45 and Seriously thinking about calling it quits

[briguy]

I am a 45yr old man who's been collecting comic books for most of my life. They taught me to read, inspired me to pick up a pencil, let me use my imagination and I believe most of all helped me form a pretty strong moral base for my adult hood...But dudes, I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. Civil war, one more day, Captain America dying, Wolverine dying, professor X getting killed by Scott Summers, the ghost rider a Hispanic low rider, DC scrapping all Continuity and now Marvel doing the same with secret wars/Marvel point one. All of which are/were pretty big events that went or are going to go nowhere other than a small article in the New York times. I think my breaking point was spider-Gwen...I got 5 issues into it and mid-plot it just ends... "if you want to find out what happens pick up spider-verse"...they couldn't even be bothered to finish up the plot line (one single story). It seems to me that these guys are just throwing sh*t at the wall to see what sticks for the most amount of dollars. I understand at the end of the day, that's what they do it for but rather than flashy event after flashy event, give us good strong writing and make me care about these characters again. I'm sorry for the rant I just got back from my LCS

[protector2814]

I hear you Briguy. I'm 52 &, like you, have been reading comics since I was 8. I share your frustations but ... I still enjoy comics, sparingly. Just finished the 3rd issue of Old Man Logan & have no idea what the F is going on. It is not Millar's Old Man Logan world. No heroes recognize each other, some are new some are old, etc... I'm also finding the Battleworld, new Civil War & all the other game-changing stuff Marvel is doing odd & off-putting. But ... I'm finding myself being extremely selective. I've taken a few chances on some new DC stuff, only because I find it self-contained & still fun (ex - Starfire).
Just buy the few books you may still enjoy, that's my advice. Gone are the days of walking out of the comic stores w/ a stack. I now walk out w/ maybe 5. I'm reading the Archie zombie book, the new Sabrina, both of which are very good. Marvel's Weirdworld holds up on its own too. Just peruse each book before you buy. If you like it, go with it for that week. Things change quickly so no more habit-buys. Look to other companies for cool little tales. One-shots are still fun if you like or are familiar w/ the character(s). Also, maybe it's time to start hunting those back issues you may have missed. I'm reading a lot from my long boxes. Don't throw in the towel, man. Just re-focus. You'll also be saving a lot of dough. I just hope that maybe Marvel & DC get it together soon too.

[Meteor Man]

Originally Posted by briguy

I am a 45yr old man who's been collecting comic books for most of my life. They taught me to read, inspired me to pick up a pencil, let me use my imagination and I believe most of all helped me form a pretty strong moral base for my adult hood...But dudes, I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. Civil war, one more day, Captain America dying, Wolverine dying, professor X getting killed by Scott Summers, the ghost rider a Hispanic low rider, DC scrapping all Continuity and now Marvel doing the same with secret wars/Marvel point one. All of which are/were pretty big events that went or are going to go nowhere other than a small article in the New York times. I think my breaking point was spider-Gwen...I got 5 issues into it and mid-plot it just ends... "if you want to find out what happens pick up spider-verse"...they couldn't even be bothered to finish up the plot line (one single story). It seems to me that these guys are just throwing sh*t at the wall to see what sticks for the most amount of dollars. I understand at the end of the day, that's what they do it for but rather than flashy event after flashy event, give us good strong writing and make me care about these characters again. I'm sorry for the rant I just got back from my LCS

I also understand how you feel. I'm in my mid fifties and I gave up reading comics several years back. Comics were also a defining influence in my life too. It just got to the point that they became something different than what I had grown to love. So, now I just buy some TPB's when there's one that I think I'll enjoy. Sorry you hit critical mass now too man...

[Dark-Flux]

Maybe its finally time to branch out passed the Big 2?

[risingstar]

While I still pick the occasional tpb collection, I stopped buying single issues after OMD.

The library has become an amazing place to borrow books - Locke & Key is good, Incorruptible was fun, and some other Indies.

[Babytoxie]

Originally Posted by Dark-Flux

Maybe its finally time to branch out passed the Big 2?

You bet it is! Image, Dark Horse, Oni, and others are putting out great, creator-owned, non- superhero titles. I find their stuff to be much more enjoyable than anything from the big 2.

I also agree on using the library, if available.

[moon_knight1971]

I stopped collecting years ago. The industry is in such an sad state. I find it very sad that all companies feel the need to constantly revamp or redesign their characters and throw out any semblance of continuity. Just had a thought while writing this but SPAWN is actually a more consistent and stable property compared to anything from any other company. Makes you wonder....

[PureInvasion]

Not taking away anything that many believe, but why can't people just enjoy stories for what they are (continuity, relaunches, revamps, redesigns, etc aside)??

There are so many good titles out there from the 'Big 2' that so many overlook because they 'aren't the characters they grew up with'. Everything in the world changes and adapts to the times. Its nothing new, yet when comics do it it always seems like its time to hit the evacuate button.

Of course this is all rather pointless as the 'old-timers' will still go on and on about the characters they loved being no longer around while those fans that can adapt will continue to enjoy great stories in the modern era regardless of the past.

I'll never understand when someone can say they're a comic fan/collector yet call it quits on the hobby when things aren't going their way.

yup...

[joy_division]

I got The Complete Eightball HC & JSA Omnibus Vol 3 recently - both awesome! Reading Hellboy: Weird Tales at the moment and then onto Harvey Kurtzman's bio

I have been grateful to the big 2 over the past few months as the convergence/Secret Wars storylines haves saved me LOADS of money! I didn't buy anything, including tpbs last month from Marvel

[Babytoxie]

Originally Posted by joy_division

I got The Complete Eightball HC & JSA Omnibus Vol 3 recently - both awesome! Reading Hellboy: Weird Tales at the moment and then onto Harvey Kurtzman's bio
...

An excellent selection of books, but I give you a thumbs up for the Complete Eightball. That is a truly great series!