Action Comic Books Escape From Reality Guilt Free

Action comic books have been around for quite some time now. A lot of people have been collecting and reading issue after issue of comic books, it is a great way to spend time without having to spend so much or even travel. There are so many action comic book titles available in the market today; different themes for different audiences make it appealing to almost everyone.

Action comic books rely heavily on interesting stories, comic books after all are just short stories made more entertaining because of illustrations. It’s almost impossible to go through life without reading at least one comic book. There are so many publishing companies that produce so many comic book titles that there are literally so much to choose from. Chances are, no matter who you are and where you come from there is a perfect action comic book for you.

The comic book has always been an enduring element in the American culture. Comic publishing giants such as Marvel and DC comics have been around for decades spawning so many popular comic books that they have become a household name. The element of escapism makes comic books very popular, one can easily get lost in the bright colored pages of probably the most popular literary genre of modern society.

Action comic books are known for over the top story lines and adrenaline pounding events. Fans are dazzled by illustrations that seem to jump out of the page and just spark the reader’s imagination. A very persistent element in action comic books is a protagonist, usually a person with extraordinary abilities usually referred to as super heroes.

Super heroes in action comic books are very important in making the story more attractive. Throughout the years, comic books have given its audiences very popular names that went far beyond just comic book pages. Heroes such as Superman, Batman, and Spiderman have become iconic figures of the century. It is close to impossible to find a person who has not heard of these superheroes especially now that they are found in TV, movies, and even general merchandise.

The fascination with action comic books is not only a western trend. Almost all cultures have their versions of comic books that have their own twists on heroes and stories. A regional comic book genre that has recently attracted some global attention is the Japanese Manga. Manga are simply Japanese comic books, they are traditionally black and white and are usually released in weekly compilations called Jump. Japanese Manga has their own style of action comics with their own versions of superheroes that of course are more related to the Japanese culture.

Action comic books are a testament to generations of creativity, the evolution of comic books are also great historic references of the times they where created. People may notice that despite the over the top themes and story lines, action comics usually have deeper messages that talk about serious issues such as society, politics, and other pressing matters.

Comic Super Heroes-What Makes Them Tick

What makes comic su

per

 heroes special? Aside from the super powers, the spandex costumes, the secret identitie

s, and their perfectly scripted lines, you would think that there would be a limit to how many super heroes there would be. Yet if you look around the

various medias, you’ll find these super heroes popping up left and right like mushrooms after a thunderstorm. That must mean each one is fundamentally unique, right? Not really.

Each super hero has his or her own unique audience that waits with bated breath for the next adventure. Though each and every one of these comic super heroes is unique by their own right, they have common ties that ‘bond’ them to readers. One of the most powerful bonds that tie a fan to the superhero would be the effect that good and evil has on the superhero, and how he or she interprets these moral issues.

Here are a couple of examples of how, exactly, these bonds are formed and maintained on a basis of good and evil:

The Paragon: The first hero that comes to mind for a Paragon would be Superman: the super hero that stands for everything that is good and just. People find themselves looking for an example that good triumphs over evil, and that these pro-social qualities that they value so much will eventually succeed in any endeavor. Even if the pattern is a bit predictable, it is this value of security and comfort that Paragon comic super heroes bring that makes them appealing to fans of this type of super hero.

The Broken: If Superman would be the poster-child of a Paragon, then Spawn would be the poster-child of a broken hero. A Broken hero is one who is bombarded by questions of morality in an attempt to find good amidst evil. If Paragons are appealing because of their solid conviction of good, broken heroes are appealing because of their moral struggles to attain goodness. Comic super heroes in this category provide a more diverse and unpredictable story, while bringing questions of how good can be strived for even in the face of the greatest temptations. Fans find this moral struggle refreshing and unique, especially for fans struggling with moral issues themselves.

The Antihero: If Spawn and Superman both believe in the concept of good, then a super hero like the Mask would be the poster-child of an Antihero. These types of comic super heroes are typically driven by self-interest, while maintaining enough positive traits to be called ‘good.’ Though not evil or malicious by nature, Antiheroes are typically driven by personal agendas, rather than the pursuit of good itself. However, they maintain their mark as heroes by the nature of their interests aligning with good. This gives them a unique edge that sets them between good and evil, and keeps fans constantly wondering what they’ll do when faced with different moral situations.

Of course, the human mind is filled with endless possibility, and there always exists the possibility of mixing these moral stereotypes or even coming up with new moral stereotypes altogether. But it still helps if we could understand, even just a little bit, how we connect with our beloved superheroes. Whether they would be Paragons like Superman, Broken heroes like Spawn, or even antiheroes like the Mask, we’d be able to understand them a little better.

Can you still recall the first time you ever owned or read a comic book? You probably read it from cover to cover then kept it away in some drawer and just plainly forgot about it. The value of comic books is relative to whether you have read it or not, right? If you already read it a few times then it isn’t worth anything anymore. Its very easy to assume that comic books loose their value after reading but this is not necessarily true.

The value of comic books can change depending on how long you have held on to it and at what quality you where able to preserve it. Comic books are in actuality novelty items that are significant icons of the time they where produced. In most cases comic books are even considered memorabilia, and these types of items increase in value as they age.

There are a lot of comic books out there that now would cost more than ten times the price they were worth when they were first put up on sale. Comic books can create massive appeal and popularity and this may bring up its initial value. Take the Bat Man franchise for example: No one really had any idea that the fictional protagonist of one of DC comics’ Detective comics issues would become an iconic figure in today’s society. Bat man has gone far beyond comics; it has been the theme of quite a lot of Hollywood’s most memorable action block busters and has made many television appearances as well. It is no doubt that the value of comic books that were printed during the early periods of the Bat Man franchise are now worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Although it is true that comic books are like antiques that get more expensive with age, there are some factors to be considered when appraising or starting a comic book collection. Before you go and do some attic or garage treasure hunting keep in mind that not all comic books are worth a pretty penny. The value of comic books depends on several factors which cover quality in the sense of physical state and make.

If the comic book you have never gained any popularity, in other words a comic book flop, then it probably is not worth anything more than what you initially spent on buying it. If it was successful however like Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and other iconic comic book titles then you may want to check on the issue number and the date it was published. The value of comic books rise to exponential levels if you have limited editions, or first prints (alpha editions) or signature publishes.

A comic book will also cost more if the quality is pristine. The fewer amounts of dog ears, folds, creases, and discoloration the higher the value, Some collectors do not even read their comic books to preserve the value, they just buy it and stow it away somewhere safe where it can increase in value without any threats.

How much the value of comic books can increase makes it an interesting item to collect and make a hobby of. It is a great way of entertaining yourself and having an item of value as well.

Nowadays, most forms of superheroes are just recycled concepts trying to out-gimmick each other. Save the earth, save the damsel in distress, fend off aliens, and secret identities are just some examples of the tired and worn-out concepts plaguing modern comics. All they serve to do is give a couple of quirks that simply add a streak of silver to the same old core-concept found in almost every story out there.

Yet how come these classic formulas from the comic golden age still appeal to today’s readers?

Comic books that were introduced in the later 1930’s was the new format that appealed to both the young and young at heart, rather than the blocks of text that came before the advent of such comic books. Superman, Spiderman, Batman and any other superhero you could name, first appeared during the comic golden age, and they came with a fresh new concept: heroes who would battle against the various forces of evil to save the day! Being able to see and read these wonderful, colored paragons of justice was a “wow” factor for the people of the time. Of course, you have a spattering of politics and technology, like how World War II put Adolf Hitler and the Japanese against the superheroes while the threat of atomic war added a little ‘nuclear’ spice into the stories.

When you look back at the heroes of the comic golden age, they symbolize the hopes and dreams of the common person, as well as the innate desire for good within each person enamored by these heroes. It’s a fantasy that a mere mortal could never reach but be enthralled to witness: being able to witness and understand the situations in such a rich format allows readers to ‘experience’ the challenges that each hero must face in their adventures. This experience of being taken away from the mundane matters of life was a fresh breath of air for people, and this was a welcome diversion from the everyday proceedings of life.

Heroes reminiscent of the comic golden age are, surprisingly, still alive and kicking in today’s markets. More than half a decade later, you see these comic book legends reintroduced in new comic-book formats, banded together in cartoons, reborn into block-buster movies and even fully-controllable video game characters.

It basically boils down to repackaging the concept of superheroes to fit into the current technological trends of our time. The concept of super-powered beings that fight for the cause of good has transcended from ink on paper to the silver screen, wide screen and the PC screen. As long as these stories continue to keep pace with the way we work and live, they’ll always find themselves a place in society.

The comic golden age still has appealing lessons and stories to offer to us, no matter how much time passes. As long as we continue to be human beings, aspiring for something good in life, these long-time superheroes that have been with us for more than half a century will always have a place in our hearts.