Thoughts & Things

Falling In Love With Comics

When I was a little kid, I was quite fond of comic books. I was happy to pick up the latest Simpsons or superhero release off of the shelves at the newsstand or off the magazine rack at Walmart. As long as it was exciting or funny, and easy to read, I was content to pick them up every now and then. As I got into my teens, I wanted to get more involved in some of the stories I came across, but so many of the stories were so far in, that I simply couldn't become immersed.

All of this changed in 2014. I had already entered my twenties, but the interest in comics from my childhood had never fully faded for me. I worked at a large bookstore with a substantial graphic novel section that I would often end up needing to shelve books in. I recall many instances of my eyes being caught by beautiful art, intriguing blurbs, and numbers on the spine indicating it was the beginning of a story I might want to experience.

It was when I worked at the bookstore that I found the comic that changed everything. I was sorting comics to be shelved, and I kept coming across the first trade paperback volume of a comic that looked incredibly beautiful. The front cover featured a couple; a man with horns, and a woman with wings. The woman held a baby in one arm, breastfeeding the child, and holding a pistol in the other hand, while the man held a sheathed blade. Despite the subtle colouring and the white background, the cover absolutely jumped out at me. The art was some of the most beautiful comic art I had seen, and the subject on the front cover was eye catching. I would find myself flipping through the art on occasion, admiring the sheer beauty of it.

Eventually I went into the store during open hours (I worked the night shift), and hunted down the book. I had shelved it personally so I knew where to look. The title of the series is Saga, so it was shelved with the S titles. Written by Brian K. Vaughn and art by Fiona Staples. The blurb was fascinating, but I was still trying to decide if I wanted it. I was almost positive until the man working in that section came over to talk to me about it. He told me it was one of the best current comics out there, and that it was best summed up as Romeo and Juliet meets Star Wars, but written in such a way that you care about every character, including the 'bad guys.' This had me completely sold. The decision was made.

From the actual first page of this series, I was hooked. It was one of those occasions where I felt as though I had found something written just for me. It is still genuinely my favourite series. Not only did this rekindle my enjoyment of comics, it honestly fostered a love for comics I had never experienced growing up. Since reading Saga, I have read many other comics series, and genuinely enjoyed most of what I have read. I have read graphic memoirs and graphic novels, and followed many comic series from beginning to end.

A slight enjoyment as a child eventually brought me to my perfect match as an adult, and I fell in love with a whole new medium of literary art. I found whole new publishers that hooked me, stories I never otherwise would have learned, art I never would have otherwise seen. Comics make me feel connected to the world in many small ways. Saga is not my only favourite comic, but it will likely always remain number one in my heart. Any series that leads me to the love I feel now, will always be special for me.

And for anyone reading this post who has not read Saga: I cannot recommend it enough.