Hmm.. Comic books...
Last I bought any was back around the period of time that gave us a number of interesting events across multiple companies.. probably covering a 2 or 3 year period..
-The Death of Superman, and the followup "birth" of the 4 new superman concepts..
- Spawn was into it's 10 issue or so I think..
- Avengers were being revised for the umpteenth time..
- Image comics was in full expansion mode.. taking on new artists who thought they could write book.. and failing at both usually
when I stopped buying book.. the average cost per book US cover from marvel was around $2.45 I think. That of course would be a non gimmick cover shit..
it might be more appropiate to say I was driven out of the industry at a time when multiple covers, gimmick covers, and artists who think they could write shit was running wild across the big 2-3 companies.
I've taken cursory glances back at the industry from time to time.. and I'm always shocked at just how bad thnings had gotten since the implosion that killed off so much of the biz.
Since the days I last bought books, I have used modern internet techniques to review Spawn up to #130ish.. some of the X-men stuff like major story arcs etc.
My personal X-Men Collection stretches from a complete run from uncanny #114 or so up to 275.. then sporadic issues after that. the first run of the original Avenger book I had a good 10 year run of.. maybe more.. strarting around #210 or so.
Last I looked at the collection.. it stood at about 10k book. appropaite bagged, boxed, sorted and documented in the best archival low/non acid materials. At this point.. I have no interest in ever selling of the collection. I figure.. I will pass some down.. or alternatively.. go back to them some day when I have the time and re-read them in my retirement.
One thing I can still do.. is look at most of my collection.. and tell you who wrote it.. and who did the cover and interior artwork just from seeing the cover.
On the topic of Comics.. I did have many favourite writes and artists, which I loved for many different reasons.
Fav Artist.. Pencils.. Jim Lee. clean style.
notables Pencils Jae Lee (his dark period.. Namor comic
Silvestri pencils.. his Xmen work.. especially pre#200.. and then again later in the serious. that guy knows how to tell a story.
Writers: Chris Claremont (original run on the Xmen titles before being squeezed outta marvel. Not a fan of his newer stuff.. not his fault, as the other writers in the marvel universe pretty much shit on his ideas and concepts he built up over 15 years.
Writer: Jim Starlin, for Dreadstar. Also for his work on the Silver Surfer. (liked Ron Lim's art from that period as well)
McFarlane. Pencils. not his Hulk stuff.. but I dug his vision of SPider-man in the Amazing title. did not like the spin off SPIDERMAN he wrote and drew. those 3-5 issues arcs might look good.. but they were dreadful imo.
guys I hated with a passion..
Jim Shooter. Those of you might remember the 12 month limited series he wrote.. the grand daddy of the bullshit crossovers.. Secret Wars. Only good thing to come of that bomb was the black Spidery costume/later venom thing.
what was worse.. Secret Wars II. ugh.
Simply the two worst stories ever done.
