Can a Marvel reader get into DC?

This week my box at my LCS was a little light, so I decided to pick up a few DC titles to see if I like them and also if I can make sense of what is supposed to be a difficult continuity to just jump into.My only knowledge of DC comes from Superfriends and some assorted DC movie and TV projects.Let's see how I did.

Booster Gold #1:I chose this because of good reviews and because it was said to be a good jumping-on point.I'm not completely sold on the character and some of the references I didn't get.I did like the premise of jumping around within the multiverse and fixing things.I'll buy the second issue before I decide.

All Flash #1:I chose this because it was said to be a good jumping on point and because I saw some preview pages and liked the art.This was a little easier to get into.Once more, I didn't understand some of the references.But I understand who the character is and what his powers are.I could see myself buying a one-shot or a mini,but Flash won't be appearing on my pull list just yet.

Action Comics #855:I chose this because I was familiar with the villain and it got a good writeup at IGN.I don't know what it is, but Bizarro just amuses me.I liked him in Superfriends and in the Superman Animated series from a little while ago.Bizarro-speak can be hard to understand,but I think that's the point.I had no problems with getting lost or with obscure references/characters.This was a fun read,even though I typically think Superman is a little dull and played out.I'll keep reading this arc.

All-Stat Batman &Robin The Boy Wonder #5:I chose this because everything I've heard about this series made it seem so crazy and over-the-top that it piqued my interest,even if the reviews weren't so kind.I think not reading DC actually helped me here,as I don't know the characters as well so I don't have a bias on how they should act. The "goddamned Batman" line fell a little flat as I've heard about it more than enough by now.Overall though,I was entertained by everyone's antics.Wonder Woman's anti-male rant in particular made me laugh.It was very easy to get into without getting lost.I'll check out #6 and, if I like that, I'll get the trade or buy some back issues.

Brave New World :I chose this because it was $1.This was just a sampling of different books that showcased a few different characters.I found the Creeper to be very annoying and my least favorite of the group.The Atom was perhaps the most interesting story there, as I like my superhero books with a touch of comedy(where appropriate).I don't now if I was convinced to buy any of the individual titles though.I might pick up Atom on another slow day,but I'm not sure about buying it regularly.

Overall, it wasn't a bad experience.I got a little lost here and there, but I expected that as I'm pretty much totally new to DC comics.I probably would have gotten Sinestro Corp Wars, but it was sold out.I did find one title that I'm looking forward to,even if only for its current story arc(Action Comics) and two others I'm willing to try one more time(Booster Gold and ASBARtBW).I don't feel that my money was wasted,so that's a good thing.But I don't think I'll be dropping Marvel just yet.I can see how the continuity issues could be a stumbling block to new readers,but it's not insurmountable.I'm usually of above-average intelligence.I can figure it out if I just put forth a little effort.

I'll see what happens...

Trying something new

Today is the day I go to my LCS,so this is a short one as I don't have time to sit and stare out the window as I try to write.Marvel has a pretty light week this week,which means my box will only have 3 or 4 comics in it.I've been grabbing a DC book here and there.I picked up Batman/Lobo last week just to try it.(It was OK but not great.A little pricey too.)Today I'm going to try a few more since it's such a light week.Not sure what I'll be getting yet though.I'm going to go skim some reviews to see what I can grab and not be totally lost in DC's continuity.

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.

A Dying Breed

I'm a rare person,not special but rare.I'm one of those people...who doesn't have a cell phone.That's right.The world of minutes and text messaging and 300 page iPhone bills is totally alien to me.There's no one in my fave five.The only chocolate I love goes in my belly.

To a lot of people, not having a cell phone is like not eating.They are there and available at any time someone needs them.They can gab with their friends whenever the mood strikes them.They're easier to reach in case of emergencies.Cell phones take pictures and videos now.They have mp3 players built in.They're address books.They play games.They do e-mail and surf the internet.They're wonder gadgets.Why on earth would someone NOT want one?

Privacy.That's my answer.I value privacy over being available.I don't want to use the phone when I'm home.Why would I want to use it at the supermarket or the mall?Why would I want to use it in my car?It's all about instant gratification, usually someone else's instant gratification.You mean to tell me you can't wait until tonight to talk to me?I'm honored you're thinking of me.Wait anyway.It won't kill you.Really.

I know it can be conveient.If I ever break down driving to a show in East Dumbfuck,PA I could get in touch with help without leaving my car alone on the highway.If I'm lost I can call for directions.I think I can live with the potential danger of hypothetical situations in exchange for the ability to drive in peace with the radio at a volume I like and not turned down so I can talk.
Also,why would I want to pay an extra bill for something I don't want?I know I tend to throw my money away at impractial things but not for this.I could cut my comic spending down to pay for it, but I actually like comics.In the battle of comics and telephone, comics win a one-sided ,decisive victory.

Finally, I think of cell phones as electronic tracking devices. I thought the same thing of pagers when they were in vogue.Stay off the man's radar and your hands will be unbound.It's bad enough that there are cameras everywhere nowadays.Our movement is tracked everywhere and we can't do a damn thing about it.I'm giving them one less way to find me.Some people don't want to be found.This may seem like some hysterical conspiracy theory:The government is tracking us through our cell phones!!But in this day and age, it is really that far out of the realm of possibility?You can log onto Google and see your house from a satellite for christ's sake.
Anyway,that's it.Privacy...it's worth it.

Why I'm here

I detailed this a little bit in my bio, but I have a brain that just won't stop feeding me information.It's mostly garbage, just the usual random snippets of info that I imagine go through any person's mind over the course of a day.With me they come through fast and hard and it makes it tough for me to concentrate.It's a bit like flipping channels on a TV with the volume turned all the way up, all day long.Even now, typing this, I find myself stopping to stare around at the room looking for something new to do.





One of the ways I've found to slow this down and allow myself time to rest is to take up "projects".Creative endeavors,such as building models or painting are the biggest help.With them I actually have to concentrate on what goes where or what color should go where.It makes me wish I could draw better.I'd probably crank out some amazing stuff.





Reading can help too.I read mostly comic books.I'll read 10 or 12 of them in one sitting.I try to read whole arcs if I have one collected.I mostly read Marvel, though the odd DC or indy comic will find its way into my collection.I also buy Vertigo books in trade format.One day during my vacation this month I plan on reading all 9 volumes of Y:The Last Man back to back to back...etc.





If I don't occupy myself I get very antsy and start bouncing around.I lose interest in things fast.I can't even use the phone because 2 minutes into any conversation I'll be looking for a way out because I feel there's something else I could be doing at that time.I'll wander the house just for the sake of moving around.I also eat...a lot.I'll polish off a pint of Ben & Jerry's in 5 minutes then look for something else.It's a good thing my metabolism keeps me skinny.By all rights I should weigh 300+ lbs instead of 160.That's one reason why I hike.I love exploring and the exercise but God forbid my metabolism goes away and I end up as one of those skinny guys with a huge belly,kinda like a pear balancing on two toothpicks.





I'm hoping that writing a blog can be a good way to occupy myself in a brain-healthy way.By writing and maybe pushing out some of the crap clogging my head maybe I can start to get a break.Of course this might not work and I might just forget about this for a few months.I will take almost any outlet I can find.The only thing I absolutely won't do is take any pharmaceuticals.I'd rather live with my scattered brain then poison myself with that crap.Those drugs probably cause people to have flipper babies.I don't want a flipper baby,just a sharp,focused mind.