Fond Memory Syndrome...with X-Man!

While browsing through HCRealms, I read about a little tidbit called “Fond Memory Syndrome”. It’s not exactly a real syndrome, far as I can tell, but it did stir up some memories in me. Let him explain to you what it is in this forum post.

What Fond Memory Syndrome is, is that something you found quite enjoyable and awesome years ago isn’t so enjoyable and awesome to you once you revisit it now.

I tried it out when I was rummaging through my single long box of comics and pulled out my run of X-Man. My first issue, and quite possibly the first comic book I ever owned, was X-Man #23 (Against the power of BISHOP!). The moment I finished reading it from cover to cover, I was hooked. I loved uber-powerful characters, so X-Man was my proverbial cup of tea.

In case you don't know, X-Man was Nate Grey, the test tubed baby of Scott Summers (better known as Cyclops, the leader of the X-Men) and Jean Grey (better known as…uh…Jean Grey). Now I don’t want to delve into all the time travel paradoxes associated with the Summers’ clan, safe to say all you need to know about Nate is that he was designed to be the most powerful mutant on earth.

Yes, folks. Nate Grey outclasses even Professor X in the ‘most powerful mutant’ department. He was so powerful that it was said his powers rival that of a souped-up Dark Phoenix. And get this…it was prophesied that if he were to ever die, Nate will explode with psionic energy, taking half of the Earth with him.

And yes, I've said 'power' too many times in one paragraph. Including this one. But when it comes to X-Man, too many is never enough.

And because of that awesomeness, I followed his adrenaline-filled adventures as often as I can. Until I started buying comics again recently (using my own money), never did I have a continuous (okay, semi-continuous) run of issues from a single title.

Whatever writer Terry Kavanagh dished out, I devoured diligently. Roger Cruz was one of my early inspirations in comic book art. Everything about this comic was so awesome for me back then that I would defend it in discussion boards or blogs.

But yeah, coming back to it with Fond Memory Syndrome…well, you notice the little things a bit more without the "hell yeah!" booming through your ear as you breeze through your copy.

For example, taking a page from Brian Cronin's previous run ins with extreme exposition, I browsed through my entire run realizing that I was sitting on a literal goldmine of nothing but that, where every other issue delivered some sweet gems like these.

Yes, folks. That's how they talked in every single page. Ten Second Toms all of them., reminding us and themselves what they just did a couple of seconds ago. But that pales in comparison to this...the word that writer Terry Kavanagh liked so much he used it as much as possible in his entire run. Guess which word that is.

From X-Man #30

from X-Man #47

From X-Man #51

As for the art, well...Roger Cruz (a regular penciler of the series) was one of my first inspirations in comic book art (I was young and poor, sue me), It wasn't so bad...it if weren't for people calling him out for apparently swiping off Joe Madureira. Which, I just found out just now, isn't so unfounded at all.

WTF is up with his feet?!

But hey, I love Joe Mad, so win-win!

Finishing my run of X-Man, I came to the conclusion that while Fond Memory Syndrome is all I have for this title, it's a fond memory nonetheless. Reading it again took me back to the simpler times of comic geeky fandom, where there weren't any civil wars yet, and nobody ever thought about what they'd do with one more day.

I mean, where else can you get a comic book that doesn't shy away from referencing Aubrey of all things?

"...closer to her than to...MEEEEEEEE!"

God, I almost wrote like that one time.

Who said '90s comics suck?