Ryan Adams: How To … Start a Comic Book Collection

1. Get Inspired
“Browse a store and see what artist or stories inspire you or what heroes appeal to you. My biggest connection is with Batman: He's a dark dude; he has women trouble; he may or may not have been a drunk. I can identify with those things.”

2. Get a Subscription
“See what's working for you, then get a subscription. Decide whether you're going to get copies to read or you're going to be collecting to finish a series. Only very popular series get to the point where back issues are extraordinarily expensive.”

3. Get to a Sale
“Most flea markets, yard sales and antiques dealers usually have a stack of comics that have been thumbed through only once or twice. You never know, you might find a jewel like Batman No. 68, and go, ‘Oh my god, I'm going to buy a mansion!’”

4. Get Protection
“Buy plastic sleeves to protect the books from dust, spills and tearing, and cardboard backs to protect their spines. And get storage boxes. Once you have enough comics to fill a box, you know you're in — the infestation has taken hold.”