Dropping Titles

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Mon May 26, 2008 8:09 am

Well, I just sent over my May Order form and I had to drop some titles for primarily space and time. There are so many comics publish by the big two that I can't pick up every title I would like to read. Besides, I like to spend a certain portion of my "budget" on trades.

So I ended up dropping the following titles:

1) Cable - Never really loved the character and thought the first three issues were moving too slow. Also, there are too many X-Men titles out there and I can't get them all.
2) Guardians of the Galaxy - Read the first issue. Thought it was ok but didn't set my world on fire.
3) Ms. Marvel - I feel that the book has been so-so since the Civil War. Nothing exciting going on here for me.
4) Hercules - This is a fun book but I don't necessary feel for the characters
5) Avengers/ Invaders - I thought the first issue was very predictable. This is a wait for the HC type book for me.
6) Punisher War Journal - It was hit or miss with me.
7) Avengers Initiative - This has been a well written book but after a dozen of issues, I never fell in love with the characters.
8 ) Moon Knight - Tried the series with the new writer. It was ok but again, didn't set my world on fire.

On the Fence

1) Legion of Super-heroes - I love the Legion, but I rather read stories about the "original" Legion than this Legion.
2) Batman and the Outsiders - This has been average, but I think I might keep with it until after the "R.I.P." crossover.
3) Young X-Men - I am waiting until the first arc is completed to make my decision.
4) Wildcats: World's End - I am going to pick up the first issue and try it out. But, I don't necessary like the direction the whole line is heading toward.

Yeah, I dropped mostly Marvel Titles. You can tell that I am a DC hardcore DC fan, as I have trouble dropping DC titles.

I would say that I am still picking up a lot of Marvel titles and I will try to first issue of every SI mini, but at the same time, I am already tired of seeing Skrulls in every Marvel title.

Hassan

mikemclarty · Post by **mikemclarty** » Mon May 26, 2008 8:23 am

Hi Hassan,

Dropping titles is never an easy decision to make. Well, I take that back...sometimes it feels *great* to flush a stinker. I feel that in some small way, you're making your voice heard when you remove a book from your pull list.

Anyway, in terms of your list, I personally don't see anything on there that would keep me up at night if I wasn't reading. Actually, I'm not reading many of those books. I can empathize with a couple of them though:

Cable: I really liked the Cable/Deadpool series up until the last year or so, and that made me want to preview Cable. Talk about decompressed storytelling! I too have collected up to issue 3 and have decided to call it a day.

Moon Knight: I was so excited when this book came back into publiclation! By the time the 3rd issue came out, I was just not feeling it. I have the first couple of issues with the new writer, and I'm going to give it another go around. I bought these at a swap meet in my area for $1 each.

Punisher War Journal: Not a bad book, but it's another one that I dropped after issue 7 or 8. It's a shame, because I generally like Fraction. I guess part of my problem with the book is due to the fact that I'm always thinking about the Ennis title. Punisher was born to be a Max series, in my opinion.

Thanks for sharing your list with us. I imagine that in this economy, everyone's double-checking their ever-shrinking disposable income.

--- Mike

Wood · Post by **Wood** » Mon May 26, 2008 9:37 pm

I'm very lazy when it comes to dropping titles I'm not loving b/c a) I'm a completionist and b ) I don't generally feel budgetary constraints when it comes to comics. Sometimes I think I would be better off dropping books more aggressively though so that my overall reading experience was amplified.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Mon May 26, 2008 9:49 pm

I can see why you'd drop some of these, here are my assessments of your cuts:

1) Cable - I'm on the fence with this one, but I'm giving it until the end of the 1st arc.
2) Guardians of the Galaxy - I like the space stuff. This is an extension of Annihilation and I'm loving it.
3) Ms. Marvel - So-So is a decent description of this one, but I have no budgetary constraints making me cut it, so it gets to hang around.
4) Hercules - I like Amadeus Cho, so will stick with this as long as he's around.
5) Avengers/ Invaders - I liked this, I'll get the issues & skip the HC myself (but I like monthly books more than the HCs (since my bookshelf space is at a premium).
6) Punisher War Journal - I can see dropping this one. The Max book is better, IMO.
7) Avengers Initiative - I almost dropped this, but I'm holding on thru Secret Invasion as there are some tie-ins.
8 ) Moon Knight - I dropped this after issue 3 and only just started in again with the new writer (Benson?). I'm giving it until he finishes his 1st arc.

1) Legion of Super-heroes - I'm actually loving Shooter's writing on this one.
2) Batman and the Outsiders - This is OK, same boat as Ms. Marvel for me.
3) Young X-Men - I am on issue-to-issue deathwatch on this title. It will be going soon, I suspect.
4) Wildcats: World's End - I don't get this.

Just Bill · Post by **Just Bill** » Tue May 27, 2008 10:52 am

I'm about to start cutting books too, and it has nothing to do with budgets. I'm just finding that I've got too much backlog of material, AND a desire to re-read some stuff.

Once the new stuff is listed on DCBS I'm probably going to record my first pass through and work out what I'm keeping and what I'm dropping. It'll be like the Previews call in reverse... and Just Me.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Tue May 27, 2008 7:08 pm

Wood wrote:I'm very lazy when it comes to dropping titles I'm not loving b/c a) I'm a completionist and b ) I don't generally feel budgetary constraints when it comes to comics. Sometimes I think I would be better off dropping books more aggressively though so that my overall reading experience was amplified.

I am lazy too, that is why I cut books only once a year unless they really suck!! My problem was that I kept adding new titles without dropping anything. And this is more of a space/time issue. Budget is somewhat not because I don't want to spend more on comics, but I want to spend more on Archives and Omnibus.

Of course, just because these books are not on my DCBS list, doesn't mean I won't pick them up at the local comic book shop

Hassan

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:13 pm

I've done a little cutting myself and it was actually quite hard to do.

I dropped Spawn and Savage Dragon after 175+ and 135+ straight issues of each. The stories are for crap now and they are always late. I had 6 Spawn issues and 4 SD issues on my back order list with DCBS and they willing removed and reimbursed me for all issues. Even the new creative team on Spawn isn't going to help me. Unless Michael Turner is on art, but that won't happen.

comicm · Post by **comicm** » Wed May 28, 2008 5:03 am

I am trimming back a little as well. Mostly through books ending and not picking up new ones. I am also not doing it for finance reasons but because I now have 12 long boxes of unread material and will never get caught up if I keep going at the rate I have been going. About 7 of those boxes are back issues but still.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Wed May 28, 2008 11:35 am

I just dropped Checkmate as of issue #26. Did not care for where this series is going with the new writer, and I suspect it will be canceled soon. More details on this thread:
http://www.comicbookpage.com/forum/view ... 5&start=30

Skyhawke · Post by **Skyhawke** » Thu May 29, 2008 10:33 am

New Warriors is on the fence for me.

Skyhawke · Post by **Skyhawke** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:34 am

Well going through my New Warriors books that were sitting on my desk to enter into Comicbookdb.com I realized I really don't care about this book anymore. Kevin Grevioux seems to have the same recurring plot line. Jubilee doesn't trust Thrasher. Thrasher has some secret agenda and keeps running off in battle or just never shows up. Rinse, repeat.

Things that bug me about the book. Thrasher's secret agenda is so vague. It one thing to have his team not know what he is up to, it is another not to clue your readership into what is going on. 12 issues in, you should have some idea of what is going on I would think. Second, as mentioned by John and Bob, except for Jono I still have no way of knowing who any of these characters are. They just are distinguishable enough in their costumes or body types.

Post by **JohnMayo** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:57 am

Skyhawke wrote:Well going through my New Warriors books that were sitting on my desk to enter into Comicbookdb.com I realized I really don't care about this book anymore. Kevin Grevioux seems to have the same recurring plot line. Jubilee doesn't trust Thrasher. Thrasher has some secret agenda and keeps running off in battle or just never shows up. Rinse, repeat.

Things that bug me about the book. Thrasher's secret agenda is so vague. It one thing to have his team not know what he is up to, it is another not to clue your readership into what is going on. 12 issues in, you should have some idea of what is going on I would think. Second, as mentioned by John and Bob, except for Jono I still have no way of knowing who any of these characters are. They just are distinguishable enough in their costumes or body types.

Your description of the series is right on the money. The vague secret agenda and lack of any feeling of progress in the story is the main problem for me. The series just isn't going anywhere. I could completely understand why you might drop the title.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:46 pm

Ok, I have reversed my judgment on Cable and Avengers Initiative.

I was a couple of issues behind of Initiative and just got caught up. The last issue was fantastic.

The previews of Cable looks interesting, so I going to stick with it for awhile.

I am sooo easy when it comes to comics.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:28 pm

I'm giving Trinity until issue #4. If it does not get SIGNIFICANTLY better in the next couple of issues, I'm dropping it like a hot rock.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:29 pm

I have decided to drop Trinity for now. It doesn't pull me in at all and I feel that I could read a better Batman, Superman, WW, & Justice League story elsewhere.

What help me make the decision was going through piles of Countdown and related books last night and trying to figure out what to do with them. I don't want another 52 issues of a series that I don't care about.

Hassan