Sooooooo! You’ve decided at long last that you want to get into comics! Reading that is, not making them. As that’s an entirely different thing and there’s more knowledgeable about that sort of thing than me. But considering there’s literally millions of comic books out there (not to mention numerous re-numbering/restarts and variants) and it’s understandable that you wouldn’t exactly know where to start. Marvel and DC (aka the Big 2) alone is a mountain of millions in titles and there’s the various publishers like Image, BOOM!, Dark Horse (Home of Hellboy!), Markosia, Mad Cave, and a number of others.
Each with their own universes with lots of stories waiting to be read. So where to start exactly with all that? Especially when you take into account all the genres to choose from? In addition to needing to know where you can buy and what you’re willing to spend? Well…
We’ll discuss a few of these things to take into consideration;
Preferred Genre: Action? Fantasy? Romance? Horror? What’s Your Preference?
Variety: Whether or Not You Want Something Different In Your Reading.
Research: Whether That’s For Where A Local Shop Is Or Online Means To Buy Comics Or Otherwise. Along With Good Shelving Options For Your Space.
Budget: Setting One For Your Comics Buying Hobby Is Definitely A Thing.
First, what Genre interests you the most? As like with Manga and other formats, there’s quite a few around in Comics. If Super Heroes aren’t your thing then something outside the Big 2 would be the way to go since that twosome is primarily Heroes and Villains. What Publisher has what Genre you prefer could also take a bit of time to research but said research could always come in handy later down the line. Sites like Wikipedia, Comic Shop Locator, UncannyXMen.Net, and Fandom are some helpful resources.
Secondly, do you prefer stories that are different and not likely to have been repeated in some way for the 3rd time? As really, for example, there’s only so many ways you can re-tell the tales of King Arthur and his Knights. Course, I could always be wrong on that one. Maybe perhaps you’re looking for something that’s just right for your kid? Its out there, trust me!
Thirdly, do you have a local comic store in your area or nearby? Or would you need to rely on online sources for your comic book needs? Amazon is one online source that’s good for getting comics, albeit, more so for Trades/Graphic Novels/Omnibus’. InStockTrades is another source along with the various publishers who have a store of their own on their websites. The Facebook Market, Ebay, and surprisingly TikTok as I recently learned are also sources you can use for your Comics online buying fun. Now, if you, for some reason, prefer digital means to print means, there’s quite a few options in that front as well.
Kindle and PDF Readers like Adobe Acrobat can help with your Digital experiences. Gumroad, DriveThruComics, Global Comix, and IndyPlanet are just a few examples as well that offer plenty of content for your reading pleasure in Digital format. Platforms like Kickstarter also offer a digital option as well a majority of the time in a Campaign.
Researching is your friend and don’t be afraid to ask questions to the good folks running an LCS. Majority of them are happy to answer questions, especially if it helps get a new fan into reading Comics and as well as a customer for their shop. Having the space and shelving for your new collection is also pretty important as well as you don’t want to have everything lying around here and there. Unless you’re just weird that way. Not to mention potentially ending up with too much in a small space. Plus, do you want to be collecting single issues as they release each Wednesday or every other Wednesday?
Which Wednesday is typically when new issues are released. Or would you rather get things in Trade/Graphic Novel/Omni form? Having storylines in one easy format definitely gets you more bang for your buck. Even if the not so single format isn’t exactly super (like the Omnibus) cheap and tend to have to wait until it’s all collected and ready to be sold.
Omni-tastic, baby!
Which brings me to the 4th thing here; budget. Having one for your new hobby is important as you could be spending up to 80 dollars or more each week on new releases and that’s not including collected editions. As the last thing you want is to end up broke and no way to pay your bookie from Alpax Prime 8 or your bills. One would hurt you and the other would just be really inconvenient for one reason or another. Another thing to consider is if whether or not you need another copy or 3 of an issue just because of the variant covers.
Dem Dolla Bills Y’all!
Its one thing if its part of a cause but ultimately, outside of that, it’s better to put that money to use on another title. At least in my opinion anyway as some may or may not agree with me on that. And if you’re after a specific past issue, LCS’ tend to have back issue bins for one to look through.
Game Exchange and antique stores are also another avenue for back issue buys. There’s also special supplies you can get that’ll allow you to keep your new collection safe and potentially valuable when you’re old and grey. Short/long boxes, bag and boards, and you can even bag a Trade/GN too if they are able to fit of course. Most Comic Shops will typically sell bag and boards but if they don’t have any in stock for whatever reason, sites like Amazon, Walmart, and BCW Supplies will have them in stock. BCW also carries storage containers (short/long boxes) for your comic books, trading cards, table top related card games, and quite a few other things.
Essentially a one stop shop for all your needs in those areas! It should also be noted that the Comic Book Herald is an excellent source for reading guides, including their own guide to getting started in reading comics.
Now, you don’t have to abide by any of this, each person’s journey into Comics is their journey and their journey alone. With that in mind, grab a comic and open the pages (even if it is #1478 of Batman) to begin reading! Its all uphill from there!
Written by: Rob Wrecks
