How to Collect Comics? This thought occured to me when I was putting together my collection of Wonder Woman comics. Comic books need a constant stream of new readers. This means people who are not interested in comics and especially young people! Comic books were strange when I started collecting, stores started popping up everywhere, nearly every city, now you have to search for a comic book store. This is really about what to collect rather than how to find that key, missing issue. Let’s start with comic books. Note that it started with funny books, reprints of newspaper strips, and was never taken seriously. It is in Asia. Japan puts manga on the level of literature. We’re kinda there with Sandman and works like Maus. Comic book films were really trapped in the Batman Effect from the tv show. You would mention a new comic book movie and a friend or a stranger would say, “Oh you mean BAM! POW!” They didn’t say that with Superman the Movie (1978) and of course not now with the MCU films. Still, those millions of fans don’t read comic books so the best thing you can do as a comics fan is bring in new readers!
Covers used to entice readers, “Not an Imaginary Story!”, but now it’s the graphics. Artists are now the superstars. At first, comic creators were anonymous, for the most part. No creator credits for some time. I think what solidified credits was Stan Lee turning creators of comics into superstars. Now I’m always checking covers (or looking up credits on my phone) when I’m looking to buy a back issue. The barrier to comics reading is that it is difficult to access what direction to look (that was the case for manga in the original Japanese for me) and the sequence of panels (some comic pages are still difficult to work out for me). Also, again the subject matter might be thought too juvenile for older readers. The best book for reading comics is Understanding Comics (1993) by Scott McCloud. Teachers, parents, and family members who would like to develop children into readers, comics are the best way to get young people to read. I know this from personal experience, in the classroom, and also from linguist, Stephen D. Krashen. I saw an article that points this out: https://www.psd1.org/cms/lib4/WA01001055/centricity/domain/34/admin/comicbook.pdf. If you can find a good comics retailer, at a store, online (you have to be careful with ebay, but I still order from there), or at a convention, it’s time to look at what comics to collect.
The easiest to buy or collect what you know, most likely it will be the latest comic book film, a tv show like Game of Thrones, or a video game, like Halo. I found that the most social, young groups are found with manga. It was comic books. Now manga readers go to the bookstores or Amazon, not the comic book store. Manga covers every possible genre. American comic books attempted to enter sports, romance, and some Westerns with mixed results. I think comic book companies should get back into publishing manga comic books. It was Marvel/Epic Comics that had Akira. Dark Horse published What’s Michael?, Appleseed, and Lone Wolf and Cub. Of course, they are mostly printed in book form which is how the original manga was presented. Need a primer on manga? Check out Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (1983) by Frederik L. Schodt. There are some artists who have the manga style, recently there was GuriHuru drawing the Superman Smashes the Klan graphic novels with Gene Luen Yang (read his American Born Chinese!), and also the art on the upcoming Thor & Loki: Double Trouble! There needs to be something special if manga comes in comic book form, special pin-ups by American comic artists, maybe a how to draw page, creator interviews or articles, and possibly novel or anime, animated film, or live action adaptation reviews.
So let’s look into superhero comic book collecting. The first step may be a Character or a Team. In this case, of course Wonder Woman. Where to start? Of course, there is the latest issues like Future State: Wonder Woman. You can also go back and spend a few dollars to get back issues. The idea of the de-powered Wonder Woman is controversial, but interesting, and over time, I bought this run, Wonder Woman #178 (1968) to 203 (1972). Denny O’Neil and Mike Sekowsky (who took over scripting duties with #182) introduced I-Ching, brought in King Arthur, Roland, and the Valkryie, Brunnhilde, sword and sorcery heroes from novelist Fritz Leiber, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser appear with script by sci fi novelist, Samuel R. Delany!, and then he finished the run with #203. Still, what about the first issue and origin? There were Famous First Editions, F-6 (1975) was a reprint of Wonder Woman #1 (1942). Also with that size there is All-New Collector’s Edition C-54 (1978), Superman vs. Wonder Woman, with José Luis García-López art! In comic book form, there is Secret Origins #3 (1973).
The next part is other Stories, the one that interested me was from an article in comic book mazine, The Twelve Trials of Wonder Woman, that had her prove her worth and trust to the Justice League of America. It was in Wonder Woman #212 (1974) to 222 (1976). The run was by Len Wein plus many other talents including Elliot S! Maggin, Martin Pasko, and art by Curt Swan! This fascinated me because it was a mythic pattern like Hercules and showed that Wonder Woman was the most impressive member of the JLA. Then, there are Keys; first issues, first appearances, origins, centennial issues, marriages, deaths, and last issues. First appearances can be Nubia in Wonder Woman #204 (1973) by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck, Orana, the Amazon with red hair who took over as Wonder Woman in Wonder Woman #250 (1978), and Antiope, the general played by Robin Wright in the movie, first appearing in Wonder Woman #312 (1984). If there is any real key it would be Wonder Woman #1 (1987) by Greg Potter and George Pérez. There is a host of Amazons introduced in that issue; Menalippe, Philippus, and Aella.
George Pérez also brings in the next level of collecting, Creators, writers and artists. The run by George Pérez is from Wonder Woman #1 to 24 (1988), he wrote the stories from #25 (1989) to #62 (1992) with Chris Marrinan, Tom Grummett, and Jill Thompson as some of the incredible artists. He wrapped up his run with the War of the Gods series with Circe bringing in the gods to take on the superheroes of Earth! The run was collected in trade paperbacks, Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals (2004) - issues #1-7, Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Gods (2004) - issues #8-14, Wonder Woman: Beauty and the Beasts (2011) - issues #15-19 plus Action Comics #600, Wonder Woman: Destiny Calling (2006), - issues #20-24 plus Annual #1. Twenty four issues of George Pérez’s work was collected in the Wonder Woman by George Pérez Omnibus (2015). Another favorite is Gail Simone’s work from Wonder Woman #14 (2008) to 600 (2010). One of the best Wonder Woman stories was in the first arc collected in Wonder Woman: The Circle (2008). Wonder Woman #26-33 was gathered for Wonder Woman: Rise of the Olympian (2009).
Speaking of Keys, Wonder Woman #329 (1986) was the last issue for the title when Crisis on Infinite Earths finished the character in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (1986). It was by Gerry Conway and Don Heck. Another good Story was The Contest in Wonder Woman #90 (1994) by William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato, Jr. (1994). It introduced Artemis from the Bana-Mighdall Amazons who was competing to take the title of Wonder Woman. This went into a #0 issue to issue #92 (1994). This ramped up to issue #98 (1995) to #100 (1995), “Fall of an Amazon”, that determined who would be Wonder Woman! Rebirth brought another Wonder Woman #1 (2016), “The Lies”, by Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp. The next issue alternated another storyline, “Year One”, with art by Nicola Scott. This moved Wonder Woman forward dealing with Cheetah and also looked back into her first meeting with Steve Trevor. Rucka started with the graphic novel, Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (2002) with art by J.G. Jones. Best cover with Wonder Woman’s smashing on the head of Batman. The graphic novel that I would put on the top of the list is Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story (1988). It is a powerful story by Trina Robbins and Colleen Doran. Comic book collecting has many facets, hopefully, this touched on some of them and you see how to build a collection that you are proud to build issue by issue!
#CollectingComics, #GeekTruth, #WonderWoman, #GeorgePerez, #GailSimone
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