The X-Men are uncanny again!

The new Uncanny X-Men #1 was released this week…and it was awesome!  There are so many X-Men books (and they keep announcing more) that it can be hard for fans of Homo Superior to know where to begin.

What makes this book so good?  One of the best things about X-men books can also be their Achilles heel.  X-men books tend to revolve around developing characters and not so much plot.   Because of this the need for a purpose  gets lost  in the process and thrown out for the sake of introducing new mutants or flushing out what makes them tick. Bendis is a great writer because he knows a book with a well-defined purpose will give its characters depth and make their development richer as they react to and within the story.   It’s a story, not just a filler arch.  It aims at an answering a question and providing a resolution to problem.  And this creates drama, and thus, comics that are amazing to read.

The problem uncanny X-Men 1 seeks to solve is that New Mutants are popping up all over the world and Scott and his group are recruiting them.  This is a problem because we don’t know if we should trust Scott or his ability to mold mutant minds for good.   Ever since the though whole Avengers vs  Xmen stuff we as readers have had serious reason to question Scott’s moral compass. 

In this first issue, Bendis gives us some tasty drama by setting up some disagreements that Magneto has with Scott over the future and philosophy of mutant kind.  This will almost certainly be the driving conflict in the issues to come.  Which is great! Cause Magneto isn’t really Magneto unless he’s a villain, or at least sorta one.   All this, with a dash of most of their powers being out of wack, the age ole X-Men plot device.

I’m really excited about both Bendis X-books, All New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men.   With ANX he’s giving us a kind of retrospective on X-Men history through the eyes of the original X-Men (who have been taken from the past by Beast so as to remind Scott of where they came from and what they were about in the beginning…I know right).   And with Uncanny we have a new spin on the classic question of the X gene: “I am a mutant? So what does that mean?”

If you love X-Men or have been waiting for a good starting point to jump back in this is the issue to grab.

New year, New Spider-Man...sort of

While at work yesterday I saw a kid wearing a shirt with Spiderman’s face on it, I was only seconds away from saying “Oh! You’re a fan of Dr. Octopus?” That’s the situation we are in now.  An elderly man has implanted his mind into the body of a 20 something year old dude and is living his life.  After months of hinting at it, we now know that’s the way that Peter Parker dies but Spider Man lives.  Like all such gimmicks it was meant to generate more interest in the Amazing Spider-Man or rather the book that will be replacing it, “Superior Spider-Man”, and attract new readers.  I’ve never consistently read a Spider-Man book.  Steph has read all of Bendis and Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man and has them all in trade.  She ADORES the character Peter Parker and Spider-Man is her favorite super hero in all of Comicdom. 

 So with Marvel offering me a jumping on point, I took the bait.  Before I read Superior #1 I went back and read Amazing Spider-Man 699, 700, and Avenging Spider-Man 15.1 so as to know the back story of issues happenings.  To catch you up to speed: Doc Ock, in the final moments of his life, switched minds with Peter Parker, thus trapping him in his frail dying frame.  Instead of making some heroic re-switcharoo, Doc Ock’s body gives out and takes Peter with it.  As this happens, Peter forces Doc Ock to relive all the major moments in his life that made him who he is.  This causes Ock to vow to change his ways and be live a life worthy of, and superior to Peter Parker.  That brings us up to Superior #1.

The idea took some getting used to; after all we have an elderly man who has, until recently, always been evil gallivanting around in twenty something’s body.   But after thinking about it, I was thinking it had potential.   A redeemed villain trying to live with a situation he sorta of regrets while at the same time living up to the memory of his archenemy? That could be cool, right?  Doc Ock would bring his genius and scientific know how to reinvigorate and update Spidey’s gadgetry, maybe even creating some new corny catch phrases, and the new suit he created isn’t the worse thing in the world, so I was trying to remain positive.

At first the issue was mildly entertaining, if not a little creepy, on account of him ogling Mary Jane and all.  And then the biggest cop out in the world happens.  Throughout the issue Ock fights the sinister six and towards the end is beating Boomerang to death and when the disembodied spirit of Peter stays his hand, but Ock can neither see nor hear him.  Come on Marvel.  All of us knew it was coming but draw it out a little.  Wait till issue 20 or 10 at least.  You advertise this big change and then you give us a way back to the status quo in issue #1.  I know the idea was a little weird to begin with but at least it shook things up a bit.  My first clue should have been the nonchalant way in which Peter gave up in Amazing 700, very different from his death in Ultimate Spider-Man.

We’ll have to see how this all plays out but I just hope they use this sorta turning point to build on Spider-Man and Peter Parker’s history instead of trying to do things just for shock value alone.  Comic Book fans are fickle, we want change and new stories all while staying true to each of our favorite versions of these characters.  Creators are then caught between a rock and a hard place.  Understanding all this I'll try to keep open minded.  We’re only on issue #1, so lets wait and see.  Cool cover though.

The Crazy, New, Amazing things happening to Spider-Man

I love Spider-Man. When I was ten, Ultimate Spider-Man came out and that is the book that made me start reading comic books. I literally never missed an issue. I had a crush on Peter Parker. I drew pictures copied from the panels in my school notebooks. If anyone should be sensitive to the fact that Brian Michael Bendis just killed him and replaced him with a kid no one’s ever heard of, it’s me.

But here’s the thing. I’m not upset. I know this is very un-comic-book-fan of me. But I am excited.

I’m 22 years old now. I grew up with Bendis and Bagley’s Spider-Man. This saga was written and illustrated with special heart, something that appealed to me on a level deeper than entertainment. I was soaking in the bathtub when I watched Peter die. He died the way he lived: selflessly. It was bittersweet, but I felt myself really content at what an awesome ride it had been, these last 10 years.

There is now a new Spider-Man. He’s African American and Hispanic, and he’s got some new powers like invisibility. I think this is cool. I love the way Brian Michael Bendis writes, and I like how he writes Miles. I’ve heard a lot of people really, honestly upset about this new character. I’m not exactly sure why.

I think we have to be really careful when we start to protest drastically new things happening in comics. I know superheroes really iconic in our culture, and that makes us feel like their identity should be maintained classic. It’s as if they belong to everybody. I get that. But I have a couple of things to say in response:

First, you don’t want a static character. You may think you never want Spidey to change, but you do. And if you think these big changes haven’t been around since the beginning, you’re mistaken. Think about Batman for a second:  1950s-Batman and Tim Burton-Batman and Christopher-Nolin Batman. Superheroes are able to adapt and change with each generation, and that evolution is the very thing that makes them immortal. These characters have had the rare opportunity of being passed from artist to artist, touched, reimagined, molded, and given new life. We shouldn’t try to stifle that lest we see them disappear.

I believe that the creative people who make our comics—the artists—ought to be able to explore entirely new ways to bring us the stories that they dream up. They ought to be allowed to do brand new things. Saying that they can’t or shouldn’t is awfully close to censorship.

Oh and also, I’ve read angry people saying that this is “a publicity stunt,” and that Marvel is including “racial diversity just for the sake of diversity.” And I kind of think, so what? Maybe it’s a publicity stunt—Marvel wants publicity, and attempts to gain it by making new and exciting stories for us to read. That’s kind of a good thing. As long as good story isn’t being compromised (which I don’t think is the case) we shouldn’t care. And about the racial thing, yeah, intentionally including heroes that aren’t Caucasian may be a good thing. Why not? Diversity is good, even if it is for the sake of diversity.

So I say, bring on this new era. I love Spider-Man. I love what he stands for, where he’s been, and where he’s going. He’s got a rich history and a bright future. Long Live Spidey!

Recent Readings

So C.A.R.L has all left for the summer and  I have to enjoy my comic mania all by myself.  Our last meeting was fun, we didn’t get around to discussing Will Eisner’s Life Force, but we were just kina all saying good bye and in particular good bye to Josh who leaves for China in the coming months and will not be returning to Memphis next year.  So we just had fun, discussed comics in general, and we watched Thor.  Thor was great.  I’m a DC guy and thusly have never read a Thor comic, but it was extremely well done.  I just hope Green Lantern can live up to the challenge Thor posed to the comic based movie world.

It’s been a good time for comics recently, at least the ones that I read.  This blog is a little behind as far as recent stuff (I think all the stuff I mention is at least two weeks old), but oh well.  Maybe I’ll get caught up soon.  Here are the issues that I sat down recent with: Justice League of America # 57, Red Robin #23, Hellboy: Being Human, B.P.R.D. : The Dead Remembered #2, Batman Inc. #6, Flash # 12, and the highly anticipated Flashpoint #1.

Justice League of America #57

Justice League is one of those books that’s been struggling for Identity for a while.  In the past two years the team has been switched up and bounced around without any real driving narrative.  Their stories to date haven’t been great and have usually relied on some other story plot to push them forward, blackest night, brightest day JSA plot lines.  I read an article on newsarama.com where the author was expressing their want for more Grant Morrison type stories and less Geoff Johns type stories.  Johns is much more character focused and driven and Morrison is more story centered with sometimes little concern for character development for the sake of the character.       

When James Robinson took over the book I was super excited.  I heard announcements about some of the new characters he was adding to the group and thought it would make for some interesting narratives.  I like the character Congorilla, I think he has lot of potential.   However, until recently I was afraid that the same criticism of JLA Detroit was going to apply this current incarnation of the team.  That criticism being that no one wants to see B-list heroes.  We want a team that’s the best of the best, not second stringers.   Robinson has said that its his goal to prove that these current members are worthy of being the Justice League.  So far he hasn’t quite done this. 

I am not a big fan of Eclipso has the main villain.  But most of that is because I’ve always thought of him as kind of lame and have never understood why he’s posed such a threat to the DCU so many times.  He kind of looks like a rip off of the green goblin.  Having said that, I’m really digging this arc.  It’s dramatic, dire, and so we can finally have enough circumstance to flush out what makes this team the JLA.  Hopefully though they can get past all the problems with their powers (Jessie Quick, Alan Scott, and establish what are Saint Walkers new ring abilities) after this arc and go into some more great stories.

I recently read a review issue 57, two actually, that criticized it for it’s bad theology.  This question has arisen because in the plot Eclipso reveals that his master plan is to kill God.  In the previous issue he fights and defeats God’s angel Zauriel.  And apparently when angels are in danger they release a sonic sound that a summons to other of God’s cosmic servants for help.  Eclipso uses this to lure the Spectre to the moon and the embattled forces.  During this fight Eclipso tells his host that the earth is God’s most cherished planet.  This is why the white lantern was housed here and why earth was the beginning and center of creation, and also why the spectre (God’s spirit of vengeance) is always human as is the phantom stranger and Eclipso himself.  He states that God’s energy flows out feeding the universe and that this energy flow is not one way.  So by destroying the earth he can kill God.  All these things have caused some to make a fuss about this fuzzy theology.

Come on people, it’s a comic.  I doubt that Robinson is making religious statements via his characters.  Eclipso isn’t Robinson’s theological mouth piece.  Besides the fact that its fiction, his argument would then rest on things that don’t exist, IE White Lanterns, the phantom stranger and ect.  I’m a theology student and even I didn’t find it off putting.  But whatever, it’s a good comic and it’s finally propelling JLA into a book I’d recommend to others.

Red Robin #23

Red Robin is another one of those books that’s finally coming around.  Tim Drake was one of my earliest read characters, way back when he had his book Robin, but with all the exciting things happening within the bat-family Tim Drake has a lot of competition for readership.  He just like the JLA is in fictional fight for identity and the right to have a place in the DCU.  Early in his run he was angsty about nobody believing him about Bruce being alive but now he seems to have calmed down.  Issue 23 starts off with him having another confrontation with Lynx, who is the leader of the Golden Dragons, a gang in Gotham’s little Asia.  She and Tim have a romantic fling type thing going on that is reminiscent of Bruce and Selina.  I’m all for the nerdy types getting the slightly rebellious, good looking gals.  Reminds me of Steph and I haha. 

The issue centers around Tim trying to find out who is behind several attempted assignations.  It had a good interchange between Commissioner Gordan and Tim that highlighted their often overlooked dynamic.  Though Red Robin isn’t as iconic as Batman or Robin but the book is finally going to the core of Tim’s character: a great detective and master strategist.  If the writer (Nicieza) continues to hone in on these aspects of Tim Drake he will make sure that Tim is seen as an equal and important part of the bat-family.  But these last two issues of Red Robin have made sure I will continue reading, even though I do miss his old costume.

Hellboy: Being Human

Yet another piece of Sequential Art that I was fortunate enough to read this week was the one shot Hellboy: Being Human.  Hellboy is always a great read.  The B.P.R.D isn’t as steady but Hellboy never fails.  Being Human is no exception.  It’s a story of one of Roger and Hellboy’s early team ups (Roger in current continuity being dead).  Hellboy one shots are one of my favorite things to share with new comic readers.  They are always written well and they stand alone as great short stories without needing to explain exactly who and what Hellboy is.  Mignola through the actions in the story let you know that Hellboy is a paranormal investigator who fights evil…and who is also a monster of sorts.  This Particular one shot takes place in a cemetery and abandoned house in South Carolina.   They fight against an old voodoo using woman who is bring back a long dead rich southern family to exact her revenge on them.  And there is a good snipet of dialogue between Roger and Hellboy (both non-human) at the end about what it means to be human.

I’ve never been really crazy about Richard Corben’s art.  I just don’t think it’s as sharp or developed as Mignola’s or Davis’ work.  But it really works in this comic as well as one of my all-time favorites, Hellboy in Mexico.  If you want to recommend a single comic to get someone interested in the medium let them read either of these one shots.

B.P.R.D: The Dead Remembered #2 of 3

The next thing I read was also in the Hellboy universe, The B.P.R.D: The Dead Remembered 2 of 3.  This mini-series centers on a young Liz Sherman in one of her earlier cases with Professor Trevor.  Like the comic previously mentioned it is set in the past and not a part of present day story line in B.P.R.D (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense).  So far it’s been a good story.  It centers on the haunting of home by the spirit of a woman who was killed for being a witch by puritans.  It also gives a lot of background to Liz.  When she was younger she didn’t have control of her ability to generate fire.  There is a flash back where Liz accidently incinerates here friends and family.  This proves to be a defining and haunting moment for the character.   But I like the mystery aspect of the story more than all the emo Liz background stuff.

Batman Inc. # 6

When Batman Inc. started up I wanted so much to hate it.  Grant Morrison was irritating me with the whole “I want to make Bruce Wayne more like Tony Stark” madness.  And the first five issues were really good.  With issue 6 I dropped this book from my monthly pull.  I may still pick it up, but I don’t want to have it ordered for me.  I really didn’t like the art and the story is getting really odd and convoluted.  It reminded me of Batman and Robin.  The first couple of issues were really good with Professor Pyg and all.  Then he was this whole lead up to what supposed to be the most feared assassin ever and it turns out to be a pink flamingo themed motorcyclist! In all fairness Morrison’s stories should be read over time so I’m not totally counting Inc. out but still I’ve had enough for now.  Bruce is gathering his forces together to face some global international threat with, as always, a massive worldwide plot of destruction.  Hopefully it will get better, but I’m not holding my breath.  Morrison is a great story teller (see his run on JLA or more recently, All Star Superman) but I’ve just not been too impressed with him as of late.

Flash and Flashpoint

 In the last couple of issues of the Flash the Character Hot Pursuit has been introduced.  Hot Pursuit is an alternate version of Barry Allen who has a motorcycle that runs on the speed force (so it’s superfast) as it can apparently travel to different time variations.   He shows up looking for the greatest threat to time as we know it.  The Flash comic takes on a great mystery feel because of all this.  Well I won’t reveal all the ends and odds of this mystery but the consequences and the villain (a little predictable), cause Barry to wake up in an alternate time line that has severely changed his world.  It’s different than an elseworlds tale because those are alternate universes.  This is the same universe but drastically changed because of…well you’ll have to find out.  But it’s great.

Flashpoint #1 was the favorite comic that I read in the stack. In this comic Geoff Johns introduces a ton of new characters that are either truly new or different takes on ones we are familiar with.  This has spawned many, many, MANY one shots or 3 part miniseries tie ins that are not essential to the story, but that expand on these newly introduced characters.  The only ones I’m reading are the batman one and the green lantern one.  Batman is not who you think he is and in this timeline Hal Jordan isn’t but Abin Sur (who never died in his crash so there was no need to pass on his mantle).

There has been a lot of talk about the whole cheesey multiverse stuff, but I kinda dig it.  Not only does it give you a chance to change it up as far as storytelling, origins, and who the character is, but it then gives you the ability for characters to meet different versions of themselves and interact.  It’s a good way to expand the fictional world they inhabit.

What to read?

                As mentioned in our previous post, there are endless possibilities when it comes to comics.   Every so often my roommate, an avid comic fan himself, will ask me what he should read in one of his rare moments of down time.   I read about ten comics a month; however, Josh only reads about one a week.  So my dilemma is in what to prioritize with my suggestions.  Anyone who reads comics regularly has this same problem; it comes up in our comic book club all the time.  What should we read and why?

                The answer depends a lot on your personal  preference.  I am a big fan of the superhero genre but I know lots of people who can’t stand it.  Others have company preferences and only read the books that are published by DC, Marvel, or Dark Horse.   Regardless of such inclinations we can all recognize a good book when we see one.   Having said that, the following may not appeal to everyone but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

One such book is issue #9 of Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul’s The Flash.  This series has been generating a lot of heat in the recent months because of the upcoming summer event Flashpoint.  According to the updates that have been coming out it looks to be about a different reality or rather an alternate version of the current DC universe timeline, the latter being hinted at by the end of this issue.  The run so far has been amazing.  In a lot of superhero books the characters and the stories just become about the super powers, but Johns is writing Barry in a very specific way, going back to the fact that he is a police detective as well as a superhero.  They‘re even naming the different story arcs “Case One, Case Two, ect”.  The first arc, Case One: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues, was not only a well written mystery but Manapul’s art is amazing.  As was clearly stated by both Johns and Manapul they wanted to show The Flash (Barry Allen) using his super speed in new and interesting ways and not just more “speed lines”.    Issue # 9 starts a new story arc that leads directly into Flashpoint and begins starts the second story arc called “Case Two: The road to Flashpoint Part One.”  The story centers around two events.  The first is the appearance of a new motorcycling speedster in search of fuel and Barry Allen.  The second center of the mystery is the death of a costume hero.  I thought the issue like all the ones before it was excellent.   Without giving any spoilers, this issue is a definite set up for the alternate reality madness that is to come this summer.  If you are not currently reading the Flash series you are missing out on great writing and fantastic art. 

  Geoff Johns is also the writer on the series Brightest Day, which the follow up to his series Blackest Night.   Both take their names from the famous Green Lantern oath.   Brightest Day follows the fall out of Blackest Night, specifically centering on the entity in the White Lantern and its will for some of the characters in the DCU.   The series is biweekly and has had its ups and downs.On the one hand the series has been an interesting and extremely well written story.  The problem is that it follows several stories at once that have very little overlap, so you can get a little lost.   This set back kept me from really enjoying the title as much as others.   For instance I haven’t really cared for the Hawk world story or some of the dead man stuff, but that’s mostly because I don’t gravitate towards those characters.  However, all those things are redeemed  because of two facts.   First, Johns has done a great job writing J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter.   

 Over the years I’ve noticed that the J’onn has been difficult to write.  People don’t know how to fit him in with the rest of the DC characters and so they seem to harp on just one aspect of his character:  the quiet philosopher, the tortured telepath, or the conflicted immigrant from mars.  Johns has been able to maintain all those things, but has given the character a lot more depth.  He accomplishes this by juxtaposing J’onn with the evil female martian D’kay.  This has been a classic tool that Johns uses.  By presenting a villain that is the mirror opposite of the man protagonist he can better define the hero.  In Flash: Rebirth he describes Barry Allen over and against the reverse flash as well as Hall Jordan (Green Lantern) against Sinestro (Yellow Lantern) in his going run on Green Lantern.  A lot of folks aren’t fond this technique.  The main criticism I’ve heard is that it’s too black and white.  I disagree.  While it does provide a sharper contrast between characters that clashes with my generations fascination with the anti-hero, it also provides a frame work in which a characters internal and external conflicts can have more meaning.   Issue 21 of Brightest Day has some of the best J’onn stuff I’ve ever read so I highly recommend it for any Martian Manhunter fans.  

Back to the second reason why I’m happy reading Brightest Day; because Johns has single handedly made Aquaman cool.  Another main protagonist of this series has been the newly resurrected Arthur Curry otherwise known as our favorite king of Atlantis: Aquaman.  Much like J’onn, a lot of writers have struggled with what to do with Arthur because of his obvious limitation to the sea and water.   Grant Morrison’s late 90s run on the JLA was one of the only times I’ve ever liked him as a member of the Justice league-- that and his team up with Etrigan the demon in The Brave and the Bold #32.  Arthur can either be barely relevant or just not heroically threatening. 

 

  But Johns has made him a hero again.  Most of this I think rest upon the amazing action scenes.  The two that come to mind are Aquaman, trident in hand, grappling with Black Manta and then the awesome splash page of Aquaman leading the charge of an army of zombified aquatic life.  If you want to have your faith renewed in the king of the seven seas, you need to read Brightest Day.

                                                           Jake

Hellboy: The Sleeping and The Dead

Hellboy’s most recent two shot, The Sleeping and the Dead, is a fantastic classic horror story, illustrated brilliantly by Scott Hampton, and filled with such awesome twists and turns and eerie folklore that you wish the thing could last a little bit longer.

I don’t follow Hellboy religiously, (Jake could tell you more about him than I could) but I am a big admirer of Mignola’s art and character design, and am fairly familiar with the good natured demon himself. Its stories like this one that make me wish I picked it up more often, though. Scott Hampton, (being no stranger to the monster magazine, having worked on comics such as Simon Dark,) teamed up with Mignola for the first time in this series, adopting certain “classic” Hellboy style, while maintaining own his distinctions. I think he fit beautifully with this book.

The story follows the repercussions of Hellboy’s killing a female vampire. We learn from her brother, an emotionally enslaved caretaker, that both she and their sister were transformed by an English Vampire, who will avenge her death by calling on a whole graveyard of his victims. But that’s not even the scary part. The second sister, the one we’ve yet to meet, has indeed transformed, but not into a vampire: into something far worse, less definable, and fantastically terrifying. This creepy little girl, who wanders ghostlike about the basement singing nursery rhymes, transforms into a being of pure horror. The brother, last remaining alive and in the human world, takes care of his family despite their wicked transformations, and soon Hellboy finds himself offered as a meal to this thing in the basement. I’ll let you read the ending to see how the whole thing unravels… its classic Mignola.

There’s a cool distinction between American and English Vampires in this book. I like the idea of Vampires going into hiding for years—centuries—so that the world forgets and no longer suspects them, so as to rise and conquer later on. Apparently they have it a lot worse in England, as far as blood suckers go.

And can I just say how refreshing it is to see Vampires back in the horror genre where they belong? I’ve had about all I can take of our culture’s recent infatuation with sexy teenage “vampires.” It makes me ache for the classics. I want that old magic back. I want to be scared of Vampires again: to see them portrayed as the monsters they ought to be: truly unsettling, terrifying and dreadful. This series delivers, I recommend you all take the fun journey I did and end up delightfully creeped out.

See you in the Funnybooks! -Stephanie

Why I love Comic Books

Growing up, I lived near a “Food Lion” grocery store, and at that time, grocery stores carried comic books in their magazine racks. Whenever my family and I went shopping, or on occasion when I would ride my bike there, I would spend my time immersed with the X-men, JLA, and a host of other mystical characters. I asked my parents for an early Christmas present and they ordered a year subscription to Robin. The first one I got in the mail was Robin # 21 when I was nine years old and in the fourth grade. The feeling of getting one every month was exhilarating. Even if “Food Lion” got the issue before I did, I would resist the urge to look through it so that it would be fresh and new when it arrived at my door.

 As I said, the first comic book I remember owning was an issue of the Robin series (Tim Drake being the Robin in question.) I’ve always liked sidekicks. I thought that they should get the attention that everyone gives to their cohorts. They always seem to be the underdog, and so as a nerdy little kid I could easily relate. Tim even had his own car! (Although, if any of you remember Tim’s Car, the Redbird, you should probably forget it ever existed.) I clearly remember reading an issue where Tim teamed up with Ted Grant (Wildcat), and at one point in the comic Wildcat was sticking out of the Redbird’s passenger side window yelling at the villains as they were in pursuit after them. Even at nine years old I knew that no one could look intimidating in the Redbird.



After my subscription was over I stopped reading comics. Like most kids my age, I watched all the superhero based cartoons (especially Batman: The Animated Series) but for whatever reason, I stopped reading comics on a regular basis. I didn’t start getting comics monthly again till my senior year in college.

I was reading about 200 pages a week for school and felt overwhelmed. I needed a realse. The only video games that I’d ever really played were Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Resident Evil 4. I’m not a gamer so I couldn’t use that as an outlet. And I’m not a big time movie-goer, so that manner of relaxation was out as well. I turned to fiction. I went to my local Books-A-Million and roamed the aisles looking for something to entertain me. As I approached the row with the comic books it was like walking into a familiar building that had long been forgotten. I bought several comics that day but only two do I now recall: Green Lantern Sinestro Corp War special # 1 and Uncanny X-Men # 492. Now that I think about it, this is odd because they were released months apart, and the Green Lantern cover is the first printing. Both covers to this day are still two of my favorites, and the Sinestro Corp war is probably my favorite Green Lantern Story Arc thus far.

During this same period I began working at a Best Buy where I met David Kinsel. He was my supervisor within the Media department, and he and his wife Sandy have been lifelong comic fans. I quickly discovered all this and asked him what I should be reading as far as monthly comics. I soon had lists upon lists of “required” readings induct me into proper comic book society.

 I recall shortly after this at one of the local comic shop’s sales, he suggested I buy all the issues to date and the current issues of Geoff Johns’ Justice Society of America, which is now one of my all-time favorite and most re-read parts of my comic collection.

Dave and several other friends of ours then began to meet to discuss comics at a comic club he had dubbed C.A.R.L (Comics Are Real Literature). Between my now monthly comic readings and C.A.R.L get-togethers, I was finally balanced and felt much less stressed.

In 2009 I moved to Memphis TN to start my Masters in New Testament program at Harding University Graduate School of Religion, far away from my established community of comic fans. Once again, God seemed to approve of my hobby of choice, because one of my roommates was a comic addict as well. It was not long before we started a new branch of C.A.R.L, through which we’ve met some of our best friends. And it was through this C.A.R.L that I met members of an amazing bible study group as well as my beloved Stephanie Kern.

The point of all these comic recollections is to show that, though my live is defined by my faith, my comic books have been a major icing on my proverbial cake. Thanks to a few panels and text boxes, I’ve met some of my best friends, spiritual brethren, and the woman of my dreams.

There are a thousand demands on our time, energy, and money. Those of us blessed enough to have an entertainment/fun budget (small as mine may be) have to spend that money wisely and make every penny count. For the price of going to the movies I can get three comic books; three comic books that I can read over and over again and keep and share with those around me. 15 years ago everyone owned a VHS player, they are now almost obsolete. In 15 years perhaps dvds will be completely replaced by Blu-ray. The comic book however has remained for decades in its same hand held format and is as easily accessible as it was at its birth in the 30s. Unlike my VHS which will have to be replaced if I ever want to watch those movies in the future, my comics, even if they are eventually phased out by the digital format, will still be readily accessible. Comics have a longevity that is unsurpassed by most other media.

It is not only the physical comic book that has this endurance. The characters that have been given birth in their pages have been as equally viable and unquestionably influential. They have become the ground work for the modern American mythos. Through fiction, we can participate and live out our imaginations and the imaginations of others. By reading Frankenstein I can not only feel the fear of Dr. Frankenstein but also the loneliness and rage of his monster. Likewise by reading The Flash I can run faster than the speed of light, by picking The Green Lantern I can see planets and experience the stars, and by holding an issue of Hellboy I can help the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense rid the world of unseen and unspeakable horrors.

But this is not the reason why I love and read comics, this is just what comics are. I love and read comics because they are a release. I often feel weighted, as most of us do, by the normal wear and tear of life. We all have responsibilities that tether us to the here and now, and this can stifle our imaginations and creativity. Through the comic book my imagination is sparked to life, and I am reminded that it’s okay to take a break.

However the comic book is more than escapism. It has the unique advantage of having both the power of the written word and the force of images. Mark Waid and Alex Ross’s Kingdom Come is a perfect example. When the Spectre comes through the stained glass window of Norman McCay’s church, you have the breathtaking beauty of Ross’s art combined with the weight of Waid’s dialogue. Because of this, the comic often does a better job of exploring topics and themes than mere text. I’ve studied religion academically for the last seven years of my life. In all that time, I’ve read countless philosophical and spiritual discourse on the question of human suffering. But what sticks out in my mind most is the discussion between Jacob Shtarkah and Izzy the Cockroach in Will Eisner’s Life Force. In Eisner’s words and in the way he illustrates Jacob’s face; you are shown the desperate want to survive and the bleakness of the depression that Eisner and so many others experienced when he was young. Through that tale I can learn lessons from those experiences, though I am a years removed from their occurrence.

By this blog I hope to share a little of my love for the comic book and to enjoy the medium with those around me.