Welcome to Graphic Policy’s First Impressions where we take a look at a handful of comics in order to discern just how accessible they are for new readers, because every comic could be somebody’s first – and that’s the first question that’ll be answered with this feature. The second is whether youshould  start there because sometimes a book could be accessible to new readers but the quality could be less than average, and so each comic will receive a score out of ten based upon Graphic Policy’s typical ten point scale.

Where possible we’ll also be providing  recap of sorts for the relevant story beats up until the issue in question in order to help you figure out if the series is something you’re interested in, assuming we’ve read any part of the story thus far. All comics were provided for review purposes unless otherwise noted.

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The Immortal Hulk #3 (Marvel)
Can a new reader start here? Yup.
Recap & review: The Hulk may, or may not have, been spotted in Middle America after Bruce Banner allegedly died at the hands of Hawkeye (in one of the recent events that is otherwise forgettable). This issue is told from the perspective of three different people, and follows three different genre styles with each point of view. Another home run of an issue.
Rating: 9.2

Injustice Vs Masters Of The Universe #1 (DC)
Can a new reader start here? Yes.
Recap & review: I have never read or played (for any meaningful amount of time) any of the Injustice comics or games, and only ever sporadically watched Masters Of The Universe  as a kid. That said, as a comics fan the concept of the multiverse isn’t an alien one, and so I was able to read and enjoy this comic fairly easily with no real idea what was going on when I opened the cover.
Rating: 8.7

Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel)
Can a new reader start here? Sure.
Recap & review: If you have no idea what has hapened to Spider-Man recently, or in the last few years, then you can start here and be quite happy – it doesn’t hurt that this is also an enjoyable comic in every sense of the way.
Rating: 8

Quantum & Woody  #8 (Marvel)
Can a new reader start here? Without too much trouble, yes.
Recap & review: Quantum and Woody died, ended up in an alternate reality and are now back in the real world. As confusing as that sounds, neither of the two main characters really know what’s happening, either… and that’s one of the man brilliant bits about this book.
Rating: 8.9

Batman #51 (DC)
Can a new reader start here? Yes.
Recap & review: Batman was engaged to Catwoman and she left him at the alter due to the manipulations of Bane. So… he’s not doing so well. But we, as an audience, get this awesome comic. Batman’s pain is our gain.
Rating: 9

Fence #8 (Boom!)
Can a new reader start here? Maybe.
Recap & review: A comic following a bunch of boys at a boarding school trying to get onto the fencing team; one is immeasurably talented, one has a lot of raw skill and nearly no training, and the others fall somewhere around that. We’re currently in the middle of a tournament deciding who will actually make the team, and the two top fencers are about to square off.
Rating: 7.6

Ruin World #1 (KaBoom!)
Can a new reader start here? Yup.
Recap & review: This is a genuinely fun book that finds anthromorphic animals in a fantasy setting – yes, it’s good for kids to read, but it’s also one of the best comics I’ve read for pure escapism in a long time.
Rating: 7.9