Know Your Different Comic Books and How to Care for Them
People say that a picture is worth a thousand words. In terms of literature, this could mean that a comic book can be a good form of story-telling for readers. Comic books have always been popular medium where readers get to both see and read through stories of several characters. Engaging and colorful, comics has been the primary medium of superhero stories, as these narrate perfectly the action scenes and important plot-points that would otherwise be lost on a paragraph or two. This isn’t saying that the comic is better than a novel or a short-story, but the comics have its own powerful fan-base that would buy these issues monthly, and you can actually see this media’s popularity, with the number of comics being made into movies each year.
Learning How to Get Into Comics
Now, unlike the novels and other media, getting into comics is quite difficult, considering the number of series released each year, and how the different series get rebooted each time. Each comic book can also be a bit pricy if you want to continuously buy these monthly. You’ll really need to be patient to get into the series correctly. However, once you get into these comic series regularly, you’ll get to appreciate these series much easier, and get to learn new ways to read these comics without spending much of your money. Don’t just be a regular reader, be a smart reader through a trusted comic book, available through any various means in the country.
What are the Types of Comics
While most casuals would think all comics are the same, there’s actually some variety in the way they are distributed. Stories are often released in weekly issues but you can also go for the binge-route and buy thicker comics that are released in a bulk. Knowing these types of comics and what to buy will help you save on your money.
Start with The Standard Issue
The standard issue is the traditional comic release; consistently published at a few intervals each month. These stories are very available and can be bought anywhere for a limited release. Each of the comics’ stories progress as each issue is released. For true comic book fans, these issues are the ones bought and sealed monthly for a period in order to complete a story. Traditional Filipino Komiks are also often released in the standard issue format, which often make them valuable.
Going for Trade Volume
If you ever miss out on an issue and cannot find any backlogs from any comic sources, do not worry! Most comic book publishers release a trade, or trade paperback version. These are the collection of issues released once in a while. This annual comic book collection gives you a full catalog of the comic issues released that year as a form of thicker comic book.
The trade is like a bundle of standard issues bundled together. Aside from giving you a complete story, some trades also contain behind the scenes, artist descriptions, and some other freebies that the comic book reader can be treated to, when they buy this type of comic.
Read a Complete Story with a Graphic Novel
Hardcore comic readers can also go for original stories written, drawn, and released in one-go. These are the graphic novels, which are as thick as your standard novel. Most of these are a bit on the pricey side but you are getting a complete story without any twists and cliffhangers like the weekly and monthly issues. The graphic novels are also quite common, with some even containing hidden freebies for readers. These omnibuses also come with previews of the next projects coming in for comics and the writer’s devoted readers.
Go the Japanese Route with the Manga
Japanese anime has been a staple for modern entertainment, and its origins all come from the Japanese manga. These traditionally-drawn comics are very popular since these come out in droves; all telling their unique stories in a different perspective. Most manga come in the Tankobon format (equivalent to a small graphic novel), but can also be released weekly through Weekly Magazines, with at least 2 – 3 stories written in one issue. You can get into the different manga stories with this, basically letting you read 2 – 3 different titles each week or month.
Bagging and Boarding – The Joys of Collecting Comics
Say you’ve finished reading your favorite comic book titles… now what? While it is very easy to just pile up your comics and leave them collecting dust, there’s actually a correct and fun way to store them properly with great benefits. Stories of old comics selling for more money is very plausible, especially if you take care of them properly. Most comics stores and online platforms sell comic bags and boards that help preserve their physical look and integrity, while long boxes are made so that you can store these issues safely. Bagging and boarding is a common practice for comic readers and this simple act can be rewarding in the long-run.
Boards are simple thick back cardboards that holds the comic book in place, so that they won’t become flimsy and create unnecessary creases and folds. The plastic comic bags, meanwhile, carefully seal the comics so that it won’t wear out and wouldn’t tear out when sealed. Most bags and boards have standard shapes to seal the standard issues, but there are also thicker variants made for trades and graphic novels. Finally, storing them in a durable long box would prevent dust and dirt from gathering, while also securing your comics in place.
The joy of reading and collecting comics has been very popular in decades for a reason – and with online platforms like Lazada offering you choices to these comics, the hobby will still continue in the long-run.
