While you can buy your favorite comic books from various book stores you will find more of a selection when you visit comic book stores. These delightful stores are usually packed with many different types of comics. You will be able to find new comic book series as well as your current and old time favorites.

In many cases you will be able to get a good value for your money when you buy your comic books from comic book stores. When you are buying the various comic books that you want from these stores you should be able to see if the comic book is in good quality and if you are buying an undamaged comic book.

In some cases comic book stores can also have posters of favorite comic superheroes and super villains for sale. There will also be times when you will be informed of the upcoming releases of comic book action movie release like those of Spider Man and Superman.

As many people have a variety of interests in comic books you will be able to see various comic books on the shelves of the comic book stores. These comics will include Superman, Spider Man, Batman, Archies, Josie and the Pussycats, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Star Trek and Star Wars and many others.

In some comic book stores you will be able to find vintage comic books like Lulu, Betty Boop, Spawn, Wonder Woman, Phantom and lots of others. Some of these comic books will be in a very good condition as they may not be very well known by todays comic book readers. In some instances you may be lucky enough to find some comic series early editions.

As these comics are difficult to find always you may want to see what the condition of the book is like. When you have checked the condition of the comic book you will need to see the price that your comic book store will charge you for these comics.

With first edition type of comic books you will have the chance to own a piece of comic book history. These are the reasons why buying your comics from different comic book stores is a great idea.

Besides these wonderful facts you may find other people who share your tastes. From these people you can broaden your horizons and see what other comic books you might like to read. The next time you have run out of reading material you might want to head over to your local comic book stores and see what you can discover in these different stores.

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

Many of us collected comic books as kids. As adults, we think back to a simpler time when our biggest worry was the release of the latest edition of our favorite comic. At the time, we collected comics simply because we loved them.

As we grew up, however, our interests changed. We became adults and too grown up for comic books. We might still have a stack of old comics in the attic, though, or we may have sold them at a yard sale years ago.

Some adults, though, remained proud of their comic book collections, and many turned that collecting instinct to profit, buying, and selling comic books to supplement their income.

If you are new to collecting for value, you may have some questions and concerns. This article will address the questions most commonly asked by new comic book collectors.

How do I grade my comic books?

You have two choices when it comes time to grade a comic book. You may send the comic book to the Comics Guaranty Company for grading, or you can grade the comic yourself.

The CGC will charge a fee for grading, and then seal your comic in a plastic sleeve. A CGC rating is the only purely objective means of grading and guarantees to a potential buyer that your comic does have a certain official rating.

However, since the CGC grading costs money, it is not worthwhile to have every comic graded that way. You can learn to grade comic books yourself and for lower dollar value comic books, this is the way to go. Remember to be objective when grading your own comics, as you do not want to cheat a buyer inadvertently.

For comic books that are in less than perfect condition, you will need to look carefully at each bit of damage or wear to determine which grade the comic book should receive. Online guides or comic book collectors’ magazines often have reference sheets to tell you the specifics of each grade.

It may be best to work with a more experienced collector initially, until you are more familiar with how the grading system works. He or she can show you examples of various comic grades.

How can I properly store my comic books to decrease wear and tear?

First, individually bag each comic book in Mylar. These storage bags are available from any good comic book store. You will also want to use comic book boards to prevent bending or creasing.

Purchase these individually or in bulk at your comic book store. Remember to change out your boards every few years to prevent the breakdown of the board, which can have a negative impact on your comic. Finally, you will need storage boxes.

Comic book storage boxes are available in long or short size. Long boxes are better value for the money, but if your comics must be stored in tight quarters, short boxes will give you more flexibility.

Remember to store your comic books in a climate controlled environment. Extremes of heat, cold, humidity, or dryness could have a negative impact on your comic books.

So what comic books should I buy?

The answer to that question really depends on your personal interests. Did you have a favorite comic book character as a kid or do you have one now? Seek out early editions of that character’s comics or read the latest on what he or she is doing now.

If you see your comic book collection mostly as an investment, then you will want to carefully research and attempt to understand the market before jumping in. Spend time on online auction sites, visit comic book shops, and talk to other collectors.

Find out what is consistently hot, what is hot right now, and what the future trends expect to be. Focus on collecting first editions, full sets, and vintage “finds.”

My comic book collection is huge! How can I possibly keep up with what I have?

A variety of tracking software is now available to monitor your comic book collection. Some programs are free; others charge a small fee. The complexity of the programs varies dramatically, from simple tracking forms to the ability to generate multiple reports based on many different criteria.

Alternately, you can create your own database or spreadsheet file using software that you already own. Any office software can track a comic book collection. Simply decide which information you want to include and set up a new worksheet.

What should I know before I sell my comic book collection?

Be sure that each comic in your collection is individually graded, either by yourself or friend, or professionally through the Comics Guaranty Company (CGC). Any especially rare or valuable comics should definitely be graded by the CGC prior to sale, as the official rating will often increase the price you can receive.

Once every comic is graded, check the average selling price for each comic. Decide whether to sell individually, in sets, or in bulk. Often you can receive a better price for low value comics by selling them in bulk or in a complete set, while particularly high-end comics may command the best price alone.

Whats Good: A lot. DCs First Wave line has officially launched with the release of this 56-page special and Im happy to report that theres quite a bit to like here. When hearing the premise of yet another alternate DC Universe involving established and not exactly underused characters such as Batman and Black Canary, I was admittedly suspicious of the necessity of its existence. The inclusion of Azzarello as writer didnt do much to excite me either, as I found his earlier work in the super-hero genre underwhelming. However, if this one-shot is an indication of the enjoyment to be had with the concept, then Im eagerly onboard for more.

Azzarello is clearly at home with the subject matter. Fans of the writers usual fare such as 100 Bullets shouldnt find it surprising that the man knows how to write a comic that leans heavily on noir and pulp sensibilities. The Batman and Doc Savage Special is full of a damaged, world-weary cast of characters and he infuses them with a wonderful array of wit and charisma. His gun-toting Batman is instantly dynamic and his Bruce Wayne even more appealing. This Dark Knight is a younger, brasher individual than his mainstream counterpart, yet it quickly becomes evident that hes just as sly and cunning.

The writer also ably services the other star of the book. Doc Savage is obviously meant to fill the Superman role here, and it works. Batman as a character traditionally works well when used as a foil for lighter, friendlier heroes. While having Savage play this role ran the risk of making this team-up seem a tad too familiar to some readers, the writer managed to inject a different flavor into the two heroes interactions. Unlike the Man of Steel, Savage is just a man. A physically and mentally near-perfect man, but still a man. When he finally confronts Batman, theres a sense of fair play in the dynamic between them that has been absent in the God vs. Man vibe that arises whenever Superman is around. It makes for a fresh variation on a story weve seen many times in the past.

I cant say enough positive things about Phil Noto. I find myself picking up the thesaurus often whenever Im in the position of describing his work. Its surprising how quickly you can go through all the synonyms for amazing. Noto is literally perfect for this story. His retro-modern style beautifully brings Azzarellos 1940s-inspired Gotham City, as well as its inhabitants, to life. Noto casts Los Angeles in the part of Batmans infamous stomping grounds and it fits like a glove. He also does an admirable job on the character of Doc Savage. While its hard to go wrong with the Dark Knight, the Man of Bronze isnt as well-known to the current generation of readers. Noto smartly doesnt change much about the heros signature design, but accomplishes conveying a sense of weight and experience in his face and stature. Even if I were unfamiliar with the characters history, Id be able to guess at some of what hes been through by simply looking at him.

Theres also an eight page behind-the-scenes segment of the upcoming First Wave miniseries that this special leads into at the tail end of this issue. Theres some nice artwork by Rags Morales previewed and informative text pieces by Azzarello that spotlight some of the additional characters that we can look forward to showing up. Its a nice peek at the creative process and serves to further entice me to give this new title a peek when its released.

Whats Not So Good: A few minor nitpicks, really. While Notos artwork suitably brings this new world to life, he does have a tendency to produce stiff action sequences. Its far from a deal-breaker as the plot doesnt really center on the fight scenes, but it can distract. On the writing side, Azzarellos script seems to come to a rather abrupt conclusion. Just as our two stars finally come to terms with each other, they receive a phone call that effectively ends any reason for the story to continue. And it just stops. Its far from an exciting culmination to what was an otherwise entertaining read.

Conclusion: Azzarello and Noto serve up a fine introduction to DCs pulp-tinged new universe. Lush visuals supported by a strong script that persuasively sells the character of Doc Savage as a worthy headliner make this an enjoyable read.

Grade: B