Why I don't read superhero comics

Ok, so this is the elephant in the room, and I think it’s about time I bit the bullet and addressed it. If you ever take a look at my pull list (not sure how you’d get your hands on it, but I’m assuming you guys are really crafty), you’d notice that I have a significant number of titles on there, with relatively no traditional superhero presence whatsoever. I think the last one I had died off with the last issue of Astonishing X-Men.

To be honest, the answer is simple: They’re too complicated to follow. Now, I know that doesn’t exactly make sense considering I’m a fan of all things Warren Ellis, which are as twisted as a comic can get, justabout. But, what I mean is, with Doktor Sleepless, or Black Summer, or any of the other stuff I read, there’s a finite history. In order to understand exactly what’s going on in the universe, I only have to trace the line back to Issue #1. Even if I come into a line 20 issues in (I’m looking at you, Invincible), I pick up some trades and I’m all caught up. If I suddenly decide that I want to pick up an issue of Justice League, I’m completely lost. Not only would I have to pick up all of the previous issues, but I’d have to address everything that’s happened in each of the team members’ individual lines. That’s a significant amount of catching up just to read one issue to see if I like it. I know it sounds like I’m choosing not to read these comics because I don’t want to have to read other comics, but seriously. There’s much to be said for the “plug and play” aspect of Vertigo lines and those in that vein.

There are so many new lines coming out with promising writers and artists each month, that I honestly don’t feel left out when someone asks me about Countdown to Infinite Crisis on Infinite Earths, although I will admit that I read Civil War (but couldn’t get into House of M), and Identity Crisis. The ones that are masterfully done and don’t make me feel as if I’m losing a large chunk of the story without having read all 545834 issues that have ever been written, are the issues I’ll read. Until then, I’ll stick with my self-contained storylines that aren’t in and of themselves a ploy to make me buy more comics. I’m honestly not shy about buying comics, really-as it is, I already buy about 8 issues per week (man, the money I’d save!), and that’s without supporting the overarching “universe-changing” events that are supposed to be the real sales motivators. Write good stories, people-THEN I’ll buy more comics!