My love for comics date back to when I was 5-years-old, enjoying the Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. I had a ton of Superman paraphernalia, the favorite piece being the Superman costume I regularly wore around the house that literally made me Superman. I even remember being in kindergarten, sitting in the all purpose room, thinking, "Sure my hair's not black and I don't wear glasses, but I'm still Superman!"
While I enjoyed the adventures of Superman, my brother Jason liked Batman, a character I didn't discover and idolize until Mom introduced one of her favorite shows as a kid, Batman, starring Adam West and Burt Ward. Later, in 1989, during the height of Batmania, I saw the new movie starring Michael Keaton. While it was different from the TV show, and not quite what I expected, I loved every minute of it. Immediately I forget Superman; Batman was the man! And as if to make the transition official Aunt Susie made Jason, Zach and I Batman costumes for Halloween.
After the Batman craze died down my fickle attention drifted to Dick Tracy (played in the 1990 movie by Warren Beatty) and finally to the World Wrestling Federation where Hulk Hogan became my new hero. But my interest in Batman renewed when, waiting for popcorn at the movies, I saw a little sign hanging from the ceiling, the Batman symbol emblazoned proudly in the center, the yellow background replaced by snow, beneath which said, "Returns," and, under that, "June 1992."
I fell in love with the character all over again and when June came around I saw Batman Returns, sealing forever my love of Batman. Afterwards I started buying Batman comic books, and then "The Death of Superman" storyline opened my eyes to the fact that there were two comic book companies: DC and Marvel, each considered it's own "universe," meaning characters published by the rival company didn't live in the same "universe" with its characters.
Marvel's heroes like Spider-Man and Captain America lived in the same "universe," meaning they'd occasionally run into each other. And so, being both Batman and Superman were published by DC, and lived in the same "universe," they too occasionally ran into each other, as did all other characters in the DC universe like The Flash and Green Lantern. So I started buying comics published only by DC, because those characters were connected, no matter how loose, to Batman.
Then came Batman: The Animated Series, which I think, based on its stories told without the burden of complicated comic continuity, is the best representation of the character. Not to mention the elevation of second-rate villains into real powerhouses or the way the voice talents of Kevin Conroy really bring the animated Batman to life.
As my interest in comics increased several friends and I in fifth grade produced a comic book. (Many have told me they still have their copy.) The first issue sprang from a Batman drawing I drew in art. It was horrible, but compared to what'd come before I was blown away. There were about five of us, I think, and we passed around pages, with everyone basically just adding whatever they wanted. Our first issue was a success; almost everyone in the fifth grade bought a comic, however the second issue wasn't as fun. It became too much like work and was never produced.
I wanted to be in the comic book profession, but, even if I had the talent, I didn't want to draw or write a comic because I'd be creating instead of experiencing, and therefore it wouldn't be enjoyable. So, after the second issue never materialized I discarded those ideas and decided I was going to own a comic book store one day. Everyone in my family had experience with running a small business. Surely I could do the same.
At the same time I still swore blind allegiance to DC characters. But, as I've said before, I was quite fickle in my youth and when X-Men, an animated series of the Marvel comic, debuted on Fox Saturday mornings I resisted it. Of course I caved later when, almost without choice it was so cool, I bought an X-Men action figure of Weapon X. ("Weapon X" was the code name for X-Men front man Wolverine when he was being implanted with his indestructible adamantium skeleton.) Afterwards I couldn't resist the show and decided maybe Marvel wasn't so bad after all.
So my comic collection grew to encompass both DC and Marvel, but I didn't start reading them until the end of junior high. The practice continued until the end of my freshman year of high school when, as I've talked about before, I was trying desperately to be cool and attract the attention of any girl I could. And being a comic book geek just didn't cut it.
Later in high school my interest in James Bond 007 possessed me to start reading real books and I didn't pick up comics again until late sophomore year when I was comfortable enough with myself that I didn't care if anyone knew I read comics.
I still read them today, mostly DC characters. Even though I subscribe to many Marvel titles, I still consider myself a DC man, for no reason other than that DC's heroes first caught my eye. These superheroes represented something that caught my attention, but what about them was so interesting?
In my younger days I think it was because I yearned for the glory, or the seeming glory, others had in academics or the baseball field or the basketball court that I didn't. For me it was easier living vicariously through the glory of superheroes, knowing, on the outside I might be painfully ordinary, on the inside I had something infinitely greater than anyone with the ability to get an A, hit a home run, or score a three point shot.
The same reason holds true today. My enjoyment comes from the comfort it brings in reminding me of my childhood when it wasn't so much of a fantasy, but a reality where evil could so completely be conquered by a man in a cape and cowl, where I'll too in turn, succeed.
Buddy Winkle is a former staff writer for the Daily Dunklin Democrat.