AudioShocker

I went to my first comic book convention this past weekend. I've been reading comic books regularly since the age of four (well, you know, as regularly as you can read comics at four…) yet I've never really been a part of communal fandom. I got into the online comic book message board thing a bit in the past few years, but I wouldn't even really consider myself a true part of that either.

So attending a comic book convention for the first time after reading comics for over 20 years was interesting. It just wasn't what I expected. Ever been to a trade show or a business convention? It's just like that except the attendees wear tights instead of suits. The booths and the salesmen are all still there, from retailers that go straight to the consumer all the way through to niche businesses geared especially towards the convention-going small press comic book creator.

And I wasn't even at one of the huge conventions. I was at the Pittsburgh Comicon, celebrating its 15th anniversary this year under some extremely unusual circumstances. I enjoyed myself in the sense that nothing went wrong. But I feel so disconnected from the convention culture. I love comics for the craft, for the stories, for the characters, and for the sweeping metaphors. I suspect, however, that if I really want to make the comic book industry my career field of choice, I need to learn to love comicons too.

As for Reads You Need, may I recommend Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #45. It felt like autumn today here in the Steel City, and this comic book made me feel like October arrived early. This eerie tale is a solid example of why I've read more consecutive issues of Tales of the TMNT on a month-to-month basis than any other comic book series. Coming in a close second is Dynamo 5 #12, which finally pays off a plot tangent about the character Myriad that was introduced way back in issue #7.

Before I go, I should let everyone know that Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 3 Chapters 14 and 15 are online. I've watched both of them (a two-parter called "The Boiling Rock") and I thoroughly the episodes. Chapter 14 is mostly setup -- and Chapter 15 is doubly good when it really brings the plot home. If you're trying to find these episodes, here are links to Chapter 14 and Chapter 15. Enjoy (and check out the video description on Chapter 15 for more).