You ALWAYS remember your first!
Entertainment Weekly, a magazine that continues to endear me for how much comic book-related material they cover, has a terrific feature on their website right now, “Comic Books: The One That Hooked Me!”
In it, over a dozen of the top industry talents show what was THE book that brought them where they are today. I like that in many instances the writers and artists acknowledge that they may have picked up something here and there in their youth that was practically throwaway, but here they detail the one that really stuck.
For me?
That’s easy: The New Teen Titans #16
As a kid growing up in the 70s, I was all over ANYTHING to do with superheroes. I’d follow the adventures of the Hulk, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, you name it, on TV. Mom would buy me the occasional comic book of said characters, and artistically I could never have enough superhero coloring books.
But it wasn’t until the family moved cross-country at the end of 1980, and I started figuring out the monthly schedule of comic books at my new neighborhood’s 7-11. The book that locked me in like a tractor beam was this gem by Marv Wolfman & George Perez. The story blew me away as a kid (no happy ending??), but even more so was Perez’s rendering of Robin, someone I only knew as a guy voiced by Casey Kasem (Super Friends), and portayed in the flesh by Burt Ward (Batman). I don’t think think Dick Grayson ever looked so bad-ass in the yellow cape and red & green tights, but it turned out to be a sign of good things to come for the character. Nightwing, anyone? Plus the other characters who were brand new to me (Starfire, Cyborg, Changeling) were instantly easy to connect with.
So what locked YOU in?
April 9th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Death of Superman tpb.
I dabbled a little in comics as a kid - my mom would buy them occasionally to keep my brothers or I satisfied, and I sometimes traded old comics or unwanted toys for other kids’ comics at school, but I was too far out in the sticks to find a corner drug store or wherever it was that kids bought their comics in the early 80s.
(My favorite comics were the Goodwin/Infantino Star Wars books, which I was pleasantly surprised to find hold up quite well. Thanks, Dark Horse.)
I actually was a little leery of superheroes - why were they cool when it was Chris Reeve and Michael Keaton playing the parts yet so tragically sucky on SuperFriends? - but thought they had a ton of potential fun.
When Death of Superman hit, comics weren’t at all on my radar, but the mainstream press dredged up some youthful curiosity and, with the access granted by my drivers’ license and discretionary income, I went to the nearest comic shop. After considering between Adventures of Superman #500 (which I thought was the death issue - it was bagged, so how could I tell?!) and the trade, I elected to purchase the whole story in one shot.
The biggest element that hooked me: Lois and Clark being engaged. I can’t tell you how pissed I was at the ending of Superman II (not the least because, though I couldn’t articulate it at the time, I was offended by “Lois can’t handle the secret”) and how much I disliked the romantic triangle concept. If Lois and Clark could finally get engaged, and she knew his secret, then hey, comics actually well able to move in surprising directions.
Sign me up.:)
April 9th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I almost have to say “Star Wars” #1 from Marvel. That’s the first comic that I have a REAL memory of getting. In terms of the books that sealed me for life? X-Men, Legion, JLA and Titans.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Wolverine limited series…circa 1982 was my first mag.
My first official series that I followed religious however was X-Factor, believe it or not. (In my best Jack Palance voice)
April 9th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
ASM #249. I knew the characters from cartoons and what not, so when I saw the cover of the Kingpin towering over Spidey and Hobby I was hooked. After that one comic book I never looked back. I’m waiting a year before I pick up the title again, out of a sense of stubborness, but my collection starts at 200 thru current (no BND Issues).
[IMG]http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa170/richardfpfc/ASM249.jpg[/IMG]
April 9th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Funny thing…Star Wars #1 from Marvel. Troy and I are about the same age–but I was so into the toys back then that I just had to have a comic book with Luke Skywalker too!
Toys were a big hook for me–GI Joe and Transformers pulled me in again when the Transformers mini and the classic “silent issue” had Snake Eyes on the cover. I had all those dumb He-Man comics too.
I actually owned a healthy stack of comics by the time I was 4–I was one of those kids who always wanted to “ride with” when someone went to the store…I really think I was just in it for the spinner rack visit really…(laughing, wringing hands evilly)
After that–there was a shredded copy of Uncanny #129 at the day camp I attended during my early grade school years in Panama City, Florida. I actually hid that comic on the playground and read it daily because I couldn’t get over how awesome the artwork was–and I couldn’t believe superheroes went about town to stores in their normal clothes.
I actually bought the Phoenix Saga Trade in it’s first printing back then. It was HUGE–how could you say no to that?!?
April 10th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Well, I originally started reading back in the early ’90’s. I didn’t have a lot of guidance other than the fact that my brother had a Spider-Man OGN that I read. So I went to the comic shop and picked up stuff I was familiar with - Rogue was my favorite character on the X-Men cartoon so I got all of the issues of her miniseries. I really loved those books but I didn’t get full swing into comics back then, mostly because of the fact that I didn’t know what I was doing or what to buy and the guys at the comic shop ignored me. When I came back to the industry in 2002ish, I would have to say it was the Echo storyline in Daredevil by David Mack that hooked me. That taught me that comics are about more than people fighting crime, and made me start looking outside of the box a little more (and by outside of the box, I mean outside of Marvel). From there it was love!
April 10th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Flash v1 #180 (circa 1968). Flash versus the evil Baron Katana and his army of Samuroids. It was the first of a two parter that involved not just my favorite character, Flash in his oh-so-fuckin’-cool red and yellow costume, but my favorite warriors, the samurai…as androids! I musta read that puppy a bajillion times, moreso than any comic probably to this day. Why Flash? Because my collection consisted of about a hundred Superman issues where the Man of Steel had every known super-ability from super ventriloquism to super flatulence and there seemed to be a blush of kryptonite for every occasion that every bad guy had somewhere. BO. RING. Superman #199 with the race between Supes and Flash was another favorite of my childhood but the “tie” at the end was as much bullshit as the ending of King Kong vs. Godzilla, but I knew that favoritism was at play because of the marquee headliner. To this day I’m still pissed about it.
I also had about a hundred Adventure Comics about the Legion of Super-Heroes, and there’s only so much whining by Bouncing Boy a lad can take (ooh, if only there had been an Atkins Diet in the 30th century). Again, though, Superboy was omnipresent, which was fucking annoying. Clark Kent was the passive-aggressive diva in the 60s: he was all “Golly, shucks. Just wanna help people.” but he certainly made sure his mug was at EVERYBODY’S party and his presence known.
I had a few Batman issues, like 2 Green Lantern issues, and a handful of Justice League issues (issue 61, “Operation: Jail The Justice League” was probably my second favorite issue) and the last 2 issues of the Doom Patrol. All of these I adored more than the Supes and Legion stories.
But being a runner and a swimmer, a sprinter, being fast was my thing. So I looked up to the Flash as my peer in speed. I still own those issues, and man are they tattered up. But no money in the world will ever be enough to sell them as I still take them out from time to time and remember my childhood.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:47 am
JLA #200… my mom always bought me Richie Rich and Jughead and crap like that when we went to the grocery store, but that was the first time that I noticed a comic book that had all the “Superfriends” on it. I think the next book I got after that was GL #141, which was the debut of the Omega Men. From there on, I collected Superman Family, Detective/Batman, and JLA pretty steadily until we had the infamous “Mom threw out your comics” moment. I didn’t touch another one until I was in high school.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:50 am
By the way, that probably should have been JL of A #200 and old Green Lantern #141 (or maybe 142… just saw the cover of Wikipedia and that doesn’t look familiar). It was something circa ‘81 or ‘82.
April 10th, 2008 at 10:41 am
JLA #200 is still my favorite single-issue story.