doomed to be a fanboy

I blame it on Kevin Smith, Big Brain Comics, and spending 5 months working in downtown Minneapolis. We walked by Big Brain for the first few weeks we were in Minnesota on our way to lunch and dinner from the apartments where we stayed during our trip. I was always looking for something to occupy my evenings and keep me out of the cold. I heard that Kevin was going to be writing the new Green Arrow for DC Comics. One evening on the way back from eating, we dropped by to see if I could find it. I already loved all of Smith's movies and thought it would be interesting to see his writing in another form -- even if it was one I hadn't put much thought into for 20 years.

As it turns out, they Green Arrow series had not arrived yet. Instead, the owner of Big Brain turned me onto a trade paperback of a Daredevil series Kevin had written for Marvel Comics. I was instantly hooked. Kevin's writing, Joe Quesada's pencils, and Jimmy Palmiotti's inks drew me in the same as the comics had when I was much younger. You can tell that Kevin Smith is a long time comic book fan. He demonstrated a natural flair and reverence for the art form. Matched with the great art team, he succeeded in creating a great story arc.

I started to pickup titles I remembered as a kid - X-men, JSA, and the coveted Green Arrow. Then, I started picking up titles from some of the new publishers and smaller arms of the big two like Chaos, WildStorm, Image, and my personal favorite - CrossGen.

And as always seems to be the case with me and my buddies, I slowly moved from picking up one title into a full-fledged habit. I've even got a local shop, Titan Comics, I visit every weekend. I'm quickly filling up the storage boxes in my bedroom. I'm sure Becky will be asking me to find another place to keep the cardboard eyesores before too long. If you haven't picked up and read a comic book in many years, find your local comic shop and check it out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It is definitely not the comic book world your remember from your childhood.
posted by Bob

keeping up with the baddleys

I couldn't be outdone by Baddley. Now, could I? After all, if he is doing it -- all the cool nerds are jumping on board. I could let myself slip down any rungs on the geek ladder of fame!

As bad as I am about answering emails on a timely basis, I'm sure this experiment is prone to ending in a quick, quiet whimper. However, I figure it can't hurt to give it a shot anyway. What's the worse that could happen? This page goes the way of Members Only Jackets and Checkered Vans... Is that really so bad?
posted by Bob