Debate: Does reading online summaries before starting a comic ruin the experience or help you get into the story?

I used to hate starting a series cold, especially big crossover events. Then a friend told me, 'You’re missing half the fun by reading spoilers first.' So I tried jumping into Hickman's X-Men run without any prep and I got lost in the first issue. But now I’m wondering if reading a quick plot outline actually helps me catch details I’d miss otherwise. What do you all think, does pre-reading summaries help you enjoy comics more, or does it kill the surprise?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_barnes356d ago

Totally get it, jumping into a huge run blind can feel like drowning in names and plots.

troy_butler76d ago

Yeah I ran into this same thing when I picked up Invincible a few years back. What worked for me was just picking up the first story arc and sticking with it, not trying to understand every single thing that happened before. I found a reading order online that listed the key issues and that helped me skip the filler stuff. The thing is most of these long runs have these little story summaries in the beginning anyway so you kind of catch on quick. Eventually you start recognizing characters and their histories just by reading through and asking around. Honestly though the best advice is just to jump in and not worry about knowing everything from the start.