How I Read Comics

Nowadays just about the only thing I read is comic books.I have regular books in my bookcase.Some of those don't even have pictures.But nothing has grabbed my attention like the comic book.I'm not sure if it's the characters, the format, the art, or whatever that has roped me in.But here I am.I even blog about comics here and there.

I also read other blogs about comics.I've stated many times in the past that I just don't understand the fandom.After reading so much negativity and people taking it upon themselves to become comic activists and others just pulling all sorts of subtext out of them I often wonder if I'm actually the strange one.I don't even try to find any subtext in my reading material.It requires too much thinking.Thinking isn't a bad thing, but sometimes I want to suspend that and just enjoy myself.

What am I even looking for?Am I just reading them to kill time?Is this just one more activity that I'm going to drop a year from now when something else comes my way to distract me?Is there something of substance to this hobby that I have adopted and spent soooo much time and money on?I though maybe I could look into that.

I go to my LCS on Thursday morning.It's the best time for me.I usually have a good idea what I'm looking for because I'll scan Diamond's shipping list sometime during the week.I'll first get what I know I want and, if I haven't already spent all of my money, I'll go through the shelves and pick up some random books that I think might be interesting.It doesn't seem like a big investment for me to spend 3 or 4 dollars to try something out.Sometimes I'll pick up a TPB too.There's definetely some impulse buying going on there.

When I sit down to read my comics I'm looking for one main thing:I want to feel like I'm in the story.It should not register in my brain that I am reading a comic.I should know what is going on without having to backtrack and re-read anything.The art, the lettering, and the story should all just come together and take me away.Allusions to real-life situations like politics or any -isms don't affect my enjoyment or my ability to escape.Why not?It's FICTION. Even fiction about real events is still fiction.I feel that if I let my own agenda taint my reading that I'd be cheating myself and I wouldn't enjoy them as much.That's pretty much what happened to me with video games.

Getting back to my point, I just need to feel swept away.I want to feel like I am standing right there with the characters, seeing just what they see.If, when I finish the comic, I open it up again it's because I want to re-read something that blew my mind and not because I was clueless about what went on.And that's really it.I watch movies with the same mindset.I want to be entertained.I'm here with an open mind.I'm not interested in social commentary unless it is part of the story.I'll accept the flaws if the product is good enough.I don't think that makes me weird.

As far as whether or not this will last with me I just don't know.It's been about two years now and my interest is stronger than ever.And I don't know what they could do to piss me off enough to make me stop.This hobby scratches all sorts of itches for me.I get to read, look at (mostly) great art, organize them, and there's an endless amount of material.I think the outlook is good.

This post was pretty pointless.I think I just wanted to write something today.Anything.Par for the course, I guess.