I posted my Alex Ross designed Superman figure from DC’s Kingdom Come series, might as well post Frank Miller’s Dark Knight from the graphic novel “The Dark Knight Returns“. I read it first back in 1989 and I simply said that this is the Batman that I had in my head. Only seeing the original cover of when Batman debuted (Detective Comics #27), the only version of Batman that I knew was from the 1960s serial and the Michael Keaton movie. I have a few books of his stories back then, those who’ve been drawn by Jim Aparo and the team of Alas Davis and Paul Neary, and I always thought of it lacking something.
The Dark Knight Returns and the first Batman movie changed all that. Superman may be the pivotal boy scout superhero, but the Batman is the coolest one between them.
Superman, the Man of Steel. The Man of Tomorrow. The Last Son of Krypton.
As a child Superman was the very first superhero I ever attached myself to, and the very first character that I can draw.
Every child who ever lay their eyes on him will always be in awe. I know I’ve seen them in the eyes of my own nephews and nieces.
I read Kingdom Come probably a year or two after it was released, in trade paperback form. I liked how Alex Ross treated the look of Kal-El. I liked the ‘S’ symbol and meaning behind the change of the yellow into black.
So when I got news that DC was releasing action figures based on the book, I just had to have Superman at the very least.
I’m not one of the hardcore collectors. Those who buy them for investment purposes. My collection aren’t even that big. So far I’ve only got about ten or so in my name.
This is the second Superman figure I have, with the Bruce Timm Justice League Superman version being the first.
I do believe this is the start of my path towards collecting.
“When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things.”
I Corinthians 13 : 11
The verse above rings true for most of us.
But its nice to think about your childhood every now and then. What made me happy then was so simple.
Growing up, there’s always this one childhood thing that has been with me, that has influenced my passion for drawing and has fueled the machine that is my brain with imagination.
In 1979, I was 5 years old then, and like any other kid in that year in the Philippines, we were all glued to the TV for one show; Voltes V (the ‘V’ is pronounced as “five”).
Created by Tadao Nakahama as part of his Robot Romance Trilogy.
In 2006, the Soul of Chogokin line of adult collector toys from Bandai released the GX-31, a new version of the classic robot Voltes V. As a kid, I’ve always wanted the original Popy 1979 release of the toy, but because we were poor, my parents cannot afford to buy me one. They did, however, tried still by buying me a knock-off in Avenida. As a child I n ever knew the difference, and I was happy.
I’m no hardcore collector (I’ll never understand why anyone would buy a toy and never take it out of its box), but knowing that after some 30-odd years I can finally afford to buy the toy (granted not the original 1979 release) I dreamt about, I could not pass out the chance.
And like other Filipinos who grew up glued to the TV to watch Voltes V, this is one to have as a keepsake of that childhood.