Getting back into/leaving comics

[Lithium]

So I stopped buying comics back in 2009. I was a poor college student, and beer was a more worthwhile use of my money. I loved heading to my LCS every Wednesday to pick up new books, and it was hard to leave that part of me behind after spending the last 8 or so years before building my collection. For the most part I tried to keep up with the stories by reading reviews and whatnot, but it wasn't the same.


Now that I have graduated college and have a steady job as a junior engineer, I am proud to say my finances look great. I have been thinking about trying to get back into the comic book scene, but I don't know where to start, or whether I should go the trade paperback route, or any titles I might be interested in.

At the same time however, I'm looking to possibly get rid of a good portion of my collection. Is there a best way to go about selling my comics? Should I be selling individual issues if they are more valuable or trying to get rid of entire runs or sets? Can anyone offer any advice here?

As far as getting back into it, what titles do you guys/girls really love these days? I know I want to read The Bat-Family, Saga and a few others, but I am open to suggestions (indie and marvel mostly. Other than batman and co. I have never been a DC fan.)

 

[Captain Canuck]

For getting rid of comics, it depends on how much work you're willing to put into it. You could probably do well selling your comics individually or in small lots on eBay, but I find that it's too much of a hassle to do so.

I mostly buy my comics digitally through comixology these days. I only buy Ultimate Spider-Man in hard copy now b/c I have every single issue of it.

I would recommend Remender's Uncanny Avengers to you. If you don't mind going back and catching up on old issues, his run on Uncanny X-Force was also amazing and leads into his Avengers book.

Fraction's Hawkeye ongoing & Waid's Daredevil are both really good, as well as Hickman's Avengers & New Avengers.

I also like Ultimate Spider-Man, as I previously mentioned.

As for other stuff you missed... Hickman's run on Fantastic Four/FF was amazing, the Hope Saga in X-Men was pretty good (Messiah CompleX & Second Coming) and it has important developments in the "no more mutants" Stuff from House of M. Then Avengers: The Children's Crusade (by Alan Heinburg) brought back the Scarlet Witch and that whole thing was finally wrapped up in AVX, but in my opinion AVX wasn't very good.

I hope some of that helps.

 

[E]

So I stopped buying comics back in 2009. I was a poor college student, and beer was a more worthwhile use of my money. I loved heading to my LCS every Wednesday to pick up new books, and it was hard to leave that part of me behind after spending the last 8 or so years before building my collection. For the most part I tried to keep up with the stories by reading reviews and whatnot, but it wasn't the same.
Now that I have graduated college and have a steady job as a junior engineer, I am proud to say my finances look great. I have been thinking about trying to get back into the comic book scene, but I don't know where to start, or whether I should go the trade paperback route, or any titles I might be interested in.
At the same time however, I'm looking to possibly get rid of a good portion of my collection. Is there a best way to go about selling my comics? Should I be selling individual issues if they are more valuable or trying to get rid of entire runs or sets? Can anyone offer any advice here?
As far as getting back into it, what titles do you guys/girls really love these days? I know I want to read The Bat-Family, Saga and a few others, but I am open to suggestions (indie and marvel mostly. Other than batman and co. I have never been a DC fan.)

I'm going to second Cap's Uncanny Avengers recommendation. It's Marvel's best book and they are only 9 issues in (counting the Age of Ultron tie-in, which does not require reading AoU to "get").

Saga is the best book being printed right now. They are only 12 issues in and the 2nd trade is coming out next week. Should be easy to catch up.

DC is lacking right now, so you aren't missing much even if you did want to read it. Batman is pretty good, and of course Batman Incorporated is phenomenal. Grant Morrison's entire run on Batman has been great, and everything he has done except the 2 or 3 (I think) most recent issues of Batman Inc. are available in trade (tracking down all of the issues would be a huge pain).

Cap's recommendations of Hawkeye, Daredevil, Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers and New Avengers are all seconded. Daredevil is somewhere around 25 issues in, but the rest are all very new and shouldn't be hard to track down.

I also very, very strongly second Cap's (he has good taste in comics) Hickman Fantastic Four recommendation. It was so amazing. It was one of the great all-time comic book runs. Tracking down the issues shouldn't be *too* hard, but there are 2 omnibus volumes coming out, the first this fall I believe. Don't get the individual hardcovers/trades for Fantastic Four/FF, because the stories intertwine and it's much better to read them that way. The omnibuses will collect everything in his recommended reading order.

I also really, really love Mind MGMT by Matt Kidt (Dark Horse). Early issues are hard to find but there is a BEAUTIFUL hardcover collecting the first 6 issues.

 

[Captain Canuck]

I also very, very strongly second Cap's (he has good taste in comics) Hickman Fantastic Four recommendation. It was so amazing. It was on of the great all-time comic book runs.

Well thanks, but I only read this because E kept singing its praises so loudly and enthusiastically. And yeah, it's really that good.

 

[Nurhachi]

I'd strongly also recommend Uncanny Avengers. I feel its the best book out right now.
Hickman's New Avengers is also great, as well as Avengers.

If your into the Avengers, don't be overwhelmed by the fact that there is 9 books with "Avengers" on the cover. The only two books that ACTUALLY have Avengers teams on them is Avengers and Uncanny Avengers. The rest just uses the name for marketing purposed (eg. Secret Avengers is SHIELD, and New Avengers are the Illuminati).

I'd also second E's recommendation of the Hawkeye series. E recommended that to me and I've really enjoyed it.

As for Spider-Man, I have faith in Dan Slott, but this wouldn't be a good time to get into the Spidey comics. If your interested in Spidey I'd wait this current saga out.

 

[Captain Canuck]

As for Spider-Man, I have faith in Dan Slott, but this wouldn't be a good time to get into the Spidey comics. If your interested in Spidey I'd wait this current saga out.

That line right there is telling of the whole Superior Spider-Man "saga."






(Really? We're calling it a saga now?)