To tell you the truth, I’m a bit of a noob when it comes to comic book collecting. (Not a bit, maybe a lot!)

When I was a kid, I wanted to make a career out of this hobby, but my parents thought it was a waste of money and space.

Ironic though that my mom consigned some collectibles (Comics, Trading Cards, etc) from the local hobby shop. So, at one point in our lives, my brother and I were drowning in various comic books, which we devoured happily.

I remember having some Asterix and Obelix, some Archie, Richie Rich and some other obscure comic books back then (Cyberforce and Wetworks, I believe. Obscure for non-comic book collectors). I also remember a lot of X-men comics and some Marvel and DC. But mostly, it was a lot of Asterix and Archie. This was back in the 1990s, people. I was in grade 3 or 4, I think. I was young.

But my biggest favorite comics back then was Calvin and Hobbes. I discovered it when I borrowed my cousin’s copy, while we were at my grandparents’ place. I took it home with me for the night, and I haven’t stopped loving it since. It was THE comic book I really enjoyed reading and bringing to school. And I wasn’t shy about sharing my love for it. (Unlike the way I felt sharing my love for, say, Asterix, Richie Rich, Batman and Superman. It was just different.)

I saved up all my lunch money just to buy the books. At that time Bill Watterson had already retired from making comics, so he already had his collections published. My love for it went past collecting the books, I even made a term paper about it. I think I got a 90/100 for that term paper.

It was a philosophical discourse on the moral discussions in the strips. I made it when I was in fourth year high school. I should say, it was a love that translated well into paper, as you can see from the grade that I got.

Unfortunately, this love story went through a rough patch. I left the Philippines to work abroad, and I couldn’t bring my collection. I packed them all up, my Archies, my Asterix, X-men, Richie Rich and Calvin and Hobbes, into some boxes, and said good bye. In 2009, one of the biggest storms to ever hit Manila, Ondoy, flooded our neighborhood. With the flood went ALL of my collection, plus some Calvin and Hobbes books.

I was devastated when I found out about the flood, and all the loss we endured as a family. I know a lot of human lives were also lost that time, and crying over a collection is just, some ways, wrong. But I did.

It didn’t really hit me that I lost so much (stuff), until I finally came back home, sat in my room, and stared at the single box that managed to escape the flood. In it were a few journals from high school, plus 75% of my Calvin and Hobbes collection. My brother managed to save a single issue of X-men, which he gave to me.

When I was in Singapore, I didn’t really bother collecting or buying any comic books, because I knew I’d probably be lugging them from one place to another. So, when I got home and found myself with only a box of Calvin and Hobbes, I decided that it was time to stop. I just didn’t have the heart to collect anymore.

That was in 2010. Now, it’s 2012, and DC just came out with the New 52. They had a new writer for the Dark Knight issues. His name was David Finch.

I saw the ad of his book signing on Fully Booked’s weekly mailer. And man, I couldn’t resist checking out his works.

That. Yes, that was the time I got back into comic books again. I bought some of his works, plus some Grant Morrison. Downloaded some CBRs online, and I was hooked AGAIN!

The joy of reading comic books, and looking at the art. It’s just awesome. I can’t even put it into words.

If you’re not into comic books, then you’re missing out on a lot.

I love the look of comics books. I love the smell of old comic books. I love the art that goes into it. (Though, not from all the artists.) I love the stories. I love the villains. I love the superheroes. I love how easy reading it is. I love when a comic book makes me go “OHMYGOSH” I just love comic books. Period.

And with the rising number of titles in comic books and graphic novels, there’s really just too much for anybody out there. So, you have to limit yourself to your favorite characters and stories.

Personally, I like Batman. I used to like Superman more (because, yeah, he was more famous), but growing up, the human factor in Batman kind of resonated more with me. And he’s so emo, it’s sometimes borderline funny. I also like The Avengers, Green Lantern, Deadpool, The Incredible Hulk and for graphic novels, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

I’m a girl, so people might ask if I like any heroines. Well, I do like Catwoman. She’s such a complex character. Wait! Let me rephrase that, I like and hate her. Sometimes she’s a heroine, sometimes she’s a villain. Which is what I feel I’m like, in real life. Haha! The Scarlet Witch is intriguing. But mostly, I like the male heroes and villains.

My all-time favorite villain would be The Joker. Mostly because my favorite Batman story is The Killing Joke.

So yeah, lately, I’ve been into comic book collecting. Which is also why I started this blog.

I wanted to share my experiences venturing back into the comic book collecting scene, and maybe get some knowledge from other collectors out there. I would love to hear your thoughts on A LOT of things (e.g. Comic Book Grading, collecting tips, where to start with a specific character, etc)

I am seriously loving all the Marvel and DC works lately. But I want to get my hands on some Deadpool.

I just don’t know where to start.

So, that’s it. More posts in the future. Hopefully, more substantial ones. Later