Comic Book Challenge Day 2
Comic Book Challenge Day 2: Favorite Character
Batman & Spider-Man
Picking only one character as my favorite is incredibly difficult, and I can only narrow it down to Batman and Spider-Man. These characters are pretty different in their outlook towards life, but I find myself connected to both.
Before I go any deeper, I want to mention that I suffer from depression. Not the kind we all face when a loved one dies, or things are overly stressful at work. What I have is something I’ve always had, and will continue to have. It’s biology, not personality. I have a chemical deficiency that just makes it harder to stay happy. I can be happy, but sometimes I’ll just wake up feeling depressed for no reason. It’s like a rain cloud that doesn’t go away, and a constant void in your chest. For years it sucked, and I thought it was just a part of who I was. When I was a teenager I just thought it was part of the hormonal changes, but as I grew older shit still sucked. Eventually, I went to a doctor, and the next thing I know I’m finding out that it isn’t related to my personality. With medication, I don’t have this and things are fine.
For such a long time there was this darkness that I lived in, and I saw that in Batman. He didn’t let it weigh him down and used it to drive him towards greatness. What he went through in his life was tragic. I never went through anything like that, so I figured there was no use feeling sorry for myself. I used it to push myself to accomplish and achieve my goals at the time. Eventually, I used the drive to seek out help and answers to my questions.
As the fog began to clear, I began to see things with a new set of lenses. I was, and still am, a pessimist, but I could now see the lighter side of things, and could cut back a little more. I didn’t let the bad things get to me or become my only motivating force.
Here enters Spider-Man. Peter Parker has seen some crazy and horrible shit in his time, but he doesn’t let that stop him. He always strives to look for the positives and keep on moving. A complete contrast to Batman!
I am still pessimistic in most instances, but I try to remain optimistically pessimistic (confusing, yes). I still see the negative aspect things, and I try not to look at it as impediments. I try and step back and think if it’s really something I need to worry about or how is the best way I can overcome it. I’ve learned from Batman not to just blindly trust in things, but I’ve also learned from Peter Parker that there can be good in the darkness if we take a second to look for it and work hard to get there.
When it comes down to it, these are just two badass guys, and I always enjoy their books.
