Explain Comics to me.

[nikolai]

Hi all;

Could someone give me lowdown on how comics work, as a reader. I have vague memories of reading them when I was very young, but essentially have no background knowledge of them now. I wandered into a comic shop a week ago, was stuck by how beautiful some of them were, but was kind of over-awed by the complexity of the whole enterprise.

(1) There are lots of different covers with the same number on, for what appears to be the same issue, what's this about? It is just a variant cover (which I assume is the case), or are the insides different?

(2) Some of them have very high issue numbers, e.g. "#44". Is it possible to jump in to a series half way through, or would you just be totally lost?

(3) Glancing though even #1 issues, it seems they reference events in other comics (in little boxes). Frankly, I suspected even these weren't the "start". What's the entry point?

(4) It seems that some characters appear in more than one comic, there were loads of X-men comics - for example. Do you have to pick them all up? How do you decide which ones to get? How do you know when new comics have been released in a particular line?

Hope I'm not too dumb. Not knowing about it, and not knowing anyone who knows about it, it just seems very difficult to find an entry point. As someone who knows virtually nothing about the enterprise, how do you get started?

 

[sniffles]

Well, I don't profess to be a comics expert, but then maybe that's a good thing as far as your questions are concerned, nikolai. So here are my opinions on the questions you ask:

#1 - Alternate covers are all the rage currently. It's for collectors. Many people like certain artists and will collect covers by them. Other people are completists and want all the different covers. It's just a marketing ploy to sell more comics.

#2 - Jumping into a series in mid-stream may be difficult with some comics. It depends on what comic you're looking at. But most comics these days tend to repeat themselves every few years as they try to capture a new audience of young readers.

#3 - Many of the major comics have crossover titles. You don't have to read all of them to enjoy the comic, but you may miss out on some important story developments. It just depends on how much money you're willing to spend to get the entire saga.

#4 - You don't have to read all the comics featuring a particular character unless you want to. Sometimes that character may only be a secondary character in other comics. I'd suggest picking a character you like and reading only the main title or titles featuring that character. Your local comic book shop can let you know when new titles are available featuring that character. There's also a magazine/catalog called Previews which you can pick up to keep track of all the different titles. Most comic shops give regular customers some kind of discount, and will include Previews with your order, or they may have a store copy you can look through.

Be warned, though - unless you have a lot of willpower, this all leads down the path of Comic Collector Doom!! You will be sucked into the black vortex of having to have every title to get the whole story, plus all the different art covers, and soon you will become a hopeless Comic Book Geek (like me!!)

 

[guedo79]

Hi and welcome to comics.

The first rule of comics is don't worry about who's who and story lines. If the author is a decent writer you'll be able to pick up the story without a problem. Some comics even have a recap that will tell you what happened in past issues (uncanny X-men is known for having great recaps).

1) Usually for important issues, like popular stories or #1s they will print different covers. If you collect some are worth more then others but chances are it doesn't matter.

2)Most of the time you can pick up a comic on when they change creative teams or after a story has finished. If you pick up a comic and can't figure out what's going on see if they have the issue before on the shelf. Trade paper backs are wonderful for this. Basically they are collections of comics (like issues #1-10 or something) and usually doesn't require you to read any other comics.

3)If a comic is #1 and talks about other comics it's for one of two reasons:

Either it is a spin off that talks about the origin comic. Like Rogue is a spin off of Uncanny X-men.

Or they are playing off of the concept of a connecting universe where Spider-man can hang out with the Fantastic Four on the weekends and then talk about it in both comics.

4) If you like a character like Wolverine you'll have a hard time keeping up with what comic he's in. he's in at least 5 books I can think of but really it comes down to the story. A superman comic can be wonderful with a good writer or it can suck with the wrong writer.

My advice would be to start small and work you're way up. Pick up a Spider-man comic, if you like it pick up a different Spider-man comic, a comic by the same writer, or just another comic. Don't worry too much about keeping up with comics you don't read, like I said, a good writer/editor should clue you in for the important stuff.

 

[nikolai]

Thanks for the advice.

How do you know whether jumping into a (particular) series in mid-stream will be difficult or not? And how do you know which comics are spin off comics and which aren't (and what the origin comics are)?

 

[Ranger REG]

(1) There are lots of different covers with the same number on, for what appears to be the same issue, what's this about? It is just a variant cover (which I assume is the case), or are the insides different?

Occasionally they do that for those who like comic for the artworks.

(2) Some of them have very high issue numbers, e.g. "#44". Is it possible to jump in to a series half way through, or would you just be totally lost?

It's possible to jump on it as you would with any TV series later in the season. Comics sometimes have a way of getting new readers to catch up.

(3) Glancing though even #1 issues, it seems they reference events in other comics (in little boxes). Frankly, I suspected even these weren't the "start". What's the entry point?

Either they are spinoffs from an earlier series, like when Elektra is spun off from the Daredevil comic series. Or some major story event that come from it, like the Death of Superman spun off several "Supemen" series.

(4) It seems that some characters appear in more than one comic, there were loads of X-men comics. Do you have to pick them all up? How do you decide which ones to get? How do you know when new comics have been released in a particular line?

You don't have to pick them all. Usually avid fans can't get enough, so they provide more as long as the sales are up for the publishers.

Which one to get is entirely up to you. After all, $3-4 is not that expensive.

Your comic book store (if there is one nearest you) tend to let you know. Alternatively, if there is one or more series that you truly like, you can subscribe directly and they will mail it to you as soon it is off the press.

Hope I'm not too dumb. Not knowing about it, and not knowing anyone who knows about it, it just seems very difficult to find an entry point. As someone who knows virtually nothing about the enterprise, how do you get started?

I got started on comics as a child, which is initially based on what catched my eyes. So instead of favoring the popular series (Batman, Superman, Spider-Man), I tend to go for stuff like Rom and The Legion of Super-Heroes. You can always ask a comic fan near you on what is or are the current hottest comic storyline to read.

 

[Gentlegamer]

If you'd like some comics recommendations:

DC
JSA (Justice Society of America . . . legacy of the true very first superhero team from the WW2 era, written by Geoff Johns)
Teen Titans (written by Geoff Johns)
Green Lantern (sci-fi adventure, written by Geoff Johns)
Birds of Prey (written by Gail Simone)
Action Comics (the original Superman comic, written by Gail Simone)
Legion of Superheroes (written by Mark Waid)
You may see a trend in my DC recommendations . . .

Marvel
The New Thunderbolts

If you start picking up a few comics, you'll probably come to like certain writers. I've found that it is a safe bet to follow writers more than the comic itself (if that makes sense)

 

[stevelabny]

i'm gonna assume this isn't a troll and that i'm not going crazy an answer the questions

1> variant covers were a major reason behind the boom/bust of the 90s, and for some reaon they're back.

2> Jumping into a comic at #444 is the equivalent of making a new friend who is 40 years old. He's been around for a while and done a whole bunch of stuff that you don't know about, but if you hang out with him enough, you'll eventually hear all his important stories.

3> Seeing how VERY VERY VERY few comics currently use asterisks in any way shape or form to direct you to other comics, I'd love to know what you saw these in. These notes give exactly the kind of HELP you're asking for by directing you to other important stories.
The "start" of most major super-hero comics is the 1960s. Reading everything from the beginning is possible with all the reprints available if you have the money or some good skills and questionable morality on the internet but there is really no need for this at first.

4> At different points in their histories , you had to pick up all the X-titles in order to read them, but that is no longer the case. It might often help, but isn't usually necessary.
How to find out when new titles come out? Lots of ways. The X comics usually have a list of new related titles on their letters page. Comic shops often post lists of new titles. Previews is a catalog by the distributor that will list all the comics coming out in 3 months, and is what retailers use to order from and many will accept pre-orders through Previews. Comic Shop News is a free weekly flier-magazine that also lists new titles regularly. Also, all the major companies have their own websites with listings.

 

[guedo79]

Thanks for the advice.

How do you know whether jumping into a (particular) series in mid-stream will be difficult or not? And how do you know which comics are spin off comics and which aren't (and what the origin comics are)?

Just pick up an issue and read the first few pages. If you can follow what's going on with your general knowledge of the charactors then you're good to go.

You can't always tell what's a spin off and what isn't. The batman spin offs, like Robin, Birds of Prey, or Batgirl have little batman icons on the cover but the x-men spin offs like Wolverine or Rogue don't say anything directly about the x-men.

 

[Endur]

How do you know whether jumping into a (particular) series in mid-stream will be difficult or not? And how do you know which comics are spin off comics and which aren't (and what the origin comics are)?

I wouldn't worry about these questions. Really.

Once you start reading comics, you'll know how to do it.

Its sort of like riding a bike. Nobody actually thinks through the process, you just do it.

 

[WayneLigon]

(4) It seems that some characters appear in more than one comic, there were loads of X-men comics - for example. Do you have to pick them all up? How do you decide which ones to get? How do you know when new comics have been released in a particular line?

http://www.diamondcomics.com/shipping.asp is the place to see what comics are being released. Your comics shop should also have a copy of Diamond Previews, so you can see covers, get a small synopsis, etc.

No, you don't have to pick them all up; in many cases you won't even want to. There are occassional crossovers, where a story will be continued between one or more books. Those are rarer than they used to be.

Your comic shop owner should be able to point you to some good starting places to get up to speed on a book. If he can't, seriously consider going elsewhere. There are a lot of good comic stores out there, but there are also a lot of bad ones.

One thing to consider, too, is that comics series change over time. Continuity in a series changes sometimes. Finding a good jumping on point shouldn't be all that hard.

The various #1 issues are, these days, usually spin-offs or restarts of a series. The Avengers, for instance, went along since the Sixties until recently that title ended and we now have The New Avengers. It has many of the same characters and fits into the old continuity, but it's a different book with a different direction. It might stay that way, it might not. Maybe in a couple years, there will be another Avengers series, and it might start again at #1 or pick up with the old numbering.

Don't bother with the variant covers. Those are for 'collectors'. If presented with multiple covers, just pick the one you like best. They won't mean a thing inside of a few months after they're published. The idea of getting big bucks out of collecting comics and selling them later is a total wash. Very, very few comics appreciate in value anymore. Only something from the Sixties or earlier - in almost perfect condition - will fetch anything more than pizza money at best.

Now, a good idea for you might be trade paperbacks. These usually collect very popular runs of a popular comic, usually one or maybe two related storylines, all in one book for cheaper than you'd pay for the individual issues. Another added bonus is that many recent books will be collected from the start. The entire current runs of JLA and Nightwing are available as TPB's and many other series are as well. These will usually highlight important storylines, so you have a better chance of knowing what's going on.