is this the best era to be reading moderns?

[Monstro]

is it just me, or are the stories of the last 5, 6, 7 years some of the best?

 

or is it the fact that i wasn’t reading current books in previous decades and i don’t know what i’m talking about?

 

i know there we’re some great books from all eras that still stand up today. it just seems like there is a larger number of quality books out right now.

 

 

[Lebowski]

The Vertigo books of the 90's are just about unmatched in terms of quality storytelling, IMO.

[Comicopolis]

I think it largely depends upon when you were first introduced to reading comics. For me it was the end of the 60's start of the 70's so I have fond nostalgic memories of a lot of what I was reading - all of which was related to the manner in how the comics were bought/collected.

 

I would say in general that comic art and covers are better with today's moderns but I don't think there is any improvement in the writing, just like I don't think moderm movies or music is better than stuff that has gone before.

 

I can read a modern comic in about 2 minutes because most of them have no real story or plot or character development - lots of flashy art and big panels but no substance. It will take me a lot longer than that to read a bronze or copper issue - and they had letters pages to look through!

[Comicopolis]

The Vertigo books of the 90's are just about unmatched in terms of quality storytelling, IMO.

 

Swamp Thing & Hellblazer are two quality stand-outs from that period.

[500Club]

is it just me, or are the stories of the last 5, 6, 7 years some of the best?

 

or is it the fact that i wasn’t reading current books in previous decades and i don’t know what i’m talking about?

 

i know there we’re some great books from all eras that still stand up today. it just seems like there is a larger number of quality books out right now.

 

 

For all the complaints about modern books, there are a swath of great books out there. The trick is to pick and choose....

[John A III]

i won't say the story lines are better, but I do think the dialogue tends to be easier to read, sometimes reading through old trades it just gets annoying having a character state the obvious panel after panel.

[Kevin Boyd]

For me, the books of the early 1980's still stand out as some of the best --- Byrne FF and Alpha Flight, Miller Daredevil, Chaykin American Flagg!, Baron and Rude's Nexus, Wagner's Mage, Sim's Cerebus, Thomas/Russell/Gilbert's Elric, Starlin's Dreadstar, Stern and Romita Jr. on Amazing, Wolfman and Perez on Titans and then Crisis, Claremont and Smith on X-Men, and Alan Moore was just starting to have his presence felt on Saga of the Swamp Thing and Warrior (Miracleman, V for Vendetta), Eastman and Laird's TMNT...

 

Of course, I turned 10 years old in the fall of 1979, so of course the books of the early 1980's still seem like the best to me. Aside from the early 1960's Marvel stuff.

 

Today's material is OKAY, not great... and it's mostly writer-driven. I miss writer-artists. I'd actually say the amount of quality material has actually declined over the last year, especially at the Big Two.

[Lebowski]

The Vertigo books of the 90's are just about unmatched in terms of quality storytelling, IMO.

 

Swamp Thing & Hellblazer are two quality stand-outs from that period.

 

plus Sandman, Preacher, Transmetropolitan...the list goes on quite a ways...

[Monstro]

I think it largely depends upon when you were first introduced to reading comics. For me it was the end of the 60's start of the 70's so I have fond nostalgic memories of a lot of what I was reading - all of which was related to the manner in how the comics were bought/collected.

 

I would say in general that comic art and covers are better with today's moderns but I don't think there is any improvement in the writing, just like I don't think moderm movies or music is better than stuff that has gone before.

 

I can read a modern comic in about 2 minutes because most of them have no real story or plot or character development - lots of flashy art and big panels but no substance. It will take me a lot longer than that to read a bronze or copper issue - and they had letters pages to look through!

 

 

i've read stories like the Avengers Kree Skrull wars issues 89 thru 97, Spidy 100 thru 150 and a bunch of other stuff, but was never able to really get into them.

 

even books like DKR and Watchmen, eventhough great, i never enjoyed them as much as some of the books out today.

 

they always seemed more "groundbreaking" then just plain good, fun stories to read.

[Lebowski]

Not to mention the fact there was never any "crossover event" krap to deal with. (Well, other than "The Children's Crusade.)

[Monstro]

 

Today's material is OKAY, not great... and it's mostly writer-driven. I miss writer-artists. I'd actually say the amount of quality material has actually declined over the last year, especially at the Big Two.

 

i agree that right now, sadly Marvel and D.C. has some of the weakest stuff out there.

 

 

[PhiGam-migration]

 

Today's material is OKAY, not great... and it's mostly writer-driven. I miss writer-artists. I'd actually say the amount of quality material has actually declined over the last year, especially at the Big Two.

 

jeff smith is still kickin'

 

 

 

[Pirate]

Worse era since I started reading in the 80's. Have never seen so much on the shelves at ridiculousness prices.

[Monstro]

[carcrawfordfan]

Worse era since I started reading in the 80's. Have never seen so much on the shelves at ridiculousness prices.

 

I think most of the Marve/DC superhero stuff is pretty bad, but I have been reading tons of good books. Criminal, Incognito, Y the Last Man, Walking Dead, Star Wars Legacy and Rebellion, RASL, New GI JOE stuff, Proof, The Boys, Invincible...the list goes on and on.

[Monstro]

i do like that art and covers of the GA, SA and BA better the the stuff of today. it's just the stories are better to me.

[John A III]

see, and I think most of the artwork today is really good, I also like a lot of the old stuff (got to have a base to build stronger stuff on). I just think the stories read more like how I think people would actually react with the things they say. But that also leads thing to be a bit less kid friendly and change the target of modern comics, as has been discussed in another tread

 

[kimik]

Comic stories reflect the culture of their time, so comparing GA to SA/BA/MA books is not really that accurate. I think that the early GA (especially Action #1) would have been the better time to be buying and reading moderns from a wow point of view. The superhero concept would have been brand new back then and that would have generated a ton of excitement that you do not see today.

[John A III]

Yes, I would've loved to be there at the beginning of the wonderful superhero age. For the investment potential yes, but mostly for seeing a new world develop.

[kimik]

And, if I were there at the dawn of the GA, I would hope that I would have been smart enough to buy books off the rack like I do now with my file - 2 copies of each issue, one to read once and one to keep! Let's see, a NM+ Action #1 with a VF or better under copy would look nice right about now.