Alone In A Crowd/No Drama Needed

My favorite hobby right now is reading comic books.I'm insatiable and probably spend more than I should on them, but for what I get out of them it's worth it.It's a niche hobby,not generally well-regarded by those who don't read them.That doesn't bother me though.All that matters is that I like them.



It always seems to me that people who enjoy such off-the-beaten-path hobbies tend to seek each other out,either online or off.I tried, but yet I feel I have no one to talk comics with.To understand this, I have to go back in time a little bit.



I was really heavy into comics in the mid-80's.I focused on Spider-Man,but usually picked up whatever was at 7-11.There was also an Odd-Lots/Amazing Savings-style outlet store that sold 3 comics in a pack for $1 or so.This went on for about 5 years and then I stopped reading them.I don't remember why I stopped,but I did and that's that.



I did read the odd graphic novel here and there between then and now.I had a roommate for a few years who went through a comics phase and I got to read Marvels, Kingdom Come and a few others.It never made me want to go out and start buying again though.



Then one day,when I was a cable technician, I had a customer who showed me a book called Civil War.I liked the concept so I went to a comic shop and bought a copy.That lead to me buying Frontline, which lead to me buying some tie-ins and the whole thing started up again.Except now instead of being a kid with a limited selection and only my meager allowance I was now an adult with disposable income and three comic shops in my area.Joy!!



Believe it or not, up until about 6 months ago it never even dawned on me to find other comic fans on the internet.I knew a few people who read them in my normal life, but they were jaded old school fans.So I went online and started posting in Marvel's forums.This lasted about 1 month and 120 or so posts.Then I started noticing the same crap going on there that I didn't like about the fans I knew.



Ramos is doing Runaways?Guess I'm dropping that title from my pull list.



Why did Galactus have to be a cloud?



Bendis doesn't respect continuity.



I haven't read X-Men since the Claremont days.



They delayed Civil War again.I am so done with Marvel.



Michael Turner can't draw feet.



You get the point.So did I.So I stopped posting there.I went to Newsarama,but saw the same stuff there right away and only posted about 10 or 11 times,including posts in the blog section.I just don't see why people read comics if they're not happy with them.I understand that maybe you've always loved them,but you obviously don't now.And this is an expensive hobby.Why torture yourself?Drop the superhero titles.Read the spoilers on the internet if you don't want to lose touch.Save money now and jump back in when conditions are more to your liking.It seems like common sense to me.



I just can't relate to that mindset,the need for drama.Fantastic Five was in my box a little while back.I bought it to check it out only to realize when I got home it was the MC2 universe,which I don't like.So now when it shows up in my box I just put it back on the shelves.No drama needed.



I don't buy my comics just to look for things to complain about.I mean I've read things where people seemed almost giddy that they found a potential problem to get everyone worked up over.I don't get it.Everything I read I genuinely enjoy.Am I a zombie because I don't demand more of my comics?I have no need to build up nerd cred.I'm not on a crusade to clean up comics.(Some of you make good points,but I'm no activist.)I don't make nit-picky continuity complaints. I don't dislike any of the writers or artists.In my eyes, it's all just different styles.I LOVE Squadron Supreme,but it's hopelessly delayed.Yet my life goes on and the world keeps turning.If it comes back,I'll pick it up then.If not,there's other things to read.No drama needed.



All of the internet negativity has tainted my views even outside.My LCS guy is a really nice guy.There's a regular who goes there at the same time I do every Thursday morning and he's a nice guy too.But I don't want to talk comics with them.I'll just be bracing for the start of the bitching.That's when I tune out.I almost feel like if I don't have something to complain about then I don't really have much to add to the conversation.



A self-imposed exile.That's what I am.It's kind of sad,but it's that way for reason.I can only hope that someday things will change,as long as change doesn't mean that I'm the grumpy,jaded one.