When I first started writing about comic books on the internet in the 1990s, there weren't a lot of places to read about comics. In fact, the liveliest source of comics discussion at that time wasn't even the world wide web, it was on Usenet, a now-mostly abandoned part of the internet (at least for the purpose of discussing comics) that required a good degree more technical expertise to access than the web's point and click useability.

Over the past decade-plus, though, thousands of places have sprung up online where they talk about comics news and information. From news sites to message boards and blogs, it's hard to believe there's many comics fans that haven't weighed in at one time or another, and many have gone on to become quite well known.

Truly great writing about comics is a good bit more rare, however. In my earliest years, flush with the excitement of a new communications medium, I took part in pretty much every message board I could find. I tried to read every comics blog as the "blogosphere" exploded with comics commentators in the early part of this decade (my own debuting in June of 2002, a fairly early adopter although not at all the first).

Anyone dipping their toes into the "comics internet" at this late date is going to be blown away by the sheer number of places to read about the artform and industry of comics. Google lists 13,700,000 webpages under the search term "comic books," and I'm only slightly hurt that I don't appear until page 3 of the results.

So, if you're just now beginning to learn about comics and all the wonders the artform contains, here are a few of what I think are some of the very best online resources you can find.

The Comics Reporter is where Tom Spurgeon blogs every single day. Weekdays feature a roundup of "quick hits" that point to interesting articles he has found, as well as longer individual articles and commentary. He frequently posts some of the best interviews being done about comics, and on Fridays his "Five for Friday" allows readers to participate in creating fun and often offbeat comics-related lists of five.   

Comics Worth Reading is run and mostly written by Johanna Drapewr Carlson, one of the longest-running and very best writers about comics online. Johanna and friends often cover types of comics other sites ignore, such as Manga and Archie Comics, and the reviews you'll find on this site are essential in developing a good sense of what is out there that's worth your attention. Additionally, Johanna is a strong advocate for diversity in the comics industry, a position I heartily support and encourage as well.

Journalista is written weekdays by Dirk Deppey, former Managing Editor and current webmaster for The Comics Journal. The Journal (I should note, I am a contributing writer for the magazine) is the magazine of record for the comic book industry and artform, and Dirk's ability to find the stories worth covering is second to none. You don't know what's going on in comics on any given day until you've seen what Dirk has posted. He can be snarky and does not suffer fools gladly, which is why I love him.

Speaking of snarky, comics212 is Toronto comics retailer/advocate Christopher Butcher's sometimes-angry, sometimes-loving and always brilliant blog about comics. He works at The Beguiling, which is the best comic book store I have ever set foot in, and the store's ability to draw a widely diverse reader base informs Butcher's pointed and always-on-target commentary. The primary focus is on Manga and artcomix, and although he doesn't post every day, Butcher is always worth waiting for.

Chris Allen is another brilliant writer who doesn't post every day but is always worth reading. He blogs about much more than comics, including his personal life, quick restaurant reviews and more, and it's always funny and compelling stuff. Full disclosure: Chris was one of the founding writers of Comic Book Galaxy when I launched it back in 2000, and remains a close friend. But if I didn't know him at all, I would still be hanging on his every word.

Another great resource is Jog the Blog. Jog is one of the most straightforward and consistent comics reviewers around, and his writing often dazzles me with its insights and cleverness. If he tells you it's good, chances are you're gonna like whatever book he happens to have under the microscope.

Finally, let me recommend Bloglines as a great way to find and organize your reading about comics (and any other topic). When you find a site you like, grab its RSS feed and enter it into Bloglines, and it lets you know whenever there's an update. It took me a long time to find a feedreader that meets all my needs, and Bloglines does just that. I'd be lost without it.

I hope you'll visit some of these sites and see what great writing about comics is waiting out there for you.

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