END OF AN ERA

(Image Courtesy of Google Images and DC Comics)

On August 31st, DC Comics will relaunch its comic book line with "The new 52" but before that happens I wanted to write about how I got into comics.

It was the fall of 2004. I had graduated from college that Summer and like most graduates I didn't know what my next step was. I had my degree in TV production but I no idea how to break into the business.

My mom who knew I had an interest in writing my own scripts, decided to buy some comics one day, hoping that would spark my creativity. The comics she brought home were Superman/Batman 4, 5, and 6.


(Image Courtesy of Google Images and DC Comics)

I couldn't believe what I saw. Batman and Superman were muscular and ripped and could chew through you in a minute. The art by Ed McGuiness was pretty incredible. All the characters popped off the page as you read through the story.

The story itself was excellent as well. Jeph Loeb(writer of the movies "Teen Wolf" and "Commando") was culminating a story that was started in the "Superman" comic where Lex Luthor had become president of the U.S. during the 2000 Presidential election.

There was a big meteor of Kryptonite heading for earth and Luthor blamed Superman as the cause. Batman joined with Superman to find out how to stop the meteor and they are both considered Public Enemies of the U.S.

Luthor placed a one million dollar bounty on Superman's head for anyone who could bring him in. Subsequently, every supervillain comes out to collect the reward on Superman.

If you ever want to read the whole story, there is a trade paperback and hardcover book entitled, "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies."

With this story I became an avid comic book reader and I have stayed one for close to a decade. Now with this new initiative, I feel that maybe I should stop for a while and concentrate on creating my own characters.

I'll still pick up a comic or two along the way. I'm really excited to read "The Bionic Man" by Kevin Smith.

So for now I say thanks to DC and Marvel for giving me many years of inspiration and happiness. I hope one day a character that I've created can do the same for someone.

Class Dismissed.
The Professor