Becoming A True Believer: One Geek's Journey Into Comics [Part 2]
By: Mithrandiel
What's that old joke?
Introduce your kids to Magic: The Gathering, and they'll never have enough money to start doing drugs!
Well, I think collecting comics falls solidly in that category too.
I began my interest in expanding my collection in earnest just about 3 weeks ago, and in the time since I've been a little...busy.
If you joined me for my previous entry, you'll know that I was very interested in Donny Cates' work on Thanos, and more recently with Venom and Thor. I was able to play catch-up on both of these series in the last week (though I'm waiting for RogueSymbiote to hand off my copy of Thor 6 so I can get fully caught up), and there is some really exciting stuff going on in both of the worlds that Cates is so meticulously putting together. (My review for issue 27 of Venom, my first comic review, will be arriving soon!)
Recent additions to my collection
I also shared that one of my earliest comic book memories was flipping through the pages of The Death and Return of Superman while listening to the book-on-tape. I was delighted to find some iconic issues to add to my collection, hearkening back to those carefree days.
My continuing investment in Thor piqued my interest in expanding expanding my familiarity with the series, and after a little Offer Up hunting, I came across a deal that was just too good to pass up, resulting in the acquisition of what the kids would call a "fat stack" of trade paperbacks, including a complete Thor run.
Oh yeah, and another iconic comic series: Y The Last Man. I had a touch-and-go relationship with the comic when it first ran in the early to late 2000s, but the "go" part was mainly my fault.
That's right...it wasn't you, Y The Last Man...it was me.
The flame of comic book passion (and a recent celebration of the film's 10th birthday) also carried me back to another series I hadn't read since its original run: Scott Pilgrim.
I'm delighted to have the series back in my hands once again - this time in brilliant color!
Being a history nerd, I also found myself seeking out some good non-fiction around the history of Marvel, DC, and comics in general. I picked up a few digital titles to help get me caught up: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, DC Comics Year by Year, Superheroes and Slugfest. I'm about a quarter of the way through Marvel's history, and suffice it to say that the print industry has always seemed to have a hell of a time.
Finally, I picked up the first issue of Maestro - which tells the origin story of one of Hulk's most notorious nemeses: himself! An alternative version of the Hulk from a war-torn future, Maestro is a new series that is sure to give Hulk fans even more to look forward to, alongside their Immortal Hulk releases.
Overall, I'm finding myself immersed wholly in the hobby, though I'm still in the phase of rebuilding series that I'd owned previously or investing in familiar worlds and stories. In the weeks to come I'll continue to expand my horizons a bit, and would love some recommendations as I do!
Until next time, true believers!
UPDATE: The Journey Continues
What I'm Reading:
Scott Pilgrim [Re-read]
Y The Last Man [Re-read]
Venom
Thor
Maestro
Vox Machina Origins: Volume II
Recent Acquisitions:
Maestro#1
Thor #5-6
Venom #26-27
Scott Pilgrim Complete Collection
