- 1). Start reading comic books (if you don’t already). Decide what titles and characters you want to start collecting. The best place to start is at the beginning of a story arc, but be sure to brush up on some basics of the series to begin with.
- 2). Learn the difference between Marvel and DC. Beyond company names, there are distinctions between the two universes. Know not only which super heroes belong on which side of the fence, but also the main differences between the two houses as far as themes and style.
- 3). Read carefully to learn the differences between comic-book films and comic books. A true comic-book nerd can pick out all of the inconsistencies from a movie based on a comic book.
- 4). Pay attention to names. Besides merely knowing the characters, knowing who created them will help brand you as a comic-book nerd. Study who writes what titles, or who wrote the best run of any given series. The same goes for artists as well. If you can’t name-drop Frank Miller, Alan Moore, John Romita Jr., Jack Kirby or Joe Madureira, you haven’t been doing your homework.
- 5). Befriend comic-book nerds. If who you hang around with says a lot about you as a person, wouldn’t it make sense that hanging out with comic-book nerds would give the impression that you are one, too? Beyond appearance, though, befriending comic-book nerds will help you pick up the nerd jargon even faster.
- 6). Use the available resources to attain an encyclopedic knowledge of the characters. There are online (and offline) guides to both universes that can give you a basic rundown of every character in each. Knowing how many men have been The Flash, or how many characters have ever been a part of the X-men, is crucial for becoming a true comic-book nerd.
- 7). Read old storylines. To be a comic-book nerd, it’s not good enough to only know recently depicted events. Pick up graphic novels of golden age runs or “best-of” character collections.
- 8). Read the indies. Marvel and DC are not the only comic-book monsters around. Image, Dark horse and Vertigo are other big studios that should be on your radar. These companies produce titles such as "Spawn," "Sin City" and "Hellboy," as well as numerous influential non-superhero titles.
- 9). Properly store your comics. No true comic-book nerd leaves his comic books lying around. Stock up on backing boards, plastic bags and comic-book boxes to protect and preserve your books. Even if not all of your comics become worth something someday, true nerds protect their books to keep them in top shape for future reading.
- 10
Be a comic-shop regular. Know where your local comic book shops are. Either have them keep your regular titles on hold or visit them weekly to pick up the new books (they come out on Wednesday). - 11
Get the comic books, not the graphic novels. Having the actual issues that eventually are compiled into graphic novels is a quick way to earn some comic-book nerd credibility. - 12
Idolize Stan Lee. Most of the Marvel Universe came from his brain. Excelsior!
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