So as most of you know, my day job these days consists of kicking back and talking to people about comics. Oh, if it were only that simple…
Any way, I do talk to people about comics, and the vast majority of folks that I talk to have very similar questions. As I was writing up a more detailed FAQ sheet for The 4th Wall, I thought, “Hey, this would make a great post for the blog…”
I then spent 2 hours patting myself on the back and tore my rotator cuff. So, here are the top 3 questions I get about comics:
Q – How do comics work?
A – Most comic books are published in single-issue form once a month. Some series publish bi-monthly, or in rare cases quarterly. After a certain number of issues, or the conclusion of a story, the publishers will then put out a collected edition, or Graphic Novel. These usually come out in hardcover first, with a soft cover version a few months later. Many people like to wait for the collected editions because it provides a more complete story, with minimal advertising and nicer paper, as well as DVD-style extras. Think of it like a TV show: you can watch each individual episode as it’s released, or you can wait for the DVD box set at the end of the season.
Q – Where should I start?
A – Wherever you like! The best part thing about comics is that there are no limits on subject matter, story, or character. If you can imagine it, it can be a comic. So when it comes to starting, ask yourself one simple question: What do I like? What do I like in terms of Movies? TV? Novels? From there it’s easy to find a comic series or graphic novel that suits your tastes and will get you excited about the medium!
Q – Do I have to know everything about the last 80 years of comics to understand what’s going on?
A – Absolutely not. Most characters and books have about a 10-year cycle where the “universe” of the character gets made over. This is how characters that have been around for so long (almost a century in some cases!) can remain fresh, and relevant. There are many natural starting places for anyone looking into comics, and the sheer number of books available shouldn’t intimidate you. Most of them are stand-alone stories that can be read without any pre-existing knowledge, aside from the basics (i.e., Batman is Bruce Wayne, dead parents, Spoiler Alert). When it comes to series, a good store will have Volume One’s heavily stocked whenever possible to ensure you can start right from the beginning. There are also handy recap pages to bring you up to speed in most books, and at the very least, Google is a great resource!
So there you go, an introduction, brief as it may be, to comic books. In spite of their long history, and the BO that some comic fans emanate, the books themselves are not so scary after all!
