The term “nerd” can describe many different types of people. A science nerd may bore you with facts about quantum physics or biochemistry all day long. A math nerd may recite the Pythagorean Theorem over and over again on a never ending loop. But comic book nerds, well, they are a bit more complicated. There are several different factors that go into being a comic book nerd. Heck! You may be a comic book nerd and not even know it. If you really have no idea, or want to confirm that you are, here’s my list of 20 signs you are a comic book nerd.
Most of today’s comic book nerds don’t even read the actual comics. Instead, they are just huge fans of the movies. Even in that case, you would still qualify as a nerd. However, you are definitely a nerd if you have a stack of comic books in your possession. Don’t be ashamed of this, however. Tons of people are comic book hoarders. But…once your stack gets over ten feet high, maybe consider taking a break and going outside.
If you have two pairs of Captain America pajama pants like me, along with several Avengers T-Shirts, you’re probably a comic book nerd. But who says your love of superheroes can’t intermix with your fashion choices? Quite frankly, I think wearing a Hulk-Buster T-shirt with Groot covered sweatpants is very stylish.
If you’re reading this heading, rubbing your temples and screaming “Who doesn’t know where this comes from? It’s common knowledge!” you’re most likely a comic book nerd. For those who don’t know, this quote comes from the late Uncle Ben, the surrogate father to Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man. But for those who do know, it may be a bit infuriating when someone tells you the quote was originally said by President FDR (true story.)
This one may be a bit rare, but you’d be surprised by how many of us can name comics by their number rather than their name. If you can, well I have a lot of respect for you. Don’t worry though. Even if you can’t, there’s still a great chance you are a comic book nerd, especially if this next sign fits your description.
Trailers have become essential to a movie’s ad campaign. Some may even argue that the trailer is more important than the actual movie itself. It is the perfect way to get fans excited for the movie, while not revealing too much. No wonder comic book nerds, including myself, had a field day when the latest Justice League trailer dropped.
It’s one thing to watch the latest movie trailer one hundred times. But actually analyzing it for plot points is taking it to a whole new level of nerdom! Don’t worry, I will admit that I do this too. Sometimes you just can’t help it. I won’t even tell you how many times I paused and re-winded when Tom Holland’s Spider-Man flipped onto the screen and landed on that airport truck in the final Captain America: Civil War trailer (but it was definitely over one hundred.)
To be fair, the business side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Fox’s X-Men Universe can be a bit confusing. But sometimes, it can get annoying when your roommate keeps complaining about why the Avengers haven’t teamed up with the X-Men yet. When this happens again, just calmly and softly explain that THE TWO ARE OWNED BY DIFFERENT COMPANIES!!!
If this is you, then yes, you are a comic book nerd. Point blank. To hold a debate, arguing why your favorite comic book company is superior to its competitor takes a lot of nerd power. And anyone who knows they are a comic book nerd knows this all too well. The war between Marvel and DC has been going on for years now. And if you’re involved in this war, you’re a comic book nerd for sure.
This one may be taking it a bit too far, but once again, I am guilty of this. People just don’t understand how hard it can be to get along with a classmate that is pro-DC when you are pro-Marvel.
Easter eggs are small details, clues, or references that either hint at something about the future of a movie’s plot or pay tribute to other details outside the movie. For comic book movies, it’s basically Easter Island. Comic book movies of today are loaded with Easter eggs and sometimes, you have to re-watch the entire movie just to catch them all. Why spend money on textbooks and food when you can watch the latest superhero movie over and over again?
If you’ve ever rolled your eyes when people start leaving the theater immediately after the movie ends, you’re most likely a comic book nerd. Comic book nerds know to sit through the credits because they know the movie isn’t actually over yet. The end credit scenes are arguably the most exciting thing about a comic book movie. They not only give you an extra tidbit of the movie that has just ended, but they also hint at future movies to come. So yes, sitting through up to ten minutes of countless names scrolling up the screen is worth it, especially if you’re a comic book nerd.
So you may know to sit through the credits for the extra scene. But do you actually know what is going on during these scenes? Some end credit scenes are very obscure in terms of what they’re hinting at. It may surprise you, but a lot of people didn’t know who the heck that purple man in the floating chair was at the end of The Avengers.
Anyone who has seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (or its trailers) knows that Baby Groot is the cutest thing in the cosmos. Fact, not opinion. However, if squealing “Aw!” every time Baby Groot was on screen wasn’t your only motivation in seeing this movie, well, you may just be more comic book invested than you thought. If you are able to see past Baby Groot’s adorable nature and actually walk into that theater because you genuinely want to see what happens next in the saga, you definitely qualify as a comic book nerd.
If you have ever considered writing a paper on anything comic book related, you may very well be a comic book nerd. If you wrote your senior extended essay on Captain America like I did, you definitely are a comic book nerd. It takes a lot of nerd power to be willing to blend academics with comics. But to actually do it…that’s a whole new level!
Comic-Con is like every comic book nerd’s dream. It’s a safe haven for us nerds to be nerds out in the open for everyone to see, without any fear of judgment. It’s where the geeks can finally be the cool ones and where the jocks are the losers for once! Don’t be mistaken, though. Comic-Con has become somewhat mainstream, not solely limited to nerds. Finally, a place where nerds and every day people can live in harmony!
To a comic book nerd, cosplaying is like a form of prayer. And if you have done it, you probably already know where you stand on the scale of nerdom. Don’t be ashamed of it. Cosplaying your favorite comic book character can be super fun (pun definitely intended.) It’s a way for nerds to become the very superheroes they spend hours reading about.
While you don’t necessarily have to read comics to be a comic book nerd, if you put off your education for the sake of Superman, you are, without a doubt, a comic book nerd. Why do the reading assignment in your biochemistry textbook when you can read Superman comics all night?
I know this may not seem like that big of a discriminator, but it may come to a surprise that not everyone knows who all is in the Justice League. And if you’ve twitched in anger when one of your friends answers “Isn’t Iron Man in there somewhere?” you’re probably more invested in comics than you thought. Like it or not, but the members of the Justice League aren’t really common knowledge outside of the nerd community.
Both of these movies are similar in that they prompt the audience to pick sides between their favorite superheroes. However, a lot of non-comic book nerds simply watched these movies for the action, explosions, and all around fun (which is perfectly fine.) But it actually takes some level of nerdom to bring yourself to choose a side between Batman and Superman or Captain America and Iron Man.
There are tons of people who are actually comic book nerds in hiding, too afraid to admit their love for everything superheroes. If this is you, then you are a comic book nerd. You’re not fooling anyone. If you’ve read this list and saw yourself in every single sign, don’t hide the fact that you’re a comic book nerd. Embrace it! Being a nerd these days is like being a football star. It’s cool. Never be ashamed of your nerdiness. The best nerds are the ones you can look at and definitively say “Yep! That’s a comic book nerd!”
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