c/comic-book-fans

This older guy at a con in 2012 changed how I see collecting

I was at a small con in Portland, really excited about a mint copy of a Spider-Man issue I'd just bought. I showed it to this older guy at the next table over, who had a huge box of worn out, beat up comics. He just smiled and said, 'The ones with the creases are the ones I read to my kid.' He wasn't selling them, just had them out to look at. I mean, I still like my books in good shape, but that moment stuck with me more than any grade or price. Does anyone else have a story like that, where a quick chat just flipped a switch for you?

My cousin's kid asked me why I only buy new comics and it got me stuck

I was over at my sister's place in Phoenix last weekend and her son, he's like 12, was looking at my pull list on my phone. He saw all the #1 issues and new runs and just goes, 'Why do you only get the new stuff? My friend's dad has boxes of old comics and they're way cheaper and sometimes better.' I kind of brushed it off at first, but later I realized I've been spending maybe $50 a month chasing every new launch, worried about missing out on the next big thing. I've been a 'Wednesday Warrior' for years, but I haven't actually re-read most of these books. That kid doesn't even know who half the characters are, but he's right. I'm paying for the hype, not the story. Have any of you shifted from mostly buying new releases to hunting for older, complete stories?

Heard a kid at the comic shop say he only reads the big event books

It was at The Dragon's Hoard in Portland, and he was telling his friend he skips everything else to 'save money'. Made me think we might be losing the whole point of following characters. Anyone else feel like the constant event hype is pushing new readers away from the actual month-to-month stories?

Had to pick between a full run of Amazing Spider-Man or a few key issues

I mean, I had about $500 saved up from a side job and really wanted to get into collecting. The choice was buying a full 50-issue run of a mid-80s Amazing Spider-Man run, or just getting three key issues like ASM #300 and #252. I went with the key issues, because I figured they'd hold value better. It was tough to pass on having a whole chunk of the story, but now I've got those big books in my collection. Has anyone else made a call like that, picking a few grails over a long run?

Just realized my local shop's 'no back issue browsing' policy is killing the vibe

Last Saturday at Comics Plus in Springfield, they roped off the back issue bins for 'inventory' and told us to use their online list instead. It completely killed the fun of digging through old boxes and finding random gems with other fans. Do you think shops should keep the physical browsing experience alive, even if it's less efficient?

I used to hate going to comic shops, but a trip to a place in Portland changed my mind

I was in Portland last month and my friend made me go to this comic shop called Cosmic Monkey. I always thought they were just messy stores run by rude guys who judge you, you know? But this place was different. The guy at the counter saw me looking lost and just asked what movies I liked, then pointed me to a shelf with books that had a similar vibe. He didn't make me feel dumb for not knowing anything. I ended up buying a graphic novel called 'The Nice House on the Lake' because of his tip, and I read the whole thing that night. It was so good, and now I get why people like finding stuff in person instead of just online. The whole vibe was just friendly and helpful, not gatekeepy at all. Has anyone else had a shop totally change their view on the whole comic scene?

My old long box finally gave out after twenty years

The bottom just split open last week while I was moving some stuff in the garage. Comics from the early 2000s spilled all over the dusty floor. I spent an hour carefully picking them up, checking each one for bent corners. It felt weird seeing those old price stickers and my handwriting on the bags. Anyone have a good replacement storage box they trust?

Just learned how many copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 were printed

I was reading an old interview with a former Marvel production manager from the 60s. He mentioned they printed about 209,000 copies of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first Spider-Man comic. I always pictured it as this super rare thing, like maybe 50,000 copies. Finding out it was over 200k blew my mind. It puts the whole 'key issue' market into a different light for me. That number is from a direct source, not just a guess online. It makes you think about how many just got thrown out or damaged over the years. Has anyone else come across a print run fact that really shifted how you see a classic book?

My cousin said comic fans are too obsessed with movie stuff now...

We were at a small con in Columbus last weekend and he pointed out that most people were just talking about the new Marvel show, not the actual books. He said it feels like being a fan is more about watching stuff than reading it anymore. I kind of get his point... I spent maybe 30 minutes looking at back issues while the line for a movie star photo op was huge. But then I talked to a guy in that line who said the show got him to pick up his first comic in years. So which is it? Is the movie stuff watering down what it means to be a fan, or is it just bringing new people in who might find the books later? I'm stuck on this.

That time my local shop's 'big event' was just a bad sale

Last month, The Comic Vault in Springfield hyped up a '90s X-Men anniversary event for a whole week. They said it would have signings and rare books, but it was just a 15% off sale on back issues nobody wanted. I spent $40 on gas to get there and felt totally let down. Everyone online acts like these small shop events are always amazing, but this one was just a cash grab. Has anyone else had a big comic book day turn out to be a real dud?

Honestly, I tried reading comics on my phone versus a tablet and the tablet won big time

Ngl, I used my phone for a whole month, a Galaxy S23, and my eyes were killing me after just 20 minutes. I switched to an old iPad for a week and could read for an hour straight without a headache. The bigger screen just makes the art pop and the lettering is actually readable. Which do you guys think is the minimum screen size for a good digital reading experience?

I used to think reading comics digitally was a total waste of time

For years I was a paper purist, you know? I'd say you needed the smell and the feel of the page. But my local shop, Acme Comics, closed last month and getting new books became a real pain. I finally gave Marvel Unlimited a shot, mostly just to read the old '80s X-Men stuff I missed. The game changer was using the guided view on my tablet. It forced me to slow down and actually look at each panel instead of just skimming the art to get to the next speech bubble. I read 'God Loves, Man Kills' that way and it hit me way harder than when I flipped through my old copy. Now I use it for dense books where the art is doing a lot of the storytelling. Does anyone else have a specific comic that just worked better for them in digital format?

My comic book box gave out right before the local con

I was carrying a long box full of my 90s X-Men books to the car last Saturday, and the bottom just ripped open. Comics went everywhere in the driveway. Had to use a roll of packing tape and a laundry basket as a quick fix. Anyone else have a storage disaster right when you needed your stuff to hold together?

I thought the local comic shop's grading service was a scam until last month

For years I ignored the grading service at Comics Plus in Toledo, thinking it was just a way to charge extra. Then I brought in a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300 I found in my uncle's attic, and they sent it to CGC for me. It came back a 9.2 and sold for over $800, which was three times what I expected. Has anyone else been surprised by how much proper grading can change a book's value?

The week my local comic shop turned into a nightmare

So last Tuesday, I walked into my usual spot, The Panel Page, and the owner, Dave, looked like he'd seen a ghost. He told me a pipe burst over the weekend and ruined about 40% of his back-issue stock, including a whole longbox of early 90s X-Men I was slowly working through. The place smelled like wet paper and despair for days. It wasn't just the loss, it was watching a guy who's run that shop for 15 years just look completely defeated. Has anyone else's go-to shop ever had a disaster like that, and did they bounce back?

Okay so I finally tried reading comics digitally on my tablet versus my old longbox method, and the difference is way bigger than I thought.

Hot take: The vibe at my local shop is shifting

I was at Gotham Comics in Springfield yesterday and noticed a lot more people just flipping through books for a minute before putting them back. The owner said he's seen a 30% drop in single issue sales this year compared to last. Are other shops seeing more casual browsers than buyers?

A kid at the local shop made me rethink my whole 'no spoilers' rule

I was picking up my pull list last Friday and this boy, maybe 10, was staring at the new X-Men cover with his mouth open. He looked up at me and said, 'Mister, do you think they'll ever fix the timeline?' I told him I didn't know, and he just said, 'That's okay, the not knowing is the best part.' It hit me that I've been so focused on avoiding spoilers I forgot the fun of just wondering. How do you balance staying surprised with the hype of new releases?

Had to pick between a rare variant cover or paying rent on time this month

My local shop got a single copy of the 'Spider-Man 2099' #1 glow-in-the-dark variant, priced at $75. My rent was due in two days, and I was short exactly that amount. I picked the comic (I know, I know) and had to ask my dad for a loan to cover the rent. It felt pretty dumb, but holding that book was a real high. Has anyone else ever made a really bad money choice for a comic they just had to have?

I got into a huge fight with my friend over a comic book price at a con

We were at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle last year, and my friend Jake found a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300 he wanted. The seller wanted $800, but Jake thought it was too much. I told him it was a fair price for a book in that shape, and he got really mad. He said I was siding with the seller and not being a real friend. We argued right there at the booth for like ten minutes. It got so bad the seller asked us to leave. We didn't talk for the rest of the con. How do you handle money talks with friends when you're both trying to buy big books?

My cousin's kid called my old comics 'boring' and it made me think

I was at a family thing last month and my 12 year old nephew was looking at my long boxes. He pulled out a classic X-Men issue from the 80s, flipped through it, and just said 'this is boring, where are the explosions?' He was comparing it to the movies, obviously. It hit me that for him, being a comic fan means something totally different. It's about the big screen stuff first, and the books are maybe a side thing, if at all. For me, the comics were the whole world. I spent hours in my room in Sacramento just reading them, no movie needed. It's not that his way is wrong, it's just different. Made me realize our little community isn't one thing anymore. How do you even talk about the source material with someone who thinks the real story started with Iron Man 1?

Just realized I was wrong about the new Spider-Man run

I saw all the hype for the latest Amazing Spider-Man issues and thought it was just more of the same. My buddy in Chicago kept telling me to give it a shot, so I finally read the first three issues last weekend. The way they handled Peter's job at Oscorp actually made sense for once, and the art in issue #2 during the bridge fight was incredible. Anyone else surprised by this arc after a rough couple years for the character?

I noticed a big change in how my comic shop handles new release day

About two years ago, new comic day at my local shop, The Dragon's Hoard, was just a crowded free-for-all. People would grab stacks and the popular books were gone by noon. Now, they have a pull list system where you can reserve your books, and they hold them behind the counter for a week. The owner told me they started it after a regular missed out on a key 'X-Men' issue and got really upset. The whole vibe in the store is calmer now, and you can actually browse. Has your local shop made a change like this to keep fans happy?

Took my 8-year-old nephew to his first comic shop last weekend, he was only interested in the Funko Pops.

I brought a stack of old X-Men issues to show him, but he just wanted to look at the vinyl figures. Has anyone else had this happen when trying to introduce someone new?

Trying to find a specific issue of The Spectre from the 70s was a nightmare

I got it in my head I needed a copy of The Spectre #10 from 1975 for a panel recreation project. Figured it would be easy, just a back issue hunt. Wrong. It took me over a year and a half of checking every local shop, three different online marketplaces, and two big conventions in Chicago. The problem wasn't price, it was condition. Every copy I found was either beat to hell or had the cover trimmed. I finally found a decent one last month from a small seller in Texas, but it cost me $85, which felt steep for a book that isn't even a key. The hunt just ate up way more time and effort than the actual art project did. Has anyone else had a simple back issue search turn into a multi-year obsession?