Hail all,

There was an established interest in comics, and that only grew over my teenage years, but it wasn't until I had all grown up that I felt the need to grow down. The early 2000's were a decade of comics being taken seriously - especially at the box office. Spider-man of course led the way, the 2002 film definitely impressing. That of course opened the doors to sequels, and many other great comic book films. But the one that really brought me back into the fold was the sublime Batman Begins. Who didn't like that film? It had everything you could want in a Batman picture, and it was a big step up from the criminal Batman and Robin. Below I quoted a scene I really enjoy. I tried to find it in video, but I was unable to. The best I can offer is this link, which will lead you to the video.

Carmine Falcone: You're taller than you look in the tabloids, Mr. Wayne. No gun? I'm insulted! You could have just sent a thank you note.

Bruce Wayne: I didn't come here to thank you. I came here to show you that not everyone in Gotham's afraid of you.

Carmine Falcone: Only those who know me, kid. Look around you: you'll see two councilmen, a union official, a couple off-duty cops, and a judge. Now, I wouldn't have a second's hesitation of blowing your head off right here and right now in front of 'em. Now, that's power you can't buy! That's the power of fear.

Bruce Wayne: I'm not afraid of you.

Carmine Falcone: Because you think you got nothing to lose. But you haven't thought it through. You haven't thought about your lady friend down at the D.A.'s office. You haven't thought about your old butler. Bang! People from your world have so much to lose. Now, you think because your mommy and your daddy got shot, you know about the ugly side of life, but you don't. You've never tasted desperate. You're, uh, you're Bruce Wayne, the Prince of Gotham; you'd have to go a thousand miles to meet someone who didn't know your name. So, don't.. don't come down here with your anger, trying to prove something to yourself. This is a world you'll never understand. And you always fear what you don't understand. Alright... Yeah, you got spirit, kid. I'll give you that. More than your old man, anyway. In the joint, Chill told me, uh, told me about the night he killed your parents. He said your father begged for mercy. Begged. Like a dog.

---

Being a bat-fan from a young age it was nice to see a mature approach to the caped crusader for once. It didn't hurt that Scarecrow was a terrifying villain and that it was altogether just well made. Finally comics were getting the big-screen treatment they deserved, and like many other impressionable filmgoers, it led me back to the source material. I got the Hush storyliine, The Killing Joke, Year One, The Long Halloween and many more. I started watching old Animated Series episodes, and I fell in love with Mask of the Phantasm. Yet, Batman still was just a small leap into comics. It needed a shake up to get me in deeper. And that was on it's way...

Cheers,

Senno.

Hail all,

With an established interest in comics, with Tintin and Archie leading the way, I started looking at something a little more mature. The odd comic I got in showbags wasn't enough to satisfy, and the ocassional comics page I perused in the local newspaper certainly gained my attention, but not my interest. Being a teenager in the late 90's saw me get into the Batman films (yes the horrible ones, I know this now), and my mind was blown. Then there was The Punisher and some others that escape me. But it was a chance encounter with Bloodshot #0, (remember that amazing cover?), that got me into gangster and criminal comics. No longer were comics the child like stories of youth! Now they were adult, grisly, and uncompromisingly violent. I devoured the issue, and started a growing collection. My mother noticed and even got me a few. But there were few places to get comics at that age, and I had other things on my mind (read, girls), and comics were once again given their marching orders to the back of my mind. It wasn't until much later when they came back in a much bigger way.

Cheers,

Senno.

Hail all,

I began reading comics at an early age. Initially it was at my school library, trying to view any kind of picture book possible. Things like Dr Seuss, Mr. Men, Where's Wally and more. I think it was a librarian who directed me to Asterix, and the rest, as they say, is history. And while I wasn't really enamoured by Asterix, I found Tintin and Archie and they definitely kept me going. By then, The Simpsons came out with comics, and I started getting into Batman and other superhero themed comics. I began devouring whole issues in a single setting, but I wasn't really a comics nerd until well into my twenties. I enjoyed the other media from comics, such as the Batman and Spider-Man films, but during the tender years comics were a curious object. I was more into video games.

More to tell,

Cheers,

Senno.