MAJOR PUBLISHERS
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 65.DEATHS ($3.99) is by Derek Landy and Kev Walker and continues "8 Deaths of Spider-Man." I decided I'm going to follow "One World Under Doom." With that decision, I realized I needed to read "8 Deaths of Spider-Man," which looks like a prelude. So now I'm getting all the back issues. I'll report back soon, Legionnaires!
IMMORTAL THOR #19 ($4.99) is by writer Al Ewing and artists David Baldeón, Jan Bazaldua, Juann Cabal, CAFU, Martín Cóccolo, Karen Darboe, Juan Ferreyra, Jorge Fornés, Lee Garbett, Gavin Guidry, Dan Jurgens, Leonard Kirk, Gleb Melnikov, Phil Noto, Humberto Ramos, Rod Reis, Valerio Schiti, Steve Skroce and Luciano Vecchio.
Why so many artists? Because this issue will have 19 one-page stories by different artists featuring 19 different characters, and what they're up to while Thor is away getting something to battle Utgard. Talk about "Tales of Asgard"! Whether this will prove to be awesome or just a gimmick will lie in the execution.
INCREDIBLE HULK #21 ($3.99): Werewolf by Night guest-stars.
LAURA KINNEY: WOLVERINE #2 ($3.99): Daredevil (Elektra Natchios) guest-stars. One of the variant covers homages Wolverine #1 (1982).
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #29 ($3.99): Black Panther guest-stars.
MMW KA-ZAR VOL 4 HC ($75.00) collects Ka-Zar #10-20, X-Men #115-116, material from Rampaging Hulk #9 and Marvel Fanfare #56-59. No matter how hard they tried, they really couldn't make Kevin Plunder a star, could they?
ROGUE: THE SAVAGE LAND #1 (OF 5, $4.99) is by Tim Seeley and Zulema Lavina.
As I said when this was first announced, it looks like the purpose of this story is to show Rogue in varous states of undress for four issues. If that wasn't bad enough, it's revisiting the period where Rogue and Magneto had a little thing going. Am I the only who finds it repulsive when young super-women find much-older, mass-murderering men attractive? I use the plural, because Storm flirted with Doctor Doom a while back (which is also being revisited in current issues of Storm, see below). Sure, both men can be charmng. But so was Ted Bundy.
I would think that younger writers would find these ancient flirtations embarrassing, like when Professor X had a yearning thought about Jean Grey in an early issue of The X-Men. Stan Lee quickly realized his error, and Mopeed that panel in favor of Scott Summers having yearning thoughts about Jean Grey. Yet, here we are with these unpleasant mistakes not only unearthed, but spotlighted.
Well, at least there are dinosaurs.
“In these five issues, I get to utilize my love for '80s X-Men, Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Zabu, scantily clad heroines (and heroes!) and probably most importantly: DINOSAURS,” Seeley told Polygon. “Alongside my collaborator Zulema Lavina, we're going to deliver something fresh, while honoring the impossibly sexy and epic classic tale of a young Rogue, and two of the weirdest allies a girl from Mississippi could ask for: Magneto and Ka-Zar."
SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE #5 ($3.99): Ghost Rider 2099 guest-stars.
STORM #4 ($3.99) is by Murewa Ayodele and Lucas Werneck. I don't think this is technically part of "One World Under Doom," but it's at the very least a prelude. According to the PR< Ororo and Victor have a nice dinner with some fine wine and discuss Doom's plans to conquer the world. Sigh.
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE #1 (OF 12, $5.99) is by Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, Venom War: Daredevil) and Alessandro Cappuccio (Moon Knight).
A feral Wolverine used by others as an assassin is something we've seen before. And there's really only one way this can go: Logan fights off the control. (A series with a mind-controlled protagonist really won't work.) And we've seen that before, too. I guess the only question is what his body count will be before he switches sides. Maybe they're just running out of Wolverine stories.
“When Wil Moss called me and asked me if I wanted to take on this title, I jumped at the chance and immediately had an idea of what to do with it,” said Condon. “I’m bringing my essence of storytelling from That Texas Blood to the Marvel Universe with Wolverine, looking back at what came before and bringing us something new.
“You might notice that there’s a Red Star on his costume and you might wonder why,” he continued. “If you look at that mask, there’s a muzzle on him and that’s because he’s wild.
"I couldn't be more excited to be tackling one of the absolute greatest comic book characters of all time in a totally new and unique way with a powerhouse artist like Alessandro Cappuccio, a dynamite colorist like Bryan Valenza, and a showstopping letterer like Cory Petit,” Condon said. “Each issue we have planned pushes the ideas that we all have about Wolverine to their limits — which is everything that an 'ultimate' Wolverine should be."
WHAT IF GALACTUS TRANSFORMED MOON KNIGHT? #1 ($3.99) is by Alex Segura and Scot Eaton and Cam Smith. Wait! I know the answer to this question! Silver Moon Surfer Knight will only take Galactus to planets without moons. Next!
DC COMICS
BATMAN #609 FACSIMILE EDITION ($3.99): "Hush" Part 2.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #35 ($3.99) is by Mark Waid and Adrian Gutierrez. A new story begins, titled "20,000 Leagues Under" as a nod to Jules Verne. The World's Finest duo team up with Aquaman in Atlantis for some palace intrigue. It's by Waid, so I'm sure it'll be good.
CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #2 (OF 6, $3.99) is by Christopher Cantwell and Sean Izaakse.
Last issue guest starred Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, and this one guest stars Batman, Aquaman and the Sea Devils. Issue #3 guest stars The Atom (Ray Palmer), and issue #4 guest stars Green Lantern (Hal Jordan). I didn't twig to this initially, but apparently it's going to be a team-up miniseries, with the Challs as the home team, investigating the repercussions of Darkseid's death. That's not a bad idea, but they really ought to put Batman on the cover of every issue! The Atom? What were they thinking?
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #10 FACSIMILE EDITION ($3.99): Two issues to go.
DC FINEST: SUPERGIRL — THE GIRL OF STEEL TP ($39.99): Collects Action Comics #252-288; Adventure Comics #278; Superman #139-140, 144; Superboy #80; Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #14, 20; and Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40, 46, 51 and 57.
This is a much more robust Maid of Steel collection than we've seen in anything but the Showcase Presents reprint series. Supergirl Archives Vol. 1 and Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 reprint only the backup stories from Action Comics — issues #252-288 for Archives, and issues #252-307 for Omnibus. Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 1 collects fewer Action Comics strips and has more guest appearances (Action Comics #252-281; Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #40, 44, 46, 51-52; Adventure Comics #278, Superboy #80; Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #314; and Superman #123, 139, 140 and 144) but is in B&W.
I have most or all of these stories in various formats already, but having them all in one package sells me.
GREEN LANTERN: FRACTURED SPECTRUM #1 (ONE SHOT, $3.99) is by Jeremy Adams and V. Ken Marion.
I'm of two minds about the re-formed GLC's new threat, Fractal Lanterns, which are "beings that manifest uncontrolled parts of the emotional spectrum." On the one hand, I'm pretty sick of the rainbow Lanterns schtick. On the other, these new Lanterns might fix a problem that's been obvious in Green Lantern comics since the Corps was introduced: Everybody's got the same super-powers and does exactly the same things with them. New Green Lanterns may look different, but they can't do anything different to enhance our sensawunda. Besides, any Green Lantern can do pretty much whatever they imagine, so any additional Lantern in the issue is superfluous. The rainbow Lanterns were a Band-Aid on that problem given the extra colors, but Fractal Lanterns are a bigger Band-Aid with even more colors. Hey maybe there will be patterns, like Gingham Lantern and Paisley Lantern!
MILESTONE UNIVERSE: THE SHADOW CABINET #3 (OF 4, $4.99): Milestone alert!
IMAGE COMICS
G.I. JOE #3 ($3.99): Image sent me covers, but no interior pages.
HORIZON EXPERIMENT: FINDERS/KEEPERS #1 (ONE-SHOT, $3.99) is by Vita Ayala (New Mutants, Static: Season One) and Skylar Patridge (Absolute Power: Ground Zero, Supergirl). The PR calls the lead character here, Puerto Rican archeology grad student Ines Guarua, a "reverse Indiana Jones." That's pretty accurate, as in this issue Guarua returns a Puerto Rican artifact back to where it came from despite a rich, bigoted museum director who calls Puerto Ricans "mud people." And if this goes to series, we're promised she will do more of the same. So where Indiana Jones famously said, "This belongs in a museum!" Guarua is more likely to say "This belongs in a rainforest!" I think the issue is more nuanced than this soapbox, but maybe that's because I'm a white guy whose life is enhanced by museums.
“I’ve always loved action-adventure stories, but the archetypal protagonist and most of the traditional setups weren’t really ever going to work for people like me,” said Ayala. “Working on The Horizon Experiment, I knew I found a way to open that world up to anyone who wanted a shot of being the hero! What a thrill to get to be on such an amazing team, on one of the most fun projects of my career!"
“Out of all the projects announced as part of The Horizon Experiment, Finders//Keepers has generated the most anticipation, and I'm not surprised,” said editor Pornsak Pichetshote. “Nothing has made me want to come back to comics editing more than the prospect of working with Vita Ayala, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped they'd be interested in joining in. Skylar Patridge is a superstar that still manages to grow in exciting directions with every new high-profile project, so I knew their working together was going to be special. They delivered and then some."
“Finders//Keepers is a dream project — narratively, artistically and thematically — and The Horizon Experiment has provided a much-needed stage to tell stories like this,” said Patridge. “It’s rare that a project aligns so perfectly, and working with Vita, Pornsak and Will to build and shape this world has been both gratifying and deeply inspiring. Add to that the incredible work of colorist Jason Wordie and letterer and designer Becca Carey, and it truly feels like hitting the creative lottery.”
DARK HORSE
BEHEMOTH #1 (OF 4, $3.99) is by by Grant Sputore (I Am Mother), upcoming director of the next installment in Legendary’s Monsterverse film series, and film writer Ryan Engle (Beast, Rampage).
Dark Horse didn't send any DRCs this week, or post any previews on their site, so I can't review this or post anything other than covers. But the story follows people in a bus swallowed by a kaiju. Not only do they have to find a way out before being digested, but they're not the only things in there. Yikes!
“Being a life-long Kaiju fan, I quite frequently find myself imagining giant monsters rampaging through whatever city I happen to be in," Sputore said. "Enjoying one such vision, back in 2022, I found myself struck by a thought: ‘how have we had 70 years of giant monster movies, but no one has ever told the story of the poor souls trapped inside a subway car as it’s devoured by a Kaiju?’ From that moment, I’ve been on a long journey to bring this David vs Goliath story to life, with the help of Ryan and Jay’s boundless genius. Most recently, I’ve been invited to play in Legendary’s Monsterverse, which is clearly a dream come true for a kaiju fan like me – but for those interested, my first foray into the world of Kaiju storytelling can be found within the wild pages of BEHEMOTH.”
"I’ve spent my entire career in film crafting claustrophobic action-thrillers, from NON-STOP to BEAST," Engle said, "BEHEMOTH takes this sub-genre to a new level in a way we’ve never seen before."
"Grant and Ryan’s concept for turning a Kaiju story literally inside-out is mind-blowing," colorist Jay Martin said. "As soon as I heard it, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.”
SHADOW OF THE GOLDEN CRANE #1 (OF 4, $3.99) is by Chris Roberson (iZombie) and Michael Avon Oeming (Blue Book, Powers).
Although this isn't titled a B.P.R.D. story, it does feature a B.P.R.D. agent who investigates the Golden Crane Society, which connections to her own family.
“As far back as Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1953 we have teased the idea that there is some connection between Susan Xiang, an agent of the B.P.R.D. with psychic abilities, and an organization called the Golden Crane Society, a secret society that protected the people of China from otherworldly threats for centuries," Roberson said. "Susan was raised on stories of the Golden Crane, and when she was seven there was an incident involving her uncle and some jiangshi (Chinese “hopping vampires”) that we have so far only caught glimpses of. In The Shadow of the Golden Crane, we follow Susan and her fellow B.P.R.D. agents Hellboy and Victor Koestler as she uses her abilities to unlock the secrets of the Golden Crane Society. In each issue Susan relives the experiences of a different group of Golden Crane members at different points in history in a variety of locations in China and beyond, so that each chapter is essentially a standalone story that makes up one part of a larger narrative. AAnd in the end, Susan discovers that she and her family might be more closely connected to the legacy of the Golden Crane than she ever imagined.”
“When I turned 50, I reflected on my career and what else I wanted to do,” said Oeming. “Working more on the Hellboy Universe was at the top of my list. So, when I reached out to Mike and Dark Horse, I was thrilled to be assigned to work on Susan Xiang with Chris Roberson. I jumped right into sketching as soon as I got the assignment. Chris wrote a fantastic series that's easy to dive into, even if you're a casual Hellboy fan — it's fully accessible and packed with spooky action.”
MORE COMICS
BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #331 (Archie Comics, $9.99): Murder Hornet returns. And wears his mask while disguised as a waiter.
Complete Story
BILLI 99 HC (Clover Press, $45.00) is by Sarah Byam and Tim Sale.
This is one of the late Tim Sale's earliest works, "200 pages of breathtaking, lovingly painted, duo-shade art, with the hand lettering that would become Tim's official font." The "99" in the titular character's name represents "1999," which I'm guessing was in the future when this was created. Here's a PREVIEW.
HIGH ON LIFE TP (Titan, 112 pages, $19.99) is by Alec Robbins and Kit Wallis. Collects High on Life #1-4.
HOWL #1 (OF 5, Ahoy Comics, $3.99) is byAlisa Kwitney (The Sandman Presents) and Mauricet (Star Wars Adventures) and it's impressive.
This is set in 1950s Greenwich Village, full of writers, musicians, artists and Bohemians of all stripes. It's also set during an alien invasion (a subtle one, involving mycelium, or fungus), but that's not front and center in this first issue. Which is OK, because what we get is freaking brilliant.
It stars a young Jewish girl in love with a writer, who may or may not be in love with her. He maybe does, but the way he treats her, you wouldn't think so. On the other hand, it's the 1950s -- and women had to put up with a LOT in those days. Her jerk boyfriend isn't really acting outside the norms of most men of the time, so she (and the reader) can't be sure of where she stands with him. And that's before he's infected by the aliens!
This is some brilliant writing, conveying the social mores and "vibe" of the time. I didn't grow up in the '50s, but its shadow loomed over my childhood, as it did most Boomers. It was pretty much what the rebellious '60s genration was rebeling against.
Note also that Mauricet signs the cover with a letter M in the same font that Wally Wood would sign covers with the letter W.
This is great stuff, and we haven't even gotten to the invasion yet!
JOE GALAXY TP (Fantagraphics, $34.99) is by Massimo Mattioli, who was evidently an underground cartoonist in Italy in the 1970s. "A dizzyingly boundless cartoon world chock full of parody, pop culture references, and oodles of over-the-top sex and violence, and drawn in a colorful and kinetic medley of styles."
If it's anything like U.S. underground comix I'll pass, but it's Italian, so who knows? Here's a PREVIEW.
ODD JOHN GN (Shift Presents, MR, $20.99) is by writers Olaf Stapledon and Chris Murray and artist Nel Robinson. This is an adaptation of a 1935 novel I've never heard of titled Odd John, about an ubermensch whose very existence leads to destruction. Wasn't Philip Wylie's Gladiator out in 1930? Doc Savage in 1933? Aarn Munroe in 1934? And Superman in 1938? Must have been something in the water that decade.
RESURGENCE OF THE VALIANT UNIVERSE: BLOODSHOT #1 (ONE-SHOT, Valiant, $5.99) is by writer Fred Van Lente and artists Leo Lujan and Rodrigo Rocha. If I'm reading the solicitation right, this is an extended version of the battle between Bloodshot and Rai in Resurgence. I've had to order the middle two issues of that miniseries, so what I'm thinking is just guesswork.
SHADOWS OF KYOTO GN (Titan, MR, $12.99) is by Yumeya and features the most haunted sites in Kyoto. Japanese folklore is fantastically imaginative (and scary), so I might flip through this just to expand my knowledge.
SURGEON #1 (OF 6, Laguna Studios, MR, $5.99) is by writer John Pence and artists Laurie Foster. The story of a nomadic surgeon after the apocalypse. One wonders what a surgeon could do without a sterile operating theater and the requisite tools, but any kind of doctor is probably handy in the apocalypse.
YOU WONT FEEL A THING #1 (DSTLRY, MR, $8.99) is byScott Snyder (Batman, White Boat) and Jock (Wytches, Gone).
A former homicide detective with no family or friends in a retirement home with a brain tumor has to deal with the return of a serial killer from his past. I dunno, man, maybe let him win? It's not like you have a lot to live for.
Replies
I'll report back soon, Legionnaires!
I'll be here.
One of the variant covers homages Wolverine #1 (1982).
Cute.
If that wasn't bad enough, it's revisiting the period where Rogue and Magneto had a little thing going.
I did not care for that storyline, either.
It's by Waid, so I'm sure it'll be good.
See recent issues of Action Comics.
I'm of two minds about the re-formed GLC's new threat, Fractal Lanterns, which are "beings that manifest uncontrolled parts of the emotional spectrum."
Really? Ugh. I'm of one mind about it.
HOWL #1 is byAlisa Kwitney and Mauricet and it's impressive.
Sounds good. I've bought every AHOY! comic ever released, and I will certainly be buying this one as well.
I rather liked the recent Phantom Zone storyline in weekly Action Comics by Mark Waid (1070-1081)... but it does make me wonder about the viability of the medium. The story itself is fine enough, but investing nearly sixty dollars on it (and a nicely drawn but confusingly written and forgettable Supergirl second feature) is a lot to ask for.
I can easily see a near future where DC stops publishing paper floppy/pamphlet comicbooks entirely and decides to rely on hardcovers and (mainly?) on DC Infinite Unlimited and similar digital subscription formats. Of course, I don't expect Marvel - let alone Image, IDW or Dark Horse - to be far behind.
I will probably welcome that change. I feel the industry has been over-reliant on lazy formulas, transparent gimmicks and questionable events in the last few decades. There are just too many revisitations of what was cool once in the 1980s or 1990s, too much emphasis on properties with known commercial appeal, too much running in place. Characters are not allowed to fulfill their arcs in meaningful ways, the status quo is not allowed to meaningfully change. I get a sense that even most fandom is actually hoping at some level that the books that don't interest them are cancelled so that there is less emotional conflict for them to deal with.
From a creative standpoint, a linewide subscription-based model could enable some badly needed renewal and bring back some of the advantages of the anthology books that were historically so important.
I rather liked the recent Phantom Zone storyline in weekly Action Comics by Mark Waid (1070-1081)
I did, too. I wouldn't trust anybody but Waid to update a Silver Age concept that's aged poorly. I thought he did it as well as cpould be expected, given all the junk that's been done with the Zone since Crisis. He even gave Mon-El, my favorite Legionnaire, some face time. I found it interesting that he established Lar Gand as being on Earth long enough for Superboy to consider him a brother, and to call him "Mon" (instead of "Lar"). That ups Mon-El's stock in the Super-canon.
... but it does make me wonder about the viability of the medium. The story itself is fine enough, but investing nearly sixty dollars on it (and a nicely drawn but confusingly written and forgettable Supergirl second feature) is a lot to ask for.
It did go on for a bit. And yes, I thought the Supergirl story was poorly written.
I can easily see a near future where DC stops publishing paper floppy/pamphlet comicbooks entirely and decides to rely on hardcovers and (mainly?) on DC Infinite Unlimited and similar digital subscription formats. Of course, I don't expect Marvel - let alone Image, IDW or Dark Horse - to be far behind.
Newspapers, magazines and comic books all still exist in print form despite the internet, but the first two are gradually shifting to all-digital. The newspaper I work for is digital-only, whereas the legacy paper in my city is mostly digital but still has a vestigial print version. Most magazines that still have a print product are grudgingly shifting to digital-only as well. When most of the Baby Boom dies off, I expect print in those two industries to die as well. Can comic books buck that trend? Magic 8-Ball says "Probably not."
I will probably welcome that change. I feel the industry has been over-reliant on lazy formulas, transparent gimmicks and questionable events in the last few decades. There are just too many revisitations of what was cool once in the 1980s or 1990s, too much emphasis on properties with known commercial appeal, too much running in place. Characters are not allowed to fulfill their arcs in meaningful ways, the status quo is not allowed to meaningfully change. I get a sense that even most fandom is actually hoping at some level that the books that don't interest them are cancelled so that there is less emotional conflict for them to deal with.
Comics grew more sophisticated as the Baby Boom and Gen X generations grew up and demanded more sophistication. Still, as Stan Lee said, comics don't provide change, they provide the illusion of change. Hence the formulas and gimmicks of which you speak. Creators speak openly of returning characters to status quo when they leave a series, or as they phrase it, putting the toys back in the toybox. They're well aware that they're dealing with unchanging brands, and can only do so much before hitting the reset button. I think comics will keep doing that until enough readers demand more -- and we can even see the early roots of that happening now.
DC especially is taking advantage of reader thirst for stories where the characters change. They're offering a lot of stories where the writer can go where he wants. Sometimes it's called Elseworlds and sometimes not. But you can have most of the DC universe turned into vampires in DC vs. Vampires or see what Batman's like as a werewolf in the current Batman: Hour of the Wolf or have an entirely separate continuity in Sean Murphy's "White Knight" stories. I think Marvel's doing that a bit with the Ultimate Universe as well -- telling stories you can't tell in the "regular" universe, because it changes the characters too much (like Peter Parker married with children). They did that in the first Ultimate Universe as well, by killing off Peter Parker and replacing him with Miles Morales.
Personally, those are the ones I enjoy the most. I've seen almost every temporary version of Batman there can be with the current one, but Absolute Batman gives me something entirely new: A Dark Knight who is punching UP, and is therefore more relatable. Our universe's Bruce Wayne is a stock character from the '30s, that no matter how much they try to update him, he's still a rich guy punching poor people. Something about that trope resonated in the Great Depression, but in the 21st century it's a little harder to swallow.
Anyway, great post as usual, Luis. It made me think!
From a creative standpoint, a linewide subscription-based model could enable some badly needed renewal and bring back some of the advantages of the anthology books that were historically so important.
I think we're coming to that. Personally, I'M coming to that. I can see at some point in the future -- probably after retirement -- that I'll probably stop going to the LCS, and just get annual subs to Marvel and DC's online subscriptions. It'll be cheaper, and I won't have tons of paper stored in my house. The downside, which is has held me back thus far, is that I'll be joining some of the other Legionnaires here as "Six-Month-Later Man."
I'll be here [for "8 Deaths of Spider-Man"].
I'll return to the "One World Under Doom" thread when I get the back issues of Amazing Spider-Man I've ordered, or other books that apply. I'm getting the main maxiseries from my comic shop, so I can report on it in a timely way, but getting anciliary series from Westfield, which will be anywhere vrom a week to a month after they appear in comic shops.
I'm of one mind about [Green Lantern].
I expressed my hope, but I'm not really counting on a good outcome. I won't spend any money on it unless I hear it's good.
I've bought every AHOY! comic ever released, and I will certainly be buying this one as well.
I don't think you'll be disappointed.
I rather liked the recent Phantom Zone storyline in weekly Action Comics by Mark Waid...
That (as someone once said) is what makes horseraces.
I can easily see a near future where DC stops publishing paper floppy/pamphlet comicbooks entirely and decides to rely on hardcovers
I have been trying to wean myself of periodical comics for some time now, and I have almost done so with respect to Marvel and DC.
I will probably welcome that change.
I will definitely wecome that change (in respect to hardcovers), as long as they continue to reprint classic material.
I thought the Supergirl story was poorly written.
Supergirl, Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely is still fresh in my mind, and that's going to be a hard act for anyone to follow as far as Supergirl is concerned. As it happens, I recently had accasion to reread the first issue of both series. A friend of ours stayed overnight last month with her 13-year-old daughter and I almost sent those two issues along with her to read (she has never expressed an interest in comic and doesn't ready anything as far as I know), but I couldn't easily (or inexpensively) replace them, so I withheld the offer. (I'm selfish that way.) I was going through a box the other day and discovered I have a third series illustrated by Evely that I didn't realize I had: Dynamite's eight-issue Doc Savage series from 2014.
OFF TOPIC: Our friend's daughter saw my record collection and asked if my vinyl albums were comics books. (My LPs are in plastic sleeves.) Poor thing, she's probably never seen either one before.
Can comic books buck that trend? Magic 8-Ball says "Probably not."
There is a part of me that will find it a relief when I never feel the need to buy new comics again. (I already have enough to last me the rest of my life.)
They're offering a lot of stories where the writer can go where he wants.
I had high hopes for the "Absolute" line, but it's turning out to be more of a "New 52" AFAIAC.
I won't spend any money on it unless I hear it's good.
You won't be hearing it from me (because I won't be reading it).
I won't have tons of paper stored in my house.
...apart from the tons of paper you already have stored in your house. ;)
One of the things that I like about manga is that a lot of the time stories end at natural stopping points. A high school manga ends with the protagonists graduating, an advernture manga ends with the protagonist beating the final boss and/or recovering the Mystical Plot Device, a sports manga ends with the protagonist winning the championship, a romance manga ends with the fated lovers getting together, and so on. Characters are allowed to progress and stay "progressed".
As far as print comics (and, I suspect, print newspapers) go, I think that they may well continue to exist as limited-availability novelties, in the same way that, even now, over a century into the age of the automobile, you can still get horse-and-buggy rides some places.
I know that I've said this before, but I think that a big thing that kills print comics in the price. When I was a kid, Grandpa would slip me a five-spot and I could, theoretically, have used it to buy up to sixteen comics. Nowadays, a five-spot will buy you one comic. Sixteen comics would cost you over sixty bucks, and I bet that nobody's Grandpa is slipping them that kind of money.
Cost is definitely a major factor.
Even if we attempt to forget entirely about how much spending money each of us actually has, five dollars for perhaps fifteen minutes of entertainment is an inherently high cost, roughly equivalent in a per-minute basis to that of top entertainment parks and music concerts.
My understanding is that marketing models that use guilt and/or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to pressure us into buying more than we actually enjoy end up hurting the hobby, because in the long run they teach us that we are expected to buy and read considerably more than we would want to. The incentive to detach ourselves from the whole dynamic builds up. A side effect is that this fandom becomes somewhat "odder", more insular and perhaps more extreme, as the less commited do in fact decide that they have had enough. I am not claiming that my samples are somehow representative, but I think I have seen hints of that in the discussions about the validity of Snyder and Gunn takes on DC characters. There is a (somewhat justified) perception that for a creative vision to succeed some other competing vision must be avoided, discredited, "defeated" in some way that is often not very pleasant to watch. We are a long way from the times when Stan Lee was everyone's uncle figure.