Comic book thoughts...

[lithera]

So, another weekend where there are comic conventions and I hear this again: "The reason we keep making huge crossover events is because they sell the best, so you must like them."

This is not true for me.

I end up buying large multi-book spanning events because if I don't, I have no idea what is going on in the titles I read. Suddenly, everything has gone sideways and I'm totally lost. It usually isn't because I'm interested in what happens (the upcoming Blackest Night being an exception) but because I need a life boat for understanding.

I've noticed I'm reading fewer and fewer DC and Marvel titles and picking up more titles from elsewhere. While this isn't the only reason that is happening, I know it doesn't help at all.

Comments

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

*facepalm*

[samy.livejournal.com]

But how much is that you really *need* them to understand what's going on, and how much is that you *think* you need them to understand what's going on?

I read BOOSTER GOLD and JSA fine without FINAL CRISIS.
CAPTAIN AMERICA and IRON FIST readers weren't lost if they didn't read SECRET INVASION.

Granted, there are some books that will leave you feeling lost if you don't pick up the big crossover, but IMO, those are kind of like a bad significant other. If they try to abuse your affection by making you do something unpleasant "for their sake", then they're not worth keeping.

Drop the books that try to use you as a slave. Keep the books that give a satisfactory reading experience *without* the crossovers. Because there are lots of those.

[amit.livejournal.com]

Ehn.

You know me.

Mass droppage.

Except, now there is Power Girl. And Madame Xanadu.

And Detective.

Along with Batgirl, Dini's upcoming Zatanna, and Models, Inc and Marvel Divas...I don't think I'll much be comics-boy.

Oh, right. Buffy and Fallen Angel. :D

...

And the Psylocke mini.

(It's official. I really don't read anything with a male protagonist.)

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

*hands you my comic book Take A Chance* :)

[amit.livejournal.com]

Oooh!

I am intrigued!

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I imagine everybody does that, which is why the crossovers sell so well, which is why they think everybody likes them/figure they can rake it in easily by doing them.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

That's what I think too. And I am starting to ignore them and cut out books that make me pay attention to them. Of course, they tend to be, right now, the ones that are going directions I don't like anyway.

[stacyx.livejournal.com]

I haven't given Marvel a penny in two years. I'm so sick of crossovers it's not even funny. Marvel has put out complete and utter shit since Disassembled.

[fobok.livejournal.com]

Depends... are you talking the crossovers like New Krypton, in which you had to read Superman, Action, Supergirl to follow before they added the main title (World of New Krypyon)? Or like Wargames, which crossed over all the Batman titles a few years back? I agree, there.

If you mean things like Secret Invasion, though, I disagree. I read Amazing Spider-Man and a few other Marvel comics, and while I did read the Secret Invasion line too, I wouldn't have had to to understand what was going all. Everything you need to know to enjoy those other comics was put in those other comics. And if you wanted to read Secret Invasion without reading other comics, you could do that too.

They do mess up from time to time. Like in Civil War, there was one Amazing Spider-man issue that tied in a bit too closely. But, for the most part, that doesn't happen when the crossover in question has it's own title.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

It bothers me more when it becomes something you /have/ to follow across many books.

It is a frustrating thing, I understand that. Large universe impacting plots /should/ impact all books because of their nature but I don't want to have to buy 7 issues of something else to understand what the event /is/ and then have to buy other titles surrounding the one I read to understand why people are reacting to it the way the are ..... Arg.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I've been close to dropping the whole habit lately. I only go every 2-3 weeks now, instead of every week.


...and then I read something amazing and I'm sucked back in.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

There /is/ a lot of good stuff out there. I admit that I'm thinning my pull list as well or the stuff that I do get is usually less and less Marvel or DC.