My Secret Shame

[Spring Heeled Jack]

Does anyone else not buy comics anymore?

I haven't bought a comicbook since July 2005 for a number of reasons:

-Relocation to an area with zero comicbook vendors (unless you count Waldenbooks, which I don't).
-The spiraling cost of comics.
-The spiraling cost of daily life.
-The nearest library carrying graphic novels is three towns over.
-No comics currently being published are worth overcoming the troubles posed by everything above.
-I have more than enough "real" literature to chew on.
-And if I get sick of books I could always fall back on the thousands of comics I have stored elsewhere.

So, does anyone else face the same dilemma? I mean, I'd love to read all the new comics coming out, &c., &c., but the whole venture is so prohibitive. I'm always interested in what's going on in comics today, and I keep tabs on my favorite characters and such, but I'm just a bystander now.

[stumpy]

I hear you. I have actually bought comics over the past few years, but, sadly I haven't read most of them. I actually really like the LSH revamp that started a couple years ago, but I haven't read any that I have bought. Same with some of the mini and maxi series of the last year. I have never finished all the pre-Infinity Crisis books or Infinity Crisis itself. I haven't even read all the back issues I picked up last year at Wizard World. I literally have a stack that have just sat there.  :wacko:

So, why buy them? Well, partly because I do like the LSH series and I don't want to fall behind and have to spend time and money tracking down back issues. I went through that when I stopped collecting in the mid-nineties and it took me months to fill in the wholes when I got back into it in '01. And that was when I lived in Chicago where there are plenty of comic book shops. Now, with one shop within 20 miles of my house, it would be a real pain.

The other reason is that I sort of like to go and chat with the the shop owner and any other random comic book folk who happen to be in the shop. I know my one or two comics a month hardly register on his bottom line, but I'd feel kinda bad if I never made a purchase.

(I have also been buying and reading All-Star Superman, but that hardly counts as a regular series because it is published so infrequently and inconsistently.)

[BlueBard]

Price has something to do with it for me, too.

I could buy two to three comic books that would give me 45 minutes of entertainment, tops, or I could buy one paperback book that will keep me busy for three hours or more (not counting re-reads).

I can buy one comic book that will give me 15 minutes of entertainment, or go rent a DVD which will keep me busy for about 90 minutes.

The cost of comic books is what kept me from jumping from Marvel to DC.

[BentonGrey]

You know, SHJ, if you're a member of your local library, you can request TPB's THROUGH them.  That's what I'm doing through ours.  They don't have everything, but they have a smattering of titles they can get.  You just search for, say 'Batman' in the card catalogue, and if it's up to date at all, you'll see titles from other libraries.

[GhostMachine]

SHJ, if you've got a decent bookstore near you, check and see if they have a manga section. I got disillusioned by comics for a while (although I have started reading them again) and started checking out the manga books put out by Tokyopop and other companies. You get more bang for the buck, if you can deal with the fact that most of them are printed Japanese style (ie, the back cover is the front cover and you read from right to left, panel-wise, even though they're translated into English) and they're black and white. Which sounds like a better deal to you: $2.99 for a 22 or so page color comic, or $9.99 for a 180 to 240 page black and white manga book? There are plenty of good manga series out there.

[BentonGrey]

Ughh......I'm sorry GM.....but now I'm going to have to clean off my keyboard....that just makes me sick.  I can't even walk into a bookstore anymore without complaining to my wife how Manga has freakin' taken over what little selection they have.  I would buy some TPB's at Barnes and Noble, but they never have anything decent.  They have new stuff, Identity Crises, Civil War, all I want is Kane's Batman, Hellboy, Astro City, Alex Ross' work, but do they have any of that>  Nope....but they do have two walls full of manga. :angry:

[gdaybloke]

I've read through my local library's entire stock of TPBs - some 50-60 odd - and I'm waiting for the other Bone volumes to be there.

In terms of buying, I picked up Civil War (so sue me), but the only other things on my "pull list" are Silent War (Inhumans!), Honor Brigade, and then the She-Hulk and Astonishing X-Men tpbs. I have plans to pick up more of the Strangers in Paradise tpbs when I can afford to too.

[konbiz]

Not to mention in book stores, how hard it is to actually walk along the floor without stepping on a kid who is reading manga... *sigh*
I only buy TPB's, which I think are better because you get to read a whole arc at once, you save a little bit of money than if you bought them individually, and they tend to hold up longer. I think Young Avengers is a very good book, although it may not be to everyone's tastes, apparently the Annihilation event, even though I haven't managed to get my hands on it yet, was miles better than the whole Civil War event so I'd check that out aswell if I was you. If I wasn't in a rush to leave the house right now I'd probably recommend a few good titles. Daredevil and Iron Fist are good books, Captain America was also, although his recent death is very controversial. I generally think anything Brubraker does is pretty good, although I wasn't too fond of his X-men book. Now if you're looking for an X-men book go for Astonishing, one of my favourite books now, some of the best X-men work in a long time. OK I know, I'm a Marvel fan.

[GhostMachine]

Ughh......I'm sorry GM.....but now I'm going to have to clean off my keyboard....that just makes me sick.  I can't even walk into a bookstore anymore without complaining to my wife how Manga has freakin' taken over what little selection they have.  I would buy some TPB's at Barnes and Noble, but they never have anything decent.  They have new stuff, Identity Crises, Civil War, all I want is Kane's Batman, Hellboy, Astro City, Alex Ross' work, but do they have any of that>  Nope....but they do have two walls full of manga. :angry:

That sucks, Benton. The Waldenbooks I go to has a pretty big selection of manga, but they also have a rack chock full of TPBs near it and they don't just have the new stuff....although, it is about 85% DC and Marvel, with the rest mostly being the Dark Horse Star Wars stuff and Sin City, and hardly any of the Marvel Essentials TPBs. And the fact that the comics shop I frequent is in the same mall and has a TON of TPBs doesn't hurt, either.....(the comics shop is on the other side of the mall and downstairs, though)

Funny thing is, I don't buy TPBs much. In the past year, the only TPBs I've bought were Batman Chronicles vol 1 (I may have to order vol 2, and vol 3 is supposed to be out in May), the Captain America one that's the first half of the Winter Soldier arc, Essential Classic X-Men vol 2, and Essential Spider-Man vol 6.

Waldenbooks used to have a deal on manga where if you bought 3 books, you got a 4th one for free, but they quit that about 3 weeks ago. :(

No Borders or Waldenbooks near you?

[UnfluffyBunny]

I spend about £80 a month on comics....

as for the manga debate, it's different tastes I guess, alot of the manga storylines are alot better than anything marvel or dc have thrown out in a long long time, and i've never seen any broken continuity in a manga ever....
it's just a pity so many people are so against them because of preconceptions given by what the media tries to feed you as manga, or intollerance for any artwork thats stylised a way they arent comfortable with [/rant]

[Panther_Gunn]

Don't feel bad, SHJ.  Back before I stopped buying, I was regularly getting ~40 titles a month in my pull list, and that doesn't count any of the X mini-series, crossover titles, special events, or whatever caught my eye on the new rack (I went *every* Friday, without fail, for over 5 years).  Cover prices had gone up (gradually, at least) to $1 a piece, so while costs weren't cutting into me too badly, I was starting to consider it.  In '91 I went to Japan for two years, and I knew that I wouldn't have a reliable source of comics, much less the space to store them all.  The decision was made to just quit cold turkey.  It was difficult for a time, but shortly after that, they started tinkering with the X-Men.....and not in a way I really cared for (Mags took wolvie's adamantium, Rogue got depowered, etc, etc.).  I've flipped through now & then, just to see what's going on, and to be honest, I don't really miss them that much, especially considering how much they've tinkered with just about everything (Superman dies?  He turns into an energy being?  Now two energy beings?  Zero Hour?  Hal wipes out the GLC?  Ben Reilly?  Spider God?  :huh: :blink:).  I do still pick up some of the grapic novelizations, and had picked up a lot of the Elseworlds stuff (that seems to be something they've kind of forgotten, it seems), and when I was stuck up in NoDak land, I frequented a comic/game shop regularly, and eventually did pick up a couple of issues off the rack (mostly just Groo).  I'm just not too thrilled with the direction things have been taken in the last 15 years (and *all* of the drama......sometimes it's worse than soap operas!).  Hence the reason most of my collected skins & hero files reflect a Pre-Crisis timeframe.....it wasn't too long after that that I got out of the comics game.  I've still got 10 long boxes of "reference material", with a couple of good sized stacks of loose stuff (mostly Elseworlds).  If I feel the need for a good read, I'll go back up & sit for a few hours, going through a box.  And, yes, I am apalled at the current cover price, as well as the price for some of these graphic novels that are just collected issues.  But, the difference in printing & paper is so vast from back then, I just clonk myself over the head & say "it's worth it"....kinda.  ;)

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Oh, that's nothing.

I'm an avid superhero fan and read comic books whenever I get the chance, but I've never bought a single one.

Not a single.  Solitary.  One.

[Primeguardian616]

 :thumbup: I too am a avid comic book fan and read and by them often. Although I am more of a fan of old marvel and dc. No Civil War or 52 crap. I don't like Iron Man. I love Spider-man from the 80's and 90's. But right now I'm enjoying a few idependent titles. ^_^







note: edited to less harsh language

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Actually, I like 52.

[Blitzgott]

Oh, that's nothing.

I'm an avid superhero fan and read comic books whenever I get the chance, but I've never bought a single one.

Not a single.  Solitary.  One.

That's totally me!

I really like superheroes and superheroes related stuff, but I hardly have any comic books. I probably have a dozen tops (though probably less) that I don't even know why I bought. Still, I enjoy reading comics once in a while, but I do so only in libraries, and only until the owner kicks me out by reading without buying.

[Podmark]

Hmm lets see, my current pull list consists of Spider-Girl, New X-Men, Zemo Born Better, Thunderbolts (soon to be replaced with X-Men), Teen Titans and Invincible. I also share comics with my brother so I end up getting a few more each month. I'll also be picking up Buffy season 8 when it starts coming out (I have no idea when that will be though...)

[steamteck]

I buy on and off but have been so disappointed everytimr I pick up one its disheartening. Some like infinite crisis lead you in and give you hope then dash it. I'm afraid the dark age of comics is just not my style. Thank goodness for my old collection, JLU and the movies.

[BentonGrey]

I've got one word for those dissatisfied with the modern DCU: "Justice."  Check it out, it's awesome, and it's one of only modern comic that I'm still buying with regularity.

Other than that, I collect back issues of several things (especially The Batman Adventures, SO awesome).

[crimsonquill]

I buy my stuff on a very selective basis since my budget is almost as thin as this peice of paper is... *holds up sheet of paper and rips it in half*  :blink:

So, I've been sticking to Marvel X-Titles (mostly Astonishing, New X-Men, etc) and some Civil War stuff (which I'm collecting in TPB format) and a handful of DC titles (Justice, JLA, JSA, Flash, Uncle Sam). The core of my pull box is still Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday The 13th, Walking Dead, Y The Last Man, Buffy/Angel/Spike related comics, and various horror and zombie titles ("??? of the Living Dead").

Plus I've been collecting Marvel's MC2 stuff thru cast-offs from other collectors who never understood the coolness of that universe that I have grown to love.

- CrimsonQuill

[Bujin]

Not to mention in book stores, how hard it is to actually walk along the floor without stepping on a kid who is reading manga... *sigh*

So you're the one who keeps stepping on my kids!   :D

I used to be a manga/anime hater as well, until my kids made me watch Full Metal Alchemist...what a great story!  Now I'm an avid reader of FMA, and Death Note's pretty good, too.  As for comics, I don't read many either - except for the aforementioned Honor Brigade, Iron Fist and Captain America (love Brubaker).

[Spring Heeled Jack]

I knew this thread would become another "My pull list..." :D

I never cared that much for manga. My first university was 60% Japanese, and the other 40% seemed to be Americans who wanted to be Japanese, so all I ever heard about was anime and manga. After a while it really lost its charm. Not to mention that all the best examples I've been presented with are insanely purile and twee.

I wouldn't shut out the possibility of enjoying manga titles completely, but I say the same, insincere thing about rap music!!

If anything, I'll wait patiently for a convention in a nearby town and descend upon the quarter boxes.  :thumbup:

[stumpy]

I buy my stuff on a very selective basis since my budget is almost as thin as this peice of paper is... *holds up sheet of paper and rips it in half*  :blink:

Thickness-wise?!? That is one precise tear.  :P

[Cardmaster]

Haven't bought a comic since January 06...
I just buy TPB's these days.
The reason?
I can't consistently get to a comic shop, and so with comics these days being so "HUGE CONTINUITY" oriented, it makes it hard to get/stay interested.
So TPBs work out much better for me. Thank you Barnes and Noble! ^_^

-CM

[konbiz]

The only thing that saddens me about book stores, is the fact that I have not once found an Invincible TPB, which I am desperate to read. I would order it, but I don't get to these places frequently enough.

[Carravaggio]

well if u have a credit card, or know someone who does, i'm sure you can find an online comic book store and purchase the Invincible trades, cos they are great reading and they do exist: its my standard present to comic loving friends, the first invincible trade.
For me its the cost of comics. in Australia a single title retails for about eight dollars. ouch. admittedly toys cost about twice what i see you yankees paying for them, so dont think the concept of the exchange rate is lost on me, but when the staples of life stay the same price, and comics keep rising in cost, it means i can buy a whole lot less, in fact my pull list has dropped from about 15-20 titles a month to about 5. Fortunately my lil brother earns a whole lot more money than me (how is that fortunate?). well he buys a boat load of trades and single titles each month...and i get to read'em.

[Jakew]

I buy tpbs from Kinokuniya, a Japanese chain which has a store in Sydney. Essentially, its a huge multi-format bookstore with an excellent (and well stocked) comic section. They're also quite cheap compared to the well-known Sydney stores (Kings Comics, Comic Kingdom, etc).

I only buy one single nowadays, The Goon, because I own every issue (from before the series got picked up by Dark Horse). As Caravaggio mentioned, singles are ridiculously expensive in Australia, so it makes more sense financially for me to buy comics in trade form.

Hey Caravaggio ... I don't suppose you buy comics from Graphic Action? If so, does that place even open on a weekend anymore?

[Carravaggio]

Uh...yeah actually i do. WTF? Are you referring to the newcastle based GA? If so, how the heck did you guess that outta all the comicbook stores in Australia? and so far as i know they do open on weekends, albeit sporadically, aka, whenever the owner waked up from his hangover and decides to open shop...spekaing of which im overdue for a visit there...better save my pennies

[detourne_me]

RE: Bujin
  Death's Note is translated?  sweet, i'll have to pick it up when i get back to canada. my dad's been sending me the comics that i have a subscription too (dwindled down to astonishing x-men)  and i showed some kids at school one day what american comics look like (used issue 18 of astonishing i think) and the kids only said one word "beautiful".
they read so many comics here, even in my small town of 30,000  there are at least three comics shops on the main strip.
if marvel/dc started to translate TPB's or Essential/Archive collections, they would clean up in asia, especially since the movies are so popular.   
our school has a video room where kids watch videos before/after class, and i swear the movies with the highest rotation are spider-man 1,2 and all three x-men. and Harry Potter movies.
the only other movies we watch are Pixar.

[Zippo]

My nearest comic book shop is a 45 min (and $10.50/person) ferry ride, and a half hour busride away. Because of that I only buy TPBs and Manga.
Lately I've been picking up Young Avengers, Runaways, Nextwave, and Transmetropolitan TPBs, and Trigun and Hellsing mangas.

Benton, next time you're in your manga-dominated bookstore, I suggest checking out a book called "I Luv Halloween". It'll be in the manga section because it's a manga-sized book, but it's read left-right, and illustrated by Benjamin Roman, so it's doesn't have the manga/anime art style. It's an incredibly hilarious book.

[BentonGrey]

Hmm, I'll keep an eye open for it.  I have to say, most manga simply doesn't interest me, aside from the art which is so stylized in most of what I've seen that it puts me off, the subjects of a lot of them aren't really my cup of tea.  I like fantasy, but most of what of seen of manga fantasy is just too out there for me.  I love superheroes, but I haven't exactly seen any of that in manga form, and if I did, I prefer the less stylized art in that genre.  Someone said earlier that they hate it when people dismiss manga out of hand, and although I HAVE done that, I'm not doing it now-a-days.  I enjoy Cowboy Beebop, and my best friend, who spent a few years in Japan during highschool, has tried his darndest to get me interested in manga.  So, I've sampled a smattering, but I just don't care for it much.  (Aside from the fact that the reactionary, irrational side of me blames it for the slow, creeping death of American comics....even though the rational side of me knows it's their own fault)