Does anyone here still buy current books?

[Silverspider]

As a mostly Silver and Bronze age collector myself, I was wondering if anyone on the Silver age board still buys new stuff?

 

It's funny, I was in a comic store the other day for the first time in awhile. Instead of browsing the new comics and flipping through, I was more mesmorized by the old stuff hanging on the wall!!!!

 

Ahh the good old days!!!!!!!

[nearmint]

I still buy the new stuff, either in trade or pamphlet form. There's some great stuff being put out these days.

[JuliusSeizure]

Occasionally I'll pick up a trade that interests me, that's about it. Partly for space reasons, and partly because I think a lot of today's writers and artists have lost the art of storytelling.

 

I was picking up current G.I. Joe issues for awhile, and while the pictures were very pretty, it was hard sometimes to follow the action from one panel to the next. Maybe I'm just an old fogey (and I'm not that old), but it seemed like there was more of a craft to it in the "good old days".

[rob_react]

Occasionally I'll pick up a trade that interests me, that's about it. Partly for space reasons, and partly because I think a lot of today's writers and artists have lost the art of storytelling.

 

I was picking up current G.I. Joe issues for awhile, and while the pictures were very pretty, it was hard sometimes to follow the action from one panel to the next. Maybe I'm just an old fogey (and I'm not that old), but it seemed like there was more of a craft to it in the "good old days".

 

Or maybe you just picked up a bad comic.

[DKB]

I still spend $200+ a month on new books, and G.I. Joe would be waaaaaaaaaay down the list of books I recommend to folks. That's not one I read. There are great reads out there that anyone who is open to the medium will enjoy to no end. Much moreso than 10 or 20 years ago.

[Scrooge]

I agree. I keep on wavering cutting out Moderns to afford more Golden Age back issues and reprint projects BUT the quality of some recent works won't allow me to cut them off. There is much to be enjoyed in current published work.

[JuliusSeizure]

Occasionally I'll pick up a trade that interests me, that's about it. Partly for space reasons, and partly because I think a lot of today's writers and artists have lost the art of storytelling.

 

I was picking up current G.I. Joe issues for awhile, and while the pictures were very pretty, it was hard sometimes to follow the action from one panel to the next. Maybe I'm just an old fogey (and I'm not that old), but it seemed like there was more of a craft to it in the "good old days".

 

Or maybe you just picked up a bad comic.

Could be, although that's not the only example I could cite. I don't want to trash moderns, though - if people enjoy them, that's what counts. I was just giving my own (semi-informed) opinion.

[john72tex]

I'm tryin' to cut down on my 30+ moderns I get every month so I can concentrate on some Silver Age DC.

[nearmint]

Just read "Ice Haven" by Daniel Clowes. GREAT book.

[Scrooge]

Occasionally I'll pick up a trade that interests me, that's about it. Partly for space reasons, and partly because I think a lot of today's writers and artists have lost the art of storytelling.

 

I was picking up current G.I. Joe issues for awhile, and while the pictures were very pretty, it was hard sometimes to follow the action from one panel to the next. Maybe I'm just an old fogey (and I'm not that old), but it seemed like there was more of a craft to it in the "good old days".

 

Or maybe you just picked up a bad comic.

Could be, although that's not the only example I could cite. I don't want to trash moderns, though - if people enjoy them, that's what counts. I was just giving my own (semi-informed) opinion.

 

Julius,

 

could you go ahead and give us some more of those examples? I'd like to know which books led you to this stance. Maybe we'll tend to agree more with you once we see that list.

[rob_react]

Occasionally I'll pick up a trade that interests me, that's about it. Partly for space reasons, and partly because I think a lot of today's writers and artists have lost the art of storytelling.

 

I was picking up current G.I. Joe issues for awhile, and while the pictures were very pretty, it was hard sometimes to follow the action from one panel to the next. Maybe I'm just an old fogey (and I'm not that old), but it seemed like there was more of a craft to it in the "good old days".

 

Or maybe you just picked up a bad comic.

Could be, although that's not the only example I could cite. I don't want to trash moderns, though - if people enjoy them, that's what counts. I was just giving my own (semi-informed) opinion.

 

Any other examples you'd care to cite (out of curiosity, you're welcome to your opinion, of course.)

[goldust40]

I still pick up Eightball whenever it's published (about once every 18 months), Dark Horse's Conan, 100 Bullets, Y The Last Man, Planetary, and the Ultimates 2. I read Daredevil for a number of issues, but lost interest. I also pick up the odd miniseries....... I like to keep up with anything that's worthwhile in the medium at the moment - and at the moment there's some good stuff being published.

[mica]

Perhaps my love for Silver -Age (and fondness for Gold and Bronze) makes viewing Moderns out of focus.

 

Is there a book being printed today that has the feel of the first 300 issues of Fantastic Four? Is there a book that is being printed today that has drawings that fit into actual panels?

 

For all the modern readers that are reading this post, I am not slamming your books that you love to read. I walk in to the LCS and I don't see anything that I really like. Believe me I've tried.

The New Marvel super hero stuff seems cartoonish in style. (everyone's entitled to an opinion)

I am grateful for the recommendations of this particular book or that particular title, and I will still glance at them, but I've found what I like, and that's books that are printed before 1991.

I would still buy Disney if any American group would publish them. I miss Gladstone. I know they are still publishing small paperbacks but it's not the same.

 

The moderns I still get are powerpuff girls for my daughter. But that's about it.

 

Again, this post is not intended to pick a fight.

[rob_react]

The New Marvel super hero stuff seems cartoonish in style. (everyone's entitled to an opinion)

 

Curious comment, that. There certainly are some people who do a more cartoony style, but there are plenty of people doing blindingly realistic artwork for Marvel these days (not that I'm the biggest fan of Marvel at the moment.)

[drsone]

Since no one has mentioned them yet, Fables and The Walking Dead are great.

[DKB]

Perhaps my love for Silver -Age (and fondness for Gold and Bronze) makes viewing Moderns out of focus.

 

Is there a book being printed today that has the feel of the first 300 issues of Fantastic Four? Is there a book that is being printed today that has drawings that fit into actual panels?

 

 

Grab the first Astonishing X-men trade, just for kicks, when you pick up the latest powerpuff girl issue. I can't speak for DC, but AXM is probably the best superhero book Marvel has, and it seems like superheros are what you are looking for. I can't say if it would have been as brilliant in 1975.

[Scrooge]

The New Marvel super hero stuff seems cartoonish in style. (everyone's entitled to an opinion)

 

Curious comment, that. There certainly are some people who do a more cartoony style, but there are plenty of people doing blindingly realistic artwork for Marvel these days (not that I'm the biggest fan of Marvel at the moment.)

 

I agree with Rob on this one. Marvel over the last few years has turned me off their books one by one to the point this one-time Marvel zombie now only buys 1 single book from Marvel and a peripheral one at that: Runaways.

 

However, there are probably more books I could read from Marvel but haven't given them a fair shot. I fear, Mica, that you are not really giving the books a fair shot. Walking into a LCS and browsing an issue or two does not truly allow one to get into a series these days and you can't really claim to have given the creators a good shot at winning you over I feel.

 

To answer your question about a more classic page layout / FF feel. Well, the closest I can come up with would be JSA where you will still find classical / old-style storylines that don't drag on for more than 4 issues before being resolved. It is no longer one of the best titles on the stands but would fit your criteria. I personally like Tom Strong (judging prices for back issues on eBay, I am not one of too many) for the send-up stories to Silver Age material. Most covers are homages to classic books from the SA and the stories span no more than 2 issues, most being tied in one book. The last issue had Tom Strong journey into Pneuman (a sentient robot), shades on the voyage inside the Vision in Avengers.

 

I am sure others could / will point you in other directions but you can still find simply written + laid-out + concluded stories in the current offerings.

[mica]

The New Marvel super hero stuff seems cartoonish in style. (everyone's entitled to an opinion)

 

Curious comment, that. There certainly are some people who do a more cartoony style, but there are plenty of people doing blindingly realistic artwork for Marvel these days (not that I'm the biggest fan of Marvel at the moment.)

Rob if you point me in the right direction I will be more than glad to give anything a try.

But here's what I was talking about. I realize that the phrase cartoonish is going to rub someone wrong, but I've heard the phrase many times from others as well.

It's kind of hard to describe.

Above is art from Asm 69. This is what I like.

Below is ast from Asm 519, it's OK but not exactly what I like.

It's all in the eye of the beholder. Both are good artists, I merely prefer one over the other, and can't get enough of one particular era.

[mica]

Thank you Scrooge. You are a gentleman. What I haven't liked from some modern fans is the attitude that I'm not doing my fair share of continuing to buy buy buy no matter what the quality is like.

I appreciate your suggestions and I will indeed look into them. Realize that I haven't slammed the door shut on future possibilities, but the 1990's really burned me out. I won't go into the numerous reasons as they've been addressed countless times before by others.

[JuliusSeizure]

Occasionally I'll pick up a trade that interests me, that's about it. Partly for space reasons, and partly because I think a lot of today's writers and artists have lost the art of storytelling.

 

I was picking up current G.I. Joe issues for awhile, and while the pictures were very pretty, it was hard sometimes to follow the action from one panel to the next. Maybe I'm just an old fogey (and I'm not that old), but it seemed like there was more of a craft to it in the "good old days".

 

Or maybe you just picked up a bad comic.

Could be, although that's not the only example I could cite. I don't want to trash moderns, though - if people enjoy them, that's what counts. I was just giving my own (semi-informed) opinion.

 

Any other examples you'd care to cite (out of curiosity, you're welcome to your opinion, of course.)

Well, I got a free Hulk issue at my LCS a couple of years ago which I wasn't too impressed with as not a lot seemed to happen in the 20 pages or so. The art was also kind of murky and hard to follow. I've also looked through some Superman and Batman recently and barely recognized the characters. I haven't seen much of the post-Busiek Avengers, but other boards consider it absolute drek (and based on their descriptions, likely so would I). I can flip through a Superman or Batman comic at the LCS in less than a minute and pretty much get everything; it seems to be (subjectively) that there was a lot more meat in the '70s-'80s issues.

 

Speaking of Avengers, I have the trade for Avengers Forever (maybe that's not exactly a modern) and while I liked it, I didn't find the storytelling to be on par with Avengers as I remember it. I have read several early issues of JLA and JSA which, to be fair, I did find entertaining, but the stories and art were sometimes...confusing. (This from a guy who mastered the pre-Crisis DC Universe before the age of 8!) Maybe having read earlier JLA/JSA titles worked against me, as it was hard to tell what still "counted" and what didn't. I found that frustrating, and I didn't like the 'exaggerated' art style. And these were the titles fans were raving about.

 

I'm certainly not trying to talk anyone out of buying something they enjoy. Maybe today's comics are just different, not better or worse. But, as I said to someone, back in the day writers and artists would spend decaded honing their craft, whereas nowadays there seem to be a lot of under-30s who get touted as "the next big thing". Yes, I know this was true of Neal Adams once, but back then, it seemed like DC and Marvel staffs were like major-league rosters - once in awhile a talented rookie would come up from the farm system, but you could pretty much recognize the players from year to year.

 

Maybe that's not a great analogy, I'm not familiar with employment practices at those companies now. Although I do know they hire a lot of "big name" writers for major books (Orson Scott Card, Kevin Smith, J. Michael Strazynski, for example), who may be good writers but may not be experts at the comic book medium the way Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and (especially) Alan Moore are/were.

 

I know I'm rambling, I'm just trying to articulate what I feel some of the differences are in the comics of my youth versus today. To go back to my first example - 80s G.I. Joe vs. 00s G.I. Joe - no comparison at all. Maybe that was one of the better titles then and is one of the poorer ones now. I don't know. It just seems to me that, with a few execptions, there's not the consistent care going into the product that there used to be.