So, every week I hit my local comic shop and every week I come home with between 10-12 titles to read. Some books, like Sweet Tooth, Scalped, The Unwritten and Secret Six, I love and can’t get enough of. And then there are other books. This column is about those “other” books.
These are the books that I don’t love. These are the titles that end up on the bottom of my weekly reading pile, because I’m in no rush to get to them, because I don’t find them enjoyable in the least. These are the books that show me for the optimist that I am, because I continue buying them hoping with all of my heart that the current creative quagmire is just a rough patch and not an unfortunate status quo.
Part of me wants to be like Mitch and Murray and continue to give these titles the opportunity to disappoint me, while another part of me wants to be like Blake and drop the book because “a loser is a loser.”
I’m genuinely torn.
Teen Titans – I can’t remember the last time I cared about this book, but I’m 99% positive it was pre-Infinite Crisis. Ok, I guess I cared a little when Tim and Cassie had their little fling, but I’ve got no idea why I’m still buying this title.
Oh, that’s right; it’s the only place I can see Bart Allen and Static in action. And Aquagirl (what can I say; Sub Diego rocked!) Unfortunately I haven’t done more than skim through the main story for months. It doesn’t help that I hate Raven and she seems to be the focal point of the current arc.
I guess worst case scenario I’ll stick around for another year until #100, which seems like a nice jumping off point, despite there being an inevitable new creative team jumping on board with #101.
Booster Gold – Ever since Giffen and DeMatteis started writing this book, it’s been a chore to read. I’ve enjoyed some of the detours, visiting Daxam during the Great Darkness Saga and getting caught up in Invasion!, but the scripting seems so forced. They are desperately reaching for humor you can practically see the sweat flopping out of their pores.
It’s sad because the concept is a solid one and I genuinely like the character. It’s really unfortunate when Booster Gold’s adventures in the Time Masters mini are more enjoyable than the action in his own solo title.
Still, like Teen Titans, I’ll probably stick around for another year to watch the title get to #50.
Green Arrow – Ugh, I totally meant to drop this book after #3, but I still haven’t gotten around to it. This book is just dreadful.
Brightest Day – It’s not a good sign when I only really care about one of this biweekly’s six leads (Aquaman) and I’m pretty indifferent toward the majority of the remainder. And the only redeeming thing about the Hawks, whose storyline I hate, is that James Robinson will be writing them when this mess is over.
As much as I love the team of Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, this book is doing very little for me I will say that I’m loving Scott Clark’s work on the Firestorm story. But yeah, this book is dangerously lacking enjoyment for me.
Supergirl – This title has had some glimpses of originality in the past. Supergirl dealing with a super stalker/abusure in Power Boy was refreshing, as was Supergirl trying to cure cancer. Sadly now she’s just another Kryptonian who masquerades at the Daily Planet as an average human. Yawn. She’s every bit the Superman clone she was in the Silver Age.
And to make matters worse the current arc finds Supergirl dealing with bizzaros on Bizarro World. That’s right; it went from boring to annoying. I really can’t think of a reason to keep reading this book, especially now that Jamal Igle’s not doing the art any longer.
Wonder Woman – I really want to enjoy this book, but I can’t. Maybe it’s because it’s cut off from the rest of the DCU. Maybe it’s because there seems to be quite a bit of wheel spinning going on.
And I’m not really invested in this story. I mean it’s very doubtful that it’s going to remain the status quo, because Diana just became a founding member of the JLA and DC wouldn’t want to muck up their new streamlined timeline. So this run is going to be largely inconsequential. And I mean even moreso than your typical run on Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman, because this one doesn’t even have the illusion of change.
So there you have it. Those are the six books that I’m most likely to drop in the coming months. Though in fairness, since they’re on the bottom of the pile there’s a chance that I won’t drop them for another six months simply because they’re so far beneath my radar.
Would anyone care to make an impassioned plea on behalf of any of these titles?
