Five Comic Stories That Made Me Want to Read More

Ever get a trade paperback or maybe a back issue of a comic that you've never read, and when you finally did read it want to know more? This is something that a good comic will do, make you want to go back and read what you missed (or at vert least learn the backstory for what happened before and after). It's similar to catching a re0run on TV of some show who never watched and liking it so much you want to know more about this show you've discovered. Linkara points to "The Technis Imperative" as his example of this, and I can see why. 

Here are five issues and/or story lines that had a similar effect on me.

Justice League of America #257

I can't find where I talked about this before so if I did, sorry about that. This comic was my introduction to the DC universe proper. Until then I had kinda seen a few comics and of course Superfriends on TV, but this is the issue that got my attention. Is it a good issue? No, not really. It was the end of a story arc and I was totally lost. But the conclusion of the issue had Firestorm teasing the upcoming Legends mini-series. I wanted to know more. Who was this Firestorm? Who were these strange leaguers? Legends..what was that? This issue bought randomly by my mother when I was laid up opened the door for me to a new universe and is a prefect example of the adage "Every comic is someone's first"

The New Teen Titans:The Judas Contract

Then came the Teen Titans. I don't remember how or why I got the trade, but man was this a good story. It made me want to find out who these Titans were. The journey was rocky. You see, at the time they had new issues in a pretty fancy paper and then would reprint the stores a year later in standard newsprint. It was a stupid idea DC tried in the late 90's and I was kinda confused when I read those stories. That being said the Judas Contract was a very well told story and I still love reading it. Even without the previous year's worth of issues to build Terra up, the story line worked wonderfully. 

The Final Night

This is an interesting example because it was the tie-in's to this event that got my attention. I saw a few and it sounded interesting, and the event had a nice concept behind it. So when this crossover event was collected again, I wanted to read it since I never had. So I finally got the collected event and...it was just so awful. The event has absolutely no weight and the story just plods along to the most predictable ending I've ever seen. It's amazing how slow paced and boring the book is. It's one time when the tie in's did a better job than the main book. However credit due for at least having an interesting concept that made me want to learn more. 

Superman #75

Yeah I know, but it's true. I had given up on comics when this story arc began. But the national attention the death of Superman got was so enormous, I had to check it out. So I bought the big issue, I am pretty sure I missed the build up that came before it, and before I knew it I was buying comics again. The story had my attention right through the whole Return of Superman arc, and I mentioned before how the identity of the Cyborg Superman shocked me even though I should have guessed it. This story did exactly what it was supposed to, get people paying attention to the comics again and keep them interested enough to want to see what happened next!

The Flash:The Death of Iris Wesr 

I've seen ads for these issues for years but never read them. The Barry Allen Flash stories are stories I never looked at much, he was dead by the time I got into comics and his stories never got my eye aside from him appearing in team up books. Then a few years ago I finally read "The Trial" storyline and loved it. What did I think of this one? As you may  have guessed it made me want to read more before and after the story line. It's a well done story and an excellent mystery. It managed to surprise me even though I knew who the killer was (it's no secret 40 years later). I imagine this was a big deal at the time you don't often see comics kill off major supporting characters (and she did stay dead...sort of. Her story needs a full article!). My only gripe with collections like this is this was years before they "wrote for the trade" so the story doesn't flow as smoothly as you might like. There is a difference when you write issue to issue. That being said I loved it and wanted to know more about Iris as a character. I wish more Bronze Age stuff would be collected. 

Is there a comic our there that wet your appetite? Comment and let me know.