I don't like superheroes anymore. Do you like superheroes?

[Spaceghost]

Nah I've been treating myself today and yesterday to not trying to act here as I do in normal life and act more like many people do on the internet (not being specific to anyone here just generally) and having the false courage of anonymity and distance to mean you (general not specific again) act more aggressive and forceful than normal and argue points past the point you should.

You're lucky. I AM like this even when I'm NOT on the internet. It's got me into trouble a few times (culminating in narrowly avoided disciplinary proceedings at work).

I need to learn to let things go, temper my comments and self edit to avoid offending people I suppose but I fucking LOVE a good argument.

[Dash Decent]

I grew up on the IPC/Fleetway comics so my tastes run more to the humorous and adventurous.  I never got into DC or Marvel.  I'd much rather read Sweeny Toddler, Calvin & Hobbes or a Donald Duck story by Carl Barks than, say, Spiderman.

Of course, I now know from reading this thread that the problem with comics like Sweeny Toddler and Donald Duck is that no one advances, everyone remains the same.  Sweeny still lives with his dopey mum and dad at the end of the strip, Henry the dog still dreams of bones, etc!  What was I thinking? ; D

Apart from the 2000AD trades, I've also enjoyed reading the Grandville series and "Mezolith" (a DFC Library title) and hope there will be more of these.

[judgerufian]

Not wishing to jump into the argument (however polite it is now becoming....)

When i was a kid (i'm now 40), any comics were fair game but mainly it was whizzer & chips, Beano & Dandy. I discovered 2000AD when I started to get a bit older (think mid-200's was my introduction to Dredd & Co) with some Spiderman and Hulk thrown into the mix.
As a teenager I discovered the comic book shop and increased my reading to some Batman and other DC titles, Marvel didnt appeal for some reason and this continued for a number of years, waning when I had less money as a student (even the Meg was dropped at one point) and increasing again when I started working to include Preacher and other vertigo titles, Batman (again), 100 bullets and the odd spandex crusader.
In the last 5-6 years though I did dump any monthly title as graphic novels collections were now being released for nearly every title (sooooo different from 20 years ago!) to help combat the amount of space my collection was starting to consume, I also dumped loads of back issues mainly my super hero stuff and anything I had in graphic novel format. So rather than get the monthlies I switched to some hero GN's instead.
I did remain loyal in all this time to 2000AD, its had its up and downs but remains the best read and much better than the US monthlies (super hero or not), I just prefer short burts of reading throughout the year as opposed to the monthly wait where a convulted back story had me either re-reading stuff all the time or issues just collecting dust until the story arc was over. This is one of the main reasons I dumped most of my monthly super hero reading, the others being the oft mentioned immortality of some heroes through no fear of death via resurrection (and this is probably why I dont enjoy Strontium Dog as much as I used to, Alan Grant I wish you had stuck to your guns in the same way you were so happy to announce at UKCAC'90 that you were going to kill off Johnny Alpha in front of a packed and shocked audience).
Much has been said of the superhero movies, I enjoy them but think they are completely different to what I used to read but using the same characters its fun to see how they are adapted. Much like Dredd the film, it worked so well and I really enjoyed it but it wasnt quite the same as the weekly Dredd though I didnt see anything wrong with that, it was still great to see him on the big screen.
I do fall into the camp that most superhero stuff nowadays is a bit dull, galaxy spanning stroies just bore me with their 'Nothing will be the same again!' (but nothing will really change......) taglines but there is stuff which re-affirms my belief in comics on a regular basis, Punisher by Garth Ennis and then Jason Aaron, DMZ, BPRD and the Ultimates.

Would I go back to buying monthlies and following Batman for example on a regular basis? No.
Do I carry on reading 2000AD? Yes

Mind you though, tastes change as we get older and YOU CAN READ WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT TO folks!

[Tiplodocus]

It says very clearly under my avatar that I'm 'a bastard with no manners', it's not as if I've made a secret of it.

I'll admit that, as usual, I've 'gone off on one' and pissed someone off quite needlessly. It's nowt new. I'm famous for it at work. At least this wasn't a discussion about religion. I've had a few fucking scrapes from being unable to bite my tongue on THAT subject.

I may be doing life wrong but I don't think I'd be making these sort of statements in away that may seem as if I was proud of them.

[Spaceghost]

It says very clearly under my avatar that I'm 'a bastard with no manners', it's not as if I've made a secret of it.

I'll admit that, as usual, I've 'gone off on one' and pissed someone off quite needlessly. It's nowt new. I'm famous for it at work. At least this wasn't a discussion about religion. I've had a few fucking scrapes from being unable to bite my tongue on THAT subject.

I may be doing life wrong but I don't think I'd be making these sort of statements in away that may seem as if I was proud of them.

I'm not proud of anything, I'm just honest. Plus, see my last comment where I lament my gob-shiteyness.

PS. Get fucked.*









*(get it?)

[Prodigal2]

Thanks guys-I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all this and the vigorous debate contained therein.

[Tiplodocus]

It says very clearly under my avatar that I'm 'a bastard with no manners', it's not as if I've made a secret of it.

I'll admit that, as usual, I've 'gone off on one' and pissed someone off quite needlessly. It's nowt new. I'm famous for it at work. At least this wasn't a discussion about religion. I've had a few fucking scrapes from being unable to bite my tongue on THAT subject.

I may be doing life wrong but I don't think I'd be making these sort of statements in away that may seem as if I was proud of them.

I'm not proud of anything, I'm just honest. Plus, see my last comment where I lament my gob-shiteyness.

PS. Get fucked.*

*(get it?)

Charmed, I'm sure.

[Hawkmumbler]

I CAN like super hero stories. It's just another genre at the end of the day, specifically a sub-genre of science fiction and fantasy. What baffles me is the over saturation on the genre in the medium. Marvel and DC naturally, though I only currently read the one title from either, Revolutionary War. Though I am working my way through trades of Saga of Swamp Thing (hoping to move onto the Vaughn run as well), Hellblazer, Shade, and Captain Britain.

As for manga, I do feel the current trend of shonen popular in the west are fairly samey. Hell, One Piece and Fairy Tail or almost separated from birth! At least One-Punch Man, All You Need is Kill and Attack on Titan are original and are enjoying great success. Bodes well.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Hmmm, superheroes... not really my thing.  While a few of the classic runs of the last 30 years stand out (Miracleman, DKR, Watchmen, Animal Man), generally speaking whenever I try to follow a superhero series, even by good writers, I get bored very fast.  Give me Tharg's morally questionable anti-heroes any day.

[Spaceghost]

It says very clearly under my avatar that I'm 'a bastard with no manners', it's not as if I've made a secret of it.

I'll admit that, as usual, I've 'gone off on one' and pissed someone off quite needlessly. It's nowt new. I'm famous for it at work. At least this wasn't a discussion about religion. I've had a few fucking scrapes from being unable to bite my tongue on THAT subject.

I may be doing life wrong but I don't think I'd be making these sort of statements in away that may seem as if I was proud of them.

I'm not proud of anything, I'm just honest. Plus, see my last comment where I lament my gob-shiteyness.

PS. Get fucked.*

*(get it?)

Charmed, I'm sure.

You do realise it was a joke, yes? As was the comment about my 'motto' being ''a bastard with no manners''. That's a quote from A Clockwork Orange. I'm nice really.

I've been racking my brains trying to think of superhero stories I've enjoyed in recent times. I LOVED Marvel comics from the age of about 7 and lost interest in them when I was 16 or so.

I suppose as far as superhero comics I've enjoyed since then go, there's Ex Machina by Brian K Vaughan which is about what happens when a superhero realises that costumed crime fighting isn't a viable way of affecting social change, so he quits, goes into politics and is elected Mayor of New York. It's intelligent and well thought out with a unique mix of realistic political intrigue and sci-fi shenanegans.

Also loved Tom Strong and Supreme by Alan Moore but that's because they're both kind of love letters to the kind of superhero stories I loved as a kid.

Really liked Top Ten by Moore too if that counts as a superhero title. I suppose I like the superhero comics that subvert superhero comics and 'pull back the curtain' to show how they work if that makes sense.

Wish this had been my first post, could have avoided looking like a bit of a prick. 

[IntotheRealm]

so what about My Little Pony Friendship is Magic as superheroes?

[Theblazeuk]

Though I am working my way through trades of Saga of Swamp Thing (hoping to move onto the Vaughn run as well), Hellblazer, Shade, and Captain Britain.

Mixing John Constantine and superheroes only works in the weird worlds of Vertigo. His current incarnation in the main DCU makes for terrible reading. He can't even swear

[Colin YNWA]

I suppose as far as superhero comics I've enjoyed since then go, there's Ex Machina by Brian K Vaughan which is about what happens when a superhero realises that costumed crime fighting isn't a viable way of affecting social change, so he quits, goes into politics and is elected Mayor of New York. It's intelligent and well thought out with a unique mix of realistic political intrigue and sci-fi shenanegans.

Funnily enough the new trade versions of Ex Machina are on my to buy list as it first came out during my wilderness years from comics but having read about it it sounds like a damned interesting concept by some decent creators. Its really good therefore to hear it recommended by someone who doesn't get on with superheroes generally as its that different take on the genre that appeals - I'll be buying that toot sweet then.

[Proudhuff]

yes yes but what shelf will it go on? 

[Prodigal2]

My shelves are considerably clearer or at least will be as over 2000 of my spandex comics head towards Belfast's Forbidden Planet in the near future. That's really what prompted this thread-as I counted and filed them for dispatch I felt no emotional attachment to them whatsoever and I was passionate about them only a few years ago.

Big credit note=thrill power maximisation.