I found a way to get my non-reader friends into comics that actually worked

So I've got this group of friends who love the Marvel movies but think the comics are too confusing to start. I mean, they'd always say stuff like 'where do I even begin?' and give up. Last month, I decided to try something different instead of just telling them to read a big event. I picked up a single, self-contained graphic novel, 'Superman: Secret Identity', and just left it on my coffee table during game night. One friend picked it up, read the whole thing in like two hours, and was totally hooked by the story. He asked to borrow it, and now three of them have read it and are asking me for more recommendations that are just one book. I guess the trick was picking a complete story with no required reading, not a #1 issue of a long series. Has anyone else had luck with a specific book to get people started?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnh823mo agoMost Upvoted

What did you tell them to read next? I've had good luck with The Vision book by Tom King for that same reason.

coleman.jamie2mo ago

Wait, you had GOOD luck with Tom King's Vision? That book is a masterpiece but it left me a WRECK for a week. I mean, it's a full story, sure, but it's the most heartbreaking thing I've ever read in comics. I recommend it to people but I have to give a serious warning first. It's not just a fun superhero book, it's a deep dive into sadness and trying to be normal. Still amazing though.

bettykim3mo ago

Yeah, the "complete story with no required reading" thing is KEY. I read an article that said the same thing, that graphic novels are the perfect gateway.