Top 10 YouTube Comic Book Channels - TopX Ep.15

- Coming in at #10 is one of the smallest channels we’ve ever covered on TopX, in terms of subscriber numbers at least. But, what Hybrid Network lacks in current exposure, they make up for by being unapologetically devoted to comic books.
- One thing you may or may not know is that we here at Watchmojo do Character Origins and Versus showdowns, and if I do say so myself, I think they’re pretty good. However, if you’re looking for another source for character biographies in video form, either cause you hate our style or just cause you can’t get enough of em, the Hybrid Network does a ton of these as well. Specifically, if you’re big into DC and you want more focus on the New 52 iterations of the characters, their bios are something to check out.
- Hybrid Network doesn’t stop there though. They essentially try to cover everything comic book related. This includes recaps of Comic Book shows, News about upcoming movies, and of course, reviews of recent comic book issues. They may still be finding their footing in terms of production value, but their knowledge of the source material is clearly demonstrated throughout.

- Up next is KNIGHTWING01, or K-wing as he calls himself. Now, this is not really a channel about the comic books themselves, and more a channel that’s devoted to the various video games that have been spawned from them. I say comic books, but I really mean Batman. It’s very Batman intensive.
- Actually, kNIGHTWING01 is essentially more of a Let’s Play channel than a comic book channel per-say. A quick look at his videos will reveal the sort of gameplay videos and reviews you’d see on your average gaming channel, despite a marked preference for video-game inspired content. However, there is one exception, and it’s a big one; his #ArkhamWednesdays series.
- These videos, in a visual sense, are as bare bones as it gets. Usually, the visuals consist of uncut gameplay from one of the Arkham games. However, during these videos, k-Wing goes in serious depth about the background of a certain character or aspect of the Batman Mythos. While these are basically a let’s play video with a podcast’s audio overtop, they offer some of the most interesting and detailed explanations of the Batman Universe you’ll ever find. Whether it’s a detailed history of Alfred Pennyworth or a discussion of Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, you’re bound to learn something.

- At #8, we have another channel that’s trying its darndest to beat watchmojo at our own game, ItsSuperEffective! That’s the name btw, not the effect. Whatever.
- It’s super effective is a channel run by Faust Koiv and his awesome hair. I say he’s trying to beat watchmojo at our own game, because he specializes in the summarizing the history or backstories popular comic book characters. While he does have a marked preference for the Teen Titans and other DC characters, he also dabbles in the history of certain video game franchises, like Zelda or Portal.
- Even though these “History of” clips may not have the production value that some of the alternatives offer, Fausts impressive knowledge still makes them pretty darn solid. Again, if you’re the type of person that can’t get enough comic book history, this should be another stop on your list.

- At #7 we shift back to another channel that’s devoted less to the comic books themselves, and more to all other forms of media that those comic books and characters have spawned.
- One thing JaeRoar focuses heavily on is the DC Universe television shows. Lately, this means Arrow, The Flash and Gotham, on J posts a review of every single episode. While he does post scores for each other, the real strength in these reviews is the painstaking detail he goes into, explaining tiny easter eggs and theorizing about future paths for the stories.
- In fact, it’s this combing over of details that JaeRoar seems to really specialize in. His most popular video is an in depth explanation of all the hidden stuff in Man of Steel, but his whole channel is chock full of this sorta thing. If you’re the type of person that likes to go through every new trailer frame by frame to find all the hidden stuff, JaeRoar’s channel is one you should definitely check out, if only to compare notes.

- At #6 we’re back to channels that are 100% comic book related. This channel is hosted by Jason Inman, who likes to read comic books [Montage of intros please].
- While there are a number of different types of show on this channel, the two I’d like to focus the most on, since they pertain the most to this list, are Geek and Tea and Comic Books are Awesome.
- On Geek and Tea, Jason sits down with another fellow geek and they discuss one geeky topic or another over tea, very much the vlog-ish style that’s so popular on YouTube. On Comic Books are Awesome, Jason personally explains why one comic book or series of comic books is particularly awesome, and why you should read it. Although these are by no means the only shows on the channel, aside from a series called Red Shirt Diaries, these are the most consistent sources of comic book goodness that you can keep coming back for.
- We actually just found out RIGHT BEFORE WE FILMED THIS that Jason is now the new DC All Access Co-Host, so you know he’s got some credibility.

- Taking a big jump in production value, just past the half-way point we have NerdSync Productions, who are nothing if not organized.
- Claiming to provide “a deeper look into into the world of comics for newcomers and experts alike”, NerdSync Productions is kindly divided into 3 separate segments that publish on specific days of the week. I’ve mentioned this before, but you always get big points on TopX for publishing consistently.
- Seeing as Monday’s video is just a podcast, and we’re talking video-content here, we can glaze over that, but you also can listen to that on iTunes if that’s your thing.
- On Fridays, they publish “Tie-In” which is a short trivia show that’s just getting off the ground. There aren’t a huge amount of episodes of this show out yet so you’ll have to check back soon, but it seems to be off to an interesting start.
- The meat of their content lands on Wednesday with their show Comic-Book Misconceptions. Without going into too much depth here, these are a mix of history and trivia that’s delivered with some rather impressive production value. The host is confident, there are tons of supporting visuals, and it’s all just very watchable.

- Okay, so, I’m aware that we’ve gotten to #4 and we still haven’t seen that many channels that deal primarily with the actual comic books. Well never fear, ‘cause Comic Book Cast is here.
- Right off the bat, it’s easy to see that Comic Book Cast specializes in reviews of comic books. What’s good about these is that while they do offer visual aids straight from the comics in question, they also can technically double as a podcast as you’ll get almost all you need from the audio alone.
- This podcast style of video also applies to their other popular series, Comic Book Clash, which is a type of versus showdown between two similar characters. Essentially, if you’re someone who likes to put a video on background while you’re doing some sort of other work or playing a game, Comic Book Cast’s content is made for you.

- Nearing the top of our list is Marvel Explained, hosted by the soft spoken but extremely knowledgeable Rob Jefferson.
- In case you didn’t guess, Marvel Explained is a channel who’s videos are devoted to characters, aspects and events from the comics books. Despite the name of the channel, Rob doesn’t only stick to Marvel content, and does balance his clips out with a fair amount of DC centric content as well.
- I know we’ve seen a bunch of channels that do this sorta thing, but Marvel Explained has some of the best we’ve seen so far. Although the videos are very long and detailed, there’s no sacrifice of visual production value here. They very ambitiously trace a character from their very beginnings right up until current continuity, which is no small feat.
- These videos are so in depth that I’d say that some are closer to a seminar or course on the subject. So, those of you who are extra-super-serious about becoming professors of the page, this is the place to start.

- It only takes a second watching one of the Comicstorian videos to realize what’s been lacking from the other 8 entries we’ve see so far: dramatic readings.
- While other channels do Origins stories or comic book history as well, Comicstorian distinguishes their videos by having each one narrated by the Eligible Monster Team. This means their videos are narrated by enthusiastic voices that add a dramatic flair to what would normally be pretty standard page-by-page summaries.
- I mentioned summaries, and this is another way that Comicstorian distinguishes themselves, by offering play by play summaries of recent comics. Instead of reading dialogue, they essentially paraphrase, while describing the action in the panels as well. It basically makes each comic into a short film, which, lets face it, is cooler than reading, am I right?


HM #1: TheRealComicBookGamer
Channel URL: youtube.com/TheRealMacGamer

HM #2: Comicbookgirl19
Channel URL: youtube.com/comicbookgirl19

HM #3: Linkara - Atop the Fourth Wall
Channel URL: youtube.com/reuisu

HM #4: TV Little House Comics
Channel URL: youtube.com/TVLittleHouse

- As is often the case with our Number 1 pick on TopX, this week’s top spot does not necessarily do anything particularly unique or special, when compared to its competitors, they just do it better. Whether it’s Character bios, countdowns, or their specialty, VS. Battles, Variant just seems to do it a bit better than everyone else.
- One cool thing they do that’s a nice touch is offer reading recommendations after their videos. So, if you say, just watched their character biography of Ra’s Al Ghul and want some reading material on the subject, they’ve thought of that.
- On top of the reading recommendations, they also throw what they call a Buy List, which is an ultra quick guide of what comics to buy that week.
- Lastly, it’s also worth mentioning that Variant Comics is the most professional looking channel we’ve seen today. This probably won’t be too much of a surprise since they’re also the biggest, the level of polish their videos demonstrate is pretty much unrivaled by their peers. Coupling this with their dependable weekly format and you have an easy pick for #1.