by Moe Zilla

Created on: January 31, 2009

Comic books were originally sold to children - but now their most loyal readers are adult collectors, who want to keep the fun alive. (Plus, adult readers have a much more reliable income). As the industry struggles to stay alive, it's led to some funny contradictions. Here's some of the strange conundrums that are hanging over the comic book industry today.

* There's not enough space. Fans want to see more alternative titles, and the shops want to stock them. But the biggest cost for a comic book store is its rent - and more shelf space would require a higher rent. So most comic shops settle for a long, narrow room - using with a table filled with their valuable back issues packed tightly into boxes. (Ironically, this also makes it nearly impossible to browse the insides of the back issues - because they're all tightly sealed in protective plastic bags!)

* Most comic book stores earn their money from many things besides comic books. There's trading cards, action figures, posters, and paperbacks. Since there's a surprisingly low margin on comic book sales - and with audiences dwindling - the stores need to make up the difference!

* Collectors sometimes do buy a book for its cover. "Variant" covers for the same edition often lure collectors into buying more than one copy of the same issue. It's an obvious way to double sales for special editions, like Frank Miller's "Batman and Robin" books or the special commemorative edition of Amazing Spider-Man #583 with a cameo appearance by Barack Obama.

* Fans complain about gimmicks like the "crossover" stories that weave from one comic book to another . But Marvel's "Civil War" crossover was one of the most popular in comic book history, selling nearly 300,000 copies of its main title and doubling the sales of many of its titles. Fans may complain about crossovers, but when they're well done - like D.C.'s "Salvation Run" - they're both entertaining and popular!

* The ultimate contradiction is that while comic books struggle in a crushing free market, they remain a great American art form. Artists like Frank Miller and John Byrne have dedicated their lives to producing great artwork (and great stories) for the characters. And Batman was created by artist Bob Kane, who at the age of 83 died in New York City (the original Gotham). But Batman lives on, patrolling the city and aiding the Justice League.

Perhaps that's the ultimate conundrum. As the decades go by, the characters may outlive their audience - and sometimes even their authors!

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