First issues have become something of an albatross for a lot of fans, mostly thanks to Marvel. First issues sell the best, so nowadays we get them all the time, but back in the newsstands days, things were different. The bigger the issue number, the more likely a comic was to get ordered, since they were proven successes. However, that success wouldn’t be possible without fantastic first issues. The first issue is a very important part of any comic series, and over the years Marvel, DC Comics, and many other publishers have given readers first issues that have hooked from the word go. First issues have gotten a little annoying, but the best of them are definitely something special. When done right, a first issue is a marvelous thing to behold.
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There have been a lot of great first issues in the history of the comic medium, heralding the arrival of books that changed comic book history forever. Picking the best ones is obviously subjective, but there are some first issues that are completely perfect. They give readers everything they need to enjoy the forthcoming book. Some of them are legendary, others aren’t as well known but deserve their flowers, and one of them is the most important superhero comic ever. These seven first issues are the best in the history of comics, amazing beginnings for brilliant series’.
7) Action Comics #1
Let’s be real — of course this was going to be on the list. Action Comics #1 is the most important superhero comic in the history of the medium because it’s the first superhero comic of them all. Action Comics #1 is an old school anthology comic, with stories starring characters like Chuck Dawson, Zatara, Sticky-Mitt Stimson, Marco Polo, Pep Morgan, Scoop Scanlon, and Tex Thomson, although you’ve probably only heard of Zatara. However, the first Superman story is obviously the crowning achievement of the book. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s first Superman story is a masterpiece (Grant Morrison breaks it down in detail in their book SuperGods, and you really should read that to understand why it’s such a beautiful work), and it birthed an entire genre. You’re not going to find a lot of older comics on this list — while they’re important, they can be a bit primitive to read — but Action Comics #1 can’t be left off any list. Without it, superheroes as we know them wouldn’t exist; beyond that, Siegel and Shuster were ahead of their time, creating something that would stand the test of time.
6) All-Star Superman #1
From Superman to Superman. All-Star Superman #1, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely is basically perfect. Right from the beginning, where Morrison and Quitely give the origin of Superman in four panels and eight words, you know that this is a special comic, and it just keeps going from there, as you turn that first page and are enmeshed in a perfect Superman story. Morrison had always been great, but this is the book where they truly showed the world just how amazing they can be. From the Sun to the Moon then Metropolis, Morrison meticulously lays out their story, giving readers shock after shock, from Superman’s fatal diagnosis to him finally revealing his identity to Lois Lane on the last page. It’s the kind of comic where if you give anyone the first issue, they’ll want to read the rest. Quitely’s art is amazing from start to finish. The double page spread of Superman flying over the sun is an immaculate Superman image, capturing everything amazing about the character. Quitely doesn’t stop there either, as every page has some kind of magical image in it. Quitely’s Superman is amazing, but not enough people talk about his Clark Kent. Quitely is able to make Kent look entirely different from Superman, using body language to sell the difference between them. It’s so simple, yet also so beautifully done. All-Star Superman #1 is brilliant beyond words. If you haven’t read it in a while, give it a re-read, and prepare to be astounded all over again.
5) Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1
Chris Claremont and Frank Miller are undisputed legends, so any comic where the two of are working together is going to be something special. Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1 teams the two of them together for an amazing first issue. Right from the beginning, readers can tell they’re in for something special, as Wolverine climbs a mountain and battles a bear. The main plot soon heats up, as Wolverine learns that the woman he loved has been forced to marry another man by her crime lord father. This is perfect pacing, and it hooks you right from the beginning. Miller’s art is sensational, his page layouts and imagery giving readers something very special (there are a lot of great pieces of art in the book, but my favorite is the picture of Mariko, which is then juxtaposed later in the issue with a view of Mariko after Wolverine discovers her new husband has been beating her). The battle between Shingen and Wolverine is electric. It’s been praised for over 40 years now, but seriously, give it another look. It’s what every comic action scene since wants to be. Claremont’s prose is amazing, and the way art and words work together in this issue is something else. Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1 is something brilliant, and that’s all there is to it.
4) Phonogram: The Singles Club #1
Phonogram is a series that every comic fans should read. The three volume series is amazing, but the second volume — Phonogram: The Singles Club — truly shows off what the series does so well. Phonogram: The Singles Club #1, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, is wonderful from start to finish. It follows Penny B, a beautiful phonomancer (runic magicians who use music as the basis of their magic,) on her way to a club with her friend. She talks directly to the audience, telling us about herself, the things she loves, and her hopes and dreams; which for tonight is to hear the song “Pull Shapes” by the Pipettes, so she can dance and lose herself in the song. Phonogram: The Singles Club #1 is just too great for its own good. By the end of the issue, you’ll feel like you know Penny, like you’ve been in the club with her all night. When Penny’s song finally gets played, it’s magic as she dances. Scenes like this can be hard to pull off in a static medium like comics, but Gillen and McKelvie are able to capture the motion and magic of dancing, the way it can help you forget all of your problems as you lose yourself in the music. Phonogram: The Singles Club isn’t the most well-known comic in the world, but the first issue is straight-up amazing. Hunt it down, buy it, and marvel at it.
3) The Invisibles (Vol. 1) #1
The Invisibles is the ’90s distilled in comic form. Its first issue is a snapshot of why the book is so great. Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell grab readers immediately, introducing the Invisibles to readers and their first target — a Liverpudlian named Dane McGowan, a hooligan if there ever was one. Dane and his friend Gaz steal a car and decide to burn down their school, where one of Dane’s teachers tries to stop him. The school burns and Dane is sent to Harmony House. Things get even crazier form there, with Harmony House revealed as a front for the Archons of the Outer Church, Lovecraftian dark gods who are the power behind the world. Dane learns the terrible truth about the school, but is saved by King Mob, who slaughters his way through Harmony House’s well-armed guards. He takes Dane to London and vanishes, leaving the young man on his own. This is a sensational comic right form the start, pulling readers further and further into the story. The art and writing are smashing, giving readers images that will stay with them forever — the opening LSD trip of the book is something else. Yeowell is able to capture the energy of Morrison’s script, bringing it all to sensational life on the page.
2) Mister Miracle (Vol. 4) #1
Mister Miracle #1, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads, is amazing and that’s all there is to it. With an animated adaptation of Mister Miracle coming — with King as the showrunner — it’s time to check out this issue again. Mister Miracle #1 starts off at the worst place imaginable, and then goes from there. Mister Miracle #1 does a perfect job of establishing its tone, the melancholy of Scott Free melding with this feeling of not knowing what’s going on in life at all. It’s a true work of art, right from the beginning, using its nine panel grid to lay out the mysteries of this story. King and Gerads are perfect together. I could wax poetically about this issue forever, but just go read it yourself. It really is that good, a comic that connects with the reader immediately despite also completely bewildering them. It’s a modern classic.
1) Watchmen #1
Watchmen #1, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, changed comics forever. That first page is magical. The caption boxes are so well-written, you can hear Rorschach’s voice in your head as his paranoid ramblings set the stage for a comic that many think is the greatest ever. The art is insane, as the “camera” pulls out further and further, taking us into the sky. It’s a flawless first page, but the book somehow stays as just as amazing as it goes on. There’s a reason why we’re all still obsessed with Watchmen all these years later. Moore does everything you need to do in a first issue. He sets the stage with the mystery, introduces the characters, and lays down the book’s tone. It’s just so well done, and there’s really nothing else to it. Gibbons’s art is the perfect accoutrements for the writing. Gibbons’ detailed art is never anything less than the best you’ve ever seen. The linework, the colors, and the shot composition sell the story wonderfully. Watchmen #1 is an immaculate work of art.
What is your favorite first issue? Sound off in the comments below.
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