Comics have existed for almost 100 years now. The first ones were just witty newspapers with comic strips that created a lot of techniques that became traditional in the comic world. And nowadays, the universes that come out of these books are shown in multi-million blockbusters that become one of the most famous movies ever.
But that’s where most people stop. The movies and TV series are enough for them. A lot of students hesitate to get into comics because they think it would take a lot of time to read all the issues, and research all the events and characters to understand the story. That’s because modern students are under such high pressure that they barely have enough time to sleep.
Don’t worry, though, there’s a pretty simple solution for this issue. Today, in the age of the internet, getting external help for any of your needs is as easy as ever. You can find people to help you learn subjects, solve math problems, or help you with writing essays. Speaking of which, the best place where you can get online homework help is WritePaper. They are true professionals who will be glad to provide you with top-level writing any time of the day.
Just remember that overworking is never good for both your mental and physical health. So, use this opportunity to get some chores off you, relax, and read some comics. Here’s a guide for you on where to start.
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Universes
Universes are exactly what you think they are. They’re imaginary worlds, created by authors, where all the events happen. Sometimes, these worlds are created from the beginning, explained to readers, and slowly filled with different characters. But in some cases, characters have separate comics with little description of the world. And only after some time, the author reveals that it’s the same world and explains the universe’s lore and how all these characters interact.
Most experienced readers would recommend newcomers to choose one particular universe and start with it. This is to reduce the potential confusion which happens when you read about many different worlds at once. This way, you’ll get into a comic series much faster, will relate to characters better, and will have a better experience overall.
However, it’s not a strict law, so you can start with all of them at once. Just try to remember which personalities and events come from which series, otherwise nothing will make sense to you. Also, if you want to read many series at once, you better choose the ones of the different genres or that have different stylistics.
Here’s a list of the most known universes:
- Marvel Multiverse
- DC Multiverse
- Hellboy Multiverse
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Multiverse
- Dredd’s World
- The Boys Multiverse
- Black Hammer Multiverse
- Hasbro Multiverse (Transformers)
Also, note that many stories don’t “officially” have their own universe, while still having lore of the world and happening in fantasy of fantastic places.
What Issue to Start With?
Of course, most of the new readers think that it’s a must to start with issue #1. And that scares them away from comics, as many of them have been releasing for decades. Just imagine how many issues there are. But don’t worry, while starting with the first one is always a good idea, nobody forces you to do it.
The author’s publishers know that many people come into the comic world by picking a random issue in the store. At first, the readers don’t understand everything, but as the story goes on, they become more familiar with the characters and past events. That’s because authors and editors indirectly explain these things to new readers with the use of different techniques. There are also “recall pages”, where certain past events are told directly.
And don’t forget that all series are separated into plot arcs. So, you can easily start with an absolutely random issue or the one that starts a new arc, and you’ll be just as good as if you started from the number one.
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How and Where to Buy?
Ongoings
Ongoings are the series that are being released now. They may be continuations of the already existing stories or completely new ones. This is the most classic and traditional option, which can be found in offline and online stores. Usually, new issues are released every week on Wednesday (or any other day weekly).
Trade Paperbacks
Trades, as they call them, are small collections of comics that have the same story. For example, it can be issues #321, #322, #323, #324, and #325. They’re released by the publishers a few months after the same issues came out separately. But of course, people sell their own such collections too, which is the easiest, the most cost-effective, and “fastest” option to buy issues.
Digital
It would be surprising if digital comics didn’t exist nowadays. There are many different applications and websites, where you can find whatever you want to read. Some are free, with pirated content sometimes, while others sell digital stories on a purchase or monthly subscription basis. Most of the time, you’ll just find a single resource to read everything and stick to it.
Why Even Read Them?
That’s a common question. Many people don’t understand why anyone would read comics if they’ve already seen movies. Well, the first thing is that many of those movies are based on graphic novels, not vice versa. And due to the movie format, a huge part of the content is cut in order to fit into a few hours.
Comics give you a full, uncut, and original story. It shows the world as authors originally intended them to be. Also, there are printed issues like Star Wars, that tell you completely different stories about the same well-known world. In many cases, comics are the only option to continue learning more and more about a fictional world, its events, and personalities
Summing Up
Comics aren’t just fun books with images for children. They’re a whole culture that plays a significant role in the modern world. They already inspired millions of people to achieve great things. So, get into these fictional universes yourself, and you’ll see how interesting and inspiring these stories are.
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