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Underground > Comic Books >

Comic and graphic novel buying habits

  
 
sleazenation
17:26 / 14.11.05
This is intended as a kind of sister thread to the one in the books forum inquiring into how people decide what to read next and what new stuff you are going to try.

How do you find out about new comics and graphic novels?

Do you find yourself attracted by the creators involved? Which ones and why?

Do you browse the shelves and have a punt on what looks interesting?

Do you scour or even glance at Previews?

Do you rely on word of mouth and hype on various websites? If so which ones?

inquiring minds want to know.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
18:10 / 14.11.05
Mostly, I follow creators and will likely try the first few issues of most comics that they do, unless I somehow know it's not going to appeal to me. Morrison, Ellis, Bendis are probably the three I pay the most attention to. But I don't go after every Bendis book and especially not every Ellis title. I'll flip through them in the shop to get a sense of it.

Sometimes I'll pick things up on a whim if I had read in Comic Shop News about it (like the recently discontinued Breach).
 
 
This Sunday
18:44 / 14.11.05
The only comic in recent memory that I paid for because of a character, would be 'Nightcrawler'.
Usually I go by the writer and/or artist, but more frequently the writer, because most comics artists don't really stand up, in my opinion, and make a purchase worthwhile. If it's an artist, I'd just as likely buy an artbook as a comic - except for those who're so good at storytelling they might as well be considered absolutely co-author.
I've never been absolutely or heavily disappointed/unhappy with anything from Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison, Adam Warren or Moto Hagio. I'll risk anything Frank Miller, Masamune Shirow, or either Kesel. Sometimes it's not what I was expecting or hoping, but it's still worth the risk.
I don't enjoy what I consider bad comics and while I may read/skim, I won't pay for them knowingly.
In my youth, I tended to go by characters, but outside of Nightcrawler (and the rest of Excalibur) most of my childhood faves were written by their creators. 'Lazarus Churchyard', Emeraldas/Harlock stories, or 'Mask of Glass' aren't exactly hard to gauge inasmuch as they're all roughly of the same quality from story to story, comic to comic. I read a lot of random comics as a kid, though; primarily whatever was in the cheap boxes and discount racks. Paid twenty cents for Fantastic Four 52, and it was the beginnings of a long love for the FF, but I stopped picking up the core title early into Claremont's run, because I just didn't care for it any more. Felt no urge to hold on and see where the characters went or anything of that sort. Dropped cold until new blood came along, and peeked at it before ever laying down cash.

Am now almost solidly buying collections and thicker volumes. Don't really buy based on genre at all, or printing/packaging quality, and I tend to avoid the pricier over-sized or hardcover volumes unless there just isn't going to be any other way. But I still have broad tastes, from 'Steam Detectives' to 'Persepolis' to 'Preacher;, 'Get Fuzzy', and an adaptation of Chandler's 'The Little Sister'. I still randomly check things out because of a cover design/image or because of an interesting sounding plot or character, but the necessity of following a continuity, a history, has never hit me.
 
 
Mister Six, whom all the girls
19:05 / 14.11.05
I'm very much driven by word of mouth. If a friend says 'Buy this' I check it out.

But I've been bored in the shop and flipped through based on covers, artists, etc, but I have my formula:

Friend told me to buy Adam Strange, I did, got sucked into Rann/Thanagar, like Pat Gleason and Dave Gibbons... now I buy Green Lantern Corps.

I try very hard to not buy something purely because of the creators as that's burned me many times before, but Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker usually deliver.
 
 
lonely as a cloud...
07:51 / 15.11.05
Well, the last graphic novel I picked up was Berlin: City of Stones, as recommended by sleaze But generally, I got by creators and series. Like I'm slowly collecting Morrison's NXM, but not really bothered about any other X books, and I like Bendis's Powers, but haven't really checked out any of his other stuff.
Outside of that, I go by stuff convincingly recommended online. Either here, or E2 or on a comics site...
 
 
sleazenation
08:37 / 15.11.05
Did you enjoy it cloud? or was it not your cup of tea?
 
 
Evil Scientist
08:41 / 15.11.05
I normally go to my local comics shop ("They Walk Among Us." in Richmond) once a month in the week after payday.

I've got a number of titles I regularly buy. Ultimates and Ult. Fantastic Four, The Authority. Plus a couple of limited series; Ult. Iron Man, Ult. Secret, The Magnificent Kev.

Then there are the titles I buy as collected sets. Whedon's Astonishing X-Men, The Walking Dead.

I'm slowly collecting that hack Morrison's run of JLA too. I'll normally get anything new by him, although I'm holding off on Seven Soldiers until the trades come out.

I have to admit to buying the recently relaunched Ghost Rider simply for the character. Bless his flaming bonce.
 
 
lonely as a cloud...
09:08 / 15.11.05
Sleaze - I'm finding it kinda hard going, but definitely worthwhile. It's hard going both because of the subject matter, and that it's black and white - I've always had trouble reading black and white comics, it's quite hard on my eyes. But glad I took your recommendation, it's a very good book.
 
 
Augury
09:20 / 15.11.05
I'll often follow a writer or artist onto a new project (unless they've teamed up with someone i'm not fond of - eg - I'd quite like to read the new Sentry series but the art is not to my taste, so I've been put off it. But, I'm reading Desolation Jones largely because the art's JHW3 and i dug him on Promethea).

I've often started reading a new series because I've read an online preview and thought "Yeah, I like this".

Subject matter is also a factor.
 
 
Krug
20:38 / 15.11.05
/How do you find out about new comics and graphic novels?/

By slumming over the message boards on the web on other message boards and sometimes Barbelith.

/Do you find yourself attracted by the creators involved? Which ones and why?/

I'm not sure if that's the case anymore. I do look at what Grant Morrison, Alan Moore and Peter Milligan are doing even if their mainstream superhero (or Moore's ABC stuff) isn't for me and I dont follow it. People like Warren Ellis or Garth Ennis produce a copioos amount of turd comics so I dont have any expectations when I'm reading something with their name on it (Except Punisher maybe).

I used to look at the shelves at my lcs but not only do I rarely buy singles now I also dont go to my local comic store anymore. I tend to pick 'em up from novelty/goth/music stores that carry comics because they're nearer and I dont have to deal with the smelly nerds at my lcs. For trades it's amazon or ebay depending on who gets it first.

It's been a long time since I looked at previews. I think it has to do with having a smaller budget now that I try not to seek out whatever sounds interesting and reserve my cash for creators I already support. Which isn't a small list as it is.

I don't buy everything with someone's name because those creators dont put out a variety of stuff or monthlies, like Dan Clowes, Paul Hornschemeier, Adrian Tomine, Jeffrey Brown, Gary Spencer Millidge, James Kochalka etc. For regular people I think I'm a bit impressed with Ed Brubaker more often than not. I never thought I'd find myself reading Captain America but I'm enjoying it. Alan Moore and Grant Morrison are two I dont follow as religiously anymore because they often do things that aren't for me like most of Moore's ABC stuff, Grant's 7Soldiers and so on. Still I do check all their stuff out but I dont follow their series to their end. I think I only liked Top Ten and League out of Moore's ABC stuff. It's been a while since Moore put out something I loved and the next Moore books I'll buying will be the interview book out this month or next, and Disease of Language in January even if it collects material I already have. I cant see myself buying anything other than Morrison's Superman for a while. Warren Ellis who I really think is very intelligent or gifted anymore I look over and ignore but I've enjoyed two of his recent comics. Desolation Jones and Fell. And even then I dont rate him half as highly as a lot of people do. I spent most of the early part of this year actively seeking out anything with Peter Milligan's name on it and I've learned that it's a safe bet he wont disappoint if he's doing nonsuperhero material. So I guess I'd buy anything by Alan Moore, Peter Milligan and Grant Morrison if they're doing nonsuperhero comics.

I dont trust websites or message boards. Except Barbelith. No others. There isn't a single comic book reviewer or a website dedicated to reviews that actually has good taste or I think are intelligent folk. They're all superhero nerds and those who aren't have a remarkable love for anything nonsuperhero despite its average quality. I think they have blind spots when it comes to comics and dont expect the same standards from say movies or novels. We dont live in the same emic realities as far as I'm concerned, and just because it doesnt involve Captain America doesnt make it superior on principle. I think anyone who's been reading superheroes for over a decade knows who's writing which one and if its for them.
 
  
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