My First Time

As I touched on in my first post, almost 8 months ago, when I walked into my local comic book shop for the first time I was overwhelmed.  All I knew going in was that I wanted to buy a Batman comic.  When I walked up to the wall I saw Detective Comics, Batman, Batman and Robin, Batman ’66, Batman and Superman, Batman Beyond, Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman Arkham Unhinged, Nightwing, Batgirl, Batwoman, Batman Incorporated, Batwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Catwoman, and Batman: The Dark Knight.  That’s 16 books!  I didn’t even know where to start.  At this point I had no clue about story arcs or continuity and how they played into the DC universe. 

At this point and time buying a comic was a whim and I didn’t feel like spending half my paycheck trying to figure out if I liked comic books.  I asked Bob, the man behind the counter, if he could suggest one for me and he pointed me to the trade paperbacks and classic Batman stories shelved on the other side of the store.  I insisted that I wanted a comic book, one magazine looking things with the cool covers.  He pulled Scott Snyder’s Batman off shelf and handed it to me.  He told me it was a new arc so it was a great jumping in point.  I left with the issue Bob gave me along with a couple back issues that were left over from previous months so I could get an idea of what had been going on and a massive book called Batman: Knightfall Volume 1.  When I started reading I almost immediately became confused.  I felt like I had started watching a movie at the halfway point and the back issues I had got to shed some light on the book suggested to me only presented more questions.  I chalked it up to the fact that I hadn’t started from issue 1 and cracked open the mammoth Knightfall.  I was drawn in by the artwork and was fascinated by how the medium allowed for a story to be told.  However, the confusion by this first experience could have easily turned me away from comics.  Had I not taken home Knightfall it is quite possible that Batman #22 would have ended up in a stack of papers and magazines on my floor until it came time for my bi-annual purge, when it would have been discarded like so much trash.  Instead it is now bagged and boarded, safely stored in one of the short boxes stacked next to my desk. 

So what can you take away from this experience?  If you are a comic book aficionado, nothing.  However I have learned many things in that past year I wish I could have told myself when I first went into Westfield Comics.

1. Comics tell a series of self-contained stories that can span multiple issues, called an arc, or just be a single issue, often referred to as a single shot. 
2.  There is no point trying to jump in during an ongoing arc.  Wait for the trade paper back, often called a trade or tpb.
3.  There is a reason you can go to any comic book shop and buy Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One or Allan Moore’s The Killing Joke.  There are classics in the comic book world just as there are classics in literature or film and these stories have stood the test of time because they are that awesome.  Don’t pass on them because they are old or just because you aren’t reading the original serialized comics.

If you are just starting to get into comics or are toying around with the idea of visiting your local comic shop here are a couple tips that could make it a much more rewarding and fun experience. 

1. If you have an idea of what you want, say X-Men or Captain America go to comicvine.com, find their character wiki and click on recommended reading.  Another option is to just google the group or character along with “best tpb.”  While assuring yourself a top-notch story you can also get background information that will help you make sense of current issues or deepen your understanding.  This can also give you the confidence of knowing something going in so that you are not completely in the dark.
2. Ask the guy behind the counter for help.  Some comic shop employees, even some shop owners are pompous, nerd elitists, but the overwhelming majority are awesome, friendly people.  They love comics and when somebody loves something like this they want to share it with others.  Ask them if there are any new arcs starting or if they have any recommendations.  I can guarantee they will have some info that will help.
3. Go on a Wednesday.  Every Wednesday new issues are released.  There is an energy that just isn’t present any other day of the week and if you are looking for recommendations there will be no shortage in a store full of enthusiasts.  Going on a Wednesday generally will also mean that the book you want won’t be sold out.  That being said, going on a slow day like a Monday or a Tuesday will mean that the staff will have more time to help, you can always come back Wednesday.
4. Allow yourself to get carried away, maybe not fiscally, but be open to whatever calls you.  Nothing will make it more fun than exploring and finding something that catches you.  

NXS