I, like many of you, collected comic books as a child. I was far from a typical comic collector (it’s really hard to be a typical comic collector when the only comic shop in town closes before you turn ten years old) in that, in my whole collection, I don’t have more than two sequential issues from any series (and I only have 4 or 5 series of which I have more than one issue.) 

I had a bit of an obsession with obscure comic book heroes, weird tales, and 80s cartoon characters. I was more likely to get excited about finding an Issue of the Starriors or Machine Man than I was about Spider-Man or The Flash. I had a special place in my heart for Dr. Strange and the defenders, and they feature heavily in my collection. 

I dug all of my comic books out of their boxes last night and started sorting through them. It was a rush of nostalgia. I was afforded the opportunity to rediscover characters that I had forgotten existed. 

Before the local comic book store closed my dad bought me a copy of Defenders issue 1. It’s tattered and worn (probably even more so than when I got it, even though I did take good care of my comics) the back cover is missing. I re-read it last night with a palpable sense of giddiness. I doubt that I properly expressed my gratitude at the time, but that has to be one of the coolest gifts I ever received.