Play It Again, Stan
Of all the comic shops, in all the towns, in all the world, she had to walk into mine.
She was schweet. Super schweet. It’s not everyday you meet a girl with a head for comics and a body built for continuity. From the moment we first discussed the art of Jack Kirby, we both knew that when our lives crossed over, nothing would be the same. Some things are unstoppable, I guess, like the Juggernaut or one of Wolverine’s berserker rampages. And for what seemed like a brief six-issue run, we were happy.
Maybe it was the fights over who was the better Green Lantern. Maybe it was the way I kept badgering her to wear that Supergirl outfit. It doesn’t matter. In the end, we both knew it wouldn’t work out between us. She was the Lois Lane to my Jimmy Olsen, the Mary Jane Watson to my Flash Thompson. If she was a Spider-man comic drawn by John Romita, then I was a New Mutants comic drawn by Rob Liefeld. So, when she left for Canada, it was no surprise. That doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like a lead bullet shot into the heart of a Daxamite.
So every year, on the anniversary of the night she boarded that plane and never looked back, I close the store, turn down the lights, put on my vintage 1960’s “Scream Along With Marvel” record, and pour myself a glass of Radog Pinot Noir to sip with only the longboxes of back issues to keep me company. As soon as it hits the nose, the cranberries and strawberries on top of a nice sprinkling of French oak base take me back to a time when only she and the next Grant Morrison mini-series mattered. The generous but balanced fruit paired with good earth and mushroom components are smooth and straight-forward, like the early Brian Michael Bendis comics we used to read together, but with the texture and structure of a fine Alan Moore script. Such memories could break even the strongest gamma-irradiated heart.
Maybe one day, she’ll make a shocking return or brief cameo appearance so that we can catch up on old times. I’ll say one thing, though. I wouldn’t retcon a moment of our time together. ‘Nuff said.
2007 Radog Pinot Noir:
- 100% Pinot Noir
- CedarLane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco 30%,
- Paraiso Vineyards, Old Vine, Santa Lucia Highlands 30%,
- Tondre Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands 5%,
- Sarmento Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 35%
- pH 3.74
- TA 0.57
- Alcohol 13.85%
Rules and restrictions:
- Wine sold by winery (or a retailer in your state where necessary)
- You must be 21 or older to order
- Whoever receives the package must be 21 or older
- If you're drunk when the package shows up, you will not be allowed to receive it
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