In this new renaissance of comic book characters, in movies and tv shows it may be hard to understand where each hero or villain comes from. Those who try to better comprehend comic books by picking one up will usually be completely confused. Many comics can’t be read on their own because they’re interconnected to various universes and other comics, which makes them very hard to read as a newcomer. To help with that, here’s 5 comics you can read as a beginner.

1. Justice League Vol 1: Origin
Justice League tells the story of the heroic teams’ first encounter with each other. When a figure that looks suspiciously like Batman is kidnapping people in multiple cities, Green Lantern tracks Batman down and realizes he isn’t the culprit. From there, the two investigate other superheroes and delve deeper into this mystery. Once they realize the threat is extraterrestrial, the heroes form into a team for the first time. The team consists of: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Cyborg. Each character has they’re time to shine and by the end are all interesting in their own way. The story is action packed, with great interactions between characters and cool fight scenes. Not to mention the story is written by Geoff Johns, one of the best DC comic writers in recent memory.

2. Batman: Year One
The title of this comic book is self explanatory. Bruce Wayne comes back from traveling the world to a gang ridden and broken Gotham City. Bruce vows to stop crime in Gotham, no matter the cost. The story really dives into Bruce’s journey, from rich,ignorant,playboy to taking on the mantle of Batman. Batman: Year One is as much a story about Bruce as it is about Detective Gordon. Gordon is at the start of his career having just moved to Gotham from Chicago. Through the course of the story Gordon fights the gangs of Gotham City while learning about a new vigilante roaming the streets. How they’re stories collide and intertwine is important to Batman’s origin, and is shown greatly in this comic.

3. Batman: The Killing Joke
Batman: The Killing Joke is seen as one of the most influential comics of all time. When it released in 1988 no one had seen a comic that was so adult and dark. The Killing Joke is Joker’s origin story. While Batman is fighting him in the present we are shown flashbacks of how the Joker became who he is. At this point in Batman’s career he has fought the Joker countless times, and is beginning to feel like their fight will never end. The story is short, but really captures the essence of Batman and the Joker’s eternal struggle. Junior, Ron Yitzhak said “I like how much it was focused on Joker’s perspective, rather than Batman.

4. Marvel’s Civil War
Civil War focuses on the consequences of being a super hero in the real world. After a young super hero team fails to save elementary schoolers from the villain Nitro, the government creates the Super Hero Registration Act. This act forces all super heroes to divulge their identities and locations to the U.S. government. Of course, the different Marvel heroes have varying reactions. Iron Man believes that the registration isn’t a big deal, and that if they are heroes, then they should cooperate with the government. Captain America thinks it’s a violation of their rights and rebels. This creates a huge fight, with many heroes on either side fighting for what they think is right. People who like the Marvel movies should read Civil War because it’s being adapted for the big screen in Captain America 3: Civil War.

5. The Walking Dead
Not many people know that everyone’s favorite T.V. show The Walking Dead, started as a comic. With over 150 issues The Walking Dead comics have a massive following, because it’s still ongoing. If you don’t know, The Walking Dead is your typical post-apocalyptic zombie story. Rick Grimes is a police officer who’s been in a coma for several months after being shot. He wakes up alone in a hospital overrun by zombies. From there, we follow Rick as he tries to find his wife and son through a ravaged Atlanta. The best part of The Walking Dead is its characters, and the life threatening situations they’re put in. Fans of the T.V. show will like this comic even more, because they’ll be able to see the similarities and differences in the story.