Simply everyone is raving about Marvel’s The Avengers. It’s currently at the top of the box office with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Marvel’s The Avengers brings together the strengths of several superheroes that had previously starred in their own movies, including Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man 1 and 2. But these are not where their humble beginnings lay, oh no. Many of these characters first appeared in the realm of pop culture more than 50 years ago. Images of Thor, Iron Man, the X-Men, Spiderman and the Hulk made their debut in the early 1960s, with Captain American, Superman Green Lantern and Batman seeing light in 1938 - 1941.
The first comic book was printed in 1933; it has since expanded into an ever growing storytelling industry. Despite the name, comic books are not always humorous in tone and can often be dark and gritty. In 1964 Richard Kyle introduced the world to “graphic novels.” Graphic novels differ from the typical comic book in that they cover one plot line or story from cover to cover, while comics will tell many different stories, in pieces, over the course of their publication. Sometimes the completed series of a comic book are bound to create a graphic novel known as a “trade paperback.”
Check out the following comic book stores to learn about the different comics styles and genres and pick up a few copies of your own.
1. Fourth World Comics
33 Route 111, Smithtown – (631) 366-4440
2. Amazing Comics & Collectibles
12 Gillette Avenue, Sayville – (631) 567-8069
3. Golden Memories Comics & Toys
235 Middle Country Road, Selden – (631) 696-6991
4. Tor Comics
997 Waverly Avenue, Hotlsville – (631) 758-4772
5. Commack Collectibles & Comics
1165 Jericho Turnpike, Commack – (631) 543-4100
6. Long Island Comics
276 Little East Neck Road, West Babylon – (631) 321-4822
7. Bailey’s Comics of Lindenhurst
237 South Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst – (631) 225-5085
8. Blu Planet Comics & Games
509 Central Avenue, Massapequa – (631) 565-7005
9. Grasshopper Comics
76 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park – (516) 741-5724
10. Time Warp
1164 Broadway, Hewlett – (516) 295-1431