Absolute Confusion

I’ve been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to decide the tone of today’s post. Do I voice my concern with my lack of interest in 99% of the September solicitations that were released this week, or do I focus on the one shining gem amongst the mass of insignificant titles? Or should I risk losing those few readers I do have and try to tackle both issues?

See, I’m a bit perplexed by my lack of interest. It seems that once again I could care less about what’s coming out. The thrill simply isn’t there. Sure, those issues bearing an Adam Hughes cover or those special issues like Ultimate Spider-Man #100 caught my eye and will catch my wallet when that time comes, but for the most part, I couldn’t care less about the comics I’m reading.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love comics. I love the stories and art. But it’s time (again) to seriously evaluate how I get my fix: on a monthly basis or by waiting for the collected editions. A quarter of the books I get now I’m waiting to read when I have several issues in a row, and half I’m already buying both the monthlies and the trades, so what’s the difference? Aside from being able to participate on message boards and getting to put my pretties into shiny plastic, there’s no real benefit to get monthlies.

But oh man, look at the benefit of waiting for the trade. Just one look at the Absolute DC New Frontier has me mapping out a spot for it on my bookshelf. Not only will it make a fine addition to my book display, but I can’t wait to hold that behemoth in my hands, feeling the weight of it while I read Darwyn Cooke’s story and soak in those Dave Stewart colors. Plus, I get the whole story in one or two sittings instead of waiting months to read the next chapter while hoping I haven’t forgotten what insignificant events happened last time.

Lucky for me I don’t have to make a decision any time soon. Instead, I get my next delivery from DCBS in a few weeks when I’ll have a Christmas in July, a Christmas devoted to nothing but comics. If that box of goodies doesn’t get me excited about monthlies, then I’m switching to trades for good. And with books like New Frontier coming soon, that’s not a bad thing. But if I do become giddy like a school boy, I’ll be back on the wagon, telling the world how I’ve changed my mind again and can’t wait to read all those cool monthlies.