Comics for a dollar?
I say HELL YES.
My wife (it still feels weird to call her that) recently noted that I tend to use a lot of drug metaphors for the stuff I review on this site. Heroclix is like crack. Puzzle games are like meth. I do have something of an addictive personality, I guess. Fortunately, most of the things I get hooked on tend to be reasonably priced and legally obtainable, so I’ve been fairly high-functioning so far. And yes, I’m going to use the drug metaphor well one more time.
You know that tried and true sales technique of giving the first one away free? It works great for anything that’s highly addictive, like COMIC BOOKS. Yes, the comic industry has taken a lesson from their brethren in the illicit drug trade, and although they they only give away honest-to-God free product one day a year (Free Comic Book Day is usually in May — I’ll let you know when it comes around again), they now offer many first-issues of their best series for just a buck. The idea, of course, is that you’ll read some awesome comics and then come back for the rest of the issues (most are available as collected paperbacks, which is how I like to read ‘em). And it works! Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse have all gotten on board with the first-issues-for-a-buck program, and I’ve picked up a whole mess of books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise tried because of it. Most of these actually came out a while back, so there’s no guarantee which issues your neighborhood comic shop might have on hand, but fortunately there’s no shortage of titles available. Here are just a few that I heartily recommend:
Hellboy. Mike Mignola’s blue collar demon investigator inspired a whole generation of independent creators, and is far more stylish, somber and subtle than the big budget movies that he spawned. Don’t get me wrong — I love those too — but you owe it to yourself to check out the original source material.
Chew. Tony Chu has the psychic power of instantly knowing the detailed history of anything he eats, and uses this power to solve crimes. Yes, it’s as gross as it sounds (if you found a dead body and had no other way to catch the killer, would you just take one tiny little bite?), but it’s really good, too. Also, the whole bird flu thing has made poultry illegal, and the resulting black market has apparently turned the FDA into the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency. Seriously, just go with it.
New Avengers. Brian Bendis reboots Marvel’s flagship title, tossing together major headliners like Spiderman and Wolverine with fan favorites like Luke Cage and some new guy called the Sentry. This is a great jumping-on point for all the big stuff that’s happened at Marvel over the past few years (superhero civil war, Captain America biting it, that whole Skrull invasion thing, etc.). It even branches off into several different Avengers titles down the road, so just know that if you’re not careful you could develop an $80 a week habit just from this book alone.
Alias. I’ve already written about my love of this comic. It’s a DOLLAR, people. Try it, you’ll like it.
The Walking Dead. This book is probably as responsible for ushering zombies into mainstream popular culture as anything else is. The gritty AMC television series is based on it, so if you’re jonesing for more in between seasons, there’s a whole mess of these to read. And the show doesn’t seem to worry much about sticking to the plot from the comics, so reading them probably won’t spoil your precious television viewing much, either.
The Umbrella Academy. I’ve only read the first issue of this one myself, but I ran down to pick up the trade paperback as soon as I finished it. It’s a big, goofy science adventure about mysterious, superpowered children. One of whom apparently grows up to have a gorilla body. And the Eiffel tower is a spaceship? I’ve got a good feeling about this one, folks.
Of course, the whole point of comics for a buck is that you don’t have to take my word for it. Just go down to your local comic book store and browse. Pick up any of the low-risk titles that tickle your fancy, and you’ll leave with a tiny little dent in your wallet and ENTIRE UNIVERSES BEGGING TO BE EXPLORED. And if you’re not sure where that local comic book store even is, you can just plug your zip code in here and find one close to you (assuming you’re in North America, that is).
Get addicted to COMICS! You’ll be glad you did.
You have a limited amount of time, so why spend it reading about things that suck or are only kind of okay? Favorite thing EVER is not a review site. We're unrepentant fans, and this is the stuff we love. Hope you like gushing, because we're about to embarrass ourselves.
The whole Gerard Way Umbrella Academy – My Chemical Romance thing is blowing my mind a little bit. Hooray for Hellboy and Chew!
I know, right? I’m kinda glad I already liked this comic before the random customer at the comic shop informed me that the writer was in that particular band. Still, think of it this way: if your absolute favorite writers in the entire world sang in bands, those bands would probably be My Chemical Romance bad too.
Maybe I’ll start reading comics. I’ve had much worse habits.
If you have an iPhone, there’s an ap for reading comics – it’s free, the comics are fun to read on the ap, and there are BUCKETS of free comics to download. Seriously, you could hurt yourself.
Okay! I’m in!