Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I did it...no more monthly comics!

I just made a change to my comic book subscription that changes everything I've known for the last 17 years...I no longer collect single issues!

The changes at DC, though won't be as big as many people seem to fear, has been a catalyst for thousands across the continent to cancel DC altogether and/or monthly issues and go to trades. I've been going back and forth for a long time and I just decided to make the change once and for all.

Here is my new subscription list at Hourglass Comics in Port Moody, after much arguing with myself (literally, this took months to finalize)

- Amazing Spider-Man
- Invincible Iron Man (so long as Fraction sticks around)
- Captain America (so long as Brubaker sticks around)
- Green Lantern
- Green Lantern Corps
- Walking Dead


Not knowing just what DC is up to means I'm not going to commit to any of their titles aside from Geoff John's GL (and it's brother from another mother "GL Corps").

I was debating over getting any Avengers but the titles change, come & go so much that I don't know if it'll be worth it. Who knows how long "Academy" will stick around (at least with the same title) and the core books have been horrible since the new #1's came out (did JRJr draw the first dozen issues with his pen in his mouth or what?) with ridiculously huge storylines that are bigger than the summer crossovers and played like minor events.

I was getting Secret Avengers and really want to support it but with Steve Rogers getting back into the cap suit in a few months, who knows where that book is going and if it'll even stick around.

The first comic I ever subscribed to was "Spectacular Spider-Man" way back when Sal Buscema was drawing it (if you know what Cosmic Spider-Man means, you're as old as I am!) and now my single issue days are over. I enjoyed them all. Until the mandatory 5-issue stories became the norm and super event crossovers made following stories impossible unless you had an extra $500 kicking around every month, which I don't.

- Jeff

PS - just finding that old issue of Spidey's "Captain Universe" days made me extremely nostalgic, this was one of my first comics after subscribing!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jeff, I have the Spidey Goes Cosmic issue also. I'm 99% it was my very first comic I ever bought too. Maybe we bought it at the same time? I have no idea.

You're right we are getting old.....

Scott (ex-member of Wormy)

Anonymous said...

I just realized Spidey Goes Cosmic wasn't your first comic so we definitely didn't buy it together. But it was my first!

Scott

Jeff Penner said...

Actually, I have you and Derek to thank for getting me into comics! Derek had Amazing Spider-Man #312 (had Green Goblin on the cover) in his bag one day in grade 7 and I was hooked just by seeing it!

- Jeff

Anonymous said...

Well it looks like I have Derek to thank too. I checked last night and my first comic was Amazing Spider-Man #318 with the Scorpian on the cover. My first Spectacular Spider-Man was #157 (Spidey gets treated to Electro Shock Therapy).

I also found my personal comic book covers of Incredible Ben. I also have the beginning of Incredible Ben #1 but like most projects I stopped a few pages in and never returned to it........

Jeff Penner said...

Crazy, my version of "Incredible Ben" got to 2 volumes. I think I did 130 issues (I'm not kidding) from grade 8 to well out of high school.

- Jeff

Anonymous said...

Hey Jeff,

Can we get a blog update of what you're reading in 2012?

Are you still buying monthly comics?

Scott