As a Trade Waiter, the demands of co-running a site like Inveterate Media Junkies necessitates I keep up with almost everything media related. So the promise I made to myself several years ago: To stop watching Shit TV Shows, Shit Movies and reading Shit Comics, etc… Has been thrown out the window. But you are lucky. You don’t have to do what I do. I continuously expose myself to shit so you don’t have to. Of course, there is an occasional upside to wading through all this crap. Every once in a long while, something surprises me in a good way.

Crap’s crap… Whether someone like Warren Ellis writes it or not

Keeping up with current news/events means most projects get spoiled long before I ever get a chance to read/view them. What’s really crazy: It doesn’t bother me anymore. By the time I actually get to the bulk of these stories, I’ve blocked out most of the particulars of who did what to whom or who died or was resurrected. Knowing a lot of advance info actually provides me with a unique perspective on the material. I find I’m less emotional when something huge happens– like a death. (Of course, it’s hard to be emotional about any plot point when you know whatever happens will most likely be completely reversed or retconned within 12 months or so.)

Like many IMJ Comic Book Fans, I still find myself drawn to lots of mainstream hero titles. But when I actually sit down and read the books, I often wonder why I bothered.

I was so apathetic about one Marvel Hardcover I read the other night– when I finished it, I just let it casually slide from my hands and fall on the floor. My girlfriend later said I let out the most exasperated, dejected sigh she’d ever heard when I let go of that book… As if I had just heard some horrible news that severely disappointed me. What’s sorta funny: I didn’t remember doing any of it until she reminded me.

God knows, I don’t want to feel this way when I read comics. But I just do– lots more than I should.

Great comic book storytelling

What’s become readily apparent to me: I usually only feel this way when I read mainstream stuff or various independently published licensed books. I rarely, if ever, let out an exasperated sigh when I read something like Brian Clevinger & Scott Wegener’s continuously brilliant Atomic Robo (Volume 6: Ghost of Station X is the latest Red 5 release) or IDW’s fantastic hardcover collection of Doug (Jonny Quest) Wildey’s Rio.

So in honor of the USA’s Independence Day this week (and because I like puns), I thought it would be a great time to remind you of Jose’s mantra, long since co-opted by me: Stop Buying Shit™. Spend your money on something that matters to you… Books that you enjoy now… Rather than crap books that you continue to buy because you used to enjoy them.

All those mainstream heroes that you’ve loved since you were a kid? They’ll all still be here while you’re off reading the quality stuff. And your favorite characters, currently being chronicled by hacks? Sooner or later, lower sales will force the companies publishing these titles to change creative teams… And when the good creators move in, you can proudly pick up the books again. And then, sooner than later, those creators will leave and the titles will be crap again.

Hey, that’s not me being cynical… That’s me being cyclical. And if anything ever existed as a prime example of the cyclical nature of life, it’s the American Comic Book Industry.

P.S.

You’ll notice an awful lot of lines drawn through various titles on the list below. (That means I didn’t buy them or bought previous iterations…) There are still a good number of books worthy of your time and money (Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 Vol 1 Freefall, Fables Vol 17 Inherit The Wind and Invincible Vol 16 Family Ties to name a few). But I have no clear Hot or Runner-up Picks this week… And I am not going to manufacture some just for the sake of slapping some nice graphics into a post.

Hey, don’t blame me! I don’t publish the damn things… I only critique them…

Adventures of Buck O’Rue
Adventures of Venus HC
Asterix Vol 28 Asterix and The Magic Carpet
Avengers Assemble Vol 4
Avengers West Coast Zodiac Attack HC – Marvel will reprint anything…
Batman & Robin Vol 1 Born To Kill HC
Batman Earth One HC
Batman World of the Dark Knight HC
Bloody Chester
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 Vol 1 Freefall
Crime Does Not Pay Archives Vol 2 HC
Dreadstar Omnibus – Can’t tell if this is the same as Dreadstar The Beginning HC
Dungeon Quest Vol 3
Fables Vol 17 Inherit The Wind
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Vol 1
Freaks of the Heartland HC – Own the GN
Geronimo Stilton Vol 10 Saves the Olympics HC
GI Joe Cobra Command Vol 2
God and Science Return of the Ti Girls HC
Green Lantern Emerald Warriors Vol 1
Halo Fall of Reach Invasion HC
Hulk Heart of Atom – I was really tempted to re-read this…
Incorruptible Vol 7
Infestation 2 Vol 2
Invincible Vol 16 Family Ties
I Told You So HC – Thought the 1st Volume was mildly amusing…
Jack Davis Drawing American Pop Culture HC – Sloppy scans, poorly designed.
Jason Hey Wait (New Print) – Own it. Recommended
Joe Jusko Maelstrom Sketchbook HC
Knights of the Living Dead Vol 1 – I’m finally tired of Zombies…
Living Corpse Exhumed – See above
Michael Golden’s More Heroes & Villains Sketchbook 2 HC
Mike Norton’s Battlepug Vol 1 HC
Not The Israel My Parents Promised Me
Other Sides of Howard Cruse HC
Paris Soirees HC – Limited and obscenely expensive
Peanuts Vol 1
Punisher by Rick Remender Omnibus HC – Own the Hardcovers
Punisher Official Index To Marvel Universe
Richie Rich Gems: Treasure
Salems Daughter The Haunting – The 1st Volume was rubbish…
Secret Warriors Omnibus HC – Own the Hardcovers
Showcase Presents Showcase Vol 1
Sketchbook Adventures of Peter Poplaski HC – Almost but no…
Spider-Man Return of the Burglar HC
Star Trek Legion of Super Heroes HC (Regular Edition) – Bought the DM Version
Suicide Squad Vol 1 Kicked in the Teeth
Super Dinosaur Vol 2
Supergods by Grant Morrison SC
Tarzan The Jesse Marsh Years Vol 11 HC
Wizzywig HC
Wonder Woman The Twelve Labors
X-Men Beauty and Beast HC – Crappy mini-series. Crappy HC now…
Zombies That Ate The World Vol 2 HC – Volume 1 left me cold…

5 Centimeters Per Second – Manga Pick of the Week! (Courtesy of Locusmortis)
Air Gear Vol 24
Bakuman Vol 12
Bleach Vol 42
Bleach Vol 43
Claymore Vol 20
D.Gray-Man Vol 22
Dengeki Daisy Vol 10
Hana-Kimi 3-In-1 Edition Vol 3
Jiu Jiu Vol 1
Mameshiba We Could Be Heroes
Naruto Vol 57
Natsume’s Book Of Friends Vol 12
Night Projectionist
One Piece Vol 63
Oresama Teacher Vol 9
Pokemon Black And White Vol 8
Psyren Vol 5
RIN-NE Vol 9
Rosario+Vampire Season II Vol 9
Skip Beat 3-In-1 Edition Vol 3
Skip Beat Vol 28
Vampire Knight Vol 14
Wandering Son Vol 3 HC
Winx Club Vol 1
Winx Club Vol 2