I am a 37 year old comic book fan named Jol. My day job is developing software, mostly web-applications for businesses and the federal government. Outside of a passion for technology, I have a few other things that I enjoy enough to be classified as minor obsessions: television, the NFL, baseball and comic books.
I was introduced to comics at the age of 10 when I inherited a garbage bag full of books from a neighbor. They were in bad shape and not of the superhero genre (Richie Rich and Jonah Hex mainly) but it was enough to get my juices flowing. I wasn’t able to afford to sustain any real reading momentum until I got a job of my own around 15 years old. Then I was able to set up an account at a local comic shop in Richmond Virginia. They would order and keep all the titles I wanted. Being an irresponsible kid, that didn’t last too long–I didn’t make paying a priority.
Recently, I have started ordering comics online, getting a monthly delivery. I love getting my monthly shipment, usually 30-35 comics from DC and Marvel.
Dr. Fate has long been my favorite (or so I remember). While I live my daily life in the world of logic and science, when I want to escape I enjoy the world of magic. Not the tuxedo and bowsaw of a stage magician. Or even the fantasy of wizards and sorcerers in stories like Lord of the Rings. No, I want my magic to be fantasical and in the “real” world. But at the same time, I like the idea of a balance between Chaos and Order–a sense that the world isn’t random. Additionally, I spend a lot of my time in my own mind (too much probably). Dr. Fate, in most of his incarnations, served Nabu a Lord of Order and worked to maintain a balance between Chaos and Order through his magic. He also took the time to explore how the minds of people dealt with reality or magic or anything. While his Marvel counterpart, Dr. Strange, is a medical doctor and former surgeon, Dr. Fate comes across more as a therapist–albeit a cold and distant one. Finally, almost all versions of his costume kicked ass.
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