Do You Still Actively Read Comics?

I still read. I'm about 5 years behind on most stuff as I don't get to read as often as I used to. I bought a tablet strictly for comic reading and I've come to the conclusion that if I expect to climb that mountain of comics I have and can't always try to go in chronological event order. I usually will put on my tablet about three or four titles I have going back as far as I have them up to the most current I have. Just A.X.E, a Transformers mini series and just started X-Men Gold. I have a ton of Superman, Energon universe, TMNT, Power Rangers and Spiderman I want to tackle next.

And on X-Men, I don't know if it's just me, but the X-Men just don't grab me as much as they used to back in the day. I read my first issue in 91 I believe and was on the X-Men hype train all through the 90's with X-Factor being my fav. I think turn around point for me was when Emma Frost joined and her whole thing with Cyclops and then a few years later when Cyclops killed Xavier. There are a lot from the era that I missed and didn't read, but the bits I did just didn't seem interesting to me at all. And the whole Island of immortal X-Men? I like bizarre stories, but this whole era is just bizarre in a not interesting way to me and a lot of the characters don't feel like themselves and a bit unlikable. I get not keeping things "status quo" and trying something new with characters, but I just didn't get what they where trying to do with them and I have been avoiding X-Men related stuff (with the exception of sporadic X-Factor titles) for a couple years now.
 
I have a pull list that is down to about four books:

GI Joe A Real American Hero--Typically there are about two or three GI Joe book running at the same time regardless of what company is currently publishing them. I just stick to whichever one Larry Hama is writing. It's basically him continuing his Marvel run from the 80s telling whatever story he wants to tell next, I don't think there's much if any editorial interference, I only need to read this one book for the full story. I'm fine with that.

Superman---The current team of Williamson and Dan Mora is doing some fun stuff. Mora is the best artist in the biz who is still doing monthly interior work (often on MORE than one book a month? Insane!)

Uncanny X-men---A solid mix of veteran characters that I care about acting like themselves and not ass holes and four new mutants that have been pretty likable so far. Good writing and good art.

Ultimate Spider-Man--I mentioned this in another thread: Spider-Man is a grown ass man with a family who gets powers in his 30s, he has a supportive wife, he tries to help others while still doing right by his family. That's relatable to me and the vast majority of the people who are actually still buying comics. And as TSI points out, mom Mary Jane has never been hotter.

Besides that I reach for back issues to reread. I recently reread Hush and the X-Cutioner's Song. Not sure what I'll go for next.
 
I had a pull list from the late 80's up until about when they started charging $3-4 an issue for Marvel & DC. I understand why they have to do it, but it still makes it too expensive for me to maintain along with my many other hobbies.

Besides that, I was honestly starting to feel enslaved to buying stuff I didn't even read anymore out of habit & my comic shop guy was notorious for sneaking in issues that weren't on my list (wolverine appears in this one, see? you want it!). I now have boxes and boxes of books that I will never get to as life just doesn't permit the time for me anymore.

I do still read a bit here and there though via my iPad, a much more casual thing that I'm finding more fulfilling to be honest!
 
Yes. I have a hell of a time remembering what happened in an issue from, best case, 4 weeks ago. With delays the standard now, that can turn in to multiple months between issues so I usually just wait for a series to end or go on hiatus before trying to read.

Marvel = 13
All the Ultimate Universe books, plus a few short term event books.

Image = 10
Most of the Ghost Machine books, all the Skybound books, plus a couple of others.

DC = 9
All the Absolute titles, and a couple of Batman miniseries.

Dynamite = 4
Thundercats, Space Ghost, Fire & Ice

DSTLRY = 4
They print magazine sized books. I like them for reading, but hate them for storing. Their books don't always hit, but they almost always original.

Mad Cave = 3
Excited for "The Phantom".

BOOM! = 3
"The Last Boy" is a fascinating premise.

Oni = 3
I get most/all of their various horror books. They do different settings (medieval, sci-fi, gothic).

Titan = 3
Their Conan is good especially the black and white Savage Sword of Conan.

Dark Horse = 1
Just a lonely Star Wars title from them right now.

AWA = 1
They seem to do a lot of horror/spooky stuff.

Vault ≈ 1
They keep delaying and shrinking issue count on the one title I was getting from them.
 
After most of my comics were destroyed in Hurricane Harvey, I switched my pull list to be all trades. I tend to either get titles by creative teams I like, or those recommended to me by the fine folks at my LCS.
 
TheSameIdiot said:
Yes. I've had a pull list for the last 13ish years. It ebbs and flows based on what I think is worth reading.

Do you have specific recs? I've had trouble finding a new wave of indies to follow after my initial picks ended.
Click to expand...
This is just my Good Shit list:

JedMacKay Moon Knight
Zdarsky Cap
Absolute WW and Batman
Ultimates and Ultimate Spidey. I will shout Wolverine, but I know that is less receptive.
Current Batgirl
Birds of Prey might be DCs best non Absolute book
Assorted Crisis Events
Void Rivals stands alone, but TF and GI Joe are great so just do all 3
Exquisite Corpses
We're Taking Everyone Down With Us

I think that's all current.

Older stuff:

We Can Never Go Home
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank
Motor Crush
Death or Glory
Power Bomb
Cry Havoc is a cool werewolf military thing
Babyteeth
 
Books not already shouted out that I'm currently reading/would recommend:

Blood Squad Seven (Joe Casey essentially What Ifing Youngblood)
Drawing Blood (Semi-autobiographical story of Kevin Eastman)
Dust to Dust (crazy good JG Jones art)
Ghost Pepper (just one issue to far, but for reasons I can't explain really grabbed me)
The Power Fantasy (I don't always understand Kieron Gillen's work, but when I read it then his backmatter I'm always impressed)
Sacrificers and Seasons (Remender can do no wrong by me)
Savage Dragon (old school fun on a bun)
Undiscovered Country (exploration of what it means to be America through a traditional sci-fi lens)
 
CrossGen dying broke me from comics. I kept reading Marvel for a bit after that, but one day the stories and characters just felt fake and I realized they didn't make me feel anything anymore. Plus, the art got really disappointing regularly.

Question for any who have insight: do #1s actually help sales in the longterm? I keep up with the Marvel title headlines that MarvelousNews covers but it's always a new #1 for an existing character or team and I'm wondering - does that actually help sales beyond that one, #1 issue?

With my limited knowledge of One Piece, they don't do that, right? That makes way more sense to me, to just keep an ongoing story... ongoing and numerically sequential. That's just way more satisfying to our human brains, right?
 
I do. Ewing, North and McKay are particularly good at Marvel, especially Fantastic Four. Totally won over by Spider-Boy by Dan Slott. Sorry to see it end. Agree current Conan, Ghost Machine, Superman books are well done. Enjoy Dynamite's cartoon revamps, Jonny Quest in particular, but also Space Ghost. Mark Waid and Dan Mora have been mostly killing it with DC. Like Jeremy Adams Green Lantern, some of the Absolute titles.
 
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