11 Essential Storylines To Read If You're Just Getting Into Comics
7. Hawkeye
Marvel Comics
While it might be hard to believe that any part of Hawkeye could be considered 'essential' in the grand litany of the Marvel Universe, Matt Fraction and David Aja's 2012 series is just that, essential. It's also pretty damn spectacular, so take that, Hawkeye haters.
Focussing on both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop as they do normal, non-Avenger-y things, the series made a name for itself by condensing one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes to their most basic elements. We get to see Clint rescue pizza-dog (his actual name, by the way), tassel with some Russian mobsters who can't quite wrap their head around his alternate identity, mend broken friendships, and team up with Kate to rescue not only his own apartment block, but his own identity too.
It's a compelling read, and one that's also ridiculously easy to pick up, with both TPB and Hardcover formats to choose from. It might not sound like a must-read on the surface, but - perhaps surprisingly - it's one of the most influential comics of recent years.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
