Comic Books

I'd suggest finding a character or team you're interested in, and then looking up the runs people suggest for those characters. That's the easiest way I think.

https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-issue-that-started-it-all-marvel-comics-1

Pick a character, grab the most recent issue and start reading. As you are reading there may be an * and it will say what that references. Check out that issue if you are lost. Otherwise keep reading. If you like the character, read more. If not, find someone else.

I started reading comics with whatever the trucker my dad knew gave me when he got back from a long trip. It was mostly obscure stuff, sometimes I would get 5 issues in a row, others there would be gaps.

Then a friend started introducing me to X-Men and X-Force. I read all that was current, all the tie ins, and then started reading the older stuff. And adding new characters to what I read.

There are lots of online resources if you truely are lost and want to know what is happening.

Fear Itself is one that I really liked.

So the important thing to keep in mind is that there are different "corners" of the Marvel universe and while they can and do intersect and collide, you can happily sit in one corner, completely unaware of the others.

Edit My wife also suggests Marvel Unlimited so you can dip your toes in, experiment, and find what you like. I, for example, never cared for Doctor Strange, but got sucked in by The Death of Doctor Strange, Strange, and Strange Academy.

The big ones:

X-Men: Recently rebooted with new number ones across the board, really my introduction to Marvel. Mutants trying to live in a world that hates them.

Current books: Cable: Love and Chrome, Deadpool/Wolverine, Giant Size X-Men, Wolverine, Magik, Rogue: The Savage Land, Laura Kinney: Wolverine, Psylocke, Storm, X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine and Kitty Pryde, Exceptional X-Men, Weapon X-Men, Phoenix, X-Factor (ending), Nyx (Ending), X-Force (ending), Juggernaut, Kid Juggernaut.

Spider-Man: Marvel's most recognizable character. Generally street level super-heroics. If it's something that's going to break the planet, that's outside Pete's scope.

Current books: Eddie Brock: Carnage, Spider-Boy, Venom: Original Sin, Spider-Man and Wolverine, Amazing Spider-Man, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse, Spectacular Spider-Men, All New Venom.

Avengers: Easily recognizable by people introduced to Marvel by the movies.

Current books: Avengers, Hulk and Doctor Strange, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Vision & Scarlet Witch, Immortal Thor, Amadeus Cho, Sam Wilson: Captain America, West Coast Avengers.

THE BIG CROSSOVER: A few times a year, Marvel throws a monkey wrench into the works by having a giant crossover event that messes with the continuity of all the books. It's annoying, but limited in duration... well... until the next BIG CROSSOVER.

Current books: Doom's Division, Doom Academy, Fantastic Four, Superior Avengers, Thunderbolts: Doomstrike, Doctor Strange of Asgard, One World Under Doom, Red Hulk.

Alternate Universes: Technically Marvel characters, but outside the plotlines of the normal Marvel Universe. Generally self contained.

Current books: Ultimate (Fill in the Blank, X-Men, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Wolverine, Ultimates), Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell (really good!), Predator vs. Spider-Man, Gwenpool, Hellverine, Deadpool, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time, It's Jeff the Land Shark, Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider, Godzilla vs. Spider-Man, Hellhunters (good book!), TVA (REALLY good!), What If?

OTHER: Not neatly fitting into the above categories.

Current books: Fantastic Four, Punisher, New Champions, Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu, Infinity Watch, Daredevil.

I recommend diving in the new Ultimate Universe, it's one year old and doesn't require external knowledge to have fun. My favourites are Ultimate Spiderman, and The Ultimates.

I think you just start somewhere that looks interesting than backtrack to its starting point if you enjoy it, as far back as necessary for you, either the character or the current iteration of the universe