By MATT SCHORR
I don’t visit comic book message boards, anymore. I just can’t. They depress me. By and large, they’re filled with nothing but complaints. Readers hate the latest direction of Spier-Man. They hate the new look of Superman in the upcoming movie. They’re pissed off over how much it’s going to cost them to collect the next big crossover event.
And yet, despite all that anger and frustration, they’re all going to line up at their local comic book shop each week to shell out their hard-earned cash for everything they complain about.
Allow me to make a humble suggestion: if you don’t like it, don’t buy it!
I can hear some folks’ responses now. “I don’t! In fact, this is it! The last issue! I’m not picking up this series anymore!” And then, they stack it up along with all their other purchases the following month, get pissed off again, and flood message boards with angry rants.
I’ve got some news for you guys. The publishers could give a damn what you say online. They’re just interested in sales figures. If you want to make a statement, make it with your wallet. That’s one comment they’ll notice.
I usually have to order my comics online, but there have been times I’ve ventured to the nearest comic book store. I once carried four issues to the counter (and, with a price tag of over $15, I thought I was really splurging!), and came face-to-face with a man who looked nearly forty and carrying at least three dozen NEW issues. He looked at me, laughed, and said, “I wish I could cut back like you!” Then, he purchased the stack—which cost well over $100—and discussed with the shop owner how much he hated the latest Marvel event.
I’m guessing he lit up Marvel’s message board that night. Marvel, meanwhile, happily deposited the check.
Worst. Comic. Ever. Take THAT, Stan Lee!
Fans have almost become numb to the big companies’ ad slogans. It’s a standing joke among us how this month is going to change the DC/Marvel/Image/etc. universe as we know it forever. Sure, we say, and next month we’ll be right back where we started. We roll our eyes, scratch our heads, and continue shelling out money for each issue.
Again: stop doing that!
For those who don’t know, I’m a pretty big fan of Superman. I’ve got shelves dedicated to the Man of Steel and his ongoing exploits. Lately, I’ve picked them all up in trade paperbacks, but with the Grounded story, I drew the line. I heard nothing but bad reviews of that story, and I don’t just mean the usual online message board vitriol, either. No, respected reviewers and columnists were coming out and calling this saga painfully dull, plodding, and just plain BAD. So, I figured, the hell with it. J. Michael Straczynski’s stories with the Man of Steel won’t be gracing my bookshelf. And they haven’t.
I don't care if your father beats you. I'm not buying this comic.
Did that decision give the execs at DC pause? Did they balk at my decision and conclude that the only way to restore my interest was to shake the whole universe up and reboot everything?
Probably not. But if there were enough other people out there who made the same decision, I’m sure they noticed those diminishing sales figures. I doubt it’s a coincidence Grant Morrison—the guy who’s work on All-Star Superman was so praised—is one of the guys rebooting Superman, rather than Straczynski.
So if you want to tell the publishers something, say it by closing your wallet. Angry fans and internet trolls can be ignored. Sales figures can’t.
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