Back in 2010, I stumbled upon a copy of Flash #186 in one of the local comic book shops. I was two years out of college and I was looking for a new hobby. Although I wasn’t much of a reader back then, I absolutely loved Greek mythology, and I knew the Flash was based off of Hermes, who happens to be my favorite god. I decided to pick up my first comic book that day and in the months that followed, I tracked down as many Flash comics as I could find.

What started it all: The Flash #186 (Jan. 1969) – My first comic book acquisition.

Eventually, I ventured into other comic book titles. These magazines get published only once a month and I found that waiting for the next issue without reading anything else in between was a chore. I began picking up whatever appeared interesting on the shelves, venturing from one genre to another. Eventually I found myself reading Bill Willingham’s Fables and discovered later on that he wrote a spin-off novel, Peter & Max. At the time, I hadn’t even read a book that wasn’t required for school, so I saw it as a challenge to jump into this pictureless form of literature.

It was a bit intimidating; I kept thinking it would be such a waste if I lost interest half-way and ended up not finishing the book. It would stay on my shelf collecting dust, serving as a constant reminder of a failed endeavor. But a few chapters in, I realized my fears were unwarranted. I found myself enjoying the novel just as much as the comic books, if not more. After finishing the novel, I kept picking up more novels – graphic or otherwise – and I haven’t stopped since. I now read classic literature, modern novels, and comic books in pretty much any genre. In other words, I just read whatever.