Comic Book Fans....

[Bullit]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Just a small side note on all of these re boots. I don't think the big two realize the damage they are doing to the comic book business.

Re boots make for great jumping on points for new fans but they also are great jumping off points for long time readers. I work in a comic book store in my hometown and have for years. 5 years ago we had a total of 200+ pull list for regular customers. This number has fluctuated of course through the years but this year it is at an all time low of 115 with a surprising 20 or so customers cancelling their pulls as everything ends this summer.

They almost as whole say they are tired of repeating story lines, bad art, bad writing and the constant re booting of characters and universes. With the growing popularity of digital books it is really hard to compete as a small business owner. Then having the source of our income making things even more difficult with all of these reboots. Plus don't get me started on all of these variant covers for every book under the sun.

End of rant sorry

[JBH3]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Just a small side note on all of these re boots. I don't think the big two realize the damage they are doing to the comic book business.

Re boots make for great jumping on points for new fans but they also are great jumping off points for long time readers. I work in a comic book store in my hometown and have for years. 5 years ago we had a total of 200+ pull list for regular customers. This number has fluctuated of course through the years but this year it is at an all time low of 115 with a surprising 20 or so customers cancelling their pulls as every ends this summer.

They almost as whole say they are tired of repeating story lines, bad art, bad writing and the constant res booting of characters and universes. With the growing popularity of digital books it is really hard to compete as a small business owner. Then having the source of our income making things even more difficult with all of these reboots. Plus don't get me started on all of these variant covers for every book under the sun.

End of rant sorry

I question what their motives for the re-boots really are, because after a 10 year hiatus where I read no comic books, I recently got back into both main publishers w/ the New 52 and Marvel NOW.


So I still consider myself a relatively new reader, and now after investing in the stories/books from the latest re-boot I am already questioning my commitment to buy.


One thing is that I am now smarter about what I buy since I know what artist/writer I am going to like, but I will probably be doing the same thing as your subs have done. Canceling everything and seeing what is put out and making my decisions from there.

[SPTO]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Just a small side note on all of these re boots. I don't think the big two realize the damage they are doing to the comic book business.

Re boots make for great jumping on points for new fans but they also are great jumping off points for long time readers. I work in a comic book store in my hometown and have for years. 5 years ago we had a total of 200+ pull list for regular customers. This number has fluctuated of course through the years but this year it is at an all time low of 115 with a surprising 20 or so customers cancelling their pulls as everything ends this summer.

They almost as whole say they are tired of repeating story lines, bad art, bad writing and the constant re booting of characters and universes. With the growing popularity of digital books it is really hard to compete as a small business owner. Then having the source of our income making things even more difficult with all of these reboots. Plus don't get me started on all of these variant covers for every book under the sun.

End of rant sorry

Great rant and I was wondering how all this is effecting the comic book shops so you gave a good glimpse of that. I hear you about jumping on/off points. I know I stone cold stopped reading the GL books when they did that whole Godfall (I think?) event. I don't even care about what goes on there anymore.

I wonder if all this is getting to the point that maybe a sizable group of comic book shop owners would get together and write an open letter to both Marvel/DC explaining just how all this is killing the business more than anything else. It's almost like they want to expedite the already slow and agonizing death of the physical hard copies and maybe go digital but by killing off the remaining fanbase they've basically cut their nose off to spite their face.

I admit I haven't been reading the internet comic community like I used to but are the "reporters" and people associated with these websites with access to the publishers making any kind of plea to end this insanity? I'm not just talking about articles but actually going to these guys and asking the hard questions.

[BDKiiing]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Anyone read Star Wars #1? Really enjoyed it, looking forward to more, and the Vadar and Leia books.

[mestevo]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Spoiler-filled Avengers/incursion stuff.

Spoiler

Avengers was interesting this week, the Cabal (Thanos, Namor and some throwaway other characters that have been destroying planets to prevent the destruction of our own) are on the the Ultimate U Earth as a result of Black Panther trying to strand them on on dead Earth to kill them off. The previous issue last week has Hank Pym show up from a mission to find someone/something... with 'The Beyonders'.

Also, filler event Black Vortex started w/ All-New X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy. First issue was OK, everything feels futile/dumb/filler knowing Secret Wars is about to start. Issue ends with Gamora getting super-powered by the artifact, looked pretty cool. In searching for that image I found one of Drax and a new design for Ronan - F/Yeah Album of Stuff I Like - MARVEL’S “BLACK VORTEX” EVENT:Â*"All-New X-Men" #38....

They're down to less than 2-dozen existing universes as a result of the incursions, which presumably will make up the battleworld.

Secret Wars can't get here soon enough, but at least some of this other stuff is getting more interesting.

[LowerWolf]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

DC is ending the New 52 this summer, though it says it's not a reboot.

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/02/06/new-books-new-creative-teams-the-complete-list-of-new-and-continuing-dc-comics?adid=dchero1_New-titles-New-writers-and-artists-It%E2%80%99s-a-whole-new-era-for-the-DC-Universe-

[Bullit]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

DC is ending the New 52 this summer, though it says it's not a reboot.

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/02...e-DC-Universe-

Was just coming to post this. We just got our solicitation package for Free Comic book day and had all the info.

[SPTO]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Interesting....Can't believe they're bringing back the old Prez title into the fold. Of course this isn't going to be a reboot as my understanding is that we're heading back to a multiverse. As for some of the new titles i'm happy to see that they're splitting the Harley Quinn book by doing a full on Harley/Power Girl title as I found the dynamic between them recently was FANTASTIC. I also see they're further dilluting the Bat Family of titles with a couple Robin related books "sigh".

They sure do love milking the cash cow until it drops dead.

[mestevo]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Not a fan of the A-Force announcement by Marvel (all-female Avengers team like the X-Men book). Just too much pandering lately. Wish it was more subtle, like stronger roles for female characters, leading a team or two, being the cog in some main events, etc.

[SPTO]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

Not a fan of the A-Force announcement by Marvel (all-female Avengers team like the X-Men book). Just too much pandering lately. Wish it was more subtle, like stronger roles for female characters, leading a team or two, being the cog in some main events, etc.

Yeah I don't like the fact that Marvel comes across as pandering whereas DC actually does some pretty decent stuff with their female characters without having to put up an all female group. (well they did with Birds of Prey but that was more organic) DC already has books with female leads and some of their female characters play a big part in the general DCU as well.

[nate1986]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

DC is ending the New 52 this summer, though it says it's not a reboot.

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/02...e-DC-Universe-

i might use Convergence as a jumping on point to get into DC, it feels like they've done a soft reboot more then once within "the new 52"

[mestevo]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

I'm hoping I can get into them more than I've been able to in the past as a result of the event also.

[SPTO]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

i might use Convergence as a jumping on point to get into DC, it feels like they've done a soft reboot more then once within "the new 52"

The New 52 was doomed from the beginning really as the various titles kept or threw away history when they felt it was necessary. The biggest culprit of not following along with the intent of the reboot were the GL books. They were still in the midst of their epic storyline(s) and once The New 52 began they just kept going on more or less like nothing happened.

[LowerWolf]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

JLD is the only book I've consistently read. Sounds like Dark Universe is just a rebranded version of that, so I'll stick with it.

I was tempted to dive into Constantine before; I think I'll use the relaunch to get into it now.

[mestevo]

Re: Comic Book Fans....

I'm more interested in Constantine and Dr. Fate now more than ever because of Injustice.