The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics

Written by: Dennis O'Neil

First line: Here's what I'd like you to do for me: Make me laugh.

Why you should read this book: While this book won't teach you how to write, it will provide all the basic data you'll need to know if you wish to write a comic book script. Although it does begin with a chapter called "What Are Comics?" it's written at a fairly high level and assumes that the reader has probably read quite a few comics in his or her life, and is actually looking for professional information and definitions, not wondering what a comic is. I particularly liked the many different scripts, all taken from actual, published books and showing different styles of writing, that the author chose; in addition, his illustrations come from popular DC titles through time, so even if the reader is unfamiliar with the particular issue, there's an excellent chance to still understand the single pages presented here and there, because the characters and themes are likely familiar.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't want to write comics.