First Encounters
I'll be honest. While I love comic books as a medium the majority of what I read is DC. Probably because the first comics I owned/read were The Flash, Firestorm and All-Star Squadron. When I first got into comics they were pretty hard to get. I'm from a small town so we've never had a comic shop here (nearest one is now is 8 hours away, though for a while we did have one in a town about 2 hours from here). I had to rely on convenience stores or drug stores to get comic books and even then it was hit or miss as to what titles would be available. Luckily I had a neighbor who was slightly older than myself who had a bit more knowledge of comic books. Through him I learned about Green Lantern's weakness to anything yellow, the fact that Aquaman needed contact with water once an hour and the effects that the various colors of kryptonite would have on Superman.
However, as my friend grew out of comics I grew more in to them. Some of the first comics I read as a kid were some of the most memorable and influential books I've read. So let me use this post to talk about some of them.
The Flash #347/Flash #4: I'm lumping these together because they were the introduction and RE-introduction to comics for me. The Flash #347 was the first comic I ever owned and to me had an amazing cover. The Flash was on trial for murdering the Reverse-Flash and the cover had him facing the members of the jury and placing his life in their hands. Most of the issue though dealt with Flash's Rogues dealing with an enemy that they thought was a resurrected Reverse-Flash. Still, the issue and the cover were so inspiring to me that I named the new dog my father got for us "Flash" (he was a doberman) all because my father said that as he got older the dog would run fast.
Flash #4 came at time when I had given up on comics for a year or so. The first that struck me (again) was the cover. The Flash was running from a giant mechanical monster and the colors on his suit made him look iconic. This issue introduced me to Wally West, who instantly became my favorite comic book character, and solidified my love of comic books.
Justice League International #11: Not my first Justice League comic (that was an issue from the JL Detroit era which I only vaguely remember) but it's the one that made the biggest impression. Full of laughs and characters I had never seen before, this issue was a great introduction a bigger, more fun DC Universe. This is where I grew to love characters like Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Blue Beetle and Mr. Miracle.
All-Star Squadron #54: My introduction to Earth-2 and the Golden Age characters. My love for Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and the rest of their contemporaries began here.
The Adventures of Superman Annual #1: My first Superman comic and still one of my favorite Superman stories. When every living thing (humans, cats, dogs, even insects) disappear from a small town, the President of the United States (then Ronald Regan) sends Superman to investigate. Superman discovers an alien has been abducting people in the town and using their brains to increase his psychic powers while their bodies are merged into a tentacled abomination. Part horror story, part superhero tale this was a fascinating introduction to a character that always wants to do the right thing and help everyone yet realizes that it isn't always possible.
Green Lantern Corps #220: My first Green Lantern comic and still the best Hal Jordan I've read. It takes place during the events of the Millennium crossover and Hal's fight with a Manhunter was exciting to read as a kid. Sadly, Hal became a rather boring character to me after this, so much so that Kyle Rayner and John Stewart replaced him (for me) as the best Green Lanterns.
Anyway, that's a brief introduction to my origins as a comic book reader/fan. In future posts I'll get in to some of my favorite stories per character/team and look at some of the books I'm currently reading.
However, as my friend grew out of comics I grew more in to them. Some of the first comics I read as a kid were some of the most memorable and influential books I've read. So let me use this post to talk about some of them.
The Flash #347/Flash #4: I'm lumping these together because they were the introduction and RE-introduction to comics for me. The Flash #347 was the first comic I ever owned and to me had an amazing cover. The Flash was on trial for murdering the Reverse-Flash and the cover had him facing the members of the jury and placing his life in their hands. Most of the issue though dealt with Flash's Rogues dealing with an enemy that they thought was a resurrected Reverse-Flash. Still, the issue and the cover were so inspiring to me that I named the new dog my father got for us "Flash" (he was a doberman) all because my father said that as he got older the dog would run fast.
Flash #4 came at time when I had given up on comics for a year or so. The first that struck me (again) was the cover. The Flash was running from a giant mechanical monster and the colors on his suit made him look iconic. This issue introduced me to Wally West, who instantly became my favorite comic book character, and solidified my love of comic books.
Justice League International #11: Not my first Justice League comic (that was an issue from the JL Detroit era which I only vaguely remember) but it's the one that made the biggest impression. Full of laughs and characters I had never seen before, this issue was a great introduction a bigger, more fun DC Universe. This is where I grew to love characters like Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Blue Beetle and Mr. Miracle.
All-Star Squadron #54: My introduction to Earth-2 and the Golden Age characters. My love for Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and the rest of their contemporaries began here.
The Adventures of Superman Annual #1: My first Superman comic and still one of my favorite Superman stories. When every living thing (humans, cats, dogs, even insects) disappear from a small town, the President of the United States (then Ronald Regan) sends Superman to investigate. Superman discovers an alien has been abducting people in the town and using their brains to increase his psychic powers while their bodies are merged into a tentacled abomination. Part horror story, part superhero tale this was a fascinating introduction to a character that always wants to do the right thing and help everyone yet realizes that it isn't always possible.
Green Lantern Corps #220: My first Green Lantern comic and still the best Hal Jordan I've read. It takes place during the events of the Millennium crossover and Hal's fight with a Manhunter was exciting to read as a kid. Sadly, Hal became a rather boring character to me after this, so much so that Kyle Rayner and John Stewart replaced him (for me) as the best Green Lanterns.
Anyway, that's a brief introduction to my origins as a comic book reader/fan. In future posts I'll get in to some of my favorite stories per character/team and look at some of the books I'm currently reading.
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