Comics, Blah Blah Blah

So... what's happenin'?

Looking at comics I have to say, nothing much really. I love me comics but I've bled most my pull list and you know what? I'm happy. Got more money for DVDs and Books. I don't miss it and why should I?

I am just generally tired with most of the mainstream stuff and I can't really check out the indy/alternative stuff unless I buy them based on what I hear and the little I see. So what happened? Let me see.

1. Marvel vs DC is fucking stupid. Yes, I prefer DC but I only buy a half dozen titles from them. I'm tired of all this creators jumping title or ship. Haven't read a truly gripping event book since Identity Crisis. I have little interest all together about these two dominant companies essentially facing off in creator acquisitions and big events.

2. The books. Its not that I think all superhero titles are stupid, its I think they're all disposable pop. Good once through and than forgotten at the bottom of my box of comics. I own quite a many comics but if you asked me what happened in any most of Jeph Loeb's run of Superman/Batman I'd probably just shrug. I remember pretty pictures though. Plus the art inconsistencies. I can handle it on certain things like Batman & Robin because it seems Morrison frames each arc to fit the artists coming on and it works altogether. However half a dozen artists on Infinite Crisis so they can put it out on time is a drag.

3. Release date. Comics usually come out every month. So when they don't, that's bad. Especially if you buy a lot of comics. Shared universes and multiple titles based in the same franchise can sort of make it hard to remember the particulars of what happened. Plus six issue arcs take half a year to tell. That means two full stories in a years time. You better hope that those "chapters" have enough going in them to make your fan keep buying them. Especially for alternative titles. Come on guys, we want to buy your books.

4. Superheroes. 90% of all superhero stories are the same. Deal with it. You can put as much drama, comedy, metaphors, symbolism, and what not in a superhero book but at the end of the day its a guy in spandex dealing with some sort of criminal. Look at Watchmen, the heroes go to confront Ozymandias towards the end. I love superheroes but lately I'm just shrugging at a lot of this. You know:

1-Supporting Character/Love Interest Dies
2-Secret identity compromised
3-Death
4-Return from Death
5-Alternate Futures(okay, that's more for the x-titles. Stop that shit)

And sometimes even "the main bad guy breaking our leading hero down." You know, that whole superhero deconstruction thing. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad, most the time its just recycling other ideas.

5. Creators Who Ditch Their Titles. Looking at that chick from Next Exit. Though I hear she's looking to continue it I don't think i care anymore. It's been a few years. There's Aaron A,. who should have stuck with Serenity Rose instead of hiatus for other projects. Didn't think his art worked on Fables, didn't care for BLABBERMOUTH, and Kimmie66's plot was a reworking of Serial Experiment Lains plat in certain ways. Both sci-fi stories centered around computers(the Wired fro Lain, Lairs for Kimmie) and pick up revolving around a friends letter in regards to their death(email from dead friend in Lain, suicide letter in Kimmie). Can you tell I love Lain anime? I guess if its a financial thing but really, that just leaves me with less titles to buy and more I don't care for.

6. Money. Really, $3 a title normally. Plus trades ranging from $10 to over $100. Plus manga at around $10. Than of course how many actually comics come out in a given month. It is ridiculous.

There it is, first rant of 2010. Its terrible I know.

Later.