Heroes Con.

So I've lost my Comic Book Convention virginity today by attending the Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC. It was hard for me to know what to expect and being a little bit of a newbie in the comic book world felt a little nervous about navigating the depths of the comic book's secret lair. Luckily for me I had my brother, also a relative newbie into comic books, for support and my good friend, and consequently the reason I've become a comic book fan, to show me the ropes of the con. It was definitely an exhausting day, but really fun and interesting! I learned more about comic books today then I had learned in the months of my budding interest! I also got some awesome deals on some comics that I'd been wanting, and other than one elusive Issue 3 of the Adventures of the Escapist comic book that I wanted pretty much found everything I wanted and got at least 50% off of it too! I definitely grew a deeper appreciation for the comic book artists and writers and am even more interested in the art form.

And I know what people think when they hear "comic book convention." Granted, some of the attendees looked like they just crawled out of their fortress of solitude and haven't had contact with human civilization in years, but there really was a diverse group of people at the con with varying interests in different types of comics. Within the comic book genre (if it's considered a genre, I'm not really sure how it's categorized) there are many different genres and styles, from horror to hero to Disney. What I really learned is how huge the world of comics is and that if you're interested there really is something for everyone's interest. I suggest reading a comic book, you might be surprised at what you find. If you want to learn a little history and to explore the Holocaust in a complete new, insightful and evoking way, check out the Maus series. If you want a personal memoir about the struggles to discover your sexual identity and the courage to claim it, read Fun Home. If you're looking for a political comment on our intervention in the Middle East, check out the well done and moving Pride of Baghdad. And when you're looking for your Superhero story with a slight twist, great pictures and a good story go out and get The Dark Knight Returns. All of which I highly recommend. And there's more for the many other things you could be interested in, whether it's a Disney comic for your kid or the new Buffy comics for those (like me!) who was obsessed with the show. Hell, I named my freaking cat after Buffy!

Hey, if all these movies are now being made from comic books, there's gotta be some good stuff there. And there is, and you don't need to goto a comic book convention to find it. Most comics are eventually made into trade paperbacks that you can find in most bookstores and on many internet booksellers. I can promise you you'll be reading more comic book reviews on this blog and I hope one of them inspires you to give them a try. Comic books aren't just for kids anymore.

Also, as a nice surprise, I was reminded how far reaching and great the Steelers Nation is! At the Heroes Con I literally saw about six different people in Steelers' jerseys! And then even saw some more people with Steelers' paraphernalia (such as a tee-shirt, etc.) Needless to say, Steelers Fans Rock!

*The picture is for my friend who was so generous to donate his time to guiding my brother and I through the mazes of tables and booths at the con. He pulled off that Spiderman costume very convincingly... Just Kidding! So he didn't wear a Spidey costume, but Spidey is his favorite and it was the cover for the Heroes Con so I thought I'd use that picture.