It's a bird! It's a plane! ...

So, this is going to be a pretty specific blog entry and topic. I apologize of course in advance if it is uninteresting or something that does not relate to you guys. However, I'm going to give it a shot to make this fun to read. So anyway, as of late I started to really get into comic books. Now, I am nowhere near any cliché or stereotypical example of a 'comic book nerd' nor the comic book guy from The Simpsons either (You will see me however, wearing superhero logo t-shirts in class. Showing homage to what I read and like most). Although, I am very fascinated with the imagination and world that is created with just pen and paper. To let my mind wander and go along with the story and art that is created is simply cool. This generation more than ever is conceded with problems and issues ranging from the smallest of the small to no larger than that in many ways. So, to have a break from the mundane, a pause from the convoluted and to have the ideas of superheroes, action and drama all rolled together is an incredible escape.

It all started primarily with me wanting to read about Green Lantern, because of the movie that was going to be released. I felt that I needed to read anything I could find to understand Green Lantern, and equally, I would probably enjoy it. With that, I learned about the different characters, some back stories, how comic books are written, how many there are, etc. From there, I started to collect some trade paperbacks little by little. Which branched into other series and arcs (crossovers and plots spanning a while), and all that lead to a little collection. I have some Iron Man trades, some Hulk and Punisher too along with Green Lantern. I've collected some one shots too, like the paperback of Kick Ass and Watchmen. All interesting stuff to read.

The reason I mostly take pleasure in reading comics is because of the art aspect. I have always wished I could draw and be a great artist. It is a passion that has never evolved into skill and talent. Especially when I see a panel or page that looks beautiful or blows my mind, it humbles me that it is possible to create something like that. When I started to get into everything, my friend was talking about an artist named Alex Ross. Up until him, I've never seen something so well done. While ninety five percent of comics are drawn and colored I'm sure, Alex Ross draws and paints his. Meaning, every single panel he does for a comic, starts on a blank canvas and goes from there. He relies heavily on darks and lights, and it looks absolutely breathtaking. Below are two Justice League paintings. Personally, I could never in a million years be able to do something as such. The detail, the clarity, the vibrant color, it's almost mesmerizing to me to look at. And from all of this, I look forward to expanding, getting into some more stuff and just getting lost in the world of comics here and there.