Ask Slashdot: Which Comic Books To Start My 3-Year-Old With? 372
JeepFanatic writes "I've never been one to read comic books, but I've always enjoyed superheroes. My 3-year-old son is really into superheroes (especially Spider-man) and I thought it would be a fun thing to do together to start reading comics to him. Any suggestions on comics that would be more appropriate to start him out with?"
Hmm. (Score:5, Insightful)
My 3 yr old son is really into superheros (especially Spider-man)
Well then how about Spider Man?
Re:Tandy Computer Whiz Kids (Score:5, Insightful)
Classic Fritz the Cat, and maybe some of the S. Clay Wilson stuff with motorcycles.
OK. Wait until he's 7.
Seriously? Read real books with him. The comics will come on his own, without encouragement.
How bout something with puppies (Score:4, Insightful)
Kids that age don't need superheros running around biff bam zonking bad guys.
Why not try Dora the Explorer or something.
None. (Score:5, Insightful)
Modern superhero comics are pretty much uniformly targeted at teen-to-adult age groups. In the quest to become more "edgy", the storylines are more violent and disturbing than ever before. This is not intended as a criticism... I likes me some edgy comics, and when I was college-aged supplemented my income doing lettering work on comic books... but don't be under any sort of illusion about the content the big labels are releasing. It's just not good material for someone as young as your son.
Most kid's TV is also either completely inane/stupid/mind-rotting, or inappropriate for 3-year-olds. There are a few shows out there which are just fine for young kids and which have a goodly bit of intelligence, worthwhile stories, and a meaningful positive "message", but I will leave it as an exercise to the reader to discover them. (Hint: one of them is a huge Internet sensation right about now.)
Let him be 3. (Score:4, Insightful)
He's 3. Don't try to turn him into you. Superhero comics aren't for 3-year-olds. Give him age-appropriate stuff.
Re:Hmm. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Donald Duck & Uncle Scrooge (Score:5, Insightful)
Scrooge as a hero has a bit of a Spider-man quality to him. Spider-man doesn't want to be a hero and it is a failure on his part that makes him recognize his responsibility. Similarly, but with differences, it is not unusual for Scrooge to initially do the wrong thing in his quest for profit and then realize he has crossed a line and step back. When this happens he steps back willingly but usually not happily. This is an important lesson often left out of superhero comics books - doing the right thing isn't always easy - not because you have to fight others but because you have to go against your own wants.
Another great lesson that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else is the idea of doing the right thing when no one else knows. Read "Back to the Klondike" if you can find it. I can think of one or two other stories where this lesson is explored (the movie "Hero" with Dustin Hoffman in 1992), but none do it with as much class.
But do be careful which Scrooge McDuck comics you get. Some other authors have treated him badly and he isn't always the respectable character that Barks wrote.
Re:When, oh, when ... (Score:3, Insightful)
Every morning in every newspaper. Every month in every issue of New Yorker and Playboy. Every time someone posts an XKCD link.