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Author Topic: Disgusted with modern comic books....  (Read 3173 times)

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Offline bminor

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Disgusted with modern comic books....
« on: January 20, 2019, 04:11:05 PM »
Hello All!

I rarely go to my local comic shop.

But I have gone a couple times in the last month or two.

I find it to be a very depressing experience!  There is hardly anyone in there the two times I have stopped in!

The only fellows I have seen are older folk like myself.l

Up here in Duluth, Minnesota, we have only one comic shop.

Talked to the worker there today about what was going on the the comic world.

"Not much:, he said.

How 'bout the Captain Marvel movie coming out, affecting sales? I said.

"Nope, In fact it one our worst selling books!", he said!

What I saw was just saw a bunch of comics that are hard to read and way, way to expensive!

I went over to this website: 
https://www.officialdata.org/40-dollars-in-2018?amount=0.10
Inflation calculator.

So, 10¢ in 1940 calculates out to $2.95 in 2018 dollars.
So a 64 page book should cost that! Not $5!!!!

I guess I am a curmudgeonly old comic guy. 

Where I do hang out is the Facebook page "Old Guys Who Like Old Comics" I heartily endorse it! I have met a lot of really nice people there over the past year or so!

All who love old comics!

Yours,

B.

Digital Comic Museum

Disgusted with modern comic books....
« on: January 20, 2019, 04:11:05 PM »

Offline Yoc

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2019, 08:45:12 PM »
To this I agree many modern books are a dark place to go these days.  But as I suggested already to B here, anyone who enjoys a GA or SA style book without the dark avenger and sex themes please give Kurt Busiek's ASTRO CITY series a look.  The monthly book just ended but they are switching to graphic novels in the future.  I bet most could find the trade collections in their library system.  Well worth a look!

Offline bminor

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2019, 09:03:33 PM »
I am going to have to take a look at that book YOC!!!

Offline Yoc

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2019, 08:09:54 AM »
Please do B.  I forgot to mention many stories are only one or two issues long though there is a set of characters that do return for more than one appearance.  Again, much like the silver-age comics did.  I bet you will enjoy them.

-Yoc

Offline darkmark (RIP)

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2019, 04:35:50 PM »
ASTRO CITY is definitely worthwhile.  one of the few books I can look forward to.

Offline Crimson-Blue-Green

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2019, 05:38:05 PM »
bminor, I used to be in 'Old Guys...' too, but I got tired of it.  I tried a bit too hard to fit in but didn't feel comfortable.  I hang out in 'DC Comics: When They Were Fun' and 'Earth S: Home of the Original Captain Marvel' if you are in these groups.  I got to briefly have a chat with Elliot S. Maggin in the DC group and Erik Larsen in the Captain Marvel group.  That was cool. 

I don't really care for modern comics either.  I read some of DC's New 52 stuff and hated it.     
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Offline bminor

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2019, 01:52:37 PM »
The artwork in the new books is just "to busy". 

What is the deal with no thought balloons? Is that true that some sort of decision has been made that they are no longer used?

Offline Yoc

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2019, 04:36:19 PM »
Hi B,
Yep, at some point in the 90s thought balloon went bye-bye.  It might be busy compared to what you are used to but I'm still strongly pushing you to give Astro City a try!  If you liked SA books you should be very comfortable with them.

-Yoc

Offline Defiant1

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2019, 05:18:05 PM »
If I was patient and wanted to write it out, I could list 100 or more reasons why I dislike modern comics. When I walk into a comic shop, most have nothing I want to buy. If they all closed in the area, I wouldn't care. Astro City doesn't interest me.

I like ongoing organic storytelling with no stopping points. Story arcs are stopping points and reasons to quit buying a series.
I like connected universes where everything has implications in a broad reaching manner.
I hate reboots.
I like condensed storytelling. Watch the video series on youtube on how to make comics the Marvel way. It features John Buscema and Stan Lee. Everything they describe in that series is what I like. Everything they criticize is things I don't like.
I remember people praising the Image series Morning Glories. The decompressed storytelling made me want to rip up the comic. There was a page of people sitting at a table and the panel was redrawn about 5 times with only minor differences. I feel that is a lack of respect for my time and money.
I liked comics when an inker added upon or improved the art of the penciler.... like Tom Palmer inking Neal Adams or Bob Layton inking George Perez.
I dislike computer coloring where they have to make something glow and the gradients make everything look plastic.
I don't like the digital processing of the artwork. The crisp lines become muddy looking... blurry.
I can break down every aspect of modern comics and list things  I don't like. 
I own a Paul Gulacy drawn Catwoman page. The art is excellent, but it looks horrible in the published form. If I'd seen the published version of the page, I would not even considered flipping through the original art at a show.


Offline Roygbiv666

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2019, 04:40:32 PM »
Is anyone buying indie comics?

Offline Defiant1

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2019, 06:30:35 PM »
Is anyone buying indie comics?

I shifted to indy comics in the late 90's because they had more consistency to them. The sales were lower, so the spacing between the issues got further and further apart. It was too difficult to remember what had happened in the prior issue after 8 months went by. I had to give up on them also. I quit subscribing to new comics in 2000. I've randomly picked up issues since then, but as a whole, I don't like 99.9% of the product released. Some people say "I only buy Image", but they aren't buying superhero titles. I've looked at those and don't care for those either. Shops in my area could shut down and I wouldn't miss any of them. Walking into a local comic shop is utterly depressing.  I have a pocket full of money, but they have nothing I want.

Offline Yoc

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2019, 09:44:03 AM »
I'm reading a variety of books.  Nothing anymore by Marvel.  Two or three from DC and the rest are Image and indy non-hero books.  Beside Astro City I'd say Paper Girls is another real favourite of mine the last couple years. 

A few months back I managed to read the entire Savage Dragon run up to the latest issue as well as Kirkman's Invincible run.  I'm just now catching up on the Hellboy volumes and plan to move to Concrete after that.  One Punch Man has been oddly fun to read.  Like Larson's SD the hero and villains they come up with in OPM can be pretty funny.  The Rick and Morty comics are close to the tv show for story lines and fun if you are into that kind of humour.

Other books I've been reading:
American Gods
Auntie Agathas Home For Wayward Rabbits
Cinema Purgatorio
Curse Words
Die!Die!Die!
Eclipse
Elephantmen series
Everafter
Hit-Girl
John Carpenter's Tales of Science Fiction various series
Kick-Ass
Oblivion Song
Outcast
Prometheus (The Europe comic)
Redlands
Rose
Self-Made
Skyward
Strangers in Paradise XXV
The Freeze
United States vs. Murder - Inc.
William Gibson's Alien 3

-Yoc

Offline erwin-k

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2019, 10:17:32 AM »
Like Defiant1 says, I see little or nothing I want when I go to a comic book shop these days.

Over the last few years, there is one indy title that I look forward to. That's Mr. Jigsaw the Man of 1000 Parts. Does that sound a bit familiar to older fans here? The strip, by Ron Fortier and Gary Kato, was crested for the Charlton Bullseye title back in the 1980's. Only Bullseye folded. The strip appeared in a random issue of Scary Tales. The character appeared in a few other places, as well.

But, in 2009, Jiggy began his own title with Redbud Comics. There are now about 15 issues (plus trades) available on Indy-Planet. I highly recommend them.

Offline Defiant1

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2019, 03:55:24 PM »
Ron is more of an old school style writer.
I met him once when he was pushing B&W comics for a dollar.

https://66.media.tumblr.com/e262b9dca055f86c5a9b98383dd2ace4/tumblr_pn58q1Ba6E1rl13p0o1_500.png
I'm not going to chase after things he writes because it isn't usually the same subject matter that interests me.

Offline OtherEric

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Re: Disgusted with modern comic books....
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2019, 10:06:37 PM »
I still read lots of current comics; I like a lot of the new, modern style books.  But I like old school fun just as much.

Two current books I would recommend to people who don't like a lot of the new stuff.

1) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, from Marvel.  This book is just incredibly fun, incredibly funny, and very, very angst-free.  Plenty of action but the main character is as likely to solve problems by talking to people as fighting them.  Although when she does run into somebody where that doesn't work the fights are highly entertaining as well.

2) Love And Capes, by Thom Zahler.  Superheroes meet romantic comedy.  It's been on hiatus a few years, but is returning later this year.  It's also available as a webcomic in addition to print, so easy to read and see if you like it.  Very funny commentary on the superhero genre, it starts good and just keeps getting better as it goes along, and the rare points where it gets serious are excellent.  It has the most moving superhero death I've ever read, for instance.

http://loveandcapes.com/comic/love-and-capes-strip-1/