Summer is a time of opportunity when anything is possible. It's also a time of endless, derivative summer blockbusters that suck the life of one franchise or another.

Image courtesy of Marvel Comics

Superheroes are usually the main victims of Hollywood and the movies devoted to them are fun and exciting. However, it doesn't let you appreciate their origins, the colorful pages from whence they came. That's why before you go to the theater this summer, go back to where the heroes began; pick up a comic book. Here are the five comic to be read during your sunny days off:1) Comic: Age of Apocalypse #1Publisher: MarvelWritten by: Fabian NiciezaIllustrated By: Gerardo SandovalRelease Date: July 8, 2015

Why You Should Read It: If you're a fan of the X-Men movies, nothing could prepare you more for next summer's blockbuster: X-Men: Age of Apocalypse. Apocalypse or En Sabah Nur was one of the first mutants on earth and is extremely powerful, able to morph his body into powerful weapons or use telekinesis to control objects. In this first issue, he rules the world, the humans enslaved, but a group of renegade mutants set out to topple his empire.

Image courtesy of DC Comics

2) Comic: Aquaman Sub-DiegoPublisher: DCWritten By: Will PfeiferIllustrated By: Patrick Gleason & Christian Alamy Release Date: July 14, 2015

Why You Should Read It: Sure, Aquaman isn't the sexiest superhero. He's usually the butt of the super powered world in pop culture, but make no mistake: he's one badass you shouldn't underestimate. He can talk to fish and breathe underwater. The earth is 75% water! So think next time before you badmouth this denizen of the deep. Anyway, in this comic a giant earthquake kills a vast majority of the San Diegan population as most of the city sinks into the sea. People who are able to find their way back to surface find they can no longer breathe. It's up to Aquaman to help the citizens of Sub-Diego rebuild what they have lost.

Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics

 3) Comic: Abe Sapien #24Publisher: Dark Horse ComicsWritten By: Mike MignolaIllustrated By: Sebastian FiumaraRelease Date: July 8, 2015

Why You Should Read It:  Who doesn't like a little Lovecraft in their literary diet? H.P. Lovecraft is the father of modern horror and his influence is seen even years after his death. One writer who does this extremely well is Mike Mignola, the creator of the Hellboy comics, the inspiration for the awesome movies with Ron Perlman.One of Hellboy's partners in fighting supernatural forces is Abe Sapien, a half man/half fish hybrid, brought to life by an occult group that worshiped the sea. Oh, it only gets weirder from there, folks. Not much is known about Abe's past other than that since he was abandoned in a tube at the outbreak of the American Civil War and wasn't discovered until the late 1970s. This comic promises to reveal more of his back story. Take a dip with Abe this summer!

 

Image courtesy of Legendary Comics

 4) Comic: Epochalypse TPB Vol. 01Publisher: Legendary ComicsWritten By: Jonathan HennesseyIllustrated By: Shane DavisRelease Date: July 8, 2015

Why You Should Read It: After seeing Terminator Genisys, you may find yourself with an insatiable appetite for time travel. Look no further because this volume should keep you satiated for a while in that regard. After a strange phenomenon causes 600 years of history to collapse on itself, people from the past, present, and future find themselves living together in one era. Who can save the day? Why the Resynchronization Officers, of course! They're out to rid the world of the objects most harmful to time itself. Set your watches for...who cares? It's all the same timeline anyway.

Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics

5) Comic: The Tomorrows #1

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Written By: Curt Pires

Illustrated By: TBD

Release Date: July 8, 2015

Why You Should Read It: No reading list is complete without some speculative fiction. For years, the great sci-fi writers like Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke imagined a future of robots, alien civilizations, and giant insects. In this case, Pires imagines a world where art is illegal and anything you post online can be turned into a weapon to be used against you. Sounds cool, right? Well, it's up to The Tomorrows (cue dramatic organ music) to stop an evil corporation (called--wait for it--The Corporation) that runs society. Now we're getting into Orwellian territory here. What's unique about this comic is that each issue is illustrated by a different artist.