Four-Colour Fun: All You Need to Know About Picking the Right Comic Book
Reading comic books is a fun way to stimulate the imagination. Whether you're commuting to work or curled up in bed on a rainy day, comics can provide an exciting escape, and they come in a wide range of genres to suit any taste. Many of the pre-owned comic books for sale on eBay are vintage collectibles.
Are there different eras of comic books?Comic historians divide comic book history into "Ages," and the affordable comics for sale on eBay encompass all of them. They include:
- Platinum Age (1897-1938) - Marking the start of the comic book market, the comics from this era include "Yellow Kid" and "Mickey Mouse Stories."
- Golden Age (1938-1956) - The comics from this era ushered in Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and many other characters who became the foundation of the superhero genre.
- Silver Age (1956-1970) - This period birthed the crime, romance, and horror genres of comics. Meanwhile, comic book creators such as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby made a lasting imprint on the superhero genre.
- Bronze Age (1970-1986) - Full of darker, more realistic story lines, this era includes comic books based on properties from other media, such as "Star Wars" and "Conan the Barbarian," and anthologies such as "Heavy Metal."
- Modern Age (1986-present) - This era marks the beginning of independent comic book publishers and the rise of comics based on anti-heroes.
Before buying any comic, it's a good idea to consider these factors:
- Condition - A comic book's condition affects its collector's value. A mint-condition comic has a flat cover, sturdy binding, vivid ink, sharp corners, a tight spine, fresh paper, and few printing defects. Valuable comic books are usually in good condition.
- Length - Comic books from the U.S. are typically 22 pages or so, but European comics range from 48 to 64 pages. Anthologies and omnibuses tend to be longer.
- Origin - The U.S., France, Belgium, Japan, the U.K., and Spain are a few of the countries with big comic book markets. Comics differ in tone and format by country. European comics tend to have larger pages than American ones.
- Content - From its target demographic to its subject matter, you should consider the content of any comic book you want to buy.
Comic books come in a wide variety of genres:
- Superhero - Superheroes are one of the most popular comic book subjects, with publishers such as Marvel and DC dominating the genre.
- Crime - Focusing on police officers, detectives, criminals, and lawyers, the crime genre had its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s.
- Romance - This genre was popular from the 1940s to the 1970s, with "Young Love" and "Young Romance," two of the most famous titles in the genre.
- Horror - Flourishing from the 1960s to the 1980s, this genre includes popular comics such as "Tales from the Crypt."
- Other - Some other comic book genres are fantasy, science-fiction, teen humour, slice-of-life, and underground.