Recently I’ve been rediscovering an old habit. I’ve been really getting back into comics. That’s not entirely accurate, I guess, because I’ve always loved comic storytelling, but it was only for a very short period that I actually considered myself a comic collector. I can remember the handful of early comics that hooked me some time in 1985, leading to some intense collecting behavior through 1987. Beyond that, I picked up a handful of titles, but I was short of cash and was a little self-conscious about the whole thing.

Yeah, I was a little embarrassed about the whole thing, particularly during and after the whole puberty thing. Still, since that time I have continued to be a comics fan, though my collecting shifted from individual monthly titles to graphic novels. Occasionally in High School and College I would pick up a book. And in the last 15 years, those purchases have not abated. Every year, at least a bit of my birthday Amazon gift certificate goes toward the purchase of graphic novels.

So I’ve kept up to date, at least to some degree, with the goings on of a few favorite heroes. I’ve got a lot of Wolverine and Batman and Punisher books. Maybe I’m a few years behind the monthly mags, but I still enjoy the stories. And I’ve got a pretty wide collection of Marvel Essentials, these huge collections of classic titles they reprint in black and white to save money. There’s nothing like those early Stan Lee Spider-Man and Daredevil titles. And The X-Men collections cover the classic Chris Claremont stuff from the 80’s.

Since my birthday, a couple months back, I’ve been getting more and more back into it, and finally, I’ve taken the plunge and subscribed to a couple of titles. I’ve also purchased a stack of storage boxes and bags, and I’ve spent the last several nights refreshing my old collection and anticipating the new additions.

Maybe it’s because I don’t care anymore about walking into a comic shop. Have I finally put puberty behind me? Let’s hope so. It also helps to have a 7 year old in tow. I mean, as I’m scanning titles I can pretend I’m really in there for him, right? As soon as he’s finished looking at the scantily clad heroines and razor-clawed heroes in all their brilliant color, we can move on to the big box store and browse for patio cushions and gas grill utensils.

Talk about flawless cover, right?