I am a passionate fan. When I like your stuff I support you to the Nth degree. Case in point, the day before April began I picked up my first cd by The Avett Brothers. Since then I’ve picked up all of their studio offerings and just Saturday I went to see them live in concert.
So that tells you who I am. I’m probably loyal to a fault. I’ve continued to support Weezer despite my disappointment with their output for the last half decade. Hell, I’m still pretending to read Teen Titans. To quote Radio Raheem “If I love you, I love you. But if I hate you…”
And this really does translate over into my love of comics, at least when it comes to certain characters. More specifically, there are three characters that I’ll probably have an undying loyalty to; Green Lantern (specifically Hal Jordan), The Flash (specifically Wally West) and Starman (specifically Jack Knight.)
Green Lantern was the first comic character that caught my attention. I can distinctly remember falling in love with the notion of an energy ring that runs on willpower that anyone can wear. I remember being slayed at how, Justice League of America #200, Hal pretended to be receptive to Ray Palmer’s reasoning while subtly using his ring to subdue the tiny titan. It was so cool.
As a result I have most of the Hal Jordan DC Direct figures. I also have the Hal Jordan, Alan Scott and Kyle Rayner mini busts, as well as the original Hal Jordan Power Battery Prop.
And I’ve got the Alan Scott Power Battery prop too.
Wally West was my Flash. His title was the first “first issue” that I picked up as a comic fan. While he’d been Kid Flash for decades and an established member of the Teen Titans, I really felt like I was getting in on the ground floor with the character. When he assumed the mantle of The Flash in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, I thought it was one of the coolest moments I’d ever seen. Wally is still one of my favorite characters out.
And that’s why I’ve most of The Flash logo t-shirts. In addition to the traditional symbol, I’ve got the Reverse-Flash, Jay Garrick, Kid Flash and even Walter West and the Dark Knight Strikes Again symbol.
And just last week I received my Flash canvas messenger bag. It’s practical and proclaims my allegiance to the character.
Lastly there’s Jack Knight. I fell into the world of Opal one day when I stumbled across a long gone comic shop near the University of Arizona. I had some extra money and I’d liked Tony Harris’ art so I picked up Starman Secret Files and Origins. I was so impressed by the Starman dynasty that began collecting the title that day. And Starman became the first title that I started in the middle and went back to get a full run. And my full run of Starman is one of the most cherished runs in my collection.
Thus I’m enjoying collecting the series again in the Omnibus format. And I’ve got a tattoo of Jack’s logo taking up the majority of my back.
I love what I love and I’m passionate about comics. That’s why I’m not ashamed that next week I should have in my possession the Sinestro Corps Power Battery Prop that I preordered months ago. I’ve already got two other GL Power Battery Props, what’s one more to add to the collection?
