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During my last order of comics online I finally decided to buy some short boxes for my comics. No, my
local store does not carry boxes. I have no idea why. Anyway, in order to prepare for these new boxes I
sorted out all the issues that I have bought since moving to my new job. I figured this was also a good
time to take a look at what I've been buying and what companies I've been buying the most from.
As I expected DC was the company I bought the most from, with Marvel running about one-third less in
total comics. This is something that could easily be offset once you consider all the issues of Countdown.
However, then I stopped and remembered that I had sorted out Vertigo and Wildstorm titles separately so that
I could order the titles under them faster. Once I add those to the main DC titles my overall titles from
DC easily blows Marvel out of the water.
On another interesting note I found that if I combine the number of titles I'm reading from smaller
companies like Dynamite, IDW and Virgin then those all of those together are about the same as Marvel. I
will admit that I was pretty shocked to see that my overall number of Marvel titles seemed to be shrinking
from the last time I sat down and checked to see how many titles I was collecting. Of course, that was
just the first thing I looked at after sorting out my past year's issues.
The next thing I decided it was time to do was figure out what I was going to be dropping. Some of the
titles I've been reading have been on the chopping block for a while, and now with prices of everything
under the sun going up (mostly gas) I figure it's time to get rid of those titles that I've been reading
in the hopes that they would get better. Three titles immediately went down as they all have reached a
point of a larger closing storyline. Those titles are Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, and Iron Man: Director
of SHIELD.
I've been hanging on to both Avengers titles for quite a while just HOPING that things were going to
get better, especially New Avengers as Iron Fist and Ronin (the Hawkeye one) are part of the team. Still
things just didn't seem to be going anywhere lately. When the return of Ultron is boring (in Might Avengers)
. . . yeah, a title is in trouble. Personally I think both titles were suffering due to a buildup to the
Secret Invasion, but as I know these titles are going to be strongly linked to it and I plan on avoiding it
the best I can it was just another push in the direction of dropping both titles.
Iron Man: Director of SHIELD has been on the chopping block for so long it's not even funny. I've been
up and down with this title more than a rollercoaster. Due to the new Extremis version of his armor I've
been enjoying Stark's new "abilities". Still, similar to the Ultron situation in Mighty Avengers
when one of Iron Man's old foes like the Mandarin returns and it seems "ho-hum," it's a sign to
drop the title. I actually misplaced issues 27 and read 28 before it. Until I found issues 27 the other
day I honestly didn't know I had skipped and issue. That's a bad sign.
As far as potential future drops go, Thunderbolts is the next in line. I'm going to wait for the
current storyline to play out and then unless something amazing happens before the end of it, I'm out.
I've already given the title more than its fair share of opportunity and it just doesn't seem like it
deserves more. The angst and insanity of the team are getting old. It's not going anywhere, and it
feels like it's just spinning its wheels. No, not even Speedball showing his old powers might still be
around is enough to keep me going. Well, unless he does go back to being Speedball and staying a member
of the Thunderbolts. That I'd be willing to pay to see.
That is it for things I am actually dropping and considering dropping as of now. DC isn't completely
out of the woods though. Still, it's not so much to do with quality as much as me just not spending money
on things that I don't tend to care about. I have already made the decision that I will not be getting DC's
Trinity. It sounds interesting, but I don't read about anything having to do with Superman, Batman or Wonder
Woman unless it's Justice League of America. It's nothing against the characters, but for both DC and Marvel
I don't tend to read a lot of individual titles for their flagship characters. I usually just read titles
for teams those characters happen to be on. I don't know why, it's just the way my taste has been for a number
of years. I may end up getting Trinity in a trade format, but that's only if I hear it's REALLY worth it from
others.
It's amazing what sitting down and sorting through your recent comics can do for you sometimes. Sure, it's
a great time to get things organized, but sitting down with so many titles and issues and really looking at
what you have can make you take stock of what you're actually spending money on. Perhaps once I get my
finances more on track in the next year I can look at increasing what I read again, but with non-comic
expenditures and weak/questionable quality for some titles, this was something that just had to happen. Too
bad for Marvel as they seem to be the ones who lost out (now and maybe more in the future). Still, I'm sure
they'll figure out some other way to get my money. At least until the next time I decide to sort things out.
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