I made a decision at the start of 2017 to not purchase monthly issues of comics. So far I am not at all disappointed with this. Since I stopped my weekly visits to my local comic shop, I've been reading my extended backlog of comics that have been on my reading list for far too long.
I wrote about Old Man Logan last week because I my love of reading comics was rekindled. This wasn't just the fault of Mark Millar who wrote Old Man Logan, but also one of my best friends and podcast co-host, Jimmy Nonas.
Jimmy got hooked on comics years ago, (and I say this proudly) because of me. My passion for and knowledge of comic books and superheroes intrigued Jimmy enough for him to ask for recommendations. I started him off with The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Kingdom Come by Mark Waid with art by Alex Ross, Watchmen by Alan Moore, Planet Hulk and World War Hulk by Greg Pak and, of course, Old Man Logan. After that, if I remember correctly, I got him hooked on Batman's early years with The Long Halloween and Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (Loeb would go on to become one of our favorite writers). From there I got him interested in DC major crossover events like Infinite Crisis by Geoff Johns and Final Crisis by Grant Morrison.
These are my standards as far as getting new readers interested in comics. Once a reader gets into these, it's easier to recommend things that go a bit deeper than major crossover events or single character mini-series. For instance, if a new reader is eager to keep reading but wants something different than the canon of either Marvel or DC characters, I would then venture outside of the big 2 companies and recommend Top Ten by Alan Moore or Saga by Brian K. Vaughn. Or if going outside the big 2 is too intimidating, or you haven't gotten enough of the big name heroes then I'd recommend stories that focused on a single character or team but wasn't canon or was a very detailed look into a characters career. Examples: Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar or Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt or Justice League of America: Tower of Babel.
As the years progressed, I got more into runs by specific writers, most of which I've already mentioned; Grant Morrison, Loeb, Moore, Millar, Johns, and Waid. But now I'm including stuff by Brian Michael Bendis, Dan Slott. Both of which catch a lot of flack from readers, but I have nothing but praise and admiration for both. Check out DareDevil: End of Days by Brian Michael Bendis and Superior Spider-Man by Dan Slott!
This is where Jimmy comes in. He's been borrowing books from my library for years, and has been pushing for me to try reading comics digitally. I've resisted for the longest time, because I'm a publication purist. I prefer my comics in print and in my hand. There's just something about looking at a stack of comics that fills me with happiness. Anyway, Jimmy's argument finally won out and he sent me a buttload of digital comics last week.
Well call me Mr. Readalot, because I haven't been able to stop reading! My love of reading has always been a point of pride for me, but even the most hardcore readers experience burnout every once and awhile. Marvel's Civil War 2 really took a lot out of me and I grew weary of current story lines. Jimmy saved me and started a raging wildfire!
So far in the last week, I've read Spider-verse by Dan Slott, Injustice: Gods Among Us vol. 1 by Tom Taylor, and Superman vs. Terminator: Death to the Future by Alan Grant. And now I'm 15 issues into Injustice: Gods Among Us vol. 2, with Thor: Ragnorak, and X-Men: Messiah War on reserve.
So thank you, Jimmy my friend, for rekindling my love of reading comics and lending me these terrific titles. AND for being persistent about the benefits of reading comics on my tablet. At least 3 nights in the last week, I've caught myself staying up way too late reading, something I haven't done since I was a kid. I love it.
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