Welcome to the first installment of Comics and Nightmares. I'm Rob and I've been reading comics since Byrne joined Claremont, Iron Fist joined Power Man, and Spider-man didn't suck.  The first comic I ever bought, in fact, was Peter Parker #29 and from there I was hooked.  After that, The X-men blew me outta my seat and Wolverine was a Godsend to every catholic school boy with pent-up frustration.  Despite the incredible stories and uncanny penciling by John Byrne, Spider-man was always my personal favorite. And Marvel was giving me lots of him ( Amazing, Spectacular, Team-up, Marvel Tales, Spidey Super Stories, and eventually Web ).  Marvel could do no wrong in my eyes.  But, something always happens, doesn't it?...
             Once I reached puberty, of course, (or perhaps a little too far past it ) I stopped collecting,  having been disillusioned by books like Secret Wars II and the return of Jean Grey. The powerhouse, Marvel, was releasing nonsense. By the time I hit 20, I was comfortable not buying another comic ever again.  I thought I'd " grown out of it. " But,  something always happens, doesn't it?...
            A friend turned me on to Todd Mcfarlane just after he started his run on Amazing Spider-Man.  I was blown away.  Unbelievable art AND my favorite hero. I had to start getting this mag.  Before I knew it, I was filling in back issues of every popular title, buying at conventions, selling at conventions, ordering stacks of mags out of Previews, and eventually...action figures.  All the while I was becoming penniless while trying to get through school ( Everybody knows what happened to the comic industry in the mid-90's, right? Suffice it to say, I've got piles of  Archer & Armstrong, and  Lobo that I can't get rid of even at garage sales ).  Disillusioned once again, I quit forever. I graduated, got married, and bought a house.  Time for a heavy dose of grown up responsibility, Right?  Well, something always happens, doesn't it?...

        Two things, in fact.  I was having lots of free time at work one summer, so I decided to order a magazine subscription.  I decided on Wizard. You know, the "comics magazine."  I figured that I could still find out what happened to my favorite heroes without  having to but any issues.  It was a pretty good idea and it worked.  That is, until the second factor did me in for good.
             A small comic shop opened literally down the street from my house.  Armed with my knowledge from Wizard , I decided to stop in to welcome the new owners.  They were extremely personable and easy to like.  I found myself  salivating to know who the hell X-man was , and where the hell Spider-Girl came from.  There I stood thinking, "Aw, F***, how did I get myself into this mess?"  I decided to come to terms with my demons.  Comics are in my blood.  They are a part of my soul which will never, ever leave. I know that now.
            I also came to a sensible compromise:  DO NOT BUY MULTIPLE COPIES OF ANY ONE ISSUE.  Even if it's a #1.  Even if it's the death of Wolverine. Even if it's a guaranteed sell-out.  I offer that advice to everyone.  You'll be less nuts and less poor ( Have you seen the price of comics these days? ).  Have the wisdom of a child, who's throwing his change up on the counter just to grab one golden issue.  Read the story and treasure the copy  that you do have.
            Well, thanks for listening to my Intro/Bio.  Now I'd like to tell you what's in store for readers of this site.
            I read  a lot of the popular titles, mostly Marvel, but some DC.  As for Independents, I love Tomb Raider.  I plan on picking a few titles at random each month and critiquing it on an educated level...then I'll tell you which titles suck out the ass.  For now, I'll be giving  just general reviews of some popular titles.  And if you're a fan of the strange and macabre, you'll like our "Tales and Nightmares" section. In addition, We've got some cool amateur art just waiting for a new audience.
            Besides that, I'll be discussing interesting news not just in comics, but action figures, movies, and maybe some sci-fi.  Until then, if you have an interesting comic book site, send me your link and I'll add it.
            So, please check back often.  I know you'll enjoy it!

Are you with me?  Send comments, links, art or short stories to:   comicsnightmares@yahoo.com