Inuvik (Sep 29/06) - Comic books are a bit like pop-art or jazz music.

While some people don't understand them, others (like this reporter) can talk for hours
about their history, famous creators and versatility as an art form.

Thankfully for Inuvik's comic book fans, the library has a surprisingly large collection.

Library clerk Alex Groepper, 16, says the library has a varied and interesting collection of comic books. - Philippe Morin/NNSL photo

Alex Groepper, who works at the library two nights a week, said there's a wide variety of styles from 1960s superhero tales to historical biographies to japanese samurai comics.

"Personally, I'm into the Japanese stuff. My favourite series is Dragonball Z," he said.

Groepper explained the Dragonball series is about 10 black-and-white books, totalling hundreds of pages.

As per japanese custom, they are read "backwards," from right to left.

"You need to know that before you start reading," he joked. Another classic title is "Bone" by Jeff Smith, which follows a simple Disney-style character through an epic 1,300-page story.

While the library doesn't have all the volumes, Groepper said it will be ordering the missing parts.

Also in the mix is the best of Harvey Pekar's "American Splendor," which deals with the everyday frustrations of a Cleveland hospital file clerk.

Another strip is "Louis Riel: A comic strip biography" by Chester Brown, which tells the controversial story of the Canadian Metis leader.

While some stories, like Spider-Man comics, are good for young readers, Groepper said other titles are restricted.

For instance, he says Frank Miller's "Sin City" - which features violence and nudity - would not be lent to someone who is young.

"I would tell them to get something else," he said.

And while teens and young kids remain the most loyal readers, Groepper said some adults do borrow the more dense works, like "Watchmen" by British writer Alan Moore.

In that book, a character called Rorschach has a psychologist's inkblot for a face, and a nuclear scientist learns to see all time happening at once. Sound weird and fantastic? Of course.

But that's the appeal of your friendly neighbourhood comic book section.