□nday • February 2, 1998 The Battalion JBkGGi p i 1 P ■ ■■■■ Hffii ■ ■ (»- —" ■' —~ " " "—“SSLjy | udents immerse themselves in a world of adventure within pages Jrcomic books By Travis Irby Staff writer "y omic books provide college students with an affordable and accessible method of es- ^ Caping from the sometimes mundane col- ■ existence. ans of funny books will be the first to point today’s comic books are more than a bunch of i in tights. Dsefina Morales, who co-owns Lytle’s Comics Games with David Lytle, said comic books v on a wide range of fans and genres. We have kids, students and even professors QUATRO OAKLEYAhe Battalion come in,” Morales said. “And they’ll go for super hero books, realistic books, fantasy books or some other type (of book).” Morales, who was raised in Chile, said comics books are viewed differently in the U.S. than they are in South America. “In Chile, they are a very disposable form of entertainment,” Morales said. “We read them until they fall apart.” Morales said she was shocked when she saw how the books were treated in the states. “I was like, ‘what are you doing,’ when I saw the comics books in plastic bags,” Morales said. She is now used to bag ging comics after working in the store. Morales said many college students are involved in collect- ing comics. “I’d say about half the customers are college students,” Morales said. John Willis, a junior busi ness major, unlike many collec tors, only recently started collecting. “A lot of people started when they were kids,” Willis said. “While I read some books, I really didn’t start collecting and following certain titles until I came to college.” Willis said he prefers the traditional super hero books. “Some people are kind of down on super hero books, preferring realistic-type comic books,” Willis said. “Super hero books are fun; right now I’m into the likes of JLA, Flash and Captain America.” While there is a cornucopia of comic book types and the fans who follow them, when it comes to what makes a comic book good, some think it is an issue of write and wrong. Robert Colon, an avid reader for 15 years, said if, the story is not strong, his interest won’t be, either. “I really follow writers,” Colon said. “I mean there are some incredibly good writers in comics today.” Morales, however, is into the look of the book. “I’m more attracted to a book because of its art,” Morales said. Christie Cooper, a junior chemical engineering major, said comics provide the best of both worlds. “I am really into the mixture of art and writing,” Cooper said. “In comics, I enjoy artists and writ ers I can’t see anywhere else.” Comic books often have been seen as a male-dominated and driven market. Morales said she believes there is some truth to such thinking, but things are changing. “One of the things I think is great is more women are getting into comics these days,” Morales said. “We have a wide age range of women getting into comics.” Cooper said she has noticed the gender differ ences in comic readers, but it does not bother her. “There will be times when I’m with a group of people and we start talking about books and then I’ll look around and I’ll be the only girl,” Cooper said. One of the defining characteristics of the com ic book market is its readiness to follow trends.