Panels, Plots, and My Comic Book Origin Story

I was twelve years old when I first held a comic book in my hands. It wasn’t one of the lighter tales filled with playful banter and colorful explosions. No—my introduction into the world of comics was i dark, intense, and mind blowing.

The series? Kraven’s Last Hunt—a six-issue arc in the Spider-Man universe. In this haunting tale, Spider-Man is hunted by the tormented villain Kraven the Hunter, drugged, and buried alive.

For two weeks, the hero is entombed in darkness while Kraven dons the mask and mantle of Spider-Man, attempting to prove he can be the better version of him. The story was grim, beautifully tragic, and—most importantly for a twelve-year-old boy with a growing imagination—it was utterly captivating.

That moment changed me.

I wasn’t just reading about a superhero anymore. I was being shown what it meant to descend into the human mind—its fears, its dualities, its internal battles—and come out the other side changed. The shock ending stunned me. Not because it was explosive, but because it was emotionally unsettling. It made me think, and more importantly—it made me feel.

From that moment on, comic books weren’t just entertainment; they became a form of storytelling that stirred my curiosity about the human condition. They made me fall in love with arcs and character evolution, with the balance between action and dialogue, silence and suspense. They introduced me to flawed heroes, reluctant saviors, and villains that weren’t entirely evil—just deeply misunderstood.

Even now, long after that first encounter, I find myself returning to comic books. Not only for nostalgia, but because they continue to teach me the art of pacing, tension, and emotional depth. They remind me that storytelling—whether told in panels, on pages, or from a stage—is most powerful when it’s honest.

I’m grateful that twelve-year-old me picked up that Spider-Man comic—it might’ve seemed like just a random choice at the time, but it ended up lighting the creative spark that still burns today.