Oh No! Not Again!

[Tnerb]

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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[surfer99]

I don't think I've ever heard you so upset, . Totally agree with you though, the whole starting over at issue #1 (for any reason other than "the title flopped years ago, and now we're starting over because we think we have a better story to tell that fans will enjoy") is just ridiculous. In the 90's the problem was way too many variant covers (X-men #1 anyone?) and now the problem is too many do-overs at issue #1 "because we think it will bring in more readers".

 

I really thought Marvel recognized their mistake when they relaunched Fantastic Four and Amazing Spider-man at #1, and then at some point they went back to the original numbering (I keep praying they do this with Uncanny X-men). Then there was the whole relaunch at issue #600 thing where they began counting up from there...what the heck was that about?

 

No one likes it when you mess with the numbering system, and some of us are old and confuse easily, unless that's just me.

 

 

 

 

[Tulls19-migration]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Studio 25]

I too agree. One of my first comic books I bought as a teenager, was ASM 142, which I still have in my posession. I did have some older books from the early 70's, also not 1st issues, unfortunately mom cleaned out the closet.

[sirbestow]

Thanks for saying it!

 

Also @surfer99, did you see that Spider-men #1 that came out a few weeks ago had 26 covers (one for each letter of the alphabet)!!!! Really?!?!?! That is way to many variants!

 

What is going to happen in 20 years? I have box on box of comics I can't do anything with from the 90's ! Is it going to be the same from this era?

[Holmes]

I couldn't agree more. As a comic READER I don't have problems with reboots. New generations of writers and artists are entitled to reimagine iconic characters. That does not invalidate what came before. As a COLLECTOR I find the endless #1's and cover variants annoying and tend to IGNORE them. If I see a variant that I like, or one that features a favorite artist I may buy it but I never feel compelled to buy all the variants for completion's sake. No matter what Marvel or DC care to think there is only ONE Superman #1 and only ONE Amazing Spiderman #1.

[Udidar]

I completely agree with you. I got totally fed up with all the gimmicks that had started coming out and relaunches and then relaunches for the relaunches because those 13 issues never really happened, and bam, I completely quit buying new comics. It actually made me quite mad that I was trying to be persuaded to buy the same comic multiple times. My LCS convinced me to try some Garth Ennis stuff and found I really enjoyed reading his work so followed "The Boys" and "Chronicles of Wormwood." I asked what else he liked, so ended up following "The Authority" as well. Although the last series I thought was lousy and stopped buying it. And now almost every issue it seems has a variant, and all these exclusives for specific comic conventions and 1-25, 1-50, 1-100, 1-200 covers. I just dont get it. The comic companies must be making money as they keep doing it, but they certainly dont get my money.

[sirbestow]

I ... and 1-25, 1-50, 1-100, 1-200 covers. I just dont get it. The comic companies must be making money as they keep doing it, but they certainly dont get my money.

 

What I don't understand about ratio variants: So the books come in if the retailer orders x amount of books to get the lower print run variants as a bonus or little cost, right? Then turn around and sells the books a buck per the ratio (ex: 1:25 is $25, 1:50 is $50, etc). There is no guarantee that the ratio would even hold the value at the same price or better over time or sink to the price as a non variant? At what point does this system implode again?

 

ALSO why are the higher ratio books always a sketch cover (and generally the sketch is of the non-variant newsstand release cover)? Is there that big of demand that people want an unfinished cover at $100 to $200 out of the gate?

 

PS - about my *spoon* comment. I didn't think I said the S-word. If I did, I apologize to the moderator.