Comic Book Buyer’s Guide #2 - When to Drop a Comic From Your Pull List - Part 1
Jan 5, 2009 Comic Book Buyer's Guide
I am continuing with the Comic Book Buyer’s Guide series today with an entry dedicated to NOT buying comics. Stay with me, I promise it will make sense. We are examining the age old question that all comic fans ask themselves on a semi-regular basis:
“Do I really want to continue purchasing this comic book series?”
This decision seems to constantly arise for me and I have found that it’s not as tough a choice as it seems to be. I have figured out some very basic criteria to stick to and hope that what I have to offer will help you out the next time you find yourself losing interest in a comic you used to enjoy.
Pleae continue for the easy steps.
Step 1 - Look for the Signs
It’s usually pretty easy to tell when your interest is waining (or has flat out disappeared) for a particular book. I have found that there are 2 very effective methods of gauging your interest level on any specific comic. There are obviously other factors that can and do come into play, but I have found these 2 methods to be the most effective. Check them out below:
The Pile Method
If you are like most comic fans, you tend to read your weekly comics using 1 of 2 ways; either by starting with the book you are most excited to tear into first and then continuing in descending order of preference OR by saving your favourite read until last and starting with the book you have the least interest in, thereby building up the anticipation for your favourite. I use the latter method myself so I know when I am losing interest in a book when it consistently finds its way to the top of my weekly pile. I just want to read it and get it finished so I can move onto something I an excited for. Obviously, when this happens the book in question is soon to be on its way to the chopping block.
The Day Dream Method
Another sure sign that speaks volumes is when you are reading a comic and your mind wanders. If what is on the page cannot capture your interest or imagination, it may be time to drop that book and look for something that does speak to you. This is a litmus test I use frequently. If I am reading the Adventures of Superhero-man and all I can think about it the next book on my pile or that I need to pay my cable bill, it’s time to abandon ship and look for a dingy. There’s no need to go down with the ship.
Use these methods yourself and they should point you in the right direction. If all signs point to the obvious, then you obviously know what to do…
Step 2 - Identify the Problem
Once you have determined that you are not interested in a comic any longer, it’s time to find out why. If the problems are only temporary, then it may be a good idea to stick it out and see if things turn around in your favour. But, if there is no sign of improvement, then you know what you must do… The first thing you need to do is figure out the reason(s) you are not as interested in the comic you have enjoyed previously. There are many valid reasons for this and they are detailed below:
A 180 Degree Turn
A common issue comic fans have when they consider dropping a book is a change in the over all direction of the book. You may be thoroughly enjoying Son of Superhero-man, but if the powers that be suddenly decided to shift gears and have your beloved hero fight crime as a smiling super market clerk instead of a masked vigilante in his usual crime alley, that may not be your cup of tea. If a direction change on one of your books does occur, you have the power to simply change your order. Drop the tea and try a taste of an Espresso or a Cappuccino… There are many different flavours available to you so don’t get stuck with a bad taste in your mouth.
Rotating Creative Team
This is an extremely common complaint/issue with comic fans. Yes, the days of a writer/artist team staying on a book for years has come and gone. Besides the recent example of Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagely on Ultimate Spider-man(100+ issues straight!) you are not likely to see an artist and writer stay on a book for much longer than a year or 2 tops. This is the age of 6 and 12 issue runs by specific creative teams. So, if you are a fan of a certain artist or writer, you may find yourself hopping, skipping and jumping from book to book following them. I am a fan of Mark Millar so when he starts a book, I typically pick it up and then when he has finished his stay on that book, I may drop it to follow him to his next project. NOTE: It can be a good idea to stick with a book for 1 or 2 issues after the creator you enjoy has departed. Sometimes you find that you enjoy the book and characters themselves and not just the person who was pulling the strings for a time.
Wait for Trade
With so many comics being released every Wednesday, it is nearly impossible to purchase (and read) every comic you have interest in. You may find that there are certain books that you can’t wait to read every month in their single comic form while there are some books that you are still interested in, but would rather read the stories in a collected fashion. A book you buy every month may start exhibiting traits that make you want to wait for the collected edition. This may be because the issues often end with cliffhangers or are released inconsistently and you want to keep reading right away and not have to wait 30 days or more between installments. Waiting for the entire story to be collected in a trade will accommodate this. You just have to be willing to wait 9 months to a year or more to read the story. They say patience is a virtue…
Price Increase = Comics Decrease
This one is the most plain and simple of the bunch. But, it’s often the hardest reason to drop a book because typically a comic is being dropped for budgetary reasons and NOT because the quality of the book is lacking. If you cannot afford the number of comics you are purchasing, you need to cut back. I do recommend a weekly budget for comics and it does help keep the quality of the books high as you really have to decide what you want to take home with you and what will remain on the shelf. Prioritizing is a good thing. I withdraw a set amount of cash as an allowance every month to purchase comics on a weekly basis. I have been doing this for years and it has served me extremely well as once the cash is gone, no more comics are purchased.
The above reasons are not the only causes to drop a book from your Pull List, but they are some of the more obvious. If there is a problem with any of the comics you currently read and you have identified it, the next step is doing something about it. It’s very simple. You can either drop the book or stick it out. There’s no reason to keep buying a comic you have no interest in, right? Or is there…
That is where I will pause for today. Please come back tomorrow where I will continue this entry with Part 2 of Comic Book Buyer’s Guide #2 - When to Drop a Comic From Your Pull List.
Tags: Comic, pull list, weekly comics
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