In the last few
months, I have been very disillusioned by one of my hobbies, almost
to the point of giving up on it altogether. Luckily, and initially
thanks to my mate, Paz, I decided to take a look into the wonderful
world of comic books and graphic novels. Back in about September, Paz
started me off with Batman: Hush. I think it's from the early-to-mid
2000s and is easily my favourite to date.
I can't put my
finger on exactly what hooked me in; it could've been the story by
Jeph Loeb, leaving me wondering who the mysterious Hush would be (I
had my pick throughout, was thrown off the scent before coming back
to my original choice towards the end!); or maybe it was the artwork
on display.
On the subject of
artwork, it's been over six months later, I still have no clue what's
considered 'good' or 'bad' artwork, but I think, like a lot of my
fandoms tend to be, it's completely subjective. Ultimately, I know
what I like and what doesn't work for me. For example, I've just
finished reading Crisis on Infinite Earths (yes, it was a “heavy”
read, Tim – Comic Connections?!) and prior to that I read Batman: A
Death in the Family. Both of these titles' artwork are very
old-fashioned to me. That's just my personal preference and in no way
a knock on the artists or fellow comic book readers who enjoyed the
artwork of that era. I mentioned this to the owner (?) at Comic
Connections (Banbury, Oxfordshire) and he seemed disappointed in me
for saying so! I think it's probably a good thing that I've pinned
down which art or artists I like because it'll help me choose the
right graphic novels and, in turn, characters.
Speaking of
characters, I initially went with Batman and The Hulk as my 'safe'
options. I felt I would commit to, and lean towards them, on my
journey into comic books. Very quickly, I realised that, although I
loved The [Incredible] Hulk TV show of the early eighties, I wasn't
necessarily going to enjoy the comics and graphic novels of the big
green giant. I think it really bothered me that there didn't seem to
be much Bruce (David?) Banner; it was 99% Hulk and not his alter-ego
at all.
This realisation
also let me know one of the main things I'd look for going forward: A
human element to my choices in characters. That might seem strange as
there should be, and probably is, a human element with every
superhero, but with some it seems that, for the most, it's not there
as much as I'd like it to be. This is probably the reason why I've
gone off Superman, too; yes, he has a human side but it's already
annoying how untouchable he seems sometimes. This is why I'm
gravitating towards Batman (from the start of my fandom) and new
characters (for me, anyway) in Nightwing, The Flash and Shazam.
On a side note, I
really love the idea behind Shazam! Putting the magic stuff aside, I
love that a young kid, in awe of other heroes, can say the magic word
and become the world's 'mightiest mortal'. Even when he is the
adult-looking superhero, he's still such a mark for his own heroes!
Brilliant!
As the days, weeks
and months go on it's becoming clearer to me where I should go with
regards to characters, stories and timelines (if that's the correct
term – still learning!). Batman is my main man. I love the
darkness, his determination, and pretty much all the characters that
have anything to do with him. It's why I've got a lot more time for
Robin (all the incarnations; especially Jason Todd/Red Hood) and
Nightwing – a collection of graphic novels that are definitely on
the 'to do' list!
With all the years
and years of comics to choose from, I wondered where the hell to
start. I've decided that my best bet is to read the significant
events of the last thirty-years and then go from there. I've already
struggled through Crisis on Infinite Earths and have Infinite Crisis
on order. Next will be Final Crisis despite Tim's (Comic Connections,
again) warning and then I'll read The Flash graphic novels leading to
Flashpoint. Once I've gotten through that marathon I'm hoping I'll be
a little more clued-up! On completion of this, I'll carry on with the
Batman and Robin series that I'm in the middle of, continue my
journey and education into The Flash and also other titles of the
'New 52'.
I realise that the
'New 52' is going through somewhat of a revision, which I believe
'Convergence' will sort out (this is the most modern series that I've
invested in), but in the meantime I'm really excited to catch up on
the previously-mentioned titles, learning and enjoying along the way!
It's such a nice
feeling to read something that hooks me in, keeps me wanting more,
and as the end approaches has my heart racing a little at how it
might end. It's a great feeling that's been missing from other
hobbies in my life.
I'm sure I'll thank
them much more in the future, but huge thanks go to Tim at Comic
Connections in Banbury, Oxfordshire for giving me advice and being
extremely knowledgeable, and a massive thanks to my pal, Paz, for
giving me great recommendations, lending me titles that peak my
interest, and answering my never-ending, and often stupid, questions
as I try to work my way through the DC Universe, timelines and
'Earths'?!
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