Thoughts around reducing the monthly pull list

[JohnMayo]

I've added some statistics to my Excel file where I track what I currently have on order with DCSB.

I've tagged titles as the following:
-Limited Series (anything with a known end point when it started)
-Ongoing (no known end point)
-Overhead (Previews, weekly shipping, bags and boards, etc)
-Sampling (trying but not committed to getting)
-Ending (formerly ongoing titles that now have a known end point)
-Dropping (titles I'm dropping)
-Canceled? (titles I think may have been canceled but aren't sure about)
-??? (titles with an unknown status such as an ongoing monthly series with no issues in the pipeline)
-Tracking (items I'm not getting but want to know when the ship)

Here is a chart for what I currently have on order with DCBS cost for each status measured by the total DCBS cost. In other words, how my actual spending is split across ongoing titles versus limited series, etc:



I was a bit surprised how much of my spending it on limited series and how little is ongoing titles. Keep in mind that this is after discount dollars and covers a few months of comics.

[JohnMayo]

I also did a breakdown of my spending by publisher:



While I knew I'd been getting more stuff from publishers in the back half of Previews, I was a bit surprised how much of my spending it accounted for.

[HipHopHead]

I have been trying to reduce my monthly expense. Though I do save a good chunk of change by using DCBS, I have actually been increasing my dollar expenditure. This increase in dollars is due to buying Hardcovers, Statues and tie-ins (Secret Invasion/Final Crisis).

I started the year of 2008 with a January bill of $254, by June I got the bill down to $122, but my last 3 months have seen $300 each month with a October order over $360. October has 7 Hardcovers and 1 statue.

My bill will go down as I will be dropping many titles after the event is over, both from Marvel and DC. Only will be reading the Vertigo Titles of DC (Unknown Soldier and Young Liars). Superman will be dropped after New Krypton crossover, Batman is gone with R.I.P., the only title I will collect in Hardcover is the Green Lantern.

Marvel wil have the biggest cuts: Ultimate Line, Captain America, Hulk, Daredevil, Deadpool, Wolverine, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, Mighty & New Avengers. These will all be dropped at the conclusion of the arcs. Going to go to ordering collected HC (if the stories rate well). Bendis may be writing his best "event" ever, but I am burnt out on events.

Going to keep my Dark Horse books for the forseeable future: Fear Agent, Hellboy, BPRD & End League.

Keeping most of my independent titles: The Boys, Guerillas and Crossed.

Of course this is all until I place my November order

[Terry]

As I wrote in the Top 10 thread, I had an epiphany while reading Amazons Attack! last summer. I asked myself why I was reading it, and I didn't really have an answer other than "I bought it so I better read it." It meant nothing to me.

So now I just read stuff I liked when I was 12. I buy all of that, but it is pretty limited in the grand scheme of things. No DC at all because I didn't like it back in 1990. Just X-books, Ghost Rider, Archie, and the Punisher. I liked it then, I like it now. No need to feel obligated to read stuff just because it's "AN EVENT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING." Granted I miss out on a lot of good stuff I'm sure, but I also save myself hassles and money so I'm probably on the plus side of the ledger moreso than when I was lighting money on fire by buying Amazons Attack! and its ilk.

[torchsong]

I haven't so much dropped actual titles from my pull list, but I've set a hard $50 limit on monthly purchases. For a while I was up in the $150 range (stupid DC putting out all those action figures and statues!)...

My regular pull list hits about $18-20 through DCBS, so that gives me $30 to play with as "fun" money. Want that statue for $30? Don't buy any back issues. Want that trade? That'll eat into the number of indies you can buy.

That kind of thing. I've definintely had to cut back, but I still read everything I get.

[BobBretall]

As I wrote in the Top 10 thread, I had an epiphany while reading Amazons Attack! last summer. I asked myself why I was reading it, and I didn't really have an answer other than "I bought it so I better read it." It meant nothing to me.

So now I just read stuff I liked when I was 12. I buy all of that, but it is pretty limited in the grand scheme of things. No DC at all because I didn't like it back in 1990. Just X-books, Ghost Rider, Archie, and the Punisher. I liked it then, I like it now. No need to feel obligated to read stuff just because it's "AN EVENT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING." Granted I miss out on a lot of good stuff I'm sure, but I also save myself hassles and money so I'm probably on the plus side of the ledger moreso than when I was lighting money on fire by buying Amazons Attack! and its ilk.

I won't defend Amazons Attack, that was a terrible series, but I also read zero DC when I was 12 and there are several DC titles that are good enough to stick in my "Top 10" today.

I will agree with you on the point that I am getting much more selective on the host of limited series that both major publishers keep spewing out that are (many of them) of seriously questionable quality.

[Terry]

I know there's good DC stuff, but I'm like an alchoholic. One drop of DC, i.e. one issue of Booster Gold, and I would be buying like 25 books a month. It's easier to go cold turkey. If you just completely swear off one of the Big 3 (including Archie), then you drastically reduce your budget.

[JohnMayo]

I know there's good DC stuff, but I'm like an alchoholic. One drop of DC, i.e. one issue of Booster Gold, and I would be buying like 25 books a month. It's easier to go cold turkey. If you just completely swear off one of the Big 3 (including Archie), then you drastically reduce your budget.

I know what you mean. That is why in the past I tended to drop publishers, not titles.

[BobBretall]

DC Jan 2009 solicit previews (full solicits on Mon 10/20 5pm est):
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/081020- ... tions.html

Stuff I have pulled the plug on already:
TRINITY #32-35
FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND #2

Stuff I SHOULD have pulled the plug on but am watching the horrifying conclusion of the car wreck:
FINAL CRISIS #7

More One-Shots that I DO NOT need:
FACES OF EVIL: GRUNDY #1
FACES OF EVIL: PROMETHEUS #1
FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1
FACES OF EVIL: KOBRA #1
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1
(This is probably a good jumping-off point for me on The Outsiders...)

Stuff I am ambivalent about:
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29
(The Prometheus one-shot is billed as an all-new prelude to the upcoming, all-new JUSTICE LEAGUE #1! I am so sick of DC restarting numbering every 2 years, I may skip the new JLA book just on general principles. Well, I'll get #1 for us to review on the show)

The ONLY book that is a "must buy" from everything DC is pre-announcing
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23


DC is doing their darnedest to help me cut down my comics bill.......

[BobBretall]

BTW, since the $3.99 BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1 is the opening chapter of an "epic storyline" that will continue within the pages of February’s THE OUTSIDERS #15, I'm going to be dropping Outsiders....

No more being forced to buy extra books (esp. $3.99 ones) to get the full story. I'll just pass.

Actually, I'm going to make #13 my last issue, since the October solicited #14 seems like a post-script to the highly forgettable Batman RIP event.

[HassanT]

I saw the preview of the DC solicts and I was actually excited about them for first time in a long time. I have been very critical of DC lately, but these comics looks pretty good.

FACES OF EVIL: GRUNDY #1
FACES OF EVIL: PROMETHEUS #1
FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1
FACES OF EVIL: KOBRA #1

I think these will be interesting and at least impact the line down the road. I think the creative teams on the books helps me to pick them up. BTW, the Prometheus one-shot leads into a different Justice League title just called Justice League, JLofA will continue as is. I think DC learned from Marvel that if they could publish multiple Avenger titles, they could do the same. The JL will be written by James Robinson so I think it might be better than JLofA.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1
Honestly, I have dropped the this title already, but I will start picking this up again because of the creative team. I doubt Adam Kubert will be drawing the regular series but I think Peter Tomasi is a really good writer. It also looks like they are bring in some more of the originals (is that Halo I see?). Although it is a $3.99 book, it is 40 pages. What if instead they called it an annual?

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23
They had me with "Black Adam...

[atomic99]

I agree with Bob only I stopped with FINAL CRISIS after the first issue and all the first issue one-shot tie ins are a joke. I didn't bother with TRINITY. JLA relaunching? Dang, if Warner Brothers didn't just re-up DiDio's contract, I'd almost say this just smacks of desperation.

I know Marvel does the one-shots as well but the allure of the "first issue collector's item" is long gone and, after the initial bump, they will have to do something to keep sales up like telling compelling stories.

JSA, on the other hand, is a must buy. No need to relaunch it again, just get down to telling good stories and developing characters.

[BobBretall]

I saw the preview of the DC solicits and I was actually excited about them for first time in a long time. I have been very critical of DC lately, but these comics looks pretty good.

FACES OF EVIL: GRUNDY #1
FACES OF EVIL: PROMETHEUS #1
FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1
FACES OF EVIL: KOBRA #1

I think these will be interesting and at least impact the line down the road. I think the creative teams on the books helps me to pick them up.

I'll continue to be skeptical. Unfortunately DC does NOT have a good track record with me, their "bank of goodwill" is bankrupt, and they get no benefit of the doubt from me after the last 2 years of lackluster books:

FACES OF EVIL: GRUNDY #1
Written by Scott Kolins & Geoff Johns
Art by Scott Kolins
OK, I LOVE Geoff Johns, but this is Scott Kolins AND Geoff Johns, with Scott's name first. I am also not a big fan of Kolins art, so this is going to be a 50-cent bin pickup for me.


FACES OF EVIL: PROMETHEUS #1
Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Federico Dalbochio
Gates has done a couple of issues of GL Corps & a couple of issues of Supergirl. I don't see any other credits for Dalbochio in ComicBookDb


FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1
Written by David Hine
Art by Georges Jeanty
This seems to have the best creative team. David Hine did some good work over on Spawn & Jeanty has done a lot of decent work (most recently on Buffy), but I'd still classify him as a middle of the road artist, by my own personal artistic tastes. If I was to get one of these 4, this would be it.


FACES OF EVIL: KOBRA #1
Written by Ivan Brandon
Art by Jesus Merino
Most recently, Brandon has co-written Cross Bronx with Michael Avon Oeming, and he did the Machine Man story in Marvel Comics Presents. Merino has an OK track record on inking Superman stuff, but nothing that stood out in my mind as must-see.

What makes me saddest about this is that I was a HUGE DC fan a few years ago, and it has gotten to the point where they have turned out such a volume of sub-standard stuff (at least to my tastes, this is certainly a YMMV scenario) that I find it hard to get excited about anything they put out, especially the latest deluge of extraneous one-shots.

Why not tell the Grundy story in JSA, Deathstroke in Teen Titans, Prometheus in the new Justice League book, etc?

What I am rebelling against is them churning out so many extra books.

I'm going to "Just Say No".

BTW, the Prometheus one-shot leads into a different Justice League title just called Justice League, JLofA will continue as is. I think DC learned from Marvel that if they could publish multiple Avenger titles, they could do the same.
The JL will be written by James Robinson so I think it might be better than JLofA.

Fair enough, I did not realize this (I don't tend to read the news sites except for solicits, I've had Newsarama spoil too many things for me). James Robinson certainly has a good track record, and I'll definitely try this book out, though I think that doing multiple Justice League books is a mistake. Whenever DC has done that in the past, one is good and the others are crap. It could be that this will be the "good one", so perhaps I'll switch to getting this and drop the other one.

[HassanT]

I'll continue to be skeptical. Unfortunately DC does NOT have a good track record with me, their "bank of goodwill" is bankrupt, and they get no benefit of the doubt from me after the last 2 years of lackluster books:

What makes me saddest about this is that I was a HUGE DC fan a few years ago, and it has gotten to the point where they have turned out such a volume of sub-standard stuff (at least to my tastes, this is certainly a YMMV scenario) that I find it hard to get excited about anything they put out, especially the latest deluge of extraneous one-shots.

Why not tell the Grundy story in JSA, Deathstroke in Teen Titans, Prometheus in the new Justice League book, etc?

What I am rebelling against is them churning out so many extra books.

I'm going to "Just Say No".

Trust me, I am not going to argue with you on those points. As someone who has been dropping more and more DC books, I 100% agree with you on those points. Especially considering that Trinity and Final Crisis is still going on during the same month. How many events can DC publish in one month that effects the same characters? It would be different if perhaps FC was finished. Of course, I have little hopes that the last issue will come out on-time.

Fair enough, I did not realize this (I don't tend to read the news sites except for solicits, I've had Newsarama spoil too many things for me). James Robinson certainly has a good track record, and I'll definitely try this book out, though I think that doing multiple Justice League books is a mistake. Whenever DC has done that in the past, one is good and the others are crap. It could be that this will be the "good one", so perhaps I'll switch to getting this and drop the other one.

I think this works only in the short-run, but never in the long-run. I always thought Justice League Europe was never as good as Justice League America and I never made it past the first story arc of Justice League Task Force. The same thing can be said of the Avengers. When the West Coast and Regular Avengers titles were published, they divided their best characters among two books, instead of having one book. However, I could understand why DC is doing because it is working so well for Marvel. I rather have James Robinson write the main JLofA book. He probably write the book as a JLofA book instead of "Red Tornado and the JLofA" type book.

This isn't working for the Teen Titans and Titans books now though. I thought Geoff Johns did it best when he combined the two "generations" into one Titans book. I feel the two seperate books are not great at all.

The one hope I have is that DC is using new talent that I think has been doing a good job, something that DC needs to start doing more of. Also, these stories sounds interesting to me, which again is something that was lacking for awhile.

One exception, I am tired of Dr. Light. If there are two characters I am tired of seeing in the DCU, Dr. Light and Red Tornado.

[Terry]

They're relaunching JLA again? Oh DC. It will probably be a 12 part story involving Red Tornado getting date raped by Dr. Light. I won't be reading it.