You never forget your first time...

As I mentioned previously, I was a Marvel Zombie when I first got into comic books.  In thinking back, I don't recall a specific reason it took me almost 3 years before I picked up a DC book.  Was it exposure to the Super Friends cartoon and I assumed that the comics were too childish?  Was it a case of branding?  Make Mine Marvel?  I honestly can't recall a reason.

I do remember my first though.  One night I was out running errands with our neighbor, a gentleman who was confined to a wheelchair.  I would help him get his wheelchair in and out of his car and help him shop a couple times a week.  I also did his yard work.  We had stopped at the Big Y and while he shopped I headed over to the magazine aisle and the comic book racks.  I don't remember what prompted me to pick The Year's Best Comics Stories digest up.  Was it the bold "Year's Best" proclamation?  I had just started reading and enjoying Squadron Supreme. Did I realize that it was based on the JLA and that factored into my decision?  Was I just bored and had already read all the Marvel comics that were for sale?

Regardless the reason, I bought it and started reading it on the way home.  It had a variety of stories that I was fascinated by.  It started out with a heady story that was unlike anything I had read up to that point and was followed by a super hero story that posited that the hero didn't exist.  It had a WWII story and a story about Green Lantern-but not the guy from the cartoon.  Some stories were great (as advertised) and some lost on me:

• "The Anatomy Lesson" from Swamp Thing- As comic fans know this was the 2nd issue of the Alan Moore run on the character.  At the time, I'll admit this story was lost on me.  There were no superheroes; nothing that at that time interested me.  Having re-read some years back, I appreciated it much more.  
• "If Superman Didn't Exist" from Action Comics- At the time I enjoyed the story for the story.  Two kids 'invent' Superman and he saves the day.  Re-reading it today (for the first time since then) I see that it was DC Comic's (Well, Marv Wolfman, Gil Kane and Julius Schwartz at least) love letter to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.  
• "Killers Also Smile" from Sgt. Rock- This may have been my favorite story at the time.  I was a huge WWII buff growing up and here was a story that took place in the European theater.  Sarge Rock and Easy Company take on a SS unit that is moving from village to village massacring civilians.  A poignant story then and now.  Interestingly, Joe Kubert and his son Adam both worked on this story as editor and letterer respectively.
• "Guess What's Coming To Dinner?" from Legion of Super-Heroes- Another super-hero story with no super-heroics.  This one dealt with a controversial mixed marriage between two members of the Legion.  Oddly, also lettered by Adam Kubert.
• "Final Duties" from Green Lantern- This story was a tales of the Green Lantern Corps back-up story about a GL's last day. Kwo Varrikk's last day is filled with his heroic feats: stopping an interplanetary war, stopping a planet wide earthquake, diverting a meteor swarm from destroying a planet.  As he retires though, his thoughts are of a runaway kite he retrieved for a little boy.  At the time, the moral of the story was lost on me.
• "Viva Nebiros" from Blue Devil- A fun, goofy tale featuring a team up between Blue Devil and Zatanna.
• "Who is Donna Troy?" from Teen Titans- This Titans tale was and is still lost on me.  Then, because I had no idea who Donna Troy was and now, multiple retcons later, I still don't know who Donna Troy is.
• "Babe's Story" from Atari Force- I'm sure this origin story would have made more sense if I knew what Atari Force was.  As a stand alone sci-fi tale, it's decent, but formulaic.

In hindsight, I don't know what grabbed my interest so much, but I was soon reading DC titles.  Searching through the cover galleries at DC Comics Database at Wikia Entertainment for July 1985, I remember reading Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 (there's a gateway comic for you!), All-Star Squadron #47, Infinity Inc #16 and Green Lantern #191.

What was your first comic?