Welcome to Day 1

I’ve been reading comics for a long time now - in fact, literally as long as I can remember.

Comics were always around, thanks to my two older brothers, Mike and Bill, though none of us (including younger brother Eric) gave any thought to collecting them - we just read them and left them laying around, and at some point Mom would no doubt throw them away (throwing away comics is the reason why Moms were put on the Earth).

I couldn’t even tell you what kinds of comics they were - I’m guessing they featured cartoon characters like Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny, but I really don’t remember. They’re all kind of mixed in with the books I’d get during regular visits to the library - Dr. Seuss being a big favorite, of course.

But my brothers weren’t particularly fascinated by comics, and neither was I - until the summer my cousins gathered at my Grandmother’s house. My cousin Jonathan, who lived in Washington, DC, brought several of the comic books he collected, including some DC Comics - I was particularly interested in the Showcase comics. Those books struck my imagination, and it impressed me that an “older” kid was interested in comics - it was the beginning of my fascination that continues to this day. (And yes, I wish I still had every comic I had ever bought or read - I’d be a zillionaire, right?)

I’ve spent a couple of years writing for a blog about community theater, and I spent years before that reviewing video games and movies for local newspapers and TV stations. I also worked several years on several comic book-related videos that gave me the chance to interview some of the talented creators in comics. I figure it’s time again to focus on the hobby I’ve enjoyed for about 46 years now.

My plan for this blog is to review, at a minimum, a comic book a day, with the focus on new comics. I may stray occasionally for a flashback, or a graphic novel, a comic strip or a web comic, but the focus will be on offering honest reviews of new books, with no spoilers. How I hate the reviews that give away key plot points!

So thanks for reading! Comments are welcome, as long as they’re civil. I’ll try to keep it interesting and fun. Tomorrow: review #1. Wish me luck!