How to Read Comic Books Chronologically

​If you want to start reading a certain comic book series, it's important that you're reading in chronological order to avoid confusion and spoilers. Since most comic book series have 20, 50 or even hundreds of books and characters, it can be frustrating to find out which order you have to read the series in.

To help clear up some up some confusion, here are some tips you can use to make sure you're reading every series in the right order:

The Store

If you're new to reading comic books, then it may be best to head to your local bookstore and just pick up a pack of books, known as an arc. This pack will include a complete series in one, allowing you to just pick it up and go. The great thing about these packs is that they are often a lot cheaper than if you were to buy each one individually. This route is usually the easiest if you don't want to do the research online or ask someone at a local store.

If you don't have a bookstore in your area, consider looking for packs that are sold online. These packs can often be found through third-party resellers or even on eBay and Amazon.

Comic Book Store

If you have a comic book store in your local area, you may want to set aside a few hours of your day and stop in. Comic book stores are often employed with very knowledgeable people who are more than willing to explain anything you'd like to know. If the employees don't know how to answer your particular question, you may find some of the regulars who frequent the store may be able to help. Keep in mind that since there are so many comics out there, it's next to impossible to know everything about every comic that has ever been produced.

If you're new to the comic book world and you're unsure of where to start, comic book stores are often a gold mine when finding a series you're interested in. Since most stores will have complete series, this is a great place to get everything you need.

Join a Forum

The Internet is packed with very knowledgeable comic book sites with people who should be able to help. Basically, these forums are going to be your local comic book store, but the only difference is that it's online. If you're not a member on the forum, be sure to join and start participating in the discussions; however, before you start asking questions, be sure to search the website to see if it has been asked before.

Google

If you have your eyes on a particular character or series, a quick Google search could often bring up the answer to your question. For example, if you were interested in a particular character, you could search for "[character name] + comic book series order" to bring up potential results.

If Google isn't able to answer your question, there are some websites that are dedicated to listing comic book series in order. Bear in mind that if you are to use a third-party resource, some lists may be incomplete or too packed. When downloading a series in order, it never hurts to look at two to three other websites to make sure everything is correct.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is also a great resource for those who know the comic series but don't about the order. If the series is popular enough, most Wikipedia entries will have the complete series in chronological order.

Reading comics in chronological order is extremely important if you want the story to flow. Before you buy your first comic, be sure to keep these tips in mind to make sure everything flows smoothly.