I started collecting comics in middle school. I was given some issues of Uncanny X-Men to use as drawing references and not long after that I was buying my own titles. I ended up converting from Marvel to DC at some point (I’m not exactly sure when, but I’m pretty sure Chris O’Donnell had something to do with it). At the height of my collecting, I think I was getting around 15 different Batman titles every month. When I was in high school I would skip classes to pick up my new issues and read them in the park. Don’ t tell my daughter.

However, it was in 2003, right after Batman: Hush and Batman: Murderer story lines that DC and I parted ways and I stopped collecting new issues. The story lines were meh at best and just downright awful at worst. The characters started changing and they were no longer the ones I had fallen in love with. I didn’t like the new stuff. So, I decided to look backwards.

I spent my time (and considerable funds) picking up older issues. Every time I was in a new town I would find the local comic shop and spend an hour, sometimes more, looking through the back issues with my list. I ended up collecting a fair amount of comics. Well over 1,000.

It was about 10 years ago that I stopped collecting all together (something about having a 3 year old). I packed up my comics and proceeded to move the boxes from room to room, apartment to apartment. And they were heavy! But it wasn’t until we opened the Geekhouse and decided that was going to be their new home, that I even brought my comics out to look at them. I took my favorites and framed them and they decorated the center pillar of the Lounge.

But during this last move we had to make a decision. Space was limited , I never brought them out to read them, and it was way easier for Members to consume a bound graphic novel than individual issues. So, I did something I never thought I would do. I got rid of all of my comics.

I’m not going to lie, there were tears. My comics had been around longer than my child, and I’d probably spent more money acquiring them than her as well. So, when David and I decided to restart my collection in bound graphic novels I was really excited. Not only would I get to enjoy my favorite stories again, but I could share them with the Geekhouse. We started with the first two Batman Knightfall omnibus volumes and I’ve already gotten a list of the next few stories I want to add when we place our next graphic novel order. But I had never considered even looking at any of the new DC stuff.

However, just like my introduction to any other chicken than Teriyaki, it took David getting me something new to realize there are other things out there that I like. The DC Black Label, which I had never heard of until Christmas morning, tells stand-alone stories about traditional DC characters intended for mature audiences. Apparently they are also going to be reprinting DC Vertigo titles as well. So, that’s pretty cool.

For Christmas, David got me Wonder Woman Dead Earth by Daniel Warren Johnson and Harleen by Stjepan Šejić and apparently DC can still tell good stories. Dead Earth was such a cool concept with a good story, interesting characters and gorgeous art. Unfortunately, I read it right before we watched WW84, making an already bad movie abysmal in comparison.

But Harleen ended up being my favorite of the two. It might have been that Harley is a character I’ve loved since 1992, or how Stjepan takes his time telling the story and while still allowing Harley to be absolutely bat-shit crazy, he made her a more human and sympathetic character. Plus it had my all time favorite DC villain, Two-Face in it. Harvey with a beard (albeit half a beard) was awesome.

And I have never related to any comic more than with these two panels …

I would recommend getting your hands on some of the DC Black Label, especially Harleen. Or if you can wait, my copies will be available to read in the Lounge Library whenever we reopen.