Who reads comics anyway? And what kind?

[zornwil]

It's interesting to hear that some # of people don't read comics at all. Given how far behind I'm on my backlog (like 2+ years, literally, in most titles), I'm not sure if I can say I really do, though I do try from time to time.

In any case, I'm curious how many people don't read comics and of those who do, whether it's moreso traditional super-hero, moreso "non-traditional super hero" (your call, but please elaborate in the thread), moreso non-super hero, or a mix.

[Uncle Shecky]

I read a mix of titles. I just started actively buying and reading comics again in the last 2 years. In the 90s, I mostly just bought trade paperbacks and the occasional title that caught my eye.

The great thing about not reading comics for awhile: I can almost always find a good new trade paperback of something I completely missed (e.g. Alan Moore's work on Supreme).

Currently, I'm reading some superhero stuff: Powers, Alias, Daredevil, Green Arrow, X-statics, and Astro City (back at last!) are my favorites right now. Stormwatch: Team Achilles started off very well, but has tanked.

I'm reading some non-superhero titles too (some aren't currently active): 100 Bullets, Just A Pilgrim, Gotham Central, Too Much Coffee Man, Barry Ween, and Astronauts in Trouble.

I've considered getting some CrossGen titles, but I've only got so much to spend on comics. Any suggetsions, for CrossGen titles or anything else?

[Arkham]

I'm reading a fairly good mix too, leaning
a bit more to the Superheroic though.

JLA, Spectre, Green Lantern, Fantastic Four,
Thor, Hawkman, 100 Bullets, Gloomcookie,
The Clockmaker.

It was that damned little Clicky game that got me back into superheros after #mumble# years, and then to comic books, and from there to Hero system...

[BlackSword]

I suppose I am more for the hero titles and tend more towards DC then Marvel. I usually read most of the Batman books and the spinoffs. Also JLA, Green Lantern and Green Arrow.

In addition I read several manga titles and other titles that catch my eye in the store. I have tried some of the Crossgen titles and eventually pared down to just a few titles. Unfortunataly I recently moved and I haven't taken the time to set up an order at the local comic shop.

--
Dan

[Lord Mhoram]

I read primarily the mainstream super titles. I don't even like some of the more extreme Marvel titles (if it is a Max line, I won't even look at it)- I mostly go for team books - JLA, JSA, Avengers, Ulitimates, Legion - and of course the greatest comic ever writtin Astro City.

However I really like what Crossgen is doing: I read 4 DC, 3 Marvel and 6 Crossgen (this from a total die hard superhero guy). I love SF and most of my crossgen titles are thier SF titles (Sigil, Crux, Negation, Solus).

[Lord Mhoram]

Originally posted by Uncle Shecky

I've considered getting some CrossGen titles, but I've only got so much to spend on comics. Any suggetsions, for CrossGen titles or anything else?

CrossGen is great. As to suggestions, what are you looking for? As a rule most crossgen stories are 6-7 issue story arcs, with a fair amount of character and world development thrown in.

Personally I thinkg Negation and Way of the Rat are thier two best titles right now.
Negation - a bunch of people have been captured by "the negation" an extra dimensional race, as excape the prison world they were on. The charcters are from other crossgen worlds (although it is not nessisary to read any other title to follow what is going on, but there are some injokes if you do) who don't always get along.
Way of the Rat is a hong kong action movie in comic book form. Really great fun.
Sigil is space opera. Sojourne is high fantasy. The Path is samurai stuff (and art done in that style). Route 666 is horror. Meridian is a sorta fantasy with really intriguing world. Mystic is a very magical world- but feels modern (I think it and sigil are the closest in feel to "superheros" but not really). Scion is a fantasy- but has tech instead of magic, the world feels fantasy, but they use holoprojectors and such. Ruse is a Sherlock-esque detective.

If you don't have a FLCS nearby to let you pick through back issues to see what you like, thier website has a subscription service to access all their back issues online at www.comicsontheweb.com for 2 bucks a month. So you can blow two books and browse through there and see if you like anything.

I personally cannot recomend thier stuff enough. Even the titles I do not read, I don't get due to lack of interest in genre or story (I'm not a big fan of horror or high fantasy comics) not due to quality. Or to put it another way even the titles I don't read are good, just not my style.

[Agent Escafarc]

A couple of years ago I had to cut my comic book budget and now I only read DC titles maybe if my economic situation improves I'll start picking up others.

[Uncle Shecky]

Originally posted by Lord Mhoram
... If you don't have a FLCS nearby to let you pick through back issues to see what you like, thier website has a subscription service to access all their back issues online at www.comicsontheweb.com for 2 bucks a month. So you can blow two books and browse through there and see if you like anything.
...

Thanks for the info, Lord Mhoram. I'll have to check out their site. I bought a couple issues of The First about a year ago. It was interesting (and looked great), but it was so continuity heavy I couldn't really get into it. If they have cheap on-line back issues, that'll make it a lot easier to pick up the storyline.

[Lord Mhoram]

Originally posted by Uncle Shecky
Thanks for the info, Lord Mhoram. I'll have to check out their site. I bought a couple issues of The First about a year ago. It was interesting (and looked great), but it was so continuity heavy I couldn't really get into it. If they have cheap on-line back issues, that'll make it a lot easier to pick up the storyline.

They have on thier website an issue by issue recape of every issue that they publish as well.
There is an "overplot" to the Crossgen universe, but you don't need to know it to follow the books. The ones that seem most tied to the overplot are Negation, Crux, Solus and The First. Although Sigil is in there. Also Crossgen is really good about Trade paperbacks, so if you like a series, and want the older issues in hand it doesn't take much.

And unlike other small comic publishers *cough image cough* they publishe thier books monthly, on time, without missing issues, and have only missed one ship date- becasue the shipper moved up by one day when they picked them up.

[Blue]

I'm that one person in the top category.

Basically, I loved comics, collected them for years, still have a few thousand in boxes in my closet at home. There comes a time in most people's lives when they think "maybe I'm too old for this". I hit that point when my old gaming group split. So I stopped playing. Then shortly after I stopped collecting comics, since I didn't have anyoen to discuss them with anymore. At that time I was down to pretty much collecting some marvel stuff (xmen) and DC's Sandman.

Flash forward a decade and I fall in with another gaming group, all OLDER than I am. How can I not game? I mean, these guys are even older than I am, married, with kids, etc. So I had no excuses. But I have yet to fully jump back into the comic book fray. There are two fears I have:
1) The books will be bad now and ruin my perfect memories.
2) Storylines will have gone on so far that I won't know most of what's going on.

But I've been spotted in a few stores recently, fumbling through issues, but not yet splurging.

[Jhamin]

I haven't bought a comic in years, but I generally know what the current plotline is in about 4-5 superhero books, usually Iron Man, Green Lantern, Flash, and some flavor of the week.

It isn't right, but I am one of those guys who just reads them in the store. I have spent hours and Barnes & Noble reading trade paperbacks.

My FLGS doesn't hassle me much since I spend so much on RPGs.

[allen]

I tend toward a mix, although I find myself lately avoiding the more continuity driven superhero titles, and have begun to stop buying monthly issues and instead buy trade paperbacks. Just can't get myself in a comic shop on a weekly basis, get tired of chasing down issues I missed, and find reading the entire story at one time more satisfying than on a monthly basis.

Anyway, what I'm buying: 100 Bullets, Amazing Spider-Man, The Crossovers, The Filth, Hellblazer, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, New X-Men, Power Company, Powers, WildCATs 3.0, X-Statix.

Occassionally I'll buy a JSA trade.

[JohnOSpencer]

I'm down to only reading JLA, Green Lantern, and G.I. Joe. I've trimmed back on the other titles as they've become uninteresting.

John Spencer

[bcholmes]

Originally posted by zornwil
In any case, I'm curious how many people don't read comics and of those who do, whether it's moreso traditional super-hero, moreso "non-traditional super hero" (your call, but please elaborate in the thread), moreso non-super hero, or a mix.

<p>I stopped for a number of years (I had dropped down to just <cite>Sandman</cite>, and when that ended I gave up reading), but <cite>Strangers in Paradise</cite> caught my attention and lured me back into the habit.

<p>My only "traditional" title is JSA (which has nostalgic value for me), and I read a lot of independent stuff: <cite>The Authority</cite>, <cite>Planetary</cite>, <cite>Powers</cite>, <cite>Top 10</cite> (when it was still publishing), some Sam Kieth stuff like <cite>Zero Girl</cite> and <cite>Four Women</cite> (Good Story!), and <cite>Strangers in Paradise</cite> (although it's been coasting recently).

<p>I recently picked up the trade for <cite>Noble Causes</cite>, which I quite enjoyed. And <cite>League of Extraordinary Gentlemen</cite> is a fun read, too. I've read <cite>Preacher</cite> and some <cite>Starman</cite> in trade paperback, too.

[TheEmerged]

I'm definitely in the "mixed" category -- which is a lot easier now that publishers (*cough* Crossgen *cough*) have remembered that the other genres exist.

BTW, I'd actually argue that Crux is closer to a "true" superhero book than Mystic, at least in my experience.

What Crossgen to recommend? Do yourself a favor and pick up the 2 "Ruse" collections -- the book is definitely in "coast" mode right now, but I'm holding on to hope. "Way of the Rat" seems to be experiencing a direction shift from comedy-action to straight action, but it's still interesting.

But the Crossgen book you MUST go out and buy ALL ISSUES of RIGHT NOW is "The Crossovers". Now! I mean it! That book would be the *perfect* hero license... :D

[Lord Mhoram]

Originally posted by TheEmerged

But the Crossgen book you MUST go out and buy ALL ISSUES of RIGHT NOW is "The Crossovers". Now! I mean it! That book would be the *perfect* hero license... :D

Big second on this one. When I was making my commentary earlier I was sticking to Crossgen universe titles. The crossovers is one of the greatest "light" comics ever written. Up there with PS238.

I just cannot wait to see what happens next.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Right now I'm mainly reading manga . Just finsihed Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP -- excellent series. Get the unreversed memorial box.

Other recent books I;ve been reasing include Wish (another CLAMP title) and Marmalade Boy (a teenage soap opera that will have you chuckling and crying simultaneously).

Speaking of which, if you visit my website Seraphim Guard (http://www.seraphimguard.com) you'll learn all about games that simulate exactly these kinds of stories.

[allen]

Just a 'me too' reply...

I also highly recommend The "sustenance of this kind is for inferior genotypes" Crossovers... seriously, for anyone who is a fan of multiple genres and such, it doesn't get much better than this...

[Catacomb]

Ultimate Spidey and X-Men. All the 'Bat' titles, anything with Martian Manhunter, Usagi Yojimbo, Blade of the Immortal, and all of the other Spidey titles as well as Wolverine and anything with him in it. I've been reading all of these for over 20 years(unless they haven't existed that long, in which case since their inception). Anyway are the Crossgens really that good?

[Lord Mhoram]

Originally posted by Catacomb
Ultimate Spidey and X-Men. All the 'Bat' titles, anything with Martian Manhunter, Usagi Yojimbo, Blade of the Immortal, and all of the other Spidey titles as well as Wolverine and anything with him in it. I've been reading all of these for over 20 years(unless they haven't existed that long, in which case since their inception). Anyway are the Crossgens really that good?

I've been a DC guy for years, with a few Marvel titles. I read about 20 a month (great working at a comic shop an getting them at cost- gloat gloat). I have been reading comics since the 70s (although I did drop out during the late 80s and most of the 90's due to money and tone of comics). What I read:
Marvel (3)-
Avengers
Exiles
Ultimates

DC (4)
JLA
JSA
Legion
Astro City

Others (4)
Warlands
Rising Stars
Tom Strong
TS's Terrific Tales

Crossgen (8)
Sigil
Scion
Crux
Negation
Way of the Rat
Solus
The Crossovers
2 other miniseries

So yeah, in my opinion Crossgen is really that good. They have solid storytelling, solid art (both of which upon occasion rises to brilliant), and new ideas. An irresistbale combination for me.

[Uncle Shecky]

Originally posted by Lord Mhoram
... What I read:
Marvel (3)-
Avengers
Exiles
Ultimates ...

Others (4)
Warlands
Rising Stars
Tom Strong
TS's Terrific Tales ...


I read "Rising Stars" too (when it comes out). Some great ideas there. I don't care for JMS's scripting very much (one reason I could never really get in to Babylon 5), but I'm impressed by his plots. "Rising Stars" is worth a look.

I've been meaning to check out "Exiles" too, because I like Judd Winick's "Barry Ween: Boy Genius." I haven't read it partly because I know it involves continuity from several alternate X-worlds. Can someone with very little knowledge of the X titles still appreciate or understand it?

[Lord Mhoram]

Originally posted by Uncle Shecky
I
I've been meaning to check out "Exiles" too, because I like Judd Winick's "Barry Ween: Boy Genius." I haven't read it partly because I know it involves continuity from several alternate X-worlds. Can someone with very little knowledge of the X titles still appreciate or understand it?

That is actually why I read it- it is _NOT_ tied to any continuity. I haven't read an X title for 15 years. If you know the basics, there are a lot of little in jokes for you, if not, you don't miss anything.

The premise is sorta sliders/Quantum leap. Dimensions have become unhinged and a group of people are taken from those dimensions and go hopping from one to another trying to fix them. If you know x characters you will get some interesting bits, but in most cases it doesn't matter. Each character is explained when intruduced and off they go. It is really fun- and very specifically not tied to any specific continuity. Some characters come from them, but the comic itself is not.

[Static UK]

I don't buy too many these days, mainly budget reasons. I buy Uncanny and New X-men and the Fantastic Four. I just last week bought the first TPB of Astro City, I think I'll be buying more of them!A friend of mine buys way too many comics for the little money he has coming in, and through him I read: Ultimate X-men, The Ultimates, Extreme X-men (sometimes I wonder why though!), Punisher, Avengers, the new Stormwatch, Authority (when it ever comes out). Recently I read his whole collection of Preacher (very strange, but I kept reading it).

I used to buy a lot more than I currently do, such as Excalibur (still my favourite set of characters), New Mutants/ X-force, X-Factor, loads of the Marvel UK titles (Warheads, Hell's/ Dark Angel, Killpower and Motormouth, and some others), also the Dark Horse 'super hero' stuff (Ghost, and all of the others), I even used to buy the AD&D comics, Spelljammer, Forgotten Realms etc,.

I loved Hitman, I was sad when that ended, it was great fun.

I don't read any DC anymore (used to like Green Arrow, Teen Titans, and Legion about a decade and more ago).

Can't be bothered with Image any more.