Top 5 Gateway Books

This weeks Top 5 Wednesday is my top 5 gateway books. A ‘gateway book’ is a book that introduces you to a genre. These are books that are easy to read and compass a certain genre easily so that the person entering that genre can get a good idea of what it is about. I really love reading gateway books because they always introduce you to new things, similarly i like hearing what others favourite gateway books are, it generally gives you a good idea of what the person likes and they’re interested in. Instead of doing my gateway books in to a specific genre, i’m going to be telling you all my top 5 books that are gateways in to graphic novels!

I absolutely adore graphic novels, and they’re often a good way to break up reading. Instead of picking up another book when you can’t be bothered to read another page, pick up a graphic novel. They’re much easier and faster to read a lot of the time. I didn’t start properly reading graphic novels until just over a year or so ago, but i really have fallen in love with them. Here are my 5 graphic novels to start you off.

The Wicked and the Divine 
This was the first graphic novel that i read when i was getting back in to comics. I read some when i was younger and left a massive gap between reading art influenced stories. I’d heard a lot about The Wicked and the Divine prior to reading it, and i thought it was a brilliant idea. The story follows a group of Gods that are sent back to earth every 100 or so years. These Gods are treated like celebrities. I found this to be so intriguing it was hard not to pick it up. I really do think this is the perfect gateway graphic novel because it’s such an easy read with an interesting concept.

 

The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat
This graphic novel series is more of a humour graphic novel. The stories are based around the internet sensation Grumpy Cat and all kinds of adventures, or not so exciting adventures that he gets up to. If you want to test out graphic novels and get used to the image with short bursts of writing combo, this is probably the perfect place to start. It’s so familiar and easy, it’s hard not to enjoy it.

 

 

Outcast
If you want to start with a series and get right in to a story, go for Outcast. I think they are perfect gateway graphic novels, especially in to more serious and in depth stories. This series follows an outcast who is haunted by a being that is taking over members of his family. I loved this story, and it also has been adapted in to a TV show now which you can watch along with reading!

 

 

Camp Midnight
If you’re just starting off reading graphic novels, you might not be aware that some graphic novels are aimed towards younger audiences, and some at older. Camp Midnight is one aimed at a younger audience, but i fell in love with it all the same. The story follows a young girl who is being sent to a summer camp, Camp Midnight. Here she soon realises that not everyone at the camp is who they seem. Although it can feel a little ‘childish’ to read, it’s a great story to get yourself used to graphic novels and how they work. Plus the cartoonish artwork is stunning in this one.

 

Sex Criminals
A complete contrast to the last one, Sex Criminals is a great place to start if you’re of a mature age. As the title suggests, there is a lot of sex involved in this one, so only start reading if you’re 18 or over. The good thing about graphic novels such as this one, is that they are based around semi-regular people. This means that there is no confusion between aliens or other unusual things to get your head around when you’re first reading a graphic novel. This is particularly what i found difficult. There is enough mystery and magical elements in Sex Criminals without it being overpowering. This is one of my favourite gateway books in to graphic novels.

I hope you found something that you can pick up to help you venture a little more in to the world of graphic novels. These are some of the best i’ve read and definitely the best to start off in to graphic novels. Let me know in the comments or on Twitter what your favourite gateway books are, and even recommend some to me to help me get in to a new genre!