^{Originally posted on BabyCenter.com March 1, 2013}

I’m not going to lie: part of the reason I was excited for the chance to read to my son was because I wanted a chance to share my favorite comics.

Talking about comics with adults is usually an exercise in futility. There are those adults who are way more into comics than I am, and conversations with them usually turn into gripe-fests about how the most recent issue of the Hulk failed to note the title character’s ability to adapt to underwater conditions, which was clearly indicated in The Incredible Hulk, volume 3, issue #77. Other adults tend to give me a wide-eyed stare when I mention that I read comics and start to back away slowly lest I bombard them with the minutiae about the different types of kryptonite introduced in Superman mythos (incidentally, there are 18, and this year marks the 70^th anniversary of kryptonite’s introduction in comics). If I want to geek out about comics without getting too nitpicky about the details or having somebody call security on me, then kids are the way to go. And that means that I need to get my son up to speed.

As with any media, though, you need to consider carefully what comics you introduce your child to. Just as you wouldn’t want your two-year old watching an R-rated movie, you don’t want to introduce your child to something like Watchmen. Through trial and error, I have come up with a few guidelines when it comes to picking comics for kids.

1) Bright colors. Especially for younger children, pages with bright colors that stand out well are very attractive to the eye. I started my son by reading Fantastic Firsts, which is a reprint collecting the origin stories of many Marvel superheroes. The bright colors got him to enjoy the art and point out the different things in the pictures while I read the narration.

2) Wonderment, not violence. One problem with superhero comics is that they tend to be a violent medium, with many heroes punching a problem until it goes away. By looking over an issue before you read it out loud, you can figure out whether the message it sends is one your want your child to hear. For example, an issue where Superman saves the Earth from an asteroid is better than one where he trades punches with the bad guy of the week. One of my favorite characters is the Green Lantern, who is usually pretty good in this regard because his magic ring allows him a lot of creative ways around a problem instead of just making a fist.

3) Fun first. Why do people read comic books? Because they are fun. There are a lot of modern deconstructions of comics that delve into serious stuff, and those are great. But when it comes to kids, especially young kids, you want to impart a sense of fun and wonder first. Again, old comics are great for this because the situations are so truly ridiculous in them. They are also very melodramatic, which is great if you like doing voices for the different characters.

Don’t have a comic collection of your own but want to get your child interested in sequential art? There are a few good starting points that are specifically aimed toward kids:

Bone: This is a long-running and popular series about a “bone boy” aptly named Bone who finds himself cast out of his homeland. There’s a lot of good humor and fun situations for kids. You can start out by reading them to your child, then letting him take over once he learns how to read.

Marvel Adventures: As I said, superhero comics can be problematic because of the violence in them. Marvel Adventures is a line targeted specifically toward younger readers that is equal parts exciting adventure and light-hearted humor. As an adult, I fell in love with these comics not only because they’re great to read to my son, but also because they remind me of how fun comics can really be.

Owly: Penned by artist Andy Runton, this is a comic that doesn’t have any dialogue in it at all. Instead, it uses Runton’s very expressive art to convey fun scenarios involving the titular character Owly and his friend Wormy. It’s probably best suited for children who are able to talk, because then you can ask your child what’s happening in the stories. You’ll be very surprised at some of the things he can come up with.

As long as you’re careful with how you introduce them, comics are a great medium to introduce kids to. The art can fascinate them, the words will improve their language skills, and the sheer fun of them will introduce them to a whole new world of entertainment.

_{Featured Image: Sarah Brooks}