Which comics have "shown you the way" in tough times?

[AnthonyO'Brien]

What comics have inspired you during tough times?

Spidey's speech about how " a man may lose, a man may be defeated , it's no disgrace as long as he doesn't give up!" inspired when I wasn't having much luck finding decent work.

This morning on the bus a Nick Spencer Spidey I was reading made me feel better about a troubled, sometimes decent, but questionable person I used to follow on the internet> I wondered if I should have reached out and contacted this person to question their actions (and mental health) :
"he fell into the identity and grew addicted to the sense of power it gave him. He tried to go straight after the first time, and I tried to give him a second chance. But he cracked under the pressure and relapsed"

There was a Superman comic I read about being brave during uncertainty( "one step at a time") and how "courage is fear holding off for just a few seconds".

And you?

[frankiedetroit]

Great topic. I wish I could remember specifics as I know I have drawn wisdom or comfort from these 'funny books.' But in general, many years ago I was going through a very tough time. Some weeks, knowing that new comics would be coming in on Wednesdays was the only thing that kept me going. I've given away thousands of comics through the years, but will never part with those I bought in those dark times.

[AnthonyO'Brien]

(thanks). There was an issue of Batman Adventures where a guy wrote in to say that comics, especially Batman, got him through when his sister was murdered.

I loved the Nocenti/JRJR Daredevil as an 80's youth. As an (Aussie) Irish-catholic boy with a dead mother and outta work father I admired DD's ability to keep moving and fighting no matter what hurts you.

I loved the bit in the Stan Lee Bio GN where an emotional fan nearly crushes Stan with a hug telling him how the tragic upbringings of heroes like Spidey showed him it was okay to have a different family. (i identify somewhat)

[numberthirty]

(thanks). There was an issue of Batman Adventures where a guy wrote in to say that comics, especially Batman, got him through when his sister was murdered.

I loved the Nocenti/JRJR Daredevil as an 80's youth. As an (Aussie) Irish-catholic boy with a dead mother and outta work father I admired DD's ability to keep moving and fighting no matter what hurts you.

I loved the bit in the Stan Lee Bio GN where an emotional fan nearly crushes Stan with a hug telling him how the tragic upbringings of heroes like Spidey showed him it was okay to have a different family. (i identify somewhat)

While I'm not looking to start a conversation someone might not want to have, sorry to hear about your mom.

[beewinged]

I think the influence of comics on my life is a narrative I've crafted in retrospect (I guess that's just how human memory works), but I'd definitely point to Yuki Urushibara's Mushishi as a mental/emotional touchstone. Her protagonist, Ginko, is a rare instance of the "wandering the earth" trope who isn't defined by a sense of angst or incompleteness. Even within a cultural setting that defines people according to their familial/social role, he finds a sense of community and fulfillment from the work he does-- even though he has no family, no memories of one, and he will never be able to settle down or belong to single place. He "belongs" as an organism within the natural order, and that is enough.

The idea of belonging and not belonging appealed to me a lot in my early 20s, especially considering how poorly college prepared me for choosing a sustainable career path. I still look to the character's lack of resentment and balance between self-preservation and selflessness when I'm in danger of expecting more out of people or life than I should be.

[BeastieRunner]

Trillium
Sandman (Vertigo/DC)
The death and rebirth of Johnny Storm in Hickman's F4 run
Swamp Thing (Vertigo/DC)

[Silvermoth]

We had a vote here on if gay people deserved the same rights as everyone else. It was unnecessary and exactly as ugly as you would expect. Luckily it had a happy ending but at the time things were very dark indeed.

I used to read grant morrison’s New xmen on a daily basis just to give me strength to keep getting through the days during it