Comics never resonated with me, for some reason. So the huge resurgence in the comic book industry of the last 20 years has left me largely on the sideline, kinda watching curiously, like attending an Australian Rules Football game... I get what's going on, I see why the fans like it, but there's a lot of stuff happening that I don't get because I'm not "in" the culture.

So it was really surprising to me when I moved back to the US after living in Budapest and working in the Balkans during the war in Kosovo, when I came across DMZ.

Here I was, totally lonely in my home country, because I had all these experiences that nobody could relate to. I couldn't talk to anybody.

And then I read DMZ, and I felt connected again. I could relate to it. I recognized the scenes and feelings and the environment depicted in these books. They provided a comfort, a grounding for me, when I couldn't find anything I could identify with outside my apartment.

I only ever found the first four issues - and would eventually like to read the rest - but that was enough to give me some feeling of groundedness and connection.

After that, I worked with a bunch of comics fiends, and they shared Sandman with me (amazing, obviously), and Fables, which I totally loved. I've also really enjoyed Ellen Forney's comix work, and the two Serenity (Firefly) stories I have read.

So even me - a guy who doesn't find comics very compelling - can find something to love.