A big problem with any entertainment is the question of where to start. What comics are best to read to get into them.
I don’t know, but I do know where you can learn about what comics you shouldn’t read. Atop the Fourth Wall (or AT4W) is a webseries created by Lewis Lovhaug. It follows his character, Linkara, as he reviews comics and battles evil. Surprisingly the two crossover more than you would expect.
For an internet reviewer, Linkara is targeted by many evildoers who either plan to take over or destroy the world. When not defending everything he holds dear, Linkara sits down at his couch and runs through a wide variety of comics he considers terrible.
The comic to get the most vitriolic review, Holy Terror
Linkara typically reads through an entire issue, or multiple, depending on how much he wants to get through, while making sarcastic commentary about whatever is amusing enough. The humor is very quick and dry, with snappy quips being made every few lines of dialogue. He also gets frustrated at the stupidity or bigotry in comics whenever he runs across it.
We’ve all seen comic book heroines who wear so little it’s a wonder how they’re not freezing to death, and Linkara often takes umbrage with this, particularly when it stops being just fanservice and becomes utterly degrading or just plain stupid.
AT4W is a very funny, and intelligent review series. The wide variety of comics examined by Linkara means that there’s something for everyone to laugh at. I highly recommend taking a look at it here.
I wouldn’t recommend Linkara to anyone wanting to get a start on reading comics. He jumped on the TGWTG bandwagon back in the early 2000s where swearing and cursing at “bad” media was (and in many ways still is) popular. He’s bad criticism, and he does so from a standpoint of being a very poor storyteller and comic-book writer himself. The pot is calling the kettle black. For anyone wanting to get into comics, I usually recommend a Calvin and Hobbes compilation book or The Adventure of Tintin series.