Boom! Wham! Pow! The ComiQuad is a column dedicated to the spandex-laden world of comics and superheroes. It goes up each Wednesday and will alternate between comic book reviews and other comic book news. Reviews shall try to be spoiler-free. And it’s back! Zam!
In theory, reading comics should be a rather easy thing to do. You go into a comic book store, pick up a comic, bring it to the register, purchase it with some kind of legal currency, leave, and find a cozy nook to read said comic.
And it is easy! Except when it’s not. Due to publication schedules, late shipping, crossovers, price hikes, connected storylines, and a slew of other factors, comics can be downright messy at times.
So, if you’ve never read a comic and are definitely interested, follow the ComiQuad down the rabbit hole and hopefully you’ll come out the other side in a comic book store. Or in the middle of an intersection, there are no guarantees.
What is a Comic Book?
The modern comic book generally varies from 22-80 pages in length, is printed on differently sized stock paper, and features the combined talents of writers, artists, editors, and, unfortunately, advertisers.
The average comic costs between $3-4, but there are always exceptions for anthologies and comics with super-rare, totally-rad variant covers.
Comics are most often sold as ongoing series, mini-series, or as one-shot stories. Recurring series and miniseries typically publish monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) with occasional breaks for artists and writers to maintain a semi-regular schedule. All new comics are released on Wednesdays.
Generally speaking, if you pick a comic up off of the “New Releases” rack, said comic will be there again on the same week in the next month. Did you pick up Batgirl on the 2nd Wednesday of the month? Barbara Gordon will likely be there same time, same place, different month. This is the safe case with all publishers except for the comics from Marvel, which tend to do the scheduling square dance across weeks.
Where Do I Find this “Comic Book”?
In the perilous hunt for this elusive “comic book” creature, it’s imperative to know where it usually nests: the comic book store.
Comic book stores, unlike Starbucks, are not known to pop up on every street corner. In fact, for many people, their local comic book store can be many miles away.
For those living in Boston, this is fortunately a non-issue (pun intended). For those living near Boston University, there are three popular choices: Comicopia, New England Comics, and Newbury Comics. All three stores come highly recommended, but Comicopia is likely the physically nearest option (Kenmore Square) for most students and is also the most new-reader-friendly of the three.
For those not living in close proximity to a comic book store, there is always the option of digital. In the past few years, comics have become “day-and-date digital,” meaning any newly released comic is also available for digital download online for the same price as a physical copy. Comixology is the popular site for digital comics, as are individual publisher websites.
Are There Different Types of Comic Books?
Why, yes, fair hypothetical reader, comics come in all different flavors!
Generally speaking, comics exist within the genres that most forms of literature do. There is horror, romance, action, historical, sci-fi, all-ages, young adult, “adult,” and more. The biggest difference, however, is what most of the marketshare is taken up by: superhero comics. Not one person is surprised.
If you’re interested in the superhero genre thanks to never-ending summer blockbusters, the TV shows with massive cult followings, or you’re just curious about men who dress up as winged mammals, Marvel and DC Comics are the primary place to go looking.
If you’re looking for the most lighthearted, quip-filled, humor-slinging, brightly-colored, “most likely to involve punching dinosaurs”-type comics on the stand, check out Marvel’s stuff. Although all comics oscillate from lighter to darker tones as called for by the story, Marvel comics usually deliver in the “action-packed fun” category.
If you’re looking for darker tones, more uniform storytelling, a greater emphasis on villainry, and the most twists and turns imaginable, check out DC Comics. With an enormous emphasis on Batman, much of the Dark Knight’s storytelling tendencies have spilled over into other titles. Right now, the universe’s villains have taken over with many of the heroes being billed as missing! or even dead! Is the Earth doomed?! Tune in next month.
Lastly, if you are interested in awesome fiction outside of the spandex genre, almost every other publisher is great for you.
Want intergalactic Romeo and Juliet, a stoner superhero, Lost meets a boarding school, a well-known “don’t-call-them-zombies” franchise, and, soon, a couple that can stop time by making “the beast with two backs”? Try Image Comics! Want a quirky mix of Hellboy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and other mixtures of “super” and “supernatural”? Go for Dark Horse Comics.
Other publishers include IDW Publishing (most TV and movie licenses!), BOOM! Studios (Adventure Time!), Archie Comics (Archie!), and more.
Recommended Reading (Part 1)
Newsarama, Comic Book Resources: The best places for the latest in comic book news. They include previews of comics coming out in future weeks and months, reviews, news on comic creator changes (popular at DC Comics), and anything else remotely superhero-like.
ComicList: The single most reliable answer to the question “when is this comic coming out?” It updates regularly, and solves the most annoying problem any comic-reader has to contend with.
ComicVine: Home of the most user-friendly comics wiki on the web. Great for researching characters with decades of history.
BleedingCool: A startlingly reliable news/rumors site for most things geeky. Includes solid superhero casting rumors as well.
Recommended Reading (Part 2)
Much of the comics industry survives on word-of-mouth, so if you’re looking for more specific recommendations in today’s current comics climate, drop me a line. My Twitter and email information can be found below.
