Top 10 Graphic Novels For People Who’ve Never Read One Before

[@elanrhys3178]

Could you make a list of graphic novels to bedtime read to your children or nieces and nephews please Omar

[@jearl75290]

Bone by Jeff Smith, Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck by Don Rosa, The Muppets by Roger Langridge & Dogman by Dav Pilkey are all great for kids.

[@elanrhys3178]

@@jearl75290thank you for the great recommendations

[@NearMintCondition]

Of course I can. As I used to do this for years :)

[@jmclaughlin]

Howdy! Any guesses as to whether there will be a reprint of the spectre? I’m trying to build a reference library for my work/research and trying to find this and a couple others that are stupidly expensive on ebay. (Im in canada btw)

[@paulmcgrew2932]

Batman Adventures. Omni dropped today. Kid safe, Batman, just like the animated series, depending on kid of course.

[@georgefeliu2383]

In no specific order: 1. All Star Superman (totally agree even if though it wasn't my entry): 2. Astonishing X-men by Whedon (brought me back to X-men but the Genesis Era by Lee and Claremont is a good second choice as it was what made me an X-men fan); 3. JSA by Johns (gateway to DC universe): 4. Batman: Hush (People hate on it but it is such a good intro to the world of Batman, supporting cast, and villains.); Capt. America by Waid (he got me hooked on Cap even though the Winter Soldier my actual bring in new readers because of the movie); 5. Ultimate Spider-man; 6. Green Lantern by Johns; 7. FF (By Waid and Weirengo); 8. JLA by Morrison; 9. Star Wars Legacy from the Legends Universe (Tales of the Jedi is also a good jumping on point). 10. Ultimates by Millar and Hytch because of the movies (New Avengers by Bendis is my other choice)

[@crashline]

Saga was the one that got my wife into the medium. She's a big BKV fan now.

[@AgentMorgan2010]

I was gonna say Saga, myself. Never found anyone who couldn't read it.

[@jordanthomas4379]

Also read, pride of Baghdad

[@balkthor]

Saga for me, too, my very first single issue comic I ever bought was #1

[@darharharhar1484]

I would say with season two on Amazon coming out invincible would be one that I suggest to new readers. It was such a good read from start to finish I couldn't put it down.

[@darharharhar1484]

@brandon17760 I saw the show and wanted to check the books out and man I was reading the ultimate editions and I was reading about 2 a night got through all 12 in 8 days

[@billyjoejenkins2081]

Bone and The Walking Dead are fantastic picks for beginners.

[@mattthompson3371]

Man, I love these type of videos. So many ideas!

[@RifsArt]

Great list Omar! I had Gotham Academy on my wishlist. Definitely going to pick it up now. Thanks! ❤

[@jacobklimoski3673]

My brother got me into super hero comics and I gravitated towards Batman and he's a Spider-Man fan. A friend in middle school showed me Spawn and that was the first on-going series I started collecting. And then this channel helped me branch out to other types of stories beyond superhero which has been rewarding!

[@CarlosDias-er6dd]

There's some books that I didn't hear about. And note that I am a long time reader! Thanks Omar, it's vídeos like this that helps me with FOMO, because reminds me that there are always a new, different and interesting book!

[@dudig6701]

I also really recommend on two books for new readers: Persepolis. It is an amazing graphic novel. The Realist by Asaf Hnuka. It has three books on the series but it does not matter on which one you pick as first, because they are all a collectin of 1 page stories. I had the honor to meet Asaf and he is one of the best comic book creators in our days.

[@toeknee1505]

Love your list of graphic novels Omar. There are 4 of them that I SHOULD get. Many thanks!!!!

[@MagicJulienBertone]

Wow what a diverse top 10 list! Solid ground is covered here. I came into comics for the art mostly. I wanted to develop my art style in the late 90s and started collecting Heroes Return Iron Man, Danger Girl and Fathom. I started to enjoy more the storytelling aspect with Frank Miller, Allan Moore and Understanding Comics.

[@johnphilipcruz2954]

I recommended Ballad for Sophie on a date before and now she's hooked on comics. In my opinion, It's a must-read title that not a lot of people know about.

[@mattherndy2790]

Let’s go!! I’m sorry for annoying you every week for this but thankful you put this video together!!

[@stephentheshywarrior2759]

You aren't being annoying. You are being positive and we need more of that in the world ATM.🙂

[@NearMintCondition]

Never apologize for these great ideas!

[@mattherndy2790]

@@NearMintCondition well, my last great idea almost got you sued by onlyfans, so I’m 1/2 😂😂

[@mattherndy2790]

@@stephentheshywarrior2759 hey thanks man!

[@jearl75290]

It is wild that I started Bone nearly 30 years ago in the pages of Disney Adventure's magazine. Now my son and I are both excited for Jetpack Comics upcoming signing for Bone: More Tall Tales.

[@bluespaceman7937]

Lots of us read those Disney comics around the world!

[@newspooiechannel]

My go-to for anyone looking to get into comics (and specifically Marvel superheroes) is Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' MARVELS. Easy to get into and rather than relying on the reader's knowledge of events, it explains all the significant events to the readers. Best of all, it is told from the perspective of an average person in a world surrounded by superheroes. On the DC side of things, Batman Year One is good jumping into pint with the first year in the life of Batman and Jim Gordon. Anyone who has seen the movies, or any TV shows, or played any games or has simply even just heard the name "Batman" should be able to jump in easily. On the other end is also Batgirl Year One, which is also now getting a reprint this month. I got into reading X-Men and Marvel comics thanks to the X-Men Adventures comic. Prior to that I was reaching TMNT Adventures from Archie comics. I would imagine any comic based on an animated series would be a good starer for someone to get into comics. Thankfully, now we have both the X-Men Adventures (Animated Series) and Batman Adventures omnibus out there. Much like Bone, I would always say that another great "all ages" read would be Usagi Yojimbo. Before I was reading Marvel or DC, my uncle picked me up a couple issues at his LCS after I recognized him from the 80s TMNT cartoon back over 30 years ago and I'm still grabbing them today. Very easy to jump into and several formats available (TPB, Saga, Special Edition, etc). Last year I started bringing single issues of comics I now owned in collected editions into work to give away on a "Take One, Leave One" shelf and offered some to my supervisor for her kids. Her youngest was into the Marvel movies (and some DC comics), but had never read any before. I gave him my run of Untold Tales of Spider-Man and from what I am told, he ended up reading them before bed each night.

[@marconacher01]

Thank you for this video. Great recommendations there. I don’t know if you’ve already done something like it, but perhaps a possible Top 10 could be “Top 10 slice-of-life graphic novels”. As much as I love super-heroes, science-fiction and fantasy, many people don’t. They want to read stories about everyday people engaged in everyday life. Those people might keep away from comics because they identify them with those aforementioned genres. And let’s be honest, they wouldn’t be too off the mark in thinking that. Those genres do dominate the medium. But there are wonderful graphic novels about mundane experiences too. Just to be clear, a slice-of-life list wouldn’t just exclude anything with fantastic elements, but also realistic stories with an adventurous plot: things that could, in theory, happen but are extremely unlikely to happen to any of us. Off the top of my head, I would include works by Will Eisner, Adrian Tomine, Jaime Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez and so on. (Blankets would definitely qualify, but Maus perhaps shouldn’t, given that it features anthropomorphic animals.) Anyway, up to you.

[@fil27010]

I believe that Persepolis would be a good suggestion too! Great list Omar!

[@erwingu]

Thank you for this list Mr. Uncanny. Now I can maybe add this to my wishlist for my nieces and nephew 😊

[@OmniNationComics]

Very versatile list bro ! Well done broham ! 👏🏾

[@doriangoldsmith7748]

I'm so glad you included Blankets, I first discovered that through your channel during the Covid pandemic and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I've since lent it out to friends who had never picked up a graphic novel in their life and found they really enjoyed it as well. Around about the same time you included I Kill Giants and 4 kids walk into a bank which are also nice self contained stories easy for new readers. I'd add to that and include Stitches, Blue is the warmest colour and I've been recently reading Middlewest which is hitting the right notes for me so far. I love discovering these so please keep the recommendations coming 👍

[@NichoMania2]

Might be a weird additional recommendation, but I'd put Tellos by Mike Wieringo and Todd Dezago. Short, quick fantasy comic with great art, great story, and family friendly, but doesn't shy from stakes. Read it as a kid [so maybe I'm biased] and still think it's a top tier rec. That and Leave It To Chance. by james robinson.

[@stephentheshywarrior2759]

Good video.

[@CraigGrannell]

Great video. Made me think about this myself, trying to figure out books that were standalone, or part of a finite and complete series and that didn’t demand you know too much of the language of comics to appreciate. Anyway. Here’s what I came up with. And, yes, I had to include one 2000 AD book, obviously. Reckless Wild’s End Hellboy: Seed of Destruction Resident Alien Ordinary Button Man Usagi Yojimbo Daytripper Upgrade Soul It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth

[@chazkhaira4690]

All Star Superman is a must for everyone

[@fireboy312002]

This is a good list.

[@garyfoster65]

I’m working on Mrs F. She has read Maus & Lady Killer by Joelle Jones. Enjoyed them both but need to keep up the momentum.

[@jonnyneverland5276]

When I saw the title of this video, Bone was the first thing that came to mind.

[@dadp12780]

Do a top 5 or 10 of your favorite comic book writers and artists

[@Krypton_Ken]

Maus should read by everyone, phenomenal graphic novel. I've never read Bone, I should fix that. Loved Jeff Smith's Shazam book.

[@litewait633]

Yes on Maus. And Yes you need to read Bone.

[@antonichristel6430]

Lantern City, The Joker " a killing joke", Y the last man, Priest, and manny more.

[@a.barron16]

There's so many great choices out there. One I would consider but depending on the person's interests and to handle mature content is Preacher. A best friend of mine introduced me to the series a long time ago and I was hooked. Glad someone mentioned Invincible which brought me back into comics again after taking a long hiatus when I served. And as someone who still loves manga, how it started for me when I was in Junior High School was being introduced to Rumiko Takahashi. Maison Ikkoku would be at the top, then Ranma 1/2. Lone Wolf & Cub and Vagabond (though it's not finished) would be great suggestions depicting what feudal Japan looks like, wandering samurais/ronins, tons of action, and in depth history which I appreciate seeing throughout those pages of both series and the footnotes covered at the end of most books on chanbara (チャンバラ) I've read. The storytelling and artistry both of those series brings is something to appreciate any fan of martial arts action cinema will enjoy.

[@bluespaceman7937]

Good recommendations.

[@MisterFantastic1961]

This is a good list! I have a recommendation. One of the best stories I have ever read and it is also a fantastic jumping on point for Doctor Strange: Doctor Strange The Oath by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin. It tells a great story and it also tells you everything you need to about Doctor Strange.

[@blurjose]

Great stuff here. I just can't get behind Millar's work. Though I do see the point that it would be a smooth transition from the MCU to Civil War.

[@Money_Over_Honey]

Can you do a top 10 of indie comics?

[@jrcbroolz]

I got a friend in via New Avengers by BMB vol.1 (Breakout) & Thor by JMS Vol.1, though i think NA stuck harder given she's gone to grab the next few volumes of that

[@coolx.]

I agree with bone,blankets and maybe the walking dead If i were to add a few more it would be persepolis,daytripper and blackhole (maybe)

[@huntergoodwin71]

Thor the devourer king got me hooked! I’ve always liked him but now I love the cosmic adventures in both Marvel and DC

[@JosedeLeon-0]

Blankets is currently published by Drawn and Quarterly Publishing, not Top Shelf Comics, and came out with a 20th Anniversary edition recently.

[@leonrees4780]

Always wanted to read bone but I can’t seem to find it in print in colour anywhere

[@paulmcgrew2932]

Batman Year One and Spider-Man Blue.

[@olestokke]

Civil War was the first marvel-comic I read and I really liked it as an introduction to Marvel. I think I would have added Batman: Year one as an introduction to Batman. Saga by Brian K Vaughan is one of the best comics I have read so far, so I agree with having that on your list.

[@MegaMac464]

Gotham Academy is one I def wanna check out after reading the new Birds of Prey issue

[@monicapatel9372]

Persepolis is a good one. I gave it to a family member who had no interest in reading comics and she devoured it in a day and asked for more recommendations.

[@johnnydeazvedo414]

I gave my friend old Claremont X-men trades after I upgraded to the epic collections so I introduced him to the that run

[@Wishlake]

I feel like "Locke & Key" should be here.

[@bilalfareed5066]

My first were Vision by Tom King (wanted to do some prep for wandavision) and DCeasd by Tom Taylor I absolutely loved both. They are both still two of my favourite writers.

[@UltimateSpider1385]

I learned about so many Marvel Events that I want to read: Avengers: Kree/Skrull War, Empyre, War of the Realms, King in Black, Spider-Verse, and Annihilation. But the event I want to read the most is Civil War.

[@shengcer]

It may just be my bias, but I love stories with conflicts which could include incredible violence. IMO the greatness of characters can only be demonstrated through their struggling against fate and strong will to conquer impossible odds.

[@panosmavraganis6504]

Great video!Omar here's something I'm sure will interest you(love this era) CAPTAIN AMERICA BY MARK GRUENWALD OMNIBUS VOL. 1 June 4 2024

[@NearMintCondition]

Oh yeah! I announced it a couple of months ago. Cannot wait :)

[@heatheredwards9951]

My buddy Collin had said that he read mostly graphic novels and barley read any comics , so being the comic book fan I am I asked what he liked and he had said that he like predator so i am going to buy him the predator the original marvel years omnibus .

[@EmpireStateUtopian_Dystopia]

Those are all some great choices for graphic novels that anyone can start and become a possible long term reader of the comics medium. I liked that you chose Bone, The Walking Dead, Maus, All Star Superman by Grant Morrison. Saga is a good pick too. IS it still currently being released, what volume hardcover are they at now with Image's Saga? Vol 5 or 6? I never read much of Saga. I haven't read a few of these. If I had to make a list of top ten or 15 graphic novels- mini series, ongoing runs or even one shot stories- for a friend, acquaintance, family member to start? I thought about it these past few minutes and I would go for a mix. In no particular order: - Watchmen. Must read for all new readers to explore how deep, nuanced, grey, political and emotional super hero comics could be. Alan Moore's Watchmen flipped the super hero genre over its head and changed the medium for the long term. It is still a fantastic read, albeit a bit tedious in certain parts{those anecdote pages and summaries at end of each chapter...lol} - Swamp Thing by Alan Moore[ the five or six tpbs or even in absolute HC edition]. - Y the Last Man tpbs. One of my favorite independent Vertigo series of all time. I have them in softcover, the five trades. A great read throughout most of it. - If I chose any Batman stories for new readers to read first, I choose Batman The Long Halloween or Batman HUSH. Yes, over The Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year One, the two overrated Frank Miller Batman stories. Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Batman Hush is iconic and a great start to the modern age of dc comics. - Batman by Scott Snyder new 52 run. Omni vol 1. - Captain America by Ed Brubaker "The Winter Soldier". Start there with that amazing first arc and witness one of the greatest modern marvel runs of the 2000s for 6 or 7 years. Best place to ever start reading a mature serialized action spy thriller Cap run. - Ultimate Spider Man omni vol 1. - Daredevil by Frank Miller. His first run on DD and then read Born Again. This the best place to start with Daredevil and if you want a modern early to late 2000s runs on Matt Murdock, it's Brian Bendis and Ed Brubaker brilliant runs. - The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. For those who like more fantasy/myth/fable like esoteric stories with deep meanings and philosophical questions about life and death and dreams. Sandman is a place to start. - Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and art by Alex Ross. Iconic dc comic that is my favorite dc story of all time, probably. A perfect elseworlds saga that exemplifies what Superman and all the JL team are truly about. - Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender. As a massive Xmen lover and fan myself, the mutant of the Xmen are so difficult to recommend to new readers. Where to start? So many great stories and periods of Xmen, especially Chris Claremont. But to do a more modern Xmen run, I would go with Remender's darker and modern UXF. Great cast of characters and stories that anyone can get into. I'm trying to think of people who don't read or want to go through decades of crazy xmen crossovers and titles. Unc X-Force was just 35 issues. - Maus. I choose that too. I read it once only, but I felt it and it left an impact on me. How I view the holocaust and what about to the jews during Nazi occupied Europe, in Poland and the east of europe, I often think about Maus. It is a powerful read and it just makes you think about that dark period in history. - New Avengers by Brian Bendis and David Finch. A great starting place for the era where Bendis' NA title became marvel's flagship book that would streamline across events and create other spin off avengers titles. Another great one to start during this time was Young Avengers first series, which was so awesome. - Irredeemable by Mark Waid. A great deconstruction of a "superman gone insane", genocidal killer superman, story that is a departure from typical super hero vs villains kind of comics. I still have to read it all. I need to get the complete compendium collection to read the rest of it. - The Walking Dead is another one I would choose for new readers who want to read a horror zombie survival story with twists and turns. - Annihilation event. The first 6 part epic event that launched Nova series by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. If I had to choose one event of the post modern age, for fans of sci fi and cosmic heroes that aren't the typical earth based New York City heroes; Annihilation is a good starting comic? I love it, but maybe I am biased for that one. Annihilation and Annihilation Conquest> War of Kings> House of M> Thanos Imperative> Secret Invasion> Civil War > Siege/Dark Reign.

[@mattheendpod2659]

All star superman is impenetrable for even big comic readers. You need so much Superman context.

[@billyjoejenkins2081]

I agree. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who has never read a comic.

[@NearMintCondition]

All star is how a few of my friends got into comics. Some still read Superman because of that book.

[@billyjoejenkins2081]

@@NearMintConditionI’m glad it worked for them, it just wouldn’t make my top ten. As someone who has never read any pre-crisis Superman, a lot was lost on me. I would recommend Ultimate Spider-Man instead.

[@elvaquerovaquero5243]

@@billyjoejenkins2081 I hated HATED ultimate Spider-man and I know Omar recommends it for new readers to get into Marvel Comics, but I put that book down three times. Just not for me. I'd rather read something classic like Lee or Conway.

[@billyjoejenkins2081]

@@elvaquerovaquero5243 Would you recommend brand new readers to start with comics from the 60s and 70s?

[@robertmarquez8883]

My Supervisor Loved "God Country." Said it was..."Heavy." ;)

[@paracyntrix]

I'm curious to know, which list would you create, to include Asterix and Tintin? I want to introduce my nieces and nephews to world of comics and graphic novels, who know nothing outside watching short videos on mobile phones.

[@dominickkrikke2611]

I'm quite new to the comic panel, however done my first step research. Stumbled upon somthing that lead me into the mist a bit. Does the lastest Alias omni contain every Jessica Jones entry thusfar? Off topic question, but I had to ask it.

[@Inarelationshipthecomickid]

Hey, there are all these reading orders for the flash. Which one do I follow?

[@Hydrus96]

Maus is an incredible book so much so that my local comic shop Nirvana Comics supplies any student nationwide a copy for free if they want it. were in TN where that book was banned and they rose above and said NO were not silencing history.

[@projektvyking7521]

Jump right into The End League and set your bar sky high

[@kieranroche597]

What are the hardcovers for Saga? Are they omnibuses?

[@Jackfromshack]

Is ElfQuest graphic novel?

[@larryankenmanjr1719]

What about Watchman

[@giantenemycrab7859]

What got me into comics was Calvin and Hobbes as a kid. What I'd suggest for people new to the medium would be 1. Batman - The Dark Knight Returns for the DC Universe 2. Civil War by Mark Millar for the Marvel Universe 3. Armor Hunters by Robert Venditti for the Valiant universe 4. Watchmen by Alan Moore for mature comics 5. (Not a collected edition since there's still no physical edition but) Queen of Wands by Aire for slice of life comics. Tied with Contract With God by Will Eisner in this category 6. Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson tied with Sonic the Hedgehog the IDW Collection Vol 1 by Ian Flynn for all-ages comics 7. Spawn Compendium 1 by Todd McFarlane for horror comics 8. Black Science Compendium by Rick Remender for sci-fi comics 9. Sunstone Deluxe Vol 1 by Stepan Scejec or Questionable Content by Jeph Jacques for romance comics 10. Ghost in the Shell by Shirow Masamune for manga

[@wbbartlett]

Walking dead book 1 of exactly how many? Not one for a beginner unless they want to get a second mortgage to read the full story!

[@dadp12780]

I feel daytripper should be in this list.

[@logan2b]

Surprised there’s no Batman year one, but besides that seems like a great list, a couple of these I still want to get to

[@e.b.s174]

Batman hush, spiderman original run by lee and ditko , Watchmen, maus, and of cours Tmnt

[@olestokke]

I have just read All-Star Superman (or 95 % of it) and I really would not recomend it to anyone. But I love how we all are so different. Something I love, is something that my friend really don’t like.

[@TurtlebackYT]

First novel I read was fnaf silver eyes

[@dudig6701]

Although I do like the story, I would not reccomend Civil War for a new readers. You do need basic knowledge aboust some of the characters in order to understand the story. Also, I don't like the shame ending with captain america not believing on what he did all the way in the story. It was Stark who should have feel shame on what he did.

[@vincentimbesi3947]

I agree, it’s not new reader friendly and not really a good story.

[@NearMintCondition]

It’s an awful story lol but completely new reader friendly. Cap bad, iron man good. Or iron man bad and cap good. In the end heroes fight for ridiculous reasons and readers are just in for the ride. Everything you need is in the story. Guy in suit blames heroes for not taking responsibility.

[@boaffa3032]

Wow no invincible

[@lavonscool]

Wow umbrella academy

[@Elricsedric]

I don't think all star superman should the first. It should be the last comic u read for supes as an ending

[@NearMintCondition]

I would disagree and say the last Superman story to ever read is Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow by Moore and Swan.

[@jordanthomas4379]

WHY OH WHY IN GODS NAME!!! Is God Country not available in a premium oversized hardcover edition??? Literally god only knows.

[@betelguese3909]

I love Umbrella Academy. Unfortunately the netflix series is almost unwatchable.

[@dorlando1209]

Hard disagree on all star superman for the same reason why you wouldn’t hand a new reader TDKR. Great story. Horrible starting point. If you’re a new reader and want a great jumping on point read Up in the sky.

[@NearMintCondition]

It’s the Superman book that got at least five of my friends Into comics. It’s self contained and you don’t need yo read anything before or after. Also, love Up in the Sky.

[@francoisdemorcy5084]

Civil War is very good Walking Dead started out good the fell off big time.. Book became boring.

[@pablomoral4751]

I think superman red son would be a better alternative for new readers rather than all star superman. Not so dense and mind blowing ending

[@goodnatureification]

First?

[@stephentheshywarrior2759]

Yep.👍

[@joaofezasvital]

Saga is amazing until "the one we know who he is dies". Now it's garbage.

[@francoisdemorcy5084]

Umbrella Academy is a good comic. Horrible tv show. 🗑. Wish it had a good ending.