c/comic-book-fans

Conversation at a con about silver age stories made me rethink modern comics

I was standing in line at a booth at Motor City Comic Con last Saturday, just waiting to grab a sketch. This guy behind me, probably in his 70s, started talking about how he used to read the Lee and Kirby Fantastic Four issues in the 60s. He said something that stuck with me: 'Back then, every issue felt like a complete adventure, not just a chapter for the trade.' I thought about all the decompressed stories I've been buying, where five issues barely cover what used to happen in one. He wasn't even being mean about it, just honest about how the pacing is different now. It hit me because I realized I actually agree with him, a lot of my pulls are books that read better in a stack than month to month. Makes me wonder if anyone else has had that chat with an older collector that made you look at your own shelf different.

My Wednesday night comic group switched from physical to digital and it was a mess

I run a small comic fan meetup over in Portland (about 8 of us) and we always traded floppies to read before the next get together. Last month I suggested we all just buy digital copies and share screenshots instead (you know, to save money). Three guys showed up with completely different apps that weren't even compatible. One dude tried to screen record his iPad and the audio was all garbled. Two others had bought the wrong issue numbers entirely. We spent 45 minutes just trying to figure out who had what. Have any of you tried mixing physical and digital in your comic groups and found a system that actually works?

Which side are you on about buying variant covers just for the art?

My comic shop had a big sale last Saturday and I grabbed 3 variant covers from the new X-Men run because the artwork was amazing. But then I realized I sort of broke my own rule about only buying books for the story, not the cover. Do you grab variants because you like the art or do you stick to the main covers for the actual reading experience?

A long-time collector told me to stop bagging my comics wrong

I've been putting my comics in bags with the flap facing the same way as the opening for years. A guy at my local shop in Austin said I was doing it backwards and showed me how to flip it so dust doesn't settle on the top edge. He also said to use a piece of cardboard behind every book, not just the expensive ones. Has anyone else gotten basic storage advice they wish they'd known sooner?

Switched from bag and board to comic portfolios for storage

Used to keep my issues in bags with backing boards stacked in short boxes, but after moving my collection three times in two years I got tired of the bending and edge wear. I picked up a BCW Z-Folio LX at my LCS around 6 months ago and it holds about 20 books flat with no shifting. Way easier to flip through and grab something to read, plus no more worrying about humidity in the box. Has anyone else made this switch or do you stick with the traditional long boxes?

Met a guy at a con who only reads single issues, never trades

I was at a small show in St. Louis about 2 years ago, standing near a longbox full of 90s X-Men. This older dude next to me starts pulling out issues one by one and telling me the exact month he bought each off the rack. He said he's never bought a trade paperback in his life, thinks they "cheapen the experience" of waiting a month for the next part. We talked for like 20 minutes about how different the pacing feels when you read them as they came out. It stuck with me because most people I meet either do trades or digital now. Has anyone else run into a diehard floppy-only reader?

Debate: Does reading the comic before the movie version actually ruin the experience?

I was talking to a guy at my local shop last Saturday who refuses to read any comic that has a movie coming out. He says knowing the plot ahead of time kills the surprise. But I just finished The Infinity Gauntlet run from 1991 and honestly the movie felt way better because I could spot all the callbacks and stuff. His argument is that comic fans ruin movies by acting superior about source material. Which side do you land on and why?

I used to roll my eyes at folks who bought fancy graded comics

Always thought it was just wasting money on plastic bricks until my buddy showed me his CGC 9.8 Amazing Spider-Man #300 he grabbed for $400 back in 2018. Seeing how much even banged up copies sell for now changed my mind quick. Anyone else get proven wrong about collecting habits?

Hit 50 longboxes of comics last week and it didn't feel like the goal I thought it would

I always figured crossing 50 longboxes would be some big moment, like I finally made it as a real collector. But when I actually stacked the last one in my basement in Portland, I just felt kind of tired and packed in. Turns out half of them are dollar bin filler I grabbed just to hit that number. Anyone else hit a collection milestone and realize you were just buying stuff to buy?

Just hit issue 1000 in my collection and it felt weirdly emotional

I realized after 15 years of digging through dollar bins and garage sales that I had exactly 1,000 floppies last week, but what got me wasn't the number itself, it was remembering the first one I bought for $1 at a flea market in Tulsa and how that kid would probably lose his mind if he saw this pile now, anyone else ever get sentimental about a random milestone like that?

Finally changed my mind about reading digital comics

I was dead set on paper only for 8 years until my dog chewed up the first issue of a 12-part series I was collecting. It took me over 3 hours to realize I could just buy the digital copy and have it instantly instead of hunting down a replacement at shops. Has anyone else had a pet ruin a comic and just switch formats out of frustration?

Ran into a guy at a con in Chicago who knew every single variant cover number off the top of his head

I was at C2E2 back in March, just browsing through a bin of cheap back issues. This older guy next to me starts picking through the same bin and he's muttering about the print runs. I didn't think much of it until I pulled out an Amazing Spider-Man #300 and he casually says 'that's the 3rd printing, you can tell by the darker red on the logo.' I looked closer and he was right. We got to talking and he knew the exact month each variant came out, which stores got which exclusives, everything. He wasn't showing off either, just knew his stuff inside out. I've been reading comics for 15 years and I felt like I knew nothing. Has anyone else met someone like that who just had an unbelievable memory for the tiny details?

Was at a con in Phoenix last month and this guy in a Deadpool costume kept correcting everyone's comic lore.

He told a kid that Wolverine's claws were never part of his original design and the kid just walked away looking crushed, has anyone else dealt with a fan who ruins the fun like that?

Debate: Is it gatekeeping or good taste to correct someone on a character's origin?

I started a thread last month about the original Secret Wars run and someone jumped in saying Captain America's shield was always round. I corrected them that actually it started as a triangle in the 40s and they got all defensive, called me a gatekeeper. Now I'm wondering where the line is. On one hand, if someone is new to comics and gets a detail wrong, do you just let it slide to keep the hobby friendly? Or is it okay to gently point out the real history so the fandom doesn't lose its roots? I've seen more experienced fans get roasted for correcting a younger fan about Spider-Man's organic webshooters versus the mechanical ones from the comics. That debate got ugly fast in a Facebook group I'm in. So what do you all think? When does helpful become hurtful in comic book discussions?

I finally snapped at a guy who kept explaining comic plots to me like I was five

Last Tuesday at Cosmic Comics in Austin, this dude in his 40s saw me pick up a copy of Saga and started telling me the whole first arc. I stood there holding the book, he's blocking the aisle, going on about Lying Cat and the Will like I never read a comic before. I told him three times I've been reading since 2009 but he kept going. Finally I just said 'dude, I know how to read, I don't need your help.' He got all huffy and walked away. Has anyone else dealt with that weird gatekeeping where they assume you're clueless just because you're not a guy?

Why does nobody talk about how many comic fans actually buy digital?

Just saw a stat from Comichron that said digital comics made up around 15% of total sales in 2023. Found it buried in their yearly market report. That number seems low to me. I figured with tablets and phones everywhere it would be higher. Anyone else surprised it's not closer to 30%?

I finally realized I was reading comic pages in the wrong order for like 18 years

It was last month during a late-night reread of Uncanny X-Men #141 when I caught myself going right-to-left on a two-page spread and then left-to-right on the next one, and my buddy who was watching me just goes 'dude you know that's not how manga works right?' and I had to sit there for a solid five minutes wondering what else I've been messing up this whole time has anyone else had that embarrassing moment where you find out you've been doing a basic comic thing wrong forever?

Saw a grown man argue about Batman for 20 minutes at a con last Saturday

I was at Denver Fan Expo just browsing the artist alley when this guy in his 40s started yelling at a vendor because he thought the vendor's Batman drawing had the wrong cape length. He went on about it for 20 minutes while a line formed behind him. The vendor just stood there looking tired. I walked away thinking some fans take this stuff way too seriously. Has anyone else had to step away from a con argument to keep your own sanity?

I finally organized my collection by artist instead of character

It took me a weekend and I found three issues I'd been hunting for years, just sitting in different boxes. Has anyone else tried this and found a hidden gem?

Met a guy at the con last month who collects only variant covers from 1992

He had a whole binder just for the hologram covers from that year, said he's been at it since college. Showed me a 'Ghost Rider' #28 he found in a $5 bin that's worth way more now. Anyone else focus on a super specific thing like that?

Honestly, the week my local shop in Dayton closed down felt like the end of an era.

Just realized I used to buy every single #1 issue, but now I just wait for the trade paperback.

Back in 2015, I'd be at the comic shop every Wednesday and drop like $40 a week on floppies, but I got tired of the constant crossovers and event tie-ins. Now I just wait six months for the collected edition, which saves me money and shelf space. Does anyone else feel like the monthly grind just isn't worth it anymore?

DAE get into a huge debate about collecting at a con?

I was at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle last year and got into a real argument with a guy at a booth. He said true fans only buy first printings and graded books, calling my collection of reading copies 'junk'. I've always thought the story matters more than the plastic slab. But after that, I started noticing how many people at cons just care about value, not the actual comics. It made me question if I'm even part of the same hobby anymore. Has anyone else felt this split between readers and investors?

Rant: Trying to find a specific issue for my friend's birthday gift

Spent over 6 hours across two weekends hunting for a mint copy of Amazing Spider-Man #252 in local shops, only to find out the one I finally ordered online had a hidden spine roll. Who else has wasted a whole day on a comic hunt that went sideways?

I just saw a poll that said most comic fans only read from the big two publishers

It was on a site called ComicsBeat, and they asked over a thousand people. The number was 72% who only read Marvel or DC books. I always thought people were more into indie stuff now. Has anyone else seen this kind of data, or is it just me?