My Current Obsession, Volume One, Issue One

As you, Dear Constant Reader, well know, I suffer from a bad case of POCD (Passing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

So here is my occasional series letting you in on the whats, whys and whens of Jae's current obsession.

My latest current obsession is: Comics and, more specifically, DC Comics.

Many moons ago, roughly 1995, my experience of comics went no further than the weekly deliveries of the Beano and the Dandy that my Nan ritually sent to me. But then my eyes were opened by my classmates at the Harvey... they introduced me to the X Men. Before long I was forcing my Mum to drive me on the 30 minute trip to Canterbury to visit "Whatever Comics" every week so I could spend hours searching through the boxes of comics there like a junkie searching for his next hit.

Let me take a minute here to just say... I have the best Mum in the whole world.

Soon I'd found my own direction with regards to comics when compared to my friends... I was addicted to the 2099 Universe. God I loved it, and soon enough I had every X Men 2099 issue, including the Gold Cover issue 1 (thanks to Martine and Nick, whose coolness only faded a few Christmas' later when they bought me a VHS copy of Batman and Robin.. yuck). Soon enough I moved back into the mainstream Marvel Universe (mainly because they cancelled 2099... bastards) and also started an obsession with 2000 AD. But ever since 2099 was cancelled my comic book obsession has been in remission. Sure I still buy the Judge Dredd Complete Case Files and I keep an eye on what is going on in the X Men stories even if I don't buy them... but for all intents and purposes I had given up.

Now I also had a major "Marvel Boy" kick... I "hated" DC Comics. I'd read a couple of Green Lanterns and one Superman in the Nineties and that was enough, so I thought, for me to write off DC as a lost cause.

Well my comic book obsession was kicked into gear after my visit to a shop in Catford. And then I saw Dark Knight. And I thought "Hmm... maybe it's time I looked up this DC rubbish and gave it a second chance". And so, having heard a little about it, I bought Volume One of the 52 series. And went... "Ooo... interesting". It had a few recognisable characters, Green Lanterns and Green Arrow. But it also had so many characters I'd never heard of... and off I went through Volumes 2 -4. And I am now hooked on DC. Not to say Marvel has gone down in my opinion (I bought the Venom origin book, and X Men #500) but DC is new to me, fresh... I want more!!

Nightwing really appeals to me... a buff young guy in tight clothes being a hero. Can't think what I see in that book. ;) Anyhew that's where I'm at... joy...

If you wish to help feed this obsession there is always my wish list... ;)