Confessions of an 80s kid turned Comic Geek

Having grown up a kid of the 80s, I unfortunately came across comics a little late. I was already a devote fan of such 80s cartoon franchises as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Thundercats when I came upon what I would argue is one of the greatest comic book movies ever made, Batman Returns. Without waging the whole “Who’s the best Batman argument?”, (though clearly Michael Keaton was the best, just saying!), it was a comic book film that had vision and gravitas, luring me into the world of Gotham City and leaving me wanting more.

While I’d been all too familiar with the 60s version of Batman, which ran in afternoon repeats, it wasn’t until this film that I realized I wanted to delve further into this newfound world of comics, and thus picked up that issue of Detective Comics. And what a time to jump in!

The early 90s in comic book history is a time that is both praised and ridiculed by comic fans. Seen as a time right before the industry itself threatened to implode upon itself, as far as I’m concerned, I came upon the genre at just the right time. The huge Image exodus of creators from Marvel Comics had just taken place, with new comics from newly formed Image Comics fighting for a stronghold within the market. Long running franchises such as Superman and Batman were at the height of pop-culture relevance because of the heavily marketed Death of Superman and Knightfall storyline, which saw Bruce Wayne’s Batman replaced by a more aggressive young protégé, Azrael, who can almost be seen as a precursor to Nolan’s Batman series. Though future blockbusters like Marvel’s The Avengers were far from both their past and future heydays, they were still cranking out monthly issues that were breaking new ground and riding the wave of the successes seen throughout the industry. And hey, we all survived the oft-ridiculed Clone Saga storyline from Spiderman. ‘Nuff said!

90s comics were all the rage, coupled with animated cartoon series such as Batman: The Animated Series and Spider-Man, the likes of which we haven’t seen since. While my classmates were all about the afternoon and Saturday morning cartoon series, I for the life of me understand why they weren’t also into reading the comic books that had launched those very stories? They were more interested in video games and sports, things that never held much interest for me. As such, I always understood that being a comic book fan was possibly going to be a lonely journey.     Perhaps that’s why it was only fitting for me to stumble upon what would ultimately become my greatest love of all comic book series.

Going about my comic collecting journey for months, I was blissfully unaware of the fact my comic book holy grail was right around the corner, as I was introduced to the series that would sustain my comic fandom to this very day, The X-Men. That afternoon, when my attention was caught by the shiny foil embossed cover to Uncanny X-Men #300 at the neighborhood convenience store, everything changed for me.

For the first time since beginning to read comics, there were characters who looked like me. Not just me, but the other kids at my school and around my neighborhood. While Batman is a magnificent series, and I don’t want to knock it, it’s not exactly known for its overt diversity. With the X-Men, I began reading the adventures of a group of mutants, who protected a world that feared and hated them connected with me on a deeper level. Being a kid who never really had a ton of friends, who was years away from realizing the things about himself that made him different from most of his classmates, I understood what it felt like to be different.

Unlike Batman, who was thrust into being a hero both as a way of seeking revenge and out of a sense of responsibility following the murder of his parents. For the X-Men, they were simply born with gifts, and used them to save humankind seemingly from itself. Couldn’t we use a bit of that in the world today? And thus began my near thirty-year love affair with the X-Men. It’s been a rocky road at times. Through plenty of crossovers and relaunches, retcons and retreads, there’ve been many a rough patch. (I’m looking at you, Regenesis.) But no series has been a more consistent presence in my life than the X-Men.

I sometimes amaze myself with how I’m able to remember 50 plus years of comic book history, yet have trouble remembering what day the trash runs. It’s just the way things are. I choose to look at it as a gift. In no other genre does such a litany of amazing tales exist. As the years pass, I often fall back on some of the great tales I’ve read. Claremont’s early 80s Uncanny run and Morrison’s revolutionary 2000s New X-Men run both come to mind. With renewed interest in the franchise and odds looking like they will make their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe soon, it’s a good time to be an X-fan. The latest run, though not everyone’s cup of tea, is a bold vision for the series that seeks to take it to heights it hasn’t seen in a while. While not completely onboard with everything the current regimes are crafting, they’re keeping the franchise I love afloat, so for that I’m willing to give them their due. After all, it’s still a great time to get into comics!