Comic books and their counterpart movies are the rage of this century. Never before has a genre as such been so wildly popular even though comic books have been around for more than a hundred years. But what makes them so great? Why do these colorful and over-the-top characters attract billions across the world to be glued to the books or to the big screen, at times waiting in line for hours to watch one two-hour movie? Moreover, how did these characters created by Stan “the man” Lee and the late Jake Kirby become not just characters on a page, but inspirations in real life?
OK, personal story time. If you all know me, you know that I’m a nerd. No going around that. My love for all things "super” and “hero” know no bounds. That’s because comics changed my life. The millennials these days have the fortune of having comics become blockbusters worldwide and it is quite “mainstream” to be a comic book nerd. This isn’t how it was when I was growing up in the “mean streets” of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Just kidding it wasn’t mean but private schools are indeed quite rough. Life was different back then and having glasses, weighing around 80 lbs and being a fan of comics wasn’t really easy. There was barely anyone I could share my interests with. I was just a little different I noticed. I loved European soccer instead of cricket, loved American comics instead of Bengali TV shows. There wasn’t much I looked forward to in all my fourteen years in the country cause frankly I didn’t have much fun in those bland, boring, at times mentally exhausting private schools. But coming home to a new comic or going to a bazaar with Dad to buy a comic book, now those are the memories that are priceless. Being home was far more fun than school. Because comics gave me an escape mechanism, so as to speak. Comics brought me to the world of Peter Parker, or as we all know by now, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! We all know the story of the ordinary nerd who gets bit by a radioactive spider to become the web-slinging super awesome superhero we all know today. I drew my own connections, he wore glasses, I wore glasses! He was a bookworm, a nerd; hell I was the very definition of the word. He didn’t feel accepted and I knew that feeling all too well. So every night I would go to bed hoping that some spider would bite me on my hand and I would wake up with perfect vision and able to shoot webs out of my own hands. They made me want to be Bruce Wayne because Batman is flat out the coolest man on earth and comics - give me another man you’d rather be, well I’m sorry there isn’t. I wanted to be him, to be all of them. It’s far stretch I know, but what kid doesn’t want to be Spiderman, Batman or even Superman (not the biggest fan personally, but I’m told he’s a big deal). Sitting in my bed reading
As children we are told to run wild with our imagination, create our own crazy mythical world. Comics help elevate that, make us believe we are the Batmans and our teddy bears are the Robins and we fight to protect our family, our house, like it was Gotham City. When we see these larger than life characters save lives, do good for the world, these ordinary citizens become something greater, it inspires and motivates. Every child needs a hero to look up to, heroes that tell them to do right and help those who need it. They teach us to be to not discriminate, to not hate on anyone o. Basically, everything any of our moms have ever lectured us on…just their not wearing a cape. I would say they aren’t as strong as superheroes either but we’ve all seen their angry modes, uh uh I’d rather fight the Hulk. The way I look at it moms are our real life super heroes, but that’s a topic for next week.
I will leave you all with this: if it weren’t for comic books or superheroes, I wouldn’t be the guy as I am today. Without comics, I don’t know if I would’ve survived those fourteen years. But now I am an adult. The real world that used to be a distant future is the now. I haven’t read a comic in years and that’s unfortunate but we all grow and change out of our old lives. I’m glad nerd culture is mainstream now, but I’ve never stopped being a fan. Never have I missed a superhero movie and nor will I. I will forever be a nerd at heart and I’m not ever gonna be sorry about it. As long as it’s still fun to me, why stop following it am I right?
“I don't really see a need to retire as long as I am having fun.”
-Stan “The Man” Lee
