Sept. 25 is National Comic Book Day
Midweek Update: Educators and others celebrate the appeal of the comic book
Sept. 25 marks the celebration of “National Comic Book Day,” which also happens to be former Superman Christopher Reeve’s birthday.
To celebrate Reeve’s birthday, “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” is in theaters for a limited engagement.
Meanwhile, National Comic Book Day has somewhat murky origins. It may have come from teacher calendars aiming to give students a fun learning experience. It seems to still mainly be celebrated in the educational sphere. In any case, it’s a great day to examine a comic book for education, illumination, or enjoyment.
Today National Comic Book Day falls on a Wednesday – so it’s new comic book day, a great day to visit your local comic shop and take in the new releases.
Below, I’ve recommended a few comic books new and old you might enjoy:
Starting off with a Superman recommendation:
DC Comics Presents #85 (1985)
A Kryptonian fungus first robs Superman of control of his powers and then begins to drive him mad. As he flees civilization, he crashes into a swamp – where he’s found by Swamp Thing, who tries to cure the Man of Steel. Anyone who’s been caught in a delirious fever dream will feel sympathy for Superman as his body and mind are working against him, as the fungal virus rages. Alan Moore writes; Rick Veitch and Al Williamson draw. The visuals relate a very human Superman and a Swamp Thing with warmth and compassion despite his monstrous visage.
Thunderbolts #1 (1997)
Maybe you’ve seen the trailer for the new Thunderbolts movie and want to check out the original comic. You should! It’s a great series. If you’ve managed to make it 25-plus years without spoilers, I think I should leave the description vague here for you… Writer Kurt Busiek and artist Mark Bagley introduce the Thunderbolts, super characters hoping to fill the void in the Marvel Universe following the disappearance of the Avengers and Fantastic Four.
Sergio Aragones’ Groo the Wanderer: Minstrel Melodies #1 (2024)
Finishing off these recommendations with a new release from this month.
Groo is a wandering barbarian who causes havoc wherever he goes. Groo first appeared more than 40 years ago and has appeared in more than 100 issues from publishers including Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Pacific and Eclipse. In “Minstrel Melodies,” the rhyming minstrel of the series is traveling with his clever daughter, Kayli, telling stories of Groo, hoping to pay their way to the next location. Groo’s tendency to cause destruction and misunderstand most things is explored in song.
Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier are joined on colors by Carrie Strachan and letters by Stan Sakai.
Try to read a comic today for National Comic Book Day, and feel free to share your recommendations with me as well!
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Oklahoma.