How can you keep up with comic books?
How can you keep up with comic books?
There are so many new comic books out every week! How do you keep up with comics? With publishers like DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Source Point Press and more putting out new titles, covers, and one shots constantly, how does one attempt to keep up with the ever-changing comic book world? Well, there are a few things you can do that are super easy. So if you are wondering how you are going to keep up with comic books, Black Cape Comics, Your Friendly Local Comic Shop, is here to help you figure that out with some different options!
- First, ask about a Pull Box!
How do you keep up with comics? Go online or in store to your favorite comic book shop and ask how to start a comic book Pull box. A comic book Pull Box, or comic book Pull List is an easy way to subscribe to whatever titles and covers you want on a regular basis. Signing up for a comic book pull box through a comic bookstore will ensure you will always get the comic book titles you enjoy reading and collecting.
With most comic book shops, you can choose from any publisher (there are so many! We will list some publishers and their titles below), and even pick what cover option you would like (one comic book can have many different covers, and still have the same content inside!). Black Cape Comics has pull boxes available online and in-store. If you're local, you can go into the comic book shop and pick them up whenever works best for you. If you live a bit farther away or do not have the time to come in regularly, you can have your books shipped to you bi-weekly or monthly! Black Cape Comics will get your comic books to you however works best for you!
Your comic book subscription list can be managed easily online through PREVIEWSworld. This goes for both online and in-store comic book pull boxes. If you are a DC Comics fan, you might need to reach out to your local comic book shop and see if they are able to put DC books on your pull list. As of this month all DC Comics book titles are being sold through a different distributor and will not be available through the PREVIEWSworld pull box manager. Black Cape Comics can order DC and any other publisher. They also guarantee that you'll always get your books if you subscribe to their comic book pull box. Plus, all subscribers get a discount! You can find out more at blackcapecomics.com or through the BCC Newsletter subscription, which will keep you up to date on store news and lots of special discounts!
- Don't want to commit to a pull box?
How can you keep up with comics, and not do a pull box? We know a pull box is not the perfect fit for every comic book fan. Black Cape Comics offers other ways to keep up with new comic books, like pre-ordering your comics! You can pre-order comics online and in-store. Why pre-order comic books? Pre-ordering comics is a good way to get a certain cover, ratio comics, or a hot book without having to commit to the full run. Keep in mind that if you want both full runs and single books, you can still add single books or covers through Black Cape Comics pull boxes. You have lots of comic book buying options! Black Cape Comics online comic book shop offers pre-orders on all comics up until the FOC cutoff date. Once pre-ordered, you don't have to worry about missing out on a hot comic!
- What is FOC?
FOC stands for Final Order Cutoff. All comic book titles have an FOC that is usually listed online where you buy your comics or can be found on PREVIEWSworld. Comic book orders have a cut off/order by date so publishers have a general number for how many of each title they need to print. This means that publishers do not print very many extra covers. Having a pull box or pre-ordering comics is the best way to keep up with your comic books. Due to limited print runs of comic book titles and covers, if you miss the final order cut-off date for a title, there’s a chance that you might miss out! Most stores have limited extras of new release comics and might not be able to re-order them (at least re-order first prints). If you want to keep up with comic book runs, make sure to keep an eye out for FOC dates!
- Stay up-to-date with comic book news!
Another good way to keep up with new story runs and new comic book covers is to follow someone who will highlight books and dates. There are a couple of reliable places to get comic book updates on a regular basis; one of our favorites is Simpleman's Comics! Simpleman’s Comics is a comic book-based YouTube channel. They make videos for comic book updates where they cover new FOC covers, hot comics, and cool covers you might have missed! You can find their channel right here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQiE3gotzdWZY7TYYNKtBw !
Want to keep up with new comic book titles, or maybe try some new comic books?
Try something new! As mentioned earlier, there are so many comic publishers! While Marvel Comics and DC Comics might be the most well-known comic book publishers, there are many others to try. Indie comics are some of our favorites (if you have not checked out all of our Black Cape Comics exclusives - which are all for indie comics - you should!). Here are a few of our favorite indie publishers that you should check out, if you haven't already!
Image Comics - has lots of top sellers and offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more!
Dark Horse Comics - has published some easily recognizable titles like Alien, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Conan, and Star Wars.
BOOM! Studios - has produced award-winning original comic book titles like The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Giant Days, The Lumber Janes, Mouse Guard and The Woods!