Before we begin - if you want to get right to the meat of which books I'm recommending (say you are a comic reader already looking for something that will entice your non-comic reading friends) - feel free to skip down three paragraphs.

Most people who say they don't like comic books are either referring to those they read as a child, which they have since outgrown, or mainstream titles, which tend to cater to those who are already fans. As an intellectual adult and lifelong comic-book fan, I've often felt the need to justify my interest in a medium that is widely regarded as "childish". This usually involves a little bit of education about the current state of the industry, and some targeted recommendations - high quality books that I'm sure will resonate with the potential reader in question. So far I've been able to consistently deliver a positive comic book experience to those willing to take my suggestions.

Firstly, it is helpful to understand a few things to understand the modern comic book. I'd like to think that with the current media exposure, most people are aware that the modern comic book is often not filled with child-friendly fantasy. Comics today run the gamut from child-centric to pornographic. Hand the average copy of "Batman" or "Spiderman" to a typical 8- year-old and he may enjoy the action scenes and splashy artwork, but most of it will likely fly over his head. That is because the "mainstream" - men-in tights superhero stuff - is target at an increasingly older audience. The average comic book reader is in his (not her, but his) 20's. There are a lot of reasons that comic readership has skewed this way (which I might write about if there is an appropriate topic started in helium), but the result is that standard comics contain significantly more sophisticated storytelling techniques (not always done well, just not simplistic) and more mature subject matter than a non-comic reader might expect. Also, given the disposable income and longer attention span of an adult reader, single stories can go on for several issues, even years, crossing over and branching out into other titles. This sort of story sprawl can become difficult for even the most dedicated fan to keep up with, mush less someone picking up a comic book for the first time (almost certainly in the middle of the story) to try it out.

Which leads me to a preliminary recommendation: If you are a new reader, do not pick up an individual issue of the shelf. Many comics are

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