Realized I was gatekeeping without even meaning to

I was telling a friend they should start with the original 60s Spider-Man run to 'really get it', and they just looked totally overwhelmed. That reaction made me see I was making it a chore instead of fun. What's a better, more welcoming comic to suggest to a total beginner?

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3 Comments

johnson.jade6mo ago

Wait, you told them to start with the ENTIRE 60s run? That's like over a hundred issues! No wonder they looked overwhelmed. For a total beginner, maybe try Ultimate Spider-Man from the 2000s, it starts fresh and is way easier to get into.

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the_eva5mo ago

Starting with the classic 60s run is like handing someone a textbook before they've even learned the alphabet. I remember when I got back into comics after a long break, I tried jumping into a character's golden age stuff and it was a mess. What actually worked was grabbing a modern reboot that had a clear starting point. Ultimate Spider-Man is a perfect example, it assumes you know nothing and builds from there. You get all the core ideas without the tangled backstory. That's the way to hook someone, not overwhelm them with six decades of continuity.

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tara_williams16mo ago

Look, I'm just trying to make sure they appreciate the classics. Maybe I got a little carried away.

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