Issue 1: In which our unlikely heroine gets the big gaffes out of the way immediately.
“Can I help you with anything?” I look down at the thin wisp of a girl who I just about trip over as I attempt to navigate the aisles surrounding me. She’s sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the shelves, looking completely serene and not-at-all-ironically fairy-like. I want to hug her in relief, but I settle for babbling.
“God, yes,” I burst out. “I have never even been in a comic book store before, and I have no idea what I’m doing.”
So began my introduction into a world I feel like everyone knows more about than I do: comics. Or are they graphic novels? What’s the difference? *shrug* Beats me, but I expect I’ll be finding out soon enough. How did this start? Randomly, like most of my hobbies. I was driving to Trader Joe’s the other day when I saw a big “COMICS” sign shining at me as I passed by. I decided then and there that I would stop in on my way back home, so that if nothing else I could check “wander around a comic book store” off my list of things to do in life. That’s right, at 27 years old I’d never even set foot in one of these mysterious places.
If you are a frequent comic book store patron, odds are the following scene will completely escape you: I walked up to the door, feeling like I was doing something faintly sneaky, and slowly stepped inside—only to stop dead in my tracks in horror. What the hell kind of madness was this? There were pictures everywhere, in every conceivable style of drawing and every color known to man. Some characters I recognized from childhood cartoons or movies; most I didn’t. To my dismay I saw plenty of Japanese-inspired art (which I got more than enough of during the years I lived in Japan, thank you very much), but I could hardly focus on that (or anything else) for the sensory overload I was experiencing. Every inch of every wall was plastered with photos and posters and figures and I didn’t even know what else. Even if I had something in mind, how in the world was I going to find it! I’d need a map. And a compass. And a pack of comic book-smelling bloodhounds.
I slinked my way around the edge of the store, certain that the clerks could see me for the interloper I was. I tried to look at the shelves, to figure out the order of it all, but I failed miserably. Finally, I just started wandering around like I was in an art museum and couldn’t decide how I felt about any of the paintings. Fortunately, the fairy store clerk came to my rescue, or I might still be there, lost somewhere between Buffy and the X-Men.
And that’s when things started to turn around. I texted fellow Pop Bunker guru Baroness Heather for ideas on what to buy. I mean, I was already there and everything, I might as well go all out and buy my first comic, too. By the time Heather texted me back, the fairy store clerk had led me to two of the three things on Heather’s list. She told me exactly what I needed to start with, gave me a little background on comic book continuity, and rattled off the names of writers and artists like they were dear friends. I wanted to sag in relief. Thank god someone knew how to navigate these waters!
About 45 minutes later I finally wandered to the front counter with “Green Lantern: Rebirth” in hand and a request for them to transfer the first volume of Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” from a sister store. It looked like my new potential hobby was off to a solid start, after all. “So,” I asked as the fairy godmother of comic book novices rang up my purchase, “are the X-Men DC, as well?”
Oops.
Similar Posts:
- Tales of a Comic Book Virgin: Issue 3
- Tales of a Comic Book Virgin: Issue 2
- Tales of a Comic Book Virgin: Issue 5
- Tales of a Comic Book Virgin: Issue 4
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- [Interview] Writer and Director of ANTI-MATTER Chris Walker
- So you want to read Green Lantern comics…
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An editor by trade and a writer by love with an affinity for TV, movies, and books. My television defaults to the Discovery Channel unless Bones or Rookie Blue are on. 
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Welcome, welcome!
I am also known as a crack… er… comics dealer among my friends. Sounds like the story you went to was a decent one. Sometimes it can be hard to find a good one. I’m lucky to live in a friendly and open comic shop sort of town.
If you’re looking for any more recommendations, I might have a few.
As someone who slings 4-color crack for a living (as well as someone who has been collecting comics for over 25 years), it’s always heartwarming to hear that one of my fellow dealers has scored a new client.
A good LCS (Local Comic Store) is hard to find. You were very fortunate to find a class act on your first foray. Often times people will run into the other kind of store, and write off comics – and the people who read them, write them, draw them, etc. – as something less than human. It’s not fair, but it happens.
We are all here for you as you walk down the road of this new hobby.
Great story so far. My LCS isn’t one of the most “pretty” places in the world; pretty much one small room packed full of current stuff, and a larger room where all the long boxes of back issues are. They don’t have much in the way of “collectables” or anything like RPG stuff, so I can imagine it would be pretty intimidating for a newb to walk into that place in contrast to a place like Elwood’s. I was lucky I went in there with a mission the first time and had grilled Elwood earlier with questions. I’m still not overly chummy with the guys there, but they’re good people – it’s me who has the social issues.
And if you think that was bad – try a comic convention.
Yaay! I’m so proud of you!
And believe me, I was not far off from where you started when I was reborn into comics-reading. I’d hardly picked up anything since high school and knew nothing about the Green Lantern mythos, though I’d decided I wanted to start reading it. I also lucked into a good LCS, but really, most of my understanding came from just reading and asking tons of questions at Elwood and Michael. I hope you enjoy your new hobby!
Also – let me know how you like Rebirth. I never read that one. I was directed to start reading GL with the Sinestro Corps Wars, so that’s what I did.
I really feel like I could have gone either way at the moment I stepped into the store. Truthfully, it was the girl who immediately came to my aid that sold me on the whole thing. She wasn’t all snarky about my ignorance, knew the answer to every single question I asked (and I tend to ask a LOT about EVERYTHING when I’m learning something new) no matter how obscure, and really took the time to listen to me and ask questions to figure out what I might like. And, so far, she’s been dead-on. Not only that, but I am now completely theirs. I won’t buy comics anywhere else, because I don’t mind giving my money to people like the ones at this store. They managed to earn my loyalty in one visit! Let that be a lesson to businesses everywhere!
LCS, good ones, are like that. I have a shop I go to and have been going to for… geeze… ten years now. I know them, they know me and they’ll recommend things to me or grab things for me that they think I might be interested in. I admit, though, that there are several stores around here that I know I can go to if my main store doesn’t have something. It some how makes me wish I could go to more than one since they’re all pretty awesome.
I have all the comics you need to get started properly. There are two I don’t have, so I lied. I don’t own Watchmen and V For Vendetta. Anyway, remind me to loan you some books when we get together again.
I started not that long ago too. I have a pretty good exchange going with Paul from the Too Grumpy Critics, but if you’re not a collector and want to exchange titles from time to time, I’m game.
I usually only buy trades – but that is because I’m systematically crossing off iconic titles and ones that movie up the list due to writer or artist.
Anyway, I have a pretty good amount right now – I’m pretty DC heavy, but ever expanding. Let me know!