Getting Back Into Comics

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Over the years, you’ve given up a lot of things. Cartoon character underwear, chocolate milk, comic books. Now that you’re a sophisticated adult, you realize that things were better back when you had those things. Maybe it’s time to give comic books a second chance.

Go Digital

You can get comics delivered right to your web browser, desktop, iPad or smartphone through a number of services and apps. Most comic companies offer digital versions of their most recent books for a price that’s comparable to, and sometimes less than, their print counterparts. Marvel Comics goes one further with an all-you-can-read subscription to back issues through their Digital Comics Unlimited plan where, for the price of a few issues on the stands, you can read thousands of issues on your schedule. This includes complete storylines, classic issues, and even some exclusive content. Convenient and affordable combine for an excellent deal.

Ditch the Capes

There’s more to comic books than super heroes. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them, it just means that there’s a lot more out there. You can start with a known quantity, like any of DC’s Vertigo titles. From Fables and Hellblazer to Sweet Tooth and Unwritten, Vertigo offers a host of genre-busting titles, and many older books like Sandman and Y The Last Man remain in print. You can get some post-apocalyptic zombie love, indulge in some edgy horror themed books or go for a widescreen adventure and everything in between.

Ditch the Big 2

Even more daring than ditching the capes is getting out of Marvel and DC altogether. Thanks to the rise of bookstore sales, many publishers are able to take chances on books that range from autobiographies to trippy music-inspired visual essays. There’s a whole lot of diverse and different work out there coming from big companies like Image, Dark Horse and IDW, and some truly experimental stuff coming from the even smaller companies.

Buy What You Know

Sometimes it can help to be familiar with the characters you’re reading about. If you enjoyed the Walking Dead TV show, try the book. Loved Hellboy? He’s got a whole library. Remember GI Joe, Transformers and Doctor Who? You can pick up classic adventures, or start fresh with new takes on the old stories.

All Ages Means All Ages

All ages books aren’t just for kids. Give them a try. You’ll often find that they have complete adventures, done in one story and featuring iconic characters from comics, television and the movies you remember. Titles like Ducktales and the Muppets can give you the perfect kick of nostalgia, but even if you avoid the licensed material you can find a host of family-friendly, often light hearted and always enjoyable books.

1 thought on “Getting Back Into Comics

  1. I want to get back into comics but with the sheer volume of stuff out there I need some serious advice. I can imagine the perfect comic book story premise:

    -A hot chick who is the only one left(or so she believes) surviving the world after a nuclear holocaust. In order to entertain herself(and combat her loneliness) and stay alive she has to be innovative and resort to extreme measures. When she does finally meet someone she doesn’t believe they are real and ignores them, thinks she is hallucinating–which she might be from the readers perspective (this would be a philosophical point in the comic that readers could debate)..

    -I really liked the first couple of stories in the DragonAge comic book series. It had a raw realism to it that I can’t find reproduced anywhere else. I like the idea of using magic which requires sacrificing ones Hit Points (i.e. blood magic or whatever you call it)..

    -I like the idea of a major superhero who has turned into a greedy corporate tycoon who is now using his superpowers for personal gain. I like the idea of a superhero with a radiation enhanced charisma (could also be a hot chick) who can manipulate negotiations.

    -I also like the idea of ‘Star Trek Civil War’ (i.e. a civil war within the federation of planets)..

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