Some of the first popular comics were about crimes and suspense; meanwhile, the hero comics like Batman and Superman were not as popular yet. Along with the crime and suspense comics, there were also horror comics of zombies, vampires and even werewolves. Some of these comics were “The Vault of horror”, “Weird Fantasy”, and “Tales from the Crypt” which had been popular.

“People didn’t recognize them as being particularly valuable,” Rebecca Baumann a librarian at Lilly Library said.

Though the beginning of the superhero comics was rough at first it gradually began to take people’s interest. During WWII, many people had connections with those serving in the war had sent them superhero comics. After the war, many of whom served came back with an interest in this type of reading material  and wanted more. This sparked a revolution of the popularity of comic books.

These comics have not only changed the role of women but also the idea of individual superhero trilogy movies to superheroes uniting together to defeat villains, or even superheroes going against each other like “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of justice” which is to release March 2016.

In addition, the comics have also been able to gain more audience not only for the story but also for the action and plot twists that are given by the movies. These new stories gain more attention of the audience which help the profit of the comic book companies. Other events which helped the percentage of comics to sell quickly is the introduction of the new women superheroes because they were not often seen before as the heroes.

However, these comics have not only connected with the audience but to the creators according to Matt Traughber owner Vintage Phoenix Comic Books. He said, “Characters are created by people who are really engaged in what they are doing.”

Comics have also changed because most of them are now graphic novels.These are different because they are not the typical short stories that many would often read. They have become popular because these novels keep many of the fans anticipated of these stories. When

“Comic books are a type of art and storytelling that appeals to a much broader audience than just lots of words on a page that can always be daunting,” Baumann said.

Therefore, these comics have had a great influence on many fans because of the passion they have developed for them.

By: Natalie Torres & Katie Nussear