LibGuides: Comics & Graphic Novels: Comic Reading Resources

Fan Page Reading Guides

I've collected a few beginner guides to reading comics and graphic novels. Each article gives suggestions on where to start reading and offer further resources with more specific guides (e.g. Marvel comics, Star Wars comics, etc.).

How to Start Reading Comics in 2023: A Beginner's Guide
A solid place to start with different suggestions depending on if you want to read print or digital comics. Contains suggested reads for those just getting into comics as well as reading suggestions by publisher.
How Do I Start Reading Comics? The Simple Guide for New Readers
Overriding some common misconceptions about comics, this article encourages everyone to start reading comics where they're comfortable. Suggests starting with your local library's comic collection when trying new stories you may not be sure about.
Don't Let Them Intimidate You: A Beginner's Guide to Comic Books
Sarah Ullery describes her experience with comics and focuses on ways to access them digitally through various platforms. She includes a lengthy list of suggested reading at the end of the article.

It can also be useful to google search "where to start reading [insert character name] comics" to find specific comic run or reading guides. There are a lot of fans out there who truly love comics and want to share them with others!

Assessing Online Sources

A note on assessing web sources.

Not all websites are created equal! Anyone can make a webpage. For academic purposes, it is important to always consider the following when using the web as part of your research:

Authority

who made the page? Are they an expert in the knowledge that is being presented?

Appropriateness

is the information appropriate for your assignment/research? Consider things like language, age level.

Currency

how old is the page? Is the information itself current? When was the page last updated?

Objectivity

is there a bias to the point of view of the page? Is it hidden or overt?

Purpose

what is the purpose of the site? Does it inform, sell, persuade to an opinion?