First Time

I remember my first time pretty vividly.

I was young, maybe about early teens.

I really didn't know what to expect, but after it happened.... wow, I was in love.

We were travelling across country at the time. Taking the Northern route in the summer heat.
We stopped in Montana for some gas, a bite to eat, and a chance to stretch our legs for a bit.
I wanted to go to the minimart next to the gas station and look around for a bit.

And that's where it happened.

I fell in love with comic books for the first time.

(What? You were expecting something naughty? Shame on you!)*

It was "Amazing Spider-Man" # 238

This was the first appearance of the Hobgoblin, and the very first comic that I started to 'collect'. I read this issue over and over during the rest of our trip. It came with an insert for the temporary tattoos (that I put on to be, you know, cool and stuff).
The cover was rolled and creased and bent, and isn't worth much money if I were to sell it, but it was the very first comic that meant something to me.
I bought the next issue to try and get the end of that story, but it was also "...to be continued".
So I bought the one after that. Same thing.
In the mean time, I started reading other books and getting into those stories as well.

But "Amazing Spider-Man" has alway been my first, true love.
I don't think I felt a real connection to the character or anything, I just liked the story and the pictures. It made me want to read more.

Now here I am, 25 years later and still reading comic books.
I've got long-boxes and short-boxes all over my office (not to mention a couple or so more outside the office... much to The Hotness' constant requests to "do something about them").

"Amazing Spider-Man" #238 will always hold a special place in my collection as the "First One".
I'm a geek. What can I say?

(*Actually, my 'first time' was pretty traumatic, over w-a-y too quickly, and a memory I'd rather forget about)