Watch me as I talk through my buying habbits...

[JewishHobbit]

Yeah, so what's the point of this thread? Not much really. Basically, I've been saying on here for months now that come the end of the year I'm going to start trimming my buy list due to comics just being much too expensive nowadays. So I've started messing around with all the issues I buy monthly and I'm really overwhelmed by what I buy and in trying to figure out what to cut.

And so, I figured I'd make a thread about my headaches as I figure out what to trim and such, as I do so.

Why do this? Because I don't live around anyone else who collects comics and it's nice to actually talk about this stuff with people... just because... so here goes.....

 

[deathshead2]

You should just do what I do. Buy comics that don't come out in trades alot(Ex:I buy Sonic the Hedgehog), and buy other comics you like in trade when they're on sale. Like I buy them from amazon used. As they're crazy cheap.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Okay, so starting out... I'm going to list all of the ongoing comics I buy monthly so we can get an idea of what I collect....

Monthly Ongoing Titles: $82.76

Uncanny X-Men
X-Men Legacy
Astonishing X-Men
X-Force
X-Factor
Cable
New Mutants

Nova
Guardians of the Galaxy
Sword

Hulk $4
Incredible Hulk $4

New Avengers $4
Mighty Avengers
Dark Avengers $4
Avengers: The Initiative
Secret Warriors
Spider-Woman
Thunderbolts

Batman
Batman & Robin
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps

Echo $3.50

Project Superpowers
Black Terror $3.50



Now, you'll see that I've added a note when they do not cost $2.99, and I've separated them into categories based on genre, and in some cases... publishing company. Most of my stuff is Marvel, but this helps me to figure out exactly what I'm buying and what ties into what. I know that Project Superpowers is technically a mini, but it runs for nearly a year so it might as well be an ongoing, and it's going to continue into a volume 3 after this one's done so I just threw it here as I'll be buying it monthly for the forseeable future. Also, I collect Son of Hulk, but I just noticed that the issue that came out Wednesday (which I haven't picked up yet) is the final issue, to be later continued into his own Realm of Kings mini... so I've removed that issue and have adjusted the price accordingly. To the best of my knowledge, this list is up to date and complete.


Now, on to the mini-series's and one-shots....

 

[JewishHobbit]

You should just do what I do. Buy comics that don't come out in trades alot(Ex:I buy Sonic the Hedgehog), and buy other comics you like in trade when they're on sale. Like I buy them from amazon used. As they're crazy cheap.

It's a good plan, but it doesn't work for me. I actually bind my comics into my own hardback volumes (as I can afford it) so I need the floppies. It's also why I buy so many comics, as I like comlete stories in my volumes... so if an issue Hulk ties-in with an issue of Incredible Hulk (such as the upcoming Fall of Hulks storyline) then I buy those so the story is complete in the upcoming bind I create... even if I don't want to buy Hulk. Etc.... so due to this, my buying list is out of control and this is my attempt to dwindle it down. I need it all written out and in front of me so I can see it or else I'll never figure it out.

 

[deathshead2]

But storys like that Fall of Hulks is bound to be collected in a nice big book. Binding your own sounds crazy.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Now, onto the Minis and oneshot.... and this is where I think I really feel it in my wallet. Due to Marvel being the prime source of my comic buying, and their ******ed stance on every one being $4, there's quite a lot of issues costing an extra dollar more than I'd like to buy.

Anyhow... I went to Marvel.com and looked at the upcoming comics, as well as DC's site for Blackest Night, and I compiled an estimated list of when every mini or oneshot that I buy is to come out (and yes, I know it's unreliable, but for this project it works well enough).

Here is my buy list through February:

DECEMBER: $ 59.85

December 3rd:
Dark Avengers Annual 1
Fall of the Hulks Alpha
Marvel Project 4
New Avengers Annual 3
Siege Cabal
X-Force Annual 1
X-Necrosha: Gathering

December 9th:
Dark X-Men 2
Nation X 1
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 2

December 16th:
Captain America Reborn 5
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 2

December 23rd:
Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield
Fall of Hulks: Gamma

December 30th:
Blackest Night 6


JANUARY = $61.87

January 6th:
Nation X 2
Nation X: X-Factor 1
Siege 1

January 13th:
Siege: Embedded
Captain America Reborn 6
Dark X-Men 3
Marvels: Eye of the Camera 6
Psylocke 3
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 3
Marvels Project 5
The Phantom Stranger 42 ($3)

January 20:
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 3

January 27th:
Fall of Hulks: Red Hulk 1


FEBRUARY = $58.88

February 3rd:
Nation X 3
Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk 1
Siege 2
Siege: Embedded 2

February 10th:
Dark X-Men 4
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 4
Marvels Project 6
X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back

February 17th:
Psylocke 4

February 24th:
Blackest Night 7
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 4
Fall of Hulks: Red Hulk 2

 

[JewishHobbit]

But storys like that Fall of Hulks is bound to be collected in a nice big book. Binding your own sounds crazy.

The benefit to binding my own is that I can bind them how I like. For example... A lot of times Marvel or DC will bind a story, just including a certain title, or group of titles... but I like them mixed up in actual reading order, not in release date. I can put them in the order I want. Or in an extreme case, such as with Civil War or Secret Invasion.... Marvel binds them by title. Well, I went nuts and cut up every tie-in I wanted involved, and I made a 2 volume (estimatd 30 issues per volume) set of each series... but I put them in page by page. So I have the book start with the Stamford explosion from Civil War 1, then the next page is from the first issue of the Wolverine tie-in when he learns about it in a bar and leaves to help out, then it picks up in Civil War 1 again when everyone's at the blast site. Then it continues into Spider-Man when he and Tony were overlooking the blast site... etc. So I've bound Civil War page-by-page in chronological order mixing dozens of titles together into one story from beginning to end... the explosion through Fallen Son.

So yeah, the fun of binding your own into hardcover volumes is 1: more comics, 2: WAY cheaper if you own the issues ($15 per volume plus shipping to have made), and 3: You have full control of including what you want, how you want, and in whatever order you want.

Not to mention you can design the spines of the volume how you want to make them look great on a shelf for company to see.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Now... looking through the solicits at Marvel I see a few titles that I'm curious about for maybe an arc... such as an upcoming story of Ms. Marvel that deals with her facing off against Mystique. As an X-Man fan that interests me, but that adds another $2.99 to my buy list for those 3 months.

I am also interested in starting to buy Booster Gold over at DC, which would add another $3.99 to my list, and Punisher and Moon Knight has me curious, adding another $5.98.

So, the thing is, with how much I spend, I can't afford any new additions.... heck, I can't afford those I've listed above and am falling behind every week that passes, and with Realm of Kings, Fall of Hulks, Nation X, Necrosha, X-Men Second Coming, AND the Siege coming up all simoultaneusly... my buy list is just exploding.


Not to mention that I realzed that all the X-Titles (I think all) are jumping to $4 an issue in either December or January due to a Cable backstory running behind them... that adds more money to the pot. And really, there's still a Cable ongoing at this point... is it really necessary to run a backstory in all the X-Titles in a month to jump them all up an extra buck? See, it's things like this that make me dispise this money grubbing era of Marvel. I swear!

So let's start planning on what to do about it....

 

[JewishHobbit]

Okay, to get an idea of where I'm typically at financially, let's break down my finances in regards to comic spending.

Rounding off the Minis/One-shots to $60 a month... I am currently due to spend an estimated $143 a month.

Now, we're a bit of a paycheck-to-paycheck family, and to make that work my wife allows me a $25/week allowance on comics. And yes, I know that sounds funny but she handles the money and knows what we can and can't afford, so I've asked her to limit me so that I don't go overboard and cause problems. I'm mature enough not to do that, but I also know how addicted I am to comics, so she's insurance to keep me grounded.

Anyhow, at $25 a week, most months that's obviously $100 a month... or $125 for those months with an extra week. But for the sake of keeping it simple and worse case scenerios... I'm planning for 4-week months. Anything more would be a bonus.

And so, I need to get my buying down to below $100 a month... and with me currently at $143 a month... I need to drop at least $50 from my pull list immediately. And I hope to drop more than that in the months to come.

 

[Phaedrus45]

X-Force
Cable
New Mutants

Sword

Mighty Avengers
Dark Avengers $4
Secret Warriors
Spider-Woman
Thunderbolts

Batman
Batman & Robin

Echo $3.50

Project Superpowers

Ok, those above are the first ones I'd keep. Sadly, Nation X has been a bit of a bore for me...but, I do like the other story that is in X-Force and New Mutants much, much better. I'd keep Cable simply for the fact I want to see where the Hope storyline goes....but, even that is starting to get a bit dragged out.

SWORD was a lot of fun...not a must buy, but it's nice to have one of those humorous comics in the bunch. (And, this way you don't have to pick which Deadpool is best.)

OF the next batch, I'm really loving Spider-Woman the most. And, those two Bat titles are pretty good. Of course, there is NO WAY you drop Echo. That's the best of all those titles...and, I know your love of Project Superpowers; so, there is more of a chance of you going back to Spider-Man than dropping that. (I would drop Black Terror, though. Those Project Superpower minis are nowhere as good as the main title...although, I still have to read the Bring On The Bad Guys one. I'm finally starting to get to that title again.)


NOW, I will say if I had to choose, I'd drop the Green Lanterns and Marvel space adventures, simply for the fact that they are both always involved in big events. If you truly want to save on money, you stay away from crossover heavy titles. And, face it, Hulk speaks for itself!

 

[JewishHobbit]

I think the first major adaption that I am willing to make to help is in the Hulk genre.

I read the Hulk comics because I LOVED the Skaar: Son of Hulk title. I've never been a big Hulk fan but that title was great, and when he came to Earth and joined the Incredible Hulk title, I started reading that title as well. It's been a great book and I find that I LOVE every issue, and if it was just that title then it wouldn't be so bad... but there's more negatives here than positives I think.

1) I hate the $4 price tag because I couldn't care less about the back up. So that's me paying an extra dollar for 22 pages a book.

2) With Fall of Hulks coming, and then I think another crossover directly after that (Planet Hulks I think?)... I need to focus on the Hulk title as well so I have all the beats for the eventual bind. So now that's 2 $4 comics, one of which I don't even really want.

3) To tie-in with the crossovers, there's 2 one-shots; Fall of Hulks Alpha and Fall of Hulks Gamma... each $4. And then there's the mini Fall of Hulks: Red Hulk.... each issue at $4.


I'm real curious about Skaar's story involving he and Bruce, but all this extra baggage is just too much for this title I think... so here's the plan as far as I see it reguarding this genre.


I will pick up the next issue of Incredible Hulk that kinda finishes their wanderings prior to Fall of Hulks... and then I drop them all. I drop Incredible Hulk, Hulk, and all the Fall of Hulks issues. This will free up money and give me a chance to see how it all plays out and to find out exactly which comics of the crossover that I really need for the core story. And then at a later date when I can afford it, I'll root through Half Priced Books and Ebay for the issues I want at, hopefully, a lesser price. This also helps because I'm 2 issues behind on Hulk, so I don't have to worry about getting caught up on those, spending an extra $8.


So removing those titles that takes me to (and rounding the prices now):

Monthly Ongoing Titles:
Monthly Ongoing Titles: $75.00

Mini's and Oneshots
DECEMBER: $52.00
JANUARY: $58.00
FEBRUARY: $55.00


And now estimating the Minis and Oneshots at $55.... that brings the monthly total to....

$130

 

[JewishHobbit]

X-Force
Cable
New Mutants

Sword

Mighty Avengers
Dark Avengers $4
Secret Warriors
Spider-Woman
Thunderbolts

Batman
Batman & Robin

Echo $3.50

Project Superpowers

Ok, those above are the first ones I'd keep. Sadly, Nation X has been a bit of a bore for me...but, I do like the other story that is in X-Force and New Mutants much, much better. I'd keep Cable simply for the fact I want to see where the Hope storyline goes....but, even that is starting to get a bit dragged out.

SWORD was a lot of fun...not a must buy, but it's nice to have one of those humorous comics in the bunch. (And, this way you don't have to pick which Deadpool is best.)

My thing is that I've collected X-Men consistently since around Fatal Attractions... so that'd be around 15-17 years... through the goods and the bads. It's probably the genre that I'm the most invested in and I will most likely keep the majority of these intact. I've already dropped Wolverine, Wolverine Origins, and Deadpool... and I'm really itching for Cable to get canceled, but it's too important to the overall story right now to drop. I'm hoping it ends leading into the Second Coming storyline, but we'll see.

Sword I look at as more of a Cosmic book than an X-Title... so I'm trying the book out for the first arc. If it doesn't wow me by then, then it's gone.

OF the next batch, I'm really loving Spider-Woman the most. And, those two Bat titles are pretty good. Of course, there is NO WAY you drop Echo. That's the best of all those titles...and, I know your love of Project Superpowers; so, there is more of a chance of you going back to Spider-Man than dropping that. (I would drop Black Terror, though. Those Project Superpower minis are nowhere as good as the main title...although, I still have to read the Bring On The Bad Guys one. I'm finally starting to get to that title again.)

Yeah, Echo and everything Project Superpowers are here to stay. Echo is just great and the PS stuff is well priced typically and they promote their titles with cost in mind (issue 0 was only $1). I love their stories, and though Masquerade and Death-Defying Devil weren't quite up to par with the main story, Black Terror was just as good in my opinion, and issue 5 that just came out a couple weeks ago was just as good... so as long as the quality stays up, the book stays with me.

NOW, I will say if I had to choose, I'd drop the Green Lanterns and Marvel space adventures, simply for the fact that they are both always involved in big events. If you truly want to save on money, you stay away from crossover heavy titles. And, face it, Hulk speaks for itself!

Yeah, I just laid out my Hulk plans... that was the biggest and easiest one for me. From here it gets hard.

As for the Cosmic stuff... unfortunately for my buying habbits, I think they're some of the best stories coming out of Marvel currently... correction... I think they're THE best stories coming out of Marvel. I LOVE Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy weekin and weekout. The minis with Inhumans and Imperial Guard are just starting and at $4 an issue I'm a little less prone to want to pick them up, but as being part of the cosmic canvass I'm giving them a shot.

I do agree that I need to cut a major genre due to crossovers and events, but I don't think it's going to be the Cosmic scene. Most likely it's going to be the Avengers genre.

As for Green Lantern... I'm loving him right now, but we'll see where he's at post-Blackest Night before I make any decisions on him. I'm loving his book and have been leading up to this, but I just started reading the book regularly with the Sinestro Corps War, so the War of Light is all I know. I may not be as crazy about him outside of that plot point, so we'll see.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Okay... now the other change I think I'm going to make to the Ongoing list is Spider-Woman.

I actually really enjoyed the first issue, and I like the feel of Bendis with the artist. Bendis is at his best on solo-street-level characters, and this book really has the feel of his Daredevil work... but here's a few reasons I think I'm dropping this title:

1) It's just gotten started so I've not become attached to it, and I've never been attached to the character, so it's easy to let go of.

2) While written well, it's playing on a plot (Jessia's abduction by the Skrulls) that is now old and cliched. I'm fairly Skrulled out since Secret Invasion, and the Marvel Universe has moved far beyond that storyline into the Dark Reign, so I find that I don't really care about Jessica's revenge. Not to mention, this isn't even the Jessica that I grew to like, since that one was the Skrull queen Veranke.

3) With me more than likely dropping most of the Avengers line following the Siege storyline, there's no point in me starting this one and then possibly dropping it less than a year (when I could possibly have more attachment to it). It's better to just drop it now and just keep moving forward.

I'll keep ahold of my first issue in case things really pick up, reviews get really good, and I decide to jump back in at a later date... but for now, Spider-Woman is done... and like with Hulk, I'm behind and now won't have to get the back issues I've missed.

So that takes the list to:

Monthly Ongoing Titles:
Monthly Ongoing Titles: $72.00

Mini's and Oneshots
DECEMBER: $52.00
JANUARY: $58.00
FEBRUARY: $55.00


And now estimating the Minis and Oneshots at $55.... that brings the monthly total to....

$127

 

[JewishHobbit]

Okay... and now looking at the Minis and Ongoings... I see a few things I think I can cut without much problem.

First is the Psylocke mini. I've read the first issue, and it was okay, but most likely nothing's going to come of it that's a big influence on the core X-Men books, and It'll likely sell for cheaper than $4 an issue on ebay later, or on Milehighcomics during some codeword sale, so I can cut that without issue.

The second is the Marvels Project. I've read the first 2 issues, and they were good, but not as good as I had hoped. I can tell that it'll likely be a good read in one sitting when the whole thing is finished, but with the month wait between issues I find myself not caring so much. So maybe down the road I'll buy these in a set on ebay, but I can drop them now without much worry. Not to mention I missed issue 3 and now won't have to get caught up on that.

So that saves me another $8 a month.

 

[JewishHobbit]

And upon going over my work so far I see I made some grave math errors somewhere in there, but in retweaking and adding everything... HERE is the new tallies:

Monthly Ongoing Titles:
Monthly Ongoing Titles: $72.00

Mini's and Oneshots
DECEMBER: $50.00
JANUARY: $39.00
FEBRUARY: $36.00

Now, there's still that spike in December but that's due to the New Avengers and Dark Avengers Annuals being $5 each, which is a one time a year thing. Typically it'd be cheaper.

So, let's estimate the Oneshot/Minis monthly cost at, say, $45 a month, that brings the new total to...

$117 Per Month.


Only $2 from my original statement, but now more accurate for future planning.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I sure hate trying to post on The Hype at night. It's when I always get big lags.

Anyway, sorry to hear you're dropping Spider-Woman. Besides Echo, I'd say it's one of the best on your list. Those first three issues have been pretty damn good...and, it's most definitely the best I've read from Bendis in ages.

Yeah, it's a good idea to drop any X-mini that is a solo character's adventure. I'm trying to think of one that has been fantastic...and, I just can't think of a one.

And, yeah, I agree about Marvel Projects. I can care less about Timely Comics era of Marvel's history...and, am much more interested in the here and now. I read the first issue; but, have the last couple saved up in my must-read box.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Okay... I'm close, but I'm very tired and can't focus on this anymore. I'm proud of the work I've done thus far and I will continue tomorrow. But for the sake of it, here's my updated list of what's to come, simplifying it but removing the actual dates of release for the Minis and Ongoings...

Monthly Ongoing Titles: $72

Uncanny X-Men
X-Men Legacy
Astonishing X-Men
X-Force
X-Factor
Cable
New Mutants

Nova
Guardians of the Galaxy
Sword

New Avengers $4
Mighty Avengers
Dark Avengers $4
Avengers: The Initiative
Secret Warriors
Thunderbolts

Batman
Batman & Robin
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps

Echo $3.50

Project Superpowers
Black Terror $3.50


Here is my Mini's & Oneshots list through February:

DECEMBER: $50.00
Blackest Night 6
Captain America Reborn 5
Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield
Dark Avengers Annual 1
Dark X-Men 2
Nation X 1
New Avengers Annual 3
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 2
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 2
Siege Cabal
X-Force Annual 1
X-Necrosha: Gathering


JANUARY: $39.00
Captain America Reborn 6
Dark X-Men 3
Marvels: Eye of the Camera 6
Nation X 2
Nation X: X-Factor 1
Phantom Stranger 42 ($3)
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 3
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 3
Siege 1
Siege: Embedded


FEBRUARY: $36.00
Blackest Night 7
Dark X-Men 4
Nation X 3
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 4
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 4
Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk 1
Siege 2
Siege: Embedded 2
X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back


Monthly Grand Total (estimating Minis and Ongoings at $45) = $117.00

 

[JewishHobbit]

Anyway, sorry to hear you're dropping Spider-Woman. Besides Echo, I'd say it's one of the best on your list. Those first three issues have been pretty damn good...and, it's most definitely the best I've read from Bendis in ages.

Yeah, that's a hard one, probably tied with Incredible Hulk for the hardest drop... but it makes the most sense and I won't miss it much since I'm not really that invested in it yet.

My hope is that after The Siege Bendis will make his departure from the Avengers line. He's done a good job and made a stamp in the history of the team (love it or hate it) but I kinda feel like he's told the stories he wanted to tell. He disassembled the team, and now he's putting it back together. It'd be a great place to leave the genre on.

This would create a great breaking point for me and for my binding projects... but also, if he continues on Spider-Woman as a solo act outside of the Avengers... that'd make it a more stand alone title like Daredevil, and one I'd more likely continue picking up.

We'll see how the chips fall, but if that ends up happening the Avenger titles I end up dropping will free up some space and I'd like to continue on the Spider-Woman title, provided it remains good. That's what I'm hoping for.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Okay... so I'm rested but still having a heck of a time trying to figure out what to do to lessen my buy list from here. I have a few thoughts that I'm not married to yet, but here's my thinking:


Astonishing X-Men - This title has been unimportant to the overall X-Men story, and pretty much ignores everything going on around it since Warren Ellis took over (and it's ignored everything around it since Whedon started the series). While this new arc has been pretty good, it's frustrating due to how disconnected it feels. So for right now I'm going to put this book on the shelf until money clears up a bit, or until after I drop some Avenger titles, and then I'll continue it when finances are better. Chances are I won't miss anything of any real importance that way.

X-Factor - I like this book a lot but it is also disconnected from the core X-Men world, and I know it has nothing to do with any of the big X-Men stories coming up over the next few months. Plus, this issue 200 coming up is $5, which is stupid. I was into the futuristic story that just ended, but having not started the new direction I have no connection to it and it is a good breaking point. So If I stop this for the time being, then, like with Astonishing, I can come back to it when I drop the Avenger titles after the Siege when I can afford it. This also gives me the chance of maybe passing on the X-Factor oneshot that ties in with Nation X (loosely I'd assume).

Batman, Batman & Robin - My problem with this is that I just started Batman at Battle for the Cowl. I've always wanted to get into Batman but EVERY SINGLE TIME I hit some kind of financial snag and have to cut titles and, since it's new and I'm not attached to it, I drop it again. I know I'd like the stuff if I can just get into the groove of it, but one again, this makes the most sense on what to drop. I don't want to drop these but stuff has to go and I'm not as invested in these as I am in most everything else.




Now, I don't like any of the options above but something's gotta break. But they work best for a temparary hiatus. I figure, I'm trying to just afford what I'm buying until the end of the Siege, and then once I know where I'm at with the Avengers titles, I'll be able to better redefine my buying habbits. But for now I think these can go. It's only a few months. And I can get caught back up with my Income Tax Return, so it's good timing.

 

[JewishHobbit]

And so Updated:

Monthly Ongoing Titles: $60

Uncanny X-Men
X-Men Legacy
X-Force
Cable
New Mutants

Nova
Guardians of the Galaxy
Sword

New Avengers $4
Mighty Avengers
Dark Avengers $4
Avengers: The Initiative
Secret Warriors
Thunderbolts

Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps

Echo $3.50

Project Superpowers
Black Terror $3.50


Here is my Mini's & Oneshots list through February:

DECEMBER: $50.00
Blackest Night 6
Captain America Reborn 5
Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield
Dark Avengers Annual 1
Dark X-Men 2
Nation X 1
New Avengers Annual 3
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 2
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 2
Siege Cabal
X-Force Annual 1
X-Necrosha: Gathering


JANUARY: $35.00
Captain America Reborn 6
Dark X-Men 3
Marvels: Eye of the Camera 6
Nation X 2
Phantom Stranger 42 ($3)
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 3
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 3
Siege 1
Siege: Embedded


FEBRUARY: $36.00
Blackest Night 7
Dark X-Men 4
Nation X 3
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 4
Realm of Kings: Inhumans 4
Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk 1
Siege 2
Siege: Embedded 2
X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back


Monthly Grand Total (estimating Minis and Ongoings at $40) = $100.00



RING THE BELLS!!!! DING DING DING!!!

So that hits the $100/month that I was going for. I'm not happy about it, but I think this is the best thing for me for the time being. I hate losing X-Factor the most I think, even if it is just a temparary status... but I figure that if Sword isn't panning out after 2 or 3 issues then I'll switch the two.

So this is pretty decent, and I'd still like to cut a bit more but I don't think I can at the moment. December will be tight as always, but the Minis/Oneshots price will drop after December so that'll free up some extra money as well, so that'll be a help.




So okay, thanks for putting up with me. I've just had all this running in my head for quite some time now and I really just needed to work through it to figure out what I needed to do. I might continue this thread on my next purge after The Siege, but we'll see.

Thank you for your time....

JH

 

[Franklin Richards]

I've had this problem for many years. And the thing that's kept me in comics has always been my totem. The comic that has been closest to my heart since I was a kid. No matter what titles came and went, this one title has been the constant for me. Even through the "bad" years. I can even look at those years fondly because despite the stories, they are still a tether to a time in my life.

Obviously that title for me has been the Fantastic Four. And when I could afford it I branched out to my second favorite title the Green Lantern. Luckily Hal Jordan was missing for a few years so I didn't feel bad about skipping that title for a bit. But after committing to my FF mag, it was the job of the publishers to catch my eye for the other mags. When I started doing that it helped my wallet alot. I didn't have to pick up a mag just because I had always done so. Except of course for the "Constant".

If I'm any judge of character, I'd guess that you should stick with Uncanny X-Men and let the market convince you what to buy. Don't be a sucker. Make them work.


And you can always pick up cheap story arcs later.


Just my first thoughts.

 

[JewishHobbit]

JewishHobbit's Cut List
Astonishing X-Men
Batman
Batman & Robin
Fall of Hulks: Alpha (oneshot)
Fall of Hulks: Gamma (oneshot)
Fall of Hulks: Red Hulk (mini)
Hulk
Incredible Hulk
Marvels Project (mini)
Psylocke (mini)
Spider-Woman
X-Factor
X-Nation: X-Factor (oneshot)


Man, some toughies up there that I'll miss but overall I think this is a good list for me to drop. I'll miss Incredible Hulk, X-Factor, and Spider-Woman most... and Astonishing X-Men to a slightly lesser degree, but we'll see. Hopefully I'll find some extra money laying around so I can continue a few of these spiratically until they can become longterm again.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I've had this problem for many years. And the thing that's kept me in comics has always been my totem. The comic that has been closest to my heart since I was a kid. No matter what titles came and went, this one title has been the constant for me. Even through the "bad" years. I can even look at those years fondly because despite the stories, they are still a tether to a time in my life.

Obviously that title for me has been the Fantastic Four. And when I could afford it I branched out to my second favorite title the Green Lantern. Luckily Hal Jordan was missing for a few years so I didn't feel bad about skipping that title for a bit. But after committing to my FF mag, it was the job of the publishers to catch my eye for the other mags. When I started doing that it helped my wallet alot. I didn't have to pick up a mag just because I had always done so. Except of course for the "Constant".

If I'm any judge of character, I'd guess that you should stick with Uncanny X-Men and let the market convince you what to buy. Don't be a sucker. Make them work.


And you can always pick up cheap story arcs later.


Just my first thoughts.

Yeah, I think I'm going to be going this route soon enough. This was just my first major round of cuts to get my current buying to controlable levels. Once the Siege ends I plan on going through another one, possibly a bit more dramatic. I'm tired of buying everything because it ties in or has something to do with something I'm somewhat interested in... and I'm tired of reading things from every aspect of Marvel... and I'm tired of $4-$5 comics, which I just don't think they're worth.

So come the end of Dark Reign, I'm going to completely rethink my buy list and we'll see where that takes me.

Like you said, my teether would most certainly be the X-Men world, with Uncanny being the core of that world. So I will always depend on those core X-titles no matter how good or bad.

Marvel's Cosmic stuff is currently earning every cent, so I have no hesitation buying those... even if the mini's are $4.

Avengers, however, has been a mess. There's a good overall feel, and some of the titles or arcs have been interesting enough to keep me going... but continuity has been a mess, and it's just far too large and all enveloping, sucking me dry. That's why it'll be the first major casualty I think. But we'll see how things are after Dark Reign. There's a chance I'll be interested in stuff post Dark Reign, but I'm not getting everything like I have been. In my opinion, Secret Warriors has been fantastic and I'll continue that one. That's really the only sure bet. Everything else is suspect to being put in the crapper.

 

[Energist]

I've had this problem for many years. And the thing that's kept me in comics has always been my totem. The comic that has been closest to my heart since I was a kid. No matter what titles came and went, this one title has been the constant for me. Even through the "bad" years. I can even look at those years fondly because despite the stories, they are still a tether to a time in my life.

Obviously that title for me has been the Fantastic Four. And when I could afford it I branched out to my second favorite title the Green Lantern. Luckily Hal Jordan was missing for a few years so I didn't feel bad about skipping that title for a bit. But after committing to my FF mag, it was the job of the publishers to catch my eye for the other mags. When I started doing that it helped my wallet alot. I didn't have to pick up a mag just because I had always done so. Except of course for the "Constant".

If I'm any judge of character, I'd guess that you should stick with Uncanny X-Men and let the market convince you what to buy. Don't be a sucker. Make them work.


And you can always pick up cheap story arcs later.


Just my first thoughts.

Great post. This is exactly, exactly the way I operate as well, except my "tether" (perfect term for it, by the way) would be Daredevil. And while the writing on it has been excellent for the past ten years or so, there are actually a couple of arcs that I very well may have skipped had it been any other title. I justify it, though, because I truly do love the character, and figure every comic book fan should have one book that they strive to have a complete set of.

By and large, though, my advice to fellow fans is don't buy books out of habit, and if you do, try to limit yourself to the one(s) that features your favorite group or character. I came to this conclusion early on in life, being that I was only granted a $3 allowance a week at age eight. Of course money's not nearly as tight now, but because of that constraint placed on me at an early age, I realized that having a gap of a few numbers in my collection outside of Daredevil didn't spell the end of the world, especially when those issues wouldn't have entertained me anyway.

Anyway, it looks like you've gotten your pull list under control, so congrats. I think once you let go of the OCD mentality of "MUST COMPLETE RUN" that so many of us unfortunately suffer from, you'll be a happier comic book reader/collector. I know for myself, I actually feel good when I drop a title like Cry For Justice after issue #2, because I'm not rewarding DC for a story that's failing to captivate me in any way, shape, or form.

 

[Themanofbat]

Hey JH... just out of curiosity, does your shop not offer you a discount of any kind?

We have 3 shops here in my small town of 130 000 people, and I think the percentages will range between 10% to 20% depending on where you buy and how much you buy...

My guy would gladly give you 20% off if you were spending over $100 per month...

Just wondering...