is this the best era to be reading moderns?

[PhiGam-migration]

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

 

i think someone done in tony's cereal this morning

 

 

 

[500Club]

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.

 

The big 2 are horrible... which is where pick and choose comes in. Marvel really only has Cap and DD, DC has the vertigo line, Kirkman's 3 books, Goon, RASL, Criminal/Incognito.... basically carcrawfordfan's list plus a few more.

 

If you are sticking with Marvel/base DC, then pirate has it right...sadly

[Boozad]

IDW does it for me lately, they're churning out some great stuff. I'm only picking up Bat and Tec from the big two.

 

Full Circle put out some top titles too, although they are too sporadic fro my liking. But Bisley makes up for that

[Kevin Boyd]

Don't get me wrong... my opinion of the current market includes all publishers... even though I singled Marvel and DC out specifically as being in a particularly weak phase... it's pretty much an across the board. Aside from a couple of self-publishers with one title to concentrate on (like RASL at Cartoon Books), there isn't a single publisher out there knocking out consistent, quality material. They are all sporadic.

 

[John A III]

true, but could that be because most of the best stories have already been taken for the older series at the big 2? Which is why they throught confusing crud like countdown and final crisis (still haven't read) out?

[John A III]

and how awesome do you think it would've been to have a lot of todays top artists paired with the old stories?

[Boozad]

I've only ever been a Batman reader so I can't really comment on the majority of stuff, but I'm enjoying the Bat titles. Maybe not as much as the 90's (Moench & Jones man, Moench and Jones!), but I reckon if I contrast Detective then Paul Dini's run is actually a better read than Chuck Dixon's run.

 

I stopped reading Spawn at around issue 70, and picked up a couple of issues around 170 to see what was going on and it was diabolical. I know McFarlane is back on it now so again I can't say.

 

To sum it up to the original question, I suppose it is the best time to be reading moderns solely for the choice you do have to pick and choose from.

[PhiGam-migration]

Don't get me wrong... my opinion of the current market includes all publishers... even though I singled Marvel and DC out specifically as being in a particularly weak phase... it's pretty much an across the board. Aside from a couple of self-publishers with one title to concentrate on (like RASL at Cartoon Books), there isn't a single publisher out there knocking out consistent, quality material. They are all sporadic.

 

+1

 

(especially about the RASL part )

[500Club]

Don't get me wrong... my opinion of the current market includes all publishers... even though I singled Marvel and DC out specifically as being in a particularly weak phase... it's pretty much an across the board. Aside from a couple of self-publishers with one title to concentrate on (like RASL at Cartoon Books), there isn't a single publisher out there knocking out consistent, quality material. They are all sporadic.

 

No, I got you right.... and totally agree. (thumbs u

 

However, although the average quality and line consistency isn't there, I'd probably take the top 10 books now over any other era....

 

I think Marvel/DC ought to be singled out, though. Their average offerings are weak, and they persist in diluting their lines with unwanted shelf filler titles.

[360degrees]

I enjoy an abundance of modern reads.... Immortal Iron Fist, Avengers(ALL), Uncanny X-men, Walking Dead, etc.... I'm only 28 so of course the comics I enjoy are going to be the newer stuff. I guess it's all in the perception of the reader.......

[MR.COMICBOOK]

Don't get me wrong... my opinion of the current market includes all publishers... even though I singled Marvel and DC out specifically as being in a particularly weak phase... it's pretty much an across the board. Aside from a couple of self-publishers with one title to concentrate on (like RASL at Cartoon Books), there isn't a single publisher out there knocking out consistent, quality material. They are all sporadic.

 

No, I got you right.... and totally agree. (thumbs u

 

However, although the average quality and line consistency isn't there, I'd probably take the top 10 books now over any other era....

 

I think Marvel/DC ought to be singled out, though. Their average offerings are weak, and they persist in diluting their lines with unwanted shelf filler titles.

I wonder why Marvel and DC have become so bad and will they ever rebound?

[RockMyAmadeus]

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.

 

Yeah, I'm going to have to go along with this, and say that the best years ever for comics were about 1984-1992.

 

From Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, to Dark Knight Returns, to Watchmen, to Miracleman!, to Sandman, to Animal Man, to Bone, to Cerebus (with Sim chugging right along), to Harbinger, to Unity, to Solar, to X-Tinction Agenda, to Nick Fury vs. Shield, to McFarlane, Lee, Bolland, and Totleben.

 

You had the best Batman years EVER, some of the best Superman stuff EVER, the best Joker story ever, some of the best X-Men collaborations in the twilight of Claremont's run, the last really enduring Marvel & DC characters introduced, Valiant, and what people consider to be the finest piece of literature ever printed in comic book form.

 

The list goes on and on and on....I, Lusiphur, Cry for Dawn, Emerald Dawn, Cable, Gambit, Deadpool, Superman engaged, Death of Robin, Batman Year 1, Ten Nights of the Beast, Mutant Massacre, Venom....

 

Does anything published in the last 10 years even come CLOSE? Walking Dead, Fables....that's all I come up with.

[followtheleader]

To be fair, as much Sandman came out post 1992 as it did in the 89 to 92 time-frame.

 

Same with Deadpool. Though NM 98 is popular now, it seems that his popularity has stemmed from stuff after 1992 than those in 1991/1992.

 

Preacher and Transmet are two other titles that came after this time period and are staples. Throw Brubaker/Bendis DD in their.

 

To me, every age has it's strengths and weaknesses. Everyone just has their preferences.

 

Pat

[Wally's Comics]

I have to agree that this is a strong time to be a Modern fan!

 

There are a lot of books aimed at adult readers

that is very Heavy Metalish, and since Heavy Metal was one of my fave

fantasy mags this is right up my alley.

 

 

[500Club]

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.

 

Yeah, I'm going to have to go along with this, and say that the best years ever for comics were about 1984-1992.

 

From Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, to Dark Knight Returns, to Watchmen, to Miracleman!, to Sandman, to Animal Man, to Bone, to Cerebus (with Sim chugging right along), to Harbinger, to Unity, to Solar, to X-Tinction Agenda, to Nick Fury vs. Shield, to McFarlane, Lee, Bolland, and Totleben.

 

You had the best Batman years EVER, some of the best Superman stuff EVER, the best Joker story ever, some of the best X-Men collaborations in the twilight of Claremont's run, the last really enduring Marvel & DC characters introduced, Valiant, and what people consider to be the finest piece of literature ever printed in comic book form.

 

The list goes on and on and on....I, Lusiphur, Cry for Dawn, Emerald Dawn, Cable, Gambit, Deadpool, Superman engaged, Death of Robin, Batman Year 1, Ten Nights of the Beast, Mutant Massacre, Venom....

 

Does anything published in the last 10 years even come CLOSE? Walking Dead, Fables....that's all I come up with.

 

I'm gonna have to take issue with this. You're sampling across 8 years, and including some stuff that was either 3-4 issues max, or was separated by the full 8 years.

 

At no single point in time could you get as many great books as you can right now.

 

Also, was Emerald Dawn great? Was Ten Nights or the Superman engagement? X-Tinction agenda certainly wasn't! The best Batman years ever? Really? Aside from DKR and Year One, no.

 

The early Cable, Gambit and Deadpool stories were nothing special, either.