How long does it take for you to read a comic book these days? A friend of mine once kept track of how long the average issue took, and it came out to about five minutes for the usual 22-page story.
A BUSIER LIFESTYLE TODAY
For many of us, our busy day starts from the moment our feet hit the floor after we wake up! And it keeps going until we close our eyes to go to sleep at the end of the day.
Between our jobs, our friends, our families, and our hobbies (not to mention the time it takes to get various places), much of our days are spent either going someplace else or doing something once we get there.
And then there is multi-tasking, trying to do as many things at one time as possible. “I know I can get more done, I just have to try harder!” is our clarion cry! Each day, we cram as much in as much as we can! I find myself reading while filling up the duck’s swimming pool even!
Of course, to comics fans like us, reading our books is one of the few pleasures we allow ourselves each week or so. We have to block off time to get caught up with this week’s “stash,” as people call it. And I don’t want to race through the books—I want to savor each one, so I try to give each issue the time I need to dive in and understand the stories these creators are telling! I don’t just bag and board comics only to seal them and store them in long boxes—I want to actually READ each one so I know how good they actually are! I know wayyy too many collectors who have never cracked open a single comic to give it a read. Hey, as far as they know, there could be nothing but blank pages in their comics!
I’m reminded of Frank Miller’s description of when he read a Batman comic. “I fell in,” he said. And that was my initial experience as well. Batman was in England, and he was guarding a castle. He attached glider wings to his back so he could fly over the building to protect it.
As I was reading that story, I felt like I was there with him, and if I wasn’t gliding around that location, I was at least nearby watching! I was hooked! And I have never looked back.
Today, of course, I hope for at least a similar experience. I want to forget where I am for a while, lost in the tale I’m experiencing second-hand. I want the storytellers to transport me into their imaginations, to help me go through what they want me to enjoy.
IT VARIES, THOUGH
Of course, there are several factors involved in reading a comic story. Am I being distracted by the world around me? Was the printing done properly so I can understand what I’m reading? Was the editing and proofreading done well so I am not crashing and burning every page or so?
Also, how many pages are included in the story? For example, is it a trade paperback or a single issue? More pages take more time, after all!
I want to spend the appropriate amount of time reading so I will be able to remember what I just read, or at least enough of it to pick up where I left off.
All-ages comics often have more artwork than words, so they often take less time. Of course, your mileage may vary, as the people in the auto industry say!
Does the tale end in a satisfying way? Do I care about the characters enough to want to keep reading the next issue or more of the trade?
HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?
Of course, I swear that some writers get paid by the individual word, and I get that from the big gray blobs of text I see when I turn some of the pages some scribes pass on to their poor artists!
With certain creators, I have learned to simply skip those big blobs, hoping that some upcoming action sequence will explain what I just missed. That doesn’t always work, and I have gone back and read certain issues over again just to make sure I know all I need to know to get the most out of the story. Sadly, though, sometimes I just am not engaged enough to care, which I sometimes really regret later. Not always, though.
Also, sometimes writers seem intent on not only torturing their characters on the page, but many of us readers. Keep the story moving, okay?
My friends assure me that the five-minute estimate still applies, although not when reading annuals and trades and such. And I like both shorter and longer tales—particularly when the storytelling has me gripped “by the short and curlies,” as my brother used to say.
Now, I know some people who, when they make a schedule for the day, they follow it to the minute! I’m grateful that I’m not that structured, which allows me some time to really enjoy my reading! I have even read a comic twice in one sitting, if needed, especially if I didn’t quite “get it” the first time through.
So, dare I say it—enjoy yourself when reading your comics! Give yourself some extra time to please yourself when it comes to reading good stories. After all, you now actually own that comic, so it most likely will be there for you if you want to dive in again later! Unless your parents are cleaning out your room and throw out your “loved ones”—not your family, your comic books, as Keith Giffen once joked!
About Author
