Understanding Comics

I never thought I needed this—do you need a guide for understanding chocolate or ice cream? (Now that I mention it, though, I bet those exist). I like what I like, and enjoy it, and that's that, right? Well, now I wish I'd read this twenty years ago. McCloud adds new dimensions to my appreciation: he offers context, history, design insights, and makes it all accessible and enjoyable. It's too early to tell how/if this will change my future reading of comics, but I'm looking forward to finding out.