How quickly can you tell if you'll enjoy a comic??

[JackDaw]

There's a certain very successful writer whose comics I just don't enjoy. Let's call him "X". He's highly rated and has written a ton of characters I like...so over the years have read a couple of hundred issues worth. Eventually I said "That's it, never going to read another one of his comics".

But in library yesterday, saw some collected trades written by him, featuring characters I really like. Thought "Might be worth taking out, free anyway".

So pulled one off shelf, and literally skim read it for 5 minutes. Then put it back on shelf...having come to confident conclusion "X hasn't got any better. In fact looks even poorer". Something about the lay-outs just looked "wrong". Yes...obviously...I know the artist does the lay-outs...but a good writer gets the best from his artist. The artist here was going through the motions. Dialogue was poor...and a hell of a lot of big splash pages. Way too many...always a sign that there's naff all story there.

Anyway...how quickly can you tell if you're going to enjoy a comic. An issue? A story arc? Less than an issue? Or longer than a story arc??

[Cozzster]

There's a certain very successful writer whose comics I just don't enjoy. Let's call him "X". He's highly rated and has written a ton of characters I like...so over the years have read a couple of hundred issues worth. Eventually I said "That's it, never going to read another one of his comics".

But in library yesterday, saw some collected trades written by him, featuring characters I really like. Thought "Might be worth taking out, free anyway".

So pulled one off shelf, and literally skim read it for 5 minutes. Then put it back on shelf...having come to confident conclusion "X hasn't got any better. In fact looks even poorer". Something about the lay-outs just looked "wrong". Yes...obviously...I know the artist does the lay-outs...but a good writer gets the best from his artist. The artist here was going through the motions. Dialogue was poor...and a hell of a lot of big splash pages. Way too many...always a sign that there's naff all story there.

Anyway...how quickly can you tell if you're going to enjoy a comic. An issue? A story arc? Less than an issue? Or longer than a story arc??

I think I can usually tell within about 6 issues. I mostly buy stuff based on whether I know I like the author or character or if a bunch of people on here recommend a book. I can only think of a handful of books that have disappointed me using this strategy.

[JackDaw]

I think I can usually tell within about 6 issues. I mostly buy stuff based on whether I know I like the author or character or if a bunch of people on here recommend a book. I can only think of a handful of books that have disappointed me using this strategy.

With an author, I've not come across before, I'd guess 6 issues is about "par for the course" for me as well.

Like you, if I like an author then I generally just need to know basic premise behind a story to be pretty sure whether I'll like comic or not.

But unlike you, I have been desperately disappointed in a fair number of comics highly recommended on these boards. I tend to look for recs from people that I know have similar tastes to mine.

[TomSlick]

There's a certain very successful writer whose comics I just don't enjoy. Let's call him "X". He's highly rated and has written a ton of characters I like...so over the years have read a couple of hundred issues worth. Eventually I said "That's it, never going to read another one of his comics".

But in library yesterday, saw some collected trades written by him, featuring characters I really like. Thought "Might be worth taking out, free anyway".

So pulled one off shelf, and literally skim read it for 5 minutes. Then put it back on shelf...having come to confident conclusion "X hasn't got any better. In fact looks even poorer". Something about the lay-outs just looked "wrong". Yes...obviously...I know the artist does the lay-outs...but a good writer gets the best from his artist. The artist here was going through the motions. Dialogue was poor...and a hell of a lot of big splash pages. Way too many...always a sign that there's naff all story there.

Anyway...how quickly can you tell if you're going to enjoy a comic. An issue? A story arc? Less than an issue? Or longer than a story arc??

so who's the author?

[DrGregatron]

Since most modern comics take about 10 minutes to read, I'd say about 10 minutes. If it's Hickman we're talking about then about 7.5 minutes due to his lack of dialogue and/or narration.

[Dayle88]

I find the more I like the art the longer it takes me to read an issue regardless of words on the page. I've skimmed through older comics and sat looking at one page for ten minutes in modern books.

I've been pretty lucky with what collections I buy that the worst I've found something is pretty decent. For single issues I buy digitally and I can tell after one issue if I'll continue usually. If a story is glacial but I like the art and the character I'll give something 2 or 3 issues to see if things start unfolding.

[TickTock]

I'll literally give it one issue. If I'm on the fence, then whether or not I continue depends on if I'm still at all interested when the next one comes out. But I'm like you, there are some writers that I just do not enjoy and won't touch, that others seem to love. Cullen Bunn springs to mind.

[awayne83]

I can usually tell within the first few pages if i'm going to hate something or not because of how it's written. If the narration/dialogue is too campy or just not well written is a big turn off for me. Even more so than bad art. This is why i have trouble getting into translated editions, because that version comes across as robotic or "too proper" more often then not.

[JackDaw]

so who's the author?

I almost teased you with the equation X=GJ...but I know you'd crack that in a micro-second, so I'll admit its Geoff Johns.

[BatGlamorous]

Usually if I constantly forget about a book and/or have to play catch-up with multiple issues all the time. If I don't get around to reading issue #2 before issue #3 is out, there's a problem.

[Mr`Orange]

With so many great books out there at the moment I can't afford to spend time on books that I don't like or enjoy just because they are "important" (to a universe) or in the hope that they will get better. So I usually give them about an issue though sometimes a lot less. It isn't just the story I look for as it is the way the story is being told, if it is structured well, scripted well I'll give it a little more time but if it is a standard super hero book I'll drop it a lot sooner.

Two recent examples I dropped the new Wolverine after one issue as it was in my opinion badly written and a generic super hero story, but I gave Wunderwaffen a couple of issues as though I didn't really enjoy the first issue greatly the story was interesting enough for me to carry on and it was worthwhile carrying on as it got a lot better.

So depending on the book it is between one issue and one arc.

[John Aston]

Not all comics are equal.

A first issue should hook me in like a first page of a novel. A collection of comic strips should flesh out its characters so that I it's sad when the volume is finished. Sometimes, the ending changes the way I look at the comic as a whole, when it comes to long-formatted stories.

If it's a normal kind of week and I'm drifting off into my thoughts, it's usually a sign to move on.

[Mike]

Usually after the first 3 or 4 pages.

[adameastment]

It entirely depends on book to book. Most recently with ANAD Avengers I got to issue 2 and cancelled my sub, but usually it doesn't take too long into a creative team when I discover whether I like the book or not.

[JackDaw]

It entirely depends on book to book. Most recently with ANAD Avengers I got to issue 2 and cancelled my sub, but usually it doesn't take too long into a creative team when I discover whether I like the book or not.

Yes..that's the "secret"...follow the creative team.

I suppose that when I first came back to reading a few comics after a long, long break it took me a long time to suss out what sort of comics I'd like to read again.

Bizarrely when I first came back I ignored the most important "rule" that determines my prose reading: Follow the writer!

Because my nostalgic memories were all about favourite characters I started my comeback to comics by following characters. It took an embarrassingly long time to realise why I was enjoying Daredevil comics a lot more than Superman comics...a fair number of the former are well written, while most modern Superman comics are poorly written. (Yes...obviously one man's subjective opinion.) Love Superman, but no desire to read poorly written stuff featuring him.

Once I started following writers, it all became easier and more enjoyable....if X screws up Batman...he'll do the same to the Metal Men.

Other main aid is finding veteran reviewers with similar tastes to your own....for example, I take reviewers who like Garth Ennis more "seriously" than those that like Geoff Johns.