I succeeded in convicing the library where I work, the purchasing agent, to order enough SHOWCASE and ESSENTIALS that she could manage to get the library "discount" for. Each branch of the system, four libraries, received a handful of each, GREEN LANTERN, SUPERMAN, SUPERMAN FAMILY, FF, SPIDER-MAN, CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN, Kirby X-MEN, others...

The libraries can't keep them on the shelves. They are in constant circulation. I figured, "That's right. There's your goddamn 'audiences are too sophisticated today'. The kids love this stuff. It's timeless."

When I pointed this out to a friend, my age (36), who is also a huge comic book devotee, he said, "Yeah, well. It's probably not kids. It's old balding guys like us geeking out over these things."

So, what's your verdict? Is it the kids? Is it guys my age passing these stories down to their kids? Or is it just men who remember comics and are revisiting?

I see the S/Es on return carts, and I'm not certain who is checking them out, as I don't work in the circulation department. I'm a grunt.

They are designated "YA" for Young Adult, and I really don't have a problem with that. YA includes any kid whose reading level is above what's termed "Juvenile", and in the case of S/Es, the target audience should probably be those young teens who read YA stuff. If that's the case, then there's some kids around 10-16 or so digging on stuff we read in 1976.

That's what I hope anyway.

The library system I work for, Central Rappahanock Regional Library in VA, offers a service to buy any material requested by a patron. Like, if someone thinks we should own LAWRENCE OF ARABIA SPECIAL EDITION, and it's feasible for the library to purchase it, then they will.

If that's the case across the board, every one of us in a stone's throw from our libraries should request these books be put in their circulation. At least it's something viable to try and get kids into these books.

I think it is growing.  Please see my previous comments on the state of Marvel's 140% increase in publishing revenue over the past seven years for reasons.

I can't give anything other than that.  I wish I could. I will admit it now.  I don't talk to anyone about comics except those online and some friends of mine I have had for years.  Those friend are much like me and they find the current style of Marvel comics interesting.  I have a friend with a 10 year old daughter, and she is getting into some.  I also see them in more and more places.  Its a tiny piece and for my one good set of observations I am sure there are a dozen different ones.

I've been pessimistic for years, but things don't seem any worse than they did 5 years ago--

I just returned to comic collecting/reading in 2001 after about an 8 year absence.  If anything, I am buying more comics now than I did in 2001 and definitely more than I was buying in the late 80s and early 90s.  Lots of good stuff out there to choose from to read every month.  And this is coming from a guy who mostly buys Marvel with some DC thrown in.  

That being said, I am looking at this from the perspective of a 38yo reader.  I think most comics are geared towards the adult market.  Not sure if the Comic business is gaining any new (younger) readers.  Too much other stuff for kids to spend their money on like video and computer games etc...

Steve, although I appreciate that you've listed books you think are good choices for young readers, I can't help but be disheartened that you haven't listed one current mainstream superhero book being published by either Marvel or DC. Not one.  Zero.  I think that's incredibly telling with regard to the long term health of the mainstream superhero comic industry. 

It's great that there are independent books that are geared toward young readers, but I think it's really sad that some of the first books listed aren't CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE AVENGERS, SPIDER-MAN, SUPERMAN, BATMAN, et al.