So You Want To Read Comics: The Classics Edition

Things are getting prestigious this week in, “So You Want To Read Comics”.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic, then offer up two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic.  This week is a little different as we look at “The Classics”.

While sequential art has existed for millennia with ties to ancient Egyptians and Greeks, the comic book as we know it became popular in the 1930s.  In the time since, there have been a handful of titles and storylines that have gone down as especially impactful and influential, basically obtaining the rank of “classic”, in the same way as traditional literature titles and films do.  It’s also, pretty common for people to recommend these titles to people who are looking into getting into comics.  But, not all of them are as welcoming as others, when it comes to new readers.

Just to clarify, this isn’t about these titles quality, but rather if they’re new reader friendly or not.  Okay, enough trying to cover my bases, let’s get into this.

Watchmen

Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Publisher: DC Comics

Oh come on, of course we had to start here. There is perhaps no comic book series better regarded and studied than Alan Moore’s classic. On the surface, this is a story of a murdered superhero and the subsequent investigation that uncovers a massive plot bigger than anything anyone could predict.  Yet along the way we get deeply philosophical stories, commentaries on 1980s cold war politics, as well as personal tales of obsession, abuse, and legacy.  The thing is, while all this is here, a lot of what makes Watchmen great is its place in history and its relationship with all the comic books that came before it.  See, as much as Watchmen is everything I mentioned above, it’s also a commentary on comic books themselves.  This was one of the first titles to ever really question the consequences of having masked vigilantes or super powered beings operating in society.  There’s also a whole story in itself as how this went from a story staring old Charlton (an old comic publishing company) characters to who eventually became The Watchmen that has influence on the events on the pages.  In some ways, Watchmen reads like a punctuation point on the last page of the chapter of comics’ history where the idea of heroes and villains was seen as a simple one.

So, is Watchmen new reader friendly?  I would say no, simply because its creation is very much tied to comic book industry legend and history as a whole.  But, there are definitely things to enjoy about this series if you aren’t interested in brushing up on the history.

The Dark Knight Returns

Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Frank Miller
Publisher: DC Comics

Look at any “Top 10” list of Batman stories or just comic books in general and you’re most likely seeing this one. The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of an aged Batman who comes out of retirement to resume his crusade against crime, which has become increasingly violent in the years he’s been out of the game.  This series is credited with changing the character of Batman (and a lot of other characters) into grittier and darker characters.  It’s this depiction of the character that has gone on to influence nearly all the movie depictions, set the groundwork for the psychological connection Batman has with his villains that has become a popular trope, and has become a talking point for every person who’s ever tried to debate whether Batman could beat Superman in a fight.  For many people, this is who Batman has always been.  The issue with that though, is this series is written as a sort of dark conclusion to all the brighter and less serious stories that filled the 50s, 60s, and 70s.  Part of the impact of this story comes from the fact that this is supposedly the same character who ran around with a boy sidekick who wore pixie boots and a green short shorts.

Now the big question, is this new reader friendly? I would say yes.  This version of the character will be familiar to people who have only really engaged with Batman from post-TDKR stories and depictions, but it should be noted that without having some familiarity with what comes before, the reading experience will be different than if you had it.

How do you feel about some of these classics?  What’s your go-to book for introducing new readers? Let us know in the comment section below.

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