There’s a universe out there where this feature doesn’t exist, that feature being “So You Want To Read Comics”.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic, then give you a pair of comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic.  This week, we’re taking a look at another Marvel TV show, What If?

Like most of the properties being converted into movies and tv shows from Marvel, What If? Is based on an already existing thing.  Starting in 1977 the initial What If? Line of comics ran for 47 issues, which laid the groundwork for the formula that would be revisited periodically all the way to current day. What If? As the name implies, asked just a simple question, what if just one thing was changed about these classic heroes and stories?  Sometimes the changes were big, sometimes minor, but always impactful, which resulted in many wild stories that forced the readers to see their favorite characters in new lights.  What made these issues so special was that they weren’t beholden to any sort of ongoing storylines, or planned events.  This meant that the creators were able to really push the envelope and let their imaginations run wild with these characters. In a strange twist though, a lot of these stories would go on to be explored in one way or another in the main continuity. Now, while the show focuses on changes made to the MCU continuity, the comics of course dealt with that side of the canon.

So here are a couple of collections of What If? Stories that will feel similar to the show, but also accessible to those who aren’t long time comics’ readers.

What If? Classic: The Complete Collection Vol.1

Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Publisher: Marvel Comics

If you’re going to peruse what the different universes have in store for your favorite heroes, might as well start at the very beginning.  This collection features the first 12 issues of the What If? Series, which includes some all-time favorites like “What If Spider-Man Joined The Fantastic Four” and “What If The Avengers Had Never Been?” It’s these issues that would set the standard for all of Marvel’s alternate universe storytelling.  Later entries into the “What If” series can be pretty dark and serious, for the most part these skew more to the lighthearted side of things. Now, it might seem like some prior knowledge would be necessary to understand these, but the style of writing that was popular at the time was very narration heavy, so basically everything you need to know is explained in boxes of text on the page. Also, it should be noted that this is a very large collection and physical copies of it can get pretty expensive, so it’s my suggestion that you try and go for a digital copy.

What If?: Mirror Mirror

Writer: Various
Artists: Various
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Here’s a more modern collection of What If? Stories that will feel more familiar to the types of comics you’ll find these days.  What’s unique about this collection is that it adds a narrative that gives these stories more context than a typical collection does.  Also, these stories have a slightly different tone than a lot of What If? Stories.  Rather than making subtle changes in the characters’ stories, these place the characters in completely different time periods, scenarios, they even change their nationalities in some cases.  In this collection the point is not so much “what if Captain America turned left instead of right”, but rather, “What If Captain America was alive during the 1800s and fought in the Civil War”. It’s this extreme degree of variation that gives these particular stories a sort of “fan fiction” feel, in a good way. Most of the characters featured are fairly well known, and that basic knowledge is really all you need to appreciate what’s happening here.

What did you think of these recommendations? What are some of your favorite alternate reality stories?  Let us know in the comment section below.

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