David Has Issues

After my Mom died I ended up going to therapy. Naturally, I never got a point blank answer about what was going on with my emotions, but the amazing therapist I saw asked some great guiding questions that lead me to many important self discoveries. The greatest of these is that I was using logic and intellect as a barrier to dealing with the majority of my emotions. Given that I am not all that smart, this was a process doomed to failure.

I was shut down. The answer to that was to be more open and honest about my feelings. I do not like this. Being honest with myself means that I have to admit that I am a deeply sensitive person. I get my feelings hurt really easily. In fact, it could easily be said that I wear my heart on my sleeve. That could be why I spent years building emotional defenses which allow me to be more functional.

Getting me to drop those defenses and face all those feelings is a freaking catastrophe. I find myself almost gushing with emotions. My stupid mouth opens an…

Wednesdays really make the week for me. The kid doesn't have school so I get a little more time with her. I have a standing meeting at work that drags me in a little early. This gives me an excuse to leave a little early (when I can) and I try to get home before the little one is in bed. This often doesn't work, but I get excited about the idea. Also, it is new Comic Book Day.

As an almost forty year old man new comic books really shouldn't excite me as much as they do. By the standards of adulthood and maturity that the adults of my childhood attempted to install in me I need to,"put away childish things." Thankfully, I am not slave to such draconian ideas. I strongly suspect I will enjoy comic books, role playing games, video games, and cartoons my whole life through.

If you have paid attention to my Comic Book Pull List posts or listened to the podcast you know that I am an avid reader. I really do devour stories. I typically finish an audiobook a week. I will…

This is a very Image heavy week for me. Berserker Unbound will come off this list with issue #4 (although, I would almost expect to see it return) The week feels very much like a 90s antihero celebration with King's Batman, Ghost Rider, Savage Avengers, X-Force, and Vampirella all in the line up. That is no bad thing.

Dark Horse Berserker Unbound #4 Writer Jeff Lemire Artist Mike Deodato    The Mogrel King finally faces the Sorcerer that murdered his family. I will be impressed if they tie up the mini series in this issue. Never underestimate Jeff Lemire.
DC Batman #82 Writer Tom King Artist Mikel Janin    Only 4 issues remain in Tom King's run. Batman is back in Gotham and headed for a fight with his Father and eventually Bane. 
Green Lantern Blackstars #1 Writer Grant Morrison Artist Xermanico    Is Hal undercover for the Guardians? Has Hal switched sides? It is well worth 3 issues to find out. Embrace the Multiverse insanity!
Justice League #35 Writer Scott Snyder & Jam…

I am willing to wager that a good portion of the people who read by blog know me. It feels silly to keep reintroducing myself, but I find myself writing in an introductory voice none the less. In case you did not know, I host a podcast about comic books.

God, I feel dumb. I even mentioned the podcast in my introductory post.

The podcast is called The Printed Panel Podcast. You can find us on iTunes, Spreaker, and a few other groovy services. If you like listening then by all means check us out.

This is not a plug for the podcast. On the contrary, I realized that quite a few people probably don't like podcasts and may still want some guidance where comic books are concerned. This post will be my first attempt to do something about that.

I am going to type up my weekly pull list here. I will share my thoughts about the book as best as I am able. I do want to point out that my Subscription List is published on the blog. I will do my level best to update it monthly as Previews publish…

I have sat down and written the introduction post to my blog at least 5 times. The first blog, I don't even remember what I titled it, started with a poorly explained story of a possum falling through the ceiling of my house and the adventure that followed. I didn't write an introduction. I did a spastic retelling of the events of the previous night and posted a bunch of pictures because I didn't think anyone would believe me without evidence. What followed was a few years of opinion pieces, writing exercises (including violent poetic imagery- a project for a writing class), and finally a trickle off into silence.

My second blog was called Knoxville Knights. It was an attempt to blog a series of fictional short stories with a urban fantasy theme. I posted maybe 6 or 7 posts before getting bored with it and taking it down. I wish I could claim it had some value. In truth, it was a very masturbatory exercise in telling myself a story. I think maybe 2 or 3 of my friends ever …

I mowed the grass today. Mowing our big front yard is a great time to pause, reflect, and formulate inspiration for my writing. I also sneeze a lot and deepen my farmer's tan.
While I was mowing I got a text from Whitneigh that said," It feels good to pay the bills." I pondered this a few seconds and agreed. Yes, at this stage of my life having the bills paid is extremely satisfying. I spent the next several rotations around the yard reflecting that this wasn't always so. I know that there are few universal experiences. Maybe my journey is unusual, maybe it isn't.
I moved out with Taila's Mom a bit before my eighteenth birthday. We moved into a house my parents owned. I didn't pay for anything except my phone bill for the house landline. My parents footed the electric bill and we didn't pay any rent. We had a mostly free ride.
Stupidly, we moved into an apartment. My bills increased to rent, electric bill, phone bill, and cable bill. I paid them. I…