Comic book

What Is a Comic Book?

A comic book is a magazine made of comics art. Its panels show scenes one after another, and the characters' words usually appear in word balloons. Comic books are fun to read and full of pictures.

Where Comic Books Began

Long ago, a British comic called Comic Cuts was published from 1890 to 1953. Before that, Ally Sloper's Half Holiday used a series of cartoons to tell a story. The magazine Punch was the first to use the word "cartoon" for a funny drawing. In 1933, the first modern comic book in the United States, Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics, came out. It shared old comic strips from newspapers.

Comics Around the World

Japan has a very big comic book market. Comic books from Japan are called manga, and many of them are also graphic novels. In Korea, comics are called Manhwa. In France and Belgium, comics are often called BDs, which means "drawn strips."

Famous Comic Book Heroes

Some of the most famous comic book heroes are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the X-Men. These heroes appear in superhero comics from big companies like DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Many people, both young and old, still enjoy reading them today.