Reading Comics as an Adult: When Too Much Happens

I am on a journey to read more comics as an adult.

I didn’t have the opportunity to read many comics when I was younger, and since there are so many amazing comics with rich plots and admirable characters, it is a treat to experience them as an adult.

However, one thing I’ve noticed in long-running series is an attempt to cram way, way too much into the series.

These comics contain crossovers, references to previous editions of the comic, characters from long ago, multiple nemeses, aliens, global events, dozens of new heroes, and multiple main characters.

Ten Comics to Movies Sirens

I love a complicated plot as much as any nerd can, but as someone new to the comics world, I am overwhelmed by so much insider information in each edition.

I don’t know if comics have always been this way, since I am new to the industry, but it all seems like too much. I feel like I have comic whiplash from some of the recent ones I have read.

I prefer a narrower focus in my comics. I like a few major characters, one main plot (side plots are OK if they are not too crazy), and characters to stay in their own universe. I don’t want to see an alien invade a comic series about Victorian crime fighting.

Ten Comics to Movies Lobo

Because so many of the mainstream comic plots have become convoluted, I’ve found myself attracted to lesser-known comics that still focus on their original plot device.

I’ve also had a lot of fun reading comics retellings of classic stories. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes, and Hamlet. It is fun to see classic stories re-told in photographic form.

So, my question for you is, since I like straightforward stories that are self-contained within their own universe, what should I be reading? What are your favorite non-traditional comic series?

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