LOL, thanks Rising Dragon, 4Tran, elindir, Deacon Blues, and Kirbyeggs for your replies, seems like there's A LOT to get through!
So, not all the series are connected -- do different characters appear throughout the different series? Does the ensemble cast change from series to series?
I don't really care about being chronological in terms of release dates, but I would like to be able to follow an ensemble cast from its introduction to the end.
But all your info and lists have been very helpful, thanks again!