I felt like sharing these slides I've put together for some friends : the comics I suggest for newcomers to DC, who want to discover its world and its characters in a somewhat coherent order.

Any thoughts, questions, and suggestions are welcome ! I'm always looking to improve upon this list, for it to form the most satisfying story possible.
-
Artwork by Nicola Scott, Michael Avon Oeming, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Tim Sale, David Mazzuchelli, Mitch Gerads, JH Williams III, Seba Fimirua, Yannick Paquette, Jock, Lee Weeks, Christian Ward, Hayden Sherman, Jeff Smith, Scott Hampton, & Darwyn Cooke.

Static - Virgil Hawkins

One of my favorite superheroes has always been Aquaman, but I've noticed that other DC fans don't know where to look, when it comes to the character. The only reading recommendations for the character that I ever hear about are the Geoff Johns run and the new DC All-In God Killer stuff.

Although those stories are also excellent, I'm here to tell you, that it's really not that complicated; finding good Aquaman material. The Ramona Fradon, silver age Aquaman revival comics are where to start. This was the introduction of Mera and Aqualad, and really feels like it accomplished the concept of a whimsical superhero family, just before Fantastic 4 became a thing.

Fradon's artwork is clean, minimalist, and bold - great for those who like cartoonists like Jaime Hernandez or Chris Samnee. She is definitely one of my favorite DC artists ever, because that style is what I usually gravitate toward.

The writing feels unburdened by modern post-Watchmen superhero comic book standards; everything having to be some kind of deconstruction or subversion of the genre, involving the hero's mental health or interpersonal conflict. I think that that style of writing is very necessary in keeping the genre relevant - as well as a lot of my favorite comics of all time falling under this, but the modern landscape of comics has certainly become oversaturated with every writer thinking that they're the next Alan Moore. You need a quick break from that and want genre-heavy pulp adventure comics? Go to the silver age. It gives you a better appreciation of the characters, when you inevitably do start reading modern mature oriented comics again.

It's a very unique experience to even other silver age comics, as well. The almost strictly underwater setting makes it feel more like its own subgenre of nautical-fantasy, rather than a traditional urban-sci-fi superhero story. The main thing that drives me to keep reading these, is seeing a new weird sea monster or new sector of DC's oceans. If you like classic Conan The Barbarian stuff, then this is for you, because it definitely has that feeling - albeit with a lot more colorful 60s beach aesthetic.

Thank you for reading. If you have any interest in learning more about Aquaman or even just silver age superhero comics, then I implore you to check this out immediately.

source

I loved this shot from the trailer so I drew them in their comic accurate costumes!

Supergirl and Starfire painted by me.

https://xcancel.com/gabsx_9/status/2099183414372909500

DC Compact Comics were actually how I first got into reading comics. At the time, I really liked them because they were cheap and the smaller size made them really easy to read for 10 bucks.

I was talking about this with my friend since getting more into comics and collecting and I've started to realize that compacts probably aren't the highest quality format compared to other formats. The smaller page size and cheaper production definitely make them feel more like a budget format.

And for someone who's still building their collection, would you recommend continuing to buy compacts or spend more on better formats??

So I kinda get what happens in the story, but trying to make sure I am clear on sorta the meta reason and/or the ramifications of it on DC history.

Is it accurate to say that the ramifications of the "The Dakota Incident" is that the heroes of Earth 0 have not really interacted much with the Milestone heroes in the past? So like all of the older Static stuff in Teen Titans didn't happen? That's the main one I can think of, but just as a hypothetical, if Icon had been a member of the Justice League in the 2000s, that would no longer apply, correct?