NEW READERS: Where are you coming from?

[Paul Newell]

I'm seeing a lot of new posters appearing on the forum since Justice League #1 was released, many stating they are new to DC or a lapsed comic reader. I was interested in seeing just what experience you have had with comics before, if any, and how it works out with DC's stated objectives for industry growth.

Welcome and please also tell us a bit about yourselves. :)

[Cavemold]

im farily new the first book i read was in may Batman beyond. Im 21 and i live in CA. I like batman books .. Deathstroke , futurestic books.

[bobbyraw]

I've been reading Marvel comics for a while and was never really interested in DC. Then I started watching the Justice League / Justice League Unlimited cartoon and it got me interested in potentially reading some DC at some point. This relaunch just seemed like a good time to do it.

[Griffard]

Used to read them as a kid, then deliberately kicked my "nerdy habits", and now that I'm older and happier with where I'm at, I figured the new 52 is a great jump in point to one of my favorite hobbies.

[Fridge]

I've previously read some ultimate marvel and some independent stuff. Loving digital comics and Justice League #1 was awesome, definitely getting all of the first issues so I can check each series out.

[Eddy_1210]

Started with Marvel but after buying blackest night on Ebay a couple years back got me into DC. The relaunch basically reeled me in to try new comics and start collecting.

[Shallot]

I've been reading comics for almost 40 years and while during that time I've sampled books from just about every publisher I've always been primarily a Marvel Zombie.

I would say that during the last 2 to 3 years my dissatisfaction with Marvel's output has reached an all time low. The DC relaunch so far has been a lot of fun and has generated a sense of excitement that Marvel has failed to deliver in quite some time.

[baldyfranz]

I mainly read Marvel,IDW and Dynamite Entertainment. I was reading a couple of DC books be for the start of relaunch

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

I grew up reading comics. Mostly DC, as my Marvels were all licensed stuff like GI Joe, Savage Sword of Conan and Transformers. The only floppies I've bought in the last five years or so have been at my local grocery store. Its been mostly DC since Marvel charges $1 extra on newsstands. The biggest part of my recent collection has been the trades that I buy every year with my tax return.

As of this month, I'm buying 52 floppies. DCBService had the whole set for half off. I ordered the #2 & #3 issues as well. I'll probably cut half of them, but that's still 25-30 more comics than I was buying before.

[Namtabdnanibor]

I'm seeing a lot of new posters appearing on the forum since Justice League #1 was released, many stating they are new to DC or a lapsed comic reader. I was interested in seeing just what experience you have had with comics before, if any, and how it works out with DC's stated objectives for industry growth.

Welcome and please also tell us a bit about yourselves. :)

I have collected comics for 15 years. I love both Marvel and DC equally. I have no preference, I think they both make quality comics. As for the new 52. I am not impressed. I come from Ohio.

[sKel]

Oh, didn't see this thread.

I'd like to say that I've always been a comic fan, but I would probably be undermining the dedication of most of you. As a kid, I was a fan of everything from Adam West to Joel Schumacher's Batman to X-Men the animated series. When I was 11 or 12, I would start going to the local comic (the one Samuel Jackson is filmed in in Unbreakable, to be exact) and picking up anything with a cool cover and never read it, just looking at the pictures. Foolish. I really liked the Marvel Universe back then, and would read all I could at that age but still became lost in the continuity and my naivete. So, for years, mostly during my teens, I just gave up on comic books as a medium and enjoyed the films and TV shows.

Later in my years, amidst all these summer blockbusters, namely the Dark Knight, I realized that allure that beckoned me as a kid. The comic book. The Super Hero. The legends. I would say that Christopher Nolan's Batman films really spurred my rejuvenated interest. Since then, I've been reading the famous trades and collections, and nothing else because of my intimidation of the current continuity that seems ever so difficult to hop into and really enjoy.

So, when I heard the news of the new 52, I was enthralled. I tried to get into recent Batman, and just attempt to go with the flow and follow each month in an attempt finally get past the fear of being lost. The 52, I was hoping, would provide that door for old fans and new fans to enter, and it has. And more than that, it has made me realize how much I love comics, of all forms, all characters. Since the release of the new 52, I have even gotten back into some of the Marvel continuity. And more importantly, I've even given Superman a chance, a character and I never really dug.

So, if that is what DC was going for, they've succeeded.

[chris6909]

a lapsed reader .. Used to collect allot during 80's as a kid .. Kinda fell away due to lack of availability where i'm from .. Also thought i "outgrew" comic books .. But i knew that i'd always like the superhero universe .. Basically got all CBM's on dvd .. New52 and Comixology provided the platform to get back onto the wagon .. Looks like it'll be a good ride .. Gonna stick with 6 to 10 titles i think .. Action topping my pull list

[Shimarenda]

I read comics back in the '70s, mostly Batman and some Jonah Hex. I guess I stopped when I stopped seeing them on newsstands. I missed the Grimdark era, thankfully.

Earlier this year, I happened upon Justice League Unlimited. Black Canary seemed interesting, so I looked around and discovered Birds of Prey. Since then, I've been picking up things here and there, especially of my favorite character Oracle. So now I have a small pull list with my local comic shop.:

All-Star Western
Animal Man
Batgirl
Birds of Prey
Wonder Woman
Huntress mini

[Zhurrie]

I got back into comics about a year ago now and it was because of a trip through a new LCS where I came across some great dark/arty/indie stuff that really jumped out at me. As a kid I was into GI Joe, Transformers, Hulk, and Fantastic Four. As a teen I was into Savage Dragon, Spawn, Pitt, Shadowhawk, The Maxx, and stuff like that.

Then I kind of got away from comics for 10-15 years, I was always into art though in that time and occasionally would pick up a single issue or a TPB here or there but mostly artwork and art books. Stuff like some of IDW, Image, and the like was what drew me back with artists like Ben Templesmith, a little of Ashley Wood, and anything unique or artistic like Malinky Robot, Northlanders, etc.

Then even though I'm normally pretty against DC the reboot had me passingly interested in at least checking out a few titles that were either new to me or ones I never would jump into even though I was interested (Detective Comics) because of the high numbers. I started with 9 on my pull list (JLA, Action Comics, Detective Comics, Deathstroke, Demon knights, Swamp Thing, Batman, Batman: Dark Knight, Men of War). I ended up picking up Grifter, Animal Man, Suicide Squad, Batman and Robin, Resurrection Man, and will add All Star Western.

I've read most of them and honestly most have fell flat for me. I'm keeping almost all of them on for issue #2 but then cuts will be coming. Already cut are Men of War, Batman and Robin, and Grifter. On the razor's edge are JLA, Action Comics, Suicide Squad, and Resurrection Man. I'll probably drop Animal Man and just pick it up as a TPB.

It seems like DC was on the fence with a lot of these titles and tried so hard to please everyone that many came off pretty weak and milquetoast rather than having very strong impacts. I think it is lame that they didn't take any chances and at least have a few out of the 52 have something really striking and unique. Animal Man was a chance for that and it barely waded into that territory, Swamp Thing another. As a result I'm pretty ambivalent towards them and if anything it confirmed my love for the indie/arty stuff that takes risks and knows who it is and what it is about and isn't trying to pander to a wide audience.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it ;)

[Punisher1323]

Read mostly Spiderman/Venom and Superman in my youth in the 90's. I just started reading again after I graduated from College, I've been trying to catch up on the Flash and Blue Beetle, and have also dabbled in JL and Action Comics. I've read Punisher off and on for the last 15 years and have been enjoying the current run.