This thing that I used to give my life over to is collapsing in upon itself. It's sad, really. I find myself nostalgic for yesterdays. I miss the excitement of firing up the laptop and seeing where our minds could go.
I had a routine back then. At the height of comics' Infinite Crisis/House of M/52/Civil War fervor, on any given day, I would, easily, check some two dozen comics blogs.
At the time, there were hundreds of comics-related blogs to choose from. My own personal litmus test for reading a blog was that you could entertain, find new spins on oft-discussed topics and post somewhat regularly. To me, it said something to certain folks' writing ability that they could rise to the occasion and land in your blogroll.
Today, I might check two and that's on a good day.
Yesterday, I went looking for new comics blogs to add to our blogroll and really didn't come up with much. It made me a bit nostalgic for the days when I had to remind myself not to overload my old blog, "Seven Hells!" for fear of it looking cluttered. I cannot lie, I miss the excitement of wondering what would come next from the minds of others.
Better yet, I miss the Big Two of DC and Marvel providing us with something to be excited about. I think the blogosphere feels it, as well.
For years, we have been followers of the adventures of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. We read and I can only speak for myself, we read out of love. Love for a medium that could give birth to these avatars of our imagination.
In 2009, we've been told that this love will be returned by these characters by... sending them away.
Again.This time around, Superman will be vanquished to space.
Wonder Woman will be broken.
Batman, R.I.P.
In the wake of Infinite Crisis, they went away again.
Some ten years before that, they were sent away in the interest of death, dishonor and disaster.
Over at Marvel, the villains won and Spider-Man, greatest foe The Green Goblin has been handed the keys to the Marvel Universe. Two weeks ago, I read a comic where the regal Doctor Doom and the son of a god, Loki sat in a room and took orders from a character barely qualified to hold their capes.
Meanwhile, the moral compass of the Marvel Universe, Captain America, lies dead.
Given these circumstances, anyone would find it hard to be inspired.
It's almost as if the Big Two are daring us to find some sort of inspiration in imagination's downturn.
I'll take that dare. I'll find some.*
Inspiration is out there.
Meet me back here Friday to see what I find.
*If you find it before I do, feel free to post here, as well.
4 comments:
Ahhh, the days of blog reading. How I miss thee (well, kinda). You lot are one of 3 blogs I still check by every few days. I've been trying to get back in to blogging myself of late, but eh, I'm not really feeling it. Current source material isn't helping.
I have to say it...
"Comic Book Ronin" would be an awesome name for a a comic strip.
Or possibly a column in a fanzine.
Arryne:
It is a good name, isn't it? :)
It's so good, I trademarked it as soon as I saw it!
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