Have you dropped any books recently? Why?

General Discussion Comic Books
22

I’ve been dropping books that I’ve been reading for years. I toughed it out through the nightmare that was the New 52 in the hopes that things would get better, but in some books they just haven’t.

I’m about to drop Nightwing and Flash, which have been two of my favorite books for over a decade. I can’t stand the Ric Grayson story arc. As with so much in DC these days it has a great and interesting premise but the execution is just disappointing. I don’t think it’s handling the topic of traumatic brain injuries well, and I don’t care at all for Ric’s personality. As for the Flash, I’ve just found the recent story lines boring. I dropped Justice League months ago, and I’m not reading a single Green Lantern title for the first time in ages.

The problem with a lot of current books, for me, is that they just don’t have any heart to them. They’re all about big sweeping story lines and universe shattering events, and there isn’t any focus on the human aspect of the story. They don’t treat the characters with respect, either. Some books seem like they were written by someone whose only knowledge of a character came from a wikipedia article (Kyle Rayner in Omega Men, Dick Grayson in Grayson, Roy Harper in…pretty much anything since 2010 or so, etc.)

I also hate the fact that DC can’t seem to keep an artist on a book for a single story arc, much less a decent run! It’s so jarring to pick up the next issue in the middle of a story and have it be drastically different in art style, but that’s kind of become the norm for DC. They also don’t always do a great job of picking an artist whose style fits the book.

In the interest of keeping things from being a DC hate fest, I am loving the new Young Justice book! I’ve missed this team ever since it disbanded and was replaced by the 2003 Teen Titans series (speaking of writers who don’t know their characters…). I’ve also been consistently happy with the current run of Wonder Woman and the new Justice League Dark book.

5 Likes
23

I have been the biggest Marvel fan you could ever meet in the past but in the past few years I’ve felt like I wasn’t getting the stories or heart that I remembered as a kid. I currently only read the Daredevil series because I love the character.

In turning my back on Marvel I’ve now fallen in love with DC stories and characters. The Rebirth line of books I found amazing. Jurgens and Tomasi’s Superman run was a total thrill to read and ignited a love for the character I never thought I’d have. To my sadness I find myself seeing current DC title losing heart now as well and I’m hoping that it doesn’t go the Marvel route.

I’m currently just reading older DC comics I never read when I was younger and I’m discovering a whole new world of great stories and amazing characters. I feel like I did when I first started reading marvel books.

4 Likes
24

Overall the quality of DC comics has gone down over the past couple decades. It simply has. I was a huge fan of just about every title from the Post-Crisis era. After Zero Hour, life got busy; but I managed to stick with at least a few titles for quite a while.

The industry should be busting at the seems with new delivery modes and all the increased exposures from video games, film, and TV. But it’s clear, comics are dying (digital or otherwise).

Graphic novels are doing well, but there’s very little impulse to read month to month. Has our culture shifted so much towards binging? Or are the stories simply not enjoyable enough? Viewers were fighting to be first to see and spoil Game of Thrones. Sure, some complained that they’d rather binge, but that didn’t stop people from subscribing to HBO.

So, I don’t think it’s a cultural shift. I think it’s a decrease in quality. Specifically, I think it’s been a shift in DC editorial targeting. Moving from a continuity-basis for storytelling to an event-based model has killed the month-to-month desire for readers to stick around. From a marketing point of view, big events draw in new readers. And a complete, six issue storyline fits nicely into the trade format. But from a reader’s point of view (especially a new reader who’s not invested with the characters or an overarching storyline), one boring issue is enough to convince you to walk away.

I jumped back in and did my best to stick with New 52, but titles were getting canceled left and right. I didn’t personally like the new directions of Green Lantern, Superman, or Batman, so I was actively targeting the smaller, more experimental titles. Whether they were good or not, there was a very good chance the title was about to get cancelled. I eventually lost interest.

After that, I’ve tried to dive back in a few more times. Convergence? That was pretty bad. Multiversity? That was a mess, as far as I could tell. My latest attempt was Metal. It was truly awful.

Week after week, I roam around the internet looking for positive reviews that don’t sound like complete fanboys. I simply haven’t found any…

2 Likes
25

I wish DC staff would read this because although there are differing opinions on individual books I think there is still a common thread. I see aspects of most arguments influencing my follow through (quality, delays, binging). The fact that I dropped Batman and Superman titles is very telling. I used to love events because it brought everyone together but now they are too frequent and often pointless. Between companies they are also constantly behind schedule and it stinks when monthly books are ahead of the event. Or they never end. I liked Metal but that needs to be retired. I am so sick of Batman Who Laughs! Cool idea that has been overexposed to the point that I am pre-nnoyed when I see his involvement.
I think quality is out there but it’s diluted over too many books and/or too many books are dictated by events or management. Although some of my favorite stories came from New 52, that event made such a mess out of continuity that I gave up on trying to understand a lot of characters. I’m still not sure what the point of Rebirth was. DC has been the equivalent of New Coke for years but when they claim to be changing the recipe back they just make a big deal about it and then you realize they only changed the can.
It’s probably tough on the industry to keep up with fans though because people want new and different but accept very little change. So I think everyone is out of touch and based on the last few years DC doesn’t seem interested in listening. As I’ve said, I am able to read books for free (mentioned because I think it’s relevant) so I have access to almost everything and used to read almost everything just because I could. I read less and less each month. If I lost free access, I can think of maybe 5 books from all companies that I MIGHT invest in. Maybe a few more that I would check out in trade format and the rest I might just Google to track storylines or more likely just forget.

2 Likes
26

SWhite - I agree with you so much. But I think it is something a little deeper. I’ll say this is just my opinion and I am an older reader, so please bare that in mind. I hope I can articulate this like it is in my mind… :slight_smile: Speaking of just DC, too me, the nose dive started with the move to California. Once this happened it seems like the only thing they care about is movies, TV shows, etc. Quality in comics were very, very low on their list. The only fans they seem to acknowledge are the social media folks and the non-comic book crowd. It is like they only write and publish stories in a hopes of it being picked for a movie or TV show. Not caring about the history of the character(s) or the legacy of said title etc. They will change anything just to get the approval of SJW and Social Media because they are afraid of them. The fans that buy their books and support them do not respect and don’t care for them. They have stopped having creators on the books/characters that not only love the them but loves comics in general. It’s not all of them but most.

IMO, another problem is Dan Didio. I have listened and read things he has said and the actions he has taken. I do not think he actually likes DC and/or the DC fans (young or old). The hiring of Bendis and giving him free reign is dumbfounding. Superman under Jurgans and Tomasi was FANTASTIC…Bendis comes Didio just dumps them and there you go. If you look at his Marvel record I wouldn’t Bendis any where near DC.

So SWhite…I hope that will make sense. I love DC Comics! Since I bought Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 off the shelf I have been a diehard fan. I know people my age are not cared about and only seems like we hate everything, but it’s not. For me, I just care and love DC comics. I know with a little change and leadership they can be on the top of the industry again. Anyway…that’s my rant.

3 Likes
27

I guess In a way I have dropped all comics recently. I read only on DCU, MU and ComiXology. Plus I only read established series with a good amount of issues. I personally am not a fan of the periodical - comic shop business model. Digital comics with a large number count just are a better experience for me in my life now.

2 Likes
28

@Me-am-Bizarro: You had no problem “articulating” your opinion on the current state of DC Comics–on point all the way. I believe they (editorial and many creators) do care less about readers and do disdain long-time fans. TV and movies seem to be their ultimate goals to the detriment of decades of canon. They continue to court a smaller, less knowledgeable (I’m referring to comic book IQ) “fan” that apparently wants to be preached too and have only their beliefs justified in print to the exclusion of fun and entertainment. Sales continue to dwindle as creativity and originality are sacrificed at the altar of the “bottom line” (the AT&T merger) and an ignorant “us against them” mentality. What kind of business model is that?

1 Like
29

I add (or drop) titles based on a combination of the creators involved and the characters. For example, Christopher Priest’s Deathstroke will end with issue #50. I don’t know if the character will be resurrected and / or rebooted, but it’s not an automatic that I’ll pick up a new Deathstroke comic solely based on the character; I have to see which creators are involved with the series before I make that decision.

1 Like
30

I agree with you on Tom King’s Batman feeling like a chore. After the early issues with Bane it became a bore. I stuck with it up until the issue with Booster Gold and stopped there. I couldn’t take it anymore.

1 Like
31

I stopped reading the Rebirth Batgirl because I liked Damian’s Robin: Son of Batman more.