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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 20:31:23 GMT -5
But if I don't read Batman, I can still read action. I read lots of action. I'd say it's probably the most common genre of comic I do read. It's fairly common, and there are other options but at the same time I can't see anything wrong with continuing to try Batman even after dropping because in general it has a lot of what I enjoy. Could I find it else where? Absolutely, and I do but at the same time when browsing randomly through back issue boxes it's pretty convenient to pick up a Batman issue as no matter which one I grab I have a pretty good idea what to expect in much the same way I would if looking for a random mystery story I'd go to that section of the book store. I'm not saying this as someone who has never read a Batman story, or who has read it once and never again. I've had a fair sampling of Batman and Detective comics. Along with miniseries and graphic novels and sister titles and so on. Through years of sampling, more sampling than it deserved, I found out I'm not a fan. For very specific reasons too. There are very specific things I don't like in comics. And when the author changes, and the artist changes, and the title reboots to #1 again, or the series ends and is replaced with a new series featuring the same character, I can still plainly see those things I didn't like about the comic when I decided to quit reading them. You know how sometimes you can glance at a comic and tell it's not for you? That one thing that jumps out and says "I've read a comic like that before and didn't like it. In fact, I've read several and haven't liked a single one. I probably won't like this one either." Well, mainstream corporate owned studio talent shared universe monthly floppy 22 page ad filled comics featuring musclemen in tights is that thing that jumps out for me. And the reason why I bought the Batman Chronicles even though the past thirty plus years of Batman comics isn't my cup of tea, is because I'm not all that familiar with Golden Age superheores, but as far as I've been able to tell from reading about them online, they were more experimental and less editorial back then. No real established shared universe. And the comic would probably share more characteristics with a serialized newspaper strip or even an EC comic than with a modern Batman comic. So I'll give that a try too. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 6, 2015 21:03:41 GMT -5
It's fairly common, and there are other options but at the same time I can't see anything wrong with continuing to try Batman even after dropping because in general it has a lot of what I enjoy. Could I find it else where? Absolutely, and I do but at the same time when browsing randomly through back issue boxes it's pretty convenient to pick up a Batman issue as no matter which one I grab I have a pretty good idea what to expect in much the same way I would if looking for a random mystery story I'd go to that section of the book store. I'm not saying this as someone who has never read a Batman story, or who has read it once and never again. I've had a fair sampling of Batman and Detective comics. Along with miniseries and graphic novels and sister titles and so on. Through years of sampling, more sampling than it deserved, I found out I'm not a fan. For very specific reasons too. There are very specific things I don't like in comics. And when the author changes, and the artist changes, and the title reboots to #1 again, or the series ends and is replaced with a new series featuring the same character, I can still plainly see those things I didn't like about the comic when I decided to quit reading them. You know how sometimes you can glance at a comic and tell it's not for you? That one thing that jumps out and says "I've read a comic like that before and didn't like it. In fact, I've read several and haven't liked a single one. I probably won't like this one either." Well, mainstream corporate owned studio talent shared universe monthly floppy 22 page ad filled comics featuring musclemen in tights is that thing that jumps out for me. Which is fair, but it's more of a personal thing for you rather than a reason why one wouldn't be able to understand why others would choose to go back through those changes. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 6, 2015 21:07:51 GMT -5
Why not? If it's a good story, it's a good story no matter if the proceeding or preceding ones weren't that great. Because in my experience those good stories refer back to a whole lot of not good stories you'd have had to have read to know what was going on. And like I said, there are countless good stories out there I haven't read where I wouldn't have to deal with that. I'll never get to read them all. A better question is why read just okay, or bad stories, hoping it eventually gets good again, when you could be reading a good story from another title right now instead? That isn't my experience at all, there are tons of good stories out there that don't rely on other previous stories. And again, I'm not advocating continuing to read bad stories, you read a bad one and you stop but in my experience there's no harm in going back again at a later date. |
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 21:14:28 GMT -5
Because in my experience those good stories refer back to a whole lot of not good stories you'd have had to have read to know what was going on. And like I said, there are countless good stories out there I haven't read where I wouldn't have to deal with that. I'll never get to read them all. A better question is why read just okay, or bad stories, hoping it eventually gets good again, when you could be reading a good story from another title right now instead? That isn't my experience at all, there are tons of good stories out there that don't rely on other previous stories. And again, I'm not advocating continuing to read bad stories, you read a bad one and you stop but in my experience there's no harm in going back again at a later date. There isn't. But as far as I can tell in the various articles, previews, and forum posts regarding those comics, things have only changed for the worse. I think it would be incredibly difficult for me to like a comic with so much stuff I dislike in it. Without a major overhaul to the entire line of mainstream superhero comics dwarfing the Ultimate imprint and the Nu 52 reboot, I don't think it's possible for me to enjoy anything monthly and in continuity. |
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 21:16:23 GMT -5
I'm not saying this as someone who has never read a Batman story, or who has read it once and never again. I've had a fair sampling of Batman and Detective comics. Along with miniseries and graphic novels and sister titles and so on. Through years of sampling, more sampling than it deserved, I found out I'm not a fan. For very specific reasons too. There are very specific things I don't like in comics. And when the author changes, and the artist changes, and the title reboots to #1 again, or the series ends and is replaced with a new series featuring the same character, I can still plainly see those things I didn't like about the comic when I decided to quit reading them. You know how sometimes you can glance at a comic and tell it's not for you? That one thing that jumps out and says "I've read a comic like that before and didn't like it. In fact, I've read several and haven't liked a single one. I probably won't like this one either." Well, mainstream corporate owned studio talent shared universe monthly floppy 22 page ad filled comics featuring musclemen in tights is that thing that jumps out for me. Which is fair, but it's more of a personal thing for you rather than a reason why one wouldn't be able to understand why others would choose to go back through those changes. I understand why they do it. I just don't. People seem to not understand why I'm not willing to. My response was not that I don't understand why they do, but that a better question would be why do they? Because as far as I can tell, not reading Batman after deciding I don't like batman after a sample of 200 issues or so makes sense. Thinking the 201st issue I read is going to be the good one is a statistical improbability. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 6, 2015 21:23:08 GMT -5
Which is fair, but it's more of a personal thing for you rather than a reason why one wouldn't be able to understand why others would choose to go back through those changes. I understand why they do it. I just don't. People seem to not understand why I'm not willing to. My response was not that I don't understand why they do, but that a better question would be why do they? Because as far as I can tell, not reading Batman after deciding I don't like batman after a sample of 200 issues or so makes sense. Thinking the 201st issue I read is going to be the good one is a statistical improbability. I understand it fully, and I find it fine for you(though I disagree with the notion that there isn't anything good currently being put out) but what I don't understand is why that understanding isn't reciprocated and that continuing to go back is spoken of in a condescending manner. |
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 21:45:58 GMT -5
We all have differing tastes, and what you think is good I may not, and vice versa of course. But besides things just being good or not, there have to be subjects you're simply not interested in, maybe even entire genres. I don't know if that is the case or not, but if you didn't like hospital drama comics, would you be okay with possibly missing the few good stories in the genre by focusing on something you preferred? And not only that, what if you had picked up signs over the years indicating if a comic was going to be enjoyable for you or not? I have signs. They're not always a dealbreaker, but the more signs a comic has, the less likely it is to be good. Is it a licensed comic? Is it studio talent? Is it monthly? Is it shared universe? Are there ads littered throughout the comic? Is it set in a shared universe? Does it have variant covers? Ect.
Now, I read Walking Dead, although it has the occasional variant cover. It's also swapped illustrators before.
I read Conan comics, he's a licensed character with studio talent.
A lot of the Vertigo titles I like have ads scattered throughout them instead of confined to the back of the book.
The red flags I use to decide if I'm going to like a comic or not are not set in stone. Especially not if a comic simply has one warning sign. If it has all of them though, I'm highly unlikely to give it a try.
Of course I don't think there's nothing good being put out. I just don't think any of the good things are corporate owned intellectual property set in a shared universe in monthly floppies filled with ads and a revolving roster of talent. That's pretty specific. All the comics that don't fit that mold, I'm likely to try.The reason being is even after I gave up on superheroes I continued to get burned by giving those kinds of comics a try. Most recently with the new IDW Ninja Turtles series. If I were brand loyal I'd still be buying it just to keep my collection complete. If I were willing to come and go then maybe I would have came back when Kevin Eastman came back as illustrator for a short period. But none of that is going to fix the comic for me. It's just not something I like anymore. Oh yeah, and not saying that's all there is to superhero comics either. I'm just listing off things I find to be a red flag when I'm choosing a comic, and super hero comics tend to have a lot of them. If someone said they didn't like black and white funny animal relationship dramas I wouldn't try to get them to try Omaha since it's pretty much the culmination of things they don't like. I know it's good, they'll probably disagree. They're not wrong for not liking it. And if they read one issue and realized they didn't like it I wouldn't expect them to read another just in case it got better.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on May 7, 2015 9:05:33 GMT -5
Well, you've already noted that my favorite series is The Brave and the Bold... I've only ever read one issue of The Brave and the Bold (issue #28, first JLA). Can you give me a list of 4 or 5 other issues that are the cream of the crop in your opinion? |
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Post by Confessor on May 7, 2015 9:33:29 GMT -5
My favourite series of all time would be...
Amazing Spider-Man
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man
Star Wars (the old Marvel series)
Astro City
Tintin
V for Vendetta
Dan Dare ('the '50s/'60s strips)
Herbie
Watchmen
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
My main priorities for those series I'm trying to complete are...
The 'Nam
Jonah Hex ('70s/'80s series)
Charley's War hardcovers (only need the last 3 volumes)
Plus, random issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man from the late '70s through to the late '90s.
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Post by Cei-U! on May 7, 2015 10:00:08 GMT -5
Well, you've already noted that my favorite series is The Brave and the Bold... I've only ever read one issue of The Brave and the Bold (issue #28, first JLA). Can you give me a list of 4 or 5 other issues that are the cream of the crop in your opinion? Why, sure! Here are five key issues: #34 1st Silver Age Hawkman #78 1st Neal Adams Batman art and first "serious" Batman team-up #85 1st bearded Green Arrow #197 Brennert/Staton Earth-Two Batman/Catwoman #200 Earth-One/Two Batman by Gibbons, plus Batman and the Outsiders preview Cei-U! I summon the good stuff! |
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Post by MDG on May 7, 2015 11:50:04 GMT -5
Why, sure! Here are five key issues: #34 1st Silver Age Hawkman #78 1st Neal Adams Batman art and first "serious" Batman team-up #85 1st bearded Green Arrow #197 Brennert/Staton Earth-Two Batman/Catwoman #200 Earth-One/Two Batman by Gibbons, plus Batman and the Outsiders preview Cei-U! I summon the good stuff! No love for the Haneyverse, Kurt? |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on May 7, 2015 12:37:38 GMT -5
I've only ever read one issue of The Brave and the Bold (issue #28, first JLA). Can you give me a list of 4 or 5 other issues that are the cream of the crop in your opinion? Why, sure! Here are five key issues: #34 1st Silver Age Hawkman #78 1st Neal Adams Batman art and first "serious" Batman team-up #85 1st bearded Green Arrow #197 Brennert/Staton Earth-Two Batman/Catwoman #200 Earth-One/Two Batman by Gibbons, plus Batman and the Outsiders preview Cei-U! I summon the good stuff! Thanks, man! I'll give 'em a read and see what all the fuss is about.  |
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Post by Cei-U! on May 7, 2015 12:50:44 GMT -5
Why, sure! Here are five key issues: #34 1st Silver Age Hawkman #78 1st Neal Adams Batman art and first "serious" Batman team-up #85 1st bearded Green Arrow #197 Brennert/Staton Earth-Two Batman/Catwoman #200 Earth-One/Two Batman by Gibbons, plus Batman and the Outsiders preview Cei-U! I summon the good stuff! No love for the Haneyverse, Kurt? The Haneyverse is WHY Brave & Bold is my favorite series, Marty! Cei-U! I summon all those Cathcarts! |
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Post by hondobrode on May 7, 2015 12:54:24 GMT -5
I hardly hunt down anything anymore, but certain things I'll pick up if I don't already have them.
Characters I'll always pick up include Jonah Hex, the Micronauts, Azrael, the Freedom Fighters, Shazam / Captain Marvel, the Doom Patrol, the Valiant & Gold Key characters, Nexus, Grimjack, Dreadstar, American Flagg, Cerebus, Earth-2 characters, Shang-Chi, Love & Rockets, Legion of Super-Heroes post-Crisis, the Shadow, Doc Savage
Creators I pick up anything they do include Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Steranko, Barry Windsor-Smith, Los Bros Hernandez, Frazetta, Moebius, Druillett, Alcatena, and more I can't think of now.
Titles I'll always pick up if I don't have them include Tomb of Dracula, Master of Kung-Fu, the Hulk, Bronze Age Thor, Bronze Age Fantastic Four, Amazing Heroes, Weird Western Tales, Jonah Hex and other that escape me at the moment.
Will always buy EC's if I don't have them already.
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Post by Phil Maurice on May 7, 2015 13:16:41 GMT -5
I quit buying new comics back in '08. Now for things that I simply want to read and enjoy, I pick up quite a few used trades on Amazon (Essentials, The Walking Dead, etc.).
I'm half-way to compiling a complete set of Master of Kung-Fu, averaging $2 - 4 per issue. This is the only non-key, traditional format comic book I'm currently buying. My chief interest now is in key Gold and Silver Age books in mid to high grade. I typically make 3 or 4 purchases a year toward this end. I try to laser-focus on significant books that I've desired for years and years rather than buying on impulse, as was my wont in the past.
Favorite all-time series is tough, but if pressed, I'll say Gerber's Defenders. Forty years after discovering it, that series is still smarter than me by a mile.
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