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Everyone knows that comics are for kids; full of simplistic storylines and muscle-bound superheroes. Except that they're not. At least, not always. Matthew Badham takes a look at the world of comics buyers and comics shops.

Comics, like any medium, can be good or bad, high brow or trashy. The problem with comics is, if you're not an expert, it can be pretty daunting trying to sift through all the bad stuff out there. Luckily, you don't have to. Instead you can use our short guide to point you in the right direction.

The Comics 'Explosion'

During the late 1980s, comics experienced a renaissance. Suddenly, on the back of movie blockbusters like the Batman films, comics were everywhere. For a while, it seemed impossible to open a Sunday supplement without finding an interview with some hip young comic writer nestling in the centre pages. Even the Sunday Times, that bastion of conservatism, found itself devoting a double page spread to Frank Miller's seminal The Dark Knight Returns, a deliciously dark take on the Batman franchise.

Not only that, but comics were also growing up. Art Spiegalman's Maus is just one example, an epic work that used the comic book to explore the horror of his father's experiences in Auschwitz. Maus is by no means easy reading, but this harrowing piece drew accolades from both The Washington Post and the New York Times, as well as winning the 1992 Pulitzer Prize. More than that, Maus was proof positive that comics were finally able to take their place alongside cinema and literature as a serious art form.

The Bubble Bursts

So what went wrong? If comics grew up and broke into the mainstream in the late 1980s, then why don't you see adults reading them on the way to work every morning? Two reasons really, the industry in general and comic shops in particular.

Most comic companies seem desperately afraid of losing their core audience, an audience that is mostly white and mostly male. Unsurprisingly, this demographic abhors change and is more than happy to spend week after week reading about men in tights hitting each other. Put simply, they've got the industry running scared.

But it isn't just comic fans that are to blame for the dearth of new readers. Comic shops can be very intimidating places for the uninitiated and have a language and culture all of their own. As a consequence, most people find their interest in comics stifled at an early stage. Either they get sick of wasting their money on sub-standard material or they find themselves alienated by cliquey comic fans.

Why Comics?

Why bother then, if most comics are awful and the fans are just as bad? The answer's simple really; when comics realise their full potential it's one of the most vibrant meda around, combining the visual excitement of cinema with the intimacy of the written word. Oh yes, and they're fun too.

Below is a list of ten comics to get you started. Each was picked as a comic for people who don't usually read comics. Oh, and if you're worried about going into one of those cliquey comic shops, don't be; most high street book shops now have their own comics section and will probably be glad to help.

Ghost World - Experience the growing pains of Enid and Rebecca as they try to make sense of a senseless world. A comic about girls that boys should read too.

The Dark Knight Returns - This is Batman as he was meant to be; dark, creepy and out of out of control.

Sin City - Written and drawn by Frank Miller, the man responsible for the Dark Knight Returns, Sin City is a crime comic that explores the seedy underbelly of human nature. If you're a fan of the Dirty Harry films and crime fiction then this comic is a must. Not for the faint hearted.

V For Vendetta - In near future Britain, a masked terrorist code-named V works to destabilise a fascist regime. Cracking stuff and essential reading for all conspiracy theorists.

Watchmen - Alan Moore, the undisputed master of British comics writing, explores what the world would really be like if superheroes existed.

Maus - Art Spiegalman's account of his father's experiences in Auschwitz, as told to him by said father. Should be on the school syllabus.

The Sandman - Magical Realism of the highest calibre. Neil Gaiman weaves together myths taken from all corners of the globe to tell a story that's insightful, witty and often beautiful.

The Invisibles - If you dig writers like Philip K. Dick and William Burroughs then you'll love The Invisibles. If you don't then you'll hate it. Simple really.

Kane - Written and drawn by Paul Grist, Kane transports us to a fictitious American city called New Eden. Here we meet Kane, an insecure police detective who uses his mind far more often than his gun.

The Books of Magic - If you like Harry Potter then you'll like this. Be warned, however, that Books of Magic is not a children's comic.

Article by Matthew Badham, reproduced with permission.

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