Luthor

Name: Kevin Porter

My Mom used to buy me GI Joe and Marvel’s Strange Tales in the early 80s as a way to get me to read.  I loved the GI Joe cartoon and the comic just seemed like an extension of that.  Strange Tales was my introduction to super folk but I have to admit, even though I enjoyed it at the time, the characters in the book left a lot to be desired(It was usually Dr Strange with a Cloak & Dagger or Power Pack back up) and none of those characters hooked me. 

A few years later my Mom and I were at a local drug store and she gave me a dollar to spend.  They happened to have a giant vat of comics that were marked down to 3/99¢.  After grabbing 2 random GI Joe comics, for some reason I decided to give something else a try.  I had always liked the Lou Ferrigno Hulk TV show and there was an issue of a Hulk comic book, so I thought why not…and that decision, literally, changed my life. 

The Hulk issue in question was Incredible Hulk #340.
It was written by Peter David and drawn by Todd Mcfarlane and featured a fight between Hulk and Wolverine(who I had never heard of before then).  It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.  It was violent and gory but smart and funny at the same time.

I decided that I had to have more, so that summer I went on a mad spree of comic book buying.  There wasn’t really an easily accessible comic book store(this would be 1988 and I would’ve been 11), so I would scan the classified ads for yard sales or hit the used book stores.  I also subscribed to pretty much every Marvel title.  An old guy who had a weekly yard sale and always had an endless supply of comics for me(usually at a ridiculous price of 10 books for a $1) talked me into trying something something other then Marvel books.  He gave me a handful of DC books for free and said he knew I’d be back for more…and he was right.  Most of the DC stuff he gave me was from Brave & The Bold which starred Batman, who I had always associated with the 60s tv show and Superfriends.  You can imagine my shock when reading these comics.  I went from Marvel Zombie to comic book mass consumer. 

If I saw something that looked comic related, I got it.  I got black and white indy books like Cerebus and Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters.  I got underground comix from a local skate shop(to this day I have no idea what those books were about).  At one point I even found out that Becker’s(an old convenience store chain in Ontario) threw out their old comics on Sunday nights and I began dumpster diving(that didn’t last long, one ride in a police car is enough for my lifetime).

There have been times in my life as a comic book fan where I could’ve easily walked away, but memories of that summer will always keep me attached.  If there is ever a book written about my life, that summer will have to be a chapter all in itself.




A Look at 'Justice League' - Part Two

On Aug 27, 2008 9:00 AM

Can't wait for JLU but you gotta do Batman Beyond too.  If you want to know the Universe, Batman Beyond is a BIG part of it.  It's better then you think, Conor, honest.

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Emo Kid From Krypton and The Future of the Comic Book Movie

On Aug 26, 2008 9:15 AM

I think Kory nailed it.  If you want to make a dark Superman movie, don't do it to Superman, do it to his surroundings.  Superman is light that everyone seeks in the darkness.  Take his villains and show how terrifying they really are and how threatening they can truly be but don't touch Superman. 

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200 Words with Paul Dini #24 - Big Fake

On Aug 21, 2008 4:00 PM

For some reason, this creeped me out way more then it should've.  The night I heard about it I spent most of the night in bed with a yard stick ready to pounce.  I am a strange bird.

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A Post Kirkman & Bendis Manifesto of Sorts

On Aug 21, 2008 10:55 AM

Nicely put, Ron.  Cheers.

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A Look at 'Justice League' - Part One

On Aug 19, 2008 9:00 AM

I love these articles and wish you would do more of them, Conor.  I'll also join with the popular opinion that Justice League is weak(IMO, the weakest of the the Timm-verse) but Justice League Unlimited is amazing(and by far my favorite series in this 'verse).   I also wanted to point out that the reason Starro wasn't used here was because he appeared on the Batman Beyond(which fea...

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Comic Sales: Nobody Knows Anything

On Aug 18, 2008 11:45 AM

Another great article, Jim.  I really look forward to your weekly iFanboy ramblings.

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08.13.2008 - Secret Invasion #5

On Aug 14, 2008 2:39 AM

Nice pick.  I really enjoyed Secret Invasion this week(but I've enjoyed the event over all).  My POW was really hard.  Walking Dead, Action Comics and Secret Invasion were all super strong books but Walking Dead was just better over all.  I wish more people were buying it in issues.

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Robert Kirkman's Editorial

On Aug 13, 2008 11:40 PM

@PaulMontgomery I think that argument is weak, my friend. Want proof?  Ever hear of a book called League of Extrodinary Gentlemen?  What about Lost Girls?  There are a literal ton of creations sitting in the public domain with amazing histories as colourful as Batman or Superman.

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This One Time, at Hand Camp...

On Aug 4, 2008 11:45 AM

Out of the Park, Jim. 

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The Promise of Superman

On Jul 29, 2008 11:26 AM

Great article, Paul.  You should consider doing a weekly Superman piece, as you clearly "get" the character. I've never read It's a Bird, but will certainly be seeking it out.   The "Superman works better elsewhere" argument has never held a lot of weight with me.  One of the things I enjoy most about the character are his interactions with and reactions ...

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