This summer marked the reboot of many famous comic book characters hitting the big screen.
James Gunn’s fresh take on “Superman” and Marvel’s successful comeback with “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” sparked a new interest in comic books for lots of people.
Many hit their local comic book shop to learn more about their favorite characters but found themselves drowned in options, unsure of where to begin.
Now, there’s no need to worry.
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s — a guide to getting into comic books.
First things first, there are some terms to know before you hit the shelves.
A single issue is a single book, ranging anywhere from 25-50 pages. These are typically released on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Single issues can have stand alone stories or are a part of a larger storyline stretched out across multiple issues.
A trade, whether paperback or hardcover, is a collection of single issues combined into one book. Trades consist of a single storyline from a set of single issues. For instance, the first trade of the “Absolute Batman” title consists of issues #1-6, which is the full storyline called “The Zoo.”
An omnibus is a large-scale book that combines multiple trades into one. Omnibuses contain a complete storyline or a character’s full adventure.
A simple way of looking at it is viewing a single issue as a chapter in a book. A trade is the full book whereas an omnibus is the whole series or at least that iteration.
Wednesday is no longer hump day. Wednesday is new comic book day. Every week, new comic books come out on Wednesdays so be sure to get to stores soon after because come Saturday, your titles may be sold out for the week.
Now that you have the terms, where do you go from here?
Simply head to your local comic book store or even look online and see what catches your eye. If you have a character that you are interested in, check out their latest issue, even if it’s the middle of the storyline.
One of the best tips I received was to just start at the most recent issue. You can always find the previous single issues or just wait for the trade to come out to fill in the missing stories. Comic books often start with a little bit of background information so you aren’t completely in the dark. So you can jump into the current “Green Lantern” run, even though it’s on issue #26.
Buy what you want, not what everyone else wants.
The biggest mistake that so many comic book enjoyers make is buying something just because of the hype. Before you shell out $20 on a trade, take a chance with a single issue. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to keep buying it.
I tried giving “Absolute Martian Manhunter” a chance because of the amazing reviews I had seen. After just one issue, I knew that it wasn’t for me. Instead of continuing to buy any new issues, I pass it up because it isn’t something I want to read.
Along the same lines, it’s okay to drop titles. If you’re reading a title and don’t like the direction of the story, the writing or even the art anymore, just drop it. There’s no shame in moving on from something you don’t like. Your mind and wallet will thank you.
This next point is something I don’t do but see quite often. Comic books have variant covers that are typically more expensive than the normal “A” cover. Many people choose to buy an issue of the latest “Absolute Superman” comic, for example, with the normal cover and also one of a variant cover.
The pages within the cover are the exact same but people buy two for the different cover art. I usually opt for the normal cover, but that’s just me. If the artwork speaks to you that much, by all means, go for it.
Don’t be scared to try something new every once in a while, especially when new titles come out.
Whether you’re collecting a brand new run of “X-Men” or trying to complete your “Robin” collection from the 1990s, there’s something for everyone.
You have the terms and a few tips, why not get a few recommendations?
DC Comics has been killing it with the “Absolute Universe.” They’ve taken characters like Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash and changed their stories into something new. It gives a fresh interpretation of fan-favorite heroes and how they would be in an alternate universe.
The title that really got me back into comic books was “Batman.” Sadly, the current run in the “Hush 2” storyline has been delayed so I’ve been patiently waiting for its next installment.
”Star Wars Jedi Knights” has been an interesting anthology series showing different characters in the time before “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.”
Finally, a brand new Superman title called “Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum” has offered a different story we’re used to. It follows Superman who is testing out new forms of Kryptonite on himself, with the help of Batman. Each issue shows Superman experimenting with a different color of Kryptonite with each new form having a different effect. There are only two issues so far so this is a great time to get into this storyline.
If none of these titles interest you, that’s okay. It’s your turn to go out and find something for you.
DC Comics and Marvel have super heroes, Dark Horse Comics has titles like “Hellboy,” Image comics has “Invincible” and “Transformers.” That’s just a very short list of thousands of titles, new and old, that you can start reading. Seriously, I mean it when I say there’s something for everyone.
