To help beginners, we publish a list of terms that are used by experienced comic book readers.

We have arranged the terms not in alphabetical order, but by topic.

Types of comics
Strip (Comic strip) is a small comic strip that takes up no more than one page. It is more common in newspapers and magazines.

A graphic novel is a complete, complete work that is published in one book with a size of 60 pages or more. Superheroes in GN are rare - more often the characters are different. A graphic novel is performed by a single artist or team.

Webcomics is a comic that is published on the Internet.

Manga (Manga) - Japanese black and white comics, which are made in the style of anime and read from right to left.

Manhwa (Manhwa) - Korean black-and-white and color comics, read from left to right.

Manhua is a Chinese black-and-white and color comic book, read from left to right.

Independent comics, Creator-owned comics, Publisher-owned properties, Alternative comics, BD. La bande dessinee) are comics that are not published by Marvel or DC, but by other companies.

The Big Two (Marvel Comics and DC Comics) are the largest and most popular comic book publishers with their own characters and universes.

What does a comic book consist of?
Title is the name of a comic book or comic book series.

Preview (Preview) - preview, a brief overview of the comic

Panel is a separate image on the page. Inside the panel is a picture and text.

Groove, gatter (Gutter) - the space between the panels.

Tier is a set of panels arranged in one row.

A Splash page is a full-page picture of a comic book that reinforces a key point in the plot. And at the beginning of the comic there is a strip frame, which depicts the name, logo, list of authors.

Spread is a solid two-page picture.

A Balloon is an object that contains a character's lines or thoughts. The bubbles are oval in shape with a tail that is directed towards the speaker.

Caption is a remark that describes the mood of the character, the place and time of the action. Sometimes the reflections of the hero himself are placed in this block.

Sound effects are words written in large font. The goal is to display sounds in pictures.

Edition
Single - one issue, part of an unfinished series (beginning, middle or end). The magazine is 20-50 pages, in a thin cover.

TPB / Trade PaperBack is a collection of all series of a separate story (one arc) with additional materials (author's comments, rough drafts). Paperback magazine.

Hard / Hardcover is a compilation of singles with additional hardcover material.

Custom bind is a custom-made or do-it-yourself hardcover. You can buy a box for it, also made with your own hands.

Deluxe (Delux) is a collector's edition of an enlarged format with an expensive cover and a lot of additional materials.

Mini (Mini-series) is a serial comic book with no more than 6 issues.

Maxi (Maxi-series) is a serial comic book with more than 12 issues.

One-shot is a single release.

Omnibus is a comic book collection that contains more than 25 issues.

Limited series is a limited series of issues.

Serial (Serial Comic Book) is the same as ongoing.

Arc / Story arc (Arc / Story arc) is a sequence of series with one storyline.

Ongoing (from on going - continuing to go) is a comic book, the release of which has not yet ended.

Standalone is one episode of the issue that contains the end of the story.

Heroes and plot devices
A superhero is a comic book character who is endowed with supernatural powers (superpowers) and performs feats in the name of the common good. The first superhero is Popeye the Sailor, and the first superhero in the costume is Ghost. The first superhero of the comic book is Superman.

A supervillain is an opponent of a superhero equal to him in strength. The first supervillain is considered to be the Ultra-Humanit, who confronted Superman.

Sidekick is an assistant to a hero or villain.

Vigilante is a crime fighter of his own free will, who acts without the permission of the state authorities.

Origins - the first appearance of the character; information about the appearance of the character.

The Shared Universe is the habitat of the characters. Today, many publishers try to make all the series in a common universe, because they believe that it is more convenient for readers.

Multiverse is a multiverse, a set of parallel universes that exist in the same comic space and can interact.

A-listers are a gradation of heroes in terms of popularity and significance.

B-listers are a gradation of villains.

Retcon - making any changes to the past of the characters or their universe. It is used to correct contradictions in the plot, or fill in the gaps between stories.

Global / Event is a global event in the world of comics, a large-scale crossover.

Breaking the fourth wall (Fourth Wall / Breaking the fourth wall) is a technique that allows the hero to behave as if he knows that he is in the comic book and that someone is reading about his adventures. A character can appeal to a reader, an editor, or an artist.

Cliffhanger is a technique in which the plot breaks off at the most interesting place in order to increase the reader's interest in the next issue.

Twist is an unexpected twist in the plot.

Flashback is a technique that shows what happened to a character in the past. If the hero looks into the future, then this will be called a "vision".

Flashforward is a technique that shows the future.

A cameo is a brief appearance of a famous character in a series about another hero.

Crossover is a plot where characters from different universes meet.

Tie-in is a story where a guest character appears. The event goes beyond the storyline, that is, it turns into a side story.

Filler is additional material that is not related to the main plot. Added to increase the duration of the release.

Substory is a side story that does not affect the main plot.

Spin-off is a side story for the sake of commercial success, where the characters are secondary characters from a popular comic book. The spin-off focuses on something that wasn't central to the original piece.

Who creates comics
A stroker / Inker (Inker) - a person who processes a pencil drawing with ink.

Run is the result of a team of authors working on one series.

Colorist (from color art / colors) is a person who paints a comic book drawn by an artist.

Letterer is a person who completes work on a comic book, that is, arranges bubbles with text, sounds, effects.

Editor - monitors the correct sequence of events of a particular character or team of characters.