Does anybody else buy a comic title on a month-to-month basis?

[Buried Alien]

Over the years, at these forums and similar ones, I have read many declarations of frustration to the effect of, "I'm going to stop buying this comic every month because it sucks," or conversely, declarations of enthusiasm to the effect of, "I have to buy this comic every month because it rocks!" Usually, the "it sucks" or "it rocks" determinant is contingent upon a specific creative team, storyline direction, or who the title character(s) is. All well and good.

But what I wonder about is the absolutist statements about either quitting a comic series altogether (especially after having bought it consistently for years) or suddenly committing to buying a title month after month after one or two good experiences with the title.

To me, it seems too much to commit either way.

I buy comics on a month-to-month basis, depending on how much I like the comic *that* month. For example, let's say this month's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA doesn't suit me. Fine. I won't buy it this month. But I would never make a commitment to an idea of not buying it next month or the month after...or "ever again" because, as has been often the case, if a title doesn't wow me enough to make me want to buy it this month, next month might be completely different...even if it's the same creative team and the same group of characters. There are good issues and bad issues, and I've seldom found a consistent enough pattern to say I'm quitting a book forever or feel I that I need to start committing to a book month after month even if I don't think every issue is great. I look at various titles that I'm interested on a month-to-month basis and might step away from a title for a month or two or longer if it's not interesting me, but leave the door open to return when something in the title intrigues me again. By the same token, just because a title has wowed me this month doesn't necessarily guarantee I'll buy it next month: it all depends on whether next month's comic was as compelling to me as this month's.

But I sometimes feel like I'm the only one who does this.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[howyadoin]

I buy comics on a month-to-month basis, depending on how much I like the comic *that* month.I did that from 1997-2008. I'd still be doing it if I had the budget to buy comics.

[Buried Alien]

I did that from 1997-2008. I'd still be doing it if I had the budget to buy comics.

Even when budget isn't an overriding consideration, I find that doing this makes financial as well as personal sense. Why commit to a title month after month even if it's not great every issue? On the flip side of that, why give up on a title forever (unless it's really just that bad to begin with, in which case one would likely never even start) just because an issue or a run of issues goes badly? Next month's comics can always be better/worse than this month's, so I don't see the point of long-term commitments either way.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Joe Acro]

I sort of did that with Ultimate Spider-Man post-Clone Saga. I took it off the pull list and ordered it an issue at a time.

I never stopped ordering it through its conclusion, largely because I lacked the disgust to do so, but still, I had the option.

[beetlebum]

I do that with Ms. Marvel.

So I feel you there.

Though I am getting close to just dropping the damn thing.

I keep buying it cos it's my way of giving the finger to fanboys who hate her and viciously attack her.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with reading it.

So Ms. Marvel IS that book for me....

At least for the time being.

[Michael P]

Nope. If a book gets that inconsistent for me, I just drop it.

[Flash's Lightning]

I pick up Green Lantern and the Superman titles the day they're out. Spiderman and X-Men I pick up more sporadically, and I'm not subscribed to them or anything. Actually, now that I think about it, I also pick up Iron Fist and Cable pretty quickly too.

I used to be a wait-for-the-trade person, but the benefits didn't outweigh the cons for me, and I switched back.

[Paul McEnery]

I'm getting worse.

I'm now waiting for the damn thing to come out of hardcover.

[bushboy]

I have around ten titles I pick up consistently. If money's a little low, about four get sacrificed so I can grab them later.

[another_version]

I am currently pulling about 18 monthlies, and trading about 4-5 titles. It is really bad, and I have only been in the comic world for a little less than a year (last years comic-con SD did it for me). I have spent somewhere near 2.5-3.5k on books in this year alone. Sometimes I hate myself for it, but I just fell in love with the medium. I still like video games, and movies, music, T.V, etc... but something about comics just clicked for me. Whenever I feel bad about spending too much money on comics, I just sit down and read some of them, and I get all happy inside, and I forget about the money.

I am 17 years old, and have a part-time job. I will be going to a local college for my general education, and still staying at home ,to save the ridiculous cost of room+board, so it doesn't seem like anything is going to change too drastically in my spending habits.

This also brings up the topic of comic book as an addiction, which it completely is. For people who have weak wills, they will not be able to drop a title to save money. I picked up the first issue of Wolverine Noir, and didn't like it so I dropped it, but for a few weeks after that I felt, for some reason, to pick up the next issue. My logic was that there are only 3 more issues, and it will only be $12 to get the remaining three. But I soon got over that, and I pledged to make a stand an not buy the rest of the series. I know that sounds pretty lame, but I think I had to start somewhere in order to control myself in what I buy.

Before this incident, in hindsight, it seems as if I was buying comics in order to get a collection, instead of the stories. This change happened when someone in a HeavyInk forum said that the primary reason they bag+board their comics is not to protect them, but so that years later they can go back and read the stories again.

[DoctorDoom]

I've done that for a few books. For the most part though, like Michael P, I'll drop a book completely once there's a drop in consistency.

[Reptisaurus!]

Yeah, I'm basically on the "Ooh! Shiny!" system, especially with mainstream-i-er stuff.

Like I know that every new JASON book is gonna have something good, but Spider-man will always be a bit of a crapshoot. It's reallllllly, realllllllllllllly rare that I buy a corporate character for more than 12 issues straight. (Last time was the Kevin Smith/David Mack Daredevil.)

[Paradox]

When I was buying comics, it was "Six of one, half a dozen of the other". I had my pull list that I bought every month, but I'd still take a look at what was on the racks to see if there was anything that interested me. Sometimes I'd try characters that I didn't really care for if creative personnel I liked went there (good example is Deadpool by Priest). I usually dumped those when the personnel I liked left.

[Pól Rua]

I wait on trades for everything except small creator-owned titles which can actually use my support.
And 'Incogneto' because I love the pulp bits at the end.

But 'Jack Staff' and 'Castle Waiting' aren't exactly... monthly.

[yearofmark]

The only problem I have found on waiting for the the trade is that there is obviously less resources for people to talk about the trades than with monthly comics. I recently decided that I am done with monthly comics, I know, common thread right? But what I find most frustrating is that now I have to stop listening to some of my favorite podcasts because I still want to read the books, just a little later.
I was listening to 11 o'clock comics the other day (quickly becoming my favorite) and the idea that the "jumping on point" can be seen as the "jumping off Point". Which is totally mind blowing for me.
I evaluated my comics life and decided that the singles need to go. I have boxes and boxes of comics, that I will most likely not even read again. So I figured, hard covers look better. Switching to the trade also removes that weird need to purchase everything, because you can't.

www.wednesdaycomicreview.com

[K'Nort]

I have to mail order, so I have a two month lag on being able to drop something once it gets bad. And then it stays dropped.

The only thing I usually get in trade is minis, and then only if I'm on the fence about whether they'll be any good.

[mgs]

I buy comics on a month-to-month basis, depending on how much I like the comic *that* month. For example, let's say this month's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA doesn't suit me. Fine. I won't buy it this month. But I would never make a commitment to an idea of not buying it next month or the month after...or "ever again" because, as has been often the case, if a title doesn't wow me enough to make me want to buy it this month, next month might be completely different...even if it's the same creative team and the same group of characters. There are good issues and bad issues, and I've seldom found a consistent enough pattern to say I'm quitting a book forever or feel I that I need to start committing to a book month after month even if I don't think every issue is great. I look at various titles that I'm interested on a month-to-month basis and might step away from a title for a month or two or longer if it's not interesting me, but leave the door open to return when something in the title intrigues me again. By the same token, just because a title has wowed me this month doesn't necessarily guarantee I'll buy it next month: it all depends on whether next month's comic was as compelling to me as this month's.

But I sometimes feel like I'm the only one who does this.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)
I'm COMPLETELY in agreement with you on this issue Buried. I do THE...EXACT...SAME...THING. :smile:

Issues can change and I accept that. To me, that's why I never understood those with regular access to a very good lcs would not stop by the store to check out new issues and whatnot, whether they prebuy or not.

Although my buying habit has changed over the years, and now I'm about a visit every 2-3 weeks, I still go and get to check out any of the new stuff that I would not have noticed had I had my mind made up so readily.

[clayholio]

The only specific book I do that with is Jonah Hex because I want the Jordi Bernet issues. Otherwise, I'll pick up individual issues of random books based on who's drawing it. But probably 90% of what I buy right now are trades or series that I'm already reading. It seems like a lot of my favorite artists don't have much on the racks these days though, I'm having a harder and harder time finding those random issues to read.