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

10. Static Shock: Rebirth Of The Cool

There are few publishing events out there in the medium that really redefined its conventions, but the founding of Milestone Media in 1993 is surely one of them.

Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek Dingle's DC imprint was revolutionary for a number of reasons, not least of which because it was massively influential in diversifying the DC Universe both off the page and on it. Chief among the creators' works was, however, Static - a series that followed the exploits of a young Virgil Hawkins as he picks up superpowers during his high school years. It also, rather famously, birthed Static Shock, one of the brightest additions to the library of the DC Animated Universe.

Written by McDuffie and Robert Washington III (both writers who have since tragically passed away), and drawn by John Paul Leon, Static exemplified the Milestone approach to storytelling, providing bags of nuance and drama in a series that, although temporarily cancelled in the late nineties, found a new audience at the turn of the century in Rebirth of the Cool; which, apart from being the best title for a comic book ever, is a series everyone should check out given the opportunity.

The story is, rather sadly, currently out of print, which is a massive loss for everyone concerned. If you're interested in seeing the series return though, you can always send the folks at DC a message here.