New to Comics..where to start?

Question

I recently started reading comics, but I have been purchasing Trades. As you might have seen, the trades are quite expensive. Do you recommend I start reading, for example, The astonishing X-MEN trades, and then catch up to the regular monthly issues? I was at Barns and Nobles and I was looking at the Hellboy volumes and even the first volume, didn't seem like its the very beginning of the story. Sorry if my question is a bit confusing! What Im trying to ask is, how can I catch up with monthly issues of, for example X-men and what exactly are trades?

Answer 1

If you're not concerned with condition of the comic, try used book stores. And garage sales.

Comic book conventions may have lots of cheap comics from independent vendors. However, there will be a lot of really expensive ones there too.

What is a trade?

I seen the entire X-Men on dvd rom for $5. Is that a trade?

Answer 2

Trades are a book that collects, usually, and entire story arc of the regurlar series. I think the more PC term now is Graphic Novels.

I agree though, I'd try and find a local comic book shop. You might be able to pick up indavidulal back issues for a lot cheaper than you think.

If you can't find a shop, you might try a well established shop's online store like this one:

http://www.milehighcomics.com/

I don't have any experience with them myself, but I have been told that they have an excellent service record and I know they've been around since before I started reading comics in the early 90's

As for what to read, Astonishing X-Men is a good choice. The series isn't too long so you don't have to play as much catch up. And if you like what you read, try some other titles by the same writer, Joss Wheadon.

Issue #2 of Buffy season 8 just came out, it picks up where the show left off.....I've only seen part of the first season, but I like Wheadon's writing so I'm checking it out anyway. And he'll be taking over another Marvel book called Run Aways at #25, a good place to start when picking up new titles.

I read quite a few books myself, most I start reading becasue I like the writer.

If you would like more help, I'm trying to get an all female comic book reader group going!

Just contact me if your intrested and I'll give you the info!

Answer 3

Trades: trade paperbacks. ‘Coffee table comic books’. As far as getting back issues, you will have to go to your local comic shop and buy them at higher prices, since they are now rare and more expensive.

You have made an important discovery! The writers sometimes leave a lot of things out to keep their characters mysterious, so even they do not know (or need to know) everything about their character from the beginning. That way, they can change the character later on if popularity fades.

The readers are tired of ninjas? Quick, bring out a secret origin issue that shows he a mutant!

Tired of mutants? Quick, a secret origin story that shows he was an alien!

Too many contradictory secret origin stories? Quick, a secret government agency that has been messing with his memory and has an interest in him never finding out who he really is or where he came from! Etc., etc. You get the idea.

But don’t lose heart. Start with reading the gredat classics you can still find on line for free: go to Superman Through the Ages, for his earliest adventures! Enjoy!

15 APR 07, 2340 hrs, GMT.

Answer 4

Easy question to answer. As with any collecting, start by keeping within your budget. If your hobby turns into a financial burden, stop it. It's not worth the stress. Comic books are just like any other hobby, there's a lot of factors to consider when buying for investment. For years, all I heard was was that Direct Sale comics were the ONLY ones to buy for value. Not true. Then another nationwide gimmick(which is what all these things are is gimmicks to sell comics) came out.
If I were you, I'd go to The Old Bay (Ebay) and get comics really cheap(I'm an Unexpected collector) which is what I do. Stay within your budget and take your time about it. You may quickly catch up if you type in the phrase lot and click Titles and Descriptions. You'd be surprised what you will find.

http://www.chick.com

Answer 5

you're on the right track. The paperbacks are way less expensive that buying each issue individually, but try to buy them on ebay rather than an expensive retail book chain. Get the best price off the internet.

Answer 6

The biggest problem you'll have is that many comics are decades old. The X-Men, for example, started back in the 1960s. Titles like Superman predate World War II. Even thinking about trying to catch up can leave most people feeling helpless.

One helpful thing is that Marvel recently started releasing DVDs of some of their most popular titles. These DVDs contain scanned in issues in pdf format going back to the beginning. They have X-Men (see http://www.amazon.com/Years-X-Men-Collectors-Win-Mac/dp/B000E28UT2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/103-9964716-9351868?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1176613823&sr=8-3 for one buying option), Spider-Man (http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Complete-Comic-Collection/dp/B000HKIM7Q/ref=acc_glance_sw_ai_2_title/103-9964716-9351868?ie=UTF8&qid=1176613823&sr=8-3 ), The Avengers (http://www.amazon.com/Years-Avengers-Comic-Book-Win/dp/B000FJSA2G/ref=acc_glance_sw_ai_2_title/103-9964716-9351868?ie=UTF8&qid=1176613823&sr=8-3 ) and the Fantastic Four (http://www.amazon.com/Years-Fantastic-Four-Collectors-Win/dp/B000EDGO2Q/ref=pd_bxgy_sw_text_b/103-9964716-9351868?ie=UTF8&qid=1176613823&sr=8-3 ) so far. They're a great deal for the money. The earlier stuff is kind of silly (well, really silly) by modern standards, but can still be fun to read. Plus writers often resurrect old characters and refer to old plotlines, so it can come in handy.

Trades are trade paperbacks. Traditionally the publisher would take a really popular storyline, like the Phoenix Saga in the case of the X-Men, and publish it as a graphic novel. They used to be pretty rare, but they're much more comon these days. Reading them can be helpful, especially with crossovers, since you don't have to track down every issue of every title involved.

As for where to start, that's a tough call. I'd recommend going to your local comic book store and setting up a subscription - you tell them what you plan to buy and they'll hold it for you. Pick a few titles and just jump right in with current issues - you'll catch on. Try checking the bargain bins for older issues, since most shops have plenty of older stuff that's pretty cheap in the bargain bins. You can also find lots of interesting, oddball studd in bargain bins. Check back issues at the store and buy them they're if they're reasonably priced. Otherwise, check used book stores for used comics and graphic novels. You can also find some good deals on ebay, but watch out for the shipping charges. Try looking at used graphic novels through Amazon as well.

Comics are lots of fun, although it can be intimidating at first, trying to figure out what you like and how to get started. I generally just jump right in - it's confusing for a while, but eventually you catch on. You might try some newer series as well, since there's less back story. If you like the X-Men, try Runaways. It's fairly new and collected in several graphic novels so far. Browse your local comic book store (if you don't know where it is, try the store locator service at http://www.diamondcomics.com/public/ - on the right side) and look through titles to get a feel for what you like. I personally tend to follow my favorite writers more than specific titles. Talk to someone at the store - they can be a great resource as far as finding things you'll enjoy and learning what's critical as far as catching up.

Good luck and have fun!