11 Essential Storylines To Read If You're Just Getting Into Comics

1. Watchmen

Watchmen takes the cake for being the most iconic graphic novel of all time, so it should come as no surprise to see it as a comic book essential, really.

There's not much to say about Watchmen other than what's already been said. It's so influential, so significant and so recognisable as both a comic book and as a commercial property that, apart from the Justice League and The Avengers, it's probably the most famous superhero team-based book out there. For a series that relied so heavily on creating brand new characters (sort of) for its story, that's a tremendous feat. And although it's true that the book is a Cold War analogue through and through, many of the themes it broaches are still relevant today; its dissection of the superhero genre still holds particular salience.

Watchmen is the ultimate superhero story. Not because it encompasses the genre in a feel good way or because it pays homage to the history of the medium, but because it contextualises it in a frighteningly realistic world. Indeed, it's this identity that makes Moore's book such an enthralling tale. You won't find an introduction to the medium quite like it.

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Have any recommendations you'd like to share with beginners? Be sure to post them in the comments below!