Will I still be reading comics when I’m forty-five?
This is one of those questions that pop up from time to time in places like iFanboy that seem more reasonable than they actually are. No one ever asks this question about television. Even walking out of the theater after sitting through the worst squeakuel you’ve ever seen in your life, you have never turned to your companion and said, “I wonder if I’ll still be watching movies when I’m forty-five.” To be fair, movies didn’t start out as kid stuff; there was a time—during my lifetime, even—when comics were something you could reasonably outgrow. Still, these days the grownups have allegedly taken over, just like we did with video games and toy collecting and everything else that used to set you apart as a nine year old, and now most right-thinking people realize that comics are just another medium for telling a story.
Occasionally, people will come around and turn the question into a statement: “I think I’m getting out of comics.” Again, this is something you’d never say about TV, but I can’t fault anybody for thinking it. I’ve thought it. Hell, I’ve done it. With a few notable exceptions (Marvels, Star Trek vs. X-Men) I didn’t a buy a comic from 1991 until Hugh Jackman became famous. Of course, where the nineties were concerned, I don’t think I left comics; I think comics may have left me.
This has been on my mind a lot lately, because I’m starting to feel that way again. Just a little bit. The books are sitting on the coffee table a lot longer than they used to. The podcasts are queuing up.
Am I just in a funk, or have Comics been a huge bummer lately?
I’m not talking about the content between the covers, exactly. When I say “Comics” I mean the business as an entity. As I started looking back on 2010 (it is that time of year already, believe it or not) I realized that I’ll remember it as the year I tried fifty new books that all got canceled six issues in. I’ll remember it as the year that “JMS” was handed the keys to Superman and Wonder Woman—who would you stab to get to write Superman and Wonder Woman?—and after a couple of weeks went, “ehh,” and wandered off. I’ll remember it as a year when they said, “We’re rolling back prices on comics!” and I was happy for eleven seconds before they continued “because the industry is dyyying.”
Now, there’s the conversation you have about comics and TV alike: will this business be here in any recognizable form when I’m forty-five?
I’m sure this is coming across as a huge buzzkill, and I’m sorry to start your week this way. And believe me, I understand that no one is cruelly twirling their mustache as they kill these new books; they’re just not popular enough to support in the current marketplace. I’m not a child. It’s just… it’s gotten to the point where the cancellations are spring-loaded like a jack in the box in the backs of the books now. You turn to the letter column and SURPRISE this is the last issue. The cancellation process is now so efficient you don’t even have time to hear about it in advance. They’ve got George Clooney’s character from Up in the Air working over at Marvel Editorial. I did my first interview the other week with the creators of She-Hulks, even going so far as to joke about these books’ track record lately, and Marvel canceled the book in the time it took me to post the goddamned article.
Marvel Comics: creating wonderful things for you, and then killing them while you watch.
Marvel Comics: The House of Ideas. Not the House of Books, mind you.
Coming soon from Marvel Comics: The Five and a Half Days of Christmas.
I’ve been going on like this for a while.
I had another one of these sprung on me as I was enjoying Hawkeye and Mockingbird the other day. I don’t know why I thought that one would be safe. They did announce a crossover book with Black Widow, however, which should have cheered me up but now just makes me guess that Black Widow’s getting canceled, too.
Then I looked at my monitor and saw, one week into the “Big Time” storyline, Marvel has released a teaser image for “The Death of Spider-Man.” Does the prospect of this shocking event excite you? If so, I hope you are also enjoying My So-Called Life and the cancellation of the World Series, because it is 1994 where you are.
DC responded by releasing a Doomsday teaser, by the way. So buckle in for that.
Usually, when someone tells us “I’m getting out of comics,” we tell them, “No, I think you’re just getting out of the comics you read right now. You need to change it up, try new things, and put a little zest back into the relationship.” It’s safe to say that’s where I am. Time to spice it up. And yet… I already consume comics like a billy goat, sinking my teeth into everything that’s put in front of me. I already read everything from Sweet Tooth to King City to Mystery Society. Maybe that’s my problem; maybe I just need to dial it back. So in a way, Marvel is doing me a huge favor, I guess.
What do you do to keep yourself from turning into a grumpus like me? Is there something new you’ve been trying that keeps your fires burning? Is there some stone left unturned? I am gratefully accepting any and all recommendations right now. I really want to still be here bumming you all out ten years from now.
Jim Mroczkowski is going to have kind of a make-or-break week. Text your vote for “make” or “break” today on Twitter!
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If it’s any comfort, I turned 45 this year, and I’m still reading. Have been since I was 12 with only a few lulls (mostly in th the 90s).
Patience, my young padawan.
Can’t say I haven’t seen this article coming for a while now. At least you’ve noticed that you’ve turned into ifanboy’s very own Eeyore. I’d peg Josh, and his constant reminders how shitty the industry is, as Debbie Downer. You guys make a great tag team of depressing reality.
I’ve turned more towards indie stuff and conversely older Golden Age stuff and classic comic strips. I also collect art books, and i’m buying more art books about comics and creators than i used to. I think i will get burned out on mainstream superhero fare sooner than later. I’m responding to art a lot, and always go towards people who are doing exciting, innovative work, as opposed to the majority of what we see on the shelves week in and week out.
Thanks for bringing in the 1994 reference. Any big event death gives me flashbacks to my youth where i first learned about marketing stunts after being scarred for life with the Death of Superman fiasco.
I don’t want to keep myself from turning into a "grumpus" like you. I aspire to your level of grumpusness.
In all seriousness (as much as I can muster), I’d agree that the content has been good, but the management hasn’t. I don’t know that I’d use the terms "incompetent oafs" or "idea recycling mushminds", but I’d consider using both. I’d love to see the men and women who run this industry formulate an incentive structure that rewards quality (if that can be done profitably) and let the creators create.
P.S. I find it very hard to believe that Mr. Jimski ever had a buzz. He’s our lovable curmudgeon. He’s not allowed to have a buzz.
Personally, I don’t see why a comics fan has to keep tabs on the business side of things. I’m not saying it’s not important, or occasionally interesting; I just read what I like and don’t sweat over what’s going on behind the scenes.
At the end of the day, that’s all we can do. Don’t worry about things you can’t control, just enjoy what’s here, now.
It’s important to remember that in this day and age, it’s not a good idea to give your heart to a book that doesn’t feature the biggest characters and/or are written by the top talent. The market’s too weak to support those books.
I consider every issue of those books that I get to read a nice bonus. Knowing that going in makes things considerably easier.
I no longer buy single issues. I trade wait now and it’s much better for me.
@RapidEyeMovement – What Conor just posted is why some of us feel the need to pay attention to what the business side of the industry is doing (it’s also one of the saddest things about this industry). Personally, I also pay attention because I find business interesting.
Readers don’t buy enough of the books some of us really love. That’s the only problem. They keep buying the same stuff they’ve always bought, and that should never come as a surprise. At the same time, there are winners. We’ve had far more Scalped and Jonah Hex than I’d ever have thought possible. It makes me sad that some books don’t survive, but it’s not like there aren’t others. I’m not all that unhappy about content.
i have to add ,there is a article on a different website .its like a QnA with a couple marvel big wigs and everytime i here the talk about units this and how we mis understood there price drop that,it makes me want to kick them in the balls and never want to buy another marvel book again.to me its art not units.i am afraid to look at the man behind the curtain at DC cause i am sure its more of the same.i am 39 and thats how i feel
” it’s worse than that jim, comics are dead!” he shouted in a doctor McCoy voice. It’s ok to feel this way, and you are right to be sad and angry when the bug two promise so much and deliver so little. But remember the good stuff that is out there. Think about the medium and not the message you are currently getting. I have three kids now, and have not been able to afford weekly issues for 5 years: BUT ifanboy has allowed me to choose the best available stuff out there in collections. I am loving comics more now than I did when I was addicted to the monthly books, and only get the high quality stuff. Try cutting back, and going tpb only for a while Thanks ifanboys for showing me the way.
@spacegrass: It’s a business. Comics are units to those whose job it is to sell them.
“big” not “bug” sorry.
@conor i here ya man and i am old enough to know better,i just like a kiss when i am getting f@#ked
I have had these sentiments that you describe many time and I have found the switch to buying trades a much more rewarding way of enjoying the medium. You get to listen and hear what is good and then you get to buy a big chunk of it all at once. It’s not a sure thing, but the percentages of enjoying most of what you buy are much greater.
I remember when the first series I ever collected, Ghost Rider, was cancelled and #93 was the last issue released (after Marvel had already released a Ghost Rider magazine telling of the changes coming up in Ghost Rider #100) I was devestated and if it wasn’t for Chaos! Comics I wondered if I should continue with comics.
The Chaos! went under and I not only lost another favorite character I lost an entire universe of characters. But by that time I was reading other great books like Fables.
During that time I got into Fantastic Four and a few other books. Now, I have only 8 regular books (I can’t count Jack Of Fabes because there are only 2 issues left) which is the lowest number of titles I’ve ever collected but I’ve also discovered Marvels Essential line. I read EC Comics reprints whenever I can find them I’ve expanded what I read and most of it is older stuff. You don’t always need new stories to have good stories. There are literally thousands of great stories that have come out over the years. Diggin into the past is a near infinite source of great reads.
Good article, man.
As far as the "No one ever says ‘I’m getting out of movies’" idea, I think the argument isn’t really fair because comics are still such a niche market that the audience actively has to go out of its way to keep up with. A better comparison would be someone saying "I’m getting out of Michael Bay movies. I don’t care about them anymore." Or: "I’m getting out of all things Star Wars. I liked that universe for a while, bought the books and watched all the movies and shows. But I’m not following it anymore." Or: "I’m done with TSR role-playing games. And I’m done with Magic The Gathering too."
With comics, we worry about this stuff in part because we don’t know where the industry’s going, and it’s such a finicky, shaky industry that everything seems uncertain.
I thinking "getting out of comics" really only means that you aren’t going to follow weekly, monthly, or quarterly releases. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to read a newspaper strip or even read a graphic novel maybe. I "got out of comics" between 1999 and 2006, but in 2001 I read the trade of From Hell and wrote a college essay on it. That doesn’t mean I "got back into comics." So I think the medium of comics can exist within someone’s life without that person being "into comics", in a sense, because what we mean by being "into comics" basically means that we’re following industry news and new releases.
If "getting out of comics" means not keeping up with industry gossip and figuring out which books come out this week, which ones have been delayed, and which trades have been announced for release four months from now…then, yeah, I’m ALMOST out of comics by this point. But I’ll still read comics every now and then, as I find them.
Lastly, the thing I always think of is that, even if all of the arts stopped producing new material today, there’s still so much of a back catalogue of great stuff that I haven’t read…that I might not even care too much. There are a ton of old comics I want to read that I haven’t tracked down yet. I have a modest "stack" of things I own but haven’t gotten to. I know many others are the same way. As much as I still do (kinda!) enjoy keeping up with what’s new, and as much as I sure don’t wish any industry to go under, from a personal standpoint I realize that I’d find ways of entertaining myself with back catalogue stuff for the rest of my life no matter what.
Dang, Jimski. I hate it when you’re right. I’m only 19 and I have days where the business makes me cynical and tired, so it’s not just that you’re older and world weary. It’s really a shame because I love the medium, I love the creators, and I love a lot of the established characters. (not to mention a lot of indie properties.) It’s just always so disheartening to hear "new and exciting" then get "we’re killing spidey!" It gets old. Good thing there’s a couple books coming out like New York Five and 27 that have me interested.
When I’m getting burned out I tend to revisit old favorites or go grab a graphic novel that I’ve never heard of (by looking on the often overly pretentious lists that some "serious" media put out. )
I think the market needs to not introduce their new titles was "ongoing". They should stick to a limited series format for all new titles, at least this way most story arcs can be completed properly for those who are reading the books. Titles that successfully sell as a limited series could then be restarted as an ongoing series.
I think my problem with the big two lately is that they seem to bring back titles/characters simply because editorial feels its time to bring them back. For example, DC brought back Doom Patrol for the umpteenth time in my comic reading lifetime. My feeling after reading several issues was that they simply brought the book back because the could, not because they had great stories to tell. The title barely had an issue out before they threw the series into the mix with the Blackest Night event. To me, the best comics are the ones where you can tell the writer has a long term plan . . .
I’m also getting the sense lately that there are more and more writers just "phoning-it-in". There are too many established writers (well knowns) who just simply don’t come close to writing at the level they used to. I don’t know if they just ran out of ideas or if their hearts are no longer into the work — but I no longer purchase a title simply based on who the writer is. (I used to buy my comics this way . . . and that seemed to work for me several years ago . . . but this is no longer the case now.)
Well said, Jimski. I too have been finding myself enjoying comic books less and less of late. Not comics as a whole, just monthly issues. There are exceptions of course: Sweet Tooth, Morrison’s run on Batman, and, presumably, J.H. Williams upcoming Batwoman series. But I can name you a dozen FREE web comics that I’m enjoying more than most of the stuff I shell out money for. Suck on those units, Marvel!
Yeah it sucks but then again are we overstating how good some of these cancelled titles actually were? Take a look at Vertigo. The critically acclaimed AND awesome books: Scalped, Fables, American Vampire, Unwritten, Hellblazer and Sweet Tooth are still rolling. Did anyone or can anyone really make the argument that Air or Greek Street was in the same category as these books? Over at Marvel despite the novelty of SWORD and Doctor Voodoo the reviews were mixed and even those who liked it were more often using adjectives like "cool" and "good" as opposed to "amazing" and "must read." On the other hand SHIELD is chugging along – a title many thought wouldn’t make it to issue 3 because it’s great. Yes it also has a talent behind it but few people knew Scott Snyder or Jeff Lemire when their books came out and Hickman still isn’t a huge name. The truth is crappy books with major characters and names will always sell but great books with minor characters and minor names can make it too – they just unfortunately have to reach a higher standard than their big name rivals in order to stick around.
Jimski, I’ve seen your pull list. You buy WAAY too many B-level comics. Cut them all. ALL. Only A-level stuff. I’m a Marvel fan too, but only buy their A-level stuff and have to ebay the old B-level stuff I would accidentally read. So I stopped buying it. Also someone above said they are much happier trade waiting. Me too. Do that. Stop the buying all B-level books madness!!
Here’s what I do for Marvel, Only buy everything with the name: Ultimate, Bendis, Millar, Amazing, Astonishing & Fantastic attached. Everything else, drop. Trade wait them all except Amazing. That covers about 10 books, that’s all you need.
For DC: Only buy Earth One books and possibly books with the names Morrison & Johns attached to your tastes. Nothing else.
Quality over quantity man. I cut my list down and have mixed it up more than ever this year, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m reading stuff that excites me. It also allows me the flexibility of trying something new when it grabs my attention. I no longer have the compulsion to have entire runs of titles regardless of content. I’ve also stopped feeling guilty for not buying as many books as I used to. None of us can keep the industry alive singlehandedly. The end has been nigh for years, and comics are still here. Enjoy them. Buy what you like.
That’s right. Stop buying the B-level books that are enjoyable because they’re not high profile. Tastes be damned.
@KickAss – Let the dude read what he wants to read. One man’s "B-level stuff" is another man’s treasure.
You know, I had a brief time there where Avengers Academy, Young Allies, and Hawkeye & Mockingbird had me feeling like I was experiencing my own personal nu-Marvel. And 2 of those 3 titles already seem to be drying up and blowing away. Then I realize how much of this has happened over and over since I’ve been in comics (The Order, Exiles, Agents of Atlas, SWORD). But I’ve been doing it just long enough to feel like the whole thing is cyclical. Now we’ve got the new ‘Heroes for Hire’ series coming up, and Spider-Girl launching out of Spider-Man and Young Allies. It’s frustrating but there’s some comfort that, in the shared universe, these characters don’t just disappear but fold into the larger story.
I mean, it’s true I haven’t stopped watching movies but (Harry Potter franchise aside) it’s not as though the movies I like now are continuing the movies I liked 5 years ago. And I haven’t quit watching TV but I’m not always watching the same shows; things begin and end.
I don’t know if that helps?
There are a lot of people that are saying, "Buy only Trades." Um, this could be why a lot of these marginal books don’t make it… Just sayin’.
@jimski: Your malaise with the comic industry could just be part of the natural ebb and flow of comics. Perhaps we need events <shudder> to feel like the comics community is thriving. I didn’t hear a lot of this downer talk when everyone was buying Blackest Night, Siege, Secret Invasion, Final Crisis, etc. There doesn’t seem to be any one title at the moment that EVERYBODY is reading. I think we’ve all retreated to our respective corners. If there was event out there that was pumping us up as fans, would we be here tearing the Big Two down?
Or, it could just be the return of the 90’s. Also plausible.
I agree totally with what you’re saying, I had this crisis a few weeks ago and, well, have been dropping an awful lot of books lately. But is Hawkeye/Mockingbird really getting cancelled? That’s too bad… I really liked it
@Kick-ass, @comicBOOKchri: That’s exactly the emntality that killed Sword, Doctor voodoo, Young Allies, Hackeye and mockingbird and Black Widow.
Josh is right People are onlybuying the "Main" books as if that meant their good. I want to read good B books. I want "captain britain and th MI13"s to survive.How would there be a Deadpool today if it wheren’t for the supportof lesser known books.
If you stop buying the big events continuity shatering books, and not buying the not tilte character, well known, long stablish books, Jim wouldn’t be complanenig.
What @Wheelhands said: Quality over quantity.
@Jetstorm Sarcasm on my part. Cutting out a good B level book just because it’s deemed B level is ridiculous.
I think a lot of us get worn down by comics because we buy and read too many titles, many of which are bad and many of which we feel compelled to buy. Dropping a title or skipping an event are harder than they should be.
What helped me transition from reading comics as a kid to reading as an adult was a few, good titles, and that may help you hold on to your love of the medium as well. I’ve been "out of comics" for a while now as there just wasn’t the budget for it. I’d pick up the occasional trade, and I’d try and get occasional issues, but since my passion is really for a well-told, long storyline, that was never terribly satisfying. Now I’m trying to pay a little more attention and trying to go back and catch up on some gems that I missed. Because I’ve been on a comic-reading hiatus for so long, I have so many options on what to read, and I can read complete storylines without having to wait for next month’s issue. It’s helped me realize that you can really kill your interest with substandard material. I can see how reading some comics leave me unable to turn off the light and go to bed at night, and other titles actually have me looking for something else to do. Sure, there’s plenty to do that’s worthwhile that’s not reading comics, but when you find yourself midway into a story wondering how you could better be spending your time, it’s a good time to adjust your reading habits. Drop the titles that make this seem like work. Focus on those titles that make you want to with away the next four weeks when you finish an issue. As long as some of those titles exist, I think your interest will remain intact.
As for the frustration about good books not doing well, and the publishers sticking with what works. Yeah, it sucks. But it’s no different than with tv shows. Your critical darlings and cult favorites often struggle ratings wise and sadly do not last long. Take Party Down. Not sure how many people watched that. But it was hilarious. But Starz (yeah, who knew they had original programming?) axed it after 2 seasons due to low ratings. And just like with comics, the safer, more formulaic, same old crap shows do crazy numbers. It’s all about understanding the overall audiences. If it’s an insult to them, sorry. But most consumers of entertainment are dumb.
It’s awesome to have good taste in that you get to experience some awesome tv shows, movies, comics, etc. But it’s also a two-edged sword in that you’re in the minority, big time. And the big companies are not concerned with programming/publishing for your small niche. Sadly, the people who continue to buy the same old comic books and ignore everything else are the same people who don’t have any interest in inventive, different tv shows or movies.
Yes, the comics industry’s sales numbers and why it isn’t able to bring in any new readers are cause for concern. Besides that though, it’s no different than an area of entertainment. Crap will always win out. It’s all about numbers.
I guess it’s our faults for knowing better.
Comics have always been an inefficient business. Believe me, I love every page that gets drawn these days because there is so much uncertainty, but I used to look at the racks when I was a teenager in the 90’s and think to myself…."Venom has his own title?, Night Thrasher, Prowler, Slingers, Sovereign 7, The Troll, Ravage 2099?? Another title that Wolverine is guest-starring in, but isn’t actually in?? Who is buying these?"
Now that I’m older I understand, that the House of Ideas used books to get those artists and writers into the business, but now the price of overhead and paper is more than any one kid’s dream. Hopefully, things will gain steam after we have downsized the output. Sad though.
I just follow writers rather than characters/titles. Was I bummed when Captain Britain & MI13 got cancelled? Hell yeah, but it was the end of that series, not of Paul Cornell, who was the reason I loved the series in the first place.
Similarly, I loved Punisher when Garth Ennis wrote him, and in theory, I love the Punisher as a character. But I didn’t like any of the Punisher issues I read since Ennis left, so I decided to drop the Punisher for the foreseeable future.
I can’t imagine being so devoted to a character or series that I would stick around through bad runs, but there’s no character or story a great writer can’t get me excited about.
I turn 45 next year, and I’ve been feeling a bit like Jimski and wondering if I should still be reading comics. Historically a Marvel guy mostly, I find myself reading a lot less books and a lot more that aren’t DC and Marvel. Stuff with there own single book universes. Sometimes it feels like Marvel, in particular, is hanging on the edge of a cliff that leads to 90s nonsense again.
But, probably not. Lots of books that don’t last long suggests to me that Marvel is testing what works. It’s what companies do when things a flat. I’m sure they are just as unhappy about cancelling some of these books. After all, they like the concepts enough to publish them in the first place. Seems like a transition period for the industry at the moment and everyone, including the people who make comics (who are, after all, just people like us who love comics), are doing their best to sort it out.
I’m feeling the frustration though.
Admitedly, my open-ness to trying new/different series on a whim(at least in single issue format) has really dwindled. I feel bad about it sometimes because I know that’s how new books get going and stay going, but about a year ago I was literally adding a new series to my pull list everyweek. Financial constraints and time constraints have led me to a point where I couldn’t even keep up with buying my pulled books at my LCS! I’ve still got multiple chunks of at least 3 to 4 issues from four to six months ago still held for me(and in a way, that makes me feel bad for the comic shop owner).
The best way for me to try new series now, is to just pick up what’s already been collected in trade. I’ve also been broadening my comic book horizons by making a point to pick up more OGNs. Doing it this way lets me get more enjoyment out of trying new books, instead of just getting a bunch of random single issues that mostly end up getting forgot about. I still have my handful of core books that will always be on my pull list, along with a small rotation of miniseries, but to me, trying out a collected edition of a title has become my preferred method of finding new things to read!
Anyone else agree/disagree or had similar experiences with accidentally having to big of a pull list?
also, food for thought, but sometimes I wish the industry would move away from the pressure of single issue sales and focus on collected editions only. That idea has obviously been discussed from time to time and some companies are more apt to move in that direction(vertigo, dark horse, image for example), but in my little ideal world, single issue sales shouldn’t/wouldn’t matter for the ultimate success of titles! If anyone is still reading this at this point…Thanks.
Pick up the Hellboy Library Editions. Those reignited my love.
If anything is buzzkilling the industry, I’d look towards the egos now running things. Bendis is clearly mooching off his very distant past work like Daredevil,Alias & founding Ultimate Spidey. His Avengers & ”event” books are asleep at the wheel. How this guy is allowed to steer the mainstream Marvel U is a perfect example of things that are wrong. His bromance partner,Quesada, might have done great things with Marvel Knights & a decent job as E-I-C for his first half a decade in the top job,but, he has now become Bob Harras 2.0. Both those boys are so caught up in being asked for input on the movies by Hollyweird that the creativity they once exhibited on the publishing side is long gone. Once one becomes complacent & lazy, you need to go. Let’s be honest here: Breevort & Alonso are really running shit behind the books now. Only Scarlett (& Ultimate Spider-Man kinda) are getting Bendis’ focus. Why Straczynski left to work for the competition cos did not want Thor to be railroaded into another pissweak crossover like Secret Invasion is no surprise at all. The man should have been allowed to continue unimpeded like Brubaker was with Cap in the early days. The way the 2nd half of Siege went down, it was glaringly obvious that it could have been set anywhere with all focus shifting away from Asgard to their killing off the fan maligned Sentry. Those 2 fools have no respect for the readers by anal-probing us with Bob & his faux backsid..ahem..backstory for a decade. And they wonder why so many of us are leaving for more indie comic pastures like Scalped, Walking Dead & Morning Glories. Say what you will,but, those books & the like are consistent & exciting. ’nuff said.
@jwaesch I’m really happy with the earth-one books for that. I wish DC embraces that format and stars releasing more things like that. A flash earth-one would be cool.
What happened to Josh’s column about negativity? The comic business is not a "bummer". Cancellations of peripheral titles do not cause me distress. In 2010, I’ve never enjoyed reading comics as much as I do right now! The comic industry goes through cycles like any business. Certainly there were worse periods for comics in the 90s. "All will be well."
PS: I’m 45!
I wish I had the historical knowledge to put the present situation in perspective. What were the revenue and sales numbers of comics 10, 20, 30 years ago? How many titles were being released? Is the end really nigh?
The end is probably not nigh. Things are just changing. I think there is just some uncertainty about how and what into.
You guys are just sick of getting ripped off by MARVEL. Read DC instead. A buck cheaper, and MUCH better.
At the moment, all I care about is ‘Chew’ and ‘Sweet Tooth’. I’ve dropped pretty much everything else – I’ve just found out that I don’t care any more.
That being said, I don’t think I’ll ever leave comics. They’ll always have something happen that’ll bring me back. If I ever see a headline saying Jeff Lemire is writing and drawing a new ongoing! I’ll toddle straight back over to my LCS to pick it up, like a little sheep.
I just think that the Superhero comics side of things has gotten stale for me. And I’ve only been into them for 3 years. I feel sorry for you lot.
i agree with everyone who said read what you enjoy reading, don’t buy just for the sake of it.
BUT
I do feel that the current entertainment business is too fastpaced for comicbooks. For one, this isn’t the 60’s anymore where we get a story a book. In those days someone could hand their friends the newest amazing fantasy and say "hey check out this spider-man-guy" and by the next issue came out, BOOM that many more customers. Now it is true some stories grab you from the beginning and suck you in (i thought i was the only person who wanted to check out morning glories untill my comic guy said EVERYONE was adding it to their pulls). But the problem, similiar to that of some TV shows, is the story doesn’t get to be told before a decision is made, or atleast it seems that way to me.
I don’t follow the business end. I do read a lot of lesser known books in the big two (both hawkeye &MB and Black widow were in my pull). But what i want to know is… were these books dropped because numbers weren’t high from day 1, or were they dropped because numbers went down after the first arc ended? Or did numbers go up after the first arc?
Someone who knows please fill me in, because if this was a low numbers throughout thing. Than i call shenanigans! These books should be allowed time to catch on, time to let the trade readers jump on, etc. Basically what i am saying, is give these books a second arc before a decision is made. There is nothing that sucks more then reading an intro arc knowing it is ending in a few more issues.
…but that’s just me
What a well-timed article. I am also close to leaving comics. Really, I just want to empty out my pullbox because I feel obligated to the store to pay for the shit I pre-ordered way back when. But once that’s clear, I think I’ll be walking away for awhile. There really isn’t anything going on in comics that excites me anymore. Plus, I’ve reached this point where it all just feels like clutter and I want to have a big nerdy bonfire in the backyard.
I think another problem with the Big 2 is that they approving dozens of titles per year, throwing them all at the wall, then seeing what sticks. That’s fine for movie & network tv execs, who greenlight many pilots and film franchises. they have the bucks to bankroll them. Marvel & Dc cannot afford to that as the bulk of the buyers are the same folks who’ve been buying for years. Sure, they get new or returning readers, but, they are balanced out by those who leave or become 100% tradewaiters.
Why Quesada believed that synching the Spider-Man line up with a bad third movie by doing lame promos like Back In Black or magically wiping away the marraige would draw new fans in by the thousands is just plain delusional. What Grant Morrison is doing with the batbooks is totally inaccessible to potential new readers who were interested due to watching The Dark Knight.
A suggestion of mine would be to have a regime change at the Big 2 every 5-10 years so the companies have someone steering them with fresh perspective & ideas. DC seems to have done this by letting Johns step up & guide the books. It’s harder for me to picture Joey n’Bendis handing over the crowns they placed on each other’s heads to say guys like Abnett & Lanning.
Suggestion #2 would be to perhaps relegate their flagship characters to accessable standalone mini or maxi series and OGN’s so that it’s easier to attract new readers who are daunted by messy & decades long continuity.
Jim, again I read your column and it’s a mirror of what I’m thinking. It’s spooky.
And I was nicknamed "Eeyore" for years.
Someday, I hope to buy you and your lovely wife a beer.
UPDATE: Two more stories have broken about Marvel cancellations since I posted this yesterday.
I like Avengers and X-Men; I’ll *always* have stuff to read. *shrug*
Ive been "getting out of tv" for about a year now. A combination of being busy, being able to get tv shows I like online and not owning a tv. Still made an effort to check out things I heard were good like Doctor Who, Sherlock and Breaking Bad
>Will I still be reading comics when I’m forty-five?
Heck, I didn’t start until I was over 50!