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What comic book and/or manga should I start with?
I'm looking to start reading some comics and/or manga and I'd like to know where to start. I'll most likely be buying off Amazon, unless there's a better online store. A question of mine is, are comics expensive? I know some come out as a single graphic novel, unless I'm wrong I really don't know much about comics/manga. I just wonder because I've heard stories of spending $20-30 on a 20-30 page comic. Anyways, I am probably wrong about a lot of this because I have no clue about this stuff.
Comments
Are comics expensive? If you're buying monthlies, yes -- they recently jumped to $3.99 for a 22 page comic. $20-30 on a 20-30 page comic? Only if you're buying a back issue that's valuable to collectors for some reason. You probably don't want single issues, though. Graphic novels, or trade paperbacks (as collections of single issues are more properly called) are usually $10-20. Manga tend to have a cover price of $8-10, but can usually be had for cheaper online.
Anyway, it's kind of difficult to recommend comics to start with without knowing what your tastes are. Comics are just like movies or books -- lots of genres, lots of styles, lots of tones -- what you'll like depends entirely on what you like. If you can post some things you like in other media, everyone will have a better starting point to make recommendations. Really, I'm not sure that Watchmen is the best thing to start with, for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is that, in a lot of ways, there's nowhere to go but down. But aside from that, Watchmen is largely a deconstruction of superhero comics, and without a solid familiarity with the history of superhero comics, I think you miss a lot. It's also much more dense both graphically and textually than almost any modern comics. I don't know how much of an issue that might be, but I can see it either turning people off so they don't move on to other stuff, or letting them down when they do. The art in Watchmen is also a turn-off to a lot of people. Dave Gibbons is a fine draftsman and excellent visual storyteller, but the style is very dated.
So here is a short list if you are starting out in a few genre. (biased towards what I read)
Superhero: Any marvel Ultimate line (since you can easily get a self contained story involving super hero's that does not cross the hell over everything, they are updated to appeal to a modern audience and have been collected into rather large omnibuses (at least the first couple trades)). "Runaways", the children of villains attempt to find their place.
Politics: Try finding "Eagle" (for straight up politics) or "Ex. Machina" (superhero turned Mayor of New York)
Fantasy: If you want a story that is a more mature Harry Potter before Harry Potter was around read "Book of Magic". Some cross dressing with your fantasy "Basara". Fables characters surviving in the modern world? Check out "Fables".
Post-apocalyptic: "Eden" surviving in a destroyed future, "Y The last man" surviving in a world without men, "The Walking Dead" a zombie tale that does not end.
"X-1999" a group of people work for or against the destruction of civilization and to find out whether they can change destiny.
Science Fiction: "Planetary" Finding Relics of the golden age of Sci-fi. "The Red Star", a futuristic Soviet Union. "To Terra", "Planetes"
I could go on, anyhow, after you read some of those read "Batman: Year one", "Batman: A Long Halloween" , "Batman: Hush" then read "Batman: The Dark Knight returns". (then you'll never have to read Batman ever again, because you just read all the best stories :-p)
Then check out Buddha, V for Vendetta and Watchmen, for those will get you through some of the more celebrated works in the media.
I could go on, but that's a good start.
Good self contained story however if you pick up the trade.
I suggest picking up some basic super hero stuff and just start reading, then go for the alternative unless you can provide us with genres or examples of other media you have really enjoyed.
That way I'm pretty sure I could point you in the correct direction i.e. if you told me you like crime stories, "Criminal" by Ed Brubaker would be excellent.
I would say you'd have a hard time selling only Dark Knight without something as spectacular as Batman Year One.
Fables is okay, once again, it's what you like, to me personally I don't waste my time on Fables.
Sandman is hard to deny as a story, I've got the entire run and it was the book I read after X-men when I was a kid. I didn't get all of what was going on but it was definitely superior story telling. Art is wholly subjective, but what you've just called rubbish launched a number of artists careers.
Blade of the Immortal
The Walking Dead
Wasteland
Monster
Death Note
MPD Psycho
Old Boy
Mail
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service
Hellsing
Me and the Devil Blues
With The Light
and if you want something lighter but fun...
Azumanga Daioh
Great Teacher Onizuka
Yotsuba&