Now I remember why I didn’t read comics for 8 years!

[harmonix]

8 years ago I stopped reading comic books. Now that I’m reading them again I’ve often wondered why I took so much time off.

I’ve always loved comic books as a story telling medium. I’ve also always stood strong on the fact that it’s important for comics to be only one of many sources of story telling and literature that a person should indulge in. I’ve had “comic book friends” that I don’t think have ever read a word that wasn’t in a balloon. I’ve also hear (over and over) about the “psychological elements” of comics and their male power fantasies, blah, blah, blah…

But the question still remains. Why didn’t I read comics for 8 years?

Was it:
a.) Because I got married?
b.) Because I started college and then grad school?
c.) Because I out grew them?

It’s not “a” because my wife couldn’t care less what I read. She might tease me on occasion but not enough to stop me from reading.
It’s not “b” because I still found time to read a lot of other books for pleasure that weren’t for class.
It’s not “c” because I still watch cartoons and MST3K every Saturday, and although I LOVE 100 BULLETS and some of the more mature lines of comics, I still like the good old stand bys (and I’m amazed by the work in Marvel’s Ultimate line).

So why did I stop reading for so long? The answer came to me last weekend as I was looking through some old boxes for something to read on the crapper. I grabbed an old copy of Wizard Magazine from 1994. It was a good laugh to read through all the old articles. The best part was all the rumors of future movies (this was right before the evil that is “Batman & Robin” came out). What ever happed to all the hype with DOOM’s IV anyway (he-he). While I was reading, and pushing, it hit me. I stopped reading comics for years because they were crap!

The market was flooded with crap (no pun intended). It was all splash (again no pun) pages and no substance. I’ll admit that the 90’s had some groundbreaking artists and coloring, but for the most part (I know there where some high points like Kingdom Come, yadda, yadda) the stories and characters where one dimensional at best. I think that most fans just got sick of the marketing abuse (500 crossovers forcing you to buy titles you would never touch otherwise, and multi-multi-multi chrome cover special) with very little payoff. It’s not surprising that the industry as a whole got nailed.

With all that in mind I have to say that I think that there has been a resurgence in comics the last few years. Less pointless gimmicks and more high quality story telling. And I, for one, am glad.

[Exiter]

what can ya say....you're right.
I think thats why the market went up so fast and took an even more abrubt downswing

Lots of speculators flooded the market buying everything they could grasp in their hands. When the stuf they bought didnt increase in value and the companies couldnt get people talented enough to create books that could justify the demand everything just caved in on itself.

Now is a really good time to get back into comics.
Theres quality books from just about every publisher at the moment
I really think this decade will prove to be better for comics than the 80s were

[Paul M.]

I stopped reading them around 95. Just started picking them up again. Same damn reason. Only book that I tried to follow was usagi yojimbo. Cuz......Well its my fav.

[sythspawn]

I'm proud to say I never gave up on comics and somehow managed to weather the storm. Sure, there was a lot of crap in the '90s but when I was younger, it wasn't necessarily crap. It's like when i was a kid, I used to love the Thudnercats and Voltron cartoons. When Cartoon Network started airing them on there new (at the time) block of Toonami, I was excited. I was going to get another chance to watch my old favorites. Gawd! They sucked! It's amazing how bad they are when you go back and look at the stuff. So, for me, the crappy comics of the 90s just weren't that crappy at the time. Now, I can look back at my old issues of Prophet or Bloodstrike and go "God, what was I thinking when I bought these?"

[muthmaniac]

I just want to point out that Batman and Robin came out in 1997, not in 1994..so you might be thinking of Batman Forever, or were reading a later issue of Wizard.

As to the whole stopped reading comics, thing. I never really stopped reading them either. Of course for the greater part of the 90's, I was mainly reading Spawn and the X-MEN books. Both of which were hit and miss...but I love comics and I've known for a long time that I wanted to be one of the lucky bastards to make them as well.

As I've gotten older, I don't have as much "spending" money, so my spending habits have become very selective. I can't honestly say when the last time was that I bought a Marvel or (Universe) DC book. I've kind of made the transition to comics more on the indy side of things. I'm not really dissing the superhero books, and I DO read Marvel's Dot-Comics, quite regularly.

There are a lot of great books that are coming out....and I don't really have anything else to add, I just didn't want to come off as a total geek for making the correction regarding Batman and Robin... :)

-John

[DrVictorVonDoom]

I never gave up on comics either.




Of course, that could be because I only started reading them in 1997/98, and by that time they were getting good again. Maybe that's it.

[Spidey]

I think you are right harmonix.
ALthough I ddint really leave comics either, I agree they were crap until recently. Like 4-5 years ago I couldnt find any spider-man titles that interest me and now theres plenty.

[xadrian]

My last straw was Rogue's own series. I closed my hold-slot at my store and actually sold my 4 long boxes back to them. I don't remember the date, but I remember only being held slightly by the X comics and some Image titles, but the branching off of a character I never liked was the last straw.

I'm only now getting back into it. Transformers Armada looked good to start, but I'm realizing it's only the art that's any good. The only other book I've got is Battle Pope. I think my resurgance into the buying community will probably be limited to self published or indy press titles. I'd rather support people like myself first.

[harmonix]

I apologize for the mistake on the Batman movie issue. To tell the truth the last two are just one bad blur in my memory. Damn you Schumacher!
I’m glad that I’m not the only person that feels this way, but I think that it bring up an interesting point.

Most people believe that comics are strictly a visual medium. That only the art matters, and I think the 90’s proved that wrong. All the major publishers, lead by Image (admit it, for a few months Liefeld had his moments) were creating unprecedented art. The coloring was groundbreaking and the characters looked better then ever before. The problem was they were all just glorified poster books.

I can imagine (again with the puns!) what the editorial meetings were like:
“O.K. we need a cool character. Uh, lets start with a clever name, like Pro-Pain. Get it, Pro-Pain. Alright, now we need a cool costume. I don’t care why he is wearing a mask, just put one on him. Now a cool power, say shooting fire out his ass. Yeah, I love it. Wait could we make it a girl with boobs big enough to clog a toilet? Origin? Who cares? Just make her a mutant. I don’t know why she fights crime. She just does. Now don’t forget a costume that she would fall out of in battle and give her some type of “cyber” thing on one of her eyes. Wonderful. Now lets giver her her own series next month.”

[Exiter]

Originally posted by xadrian
I think my resurgance into the buying community will probably be limited to self published or indy press titles. I'd rather support people like myself first.
I agree, i think the indy market is getting back to the level it was in during the 80s. I know I'm not particulary caring much about giving my money to DC or Marvel anymore