Do you remember your first time? That time when you proudly became the owner of your very first comic book or books will always stick with you. It’s what pulled you into a new lifestyle, because avid readers know that there is a level of addiction to comics no matter what your into. I remember the first handful of titles that welcomed me with open arms and took me into the fantastic worlds that literally changed who I would later become. I doubt that I would be writing this very commentary if I hadn’t been able to purchase those comics that day…then again, maybe it would have just been another day that started it all. I want to begin with Action Comics # 594 written by one of the masters: John Byrne. It holds a special place in my heart. Way back then, (when I was just a kid) I wasn’t the sophisticated reader that I am today. I only cared about who and what was on the cover, and this cover blew my mind. To set it all up a bit, I grew up watching Christopher Reeve in Superman and Superman II over and over again. Superman lore was my religion. I had the shirt, the makeshift cape, the action figures and the lunchbox. That’s why, when I saw someone pummeling my favorite hero, I was a bit distressed. I had to find out just whom this other costumed person was and how this was possible. I found out that it was another hero that went by the name Booster Gold. That made me really confused because heroes don’t fight other heroes did they? Well, there’s always been a complicated answer to that one.
The story takes place on a day of celebration: “Superman Day.” On a day that everyone is showing their support for the big guy in the cape, Booster Gold is going to the media trying to take the city’s number one hero down. Then things escalate when Booster takes a hostage in order to lure Superman in to a fight. That’s when the main event that I was waiting for happened and was I ever upset at seeing Superman getting knocked around by this other so called “hero.” Then I had reached the point I had feared. Superman seemed to be beaten at the hands of—wait! I had to quickly change that thought when I reached the last page. There was a second Booster Gold claiming that he was the real deal. Cliffhanger!! Being a kid with no money meant I was never able to read the conclusion but I read that issue over and over again. I was hooked. Comics were my new “thing”. It was probably due to the fact that my hero on a pedestal wasn’t as perfect as I always thought or hoped he was and that intrigued me. It was a direct reaction to the image on the cover. I’ll never forget its impact on me.
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