New Comic Book Day Megathread

[CalHab]

It’s fair to say this wasn’t a great week for me!

[CalHab]

On a more positive note, I got round to:
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #5 (King, Evely, Lopez, Cowles). Supergirl is trapped on a planet designed to be fatal to Kryptonians. This provides even more opportunities for Evely to depict alien landscapes and monstrous creatures, both of which she does to wonderful effect. King, meanwhile, provides some great character moments for Ruthye and Supergirl. Another good issue in an excellent series.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

I've just realised that I've got all the DC titles I've bought over the last month or so, sitting upstairs in a pile and so far unread. All the Aquaman-related mini series issues (Deep Target, Becoming, Black Manta, King Shark), and even the Swamp Thing Black Label series. I've noticed that I'm finding DC Comics harder and harder to bother with- what is it about them? Is it a modern house style I just don't get on with? I really don't find the same applies to Marvel, as I find even Marvel titles I'm not particularly fond of an effortlessly entertaining read in comparison.

SBT

[CalHab]

I’ve certainly cut down on DC books. There are only so many Bat-books you can read, and that seems to be half their current output.

[Colin YNWA]

I’ve certainly cut down on DC books. There are only so many Bat-books you can read, and that seems to be half their current output.

Boy ain't that the truth. While saying half the comics may seem like hyperbole I'm not sure it is. Looking through the DC previews type thing it genuinely seems like at least half the comics are Batman or closely Batman related.

Now this has had the seeming desired effect of making me pick up a couple of Bat books for the first time in many years. 'Robin and Batman' by Jeff Lemire and Jock's 'Dark Night'. So all good surely. Well, not really while both looked astonishing and were fine comicbooks in and of themselves neither (and to be fair I've only got issue 1 of Jock's mini to date) have anything new to say. And these are comics by good creators.

I therefore shudder to think what else is out there in the Batverse these days and how much they must be retreading old ground. We have GMozz's run covering all that so we don't need anything else. Now of course there could be some simply brilliant comics amongst the masses, you kinda hope there's gotta be. The problem is I'm not going to find them in the forest of noise. Noise that unfortunately seems to be drowning out the diversity of titles that DC once did so well.

I'm sure there's got to be a business reason for this. So while folks are buying them, over other comics, why on earth would DC stop churning them out. For this reader though, boy does it leave me cold.

[broodblik]

That has always been the problem with DC and Marvel if they have a successful character they tend to push out millions of series/arc around that character. The other bigger problem is that every two weeks they have a new over-arch mega something running for 12 weeks plus and you need the follow all linked titles to get the story. The worse thing about this mega epics especially in the Marvel world is that they focus on characters which nobody knew existed.

[Colin YNWA]

...The worse thing about this mega epics especially in the Marvel world is that they focus on characters which nobody knew existed.

Though often driven by some other media activity. So Moon Knight is getting a telly show so he's getting loads of material pumped out - which makes sense from their point of view of course and if it draws folks from outside the comic reading world in that is great as an entry.

History suggests though all it really does is drive interest in a few select back issues getting super hot and prices on those few old issues getting crazy increases in the collectors / speculation market.

[broodblik]

I am a fan off less titles and once every few years you can have a cross-over mega event.


PS - if anyone can explain what the difference between Batman and Detective Comics/Superman and Action Comics are that will also be quite interesting to know

[CalHab]

I’ve certainly cut down on DC books. There are only so many Bat-books you can read, and that seems to be half their current output.

Boy ain't that the truth. While saying half the comics may seem like hyperbole I'm not sure it is. Looking through the DC previews type thing it genuinely seems like at least half the comics are Batman or closely Batman related.

My local comic shop lays out the shelf stock by publisher, so you get a good impression about what DC is putting out (or at least what the shop is ordering). At least the preponderance of blacks and dark blues mean that fun stuff (Supergirl, Human Target) tends to stand out.

Marvel's problem, I think, is an over-reliance on events. I think there are at least three current on-going "universe-wide events" in Darkhold, Death of Doctor Strange and Devil's Reign (I've probably missed others). They used to do one of these a year, and that was probably too much. That said, Marvel has a wonderful variety to its books at the moment and they seem to embrace the fun and silliness in a way that DC doesn't.

[Link Prime]

My local comic shop lays out the shelf stock by publisher

Unbelievably, my LCS no longer has a section for 'new comics' (previously 3 - 4 large shelving units).
I know there are various factors involved here (Covid-19 impact obviously included), but it's still been a minor shock the past few times I was in there.

[Colin YNWA]

My local comic shop lays out the shelf stock by publisher

Unbelievably, my LCS no longer has a section for 'new comics' (previously 3 - 4 large shelving units).
I know there are various factors involved here (Covid-19 impact obviously included), but it's still been a minor shock the past few times I was in there.

Oh wow that's interesting. I know Page 45 in Leeds used to move theirs right to the back of the shop as they new the 'Wednesday Warriors' (it was probably Thursday errrr Troopers when I last went) would go find it regardless of where it was. They went for a much more bookshop feel front of house to try to appeal to none comic fans.

To go the whole hog is very interesting though. Do they still do pull lists for folks that want them?

[Link Prime]

Do they still do pull lists for folks that want them?

Ah yeah, mine included (although it only has 2000AD and Red Room listed at the moment).

They gotta make some cash I guess, and in their case that seems to be currently in Transformers / Marvel Legends / Star Wars toys & Manga.

[CalHab]

I can see their logic. Gosh! is a great example of how to make a comic shop appealing to a more diverse customer base, and they keep the new and back issues hidden in the basement.

I had an interesting chat with my local comic shop owner when my daughter asked for some Pokemon cards. He finds the trends in card games and collectibles unpredictable, and always fears being stuck with expensive stock when the customers move on to the next new thing. It must be difficult to balance.

[Colin YNWA]

I had an interesting chat with my local comic shop owner when my daughter asked for some Pokemon cards. He finds the trends in card games and collectibles unpredictable, and always fears being stuck with expensive stock when the customers move on to the next new thing. It must be difficult to balance.

And yet Funko Pops seem endlessly enduring - go figure.

Even my LCS - which is wonderfully old school - has a good chunk of wall dedicated to the things.

[CalHab]

Yeah. Last time I was in a Forbidden Planet those things seemed to be all over the place. I don't get it.