I have a secret: one of my “preferences” isn’t quite accepted in mainstream society. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot better than it was than, say, ten years ago, but there are still many who will judge me. Because of this lack of acceptance by my peers, I was ashamed, embarrassed. Forced to conceal myself, I would only explore this alternative culture in my room late at night or in the stacks of the library, where motion activated lights and creaking doors would warn me of a threatening presence. Now, however, you can find me in public parks or coffee shops openly embracing this flourishing part of my identity, ignoring the glances and snickers. They always ask the same questions: When did I first explore these feelings? Am I sure it’s not just a phase? And can I really be into all that tight spandex and leather? Answers: Fifteen and a half; as sure as my love for puns; and it’s much more complicated than that—but the answer is yes. I admit it. I like comic books.

Will you still be my friend? Oh, we never were friends in the first place? Well, go $#*@ yourself, but hold your judgment, lest you be seen on the wrong side of history. The Avengers was one of the highest grossing films of all time, The Dark Knight is a modern classic, and The Walking Dead is a cultural phenomenon reviving the zombie trope almost single (or zero) handedly. It seems comic books aren’t just for nerds anymore… or, at least, their stories aren’t. No one will gawk at you if you said you loved The Avengers—but if you have been reading the comics for years? Read some real literature, like the much more popular Twilight or Dan Brown novels. Replace The Avengers with Harry Potter, another insanely popular franchise, and imaging a fan of the movies gawking at you reading the source material. I have a harder time imagining a scenario where Emma Watson isn’t the subject of my dreams on a weekly basis.

These stories are spawning multimillion dollar film franchises, but no one wants to read the source material. Thor: The Dark World accumulated 86 million dollars in revenue it’s opening weekend. Two months earlier, when excitement was ramping up for the film, Thor: God of Thunder, a critically acclaimed comic book, sold roughly 48,000 copies, equating to 191K in revenue. I’m no statistician (I was in the “Integrated Math Program”, for Odin’s sake), but this simple analysis shows the movie is 450 times more popular than the comic book. Some of this can be attributed to Natalie Portman not being in the comic book (see: that one scene with Mila Kunis in Black Swan), but that’s some serious math, people.

In what is both an homage to the medium and an attempt to appeal to my generation’s short attention span, this piece is an introduction to a series exploring many aspects of “The Comic Book”, from the public’s negative perception and the challenges of changing it to the unique artistic merits of the medium and why it is a legitimate form of storytelling. First up: why the stigma exists, and why those who should be the diplomats of comics, comic book store owners, are not making it any better. Don’t worry, it won’t get too dry and academic; I read comic books, after all.