I officially have a pull list with my local comic book retailer. Stranger yet: the guy who owns the place now recognizes me when I walk through the door. Clearly I buy a lot of comics… And, well, this is actually kind of awesome. Most of my comics are coming from a local place called All Star Sportscards & Comics. It’s probably the best place in Gainesville to get comic books. Though it’s not as big as the other major comic shop in town — MegaComics — the prices are better, the staff seems friendlier and more helpful, and every time I go there, I spend money (which is great for the owner, but not always so good for my bank account — oh, hell, who am I kidding? I love comics).
In a way, I’m fortunate to live in a town that even has a comic book shop. Short of buying hardback or trade paperback collections, without a shop, I’d have almost no way to rebirth my interest in the form. And that, I think, would be a horrible thing for me, as one of the things sustaining me through what is one of the toughest years I’ve had in a while (in terms of work and intellectual requirement) is this rediscovered passion for comics. I’m having those little kid moments again. You know the sort. You open a book, movie, comic, or pack of collectible cards and you experience some variation of the following: tingling skin, goose bumps, elevated heart rate, an uncontrollable desire to smile or jump up and down, and just an overall feeling of excited euphoria. I had those moments when I was a kid only a few times, really. Video games and movies were part of what helped me survive what I would describe as a relatively shitty
childhood. Comics were part of that, too, though I certainly moved away from them when I hit my teens (RPGs and video games filled that gap). In a way, I’ve always been a geek, so there’s something nostalgic and generally pleasurable about rediscovering something that made you happy when you were younger.
That’s what it’s been like the last few weeks. With all the things going on in my life at the moment — most of them stressful, but not necessarily “bad” — I need something to help me decompress. Comics are doing just that right now. And I’m loving every minute!
Anywho. You may wonder what I put on my pull list. Well, here you go:
- Superman Unchained
- Superman & Batman
- Justice League of America
- Cable & X-Force
- Uncanny X-Force
- X-Men (Vol. 4)
- Nova
- Secret Avengers
- New Avengers
- Iron Man
- The Wake
I also have subscriptions to Batman, Justice League of America (through a donation I made, which is cool), Uncanny X-Men and Uncanny Avengers. I may switch the last two to the regular pull list when the subscriptions are up; apparently the comics are not properly bagged and boarded when shipped, which means they get a little beat up through the mail. I’m a bit of a collector now, so I’m not a big fan of slightly-mangled comics.
That list will probably change over time, depending on how the stories progress. Right now, I am pretty much obsessed with Batman, Uncanny X-Men, and Cable & X-Force, though I’m sure Superman Unchained will join the obsessions list soon (Scott Snyder is writing it, which means I am almost guaranteed to love it).
Needless to say, comics are one of the many things I am grateful for right now. If ever there was something to discuss during my Week of Joy, comics would be it!
What about you? What are you reading, watching, or just straight up loving right now? Let me know in the comments.
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It Happened (or, Yeah, I’ve Given Up My Life to the Joy of Comic Books) #WeekofJoy
I officially have a pull list with my local comic book retailer. Stranger yet: the guy who owns the place now recognizes me when I walk through the door. Clearly I buy a lot of comics… And, well, this is actually kind of awesome. Most of my comics are coming from a local place called All Star Sportscards & Comics. It’s probably the best place in Gainesville to get comic books. Though it’s not as big as the other major comic shop in town — MegaComics — the prices are better, the staff seems friendlier and more helpful, and every time I go there, I spend money (which is great for the owner, but not always so good for my bank account — oh, hell, who am I kidding? I love comics).
In a way, I’m fortunate to live in a town that even has a comic book shop. Short of buying hardback or trade paperback collections, without a shop, I’d have almost no way to rebirth my interest in the form. And that, I think, would be a horrible thing for me, as one of the things sustaining me through what is one of the toughest years I’ve had in a while (in terms of work and intellectual requirement) is this rediscovered passion for comics. I’m having those little kid moments again. You know the sort. You open a book, movie, comic, or pack of collectible cards and you experience some variation of the following: tingling skin, goose bumps, elevated heart rate, an uncontrollable desire to smile or jump up and down, and just an overall feeling of excited euphoria. I had those moments when I was a kid only a few times, really. Video games and movies were part of what helped me survive what I would describe as a relatively shitty
childhood. Comics were part of that, too, though I certainly moved away from them when I hit my teens (RPGs and video games filled that gap). In a way, I’ve always been a geek, so there’s something nostalgic and generally pleasurable about rediscovering something that made you happy when you were younger.
That’s what it’s been like the last few weeks. With all the things going on in my life at the moment — most of them stressful, but not necessarily “bad” — I need something to help me decompress. Comics are doing just that right now. And I’m loving every minute!
Anywho. You may wonder what I put on my pull list. Well, here you go:
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