The First Ones
Greetings fellow comic book enthusiasts! Az here, and this month (yeah, thought I could pull this thing down every other week but that's sadly another fantasy of mine that isn't going to happen. Keira, if you're reading this, I'm in the book. Call me) I want to talk about my very first comic books.
As you may have guessed, I love comic books. So much in fact that I named my internet handle after one (though he is not my top dog. Save that tidbit for a future article.) Today, I'll let you see what my very first books were. I won't include any real spoilers, that you couldn't find or deduce from the cover art. After all, we all know how accurate those are!
All of the books bear the July 1983 cover date (except War, which has March on it), so chances are that it was either in June or July when my dad bought them for me.
The first book is War #38, which is from the defunct Charlston Comics Group. The issue is as you may have guessed, about war from a soldier's perspective. If you liked Saving Private Ryan or The Longest Day, then this issue might sing to you as it did for me. Yeah, good versus evil is a dominant theme but the personal struggles of the men portrayed was what really got to me.
The backdrop for this story is World War 2 and the Korean War, split into three vignettes or short stories. The first is about an officer who freezes under pressure and tries to redeem himself after losing his command. The second jumps into the Korean War about a former WW2 pilot who has the worst luck and fights once more against the Red threat. The final story goes back into WW2 about what the soldiers are really fighting for.
I can't tell you how many times I read and re-read this one issue. I managed to buy another copy after my mom threw away my collection when I went to college (been rebuilding since), and boy, I still don't get tired of leafing through the yellowed pages. Harkens me back to a more innocent age, when a kid could be a kid and not have to worry about real life.
Next is the venerable Supergirl, pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths and also pre-headband and pre-disco. Heh, not my favorite rendition of a character but hey, that's comics for ya -- can't like'em all. Supergirl (vol.2) #9 also featured the wacky Doom Patrol crossover. Suffice to say, I was not wholly impressed with them at the time, but they were played straight and I could take them seriously. The story was kind of mediocre, but Supergirl was a fun read. Can't knock mindless fun when it's coming at you in a blonde wearing hotpants.
Green Arrow (vol.2) #3
Oh yes! This was the comic book that really said to me that heroes didn't need powers to get it done. Sorry Batman, Adam West and Hanna Barbera didn't do you any favors to me when I was growing up. Green Arrow was the true ruler of the night in DC. Yeah, in his travels with Green Lantern, they threw in a lot of politics and it fit his character.
In this mini-series, Ollie is working a strange case that would make the tv show "24" jealous. Conspiracy, evil tycoons, and corrupt politicians -- nothing new, but throwing in the dude with green dud and a bow was... ok, Robin Hood already tread this road, but screw him! Robin Hood didn't take down bullet-spitting thugs or Count Vertigo!
Daredevil (vol.1) #197
Ah, where would I be without mentioning a little Marvel. Yep, here's the shocker -- my first Marvel book was Daredevil and I was impressed. This followed the Miller run so yeah, you know how that went, but in this issue Miller is long gone but the aftermath of those events play a major role here.
Matt Murdock is actually being an attorney... not a very great one, but at least he's in the office. The plot surrounds Bullseye and Lord Darkwind. If that isn't a hook, I don't know what is. Fluidic art styles and overshadow effects very reminiscent of Green Arrow seemed to be a common theme for me I guess. I liked action -- hard and fast. Seeing DD being a one-man army like Green Arrow in a situation where I could buy into it, didn't hurt either.
Captain Carrot #17
And finally, the "spoof" comic or what 90% of America thought of comics before Will Eisner set them straight in '78 with "Contract from God". Anyways, this is the zany Zoo Crew outing featuring Captain Carrot and his furry band of spinoffs. If you've never heard of them, imagine the JLA.... just fuzzier and sporting tails.
In this installment, we get to see the other characters and more into their backgrounds. Fastback, Pig Iron and Rubberduck are the main stars.
Well, didn't want to bog you down with the details, but suffice it to say, this is just a sample and possibly an explanation into how or even why I am the enthusiast I have become. Sure, my interests have drifted somewhat but the core remains true. A good comic book is what you make of it. Keep on reading and never forget where you came from!
As you may have guessed, I love comic books. So much in fact that I named my internet handle after one (though he is not my top dog. Save that tidbit for a future article.) Today, I'll let you see what my very first books were. I won't include any real spoilers, that you couldn't find or deduce from the cover art. After all, we all know how accurate those are!
All of the books bear the July 1983 cover date (except War, which has March on it), so chances are that it was either in June or July when my dad bought them for me.
The first book is War #38, which is from the defunct Charlston Comics Group. The issue is as you may have guessed, about war from a soldier's perspective. If you liked Saving Private Ryan or The Longest Day, then this issue might sing to you as it did for me. Yeah, good versus evil is a dominant theme but the personal struggles of the men portrayed was what really got to me.
The backdrop for this story is World War 2 and the Korean War, split into three vignettes or short stories. The first is about an officer who freezes under pressure and tries to redeem himself after losing his command. The second jumps into the Korean War about a former WW2 pilot who has the worst luck and fights once more against the Red threat. The final story goes back into WW2 about what the soldiers are really fighting for.
I can't tell you how many times I read and re-read this one issue. I managed to buy another copy after my mom threw away my collection when I went to college (been rebuilding since), and boy, I still don't get tired of leafing through the yellowed pages. Harkens me back to a more innocent age, when a kid could be a kid and not have to worry about real life.
Next is the venerable Supergirl, pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths and also pre-headband and pre-disco. Heh, not my favorite rendition of a character but hey, that's comics for ya -- can't like'em all. Supergirl (vol.2) #9 also featured the wacky Doom Patrol crossover. Suffice to say, I was not wholly impressed with them at the time, but they were played straight and I could take them seriously. The story was kind of mediocre, but Supergirl was a fun read. Can't knock mindless fun when it's coming at you in a blonde wearing hotpants.
Green Arrow (vol.2) #3
Oh yes! This was the comic book that really said to me that heroes didn't need powers to get it done. Sorry Batman, Adam West and Hanna Barbera didn't do you any favors to me when I was growing up. Green Arrow was the true ruler of the night in DC. Yeah, in his travels with Green Lantern, they threw in a lot of politics and it fit his character.
In this mini-series, Ollie is working a strange case that would make the tv show "24" jealous. Conspiracy, evil tycoons, and corrupt politicians -- nothing new, but throwing in the dude with green dud and a bow was... ok, Robin Hood already tread this road, but screw him! Robin Hood didn't take down bullet-spitting thugs or Count Vertigo!
Daredevil (vol.1) #197
Ah, where would I be without mentioning a little Marvel. Yep, here's the shocker -- my first Marvel book was Daredevil and I was impressed. This followed the Miller run so yeah, you know how that went, but in this issue Miller is long gone but the aftermath of those events play a major role here.
Matt Murdock is actually being an attorney... not a very great one, but at least he's in the office. The plot surrounds Bullseye and Lord Darkwind. If that isn't a hook, I don't know what is. Fluidic art styles and overshadow effects very reminiscent of Green Arrow seemed to be a common theme for me I guess. I liked action -- hard and fast. Seeing DD being a one-man army like Green Arrow in a situation where I could buy into it, didn't hurt either.
Captain Carrot #17
And finally, the "spoof" comic or what 90% of America thought of comics before Will Eisner set them straight in '78 with "Contract from God". Anyways, this is the zany Zoo Crew outing featuring Captain Carrot and his furry band of spinoffs. If you've never heard of them, imagine the JLA.... just fuzzier and sporting tails.
In this installment, we get to see the other characters and more into their backgrounds. Fastback, Pig Iron and Rubberduck are the main stars.
Well, didn't want to bog you down with the details, but suffice it to say, this is just a sample and possibly an explanation into how or even why I am the enthusiast I have become. Sure, my interests have drifted somewhat but the core remains true. A good comic book is what you make of it. Keep on reading and never forget where you came from!
posted by Steven at 6:26 PM
3 Comments:
That ish of Arrow was on my desk the other day! One of my favorites from early-Post Crisis Arrow.
I think its awesome that you have those issues still.
My first superhero comic was an issue of Spectacular Spider-Man, with the Lizard as the villain.
Hell yeah! I almost blew a blood vessel when I came home from college and found my room was "cleaned out"!!!!
O_O
(not to mention everything else that was "me"... posters, toys, pictures.... if I didn't know any better, I think I was being erased!)
Fortunately, with the help of Al Gore and his Internet, I tracked down all my oldies and now they sit in my protective custody. Never again will they be thrown out like so much flotsam!
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