By Caroline Binley (@carolinebinley) and Ben Dojutrek (@bdojutrek)
So you’re going to see “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Maybe you’ll love it. Maybe you’ll hate it. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll leave the theater a newly converted supernerd, ready to dive into the comic book universe. Just one catch: as daunting as the Marvel Cinematic Universe can seem, the Marvel Comic Multiverse (and the comic book world at large) can be even harder to navigate. Here are some Prospect picks to help you start reading:
Caroline’s pick:
Starring Marvel’s first Muslim superhero, Kamala Khan, “Ms. Marvel” was my first comic book. Kamala herself was quite the fangirl — idolizing Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel — until she discovered her Inhumanity last year and assumed Carol’s code name for her own crime-fighting endeavors. She only just became a superhero, and her storyline is only vaguely tied to more infamous Marvel works, so she doesn’t come with 70 years of context you have to weed through. Instead, the series offers only great jokes, perfect(ly flawed) characters and thoughtful exploration of what it’s like to be Muslim in America.
Ben’s pick:
Young adult stuff is all the rage these days, the most prominent mixing humor and drama, and everyone’s always saying, “You got to read this.” Too bad I’ve already read the best YA book out there: the first 33 issues of “Amazing Spider-Man.” It takes the best and worst parts of growing up while still being a thrilling action tale. You come for the Amazing Spider-Man but stay rooting for Peter Parker, a nerdy kid trying to be the best man he can be. You feel for him as he tries his hardest to b
e understood and stay on the side of the angels. It also helps that since it’s at the beginning of Marvel, there aren’t 50,000 tie-ins and continuity puzzle pieces to put together. The series is great for beginners who want exposure to comics and one of their greatest heroes.
Schnell’s pick:
History teacher Dave Schnell would actually suggest going outside of Marvel and DC. “The one that pulled me back after I stopped reading comics was one called ‘Planetary,’” Schnell said. Written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by John Cassaday, “Planetary” tells the story of a group by the same name, bent on uncovering the world’s secret history. “It’s unbelievable,” Schnell said. “It’s great science fiction, not so superhero-y, though it definitely has super heroes as well. That’s the comic I’d go to. It’s a little old at this point, but that’s the one I’d go to.”