Well, That's It for Me.

[Teague]

I'm sure the characters will survive, what with their marketability. But the comic industry as I knew it (since I was a kid!) is pretty much gone, I believe. There's not even a nod to continuity for most books at all.

It's good in one way, I guess; I followed these books until (basically) the end of the form. Unless the industry reverts at some point, I'll consider my runs complete.

As for buying outside Marvel/DC, I don't see the point, for me. (Though I do keep up with Knights of the Dinner Table, and will until that book is done.) I've loved the 616 and the DCU for forty years, and new books won't hold much for me, I don't think. I do buy TWD trades, and liked Invincible too. But it's more for the characters, for me.

[ftrez]

I gave up on floppies years ago and am satisfied with tpb's & HC's of a few Marvel series, Invincible, and Walking Dead. The rest of my $ is spent on trades/HC's of older Golden Age/Silver Age material and other interesting things (e.g. some IDW newspaper strip collections, Artist's Editions, Image titles etc.)

Speaking of Artist's Editions, I just took a quick spin through the new previews and see 3 solicitations for these types of books!?!?!? In the same month?!!?!?!?!

DC has an Artist's Edition-like book (I think they are calling it Gallery Edition or something?) of Kelly Jones' Batman.

IDW has Eisner's Spirit Vol. 2 and Buscema's Silver Surfer.

What? I'm interested in all three and will probably end up only getting the Spirit one. Shucks.

[Teague]

Originally Posted by metroid

I heard that song before...

Yeah, people have been talking about the end of the industry for years now, but I agree that it's finally happening...or happened. Being a comics fan today is unrecognizable from what it was even ten years ago. The books are disconnected from their own history. The past, once the cornerstone of comic books, has been dismissed. And I don't think it's coming back.

I don't think for one moment that the characters are going away. In fact, they're healthier as properties than they've ever been. But comic books? They'll become more and more niche products until they just plain go away. Trades, novels, online properties, films, etc. will be the way we enjoy them. Already, comics are more or less pre-prints for the trade paperbacks--story arcs are written for the trade, not for their narrative value. It's just a matter of time until the companies cut out the middle step (comics) and just issue trades every so often.

[metroid]

Long live manga then.

[Demona]

Originally Posted by Underdog07

Yep. I am starting to unload my books as well. Moving has brought into focus the fact that I have not looked at 99.9999% of my books in years. So why do I need them? They certainly are not an investment.

I am going to put together about 200 books and have CGC review them with a minimum grade. If nice enough to be stabbed, I will sell them that way. Will be a pricey outlay, but if it turns a $5 book into a $75 book it's worth the $20.

The moving purge is where it's at!

Good luck with the move too, Bill. I think it sucks no matter what age OR how much stuff you have. I still have boxes to unpack from my move in March!

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Originally Posted by Underdog07

Yep. I am starting to unload my books as well. Moving has brought into focus the fact that I have not looked at 99.9999% of my books in years. So why do I need them? They certainly are not an investment.

I am going to put together about 200 books and have CGC review them with a minimum grade. If nice enough to be stabbed, I will sell them that way. Will be a pricey outlay, but if it turns a $5 book into a $75 book it's worth the $20.

I can stab your books for 25 cents each.

[kal-el]

I feel your pain. I have stopped once for awhile and then picked up a few and now back to 40 books a month. I was getting more before. I understand how the new stuff doesn'y captivate any more. I find my love for the genre, the characters is what keeps me going to my LCS every week, not what I buy. I have stacks of books I have yet to read and I don't care. I know I am not the target audience at 43 for comics , they are aiming younger though books cost so much how can they afford them.I would love to cut back and I need to as so many books just don't do it for me right now. (Avengers books, except Mighty, Captain America, Moon Knight, Wolverine , Green lantern books , except Sinestro to name a few)

[protector2814]

I'm almost there as I've cut back to $20 a week or under .... but, I gotta say, I love the Wednesday ritual. Heading off to the LCS on a Wednesday's become engrained in my system. That's the monkey on my back that seems almost too tough to beat. What am I supposed to do ... stay & hang out w/ my wife!?!

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Originally Posted by protector2814

I'm almost there as I've cut back to $20 a week or under .... but, I gotta say, I love the Wednesday ritual. Heading off to the LCS on a Wednesday's become engrained in my system. That's the monkey on my back that seems almost too tough to beat. What am I supposed to do ... stay & hang out w/ my wife!?!

You could change your wednesday routine to take your wife shoe shopping.

[Simplyrob]

Originally Posted by Teague

I'm sure the characters will survive, what with their marketability. But the comic industry as I knew it (since I was a kid!) is pretty much gone, I believe. There's not even a nod to continuity for most books at all.

its funny. I've used baseball as an analogy for the way the comics industry is going. have been a baseball fan my whole life and the game itself is slowly dying but MLB #'s and $$$ prove completely opposite.

Originally Posted by protector2814

I'm almost there as I've cut back to $20 a week or under .... but, I gotta say, I love the Wednesday ritual. Heading off to the LCS on a Wednesday's become engrained in my system. That's the monkey on my back that seems almost too tough to beat. What am I supposed to do ... stay & hang out w/ my wife!?!

haha! soooooo ROFL! dude, i wake up at 9am to leave early to drive for my Wednesday ritual. thats nuts for me! usually by then, wife and kids are in full summer-thrash-house mode and i get as far away as possible. its my only time to geek out with other knowledgable geeks.