These days, you can purchase comic books and graphic novels with the touch of a button and read them right off your phone. But e-reading takes away one very fun part of comic book reading and collecting: going to the comic book store.
Comic book culture isn’t just about the stories and the great artwork. It’s about the ritual of going to your local comic book store and picking out a physical copy of your next great read. It’s about feeling that smooth, glossy new comic in your hands, and perusing boxes of old, dog-eared comics to find a fine “new” addition for your collection. Digital reading has its own benefits, but it will never have this one.
More than that, though, it’s about the community you find at the comic book store. Where else can you get personalized recommendations from real-life comic book fans and experts? What other kind of store offers shelf upon shelf of comics and graphic novels, both old and new, to flip through at your leisure?
If that wasn’t enough, here are six great reasons why you should buy from your local comic book store.
1. Get In-Person Recommendations From Real Comic Book Fans
Whether you’re a newbie to comic books or a veteran looking for something new and novel to read, your local comic book store is the best place to go for recommendations.
Most of the time, the employees at comic book stores are huge fans of comics, just like you. Even when they’re not, they’re still trained to know what stories would suit your preferences. They’ll help you expand your comic and graphic novel horizons in ways you may not have expected, and which an algorithm on a computer can’t provide.
You’re also likely to find fellow comic book nerds and geeks who can provide additional recommendations.
2. Discover New Comic Books And Graphic Novels
If you want to start a whole new series, you can certainly find it at your local comic book store.
Much like a regular bookstore, such as Barnes & Noble, a comic book store will display the newest comics and graphic novels on a separate shelf. With just one glance, you’ll see the stories that have just been released and may even discover a new favorite.
3. Find Back Issues Of Older Comic Books
Have you recently started a series in the middle and wish you could read the issues that came out previously? Or maybe you’re collecting an old series, and you’re missing a few installments.
These comics that you’re looking for are called back issues, and they are the bread and butter of your local comic book store. It’s there that you’ll find back issues dating from last month, to so far back that they’re considered vintage. For a collector, this is the ideal place to start.
4. Start A Pull List
Chances are, if you’re a comic book nerd, you have a boatload of current series that you’re interested in keeping up with. But let’s be real: as much as we love picking out our own comics, it can be inconvenient to stop by the bookstore every time a new issue comes out.
There’s also the danger that you’ll arrive too late and all the new copies will be gone.
That’s why you should start a pull list, a feature unique to comic book stores. You simply give the employee at the front desk a list of series that you want to keep up with, and then every time a new issue comes out in that series, they’ll set aside a copy of it for you. After that, all you have to do is pick it up whenever it’s most convenient.
Just be sure to stay on top of your pull, because if you don’t show up for a while then they will remove the reserved items and put them back on the floor. It can also hurt the store to be constantly saving books for people who fail to pay, so please pick up your comics!
5. Participate In Local Events With A Community Of Comic Book Lovers
There’s nothing nerds love more than discussing their opinions on the stories they love (or hate), and what better place to do that than at a comic book store? Depending on local health regulations, it is highly likely that your local shop is frequently holding events, such as RPG game nights, author signings, themed days/events (like Free Comic Book Day or Star Wars Day), or even speed dating. This makes it a great place to connect with fellow comic book and graphic novel lovers, all while growing your community.
6. Support A Small Local Business
On a broader scale, supporting your local book store doesn’t just benefit you: it benefits a small business owner.
In today’s world, small businesses like comic book stores are constantly fighting against big e-commerce players such as Amazon. There’s no doubt that it’s a lot easier to just press a button on an app and have a comic sent to you digitally so you can read it right away. But what Amazon can’t provide is the small business experience.
Big businesses like Amazon can’t provide you with in-person recommendations. They won’t let you flip through an entire comic or graphic novel, or dig through boxes of old comic books with the relish of a hungry hobbit cleaning out their larder. They can’t hold community events or provide you with the sense that you’re making a difference by giving your money to a local business owner.
In the end, going to your local comic book stores is not just a ritual that you do. It’s an experience you share with other people – friends, family members, your kids, your significant other, even complete strangers.
Comic book stores bring people together. That reason more than any other is why you should support your local shop, and encourage others to do the same.
