This might seem like a simple enough question, but it is one that we have been asked.

Comic books are released weekly around the world. Each week there are new releases and these are placed on the shelves for customers to pick up at their local comic book store. For those customers who pre-order their books, each issue on their pull list is put aside to be collected when they come into our store or sent out so they can receive their order as soon as possible. Pre-Ordering is also a good way of ensuring a copy as many issues are gone in the first week.

So what are back issues? Every issue that has come out a previous week is considered a back issue. Simple enough, except everything that has not been published for release THIS coming THURSDAY is now a back issue. Printed in the 1960’s = back issue, printed in the 1990’s = back issue, printed 2015 = back issue, printed October 2017 = back issue. Make sense?

New comic books are considered new releases for one week and then they get filed within the back issues section of the store. There is an entire industry based on the collection, preservation, and sale of back issues. This is because single issues are printed once. They are printed to meet the demands of pre-orders and comic store orders + a little extra. Then that is it, they are no longer in print. If a book is wildly popular the issue may be solicited for a second (and sometimes even a third) printing. However the true value of an issue is in the first print. Sometimes a book doesn’t become popular until 6-12 months after the first issue is released. If you want to go back and collect the issues from #01 it can be difficult to find a first issue, and if you can find it, it can be marked up significantly because it has become so popular. The best way to avoid this is to stay on top of comic news including events, solicitations, read the preview catalogues (available on our store here), and talk to people in the comic community. This will keep you up-to-date on events, new storylines, when great writers and artists are teaming up for new creations.

Have any other questions you would like answered? Send it to us here: contact@incognitocomics.com.au or message us on Facebook @incognitocomics.