The stores which were open until late I might add, where a source of getting rid of my boredom and I would spend ours there flipping through various comic books make sure I had filled my head with great dreams before I would go home. Comic stores have provided me with a sanctuary where I could hide and set my worries away. I dont do much reading of comics nowadays since I actually moved on to novels and real life stuff, but I still pick up a comic from time to time never forgetting my superhero friends that helped me out during my childhood. In fact I can truly say that they saved me which means they actually where heroes in my book.

Comic stores are a dime a dozen nowadays but there are a few in every neighborhood and they are the best place to go look for your favorite comic book, whether its DC Comics own Batman, Robin and off course Superman or it is Marvel comic the Avengers, Spiderman, X-Men and many more. No matter what superhero my comic store was where I would find them.

Most of the time you will find that the one for reading is different from the one that is all wrapped up in a clean sealed environment and kept in mint condition. This kind of time and conditioning that is given to the comic books can only be done by someone who loves comics and has the dedication to keep his or her comic book in the right conditions, atmosphere and surely knows the comic value. Such people get the comic book appraised and then put in time and money to make sure that the comic is in mint condition. Some of them even showcase their comic in conventions on comic books and superheroes. The comic value goes even higher when more people get to view it and cannot get a hold of another copy anywhere.

It is important to make sure that you keep your comic away from any wet atmosphere or to keep it sealed tight in its case or plastic sleeve if you intend to keep it for a while. Also note that you must keep checking online for more news on how much your comic book is valued.

The way to find good quality collectible comics is to take your time finding the various facts about comic books. These facts include which types of comic books are considered as being collectible comics. The collectible comics are not necessarily the current most popular comics.

These current comics may be very popular today but there is always the chance that interest in these comic books will die away quickly. The type of comics that you can consider as being collectible comics are ones that have been around for some time. In these collectible comics the interest in earlier issues is still very strong.

While the publishing division of comic book companies may come out with new editions and artwork of the original comic book, it is always possible to find unaltered comic books that are still in the original artwork. When you find these types of comic books you should see if you can look at the condition of the comic book.

Since comic books are declared as being collectibles only once their physical condition has been examined you should see if you can find a comic book price guide that will inform you of what these comic books can be bought and sold at when they are in great or good conditions.

The type of collectible comics that people look for include comics like the original Archie comics, Wonder Woman, Little Lulu, Superman number 1 and the few early editions, Silver Surfer, Richie Rich, Spawn, Vampirella, Transformers and many others. The best types of collectibles are the ones from the very early days of the comics history.

When you come across collectible comics like these you should make sure that they are in good condition. Once you have see how the quality of the comic book is both on the inside and the outside you will need to have the comic book appraised. This should be done if it is possible before you buy it for collection purposes.

Once the appraisal has informed you about the status of the comics that you have selected and you are satisfied with your purchase your next step is to provide protection for these collectible comics. The best way to store these collectible comics is by inserting them into clear plastic sleeve pockets and keep them stored upright.

It is an accepted fact that comic books are graded on the physical condition of the book. In this grading the exterior of the book cover is looked at carefully. From this initial examination the appraiser will be able to give you a rough estimate of the comic value. Once this has been established the interior of the book will be seen.

The main items that establishes an accepted comic value is the type of genre, the series number, how the book looks when it has been opened and the various artist and writer names. These can inform the comic book appraiser if they have a collectible comic book that should be given a high price or if they have a book that is just ordinary in value.

This information will inform the comic book collector of the different steps that will need to be taken to provide their valuable comics with some safety features. These precautions are necessary if you want the value of your comic collection to go up.

As comic books have a set standard to determine their comic value you should see if you can find a comic book price guide that will provide you with this information. The information that is found in these comic book guides may be a little difficult understood, but if you are persevering you will soon understand the criteria that has been give for assigning the comic value to your various comic books

In comic book stores you can sometimes find comic books that are in mint condition or near mint condition. Other comic books will look well thumbed through even though they have been newly printed. These types of comic books should be carefully looked at to see if they are worth buying for their collection value or if you just want to read these comics.

When you buy your comic books for a comic book collection you will want to know what the comic value can be given for these types of comics. In addition you may desire to know if having certain types of comic books can increase or decrease the value of your entire collection.

With the many different comic books that you can buy it is sometimes difficult to know if you are buying a comic book that will increase in value as the years go by. Regardless of these uncertainties you may want to take a chance and buy the different comic books that catch your eye. With luck you may find a rare comic book that will raise the comic value of your entire collection.

Comic books have been around in the United States since 1934. The term “comic book” was coined due to the fact that the first books were actually reprinted humor comic strips. But as any comic book enthusiast knows, comic books aren’t just about humor anymore as they tell stories and cross many genres.

If you have ever wanted to become an author of a comic book or create your own series, you might have asked what it takes and what is the process.

To start, most comic books are designed by groups of people. For larger and better-known comic book distributors, there are a series of people on staff that include a writer, a penciller, an inker, a colorist, a letterer, and an editor. Sometimes one person can take a variety of roles. For instance, in most alternative and small press comics, the same person will write and illustrate, although it is still common for a separate person to produce the color separations, and sometimes the lettering. In Japan, where the comic book is called a mangaka, one person usually writes and pencils his own work while their assistants may handle the inking, screentone, and lettering. In most European comics, there are usually two or three artists involved: a writer, an artist who provides lettered artwork, and a colorist where necessary.

If you are you are interested in starting your own company and hiring the people or friends to get your comic series off the ground, here are some steps to consider:

1. Concept/World – Maybe you already have the concept or imaginary world of your comic book idea in your mind and this is why you are interested in creating your own comic book. This is a great start. But if you don’t and you just like the idea of comic books, then here is where you try to imagine a concept that nobody else has come up with yet. You can start by asking yourself questions such as who would be my hero or what would happen if this kind of person met this other type of person in an imaginary world? You don’t have to be the writer to come up with a concept, which brings us to number two.

2. Writer/Story – Your writers are the people or maybe just one person, who takes the concept and turns it into a story. A good writer understands the story well and is great at writing dialogue. The writer or writers will also give the story its basic structure, rhythm, its setting, develop its characters, and help refine the plot.

3. Penciller – The penciller uses a pencil to sketch out images to go along with the story. It is done in pencil so that changes can be made as needed. This person has the responsibility of creating the overall look of the comic. Many comic book enthusiasts are very critical about the artwork of a comic and can even choose comics solely by the artwork, therefore the work of the penciller is just as critical as the other positions.

4. Inker – The inker will take the pencil work and bring it to life with color. The inker will typically start off by going over the penciled in work with black ink, giving the lines more depth and more of a three-dimensional look. By enhancing the lines in black and white to start, it makes it easier to copy and color the images. Some pencillers will do this part themselves, but it takes a different kind of skill set than the penciller uses. Although the inker is basically retracing everything, they also are given credit for helping the art become a finished piece.

5. Colorist – The colorist adds color, lighting, and shading to the inks of the comic book. Special attention to detail is critical here, because if the colorist doesn’t use the right colors, people will notice.

6. Letterer – Without words to convey the story, your readers may very well be lost. During this stage of comic production, the letterer adds the words, sound effects, titles, captions, word bubbles, and thought bubbles. Some creators do this by hand with the aide of an Ames Guide and T-Square, but most people do this via computers.

7. Editorial – The editor of the comic book gives it a final look through – overseeing the quality and identifying problems that potentially need to be fixed. The editor has fresh eyes or the project as well, and is able to see the comic as if for the first time.

8. Printing/Publishing – Now for the printing and publishing. Some comics are printed digitally. Having your comic book printed and published is the final element and therefore the book should be complete in every way. Once published, all you have to do is market it and sell it, which could mean a whole other set of staff.

While these eight steps seem simple, the process of creating a comic book that is truly unique and catchy can be a challenge. But if it is your passion, then there is no harm in giving it a try. Who knows, you might have the next best selling comic.

Smallville fans were more than just excited when it was announced last month that Chloe Sullivan will become part of the Superman comic books in issue number 674. Unfortunately, DC Comics Executive Editor Dan DiDio recently announced that the move from television to comic books isn’t going to happen. Apparently fans were misled and are now out of luck.

“Chloe is an exciting character on the television show, and we had hoped to work her into DC continuity,” DiDio said in a recent conversation with Newsarama.com. “Unfortunately, the stars did not align properly, and even though we had announced it, she will not be appearing in any of the issues of Superman or Action Comics.”

That was all DiDio had to say about Chloe’s sudden disappearing act. It was probably some sort of rights issue, or that Superman writer Kurt Busiek just found no way of incorporating the teenage character into the adult world of Clark Kent. Initially, some fans were disappointed to hear that DC Comics wanted to repurpose the character, as they believed that Chloe’s original traits was what made her memorable and special.

BuddyTV readers also reacted intensely to this issue, as they aired their thoughts through their comments. Gen717 said, “”Whoever this character is they chose to call Chloe in the comics is NOT our Chloe. They are basically going to strip her of everything I love about her, make her a different character and call her Chloe? No, I’m not buying a comic that grossly distorts a character I love. Sorry DC, but what on earth are you thinking?”

cecil44 shared the same sentiments, saying, “I’m actually really really disappointed at the DC version of ‘Chloe’! They want to strip her off everything that makes Chloe Sullivan on Smallville such a special character! There is no way I would buy a comic book that distorts her character like this. The whole reason that Chloe is soo great and soo special is the fact that she’s a reporter first and Clark ’s best friend! But like someone else said, I guess we can’t really know until we see how they will introduce her.”

Well, we won’t be seeing how Kurt Busiek and the DC Comics team will be introducing Chloe, as they already postponed the adaptation. Having seen their plans, Chloe might as well stay inside our television screens.

For more resources about Smallville or for the full story of Smallville: Chloe Sullivan Not Appearing in Comic Books please review http://www.buddytv.com

The CW’s Smallville may be called an adaptation of the Superman comics, but this time, it’s the long-running comic that’s going to look back at Smallville for some bits of inspiration. March 12’s Superman issue 674 will be featuring Smallville’s very own aspiring writer, Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) as she enters the comic book realm. This would be the first time an original character from the CW show has made its way into the pages of the Superman comic book.

Comic book writer Kurt Busiek revealed to Newsarama that the inspiration for this transition came from the fact that another famous character, Jimmy Olsen, was also adapted from another form of media, The Adventures of Superman radio show in 1940. He said that there was an initial question on how to bring Chloe into the picture, but he everything eventually fell into place, thus creating a brilliant idea, which he says “would give us several elements to the cast structure that have been missing for years, but in a new and different way.”

However, fans should not expect a complete Allison Mack replica, as the character has to be drawn to look like Chloe, but not too much like Mack due to issues with likeness rights. In fact, the Smallville Chloe and the Superman comic book Chloe do have a lot of differences.

For one, Chloe won’t be all grown up on the comic books like Clark and Lois. In fact, she will be retaining her age and status as an aspiring journalist.

“The problem we’d have faced if we brought her in with the same background as the TV show is that she’d fill two basic roles — the Girl from Back Home and the Reporter — and those roles are both pretty solidly filled in the adult Superman cast, by Lana and Lois,” Busiek explained. “So she’s got to have a different spin, one that lets her occupy a different role from either of them. She’s the younger sister of someone Clark went to school with, not a classmate of Clark ’s herself. As a result, she’s the new intern at the Daily Planet, fresh out of journalism school and itching to make a name for herself. That’ll make her clearly different from Lois and Lana, and at the same time more familiar to watchers of the show.”

Moreover, the Superman comic book version of Chloe won’t have any powers and will know about Clark ’s secret. Chloe will be introduced in issue 674, but will figure prominently in the next issue, as Busiek promises for another exciting saga in the life of Superman.

For more resources about Smallville or for the full story of Smallville: Chloe Sullivan Comes To Comic Books please review http://www.buddytv.com

Over the annals of time there have been people to report on the events that occur in life. The same can be said in the world of comics where the term “comic book news” is readily applied, though is rarely accurate. Much like tabloid news, comic book news is mostly comprised of hype and interviews promoting products.

Take a publication like Wizard Magazine that used to be a fun and credible source of comic book news prior to the widespread use of the internet with comic book news sites cropping up by the dozens. Once reporting hard to find tidbits of information for the curious fan out of touch with the behind the scenes world of comics, Wizard was a bastion of comic book news to the uninformed. Now, however, always a step behind and hardly ever providing any real reporting, according to many, Wizard is highly considered nothing more than an 80-page commercial for products from the biggest comic companies in the industry.

Many comic book news websites are the same, rarely reporting any hard-hitting stories or asking the tough questions in interviews, they cater to the professionals and big companies that in kind provide them with exclusive previews and the like that other sites aren’t able to acquire. The two current biggest comic book news websites, Newsarama.com and ComicBookResources.com have such deals and often publish a lot of fluff. That’s not to say those sites, which are beloved by many a comic fan, do not publish newsworthy content as well, it’s just a little harder to find.

The fact is many comic and non-comic fans scoff at the term “comic book news” passing it off and not considering it real journalism. And that’s an accurate thought pattern when considering some so-called comic book news out there. But it’s certainly not the case in totality. There are, in fact, many real journalists in comic book news that write and publish informative, and sometimes controversial reports and articles on events in comics, about creators, and about publishers.

Therefore, the term “comic book news” is a relative term depending on who you ask and what you read. But rest assured, you can find real stories that would be worthy of any credible publication and would certainly be deemed newsworthy. But like the ‘real world’, you have to sift through all the garbage (ie, tabloids, or fluff) to find the real gems in comic book news.

The Supernatural fan base is undeniably strong, and they serve as a good market for publishing companies who would like to release material on the Supernatural series. In fact, WildStorm released Supernatural: Origins comic book last year, and it was a fair success. This year, fans will again delight in another release, as Supernatural: Rising Son is coming soon. The new comic book is a six-issue miniseries that will tell another tale about the Winchester brothers. To be released on April 23, the series will follow a 7-year-old Sam and 11-year-old Dean as they travel with their father, John.

Writer Peter Johnson, who is also a co-executive producer on the TV show explained that this series focuses more on John and his dysfunctional family.

“We’re really going to explore the differences between Sam and Dean in this one,” Johnson added. “Dean is becoming aware of what his dad’s up to and we’ll see him training and hunting a little bit, while John will start to key in on something different about Sam.”

Despite being another Supernatural project, show creator Eric Kripke, who contributed hugely to the Origins project, was not present in any way in Rising Son, mostly due to the writers’ strike. Although the strike does not include comic book writers, Kripke saw the thin line between writing for the TV series and writing a comic book based on the series, and thus opted to not be part of it this time.

Johnson added that this action packed series includes familiar faces, creepier monsters, fighter chicks and a villain that may be part of the show itself. This will be one hell of a comic book for Supernatural fans to look out for, and just to add to the excitement, there is a third comic book in its conception stage. As for now, let’s await the release of Supernatural, Rising Son, on April 23.

For more resources about Supernatural or for the full story of New Supernatural Comic Book Series Starting in April please review http://www.buddytv.com

Comic books are a firm staple of many people. With these comics people can follow the exploits of their favorite series without having to worry about missing any action. There are many different comic book types that are well known but many of us like getting comic book action from comics like Marvel comic books.

The various charters that are depicted in these comics are ones that many of us have grown up with. Just as we are familiar with Superman we know the adventures of Spiderman, the Hulk, and the Scarlet Witch. We also recognize their many villains like the Green Goblin, Magneto, Mr. Sinister and many other villains and superheroes.

Marvel comics are very well known and today some of these action comics have been transformed into full length movies like that of the X-Men Movies, Spiderman and even the DareDevil. These movies and the crowds of people who come to see them just reaffirm that Marvel comic books have a way of reaching into various aspects of our lives.

Since many people both young and old love reading the various adventures of their favorite action characters sometimes these Marvel comic books take their cartoon characters and change them slightly to reflect the various moods and feelings that are currently around.

The next time that you decide to buy some of your comic book choices and you see some Marvel comic books you may want to see if you can find ones from a few years ago as well as the more current ones.

You will probably be surprised to see that not only does the artwork of the comic books look different but the action series itself may have some interesting storylines and other new characters making their appearance. These changes are mainly due to the fact that even Marvel comic books need to keep up with the times.

For this reason you will see that these different comic books are constantly looking different but they generally try to follow the original story lines. Without seeing the various exploits of Marvel super heroes and heroines like the Scarlet Witch, Jean Grey from the X-Men and Spider Man you will probably feel let down.

As a result all of the Marvel Comic books feature their well known characters in the original storyline and sometimes they are in adventures in different series. This way you get double the pleasure. The next time that you are looking to buy some Marvel comic books you may want to choose the various old and new versions of these comic books. You will enjoy all of the action that is revealed before your eyes.