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Whatever happened to the Modern Comics section?

Started by Boozad,

63 posts in this topic

followtheleader

followtheleader

Posted
Posted

On a serious note, it been pretty obvious that moderns have taken a hit this year. Even from a buying/selling perspective, it's been pretty pathetic. Pretty bad when I can hardly find a book to buy.

 

It's got to be related to the $4 price tag. I honestly can say that I didn't think I'd care. But it's irritating as hell to compound it across 10 issues in a given week and the book isn't that great. Even though I still buy more than most, I've dropped a ton and continue to re-evaluate. The re-booting is likely another factor. Too easy to jump off (when they think it makes it easier to jump on).

 

Though I've largely transitioned away from superheroes, the # of indies is getting ridiculous. In the past, it was pretty easy to spot a solid indy that was actually good. Now, there are a fair amount that are "fakin' the funk on a nasty dunk" (looks good but is okay at best).

 

In the last 2 years, most people have transitioned to the next big thing rather than traditional collecting. Not that the "next big thing" isn't new. It just seems that people used to do both types of collecting and now it's more about the news hype and financial possibilities.

 

It's exceptionally sad when there are fantastic books that very few seem to read. Daytripper is one of those books. Emotionaly moves me every issue. Echo should get a whole lot more respect. Scapled is one of the best books I've read. Though some lost interest in DMZ, it has returned to form in solid way. Demo II was mezmerizing and new every issue. And I still feel like most people feel asleep for Ex Machina (which is a LONG nap).

 

I'm at least thankful that people have recognized Locke & Key. Not sure why such a financial downturn. I really thought it wouldn't take off. But there is a lot of positive interest here. Same with Chew. It could easily have been ignored and gone from the market.

 

Pat

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followtheleader

followtheleader

Posted
Posted

Just read this tonight. Thought it was amazing:

 

"We've become a nation of self-entitled individuals, in the worst sense of the word, each of us thinking the rules should bend for us. That our point of view is valid to the extent that we can impose it on others.

 

We've lost our identity as a nation. Is it any wonder we're here, now?"

 

Where did it come from? DMZ (Wood).

 

Pat

 

 

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chrisco37

chrisco37

Posted
Posted

This forum used to be abuzz with all kinds of discussions about new books. I'm sure the price increase has lead to a decrease of people picking up new books.

 

Also, the quality of the titles have dropped, or the quality books have finished (Bullets, Planetary, etc...). All the stuff by the Big 2 now are all event related or multi-title arcs. I dropped them all.

 

My pull list used to be close to 20/month back in 02-03. Now it's the following:

 

Goon

Daredevil (which, sadly, I will be dropping due to the current news)

Fables TPB

WD TPB

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NewEnglandGothic

NewEnglandGothic

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Really? After Y:The Last Man I didn't think anything could compare so I stopped looking at new titles. The best modern age arc? hm
I have to say, it exploded out of the gates in tense storytelling with the most beauteous art. "Welcome To Lovecraft" is one of the most addicting first arc's to a new creator owned property in a long-time.
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NewEnglandGothic

NewEnglandGothic

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I'm at least thankful that people have recognized Locke & Key. Not sure why such a financial downturn. I really thought it wouldn't take off. But there is a lot of positive interest here.
I was there from almost the beginning(a month after-Joe is a NH hero), and followed a lot of boardie chatter when I wasn't a member. I feel there was too much speculation in the beginning, which isn't a bad thing, but Joe is a novelist and he wrote each issue like chapters of a a great novel. Not every thing is gonna be answered in the next issue. It might take a couple of arcs for an issue to make sense. Once Head Games #1 arrived two spring's ago, focusing on Joe Ridgeway and not the Locke children, readers kind of did a Hannah Montana and said "You say wha...", add on the "Death" of Batman and the Obama chase cover to Spidey fueling speculators, Locke & Key fell through the cracks by Head Games #3. I said it once and I'll say it again, once this is formed into an Ominibus when the series completes at issue #36(June 2012), people are gonna consider this the Modern classic it so rightfully deserves. But, a FOX TV series next season, might get interest started again for the first arc too.
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User 01001010

User 01001010

Posted
Posted

Now that I have some experience in publishing a comic, i'd like to give my views on why cover prices are so high...

 

Tales From The Dead was the first full length book that i put out. All said, it cost me and investors/donors a bit under $3,000. That is $3k for ONE issue. Artists and Designers don't do it for free. Cover price is $3.99. Take into account the price per issue to print $1.53, the minimum 35% retailer discount for distribution (off of cover price) $2.44 plus $.75 per issue that goes to the printer for profit leaves $.75 per issue net profit to the publisher. at a rate of .75 per issue i would have to sell 4000 copies to break even. 4000!

 

So with the big publishers where the artists and writers expect top $$ for their works, even though company wide they are selling millions of books, the profit margin is not a big as one would think.

 

I know these numbers are skewed because i am an indy publisher and the big houses get greater volume discounts for printing, but it is expesive and goes up every 6-12 months.

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Claudio

Claudio

Posted
Posted
I'm at least thankful that people have recognized Locke & Key. Not sure why such a financial downturn. I really thought it wouldn't take off. But there is a lot of positive interest here.
I was there from almost the beginning(a month after-Joe is a NH hero), and followed a lot of boardie chatter when I wasn't a member. I feel there was too much speculation in the beginning, which isn't a bad thing, but Joe is a novelist and he wrote each issue like chapters of a a great novel. Not every thing is gonna be answered in the next issue. It might take a couple of arcs for an issue to make sense. Once Head Games #1 arrived two spring's ago, focusing on Joe Ridgeway and not the Locke children, readers kind of did a Hannah Montana and said "You say wha...", add on the "Death" of Batman and the Obama chase cover to Spidey fueling speculators, Locke & Key fell through the cracks by Head Games #3. I said it once and I'll say it again, once this is formed into an Ominibus when the series completes at issue #36(June 2012), people are gonna consider this the Modern classic it so rightfully deserves. But, a FOX TV series next season, might get interest started again for the first arc too.

 

I remember getting into the first series a while ago but I kinda didn't know where to go after that. Is the order in the "Comic Set Detail" page the best way to go?

 

http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/PeopleSetDetail.aspx?PeopleSetID=22115

 

Sorry if it is a stupid question.

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NewEnglandGothic

NewEnglandGothic

Posted
Posted
I'm at least thankful that people have recognized Locke & Key. Not sure why such a financial downturn. I really thought it wouldn't take off. But there is a lot of positive interest here.
I was there from almost the beginning(a month after-Joe is a NH hero), and followed a lot of boardie chatter when I wasn't a member. I feel there was too much speculation in the beginning, which isn't a bad thing, but Joe is a novelist and he wrote each issue like chapters of a a great novel. Not every thing is gonna be answered in the next issue. It might take a couple of arcs for an issue to make sense. Once Head Games #1 arrived two spring's ago, focusing on Joe Ridgeway and not the Locke children, readers kind of did a Hannah Montana and said "You say wha...", add on the "Death" of Batman and the Obama chase cover to Spidey fueling speculators, Locke & Key fell through the cracks by Head Games #3. I said it once and I'll say it again, once this is formed into an Ominibus when the series completes at issue #36(June 2012), people are gonna consider this the Modern classic it so rightfully deserves. But, a FOX TV series next season, might get interest started again for the first arc too.

 

I remember getting into the first series a while ago but I kinda didn't know where to go after that. Is the order in the "Comic Set Detail" page the best way to go?

 

http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/PeopleSetDetail.aspx?PeopleSetID=22115

 

Sorry if it is a stupid question.

Not a stupid question. I made this list a little while back to help with collectors. I included everything because Joe tests a lot of his work in prototypes(His novel Heat-Shaped Box had things controlling their shadows).

Locke & Key #1 First Print(scuffing damage).

Locke & Key #1 Signed Edition(hard to find).

Locke & Key #1 Second Print(scuffing damage).

Locke & Key #1 DF Edition(damaged book. But, plenty out there).

Locke & Key #1 DF Edition(Negative Variant).

Locke & Key #1 Welcome To Lovecraft Special Edition

Locke & Key #1 Welcome To Lovecraft Special Edition Variant(hardest L&K book to find. Most people don't know it exists).

Locke & Key #1 Legacy Edition($1 reprint comic).

Locke & Key #2 First Print

Locke & Key #2 Second Print(getting hard to find).

Locke & Key #3 First Print

Locke & Key #3 Second Print(getting hard to find).

Locke & Key #4 First Print(hard to find, most sellers have the other version)

Locke & Key #4 First Print(but it's really a Second Print. It's characteristics are a top bent staple, thinner in construction(cheaper paper), lighter background colors. It was made a couple weeks later to meet the huge demand. CGC won't acknowledge it as a second print because it reads first print in the indicia. Most retailers claim it's a second print though).

Locke & Key #5

Locke & Key #6

Locke & Key: Head Games #1

Locke & Key: Head Games #1 Signed Edition

Locke & Key: Head Games #1 Sketch Edition

Locke & Key: Head Games #1 Jetpack Comics Edition

Locke & Key: Head Games #2

Locke & Key: Head Games #2 Sketch Edition

Locke & Key: Head Games #3

Locke & Key: Head Games #3 Sketch Edition

Locke & Key: Head Games #4(Hard to find in NM or above. Most were damaged in shipment).

Locke & Key: Head Games #4 Retailer Edition

Locke & Key: Head Games #4 SDCC Retailer Edition(here's another oddity. All of the #4 variant slipcase books have a "ghosting" on the bottom of the picture from a printing error. It's the way to tell them apart from the other variants. Only 100 were done too. CGC doesn't acknowledge them as official variants either).

Locke & Key: Head Games #5

Locke & Key: Head Games #6

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #1

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #1 Shadow Variant

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #1 Jetpack Comics Edition

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #2

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #2 Shadow Variant

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #3(the original had a gray tinted cover before a delivery truck accident in a snow storm destroyed half the run. Rare).

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #3(the new printing had a blue tinted cover they made to replace the destroyed books. Still considered a first print and CGC doesn't acknowledge it as a variant).

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #3 Shadow Variant(hard to find).

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #4

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #4 Shadow Variant

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #5

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #5 Shadow Variant

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #6

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #6 Shadow Variant(hard to find in NM).

Locke & Key: Keys To The Kingdom #1

Locke & Key: Keys To The Kingdom #1 Signed Edition(not sure where they are?)

Locke & Key: Keys To The Kingdom #2 (coming soon).

 

IDW: 10 Year Anniversary Comic #nn(unknown sample book with a funny Locke & Key story that takes place outside the universe. A must for completists).

 

Random Joe Hill titles...

Creepshow #1 cover appearance(a Joe sig on a high grade one would make my day).

Spider-Man Unlimited #8(Joe Hill's first comic. A lot of Locke & Key elements sampled here).

Grave Tales #6(reprinted in the Locke & Key #1 Welcome to Lovecraft Special Edition with heavily changed art in color).

Criminal: Sinners #4(isolated Joe Hill article).

IDW: Coming Attractions #1(cover appearance/centerfold for die hard completists).

Kodiak (Joe Hill co-written story coming soon).

Kodiak 1:10 variant

Grave Tales #7(who knows what's happening with Cemetery Dance this week).

...and I'll add Clive Barker's Seduth #nn, because with the Locke & Key art team in place on this one you never know...

 

...that's all for now.

 

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kidcolt

kidcolt

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Posted

12 WD threads on the front page is a little much. I find that the modern section has been taken over by a couple of titles. Is modern comics so bad that no one wants to discuss, show or comment on anything besides 3-4 titles?

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Boozad

Boozad

Posted
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Posted
12 WD threads on the front page is a little much. I find that the modern section has been taken over by a couple of titles. Is modern comics so bad that no one wants to discuss, show or comment on anything besides 3-4 titles?

 

I happily would to be honest, but most threads in Modern die out after a couple of days, a week at the most.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
12 Walkng Dead threads, all on the first page.

 

You people are moroons.

 

No wonder Modern gets no respect.

 

To redeem yourselves, go post something worthwhile in Copper.

Are the Aircel "Walking Deads" from the Copper Age?

 

lol

 

yes.

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mschmidt

mschmidt

Posted
Posted
12 WD threads on the front page is a little much. I find that the modern section has been taken over by a couple of titles. Is modern comics so bad that no one wants to discuss, show or comment on anything besides 3-4 titles?

 

I enjoy talking about (and reading) a ton of modern titles - but with the non-stop garbage chatter that's been happening lately in the WD threads, I just can't be bothered anymore.

 

Why post in a thread when it immediately gets bumped off the front page by maroons padding their post count with endless smileys and cries of "davidson"? It was funny the first time - after 500 posts, not so much :preach:

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User 01001010

User 01001010

Posted
Posted
12 WD threads on the front page is a little much. I find that the modern section has been taken over by a couple of titles. Is modern comics so bad that no one wants to discuss, show or comment on anything besides 3-4 titles?

 

I enjoy talking about (and reading) a ton of modern titles - but with the non-stop garbage chatter that's been happening lately in the WD threads, I just can't be bothered anymore.

 

Why post in a thread when it immediately gets bumped off the front page by maroons padding their post count with endless smileys and cries of "davidson"? It was funny the first time - after 500 posts, not so much :preach:

 

pissjoy :)

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