Welcome to The Comics Professor, my first foray into the blogosphere!

I'm here to discuss one of my favorite topics - comic books - with an occasional philosophical spin. Whenever I get a chance - which, despite the common belief about lazy college professors, will probably not be often - I plan to review a few new books, discuss some favorite old ones, and sometimes just go off on current developments in the comics world.

I was a comics devotee from childhood until sometime in high school (the last comics I bought before I quit were The Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns), for reasons long forgotten (though my first guitar may have had something to do with it). But I rediscovered comics a couple years ago when I walked into a newly-opened local comics shop, and I felt like I'd reconnected with a long lost friend (with a mask and a cape). I've always been loyal to DC (my favorite since I was a kid buying 40-cent books off the spinner rack at the local soda shop), but the last few months I have been buying a few Marvel books, especially Daredevil (Ed Brubaker hooked me, and Frank Miller sealed the deal).

My philosophical interests lie primarily in moral/ethical philosophy, which of course is at the forefront of most major story arcs these days, such as Tony Stark's actions in "Civil War," Wonder Woman killing Max Lord in "Sacrifice," and - I have to assume - whatever Black Adam's going to do in "World War III." (It can't be good.) Rest assured that my reviews won't all be philosophical - if a book is just good fun, like Brave and the Bold or The Spirit, that's fine too! But I hope that some philosophical touches here and there will set this blog apart from the thousands of other comic book review blogs you could be reading.

So enjoy, and let me know what you think!