# The people who didn't start reading comic books until they were adults thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2004, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-who-didnt-start-reading-comic-books-until-they-were-adults-thread/259810 "2004-08-14T06:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-who-didnt-start-reading-comic-books-until-they-were-adults-thread/259810/21 "2004-08-18T20:25:54Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > Well… depends how expensive. I’m making six bucks an hour doing unpredictable part-time temp work right now (take the national certification exam for massage therapy this Friday, then I get to start jumping through the licensing hoops) so money’s kind of tight. I’m thinking I might try e-Bay, even though I’m not a great fan of Pay Pal. But for that particular issue, I’d be willing to drop about ten bucks (actually, if I was making anything like decent money, I would be willing to pay a helluva lot more, but I’m not making anything like decent money.) **Mango** , I’m sorry, but they didn’t have Detective #446. Believe it or not, they had a pretty good run of the 440s and 450s, but that one was missing. They were all priced between $5 and $12 each, in a variety of conditions ranging from near mint to ripped-‘n’-nasty, so you may be better off getting it on eBay anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-who-didnt-start-reading-comic-books-until-they-were-adults-thread/259810/22 "2004-08-18T21:01:38Z")
Caveat: I collected X-Men and X-Factor for two years in middle school. But now I’m 28 years old, and I just started again at the beginning of this year. Currently on the list: Superman/Batman, Astonishing X-Men, The Ultimates, Ultimate Fantastic Four, DC: The New Frontier, Sleeper, and any interesting short series (Identity Crisis, 1602, Harley & Ivy, etc.). So, 5+ titles a month. I’m thinking about getting into the War Crimes storyline, but I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-who-didnt-start-reading-comic-books-until-they-were-adults-thread/259810/23 "2004-08-18T23:27:55Z")
I started reading comics a little over 6 years ago, when I was 21. Initially I read the Clerks comics Kevin Smith wrote and when he started his run on \*Daredevil \* I picked up the first issue. I quickly realized this was a medium I really enjoyed, often telling the kinds of stories I like to read. Soon I was collecting several titles a month and borrowing trades from my only comic-reading friend. Four years later I was clerking in my local comic shop here in Houston (I was between jobs and thought it would be fun for awhile) when I started chatting with one of our regulars. He always had a big stack of new books and back issues and knew all there was to know about comics. A year later we were married and the proud parents of a massive collection of comics, trades, and action figures. My husband took over my job at the comic shop after I left and is now the assistant manager. He’s waaaay better at it than I ever was, and I say hooray to the employee discount. Now I read: Daredevil, Powers, Amazing Spider-man, Punisher, The Pulse, Wolverine, Supreme Power, Astonishing X-Men, Avengers, Powers, Ultimate Spider-man, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ex Machina, Batman, Nightwing, Robin, JSA, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, Toyfare and any number of miniseries (currently including Identity Crisis, Caper, and New Frontier, though I’m saving that series until they’re all out to read them together). I can have my own float in the Geek Pride parade. ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-who-didnt-start-reading-comic-books-until-they-were-adults-thread/259810/24 "2004-08-19T01:18:22Z")
**Asbestos Mango** , you’re not alone! I’m another female reader who didn’t - and in my case, wouldn’t - touch comics in childhood. I was 29 years old before I read my first, as a result of the buzz surrounding the first X-men movie. What was particularly strange is that I had little affection for the superhero genre, knew no one who was into comics, couldn’t have named a single one of the actors if my life had depended on it. Still, I was sufficiently fascinated to hang around some of the movie MBs well before its release. There was enough general comics talk to vaguely interest me in trying some, and since the one title everyone seemed to universally agree was great was _Watchmen_. Was hooked for life, which was a good thing because after I saw and liked the X-men movie, I tried X-men comics looking for the same quality of material. A lot of X-men comics. Took quite some time before I stumbled across something else I really liked (V for Vendetta), and finally found my way to a few indie-friendly comics MBs that hooked me up with some great non-superhero material. Now that I’ve found my comics niche, I’m never leaving! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-people-who-didnt-start-reading-comic-books-until-they-were-adults-thread/259810.md?page=1)