As a kid back in the late 80's and 90's, I was a big fan of comics, such as X-men, Spiderman and Superman. But like most kids I knew, following the comics religiously was difficult due to cost and the complicated way the stories unfolded/restarted in multiple comics. In college I got into manga and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of stories, characters and access. From DBZ to Naruto to Sanctuary to Berzerk to Full metal Alchemist to Vagabond, mangas have been easily accessible and kept me continually interested. (currently following Claymore, Naruto and The Breakers) Despite needing to be translated, the vast majority of Mangas are readily available for free online on countless fan sites. Aside from Civil War, World War/Planet Hulk and The Walking Dead (all of which needed to be downloaded or bought to be read) I havent followed American comics. Obviously I'm a bigger fan of manga, what is your preference and what are some titles you're reading?
Can always give Berserk and Vagabound a try. There are also plenty of interesting one shots (like Hotel by whatshisfaceiforgot) Basically look for stuff under the seinen category, as opposed to shounen which includes things like bleach, wan piss, naruto etc
Rereading the bronze age of comics is one of the main reasons I want to get a tablet. But if it weren't for nostalgia, it'd be hard to choose.
10 years ago, I would have said comics. Now, I will definitely have to go with manga. I just think the storylines (in my opinion) are just more interesting and (most of the time) multi-layered and complex compared to comics. In manga, you can't automatically say there will be a happy ending, in which a lot of comics you expect. Also, you actually see an end in sight for manga, which you dont see for a lot of comics who every few years just reboot and recycle old storylines.
Scanlations are only legal because there's a delay in licensing. If there wasn't, they wouldn't be free. That said, comic collections are also available online.
