I have shopped at a lot of comic book stores since the 1970s, and stores that carry mainly the latest corporate superhero comics with a heavy emphasis on back issues are not what I am looking for in a comic book store.

There has been a huge explosion of diversity in the comics artform over the past decade, but the majority of comic book stores don't seem to have jumped on the bandwagon. Comics are now available for people of every gender, age and interest, and if you find a comic book store that wants to serve that wider audience, you've got a good thing, indeed.

I do a lot of browsing of comic book stores in the company of my wife and children. That's four people in a given comic shop when we visit, and a savvy retailer should by definition want to generate interest in his wares from everyone that comes through the door. This is achieved in the better shops by having a good and vital selection of Manga (Japanese comics), as well as collections of quality newspaper strips like The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts. Artcomix like Love and Rockets, Eightball, ACME Novelty Library and others also guarantee that adults will find something worthwhile when they visit. I believe the very best shops want to sell comics to everybody they can get through their doors, but having a diverse stock of titles and genres is only part of the equation.

So, if you're interested in good comics for a wide variety of readers and interests, what kind of comic book store should you seek out?

Too many shops are run by former fans who have never bothered to learn how to be professional businessmen. These comic have profound problems that discourage a wider audience from visiting regularly. The stores might not be cleaned regularly, may be understaffed, or may not be open at the posted times. These stores are not professional businesses, they are hobbies for the people that own them. Ultimately they do a disservice to the artform and industry of comics, and most certainly to the people in the community they claim to serve.

If you're truly interested in comics as an artform, in exploring the wealth of stories that can be told within the medium, you should demand a welcoming, professional retail environment designed for a wide range of potential customers. The store you spend your money at should be clean, well-lit, and  well-organized. They should open on time, operate their business in accordance with local, state and federal laws, including labor and employment laws. They should actively welcome all people interested in buying some kind of comics, and recognize the current and ongoing transition from periodical pamphlet comics to the more appealing and enduring graphic novel format. Recent history has shown that the vast majority of readers wants comics with a spine and a complete story.

If the place you buy your comics at meets most or all of these criteria, be happy that you are supporting a professional comic shop that represents the best possible future for comics retailing.

If the place you buy your comics at fails to meet most (or all) of these criteria, you should probably start looking for a better shop. Not to punish your current shop, but because their days are very likely numbered as comic book readers become more sophisticated and picky about their retail experience.

And most importantly, you should seek out the great comic shops because otherwise you are probably missing out on a great many comics you would enjoy but have never seen. There's whole galaxy of worlds to be explored in the comics artform, and comic book stores that seek out the widest audience and the most diverse reading material will be your gateway to new experiences, new voices and new stories in comics. The great news is, some of them are out there right now, pushing comics forward every day. You can find comic book stores near you at the Diamond Comic Shop Locator.

Please vote with your dollars. Please support the shops that work hard to present the best face for the artform we love, and who try their best to sell comics to everyone that wants to buy them, whatever country they originated in, and whatever format they are presented in. If your dealer presents a sloppy retail environment, or demonstrates unprofessional business practices, or worse, both, then find a better shop. They're out there; they already exist right now. Some are better than others, but if you are buying from a dead-end retailer, you already know there's a problem. I've just been trying to help you put into words what the problem is, and suggest some solutions. I'm not trying to ban superhero comics, I'm just lobbying for a world in which superhero comics don't continue to alienate readers of other comics, who already exist, and who want to buy more comics -- from anyone who wants to sell them to them, in a welcoming and professional manner.

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Have a question for Alan about comic books? Send him email at alandaviddoane AT gmail.com and he will answer it in a future post.