Read on to see how we all answered!

We'll do this alphabetically by first name..

Bill Reed

I suppose this depends on how strict your definition of "ongoing" is. At the moment, the title I'm leaning towards recommending most heavily is Red 5's Atomic Robo, by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener (and friends). "It's a mini-series!" you may cry, shaking your fist at the thunderous heavens, but bear with me. The way the book's shaping up, it looks like it's becoming a series of mini-series, and that's ongoing enough for me. We've had one mini-series (soon to be available in a far more palatable and digestible trade paperback) and a Free Comic Book Day Special (what better format to hook new readers?), with another mini-series on the horizon. Yeah, looks like Atomic Robo's going to stick around.

Why praise it so heavily? Especially for readers new to comics? For one thing, it's not laden down by the oppressive weight of the dread creature called "continuity," so we don't have to worry about any sort of confusion on that end. More worthwhile, however, are the book's attitude and execution: it's fun. Yes, that harmless three-letter word is a curse to "serious comic readers" everywhere, but for new readers, it's a blessing. Atomic Robo is a comic that doesn't take itself too seriously; it's an adventure comic about an irreverent, ass-kicking robot that's been around since 1923 and takes on strange menaces with the help of his action scientists. There's a good premise for you. It leads the comic into what might seem like standard comics territory-- robots, Nazis, robot Nazis, giant ants, etc.-- but Clevinger's scripts sing and zing, and Wegener's clean, dynamic art tells the story perfectly. The book's got a lovely sense of freshness about it. *sniff sniff* Mmm. Lemony.

Atomic Robo is perfect entry-level comics (not to worry, sports fans, it's also perfect comics for those of you who have been around for a while). It's suitable for all ages, too, so your best friend, your wife, and your kid can enjoy it. It's got a cracking sense of humor and a high level of excitement. I hope it sticks around, and I hope that the FCBD issue has hooked a new batch of readers.

Brad Curran

There's no magic bullet for the one comic that's going to hook new readers, because they're not a monolithic, collective blob. Not that Brian assumes that, even if he is an android who doesn't quite understand humanity, no matter how well he fakes it. Well, that's my pet theory for why he's so prolific.

So, yeah, you really ought to tailor this kind of thing to the reader's taste. But that statement of the obvious defeats the purpose of the question, and as much as I enjoy routing purposes, I'll break down and pick one: Casanova.

It's a genre hybrid, so it's not as limiting as something that's strictly a superhero or crime book; it's got an absurd amount of bang per buck (and not only because it costs $1.99, although that's part of it); it makes excellent use of the serial format, with cliffhangers to make you crave that next issue; it's new enough that catching up wouldn't be hard at all, and episodic enough (well, other than the last couple issues in a given storyline) that you could hand a new reader an issue hot of the stands and they could figure things out pretty fast; and... well, I hate to harp on the price, since it's an excellent comic regardless, but even if they despise it with every fiber of their being, it's only $1.99.

Hopefully this hypothetical new reader is okay with the occasional bit of ultraviolence, some foul language, and a blue color palette, and finds Fraction's "backmatter" process stuff interesting and not the dreaded "pretentious," can live with the occasionally eratic schedule of a creator owned comic. It also helps that they have two eyes and a heart, too. People with eye patches and pacemakers tend to not be big fans.

Brian Cronin

Seeing as how I wrote a bit awhile back about recommending comics to non-comic readers (and how you shouldn't use a superhero comic, unless they specifically say "I'm interested in superhero comics"), it'd be pretty funny if I picked a superhero comic as my choice.

Sadly, I am avoiding said hilarity.

My first two picks I decided to back off on because while I love them both, they might be a bit too heady for a general new reader, and those are Ganges and Acme Novelty Library. Both stunningly expressive works, but they're not the easiest works to get into for a new reader (Ganges, though, certainly more so than Acme Novelty Library). That said, we sure are lucky that Kevin Huizenga and Chris Ware are doing ongoing works.

I'm loving Jason Aaron's Scalped, but that's a bit of a genre book.

So if I were to pick a more mainstream book, I am going with Fables.

The concept of doing new stories with classic fairy tale and mythical characters is a popular one (Mike Myers did it with Shrek, Sondheim did it with Into the Woods, Schwartz is currently doing it to great popular acclaim with Wicked), so new readers will be familiar with the concept, while also, since the concept of the book is based on the idea of using famous characters, they will also be familiar with the characters in the book.

In addition, Bill Willingham has generally created a book that appeals to different types of readers - there's plenty of action, but there's also plenty of character moments. It's a bit of a soap opera, just one that has battle sequences every once in awhile.

Most of all, like a soap opera, you can depend on Fables almost every month for a new story, which I think is important for hooking a new reader - give them something every month, so they have a reason to come into the store, and while they're there, maybe something else could catch their attention.

Danielle Leigh

My recommendation for new readers (either new to manga or even to comics in general) is xxxholic by CLAMP and published by Del Rey (simply pronounced as "holic"). These volumes (currently 11 are available in the U.S.) represent CLAMP's most mature work, as their art-style and story-telling capabilities are beautifully integrated to tell a supernatural tale about a special young man who comes to change the world around him in surprising ways.

The Plot: Kimihiro Watanuki's life really, really sucks -- not only can he see spirits and all sorts of supernatural-shenanigans, they are very attracted to him as well. Imagine trying to go to school on a daily basis when a big, scary blog of ectoplasm is chasing you down, trying to make you its pillow. Going through life as the human equivalent of supernatural cat nip isn't much fun, so when Watanuki stumbles across a beautiful and mercurial witch named Yuko who grants wishes (but only in exchange for some form of "payment" of equal value), he makes the obvious wish - to be cured of his "gift." Yuko promises to grant his wish but in exchange Watanuki must become her indentured servant (poor bastard).

Radiating out from Watanuki and Yuko's initial encounter are a host of expected and unexpected consequences - since nothing in life, according to the logic of the narrative, can be attributed to coincidence, everything is "fated" to happen. In spite of his wish, as Yuko's servant-boy Watanuki finds himself ever more entrapped in the supernatural world, often becoming entangled with Yuko's other customers (who have their own wishes and agendas). Often, and occasionally against his will, he ends up resolving various supernatural conflicts with two classmates in tow; one a very pretty girl Watanuki likes, and the other a standoffish boy he greatly dislikes, but whose very presence transforms Watanuki's supernatural gifts in surprising ways (remember this is CLAMP, and if you don't know what that means, let us just say that opposites have a way of attracting in their narratives, regardless of gender).

Watanuki starts off as a very average kind of guy who just happens to have an unfortunate burden to carry, and he tends to spend the first few volumes reluctantly using his abilities to help others and whining about it. It should probably be mentioned most of the humor of `holic comes from the fact Watanuki is a great big - and occasionally adorable -- spaz. Yet even if he resists letting the supernatural infiltrate his life and relationships, CLAMP slowly reveals the very human potential of his other-worldly gifts, and as readers we are given the true pleasure of witnessing Watanuki mature over time and learn to accept the burdens *and* the blessings associated with his gifts.

The basic plot is probably a cliché to everyone who regularly reads manga (i.e. a supernatural shop where customers ask the impossible and have but two potential resolutions depending on the true nature of their motives: they can come to either bad or good ends) but CLAMP's take on the subject feels quite fresh. It must be said the art alone makes 'holic spectacular even when we might feel we are spinning our wheels plot-wise (Important note: when CLAMP gets to plot arcs with real and long-reaching effects they will blow the top of your head off. Trust me). Imagine manga done in a style reminiscent of the art nouveau movement - this world and the people in it are long, lean, sharp-edged, elegant, and beautifully detailed. And oh yes, the entire title is rendered starkly in (almost exclusively) black and white. Gray tones - the real expressive "guts" of most modern manga -- are practically nonexistent. Artistically speaking this makes 'holic quite innovative, but beautiful art alone would leave me cold. It is the way CLAMP uses this surprising art style to create a world we both know and don't know, portraying the everyday and the other-worldly, all in the service of telling us an age-old story -- a young man's coming of age. While the majority of manga is about human development of some kind, very rarely has this subject been rendered with such sensitivity, humor, and even pathos, as in 'holic.

Go read, enjoy, and marvel at how strange and beautiful comics can be.

Greg Burgas

I think I'll have to say Casanova. Or Rex Libris (if someone already claimed Casanova). Both are unfettered by continuity, neither feature superheroes, both are packed with content, Rex Libris is hilarious, Casanova is exciting (so is Rex Libris, for that matter), and perhaps most importantly, both show the kind of stories comics can tell beautifully, without the worry of special effects budgets.

They're highbrow enough to appeal to people who are snobs about comics, but lowbrow enough to appeal to everyone's love of visceral entertainment. And neither have a long history themselves, so it wouldn't be too difficult to get caught up.

And you don't have to explain Skrulls for people to love them. That's a bonus!

Greg Hatcher

The nice thing about this question for me is that my wife is actually one of those mythical 'new readers.' She married into all this. Julie's got some nerdy interests and they intersect mine here and there -- she's a bit of a Trekkie, for example. But by and large comics began and ended with Charles Schulz for Julie, until she met me.

So sometimes if I am curious to see what a non-comics reader thinks of something, I'll ask Julie to look at it. (I gave her the first issue of Green Lantern: Rebirth because I wondered if it really was as incomprehensible to a newcomer as I thought it was. Answer was a resounding yes.) But there are very few that she grabs out of my hands because SHE is interested in reading them.

Of those, the biggest success in recent months was Cover Girl, from Andrew Cosby, Kevin Church and Mat Santolouco. Here's the press copy summing up the premise: "He's Alex Martin, the down-on-his-luck actor whose star is rising thanks to a roadside rescue caught on tape. She's Rachel Dodd, the bodyguard assigned to keep him alive after several mysterious attempts on his life. Will Rachel be able to keep Alex alive long enough to get to the bottom of the attacks on the actor? Will Alex be able to keep his hair perfect the entire time?" It's a great idea, well-executed, and Mat Santolouco did a terrific job on the art. If that was an ONGOING book, it would be the clear winner, no question. It's amazingly fun and accessible.

In fact a lot of BOOM's output fits the bill here except they tend to do mini-series that are collected into one-off book projects. BOOM is actually doing a nice job of finding that niche area in the market for those of us that like adventure -- stories with a bit of swash in their buckle -- but are getting burned out on costumed superheroes. Hunter's Moon, 2 Guns, Left On Mission, Stardust Kid, Potter's Field... all would be easy recommendations from me for this except they're not ONGOING. But I did at least want to mention their books because it seemed unfair to penalize them for being smart enough to use a different publishing model.

But I did suggest both the question and the "ongoing, monthly" qualifier. So I guess I better stick to the rules. What I can tell you is that new readers aren't looking for superheroes. Mostly they want to laugh, they want something fun. More than anything else, the comics that catch people's eye at at the art studio where I teach tend to be humor books, or at least books with a lot of humor in them; stuff like Naughty Bits, K Chronicles, Barry Ween.

And of those, Tom Beland's True Story Swear To God is the one that hits the best with the most people. Anyone who picks it up at the studio can't put it down, in my experience. They stop what they're doing and read all the way to the end. Then they start asking me about it and wondering where to find more. (This was Julie's pick, too; when I told her about this particular challenge she blurted, "You're going to say Tom Beland, aren't you?")

Beland's work is not very kid-friendly, though, which is a shame; because his art style is so wonderfully accessible and old-school just in terms of the drawing. Everyone that talks about True Story tends to focus on the writing, but one of the things I really love about it is the art. It's got a great sort of Tex Avery vibe to it -- always in service to the story, but the fact that he can use the art to tell so many different kinds of stories with all the different shadings of emotional tone is amazing to me given that he does it in such a cartoony, humorous style.

But for kid-friendly I'd go with something else, probably one of the Marvel Adventures books.

The most successful (well, artistically, anyway) kid-friendly monthly I've seen is the entire Marvel Adventures line. To be honest I often think it's the best-kept secret in superhero comics. Those fans that snarl about out-of-control continuity, about wanting more self-contained stories, about superheroes being too dark, etc., etc... really, Marvel Adventures is the line for you. Those books are uniformly entertaining and you can hand them to almost any reader of any age and they'll connect with the story on some level. The one I enjoy most is Avengers, because I enjoy the child-like version of the Hulk interacting with Spider-Man and the others, and it always makes me smile. But really any of them would be a good pick. The only grump I have about them is the way the art reproduces in the digests; it's too tiny and hard to read. If Marvel could figure out a slightly different reproduction ratio that was easier on the eye and got those digests into grocery store racks next to the Archie ones, I bet they'd move a lot of them. Certainly my middle-school kids love the ones they've seen.

Pól Rua

With the announcement of new material, I'd LOVE to recommend Larry Marder's 'Tales of the Beanworld' as it's immediate, it grabs, entices and draws in all at once. It's also deceptively simplistic on its surface. However, I think that MAY be pushing the definition of 'ongoing' a little far.

'Groo' is another one I like to throw at new readers, but it's settled into a series of miniseries. Again, very immediate, but also self-contained for the most part.

'RASL' by Jeff Smith may be a contender, but alas, while I was impressed by issue 1, it didn't really have enough 'meat' to it. I love Smith's work, but it really works better in trade format.

'The Goon's another series I like to recommend. It's funny as hell, and Powell's art and writing are bloody meticulous. That said, it's starting on a longer story arc, so now is NOT the time to be jumping aboard. Besides, everybody loves big knuckleheads punching zombies and monsters. Like I say, immediacy.

'Atomic Robo' is another good 'un. Somewhat reminiscent of Hellboy, but without the backstory, it's immediately likable, energetic and fun. It's not an especially challenging read by any stretch of the imagination, but it's certainly the sort of thing that might encourage a new reader to read more.

Unfortunately, this question is really difficult to answer with ONE title. What may work for one person may be abominably ill-chosen for another. It really depends on who the title is for and what sorts of stories they like.

Someone who enjoys 'Jonah Hex' for instance, may not be able to get into 'Owly', f'rinstance. Though both are good titles for new readers.

And I've forgotten 'Scott Pilgrim'. Sure it's not a 22-page dealie, but it IS ongoing.

'Scott Pilgrim' it is then.

So there you go! Feel free to send in suggestions for future Questions of the Month!

68 Comments

• At May 12, 2008, Matt D wrote:

  JSA,

  because if you can figure out what the hell's going on there with a bunch of characters you've probably never ...

• At May 12, 2008, dave chisholm wrote:

  CASANOVA would definitely be my pick.

  after they read the first 14 issues, they will trust you, and then you ...

• At May 12, 2008, kreetrapper wrote:

  Every month, around this time, we will all answer the same comic book related question.

  It's probably just me, but I ...

• At May 12, 2008, Michael wrote:

  Wait, so Fables *isn't* a genre book?

• At May 12, 2008, Dalarsco wrote:

  If it has to be a current ongoing the totally Fables. It's a brilliant series without continuity worries, and ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dalarsco wrote:

  Oh, and I have to agree with Michael. Fables is way more "genre" than Scalped.

• At May 12, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:

  If the word "genre" puts you off, then feel free to think of a different word, but just noting that ...

• At May 12, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:

  Scalped and Fables also have in common that both of their early issues pale compared to the later stuff.

• At May 12, 2008, Jono11 wrote:

  All ongoing comics are genre, and it's just pretension and misguided aspirations of some mythical "mainstream artistic acceptance" that lead ...

• At May 12, 2008, Mike Loughlin wrote:

  I would say Stray Bullets if it were still ongoing (do "on hiatus" comics count?)- Lapham's clear artwork, engaging characters, ...

• At May 12, 2008, comb & razor wrote:

  probably Jonah Hex. nice done-in-one stories, usually very appealing art, humor, violence. and it could really use more readers.

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  PS238. I assume the vast majority (maybe even the *entirety*) of you aren't reading this. You should all remedy this ...

• At May 12, 2008, comb & razor wrote:

  i wanted to try PS238, but it's near impossible to find.

• At May 12, 2008, Chris wrote:

  Fell.

• At May 12, 2008, Alan Coil wrote:

  I have never read PS238, but I keep hearing good things about it.

  Comb & Razor, ask your LCS to order ...

• At May 12, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:

  PS238 is practically incomprehensible to a new reader, so if you want to give it a shot, start with an ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  >>As to the quality of PS238, it’s a good comic. Not great, but good enough that I would slightly recommend ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  PS238 *is* pretty continuity-heavy. One neat thing (if you've read all the issues, anyway) Aaron Williams does is bring in ...

• At May 12, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:

  I probably should have a thing on the front page of the blog to remind folks of my rating system, ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  And if I had to go with a Big Two title (which I'm reluctant to do, since I'm starting to ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  Greg Burgas --

  Purely on your recommendation (unless someone else here has been unstintingly recommending the title, which I guess is ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  "an absurd hat like Grimjack," that is. (I'm home sick today, so I blame Crohn's disease for my carelessness.)

• At May 12, 2008, Mauro wrote:

  At the risk of sounding cliche, I'm gonna say Detective Comics. Yeah, it's super mainstream, but it's really user ...

• At May 12, 2008, Craig wrote:

  I sing the praises of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man every month. Between Fred Van Lente and Peter David (yes! *THAT* Peter ...

• At May 12, 2008, Jack Norris wrote:

  I'd have to agree with Fables. Genre maybe, but different one, and one that most regular people are more comfortable ...

• At May 12, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:

  Craig, Dan Bailey is not a "user" here.

  And you say this in a post where you agree with an ACTUAL ...

• At May 12, 2008, comb & razor wrote:

  how many issues in is PS238 anyway?

  i first heard about it maybe... 2 or 3 months ago and i thought ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  I should point out that my grumpiness as regards the Big Two is borne out of my outrage over what ...

• At May 12, 2008, Rene wrote:

  "it’s fun. Yes, that harmless three-letter word is a curse to “serious comic readers” everywhere, but for new readers, it’s ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  Comb & Razor --

  PS238 #0 came out in 11/02. #31 came out ... last week or the week before.

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  Rene --

  I dunno. Presumably the "legions of serious comic book readers who despise anything 'fun'" are the ones who didn't ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  (And yes, Comb & Razor & anyone else, I'd say PS238 is seriously underpublicized. I think I first heard about ...

• At May 12, 2008, Bill Reed wrote:

  Rene said:

  Where are these legions of serious comic book readers who despise anything “fun”?

  They're not on the internet, apparently. The ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  >>Craig, Dan Bailey is not a “user” here.

  Or anywhere else, I hasten to add. I mean, I take 3 prescription ...

• At May 12, 2008, Greg Burgas wrote:

  Dan: Yeah, unfortunately, that's how Rex talks. I don't mind it, but I know that other commenters here have ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  Greg --

  I figured the juxtaposition, as you put it, will actually prove to be a neat little factor in & ...

• At May 12, 2008, Rene wrote:

  She-Hulk was a great book, and it's a shame it didn't sell, but is it right to assume it didn't ...

• At May 12, 2008, Greg Burgas wrote:

  Fret not, Dan - no hat!

• At May 12, 2008, lauren wrote:

  A big shout out for Tom Beland's book TSSTG! Very new user friendly.

  Or How about the Lone ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  >>but the automatic praise directed at anything light feels equally weird.

  Rene, you must not've noticed my hissy fit over how ...

• At May 12, 2008, Bill Reed wrote:

  Rene, you must not’ve noticed my hissy fit over how much I hated SEAGUY …

  I wouldn't call Seaguy light, but ...

• At May 12, 2008, Thok wrote:

  Nobody mentioned Blue Beetle? I realize that Sturges run probably won't be as good what Rogers just did, but ...

• At May 12, 2008, Cove West wrote:

  Assuming that "new reader" means "someone who is familiar enough with the medium to want to get into it," as ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  Thok --

  BLUE BEETLE is probably my favorite DC series. Only reason I didn't mention it is uncertainty over the quality ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  Bill --

  >>To arms, Daniel. We duel at midnight.

  I'm game. What time zone are you in?

• At May 12, 2008, BizarroBeachHead wrote:

  I try to mention my love for Rex Libris every time Greg mentions it, so it's no secret that I ...

• At May 12, 2008, Bill Reed wrote:

  Nobody mentioned Blue Beetle? I realize that Sturges run probably won’t be as good what Rogers just did, but it’s ...

• At May 12, 2008, Julian wrote:

  I'd also say either Fables or Ex Machina (though I won't deny that small parts or parts of dialogue of ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  OK, OK ... I concede -- PS238 is probably too continuity-conscious for a new reader picking up an issue at ...

• At May 12, 2008, Alan Coil wrote:

  Fables---trades, the simple answer. If you like the first trade, you can order the second, then the third, all the ...

• At May 12, 2008, Rene wrote:

  Oh, okay Dan.

  But I still have this impression that both DC and Marvel nowadays relegate their lighter books to peripheral ...

• At May 12, 2008, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  hi Julian, I guess I disagree since only a few chapters real deal with Tsubasa, while the majority of the ...

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  Rene --

  You may well be right. Even though I buy a ridiculous amount of comics, a fairly high percentage of ...

• At May 12, 2008, stealthwise wrote:

  Casa-freaking-nova. It's all that's awesome in comics.

• At May 12, 2008, Dan Felty wrote:

  Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius is a funny, entertaining book. I would have loved it as a ...

• At May 13, 2008, BDaly wrote:

  All good recommendations. I'd also add Criminal, and maybe Northlanders and Young Liars as well.

• At May 13, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  The Franklin Richards comics (which i have to say I think of as a series of one-shots ... it's entirely ...

• At May 13, 2008, ericeick wrote:

  Usagi Yojimbo.

• At May 13, 2008, Dave wrote:

  >>Even though, y’know, given my hatred for the Big Two, I am ethically bound to demand that the new reader ...

• At May 13, 2008, Dean wrote:

  I'd have to pick Castle Waiting. It's a great series that's alot of fun, beautiful artwork, and great stories. ...

• At May 13, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  >>How does that hurt the Big Two more than it hurts my LCS?

  You do know I'm not serious. RIght?

• At May 13, 2008, Lee wrote:

  My past recommendations in this category would have been Jeff Smith's Bone and Mark Crilley's Akiko. They have both ceased ...

• At May 13, 2008, Dan Bailey wrote:

  >>* Amelia Rules! (by Jimmy Gownley)

  Kid friendly (the kiss of death!), this book is centered around several elemetary school aged ...

• At May 13, 2008, Jack Norris wrote:

  If you go with "Elfquest" you might want to have plenty of insulin on hand.

• At May 14, 2008, Blackjak wrote:

  This is really interesting... Primarily because I've just started trying to introduce comics to my office... I started ...

• At May 14, 2008, Dan Felty wrote:

  I think Franklin Richards is quarterly. I'm not certain, but I figured it rated a mention at least.

  Giarrusso's Mini-Marvels ...

• At June 2, 2008, Comics Should Be Good! » Atomic Robo Contest! wrote:

  [...] Reed picked it as the comic he’d most recommend to new comic book [...]

• At March 1, 2009, SCOTT WEGENER » Blog Archive » Those Who Dare, Have Sore Asses wrote:

  [...] CBR’s Comics Should Be Good’s Question of The Month. [...]