Tag: comics

A Lifetime of X

(Note: I made a similar post two years ago) When I was growing up, I stumbled upon my mom’s book of comic book covers. It was a large, soft-cover coffee table book, and I absolutely became enthralled with the images. The vibrant artwork and dynamic characters captivated my imagination in a way that nothing else had before. A few months, or maybe a couple of years later, I came across a spinner rack full of comics at Stater Brothers in Corona, California. Something about the cover caught my eye. It had a big, bold title in purple with these demons standing behind a badass-looking woman in green. Her name was Infectia, and she promised trouble! I instantly got hooked.

That summer of 1988 was magical. I spent every spare moment reading everything X-Men-related, especially the epic Inferno event. The characters, their struggles, and the intense storylines drew me in deeper than I ever expected. I found myself lost in the world of mutants, heroes, and villains, and it became more than just a pastime, it was a passion.

Flash forward 36 years later, here I am in 2024, still as enthralled as ever. I’m reading the latest issue, following a new team and a new era of X-Men. Despite all the changes over the years, that same sense of excitement and wonder fills me every time I open a new X-comic. I still feel like that same child, completely captivated by everything X-Men. Same as this kid:

The Death of Superman!

Wow, damn, has it really been 30 years since the Death of Superman happened? Sheesh! I was living in Hugo at the time. California was over a year away. When I think about the event, I recall how big the waves it was making. There were news broadcasts, talk shows, hell, I even think it was on David Letterman. I was 15, and that year I spent a lot of time with my friends, one of whom, Todd, may he RIP, has passed, reading comics, watching X-Men and Batman, and playing TSR’s Marvel RPG. It was a great time to be a comic fan and a teenager. It was the 90s! The internet was in its infancy, I think. The WWW may have happened in the same year. As I said, things are fuzzy. But here we are, 30 years down the road. Heroes die all the time these days and come back as often! But the death of Supes? That was and always will be iconic! When I saw that a hardcover edition was being released for the anniversary, I had to have it!

The image is of the cover of the Death of Superman special edition. On the cover is Superman's death flag made from his torn cape.
Hardcover of The Death of Superman

“To me, my X-Men.”

1988 is when my love of comics ignited into a conflagration that would burn brightly for seven years before dying down and being replaced by other joys.

The series to spark my love of comics was the X-Men beginning with the Fall of the Mutants event. To me, this era would become the last arc of Chris Claremont, who, in 1988, had been at the helm of the X-Men line for 13 years. An unheard amount of time to helm a comic book series. Then or now.

Whenever I think or talk about comics, this is where my mind goes to. This era has everything from tragic stories to gorgeous art to the introduction of villains such as Apocalypse, Hodge, or the Mutant Menace storyline. But beloved of all was the Uncanny X-Men roster: Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Colossus, Havok, Dazzler, Longshot, and Psylocke. To me, they were and always be, My X-Men.

Front and back cover of the Fall of the Mutants comics
Front and Back Cover of the Fall of the Mutants omnibus