Why I Love Spider-man

Yes, I'm (kind of) a nerd. I did (finally) get to Comic-Con this year, after all. And I do read/watch a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. Not that I don't appreciate other kinds of genres. I'm a sucker for good historical fiction, for instance. But my first love is that quick escape from reality (although many of those fictional stories mirror what's happening in the "real" world).

I grew up on mythological books and legendary novels (works by Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, etc.) And a lot of Stephen King. I didn't become interested in comic books and graphic novels until relatively recently, however. First with Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN series, then I looked into classic superheroes. Seeing who influenced what writer/illustrator and all that. And I remembered watching the old Spider-man cartoons when I was a kid. And got that catchy jingle stuck in my head again (don't worry, I won't remind you).

So I realized Spidey is my favorite superhero. For many reasons:

1. He's a climber (I love rock climbing)
2. He's a New Yorker (one of my favorite cities ever)
3. He eventually works for a newspaper (one of my favorite career choices)
4. He gets transformed as a teenager (I relate to that angst)
5. He uses the city to get around (web swinging on buildings, etc.) That's just cool!

I love the colors of his costume too. And the funny thing is, I'm afraid of spiders. I have a slight case of arachnophobia, although it's gotten a lot better. I can't say that it's his influence (I'm not THAT geeky) but he often makes me think of the little critters. And somehow they don't seem as intimidating. If I can handle snakes, why not spiders? But I digress.

Anyway, his pain over his parents provides the classic dramatic background for true incentive. Gotta love the dramatic. I've seen the latest movies, and liked most of them, for the most part. I've read a lot of the comic books, but still have a ways to go. I don't know that he'll remain my favorite forever (tastes can change, although I still love feisty little Tinkerbell) but it feels pretty strong for now.

There are worse things to be into. As Stan Lee would say, "Excelsior!"

p.s. I don't dare add Amazon or E-Bay capsules to this post because what if an ad for pesticide or something shows up? I'll just get reprimanded by Admin for having no control over what gets picked up.

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