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Once again the time is almost here, folks. It's time for that confusing, convoluted, well-intentioned yet largely futile occasion known as "Free Comic Book Day." Obviously I'm giving my opinion on the event. Over the past few years I've read about it, talked to my comic shop owner about it, and looked for an impact from it. I never seem to really see much.
A while back (last year's September issue) I ranted a little about Free Comic Book Day. What I thought was and wasn't working for it, and also how it tied into bringing some new blood into the world of reading/collecting comics. I was thinking about that stuff again when my brain jumped back to my last article and something that I think would do well to help out new readers. That thing? Stand alone issues, or at least issues that stand alone well on their own yet help to build up to something greater.
I like knowing how many parts are in a story arc at times, but I have to say I really like how Legion of Super Heroes is "feeling" right now. It feels like there is something greater going on, but I feel content at the end of each issue (sure it's only been three issues, but what I say still stands). I really can't say that about any other title that I'm reading right now. Everything else is, "Well, we're almost done," or "Gee, I wonder what's coming up next."
Perhaps it's me, but I really don't think it is. The reason is that I really enjoy my comics. What I mean by that is that I usually take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to read a comic with a decent level of text. I'm not one of those people who tears through a book in 5 or 10 minutes. In my opinion, if you're doing that you really aren't enjoying the medium for what it is. I look at the pictures, I look at what's in the background, I look at the facial expressions, everything. So, when I put in the time that I do enjoying my comics and I feel incomplete, that makes me wonder.
Look at the current trend of collecting everything under the sun into trades. I keep reading on various message boards that people are waiting for "this" or "that" series to come out in trade rather than buy the issues as they come out. Is that where the industry is heading? Some people believe so, but I sure as heck hope not. Yet, it does seem like it's what the industry may be unintentionally lining itself up for, and I don't think it would survive that transition.
To bring this back to my original point is to say that I don't believe it does any good to try and bring new people into the world of comic reading when people are going to be lost if they look beyond that initial introduction. It's like teaching a child how to float in a swimming pool one day and expecting them to be doing laps the next day. What's going on? What am I missing? Is there a "right" way to do this? Too much, too fast can result in being too scared to do anything.
I'm not trying to say that Legion of Super Heroes is the "pinnacle" of titles or anything. I still don't anticipate the title like I have New Warriors or Deadpool. However, I do think that Lesion of Super Heroes is a glimpse of something that comic companies and writers seem to have forgotten, and that is that if you don't slow down and give people a chance to jump on board, they won't. If you only have openings now and then, you're only giving people a very narrow window of opportunity to become interested and involved.
As I said before I don't mind knowing a story arc will be going on for a while, but sometimes you need to slow down. Take things step-by-step. Give the regular folks a breather and the new folks an opportunity to take a look at what's going on. The feeling of a cliffhanger is nice, but if you get it month after month after a while it loses its impact.
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