I’ve stated before that I like Chandler’s Ford library and Eastleigh library.
One of the reasons is that both libraries have a small but pretty good selection of comics and graphic novels, where I get some of mine from.
There are other comic book sections in Winchester library, and I visit it very often to borrow the comics and graphic novels that I enjoy reading. Along with comics I also borrow DVDs, CDs and short story collections.
Yesterday I took the train to London from Chandler’s Ford Train Station with my mum, and we visited Foyles bookstore on Charing Cross Road.
Foyles has a huge section on graphic novels (including a Magneto comic! He is the main enemy of the X-Men). There are two shelves of DC and two of Marvel. I spent more than an hour there looking at the comics, and I want to return there again.
I also went to the Forbidden Planet Cult Entertainment Megastore, which has an entire floor of comics. I also read comics on the train to London. Yesterday was my graphic novel day.
My bed has two huge drawers where I store all the comics I have bought.
Due to the huge amount of comic book movies being released, I thought I will write about comic books themselves. It’s obvious the films are hugely popular, but it’s important to remember their origins. I have a drawer full of Batman, X Men and Thor comics.
My comic book guide for dummies
So here is my comic book guide for dummies. First, the two big companies:
Marvel
Otherwise known as the ones who make the movies. Marvel are more light hearted, with a bigger emphasis on massive events involving loads of characters. Famous for Spiderman, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Thor (my favourite), Hulk, Iron Man and Daredevil. The characters are normally ordinary people imbued with powers and they are more science fiction based (Doctor Strange aside).
DC
Otherwise known as the ones who should be making lots of movies but aren’t, DC tell darker stories with more serious characters with a wider range of personalities. The story arcs are more personal to certain heroes. Famous for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Constantine. The heroes usually have personality problems and there is an emphasis on fantasy and magic, with technology also playing a part.
There are other comic companies but these are the two which everyone recognises and the ones where the most famous heroes come from. I’ve already discussed why they are so popular, so I’m going to talk about which company I prefer and why I like reading them.
I’m more of a Marvel person, but it’s funny because I find the DC characters more interesting. I much rather prefer Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter to Iron Man, Captain America and Hulk (though they are all cool). Similarly I prefer Batman to Spider-Man. However, the reason I prefer Marvel overall is not just because of the movies but because they feel more like a combined universe.
I can read a Spider-Man comic and imagine that the X-Men exist, but while reading a Batman comic it is hard for me to imagine that Superman is somewhere (probably because Batman is so different to the other DC characters). So overall I think both are great, but I prefer Marvel, even though the DC universe is more interesting.
Conclusion
The main reason I like comics is because of the fact that it isn’t just words, but artwork and pictures as well. The stories are also really cool and the comic book universes are just so awesome!
In one universe you have a guy dressed as a bat fighting clowns, people made of clay, mad scientists and an alien battling bald business men and a giant monster. The other universe has a guy dressed up as a spider fighting a man made of sand, alien symbiote and a scientist with four metal tentacles and a billionaire with an iron suit who fights warlords and a dragon.
The extent a comic book can go with its characters is just brilliant. What other form of storytelling can have Asgardians, gamma mutated scientists, sorcerers and a WWII super powered soldier in the same story? And because it is a visual medium, it means that these characters can be instantly recognised.
And that’s why I like comic books. I read normal books as well but there is something about comics which appeal to me. It’s also good that there are movies which are being made from them, so there is always something for me to enjoy at the cinema.
Lucky lad. The only comic we were allowed to possess in school was The Eagle because there was a bible story on the back page. Of course we wanted it for the front page, Dan Dare and his green arch enemy. Was he called the Mekon? Anyway he had a big head, supposed to denote a superior intellect.
There was a black market in Dandy and Beano and Film Fun but they had to be kept from the eyes of the teachers in case they triggered a rage reaction.
There are some comics at my school, although none interests me. I have read some old comics like the Beano because my grandparents have some at their house. They’re pretty good!
Awesome, Epicduda! I’m glad you went to Foyles, the Grande Dame of bookshops!
I used to read the Eagle too, but I preferred Look & Learn for “Jason January: Space Cadet” and the “Trigan Empire” which was an amazing mish mash of guys in Roman soldier outfits flying spaceships. It was drawn by Don Lawrence, I still have a combined edition signed by him!
I have admired the likes of Neil Gaiman (Sandman) and Brian Vaughan (Y: the last man) for their more mature take on graphic novels. Have you tried any Japanese Manga? It isn’t all cutesy magical girls and their even cuter mascots!