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Archive for the ‘Comics’ Category

Comic Books- Get Fun Filled Reading Experience

24 Aug

Comics are the books in which the story is presented with the help of cartoons and graphical illustrations alongwith written dialogues and comments. As the name itself suggest they have element of humour and pun in them. Comic Books are extremely catchy and attractive as they present a certain idea or story with the help of fancy illustrations and drawings. Cartoons have a unique preposition and they deal with the various sensitive subjects at times in a light and hilarious manner.

Many fictional characters have become excessively popular amongst the children and the teenagers. The super heroes like He-man, Super Man, Spider Man etc have evolved over the years in movies and 3D games, however they first appeared in the various comic series. It is a wrong notion that all the comics are humorous. There are a lot of books that are based on serious subjects and are also packed with action and drama. They are a favourite pass time for kids and youngsters. The craze for these books is quite high amongst the ardent readers. People are often having addiction for their favourite comic series.

Generally, the comic series have interesting characters and exciting plots. The adventures and fun of these characters is showcased in the books with the help of wonderful iteration and illustrations. The fun filled books cater with different subjects and situation. There are various characters that entice the readers from different age groups. While children read comics like TinTin, teenagers love to read the interesting stories of Archie. There are numerous comic books that have great stories.

Earlier the comic books were simply collection of comic strips that are funny and hilarious. Later on, comics that focussed on the social issues and other sensitive topics were also created. These books are completely entertaining and rejuvenating.There are several very famous comic series that are highly popular in the UK. “The Dandy” and “The 2000 AD and The Eagle” are among the all time favourite comics. There are a number of other comics that have gained great popularity amongst the young ones in the Europe. Asterix and Tintin have grown to become the best companions of the children in the free time.

 
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Essential Comics for Non-comic Book Readers

09 Aug

I’m not a comic reader, but I love to see cartoon movie. Well comic is a great book when we are relax and on the teenage. Ya it’s lot of teenage I ever see, read comic book in a book store. I dont know they buy the books or just read it their. They are so antusiast. Comic books are a unique combination of the two. Forget about content for a second. Comics can do what no other medium can; the combination of words and art in a sequential format tell a story and evoke feelings that other formats, in their attempt to conjure the same feelings, would have failed miserably. That isn’t to say comic characters can’t be in good movies. They can. However, the emotion and feeling from reading Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum could not be duplicated on the big screen. Same goes for Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and Kurt Busiek’s Marvels. For further information on this unique medium, I highly suggest Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics.

Now, with that out of the way, here are five creators who have written several series and/or graphic novels that non-comics readers would enjoy and find thought provoking:

Alan Moore. Yes, Watchmen is on everyone’s list and yes, it should be. A fantastic use of the medium and an entertaining story as well. But Moore has such a rich bibliography that I hate to confine it to just the one classic. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell are also classics, and certainly not for children. His entire line of ABC Comics is worth a read. Even finding his individual stories (there are several compilations on the market) is worth it.

Grant Morrison. My personal favorite, he tends to be a little “out there” for some. But I find his stories to be contextually rich with symbolism and sequences that stay with me for days. I highly recommend The Invisibles, We 3, Seven Soldiers mini-series, and his run on Doom Patrol, Animal Man and Justice League. Graphic novels include Sebastian O, The Mystery Play and Arkham Asylum.

Neil Gaiman. Noted mostly for his outstanding Sandman run, which I highly recommend, Gaiman also wrote the underrated graphic novel Murder Mysteries.

Greg Rucka. I include Rucka on this list for his outstanding characterization in the Queen & Country series and the wonderful mystery, Whiteout. Both series have several moments where you realize that the comic medium was the only way to get these stories to work best.

 
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A Basic Guide To Comic Book Collecting

13 Jul

Even with the emergence of popular entertainment outlets such as the internet and satellite television, comic books have maintained an impressive market share of consumer spending. There simply is no replacement for the unique way a comic can present a story and engage its readers. Because of this, comic book collecting has also grown in recent years with a new generation of readers enjoying this rewarding hobby.

For collectors who are just beginning, there are a couple of different approaches to take to the hobby. Some people are simply fans of a particular hero or publisher. They purchase comics for their own entertainment and don’t concern themselves much with the after-market value of the publication. Other collectors concentrate on acquiring limited edition or rare comics for the sake of achieving a return on their investment. This form of collecting usually requires an advanced knowledge of the market as well as the necessary funds to make large purchases.

There are five distinct eras of comic book memorabilia. The Platinum Age represent the oldest time period, dating between the 1800’s and 1937. The Golden Age covers the years of 1938 to 1955. Silver Age comic books are dated between 1956 and 1969, and the Bronze Age occurred between 1970 and 1979. The Modern Age includes everything that was produced from 1980 through today. Each time period is unique and distinctive in the way the publications were written, produced, and distributed. Obviously the older periods offer the most valuable items, but there are still plenty of rare and limited comics to be found in the Modern Age.

Today’s collectors will find a multitude of outlets to help them add to their collection. The internet alone has increased the accessibility of hard-to-find comics to collectors all over the world. eBay, Craigslist, and online comic book stores make finding exactly what you want as simple as clicking a mouse. While these outlets are probably the most popular markets for collectors, there is still plenty of demand for local comic book shows and stores. Of course newsstands and bookstores remain the best source for the latest publications. Ideally, the savvy collector will be comfortable with using all of the outlets mentioned here.

 
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Art of “Comic Book News”

04 Jul

Have you ever read this kind of information? ya it’s on comic book news. I said this is a kind of art that you should know, check this out. Over the annals of time there have been people to report on the events that occur in life. The same can be said in the world of comics where the term “comic book news” is readily applied, though is rarely accurate. Much like tabloid news, comic book news is mostly comprised of hype and interviews promoting products.Take a publication like Wizard Magazine that used to be a fun and credible source of comic book news prior to the widespread use of the internet with comic book news sites cropping up by the dozens.

Once reporting hard to find tidbits of information for the curious fan out of touch with the behind the scenes world of comics, Wizard was a bastion of comic book news to the uninformed. Now, however, always a step behind and hardly ever providing any real reporting, according to many, Wizard is highly considered nothing more than an 80-page commercial for products from the biggest comic companies in the industry.Many comic book news websites are the same, rarely reporting any hard-hitting stories or asking the tough questions in interviews, they cater to the professionals and big companies that in kind provide them with exclusive previews and the like that other sites aren’t able to acquire. The two current biggest comic book news websites, Newsarama.com and ComicBookResources.com have such deals and often publish a lot of fluff. That’s not to say those sites, which are beloved by many a comic fan, do not publish newsworthy content as well, it’s just a little harder to find.The fact is many comic and non-comic fans scoff at the term “comic book news” passing it off and not considering it real journalism. And that’s an accurate thought pattern when considering some so-called comic book news out there. But it’s certainly not the case in totality.

There are, in fact, many real journalists in comic book news that write and publish informative, and sometimes controversial reports and articles on events in comics, about creators, and about publishers.Therefore, the term “comic book news” is a relative term depending on who you ask and what you read. But rest assured, you can find real stories that would be worthy of any credible publication and would certainly be deemed newsworthy. But like the ‘real world’, you have to sift through all the garbage (ie, tabloids, or fluff) to find the real gems in comic book news.

 
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Marvel Comic Books: The Industry Standard?

10 Jun

It’s no secret that Marvel comic books are the best selling comic books in the American market. Marvel holds the highest percentage of the market share as it has for many years, just above main rival, DC Comics. But does this really mean that Marvel comic books are the standard for the industry? Are they the best written and best illustrated? Are they diverse and varied enough? Do they really captivate readers that much, or is it mainly due to diehard fans of their characters or creators buying up books just for that reason alone?

Of course, that’s not something that can be easily discerned, if it even can at all. Things like this are largely subjective, and no study in the world could possibly gauge the reasons behind all the buyers of Marvel comic books purchasing the books. But one can look at the market, and look at the books being produced by Marvel and by other companies and develop their own opinion.

Naturally, though, opinions are completely polarized between fans of Marvel comic books and fans of DC comic books, each despising the other. There are plenty of fans that enjoy books from both companies, mind you, but generally even these fans have their loyalty to one company or the other. Then there are those fans who hate superhero comics altogether and choose to make all their purchases in the indy market. But marginally, this is a small group compared to those who are fans of the Big Two. Even the market shares of the two largest indy companies, Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics, while competitive, are still far below the massive shares Marvel and DC claim.

But listening to the complaints of fans, at least on the internet, and sometimes in the local comic shops, there are many dissatisfied customers with many of the books from both companies. But since the topic is Marvel comic books, the major crossover events of the past few years bare mentioning, as they have gained equal amounts of acclaim and disdain by Marvel fans and non-fans alike.

Many are sick and tired of the massive crossover storylines that, because of the problems of the 90s, feel like they are merely thinly veiled marketing ploys to force readers into buying more books than they normally would to get the full story. Others enjoy their superhero comic universe being united and the effects of world events materializing throughout all the Marvel comic books. But most agree, outside of these crossovers, and of course the main books (the Spider-Man books, X-Men books and Avengers books) not much else is that great right now, nor has it been for sometime. There are exceptions, like Runaways and Thunderbolts, but by and large it’s substandard fare. Even the major books, like Uncanny X-Men and Amazing Spider-Man, weren’t that great a couple of years ago by the standards and opinions of many.

So why do Marvel comic books outsell all others and remain the dominant brand in American comics? We may never know for sure, but one can guess that it’s a combination of all the reasons mentioned above.

Not much different than African Americans felt not too long ago, or even how Native Americans felt when their land was stolen from them. Wolverine and The X-Men suffered the same type of bigotry, abuse and segregation from the get go. But despite their tribulation, they still helped anyone they could. Some, like Wolverine, became bitter for a time. But by and large, they lived their lives the best way they could, proving humans wrong in the process.

Over the years, the X-Men became more accepted by society for a time, but eventually it would all come crumbling down. A radical church group would crucify some of their ranks, then the majority of the mutant population suddenly became powerless and normal. This reignited the hatred for mutants, because most had just come to accept their existence, not like it. With the possibility of “no more mutants” a reality, closet hatred came to the forefront again.

Still, the X-Men maintained their cool, for the most part, and proved to be better people than those spreading their messages of hate with words and weapons.

The X-Men are a symbol in comics, and in society as a whole. They show how hatred and ignorance can be overcome, and how being different can be a great attribute and not a flaw that we need to expel or feel sorry about. There is strength and power in being unique that those who allow fear and hate to run their lives will never understand. Maybe they should crack open an issue of X-Men from time to time. Maybe seeing their ignorance and stupidity displayed in full color will somehow enlighten them. Maybe, just maybe, by reading the stories of how these unique and wonderful beings are harassed and persecuted on a nearly daily basis will make them think twice about their own actions. One could only dream.

 
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A Comic Book Appraiser

20 May

There are many different types of comic books that we can buy, trade and even look through when we go to a comic book shop. From these places you will encounter comic books in various conditions. Some comic books will be in mint condition and others will look well thumbed through even though they are newly printed comic books. When you are buying comic books for a collection you want to know roughly the comic book values.

These values are somewhat difficult for the novice comic collector to find. To help you in this task of find the comic book values for your various comic books you can look for a comic book appraiser. This individual will have the knowledge and the experience in handling various comic books so that he comic will not sustain any signs of damage while the comic book is being assessed.

You can ask the appraiser questions about the various identifying marks when you want to know how to find these comic book values when you are in a comic book store. You can also use the various steps and instructions that are found in different comic book price guides.

As these price guides are in both traditional book form and electronic version you should be able to find the comic book values that you are looking for. The information may be a little difficult to find but once you have seen and understood the criteria for assigning values to your comic books you will be able to test out your abilities.

The best way to get a feel for the various values that are possible is to see if you can determine the comic book values by the method that was described in the comic book price guides. The first step is to see the condition of the comic books in your collection. The ones that are in poor shape you may want to leave until you are able to see how the comic book value system really works.

The other items that determine the comic book values are the popularity in the long term. This means that long running comic series like Superman and Batman are probably most likely to be very valuable especially if they are comics from the earlier editions. These early comic books are hard to find.

When you have developed your ability to judge the various comic book values and you feel that you will be able to say which comics are in mint condition and which ones are fair then you will need to see if you can take this a step further and look at the differences in the comic books that you have just purchased from the comic book stores. You can then see what a professional appraiser will value your collection at.

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Comic Book History

18 May

In the United States, the first comic book was published in 1934. Ever since the first comic came out, the leading producer has been the United States. The first comics were similar to the comics found in early newspapers; however, they were published as their own books. The first comic books were mostly about adventure stories and depicted some type of superhero character. Historians break up the history of American comic books into different eras. There are four eras starting with the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, and the Modern age of comic books.

The Golden Age of comics is said to have last from the 1930s to the late 1940s. During this time, comics became main stream and readers were introduced to superheroes such as Batman, Captain America, and Wonder Woman. Superman was the first known superhero and made his debut in 1938. After Superman, almost all comics featured a superhero, and the Golden Age is classified by their appearances. World War II had a big impact on the popularity of the superhero comic books during this era. What made them so popular was showcasing that good triumphs over evil. There were even some comic books that showed characters punching Adolf Hitler.

The Silver Age of comics was more about commercial success and artistic advancement. The Golden Age proved that comics were popular and readable, and the Silver Age maintained that success. This ere lasted from the mid 1950s to the early 1970s. During this time, comics were blamed for juvenile crimes occurring more frequently. As a result of this, comic sales went down and writers had to rethink their story plot. Comics started to represent authority. The characters went through a dynamic change and the stars of the comics started to appear as aliens and other science fiction characters. Also during this time, underground comics made for adults started to emerge.

The Bronze Age lasted from the 1970s to the mid 1980s. The look of the comic book didn’t change during this era, however, the story plot changed dramatically. Although the pages and pictures were bright and colorful, the story line was more dramatic, realistic, and dark. Real world issues were brought to attention in the comics of this era. Drug use was an issue addressed. The comics became more mature and life like.

The Modern Age of comic books started in the 1980s and continues on in to the present. In addition to the characters in comics, the writers are also more recognizable. There are more publishing houses that produce comics and there are independent comic books too. The larger publishing houses became more commercialized. The characters also change during this era. They are now more complex, show self doubt, and the villains are darker.

 
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