy shopping! I hope this helps!

For Marvel Comics

How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems

Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite stories/characters from TV, movies, games, books, etc. Do you seek quality storytelling or encyclopedic Marvel knowledge? Plan to collect? What time/resources are available i.e. how many comics could/should be read before burning out?

Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about “catching up”, continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Hawkeye until Matt Fractions’ run).

Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Don’t get stuck “preparing”, just start reading. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.

Where to buy (US):

• Digital: Marvel Unlimited, Comixology, e-library (e.g. Hoopla - free), webcomics (free)
  
• Print (collected editions): instocktrades, ISBNS, library (free)
  
• Print (singles): midtowncomics, mycomicshop, DCBS
  
  Modern Marvel characters/teams:
  
  
• Alias (Jessica Jones) | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Avengers | Kurt Busiek
  
• The Ultimates 1-2 (Avengers) | Mark Millar
  
• New Avengers | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Avengers / New Avengers | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2
  
• Black Panther | Christopher Priest
  
• Captain America | Ed Brubaker
  
• Captain Marvel | Kelly Sue DeConnick
  
• Daredevil | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Daredevil | Ed Brubaker
  
• Daredevil | Mark Waid
  
• Deadpool | Joe Kelly
  
• Doctor Strange: The Oath | Brian K. Vaughan
  
• Fantastic Four / FF | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 1
  
• Guardians of the Galaxy | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen, et al. | Cosmic
  
• Hawkeye | Matt Fraction
  
• Immortal Iron Fist | Brubaker & Fraction
  
• Inhumans | Paul Jenkins
  
• Iron Man: Extremis | Warren Ellis
  
• Invincible Iron Man | Matt Fraction
  
• Marvels | Kurt Busiek
  
• Moon Knight | Warren Ellis
  
• Ms. Marvel | G. Willow Wilson
  
• Planet Hulk | Greg Pack | Hulk 1
  
• Punisher Max | Garth Ennis
  
• Thor | Jason Aaron
  
• Ultimate Spider-man | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Vision | Tom King
  
• New X-Men | Grant Morrison | X-Men 1
  
• Astonishing X-Men | Joss Whedon | X-Men 2
  
• Uncanny X-Force | Rick Remender | X-Men 6
  
  /r/Marvel sidebar for more info.
  
  Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
  
  Modern Marvel events/crossovers:
  
  
• Avengers Disassembled | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Secret War | Brian Michael Bendis
  
• House of M | Brian Michael Bendis | X-Men 2.5
  
• Annihilation | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 1
  
• Civil War | Mark Millar
  
• World War Hulk | Greg Pak | Hulk 2
  
• Annihilation: Conquest | Abnett, Lanning, Giffen | Cosmic 2
  
• Messiah Complex | Brubaker, Kyle, Yost, et al. | X-Men 3
  
• Secret Invasion | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 1
  
• War of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, et al. | Cosmic 3
  
• Messiah War | Kyle, Yost, Swierczynski | X-Men 4
  
• Dark Avengers / Utopia | Bendis, Fraction, et al. | Dark Reign 2
  
• Siege | Brian Michael Bendis | Dark Reign 3
  
• Realm of Kings | Abnett, Lanning, Reed | Cosmic 4
  
• Second Coming | Kyle, Yost, Fraction, et al. | X-Men 5
  
• Fear Itself | Matt Fraction
  
• Schism | Jason Aaron, Kieron Gillen | X-Men 7
  
• Avengers vs. X-Men | Bendis, Brubaker, et al. | X-Men 8
  
• Infinity | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 2.5
  
• Secret Wars | Jonathan Hickman | Hickman 3
  
  Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like: old/new comics? Specific genres? Literary/natural narratives? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? Social/political commentary? Family-friendly/explicit content? Optimism/pessimism? Have you noticed that a specific artist/writer consistently makes comics you like? Follow these instincts.
  
  Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome.
  

If you want to start from the start from the beginning of the X-Men, then they were first introduced back in 1963. [This should be the start of the original X-Men.] (http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-Masterworks-Vol-1-Various-ebook/dp/B00AWR06DC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414333610&sr=1-1&keywords=x-men+stan+lee)

However, there's a lot of reading to do to get up to date - about fifty years, and the X-Men have a huge variety of different books from X-Men to X-Force, X-Factor and... Well, there's a lot. If you liked the movies, I'd say start with the classic [Dark Phoenix Saga] (http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-Dark-Phoenix-Chris-Claremont/dp/0785164219/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414333888&sr=1-1&keywords=x-men+dark+phoenix), probably one of the best comics ever. If you'd like something more recent, [Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men] (http://www.amazon.com/Astonishing-Whedon-Cassaday-Ultimate-Collection/dp/0785161945/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414333970&sr=1-1&keywords=astonishing+x-men) is also one of the best. Both are fantastic. If you want to jump right into today's X-Men stuff, check out All-New X-Men. It's a really good place to start, in my opinion.

As for condensed versions, the internet's pretty good for this stuff, and really helped me to figure out some plots and where to start. Wikipedia and the Marvel Wiki are useful resources.

If you've any questions, I'd be glad to answer them!

(As a side note, Matt Fraction's run on X-Men is generally disliked due to a lot of bad art and so-so writing. I haven't read much of it, but I'd say give it a miss)

EDIT: About the volumes thing: When comics are originally published they're published as numbers in a volume of the book: Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #1 is the first one, for instance. Later, when they're collected together to form a trade paperback/graphic novel, they're published as volumes in the story: For instance, All-New X-Men Volume 1 is the start of the All-New X-Men story, followed by Volume 2, et cetera. One way to think of it is like this: Issues are like episodes in a volume/season of comics, while graphic novel volumes are like the box-sets.

• If you're trying to cut down on cost you can purchase your comics in trade paperback form, commonly referred as just "trades" or "TPBs" by comic book readers. These trades usually bind together 6 or 7 issues of a given comic run.
  
• Trades can be purchased from various places, most of which have already been listed below by /u/maine_forest. Another places I'd recommend is www.comixology.com if you don't mind reading comics digitally. There are lots of sales that go one there that you can take advantage of.
  
• A tip about comics, you don't have to start from the "beginning". Nor would I recommend it. Many characters and comics got their start decades ago and many of those plot points are irrelevant to whatever is going on now and the writing can be off-putting to new readers because of how dated it is. What I recommend is starting from a contemporary point (which you can find in the sidebar) and moving forward from there. Eventually, as you get more and more into comics you can choose to read much older stuff and likely have a greater appreciation for it now that you have a better handle on the medium.
  
• X-Men: As a huge X-Men fan, X-Men comics can be far more intimidating to get into than most other characters. This is mostly because of how many characters that make up the X-Men corner of the Marvel Universe, which has resulted in there being A LOT of X-books. Here's what I would recommend;
  
• Astonishing X-Men Book 1 by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday This is a relatively self-contained x-book and is often regarded as one of the better X-Men stories.
  
• All New X-Men volume 1 by Brian M. Bendis This is the best place to start if you want to jump in with where the X-Men are right now. It's a great story that involves most of the X-Men you probably are familiar with thru the movies.
  
• Lastly, to view the sidebar, there's another reddit app I use called Alien Blue that lets you view a sidebar of any given subreddit. You may want to use that for further guidance.
  
  Have fun!
  

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Superior_Spider-Man

Look at the Collected Editions tab and you can see the Softcover collections, these are trades. Single issues collected into a graphic novel format.

This is Vol 1 of Superior Spider Man.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0785167048/ref=pd_aw_fbt__b_img_3?refRID=0262D1SA9Z7ZR33TF7YS

Use amazon or visit a shop to collect the 6 in the series. There are also Hardcover editions of the series that contain more issues than normal trades.

Superior Spider Man is a series in which Doctor Octopus trades his mind into Peter Parkers body and takes control of him. The six volumes is a good starting point to get into recent issues. After Superior Spider Man, Amazing Spiderman was renumbered once Parker gets back control. This is volume 1 of the renumbered series, in which there currently are only two.

http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Volume-Parker-Luck/dp/0785166769

I guess you could use this itself as a starting point. But i always recommend Superior Spiderman cause its a really good series imo

The current Iron Man run is pretty cool. Start with This TPB, the run is set to end in September or something like that. The current Fantastic Four run is hard to follow as far as numbering, but it is very, very good.

Daredevil is winning all kinds of awards for its current series. If you'd like some cool places to jump on in the next few months, Gambit #1 and Hawkeye #1 both release next month.

I would also recommend checking out the FAQ on this subreddit, but I'll give you a few series that I like to recommend to new readers and would probably fit your tastes based on what you've said you're currently reading.

Invincible Also written by Robert Kirkman.
Saga A world spanning epic with gorgeous art.
Hawkeye A superhero book that doesn't feel like one.
Batman A great take on a classic character.

Honestly, I would just recommend starting with issue number one of the current run by Mark Waid. It's a great jumping on point and doesn't really require too much prior knowledge about the character.


If you're looking for more of a short and sweet origin story to get you started I would go with Frank Miller and JRJR's Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. It's a classic, and pretty easy volume to read.


And if none of those strike your fancy I'd say to check out the FAQ for some other great suggestions.

I was about to answer that but looks like centipededamascus explained it real well. But no prob! And if you're interested in alternate reality stuff, I'm sure you'd love Old Man Logan. Its about an aging Wolverine who gone into hiding and has quit fighting/using his power s in a world where the villains have taken over and teamed up to wipe out all the heroes and Wolverine is the only surviving hero along with an aged and blind Hawkeye. Its a great read and available here
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0785131728

If you like Spider-Man, the current run is great. The first volume will be released in October here. If you like Batman, Snyder's run for The New 52 starts here and has been incredible. Green Arrow starting from Volume 4 is good, as is GA: Year One. I always love pushing people to read Danger Girl by Andy Hartnell and J. Scott Campbell (he does a lot of variants for Spider-Man). Spawn, Witchblade (Good jumping point) and Hellblazer are all great series (Hellblazer has a TV show Constantine coming out soon).

If you want more recommendations, or there is a character you want to read let me know.

If you enjoyed Astonishing X-Men, check out Grant Morrison's New X-Men, It takes place before Astonishing and equally as great.

Also by Morrison, Animal Man. Its simply amazing and some of my favourite work by him.

If you like Spider-Man and you haven't already read it. Ultimate Spider-Man is amazing, perfect for anyone wanting to read Spider-Man

Hmm, there aren't really any classic collected editions for GotG. While they had a presence in the 60's/70's they didn't really have much content until the last 10 years.

As collected trades goes, you can get;

• The collected 2008 DnA run, in two books, the second due for printing December this year
  
  
• The Annihilation Omnibus, which is the large crossover event mentioned, is not GotG focused but a good read if you want to get into Marvel Cosmic and have that kind of cash to spare. It's a big book.
  
  
• The current run, which is due for it's third trade soon, is pretty good. It gets mixed reviews, but I think it's a fun read. It introduces Iron Man to the team, and is considered non-canon from other GotG/Marvel stories as far as I know.

You can also go back to the semi-recent past, when the X-Men more-or-less entered the contemporary era, at the beginning of what's essentially been one big story.

• Grant Morrison's NEW X-MEN One of the best X-runs of all time: the team takes on threat after threat, mostly new villains. Some of the most imaginative yet faithful X-Men comics you'll ever read. I really can't praise it highly enough. (Available as an omnibus, or in 3 big paperbacks: 1, 2, 3.)[Cast: Xavier, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Wolverine, Emma Frost]
  
  
• Joss Whedon's ASTONISHING X-MEN Following up Morrison's run, Whedon does a great run that's less ambitious than Morrison's run, but just as classic. Available in two big paperbacks: 1, 2.
  
  
• Brian Bendis' Avengers Disassembled / House of M In his very first story on Avengers, Brian Bendis changes everything for the mutants of the Marvel Universe. I don't want to give much away, but this seriously affected every X-story that followed. That was and still is a HUGE deal. Part One: Avengers Disassembled , Part Two: House of M.
  
  
• Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction's UNCANNY X-MEN The story moves into the main X-titles at this point, led by Brubaker and Fraction's UNCANNY. In a series of crossovers, the mutants deal with the fallout from the end of HOUSE OF M.
  
  
• Messiah Complex
  
• Fraction, V1. (Manifest Destiny)
  
• Fraction, V2. (Utopia / Nation X)
  
• Fraction, V3. (The Five Lights)
  
• Second Coming
  
  
• Jason Aaron & Kieron Gillen's REGENESIS Following the Second Coming crossover, Fraction steps down and Kieron Gillen takes over the monthly book, leading up to another big event for the X-Men.
  
  
• Breaking Point
  
• Fear Itself
  
• Schism
  
  From here on out, for the first time in a while, we have two main X-Books: Gillen's UNCANNY X-MEN and Aaron's WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN.
  
  
• Gillen's Uncanny, Vol. 1 Sinister
  
• Gillen's Uncanny, Vol. 2 Tabula Rasa
  
• Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men, Vol. 1 Welcome to the X-Men
  
• Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men, Vol. 2 Mutatis Mutandis
  
  And now, all the plotlines that have been bubbling up for almost a decade come together in the big finale...
  
  
• Avengers vs. X-Men
  
• Gillen's Uncanny, Vol. 3 AvX, Book One
  
• Gillen's Uncanny, Vol. 4 AvX, Book Two
  
• Aaron's WatXM, Vol. 3 AvX Book One
  
• Aaron's WatXM, Vol. 4 AvX Book Two
  
• AvX: Consequences
  
  With another new beginning, the X-Books enter the newest status quo: Marvel Now! Almost everything gets a new #1 and a new creative team. (These are the books I outlined in the previous reply.)
  

The three perfect trades if you're looking for something modern, yet with a familiar team.

• Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection - Book 1
  
• Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection Book 2
  
• All-New X-Men Volume 1 Hardcover
  
  Astonishing X-Men is written by Joss Whedon, a huge fan of those 70s/80s issues, and is one of the best modern X-Men stories. The first two books in the list complete and entire story.
  
  All-New X-Men features the original 60s team pulled forward in time to show the X-Men how far they've strayed from Xavier's original path. I've given this to a lot of casual readers (and people who have only seen the cartoons/movies) and they've all enjoyed it.

wikipedia is pretty good for following the story arcs of major characters/series, but basically trying to 'complete' a Marvel or DC character/series is impossible.

The closest you can realistically aim for it to complete a creator's 'run' on a book because different creators will take a different approach with what they are working on, utilise different themes and interpret characters differently. For example: Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men. The easiest way to do this is, with Marvel at least, to buy an omnibus like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-X-Men-Omnibus-Grant-Morrison/dp/0785165053/

Haha woo!!! Always happy to see a fellow Turtle fan. So this is your main distinction. Do you want to buy nicer books that contain the main story + miniseries OR do you want to read just the main story?

The pros of just reading the main story is there are a lot more trades available. This is Vol 1.

If you want to read the FULL story + miniseries, this is Vol 1. It's longer than the main story trades.

Does that help?

As a DC fan, I can say that Marvel may handle stories well, but they don't EVER reboot their universe (which bars new readers from coming in) and they charge more for their comics and particularly big lines (Civil War II is running 6 bucks a single to Rebirth's 3).


The best way to start IMO is graphic novel groups (like The New 52 Group ). I'm sure Marvel has similar work, but they tend to run at a fair price to get a large amount of story (and they cut out ads).

Unless you're jumping in on a universe reboot time, that's a great way to start IMO (it's how I always look to start, because you're getting a decent amount of reading material)

Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force Omnibus comes out at the end of this month. It's hard to express just how amazing and awesome his run on that title was! Definitely worth checking out!

Also, if you really enjoyed Morrison's Animal Man run I'd highly recommend checking out the New X-Men Omnibus. It's top-notch!

While Iron Man: Extremis is a popular story that gets recommended a lot around here, I wouldn't say it's a necessary read for you at this point. There's not much in it that's similar to the movie other than the design of the armor. However, it's rumored to be a pretty big influence on the plot of Iron Man 3.

Your best bet, in my opinion, would be to start with Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man run. This title was launched right when the first Iron Man movie was released, so it's meant to be a bit new-reader friendly and is definitely in the spirit of the movie. You can either start with Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares or the first omnibus.

Astonishing X-Men is still an ongoing series. I'm assuming you've read Joss Weadon's run. Warren Ellis' run on the book is great too, and has awesome art by Simone Bianchi.

Also, if you enjoyed Astonishing X-Men, you probably would also enjoy Grant Morrison's New X-Men books, which were the predecessor to Astonishing X-Men.

They just recently re-released an Omnibus of his run. Here's a link to it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/New-X-Men-Omnibus-Grant-Morrison/dp/0785165053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344346561&sr=8-1&keywords=grant+morrison+x+men

Also, they sell trade paperbacks that are a little cheaper too.

Black Adam is one of the focused-on characters in the series 52. I can't recommend this series enough, for every character in it (but especially Black Adam). Shazam just had a single volume released here, and it's amazing and it'll leave you wanting more.

For the Flash, there's 3 big runs to consider. Mark Waid wrote one of the most well regarded runs in comics on the Flash in the 90's and I'd recommend starting there (but it's out of print so you'd need to do it digitally on comixology). Geoff Johns took over after and did another huge and acclaimed run on the character here. Both of those Flashes are the Wally West Flash. The current Flash is Barry Allen (again) and you can pick his new series up easily starting here. The new series was a lot of fun and is a good enough place to start for a comic newbie

Also, although I linked omnibuses, that was out of convenience: there's lots of other options available.

Ah, I misunderstood, I thought you wanted a complete list in order. Around 2005, Marvel re-vamped their cosmic line with a series of consecutive major cosmic events. However, none of these had any direct effect on the Marvel line - only tangential. Basically you can use the years to place where each event was published, but don't worry about having to read them in any specific order with the rest of the Marvel Universe or X-Men events. As you may have heard, these events introduced the modern Guardians of the Galaxy which inspired the recent movie.

MARVEL SPACE EVENTS

• Annihilation (2006)
  
• Annihilation: Conquest (2007)
  
• War of Kings (2009) - As a note, this crossover not only spins out of Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest, but Secret Invasion, and a few key X-Men storylines seen in these trades: X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Uncanny X-Men: The Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire, X-Men: Kingbreaker and other preludes
  
• Realm of Kings (2010)
  
• The Thanos Imperative (2010)

Psylocke: No, that comic isn't very good. Get this (and Volume 2) instead

More X-Men: Messiah Complex and Second Coming are both great. House of M is alright but is only partially an X-Men story.

I highly recommend New X-Men by Grant Morrison, X-Statix by Peter Milligan and Michael Allred, Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday and all of Si Spurrier's X-books.

All-New X-Men: Just the first volume has Magik.

Spider-Gwen: The first is before the second.

Batgirl: They renumbered the volumes when the series hit #35 and got a new creative team.

Female superheroes: X-23 by Marjorie Liu, Silk by Robbie Thompson, Batgirl by Brian Q Miller, Catwoman by Ed Brubaker, Catwoman by Genevieve Valentine, The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage by Jen Van Meter

"Sexy girls in latex": Sunstone

If you're into Marvel, the best places to start with each series are (depending on what characters you like)

X-Men (and all related spin-offs like Deadpool, Wolverine, New Mutants and X-Force): http://www.amazon.com/Uncanny-X-Men-Omnibus-Vol/dp/1302900838/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679726&sr=8-1&keywords=9781302900830

Iron Man (and War Machine): http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Man-Vol-David-Michelinie/dp/0785167129/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679751&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=iron+man+david+micheline+omnibus

Spider-Man: http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Roger-Stern-Omnibus/dp/0785188274/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679768&sr=8-1&keywords=spider-man+roger+stern+omnibus

Hulk: http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Hulk-Visionaries-Peter-David/dp/0785115412/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679788&sr=8-1&keywords=hulk+visionaries+peter+david

Avengers: http://www.amazon.com/Avengers-Busiek-George-P%C3%A9rez-Omnibus/dp/0785192883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679811&sr=8-1&keywords=kurt+busiek+avengers+omnibus

Captain America (And Falcon and Winter Soldier): http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-Epic-Collection-Without/dp/0785195106/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679835&sr=8-1&keywords=captain+america+mark+waid+epic+collection

Fantastic Four: http://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Four-John-Byrne-Omnibus/dp/0785158243/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679850&sr=8-1&keywords=fantastic+four+john+byrne

Guardians of the Galaxy: http://www.amazon.com/Annihilation-Conquest-Omnibus-Marvel-Comics/dp/0785192700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679890&sr=8-1&keywords=annihilation+conquest+omnibus

Captain Marvel: https://www.amazon.com/Ms-Marvel-Vol-Best-v-ebook/dp/B00AAJR202?ie=UTF8&keywords=ms%20marvel%20brian%20reed&qid=1464679926&ref_=sr_1_8&sr=8-8

Thunderbolts: http://www.amazon.com/Thunderbolts-Classic-1-Kurt-Busiek/dp/0785153098?ie=UTF8&keywords=thunderbolts%20classic&qid=1464679946&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Black Panther: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Panther-Christopher-Priest-Collection/dp/0785192670/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464679965&sr=8-1&keywords=black+panther+christopher+priest

Iron Fist: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Fist-Epic-Collection-Fury/dp/078519164X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680006&sr=8-1&keywords=iron+fist+epic+collection

Moon Knight: http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Knight-Epic-Collection-Shadows/dp/0785198105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680045&sr=8-1&keywords=moon+knight+epic+collection

Luke Cage and Jessica Jones: http://www.amazon.com/Omnibus-Marvel-Comics-Michael-Bendis/dp/0785121218/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680063&sr=8-7&keywords=alias+omnibus

Thor: http://www.amazon.com/Thor-Walter-Simonson-1/dp/0785184600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680118&sr=8-1&keywords=thor+walt+simonson

Punisher: http://www.amazon.com/Punisher-Welcome-Frank-Garth-Ennis/dp/0785157166/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680137&sr=8-1&keywords=punisher+welcome+back+frank

Daredevil and Elektra: http://www.amazon.com/Daredevil-Without-Fear-Frank-Miller/dp/0785134794/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680177&sr=8-1&keywords=daredevil+man+without+fear

She-Hulk: http://www.amazon.com/Sensational-She-Hulk-Vol-John-Byrne/dp/0785153063/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680218&sr=8-3&keywords=john+byrne+she-hulk

Black Widow: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Widow-Vol-1-Homecoming/dp/0785114939/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464680439&sr=8-1&keywords=black+widow+homecoming

Ghost Rider: Wait for reprints! Do not jump into the 2000s series without back issues or you will be confused!

Those are the best jumping on points for each series. Again, i say to avoid Ghost Rider since he has a complicated mythos

As for DC... stick to Vertigo stuff since a lot of DC's best jumping on points are out of print of DC don't care to reprint them. They care a lot about Batman (in which case, start with Year One by Frank Miller) and a lot of the Vertigo stuff but a lot of starting points like Mark Waid's Flash, Mike Grell's Green Arrow and George Perez's Wonder Woman are just now being collected and the Green Lantern hardcovers have gotten incredibly expensive. If you want to read DC, stick to iZombie, Transmetropolitan, Sandman, V for Vendetta, Invisibles, Watchmen and Preacher. Those are the DC series that their corporate branch really wants to keep in print.

Some great indie stuff is 8-Bit Theater, Artesia, Spawn, Questionable Content, Black Hole, Maus, Love and Rockets, Black Kiss, Sin City, Promethia, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Boys, The Walking Dead, Witchblade, A Contract With God, Lazarus and Saga.

If you want to get into comics, then read comics, there really isn't much more to it. ;D

You can borrow TPBs and Hardcovers from a local library, read them digitally, order them online from Amazon, Things from Another World or Midtown Comics or go to a local comic book shop and browse series, pick some that catch your interest, buy them, read them and if you like them ask the shop set up a pull-list, meaning that they'll pre-order an issue of a series that you want for you.

As for series recommendations

from what you posted:

• Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, it's the main Batman title, Snyder like to have long story arcs so get it in Hardcover format or TPB format.
  
  
• Hellboy, The easiest way to catch up with Hellboy is to the Library Editions, they collect about several story arcs in Deluxe Hardcover at a pretty affordable price.
  
  
• Superior Spider-man by Dan Slott and several artists, it Spider-man with a slightly different Peter Parker
  
  
• The Last of Us: American Dreams by Faith Erin Hicks and Neil Druckmann , a mini-series(4 issues) set before the the game.
  

Coming from a Marvel Cinematic background, I would recommend:

• The Ed Brubaker Captain America line, as this will most likely play heavily into the upcoming Winter Soldier film. The book continues well after the initial Winter Soldier storyline, and it's all really good.
  
  
• The Warren Ellis Iron Man: Extremis storyline, as this covered a decent amount of the major concept from Iron Man 3, as well as the origin from Iron Man
  
  In addition, since you've already read Whedon's Astonishing, I have to recommend Morrison's New X-Men, the storyline that Astonishing builds heavily from. Claremont's Dark Phoenix Saga is a great classic story, if you're unfamiliar.
  
  As for Wolverine, a recent favorite of many is Old Man Logan. This is a self-contained 'future' story, so it's not canonical, but it's good. The Claremont/Miller Wolverine is always a classic, and heavily influenced The Wolverine.

You might be interested in these, in that case: Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and here's Born Again for good measure.

The "Visionaries" series collects his first run. With Vol.1 he only did the illustrations, his writing - and therefore the really good stuff - doesn't start until Vol.2. I own them all and they're nice, hefty, decently priced collections that look pretty cool on my comic shelf.

I basically started fresh with Hellboy recently. I loved the concept, so I had little doubt that I wouldn't love the writing or surrounding characters as well.

Thanks to /r/comicbooks, I picked up the first 3 Hellboy Library Editions and the Plague of Frogs books from BPRD.

It definitely wasn't a financially wise decision, and I got lucky bc I really liked what I read. But, it's just one route to go if you're sure on the Mignolaverse.