Six Years Later

I've been buying comics ever week since I was in middle school, and unlike most fans I know, I've never taken a break from comics, and I've always had a general feeling that my comic book buying habits have been relatively consistent, although I know I spend a bit more on comics now than I used to (frankly, because I just have more money now than I used to). Earlier today I was searching for something on the CBR website and I came across a list of January 2002 releases from DC Comics. Curious about my buying habits a scant six years ago, I read through the list. Now the "Power Company" stuff messes up the data, probably (because WHO BOUGHT THAT?), but out of the 60+ comics listed, I only bought 9 of them. Nine DC Comics for the entire month of January, 2002. And most of those were for some Batman crossover that I tried out since they suckered me in with the 10-Cent Adventure. So, if it weren't for that bit of shrewd marketing on their part, I would have only bought four DC books for that entire month.

Now, in 2008, I buy about 12 DC comics per WEEK. That's like a 1000% 433.33% increase in my comics buying (Chad, I'm sure you'll check my math on this one), and I didn't think I bought THAT many more comics than I did six years ago.

Looking back on that 2002 list, the only thing I really wish I had bought was some of the Superman stuff. I totally missed that Casey/Kelly/Shultz Superman era, and I kind of wished I read it. I don't have much desire to track down the back issues, but I would have liked to have read that stuff at some point. Since 2002, I have picked up all the JSA and Giffen Suicide Squad back issues, and I have the Johns Flash stuff in trades, but, really? I only bought about four* DC comics per month back then?

Are DC comics that much better now?

I think they are, although DC hasn't done much to impress me lately, and the Countdown effect has definitely soured me toward much of their output in recent months. Still, looking at that list from 2002 didn't make me feel like that stuff back then was any good, either. Over the past few years I made a conscious decision to immerse myself in Marvel and DC's superhero universes in a way that I never had before. Before, I bought comics exclusively based on the creators. Now, I buy comics because I am immersed in the complex intertextuality of shared superhero continuity. I think that's how most fans start off. Most fans start off buying a variety of comics and then narrow it down to a few creators they follow. I started with a few creators and now I read pretty much everything. I did it backwards, I guess. But I didn't realize how little I bought just a few years ago.

How about you? Do you buy more or less comics now than you did six years ago? Why do you think that is?


*Not including the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" stuff I picked up (and I normally wouldn't have bought those titles), in January of 2002 I purchased Catwoman #3, The Dark Knight Strikes Again #2 (although did that REALLY come out that month--probably not, right?), Green Arrow #12, and Tom Strong's Terrific Tales #2. That's it.

EDITED TO ADD: Out of curiosity, I just checked the Marvel solicitations for January 2002. I bought 10 Marvel titles that month, out of 50 or so choices. Half of those were Ultimate titles or X-Men related (Morrison was doing New X-Men and Milligan and Cooke[!] were on X-Factor). Still 14 comics for the whole month--19 if you count the Batman crossover stuff, is less than what I buy in an average week now. Although this little exercise goes to show that even if I think of myself as a "DC guy," which I do, I have been buying (and enjoying) more Marvel titles than DC ones for quite a while.