>For X-Men, is the "Astonishing X-Men" a decent starter? Or are there better and shorter X-Men comics out there?

This is certainly a good place to start. The Essential X-Men collections are pretty good and cheap too. They're uncolored, but you get a lot of content for the price.

>As for Batman, I know there are a lot of fantastic stand alone graphic novels vs. full length stories. Would it be better to read the stand alone ones or a series?

Either way. Personally, I'd recommend the long Halloween and dark victory as a starting point.

>I'd also like to read something from the Teen Titans universe, but I have no idea where to start.


I couldn't tell you where to start with teen titans. I know that Young Avengers, the Marvel series running now is really great.



Here are some recommendations I've copy pasted from posts I've made on similar threads. Everything on this list is good.

• X Statix Omnibus - Approx $45 dollars so you'll be paying roughly a dollar an issue for a really nice hardcover book. Most importantly the Mike Allred's pop-art style is beautiful and Peter Milligans writing is amazing. This is a book about celebrity and comics. It manages to both be very cynical, but also have great sincere moments. The collection includes the entire run so if you are a competitionist reader I imagine that is appealing also.
  
  
• Ultimate Spider-man - This recommendation only works if you are willing to read used books. However, if you are, you can find these volumes used for dirt cheap. You can get volume 1 for 6 bucks and volume 2 for 60 cents. This is the most popular book of the "ultimate" line and really holds up. I think it is the best spider-man book of the last decade.
  
  
• Runaways (digests) - Everyone loves this series. If you've read and not liked it, you might be a bad person. Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3 are available for 5 bucks each. The story follows a group of teenagers who find out their parents are the villains. It is really interesting and those first 3 volumes make up a really satisfying story arc. Note: the digest versions are smaller than a normal trade paper back or graphic novel which is a part of why they are so fairly priced.
  
  
• Hawkeye - This is my favorite mainstream superhero comic. It is brilliant and fun and funny and emotional and experimental. The story follows hawkeye when he is not an Avenger. You can get Volume 1 and Volume 2 for less than ten dollars a piece.
  
  
• Omega the Unknown by Lethem and Rusnack - imagine a brialliant writer and creative artist got to reboot their favorite short-lived and already-forgotten Marvel series. No imagine they made the whole book about why the first series was cancelled.
  
  
• Journey into Mystery by Kieron Gillen - I am thinking of the fear itself story here. It is almost a literal B-side to that cross over. It keeps the same themes and story, but takes a different tone and character. Mostly it is great fun.
  
  
• Ghost: In the Din and Smoke by Kelly Sue Deconnick - This is a bit darker than the superhero stuff KSD has done. Still, she keeps her funny/quick dialogue that she is known for in this book. It basically about a couple of ghost hunters who actually find a ghost and end up embroiled in a deeper political-demonic scheme.
  
  
• King City by Brandon Graham - Graham is a brilliant artist whose focus on detail in the city make this book fun to look at it. The story is very character driven. It follows a cat-mancer (someone with magical cat-manipulation abilities) as he returns to his home city. He reconnects with friends, tries to foil a plot to raise a world ending demon, and reflects on lost love.
  
  
• Danger Club by Walker and Jones - A fresh take on superheroes. The heroes have lost and the sidekicks are left behind. Instead of preparing to fight whatever it was that filed all the heroes, they are busy fighting each other.
  
  
• Powers by Bendis and Oeming - The first story arc, the death of retro girl, can be read as an amazing stand alone story. It is a book about the detectives who investigate super powered crime. When one of the most powerful heroes dies this story picks up. More of a cop drama than a hero book, Powers is a good read and the first story arc should be recommended more often.
  
  
• Umbrella Academy by that one guy in my chemical romance (I think) and Gabriel Ba - Great story about a group of child heroes who grew up raised by a adoptive father who was unloving. They are reunited as their old villains surfaces and new ones arrive. This is a story about family.
  

If this is what you're referring to, that's actually from the current JL arc, set five years ago. The founding members of the League unite for the first time to fight him.

Overall I've had a mixed reaction to the changes. There's some things like Grant Morrison's Action Comics (Super jeans) which despite being extremely from the Superman I'm used to, is really well written and easily one of my favorite books. The change to Wonder Woman's origin as well as Azzarrello's style of story had made Wonder Woman comics interesting to me perhaps for the first time. I'm upset that many classic elements of The Flash have changed, yet Manapul stills spins a good yarn. JLI could've been great, but the current story is just sorta petering out for me. And it doesn't really have anything to do with changes really, just not particularly exciting a tale. With Aquaman nothing really changed yet continuity wise, the new badass-ness is just a shift in writing tone. As for Batman, that whole Catwoman fiasco I totally avoided. I'm only reading Batman, which has Scott Snyder on board. Amazing writer.

There's a few books that the changes have completely turned me off though. I read the first issue of Blue Beetle, and while it seemed good to me, I just couldn't get past how much they completely changed. Unless the Superman book gets a better story going and/or gets Lois and Clark back together again, I probably won't be touching it.

On the plus side there's a number of great books. Batwoman has a great story and even better art (though you'll do well to read Batwoman: Elegy first). This, much like Green Lantern, had absolutely no continuity changes whatsoever. In fact the series was meant to debut a good few months before Flashpoint. Swamp Thing and Animal Man are killer, and ought to be read simultaneously as there's a crossover coming. Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and I, Vampire I've also heard a lot of good about. Justice League Dark is a pretty fun book, and Stormwatch is an offbeat pleasure of mine. It's somewhat hard to follow, as it throws several Wildstorm characters at you as well as several original Stormwatch characters just invented for the DCU, and barely spends the time to introduce them or give any backstory. The current plot and the kinds of things the team faces are also out there. But I really have been enjoying the wild ride. Demon Knights I dropped after a couple issues after deciding it wasn't really my kind of story, but it is still well written and pretty broadly enjoyed. It's best described as The Magnificent Seven in the Middle Ages, but with magical characters.

The approach I've been taking with most New 52 books is to look at them in a vacuum, not as necessarily a continuation of something (many aren't), or something that's tied into a greater universe wide story or tied to several other books or events. I kind look at it like a whole bunch of out of continuity ongoing series, like All-Star Superman. It allows me to accept whatever changes they've made to old characters, provided the story itself is good enough to warrant it. It's also got me into things I never thought I'd be reading monthly like Swamp Thing, Animal Man, and Stormwatch.

EDIT: I'm guessing the skinny Waller thing is influenced by the Green Lantern movie. With Nightwing I remember in some odd Morrison Batman issue Dick commenting that he never felt totally at home as Batman. I think he might've said this to Dick. In any case though, Batman Inc. still definitely happened as did most if not all of Morrison's Batman. Dick just decided to go back to Nightwing. I couldn't explain to you why he's red instead of blue suddenly though.

>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’ve read like 7 issues of All-Star Superman and don’t get it

He's the pinnacle of optimism, inspiration, idealism, hope, and probably the most memorable character of all time in western culture. You shouldn't turn to Superman comics if you're in the mood for grit, crime, edgy, dark, etc. You read Superman when life seems tough, when drug cartel torture videos make you angry, when your worldviews are failing you, or when you just want some wholesome superhero fun. Like watching a Pixar film to cleanse your palette after Requiem for a Dream. A character that feels comfortable and safe like home. When you explore further, you'll discover even more depth and variety, but I wouldn't worry about that when getting acquainted for the first time.

All-Star Superman is about solidifying the character's historical/mythological significance, just as we still believe in/tell stories about gods like Hercules carrying out 12 labors. It can also simply be an amazing hero that accomplishes amazing feats. It incorporates many different "versions" of the character and his adventures into one book in creative ways like his interactions with Bizzaro. In this sense, it's the definitive "tribute" story to Superman, which is admittedly appreciated more by fans of everything that came before.

> I’m not sure why I should care if Superman dies

I can see why you'd feel that way if this one story was your only exposure to this character. You should know, however, that superheroes rarely "die". Like most of his stories, it has less to do with the danger of death than it does with how he lives. How does he handle having those powers? How does that create problems/solutions for his environment? What decisions does he make, being aware of his own limitations? What does this character do, even when he knows he's dying? Does that inspire you? Or, do you just think it's still totally unrelatable because he has freeze breath? Is it meant to be relatable? Are ideals attainable or do they just provide purpose/direction/meaning to keep us moving forward?

> I see people recommending All-Star to people who already don’t like Superman thinking that it would change their mind, does it?

YMMV

> Art is nice, but face and the back of hands look kind of weird.

Agreed. Quitely isn't my favorite character artist (wrinkles!). There's a lot of solid color, flat, low-detail backgrounds in All-Star Superman too. He can be pretty great in other aspects, though.

I think All-Star Superman is a story that new readers CAN enjoy, but is also definitely enhanced with more appreciation/knowledge/experience with the character. If you're approaching comics from the perspective that these stories follow traditional 3-act structures (beginning, middle, end), then you'll find that not all the context you feel you need is included in every story. Comics are perpetually stuck in act 2—the beginning happened decades ago and there is no end in sight. Morrison writes All-Star Superman as a monument—a single work that focuses on a well-known character to be appreciated/celebrated/remembered. It does not aim to introduce, explain, deconstruct, twist, experiment, etc. like you'd expect from a more "traditional" or long-form story.

Here are my usual Superman "modern essentials":

• The Man of Steel | #1-6 | 1986 | John Byrne
  
• Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, For the Man Who Has Everything | Superman #423, Action Comics #583, Superman Annual #11 | 1984-1986 | Moore
  
• The Death and Return of Superman | Death, Return | 1992-1993 | Jurgens, Stern, et al.
  
• Kingdom Come | #1-4 | 1996 | Waid
  
• For All Seasons | #1-4 | 1998 | Loeb
  
• Action Comics: What's so Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way? | #775 | 2001 | Kelly
  
• Red Son | #1-3 | 2003 | Millar
  
• Birthright | #1-12 | 2003-2004 | Waid
  
• Secret Identity | #1-4 | 2004 | Busiek
  
• All-Star Superman | #1-12 | 2005-2008 | Morrison
  
• Up, Up, and Away! | Superman #650-653, Action Comics #837-840 | 2006 | Busiek, Johns
  
• Kryptonite | Superman Confidential #1-5, 11 | 2006-2008 | Darwyn Cooke
  
• Action Comics: Superman and the Legion of Superheroes | #858-863 | 2007-2008 | Johns
  
• Action Comics: Brainiac | #866-870 | 2008 | Johns
  
• Action Comics (New 52) | #1-18 | 2011-2013 | Morrison
  
• American Alien | #1-7 | 2015-2016 | Max Landis
  
• Action Comics (Rebirth) | #957-ongoing | 2016-2017 | Dan Jurgens
  
• Superman (Rebirth) | #1-ongoing | 2016-2017 | Peter Tomasi
  
  Birthright and American Alien are self-contained, modern, limited series that focus on his early days. Secret Identity is a much more grounded/realistic approach about a boy that gains superpowers in a world where Superman comics exist. If you don't want to commit to the whole list, I'd recommend these to start.
  
  

It's so odd that if you buy comics on amazon FOR comixology, it's cheaper than buying it ON comixolgy.

For me, digi is awesome because I don't have to remember to pack it (if I'm traveling between friends houses it is just a log in away) and for certain crossovers/story arcs, it is easier to flip back and forth (you said you are reading new 52 batman. the night of owls crossover and the death in the family you need to flip back and forth between series in the middle of TPBs, online would make this infinitely easier).

also with your phone or ipad, you can jsut download the comics, so that way you don't need wifi later (you can also easily delete them from your storage) and you can use the amazon kindle app once it's downloaded w/out wifi.

However, I love the feeling of actual print, and I like to support my LCS. With print I enjoy holding it, and just overall feel...more real? I guess when I read it, rather than on an ipad or a computer. Though still Digi tends to be ridiculously cheaper than in print TPB in store.

I've found digi TPB on amazon ~10. print tpb on amazon 12~, digi on comixology 12~ and in store print, 16~.

for reference [Batman new 52 vol 1] (https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Owls-New/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467687559&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=batman+cout+of+owls) 8 digi, 10 print but closer to 15 in store.

I recently bought [justice league new 52 vol 1] (https://www.amazon.com/Justice-League-Vol-Origin-New/dp/1401237886/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467687640&sr=8-1&keywords=justice+league+vol+1) for 10$ on amazon in print, and the label still says 17$. So LCS up charge alot.

All in all, I enjoy getting print in certain issues like GL and Justice League just because I enjoy the artwork SO much. I also like having big story arcs in print because it feels satisfying to just know i collected those big issues (Blackest night, Brightest Day, infinity gauntlet (marvel)]
However the artwork on digi tends to be great as well, Teen titans for example looks awesome. I'm not really sure I have anything to compare (as in the exact issue), but it seems to be just as fine.

Overall, digi almost always cheaper, always have on you, (you can download ahead of time) can delete later for room, can flip between easier, some artwork might not be as good. also never have to worry about damage.
Print, something satisfying about feeling it in your hands, sometimes makes it seems more real than on a computer.

These are all the modern Barry Allen Books in the order they occur. If you want to read the best of the best Flash stories The Flash by Mark Waid volume 1 is out and The Flash by Geoff Johns volumes 1-3 but these feature Wally West as the Flash who (in most people on this sub's opinion) is the best Flash. Wally is also my personal favorite comics character. So here's my Barry Allen reading order with brief explanations:

•Flash Rebirth brings Bary up to speed with the world and shows him dealing with being a man out of time. This story kind of demeans Wally as character in my opinion, it makes him seem incapable of doing much and shows Barry doing things Wally can't do in this story despite Wally showing he's convincingly surpassed his mentor. I'd talk more about this but this isn't he post for that.

•The Flash Dastardly Death of The Rogues is the best Barry Allen story, it is a must read

•Flash: Road to Flashpoint. This story is pretty alright, the collected version has a lot of interesting one shots and such and it directly leads into Flashpoint. This doesn't get recommended often, but I enjoyed it and I think it should be at least mentioned

•Flashpoint kicks off the New 52 and is a very well written Barry Allen story. This leads into the New 52 series

•The Flash New 52 Vol 1-4 Collected in this omnibus. This has absolutely stunning art and it's the same art team that did Dastardly Death of the Rogues, the artists also double as the writers and they capture a good Barry Allen in my opinion. This run is great but everything after is pretty mediocre. This easily my favorite run on the character and it's very beginner friendly. If you want to just get one thing on this list, get this.

•DC Universe Rebirth is a great story and Barry and a certain other speedster are very relevant to the story

•The Flash Rebirth (2016) is the current ongoing, you can digitally purchase it or buy the issues individually from Midtown Comics (The website) or your LCBS. I'm linking the first volume of this run.

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?

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’m assuming you probably heard or read a lot of these already but their worth repeating on the chance that you haven’t.

• The first four volumes of Superman/Batman are probably the best stand alone team up stories those two characters probably ever had. Between the four they deal with the kind of stories that only superhero books have done well. Things like multiple universe, massive crossovers, time travel, and introductions of legacy characters. They are also just damn good reads.
  
  
• Kingdom Come is another story that really could only be done well in a superhero book. If you haven’t read it then you really need too.
  
  
• Volume One and Volume Two of DC: The new Frontier are timeless superhero stories that really exhibits what makes them so special.
  
  
• All Star Superman shows what a modern version of a Silver Age story would like. This has the special sauce that made comics good back in the 60s and 70s and its one of the best Superman stories ever told.
  
  
• Superman: Red Son best example of an Elseword or Alternate universe story. Really good.
  
  
• Marvel’s Secret Wars should be required reading. Kind of like how Catcher in the Rye or To Kill a Mockingbird is in public schools. It’s a corner stone for comics.
  
  
• Crisis On Infinite Earths: If Secret Wars is Catcher in the Rye then Crisis is War and Peace. It is a tuff read for a new reader but it is masterpiece in terms of craft, storytelling, and the weaving of continuity.
  
  
• Identity Crisis was mentioned before but I’ll repeat it because it is the superhero story the deals with issues typically never addressed in superhero books. It is controversial for some of the things that happen but ultimately very good book.
  
  
• Superman: Our Worlds at War is probably a bit difficult to find at the point but it is a massive phone book size trade that show what a good multi author/artist collaborative crossover event can be like.
  
  
• The Long Halloween and Dark Victory are two timeless Batman stories. I don’t care for Batman comics but these books are so good that even I like them.
  
  
• Astro City just started back up again so a new printing of the first story should be just around the corner. It is a celebration of everything that make superhero comics great. Keep an eye out for this one.
  

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.

This site has a lot of really great info, especially for your boyfriend when deciding what to read and make sense of it all. I've used it a fair amount. This wikipedia article might help if he's into the big crossover stuff.

As far as another big one, Civil War is always a popular choice. It's one of the better comics of the last couple decades. He'll have heard all about it and seen the movie, so it might be neat to see what he's missing.

As far as other good stuff, a sort of out there one is the Authority. It's in a completely other comic universe with people he probably won't know, but it's really great. It was one of the first to show the gritty, flawed heroes, plus it supposedly inspired how a lot of the movies were shot. It's also by my favorite writer, Warren Ellis. I typically choose comics by writer.

Speaking of great writers, you could pick up the first volume of either Y: the Last Man or Saga, which are both pretty ubiquitous in the comic world.

And here's the link to Secret War. I included the links for clarity, but do please go to a local comic book store if you can. It's great to support them and they will typically give solid recommendations. Or be assholes. Or both.

The best book on how comics work, for my money, is Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. That would be followed up by Making Comics from the same author. It's a little theory-heavy but it's amazing. I'd say it's good for 14 and up, or maybe a little younger. This would get him a fantastic background in how comics work and how to create them in general. The first book is literally used as a textbook in some college "Comics Appreciation" type classes. The coolest thing about it is that it's a comic itself, and it demonstrates the things it's talking about right there on the page.

If he's younger, and/or he really just wants to learn to draw superheroes, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way is really good on the fundamentals. It's old-school (most inkers don't use a brush anymore, they use computers), but the fundamentals haven't changed all that much.

Here's a more modern one from DC that looks pretty good and has good reviews, though I haven't read it.

NO never read New 52 Superman; until 32 when Johns took over. Lobdell's books were mostly panned in the New 52 and the DC sub even had a survey and Lobdell's Superman was one of the lowest rated books. Morrison's Action Comics run was good, but just understand it is essentially a 18 issue commitment to understand. If just looking for a good New 52 Superman story New 52 Action Comics vol. 5 is when Pak took over and is a very fun story and the trade is out. The most popular Superman story from the DC sub's survey was New 52 Superman/Wonder Woman and the vol 1 trade is out for that. There is also Superman Unchained which was a miniseries by Snyder and lee which is a good self contained story in one book. So would say best bet would be one of these if just looking to buy a single trade to try out a series.
Rebirth and Secret Origins are both part of Johns run. His run started with Rebirth and bringing Hal Jordan back as GL and then partway into his run he essentially did a Flashback arc(Secret origin) to update Hal's origin to fit his story he was telling. If you have the money; they are releasing Johns' run as a omnibus; which may be pricey, but is about 40 issues included and will include stuff like the Green lantern Corps book when it crosses over with Johns' GL story.

IMO, what you really want is Constantine's original series, Hellblazer, which ran for 300 issues before ending and being replaced by the "Constantine" series.

Obviously 300 issues is pretty damn long, but all the different runs within it are pretty self contained so you can jump around following different writers without a problem if you fancy doing that.

If you want to start from the beginning, you want to look for the Jamie Delano stuff, which starts here. However, while I like that run a lot, I don't think it's aged particularly well and comes across as pretty hammy sometimes (Delano's a big fan of purple prose) so you might be better off starting with the second run, which was written by Garth Ennis (he starts at issue 41 if you're not looking at trades) and is, IMO, quite a lot better.

Other good Hellblazer writers (I don't have the volume numbers for these guys so I'm just giving you starting issues) include Warren Ellis (134), Mike Carey (175), and Peter Milligan (250).

Batwoman ( begin here ), Birds of Prey (original runs currently out of print, so this has to do to start) and Supergirl ( begin here ) definitely deserve mentions! Although I don't think any of those titles have yet to be announced to be returning post-convergance (I'm sure Supergirl will be getting a book again soon, with a TV show coming out next year). DC also has a Black Canary title coming out after Convergance, by the same creative team currently working on Batgirl. It can be easy to forget Wonder Woman too, but she has a lot of great runs and stories that interested people should check out (have a look at recommended reading on the side bar for a selection, but the recent Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang run is an amazing read and it starts here ).

Besides DC, Image is putting out a title called Rat Queens about a group of women adventurers in a fantasy (swords and sorcery type) world, and it is an absolute blast. It's hilarious and fun! It starts here.

edited to fix the Supergirl link

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.
  

You should give her a copy of Comics and Sequential Art and Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative, both by Will Eisner. Actually, it might be easier to read them yourself so you can augment your own understanding of the difference between comics and illustrated books. They're prose for the most part (as opposed to Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud), with examples interspersed. Eisner lays down all the reasons why comics, graphic novels and sequential art in all its forms has been, and should continue to be, a serious medium for the dissemination of ideas and stories.

Okay, I'll give a quick sumuppance. Comics and graphic novels rely on images and words working simultaneously to achieve a visual narrative much like a film. If you want to you can consider them the middle ground between books and movies. I suggest those books because Eisner gives a much more thorough explanation than I will. One of the fascinating points he brings up is the use of cave paintings and hieroglyphs as a means of communication (before or, even, as written language) as well as the difference between logographic languages, like Chinese, and phonographic languages, like English (and most other written languages).

Okay, I'm rambling and I'm not even sure I've cleared up what the real difference between illustrated books and comics or graphic novels is. Really, since you're in the business of safeguarding and sharing information, you should read those books, as well as Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud so you can gain a greater understanding of why you like comics and why they should be included in the information which is preserved for everyone.

edit: Gawd, I misspelled achieve.