Krakoom! Pow! Bang!

When I was a young boy there was nothing more that I enjoyed than going to the grocery store with my grandfather. Not because I was particularly fond of bargain shopping or squeezing melons. The reason was my grandpa would always buy me a comic or two from the comic rack if I managed to behave during the shopping trip. These trips started with the adventures of Richie Rich, Archie, and Casper the Friendly Ghost, and turned into a lifelong devotion to comics.

Of course, now that I am older and a librarian, I think a lot of people surmise that I read voraciously or only the finest in literature. I wish this was true, but to be honest I still read comics all the time. At least they call them graphic novels now. Makes me feel a bit older and a bit more mature. One thing that has definitely changed is the newfound acceptance and success crossover they have had in mainstream culture.

When I was a boy back in the 1970s, comic book heroes on television and in the movies where silly and corny. Those of us that remember the old Batman TV series or The Amazing Spiderman show can attest to that. The Incredible Hulk was Incredibly Hokey.

Flash forward thirty years and the landscape has completely changed. We now live in the age of the comic superhero. Leading the way is Marvel Comics. Even as a lifelong DC Comic devotee, I have to admit that Marvel has done a much better job with marketing and bringing the heroes from the comic page to the movie screen.

A book that speaks towards the awesomeness that has come into the library this week is “Marvel Comics: 75 Years of Cover Art.” This book collects all the brilliant covers that Marvel readers will remember throughout the years. Starting in 1938 with the Human Torch fighting evil and Captain America fighting Nazis (even before America went to war with Germany.) This wonderful book shows the covers in full size and takes us on a history of American Comics, from super teams, aliens, the troubled hero, and all points in between.

This past summer Marvel and movie fans were treated to the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy”. A couple of weeks ago the library put on the shelf the comic based on the movie that was based on the original comic. Yes, that happens nowadays. (Look for the movie to be available at the library in a few weeks.)

Another big movie to come out in the past few months from Marvel was “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” This movie centers on the character of Wolverine and his attempt to change the past to avoid the world becoming a dark, dreary place ruled by the Sentinels. This movie is already on the shelves at the library. Also available is the original comic, I mean, graphic novel of the same name. Hard to believe that the original story came out in 1980.

As if all of this awesomeness was not enough, we also have all the other Marvel movies and comics (graphic novels) that people have come to love: Marvel Avengers, X-Men, Spiderman, Thor, Captain America, and last but not least Iron Man.

So make a point of stopping into the library and enjoying the superheroes that you grew up with. No matter what age you are now.