What Comic Books Mean to Me
I still remember my first comic. It was Batman #455. The Norm Breyfogle cover immediately captured my attention. I had no idea why Batman, who up to that point I had only seen on TV in the form of Adam West, was leaping angrily at a bride, or why that bride had a creepy skull mask on. But I wanted to know.
Shortly after that, I was able to persuade my parents to buy me the trade paperback of "A Lonely Place of Dying," the story that showcased Tim Drake becoming the third Robin while Batman dealt with the fallout of Jason Todd's death. That was the first full story I ever read, and that's where my love of Tim Drake started. I still believe he's the best Robin and I won't be told otherwise.
That was more than enough to hook me for life. I dove into the world of the Flash (West Flash, Best Flash) during the Mark Waid-written run on the title, and followed that though writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar right up to Geoff Johns. I watched as the Batman was broken, Spider-Man faced his clone, Superman grew a mullet, and foil covered every square inch of every single comic.
It was Kingdom Come that changed my world.
A bleak look into the future of the DC Universe, Kingdom Come (Mark Waid, Alex Ross) was the response to the edgy 90s "heroes" who were quick to shoot first and never bother with questions in the first place. Super-powered beings who had grown bored with humanity and felt nothing for the sanctity of life. The heroes of yesteryear in hiding from a public that felt them outdated and stale.
It was in this world that a reclusive Superman ends a ten-year escape to the Fortress of Solitude and has to reckon with what "Truth" and "Justice" mean in a world gone so wrong. He has to show people what a hero really is.
When I was a kid, I needed heroes.
A hero stands up for what's right. They stand up against anger, hatred, fear, and greed. They protect the weak, the downtrodden, and the ones who can't stand up for themselves. True heroes want what's best for everyone.
When I was a kid, my dream was to be the sort of hero that I needed. I'm an adult now. At least, that's what my driver's license says. I don't think I'm anywhere close to that. An adult or a hero. But every day, I come in this store and I get to show others the stories that meant so much to me. The stories that still mean so much to me.
And for now, at least, that's good enough.
Justin Snipes
"Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul I swear... until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share... I’ll never stop fighting. Ever."
-Superman, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?