When will the number one craze end or I blame the Nineties

I have been a collector for almost thirty years but with all these #1's happening I just might quit. Stop trying to get new readers with gimmicks rather than keep older readers with story and content. As a long term collector I am tired. I am tired of the "do-over" on long running titles; I am tired of a re-launched title. I don't see why they can't just get a new artist and writer and begin a new story arc with the next number. As a business I understand that if a title doesn't do well that if might be more beneficial to cancel it but I don't understand why these companies think that because they start over with #1 that they might garnish a few new readers. Movies like the Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Batman will bring new readers in. Good stories and good art will bring new readers in. Free comic book day will bring new readers in. So why do companies like Marvel and DC think just because they throw #1 on the cover that new readers will automatically read it?

The numbers of the comics that captured me as a young reader were 15, 180, 38, and 244. The titles are not important but as you can see not one of these was a number one. After reading these enclosed in my room I didn't think I will never get the story, it's pointless to collect, or why can't they start with #1. No, I decided on the ones I enjoyed and would go find them. I went back to the convenience store and picked up the 14, 179, and 243. And then magically enough when the next numbers came out I bought them too. I was engrossed and enthralled by everything between and including the covers of the comic book.

I am not a fan of DC. Yes, I loved the Superman movie back when I was a kid with Christopher Reeve. I love the new Batman Movies now. I even collected some titles in the Eighties and Nineties. So when they decided to start this new 52 program I decided I would start with four new titles a week. That never happened. Even with #1 on the cover, if I didn't like the insides of the books I opted out. The Teen Titans was a book I decided to pick up and did. This was a title that I tried when I was younger with minor success (I still remember the villainy of Brother Blood).

Recently DC had their annuals and crossed over with a few other books so when I picked up the Teen Titans annual I was lost. It would have been better if I never picked it up at all. And the consequence was I dropped the title.

Now Marvel decides to play along the same lines. When cancelling a title becomes more of a marketing ploy then a good business decision I have to question who is hurting more, the publisher's, the retailer's, or the fan's? I loved when they brought back the New Mutants, and it was good, but then somehow it changed and never picked up the steam this title could have. Now it is on the chopping block. Didn't they also just start The Uncanny X-men with #1? Sure, the Uncanny Avengers are coming but how long will that truly last. I feel cheated as a fan and as a collector. Oh wait I just heard Cosmopolitan is starting over at number one, I better go get it.

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb

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