A Short List

(Edited in on 9/13/07):I linked this post to WFA not realizing that they have access to a list of everyone who links them.Sure enough,they linked to this entry.While I find it to be kinda cool(I guess) that I got linked,the fact that they picked this particular post to link to sucks.If you're stumbling onto this from WFA,this post is basically me venting out the last of my forum-induced anger.I don't "rant" well because I'm not really an angry person.If I'm going to be linked,I'd rather someone link to something of mine that's well-written.Oh well.Such is the bottomless pit of suck called life.If you insist on commenting,keep this in mind.Thank you.You've been warned.)

As I've already explained before,this blog is a way for me to occupy myself so I'm not restless and ADDed out.I didn't plan on making this about any one thing.Still,I've noticed I'm writing about comics a lot.I think this is because when I'm at work I read a lot of comic blogs.I find them to be much less frustrating than message boards.It's much easier to avoid the assholes.I usually go to When Fangirls Attack(Hey...my first link.Hope no one minds.).They link to a lot of interesting places and provide good reading material for a bored worker.I guess I had blog-envy and wanted to write too,even if only for me to read(I hope it stays that way.I'm going to get VERY self-concious if people start reading and leaving comments.I don't deal with people well.).



Anyway,I see a lot of topics come up in the blogs and on the message boards and I thought I could touch on a few of them.Here it goes...

1)Continuity:I'm a big fan of maintaining continuity,but am not a fanatic.I like that there's a shared universe with a history.I like that something a hero does came come back to haunt them 10 years later.But I also believe that the characters should be allowed to change and mature over time.I see fans get really upset when someone acts "out of character" and think that's usually an overreation.Superheroes see a lot of fucked up shit in their lives.Friends die and are resurrected.Powers come and go.Someone's always trying to kill them in some sort of perpetual pissing contest.Every once in a while you have to stop a giant purple guy from eating the planet.So yeah,your outlook might change a little bit after dealing with all of those things for the 32nd time.

The other thing with continuity and the fans reaction to bad continuity is how it is dealt with.Used to be,at least at Marvel,when a fan found a continuity mistake they wrote into Marvel and proposed a solution.If the solution was approved, the person got a "No-Prize".That was a great system in that fans could get involved in a fun,positive way and could also put their own ideas about how the story could've gone to the test.Now, when a continuity error is found, fans hop on the internet and bitch in a forum or on their blog to whoever will pay attention.I'm not sure if the "No-Prize" even exists anymore.It's sad,so much energy being wasted on venting just because some writer forgot who Peter Parker's first girlfriend was.

2)Event Fatigue:I don't get this one at all.Why does it matter if a comic is part of an event or not?Can't they just be enjoyed anyway?Some of the points usually made I can understand.Yes, things should have time to settle after a big event to see the changes before the next one comes.Yes, events would be more special if they didn't happen twice a year.That said, I still fail to see why I should be bothered.If I don't like a book, I won't read it.If I miss something,I'll catch up.I like to think that I'm bright enough to figure things out in a comic book within an issue or two.I don't see how a five-issue World War Hulk event is any worse than a regular five-part Hulk story.I'm certainly not going to skip it JUST because it's an event.Stop being such a completist and exercise a little self-control in your purchases.Actually, what I think bothers me most about "event fatigue" is how dramatic people can get.An event is not a reason to go vomit.Marvel/DC are not specifically targeting YOU to be miserable.Drop the book if you'd like.Your opinion has no bearing on my enjoyment of any title.And mine should have no bearing on yours.

3)Sexism:I really don't want to touch this one as there are other places to go for a much more informed opinion(see the link at the start of this post).I'll just say that even though I don't always agree with some of the controversies(Very tough to truly offend me),I can usually at least see why there's a problem.The MJ statue may not have bothered me at all as I just dismissed it as cheesy,overpriced crap,but I could easily see why other people might be offended.I don't think any of the feminist demands,if addressed,would hurt my comic reading experience in the least.It's nice that all of these comic women have big,full breasts and nice asses, but those are not superpowers.I understand that Ms. Marvel is attractive.That's great but I just want to see her be a superhero and fight some evildoers.I don't need her ass in my face every other panel to see that.So...I'm behind the cause, but I'm not an activist and don't plan on being one.

4)Decompression:I'm all in favor of decompression.I don't need a 30 line thought bubble every time Peter Parker shows up late to dinner at Aunt May's.Sure the stories stretch out a bit.I'm patient though.I don't mind waiting.I usually re-read the whole arc in one sitting once I collect it all anyway.It also lets the artwork do some of the talking.When I look at my older comics,sometimes I just see two floating heads surrounded by humongous word balloons everywhere.Not to mention the constant describing of powers.I know Daredevil has super-hearing.I don't need to be told every single time he uses it.Let the story breathe.Let the dialogue be more realistic.If I want "done-in-one" I have X-Men:First Class on my pull list.I'll read that.

5)TPB's v Monthlies:Once more...what's the big deal?I love my weekly trip to my LCS.It's like having a holiday every week.I always have something new to read.I like to bag and board and organize my comics.I'm very organized to the point of being obsessive and comics can sure as hell scratch that itch.But if I'm looking for an older story where finding individual issues is going to be a chore I'll just get the trade.If I discover a new book,but am a bit behind in it,I'll get the trades to catch up.I get all of my Vertigo books in trade format,because they usually look really nice as a full set on my bookshelf.I don't think I'm killing the industry by doing this.

This is a short list as there are a million things comic fans gripe about and I'm getting tired of typing.I buy comics to have fun.I don't buy them to look for problems to bitch about.If I don't like something,it's my fault for buying it.I could have taken the time to thumb through it at the store.It's not the artist's fault.It's not the writer's fault.It's not the editor's fault or the company's fault.For all I know, the next guy or gal through the door might pick up that same book and love it like it was one of their children.Their opinion is no more or less valid than mine.And there's sooooo much to read out there.I could drop superhero books altogether tommorrow( I won't.) and still would have a seemingly endless list of reading material.I'm 33 years old and still have all of my hair.I'm not going to lose it stressing over comic books.