Ah yes, the world of books. Books can take us anywhere we want to go, can turn us into anything we want to be, and can allow us to hope and dream to be better versions of ourselves.
For some people the Lord of the Rings is their jam (great books), the Harry Potter books for others (so great), some people liked Nancy Drew (never read them), and some people like Fifty Shades (hey you like what you like). But for me, I've always been into comic books and graphic novels (those are big long comic books in case you were wondering). But this morning I got to thinking, what would be better: life in comic books or real life? Let's break this down kids.
1. Superheroes
COMIC BOOK WORLD: They're everywhere. Which is amazing because A. they're just awesome, and B. someone is constantly fighting to protect you. How great is that!? They wear fun costumes and have cool sayings, and they can do the impossible like fly or punch through a building or have laser eyes.
REAL LIFE WORLD: We do have superheroes here. Our Armed Forces, teachers, firemen, nice neighbors that carry you home from the bus stop when your tooth falls out (shout out to my childhood neighbor!), and while some of these people do have a uniform, it isn't required here to be a hero.
WINNER: Real Life. Sorry Cap, but I'll take our soldiers over you any day.
2. Villains
COMIC BOOK WORLD: Now these guys are badass, they want to take over the world, they want to be supreme super being, they always ALWAYS foil their plans by doing something dumb or being too cocky.
REAL LIFE WORLD: Terrorists, murderers, it's a lot harder to peg a villain in this world and it's a lot harder to shut them down. Just as a superhero could be your neighbor, so could an enemy.
WINNER: Comic Books. At least I know the guy trying to hurt me wears a metal M hat.
3. The Job Market
COMIC BOOK WORLD: Do you want to be a journalist, scientist, owner of a multi-billion tech company? Ok! Congrats you're hired.
REAL LIFE WORLD: How many hours did I spend tweaking my resume and browsing LinkedIn and Glassdoor?
WINNER: Comics. That's not ever hard. Sign me up for Superhero please!
4. Threat Level of Dying at Any Second
COMIC BOOK LIFE: Oh are you just popping into the bank, visiting the doctor, or out to lunch with a friend? The likelihood of aliens coming down from the sky and smashing up all the buildings while fighting the superheroes is likely. Maybe stay indoors at all times. Or don't. Because chances are that building is going to get blowed up real bad.
REAL LIFE WORLD: It's a little safer. While there are lot's of real life threats that surround us, I'd say 7 times out of 10 your safe to get a sandwich, run to the ATM, or stay in your house.
WINNER: I'm picking real life here. I don't really want the man of steel to just topple a building (s) because he doesn't like someone. Or the Hulk to tear apart a town because he and Black Widow had a fight.
However....
5. Coming Back From The Dead
COMIC BOOK LIFE: This is nothing new. If you die, you probably aren't dead, and if you did actually die there's some voodoo witchcraft magic that can bring your ass right back.
REAL LIFE WORLD: Death and Taxes. Once you die, you're dead.
WINNER: Believe it or not I'm giving real life the win here. Death is a natural part of life, and in some ways can be a beautiful thing even though it's a terrible loss. The ability to celebrate a life and honor a memory is a good thing, and usually when someone comes back from the dead in comics, they're never truly the same and never the same person they once were.
So in all honestly, and I'm shocked to say this, I'm giving real life the ultimate win here. While some days may seem mundane or boring, we can always bring little bits of our favorite parts of comics or books into our lives. All it takes is a little imagination.
