Comic Book Romance part 1

Comic Book Romance is a title of a book I have been talking about doing for about 15 years now. In that time it has undergone a number of transformations depending on what might be influencing me at the time.
Once is was a murder mystery where an artist murdered the writer he was working with or so it seemed. that version actually had it being the editor framing the writer because the writer had done something cliche like sleep with his wife/girlfriend.

At other times I looked at it as the backstory of comics. The who's sleeping with who, who screwed over who on a business deal and a mixture of fact, fiction, legend and myth.

One other version tried to take the high road. Showcase the wonder and enjoyment comics can create.

I decided that I kept falling short on all of those. I was trying to figure out a way to entertain someone other than me.

This is my Comic Book Romance. Told at a point where I am spending the least amount on comics I ever have in my life. Very few things keep my attention. Very little is challenging me a reader. Most of the what I have picked up in the past year or so are design related - the first issue of Wednesday Comics is a brilliant take on current design merged with classic comic pages. Exciting. At least for me.

I love comics. Always have. The first comic I remember buying was Action Comics #491, the first one I remember reading was JLA # 172 - the death of Mr. Terrific. I remember Wolfman and Perez's Titans from the beginning. Perez drawing JLA. The transistion from Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes to the book just being The Legion of Super-Heroes. Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen telling the Great Darkness Saga. Barry Allen's wife being killed. Nemesis appearing in the Brave and the Bold. The Sword of the Atom - one of the first comics to radically reboot a traditional hero concept - after my own divorce that book makes so much more sense. The first Marvel I remember reading is Powerman and Iron Fist #65 - Kerry Gammill art and featuring El Aguila - New York City in the 80's - That is one thing about Marvel I have always enjoyed, real cities and when created by folks that were living there it came through.

So this is my new plan. Stream of thought on my history with comics. No prep, no research. Just memory and my keyboard. We'll see how far I get.