Ten Worst Trends in Comics

[@CrazyMazapan]

As the sister of a comic lover, I find it baffling that comics seem to be thinner and thinner and they have bigger and bigger art to the point that whatever "story" is in there can be summarised in less than 50 words.

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

I was very surprised when I managed to read the 870 pages of Planet Hulk in one day. If other the event comics I have will focus on art instead of story, I'll probably be able to read 5 to 7 more in a week.

[@masido443]

Believe me as a wiki-writer (someone who oftenly stretches it to 200+): 50 words is a very generous number considering how fast you can retell them.

[@crimsonmask3819]

That's just not the case. Comics will stick at 24 pages because that's a standard built into how the sheets coming off the litho press get cut up and folded to make a book. Usually, the story content is about 21 pages, and that's also been the case for fifty years or more. You can do like 16 pages with a smaller sheet, but it is very rare to see that if it is not an ashcan or something; variations will most often be larger. As for large panels, well... that's going to vary a lot. Books that are selling on the merit of the art are likely to do that in the US because the printing size is small, unlike in Europe where great art and four-tier pages packed with panels go hand-in-hand because the books are printed HUGE. Art is part of the appeal of the medium, typically. Even if the focus isn't on art first, you'll usually get big splash or impact pages that allow an artist to show off their chops and/or feature full costumes or locations for the purpose of establishment. That's true in comics everywhere. I will grant that a great many of the new kids writing comics have just bought into a "five panels per page" standard, as opposed to actually understanding the mechanics of page layout and making the most of it, regardless of unremarkable artwork, but it's not hard to find examples to the contrary. A wider array of comics are being published every month now than for most of the history of the medium, even if the Big Two aren't as diverse as they once were.

[@ruekurei88]

@@masido443 I don't think this is right at all. As someone who reads comics and mangas about in equal supply, comics are usually far more dense writing wise. You can probably look at any random page(bar splash page) and find more text than any random manga. Which makes sense given how comics are written versus manga-comics are more 'novel' focused in how they are written, manga are first written in Japanese and how texts are aligned, the pages aren't loaded with it, and the books are smaller. So you'll likely have a lot more text in comics, from people talking AND explanation boxes.

[@Dragonsrage012]

I went to the local comic shop and looked at the wall of comics. I couldn't figure out where to start any series. All the leaflets (books) were $6 to $8. I walked over to the manga section and I saw a bunch of titles that had numbers on the spines. All the books were $10 to $12. Guess what I walked out with? The first 2 books of a manga. NOTE: Yes I called the comic books leaflets, because they are super thin and have almost no pages with story.

[@ascensionindustries9631]

There's plenty of Manga out there with way better stories than most comics today.

[@linthitmyo8969]

"American comic books are Leaflets" LOL true.

[@nobodyshome6792]

6 bucks for 25 pages of American comic, versus 12 bucks for 200 pages of a single volume of a manga. I know which has more valie.

[@adeivyssuarez2843]

You can find manga cheaper at target

[@Austin025]

​@@adeivyssuarez2843 I prefer to help out my local comic shop. It's worth the extra $ to keep a small shop open imo

[@jamesdixon2917]

"Too many comic book event turn away readers". Boy I wish phase 4 in the MCU had thought of that. I know the MCU is not exactly comic books but I think the same principle applies.

[@Byrvurra]

Phase 4 is guilty of almost every one of these things. Makes sense really.

[@Dragonsrage012]

I stopped watching the MCU. The moment I have to watch a TV show to understand a STAND ALONE movie I am out. I give passes for movies that end a show like Serenity.

[@BruFab03]

The MCU is starting to fall in the same mistakes as the comics: You have to watch everything in order to keep up, even if you don't care about that movie or TV show. That's also why I stopped caring about the Arrowverse.

[@Patrick-pc3vq]

MCU will be dead in a few years if they think people will stay loayal with so much effort having to be placed to keep track of it.

[@spider-man500]

I completely skipped Black Panther Wakanda Forever and do NOT plan to watch Ant-Man Quantemania

[@traewatkins931]

The 3 biggest things comics did wrong: 1) Forgetting that you have to get them as kids. 2) Getting too expensive for kids. 3) Making it so only comic shops have comics, they need to be at Walmart, convenience stores, and grocery stores and other places kids can buy them or pester their parents.

[@jy61]

For 3, you can't convince a place like Walmart or something to buy comics for retail when they won't turn a profit.

[@sauce6746]

@@jy61 True

[@jasonninja55]

You don't have to be a child to get comic books what

[@AdonanS]

Keeping comics in comic shops is probably what's keeping them in business. Once they move somewhere like Walmart, nobody will buy their comics from comic shops anymore.

[@readingking1421]

Walmart used to have something called their 100 Page Giants for five dollars, where they'd put 4 or five related DC comics in a paperback bundle. Some of them had new ongoing titles as well as reprints of older issues. I loved them and was following the Superman and Swamp Thing titles, until they just... stopped. It sucks, I want those back.

[@swimmingmide]

I think another problem the comics industry has is that they let more than one writer work on the same characters. For manga you generally have one person writing and drawing the thing on a weekly basis for years at a time. They have people who work with them to get the books to the printers, and some have assistants who help with the drawing/writing sometimes, but it is usualy just one person. Oda has been making One Piece for over 20 years, there was never a Kubo run of One Piece, never an Oda run of Bleach or Jo Jo's. The characters are consistent, don't have some random guy making a deconstruction or edgy version for half a year, and the creators can organicly over time take on big issues like slavery, genocide, facist governments, and the nature of good and evil, while a rubber man punches bad guys who have their own motivations.

[@schnoz2372]

Maybe they have better writers there too

[@schnoz2372]

We don't have anyone on the level of Miura except maybe george jar jar martin

[@MK_ULTRA420]

@@schnoz2372 Tolkein is the only one in the west whose fantasy writing surpasses Miura's.

[@bluemindstudios3256]

Just Marvel or dc, indie comics works like manga

[@crimsonmask3819]

@@bluemindstudios3256 Except that indies hardly ever do well enough to warrant collected volumes, and there's not much of a marketing channel for large volumes created specifically as such (in the children's book market, maybe, if at all). Comics newbies in the US raving about the tankuban imports don't think about how the Japanese marketplace makes that possible. Those titles are almost always produced for anthology magazines first, and then collected if they run long enough, but you cheapskates wouldn't buy regular anthology magazines any more than you're willing to buy US serial floppies. To me, that says you're not a viable market for cartoonists or first-run publishers to even consider. So, honestly, the publishers are right not to listen to any of your complaints. You aren't their customer, never were, and by all indications, never would be.

[@ukotoa1639]

So…are we not going to talk about Carnage wearing a Nike jacket for some fucking reason

[@SM-cv8sv]

Just be glad he isn't acting getto... yet. You remember Getto Thor?

[@wafflebroz]

Nat Geo Venom though

[@gustavogutierrez6568]

it's a trend that according to the pros it's supossed to make the characters more "relatable" but ends up being corny or dumb, like why the fuck are they're doing, it reminds me of the quarentine comics

[@theheavybird2415]

If I remember correctly. It was an artwork made for fun. Drawing the Spider-Man group in casual cloths.

[@skinnysnorlax1876]

Tite Kubo absolutely nailed taking his characters, even outlandish ones, look natural and stylish in a much more modern setting, with his covers. They seemed to be going for that but uh....Kubo is talented

[@torrancemoore6152]

Facts about that deconstruction bit. Just because you want to make characters more complex doesn't mean they can't be heroes

[@RespectTheSourceMaterial]

I'm pretty surprised CBR criticized the comic book industry. That's something they almost never do.

[@lykos2738]

I'm surprised they think they have the right. I think a huge part of the decline of the industry should be attributed to sites like Kotaku, CBR, ect. The only thing these "journalists" contribute is strife. They virtue signal no talent hacks into titles they don't deserve and have no business touching. Thanks to CBR, we have people like Mags Visaggio and Heather Antos.

[@theliato3809]

They need a living comic industry in order to bitch about it.

[@jamesneese7663]

One article buried under a mountain of support for thr Gay Robin and handicapped lesbian Spiderman. Don't let one article lull you into thinking they've reformed

[@thatHARVguy]

@@theliato3809 The current "comic industry" is pretty much overpriced propaganda pamphlets.

[@CoyoteMao]

That new intro is pretty good.

[@Orannis9]

i would watch that anime

[@sirautismo6284]

He rejected Comics; He embraced Manga

[@sbyrstall]

Very Naruto.

[@vipermageex5861]

I was an avid comic book reader in the late 80, early 90s and slowly started buying less and less because the art was getting bad, the stories were often long multipart events that went several books too long just to force you to buy them all to get the full story. The pages also started having a 50/50 story/ad split and the prices hiked up a lot. Sounds like that trend has continued and gotten worse!

[@MeizanoArdhiMuhammad]

Me too. The final nail in the coffin is X-Men Schism. It deconstructs the X-Men so much that it becomes unrecognizable.

[@thecouchpotatocom]

Same. Flashpoint, Infinite Crsis, & New52 It was confusing and I couldn't follow the story with just my favorite titles.

[@crimsonmask3819]

@@rayhann8626 Okay zoomer.

[@vipermageex5861]

@@rayhann8626 Lol, math be hard!

[@Patrick-pc3vq]

@@rayhann8626 Let people enjoy whatever they want to enjoy, what's wrong with a grandpa that likes to read comic books?

[@Blackferret66]

Another problem with elseworlds is that they tend to become canon in the main continuity, which can muck it up even more. Miles Morales coming to Marvel-616. Damien Wayne was just in a one-off graphic novel, Son of the Demon, and now he's in the main DC continuity. They even brought the friggin' Watchmen into DC. Not all "momentarily cool" ideas need to me made part of the general canon.

[@skinnysnorlax1876]

What ifs should stay as what ifs. I will die on this hill

[@crimsonmask3819]

I'm with you. I've had a few ideas on different approaches to pulp/superhero style continuities in comics that would avoid these kinds of problems, but there's no chance the established companies would ever risk changing "what works." Even though it clearly doesn't. One big thing would be to plan stories in limited runs instead of throwing things at the wall constantly with a finger on the cancellation/continuation switch. There's a four month production cycle at most publishers, so even if they cancel early they're either paying for work that never sees print or carrying the book to issue three or four just because the money's already been sunk into production. Either way, they wind up with something incomplete that has little to no potential of ever making their investment back, but they don't care mostly because everything is about "the quarter" when considering ROI. Planning short, and usually self-contained, runs with closed arcs would result in material that even if it falls flat in the first run might eventually find an audience in the secondary market (digital, now). Another idea I had has even been teased by DC in recent years, even though they'll never commit: separate continuity labels. Basically, every time some big change is made to a book's formula (or will be changed beginning with the current story arc), you create a separate label to put on books that follow that thread. But you can continue to publish books without those changes if there's demand, and the labels let consumers know what formula to expect. Although technology is making that sort of niche marketing approach more viable, the Big Two won't commit to anything like that because they still think things are the way they were thirty years ago when media companies could dictate a monolithic pop culture. Neither will they sub-license their IPs to smaller production houses that might be willing to pick up niche labels because of the taboo of brand dilution (even though they water down their brands themselves without any benefit through the constant changes and dead-end projects).

[@dddaaa6965]

Wasnt Damian made by Morison for his whole run until the end? I don’t think your right about that one

[@Blackferret66]

@@dddaaa6965 Morrison used Damian for his run, but the character originated as an infant at the end of Son of the Demon, which was a non-canon graphic novel put out in 1987. Morrison also put out Batman and Son, which was a revision and expansion of Son of the Demon, which was used to bring Damian into canon. He was also used in a couple other Elseworlds stories by other writers, in various incarnations, iirc.

[@dddaaa6965]

@@Blackferret66 oh yeah I forgot about that because the other 2 bride and birth of the demon don't mention him at all

[@Asmallcorneroftheinternet]

Adding on to that Alan Moore analysis. Moore gave us one story that was a straight-up superhero comic. The key was that it was set in a setting that could also be deconstructed. That being V For Vendetta, a tale so legendary it became the face of the anarchy movement. Yet, people can't seem to take Moore's advice and break down the setting and its cruelty. Yet, still keep our heroes heroic.

[@lorenzomizushal3980]

Alan Moore beleives in magic, and practices magick! I'd take his advice with a huge grain of salt.

[@MK_ULTRA420]

​@Balmung Super speed would be useless if the body can't handle it. Flash can react in an attosecond which is why he can dodge while running at full speed.

[@MK_ULTRA420]

​@Balmung In that case yeah it's really stupid to dismiss one of the most powerful superpowers to ever exist if it comes with the durability and thinking speed needed to use it. Otherwise super speed would wear out the joints too quickly to be useful.

[@brianmead7556]

@Balmung Being able to just run as fast as a horse would be amazing. It'd probably redo our whole technological trajectory, namely the need for engines and then other kinds of power.

[@taofist]

"Heroes", not "hero's"...but great point!

[@nightwishfan1991]

I am so done with the multiple same heroes. We are up to what, 20 spider-people now? The Spider-Man family is something I never thought I would say.

[@TheFatalcrest]

XD I mean all they need now is to make the Spider Wars arc and try to uhhhhhh pare down the number of spider people slightly. by 16 or so

[@baki484]

Superman's got it worse last son of krypton my ass. Shazam is another I used to like it when it was just Billy Batson and Black Adam only now we have the rest of those annoying characters.

[@jamesneese7663]

What? You dont think handicapped lesbian Spiderman isn't stunning and brave innovation to appeal to all the under served handicapped lesbians out there eager to see themselves in a comic? How dare you!

[@TheFatalcrest]

@@jamesneese7663 xD listen ill be honest, I think if you really are desperate to see a superhero be as handicapped as you are in reality, we got that covered by better characters than a off brand spider cripple, but thats just me.

[@jamesneese7663]

@@TheFatalcrest true but it's the justification for everything from this handicapped lesbian Spiderman to how (now) D&D dungeons have rules for wheelchair accessible dungeons for players who are handicapped and demanded representation in worlds of magic, unlimited wishes, and living gods...

[@JcgLounge]

The comic book industry also needs to acknowledge that regardless of what political leanings your customers may have, you DO NOT TELL THEM YOU DON’T WANT THEM AS CUSTOMERS SOLELY BECAUSE THEY VOTED DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU.

[@Pepe-pq3om]

But Trumpet is bad and evil and racist and misogynist and sexist 🥺😭🚫🚫😦😫😩

[@SaberInferno]

*Twitter found this offensive, prepare for the Feds to find you.*

[@JcgLounge]

@@SaberInferno Ha. I like to see them try. They won’t cancel me.

[@ocellatus100]

Or maybe dont tell the reader that they are bad/ evil/ ist-a-phobic for believing something and maybe showing that you and your beliefs arent bad/ evil/ ist-a-phobic either. Maybe the comic book industry shouldnt tell readers what kind of people they are and instead show what kind the demographics the comic book industry claims to represent actually are.

[@Rage_Harder_Then_Relax]

@@ocellatus100 Well then don't be bad/evil/ist-a-phobic. Fixed your problem.

[@SiriuslyBlack7]

I lost it on that photo of Spider-Man and the family when you asked what was up with Miles!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ohnosmoarlulcatz]

There's nothing wrong with 4 to 6 issue story arcs. The problem is that not much actually happens if anything in those 4 to 6 issues. They feel more like filler than actual stories in most cases. There's also the problem of moving away from heroic ideals. Characters feel less like heroes and more like generic vigilantes instead. In other cases, the grandiose stories don't fit who or what the series is about. It ends up feeling like the characters don't even belong in the story where they are the main character

[@AllardRT]

I can say what's wrong with 4 to 6 issue story arcs. There's zero point for me to buy a single issue. If it's written for the trade, I should just buy the trade and get the complete story. I remember how surprised I was by the density and the quick pace of the 70s-80s Daredevil comics. Each issue was a self-contained story which moved at a good pace and was entertaining. And you know what? I think coming up with such a yarn every month deserves way more commendation than spreading one out across four to six.

[@ohnosmoarlulcatz]

@@AllardRT Definitely, but there are some stories you can only tell in a longer run. Single issues are limited and there's very little you can do with 20 pages. Significant developments take longer. A lot of manga do this and a single story tends to be 3 or 4 volumes long. But, they take advantage of their format to the fullest. Comics on the other hand feel the need to shove in sequel hooks at the end of each story, making even the TPBs incomplete.

[@AllardRT]

@@ohnosmoarlulcatz Older comics did a lot more than modern ones with a lot less. IMO if you are going for the format the comics are known for, episodic storytelling is the way to go. Especially considering the hodgepodge of mercenary writers and artists working on them. SOME stories can be only told in the longer run, but even then I would argue that those should still consist of single-issue stories that can be read standalone but tie together into one big arc. That, in my opinion, is the one way to do comics proper. Manga and bande dessinee have the luxury of a single coherent vision; they extremely rarely switch the creatives. The superhero comics are junk food stories created by mercenary writers, they aren't owed the same privilege of patience manga and BD command.

[@hoangkienvu7572]

@@ohnosmoarlulcatz But sometimes manga is even worse with this, especially Bleach with how little story it has each chapter. I was lucky that I read the manga late, but it took literal years for the heroes to reach Rukia in the Death Society arc when the manga was still publishing in magazines. Some people forget that the Japanese also only gets 20 pages or so each month of their favorite manga, and it take years of publishing to compile them into a single volume.

[@ohnosmoarlulcatz]

@@hoangkienvu7572 The Soul Society arc was very long with a lot of emphasis on the fights. But, that story arc was also broken into 4 or 5 smaller arcs with their own resets if you noticed. There's the first failure into Seireitei, the re-entry, the mystery of why they are executing Rukia this way, Rukia's rescue, and Aizen's open betrayal leads the way into the next arc. There are noticeable resets to the momentum in each one.

[@Wastelandman7000]

I could add a couple of things (beyond what you said). Manga, as we know it in the west, is collected volumes of weekly floppies printed on cheap paper. If the west started printing reader's versions on cheap paper and then had a "collector's grade" for the collectors you serve both audiences, because I don't buy books to sit on a shelf, I buy them to be read and re-read, like visiting with old friends. We need reader's versions then smaller printings or print on demand for collector's versions. Second idea is rebuild the distribution networks. Comics became popular because you could buy them at every grocery and convenience store without going broke. (see my first comment) Just selling them in comic book stores and massive book stores isn't working. Put something worth reading where people can find it easily and get inexpensively and you have a winning combo.

[@MK_ULTRA420]

You're right about selling comics next to Archie and People Magazine but that only works if the kids want them enough to bother their parents as they wait in the checkout line. Selling kid's products to childless adults is a fast track to bankruptcy. Meanwhile the kids all have smartphones, and a Shonen Jump online subscription costs $1.99 a month, with downloadable chapters that can be read offline.

[@AHBelt]

I was thinking that if they printed comics on demand, they'd know what sold and not have lots of unsold stuff,

[@DragonLandlord]

They need to do weeklies like Japan does, either print digest with multiple titles or solely online.

[@TaiseiKanausuku]

Loved the video!💕 Just started my comic book collection and found Toon Haven. They offer a huge variety of digital comics for every genre, and lifetime updates too!😍

[@4AMatyomamahouse]

This is why I read manga because of the vast amounts of stories in varying genres ranging from the dark fantasy of a berserk to the mysteries in monster or the sport in ping pong

[@bluemindstudios3256]

Comics have tons of variety on non Marvel or DC.

[@username2872]

@@bluemindstudios3256 Aight would you mind a recommendation? Something I can use as a gateway to western comics

[@kts6802]

@@bluemindstudios3256 I agree with @Username give us some Western recommendations bruh...

[@ahoy4301]

With manga there’s more of a community to point you to the good shit. Scrolling through free manga sites can feel glum at times

[@dushaunlewis7574]

​@@username2872 If you like horror I would recommend Gideon Falls. I currently have the series on my shelf and I'm enjoying it.

[@BoSmith7045]

I knew you weren't going anywhere. Love the new intro. I was a teen in the 80 which was the best era in comics IMHO. And part of the reason for it was the price. I could walk into the 7 11, the grocery store, even regular book stores and find a spinner rack with not only my usual picks but often I would just take a chance on a new book with a cool cover and say "maybe it's good". If it wasn't I wasn't out much. I would explore different titles for a while and if it wasn't working for me there was something else. But slowly, the prices went up and the spinners started going away. Then suddenly everything was on high dollar paper and only sold in shops. Then I was a adult who had to pay rent and buy beer so my purchases shrank. I was only buying stuff I KNEW was good and no longer exploring. Later I found I was getting too many "eh..its ok" stories for "OMG this is amazing" prices. By 23 I had completely dropped comics. The direct market business model was always doomed. I'm just surprised that it took this long to die.

[@steveouk90126]

Mutliverses, families, etc. = "Let's redo the same story several times to get as much money as possible with the least work."

[@mk_wizard]

I would love it if my webcomics became cartoons, but I want them to still be mainstreamed as comics. Great video as always, Guy.

[@sterilepickle544]

What’s your web comic and where can I read it?

[@VorxDargo]

Some of the easiest things they could do for comics seems to be the last thing they wanna do. Damn shame. Also with the new animation can we give this man an animated series? It's THAT good!

[@brianerickson6775]

Most characters can be interesting, given the right writer. The Kingpin was a joke character until Frank Miller reinvented him as a Daredevil villian. Sand Man was nothing character, until Neil Gaiman created a new version. Also, Dr. Mid-Night and Mr. Terrific were good with the right writers. Allan Moore recreated Swamp Thing. Daredevil was a joke, along came Wally Wood. Green Arrow was Batman knock off until Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell. Green Lantern was hit or miss, then Geoff Johns. Guy Gardner was a Hal Jordon knock off.

[@NoNoDontTouchMeThere]

So what you're saying is that we should allow good and competent writers to save comics?

[@brianerickson6775]

@@NoNoDontTouchMeThere No. I'm saying that good writer can take almost any character and make that character interesting. To save comics, JSG video highlights many steps that might help. What would really save comics is getting a new Stan Lee or Jim Shooter. Someone, who can promote and market comics. Talent can only do so much.

[@Huspree2011]

I got a good laugh out of the line, "Abandon all hope ye who enter" in regards to the deconstruction complaint.

[@darrengaroutte7744]

I think the biggest issue in entertainment media is the fact that regardless of the medium, the companies producing it think only in the short term with an eye toward making as much money as possible with no thought toward the future of the product. Sometimes you get more money by giving people less, with "less" being a more focused and monetarily valuable product.

[@daniell1483]

Demon Slayer was so freaking good. Would be nice to see a comic do a fraction of what manga does, every day.

[@bri1085]

It is a very vanilla story, enjoy the anime because it is eye candy, but it's not made want to read the manga.

[@Puddledrowner22]

You should try JoJo's bizzare adventure It's so funny yet so bizzare yet so emotional

[@Sr.Green.]

The comic works much deeper stories and they have a much broader connection It is not made for fools like you who compare one to the other, and believe that a one-way story is better, It is made for people who know how to read an event with its tie-ins and interconnection that make reading much more complex than If you read only the main event because the characters are connected and that feel like an universe, even each collection Neither the manga nor the comic is better, its different but manga is one-way story, comic no. It will depend on its history but the comic has a much more complex system Even each collection is happening in real time for the universe of that comic to what happening another and everything is crossing making a much more complicated but satisfying idea If you understand how to read

[@daniell1483]

@@Sr.Green. Objectively, manga sells far better than comics. Like I said in my original post, a single manga is enough to humble the entire comic industry combined. So, no, manga is definitively performing much better. I don't know what nonsense you are talking about with "one-way stories", but based on everything else you said, it is probably some vague, nebulous term that is wrong in the end, so it probably doesn't matter either. And sure, manga doesn't do interconnection very much, but that is because it doesn't have to do so. Interconnection is used to prop up one unpopular story by connecting it to another actually popular story. Since, again, manga is doing very well for itself, it need not try to shoe horn in interconnectivity. Each story is good enough on its own merits, so it doesn't need such a crutch.

[@Sr.Green.]

@@daniell1483 sells more does not mean that It is better. But rather that It is more accessible, the complexity of the comic shows that its stories can reach more, tell you more and go deeper in any sense because is like nezuko, zenitsu and shinobu have their own manga, and they reach more complex stories having thousands of branches and stories and plots arcs than only the main, do you understand? since I am sure that the max you have reached is to read a one-shot and that reading main series leaves you as if something was missing, since guides are needed to read characters like Batman to fully understand how read and enjoy It, It is not made for a child, if you dont know how to read its not my problem, but dont spit what you dont understand... Dont come despising comic book if you haven't experienced read a story from 1 to 5 without skipping a number because within a collection, maybe there are 1 and 3

[@Doginatank6896]

I think I'm shocked that this is actually a good article from them. I used to read more of these and got bored because it felt like the opinion of the writer more than a general thing that everyone would possibly agree on.

[@alltheworldsastage4785]

AGREED!

[@VongolaXanxus]

It gets harder and harder to miss the old Bleach-esque intro with each time I see the new one

[@Wastelandman7000]

"If everyone is eating in every scene, its a shitty screen play" BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA True that sir, true.

[@Launchpad05]

Reality Television in A nutshell.

[@DeityProd]

"the pumpkin spice of the industry" love this quote

[@Launchpad05]

I could use some pumpkin spice right now.

[@Revys_Husband343]

I get it now that video you made was to say goodbye to your old style so you can have a new style! And I gotta say, I really like the new style and I prefer this new style showing how you have grown

[@springheeledjackofthegurdi2117]

I think the Animal Man, Howard the Duck and Kamandi problem is due to fans being burned too often, when characters in that weight class get a new title their not given to someone who wants them there given to either someone who wants to do some deconstruction/half-assed reinvention or are given to someone who really really wants to write something else. The best examples of this are the all new all different Howard the duck (which pretty much treated itself as more of a sequel to the Lucas film) and most of the Rebirth titles which baited fans in with revivals of characters with interesting hooks then promptly ignored them and give readers something completely different. Also on the deconstruction issue have you read any of the opposite? the reconstruction people like Moore and Morrison made like Supreme, Tom Strong and All star superman, if so why do you think there not more common in place of deconstructions?

[@AllardRT]

Deconstructions are way more commonplace than reconstructions, because they are easier.

[@thatHARVguy]

@@AllardRT The thing is, they use it to tear down the subject just to prove they suck, and the fans suck for liking the subject. They write hate fiction and pass it off as deconstructionism.

[@allenatkins2263]

I'm glad to see you return. The part I don't get is the shrinking number of places you can buy comic books. I became a fan when I was young and could buy them from my local grocery store. You can forget doing that now. The two comic shops in town closed down, so how are you ever going to attract the young fan? If you can't get new blood eventually your industry will die.

[@cecillbill]

Depends on age group. If you mean the fans young enough to love Dogman or Smile, then comic book format is not the answer. Book format like Dogman (graphic novel and manga) is way to go. It's more durable for repeat reading and tossing in a backpack, and easy to store on a bookshelf without needing extras like bags & boards; and parents easily see the value of 200 pages for $10 instead of 24 pages for $6. Not to mention book format is easier for big box places like Walmart and Target to shelve, which is why you find manga and graphic novels in those stores.

[@Coldaardvark2]

Damn it’s good to hear your voice again Just Some Guy. Thanks for the video! Good points made.

[@MrMulligan84]

New opening animation is nice JSG, gonna miss the old character though.

[@puddingcatsteamboat6393]

regarding the variant cover thing, i remember as a kid/teenager going through the comics and sometimes happening upon a variant cover i liked and buying it. now i go to the comic shop and the owner of the store has already separated out the variants from the regular covers and repackaged them with a price tag charging double the price of any of the normal covers. that’s bullshit and if it’s really the only way the owners of the store can make money off them then they aren’t worth doing at all.

[@cheyennesmith3365]

Not a trend but something I hate in modern comics is all the ads they put in the issues. A comic will be about 32 pages long but 12 of the pages are ads. So you basically pay 4 dollars for 20 actual comic pages to read. Granted, ads have been a thing forever but it’s worse now.

[@nobodyshome6792]

Older comics would have maybe 2 total pages of ads. So weird huh ?

[@noneofyourbusiness3096]

Comics have ads? I'm a manga-only reader, so I had no idea that was the situation for comics. What a terrible deal, especially for how expensive they are for how few pages.

[@bluemindstudios3256]

Fun fact: Manga also have ads, but in Japanese edition or a couple of them on one called Shonen Jump

[@queendsheena1]

It's tragic how comics are being beaten down by manga. But it's their own fault.

[@Launchpad05]

Just like how animation keeps getting beaten down by reality shows, and tween sitcoms.

[@somedandy7694]

"Let's have a Batman story where Batman becomes a drug-manufacturing kingpin. We'll call it: Breaking BAT!" - A jaded, parody-obsessed writer somewhere. I just gave them ideas, didn't I...

[@piratebear3126]

I think my perfect balance for superhero stories is to have one ongoing story for a year (12 issues), with 8-9 of the issues dedicated to the main story with a couple one-shot stories for some down time in between big scenes. As for lesser characters, give us some $10 oversized anthologies with 3-4 books worth of stories. Maybe someone picks up one of these characters, maybe they just get a cool story one time. Finally, the new intro finally has me reading FMA. Seen both anime, Brotherhood twice, but never read the manga until now.

[@SoldierSpiderx]

All I want is good stories and passionate writers being respectful and never thought In a million years I would see cbr actually make a list that actually makes tons of sense especially with a lot of current problems within comic book industry.

[@garrettchristensen8074]

A couple of months ago I went in to Barnes & Noble for 1st time in a few years. Marvel, DC, & Dark Horse literally had 1 side of a single book shelf, while MANGA filled every inch of the rest of section. The big 3 were regulated to only 1 row of their side of the shelf. The shill comic sites never talk about real #'s..Barnes & Noble used to have a huge Marvel / DC section. Those fans won't come back.

[@gene9537]

Personally I was never a big comic book person. I really latched onto the Crossgen comics. There stories of other worlds captivated me. Maybe that is why I am a big supporter of Manga now. If only Crossgen had caught on more US comics might be in a better place now.

[@D.Middzz]

As a casual fan of the cartoon shows it was a nightmare trying to figure out why superheroes like Batman have 50 variations of the same story. It's like fan fiction. Imagine if Naruto (I'm naming some manga we're all familiar with for context) was remade 50 times. It'd be ridiculous.

[@hurricane7727]

True. I think Naruto Only has Another Past Version of Himself because Boruto Time Traveled. I would hope Zabuza and Haku are Alive in that Timeline

[@sirkillalot9892]

@@hurricane7727 I believe they timetravelled to when Sasuke already left the village to work with Orochimaru. So the earlier arcs probably played the same. Maybe Jiraiya and Neji survived with that timeline Naruto has a comedic spinoff through Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals episodes

[@hurricane7727]

@@sirkillalot9892 I just Hope that Zabuza and Haku Survived in this Timeline. Imagine a Shippudden Timeline with Them Both Alive and New Appearances .

[@noanyobiseniss7462]

Guest in his own story, Dr. Strange: Hold my beer.

[@InhumanFan98]

America chavez and the multiverse of madness guest staring dr strange

[@johns.1854]

I have never been a big comic book enthusiast or collector, outside of a few random titles like Asterix and obelix, Sandman, watchmen, and Bone. However, I am a huge fan of old weird fiction, and I have been absolutely loving the Dark horse Conan series lately. Highly recommend.

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

Same although when they get to Queen of the Black Coast the artwork went down several notches and Conan almost looks like an anime boy.

[@comicbookninja5268]

I've just discovered the Dark Horse Conan recently myself and am enjoying it very much.

[@subliteral]

Love the new intro , glad you kept the music! This article is like the captain of a ship with water up to the gunwales admitting there's a hole in the bottom. It's too late. Not that resolving these problems wouldn't work but that there's no way the incompetents running the business would make such changes. They'd have to WANT to change first , and they do not.

[@m13579k]

Price was a big thing that stopped me back in the day. When I was a kid I could go to a comic store with my $10 allowance and come home with an afternoon's worth of reading. Yes, this was the late 90s but still it was around $2 a comic book depending on what I got or if they had deals. Very affordable for a 12 year old kid. Once it started to creep up, i stopped buying stuff.

[@SpideyfanX]

The only trend I hate is Marvel breaking Peter and MJ up again and again and again, ALONG with screwing over Ben Reilly EVERY SINGLE TIME.

[@Wafelkowiec]

I've been wondering: how do you deconstruct a villain? Is it even possible?

[@asw654]

yes. Make him sympathetic. Go into why he became a villain. Add sad backstory. Use a hefty amount of grey morality. All deconstruction really means is that you take well-known tropes and then explore them further, and make people question them. It's not inherently bad. I even enjoy overanalysis. Where it gets annoying is when "deconstruction" is predictable and you always use it to push your own political beliefs. E.g. "We have a villain, but he's not just a moustache twirling villain. He's only that way because he's oppressed! In fact, it's the hero of the story who is actually bad, because he's supporting a system of oppression and bigotry against this poor villain who just wants to steal bread... and cigarettes, and sneakers, and cars, etc for his starving family."

[@Byrvurra]

Villains get deconstructed all the time, it's just as tiresome at this point. Sometimes I want the bad guy just to be a bad guy who loves being bad.

[@Wafelkowiec]

@@asw654 I was thinking that making them sympathetic might be it, but then I thought about what they've recently done to Dr. Freeze. They portreyed him as control freak when it came to his wife making him unsympathetic and kind of pathetic. Wouldn't you agree that deconstruction of villain is more about making him a non-threat?

[@michaeldy3157]

Yes. Ever seen downfall. Classic film. It is considered one of the main st accurate historical war films ever. They show hitler as real person. And yes a monster. You see he was tender to those women around him when not killing them .

[@MMAGenie05]

Give him a sympathetic backstory but make it clear that even if what happened to him his shitty, he also still is.

[@seanchan4478]

Deconstruction works, like you said, when you reconstruct. Yes, the heroes are human like me and you, they make mistakes, but them learning from their mistakes overcoming where they've failed is what separates them from us. Yes, maybe you did something we will never forgive you for, but if you are still trying to do right, still pushing through even though you've been promised a seat in hell, that's a damn good story

[@immortalfrieza]

Also lets keep in mind that "heroes are human" doesn't mean "heroes are assholes." As JSG said, deconstruction tends far far too often to result in "heroes" that are dicks if not outright evil that end up no better than the villains. We're supposed to LIKE the protagonists of a story in some fashion and it's near impossible to do so when we find them to be horrible people so that we don't know who to root for when the villain shows up.

[@ARDEMDE]

Your videos are getting better every time man. Keep it up.

[@jdogg448]

You should make your own comic book, would be cool.

[@taffysaur]

“Too many events” is what drove me away about 15 years ago.

[@crimsonmask3819]

Moench in the 90s didn't do "Bat Family." He broke Bruce's back and made him go pretty dark and anti-social for a couple of years, driving almost everyone away from him... and it's the last serial run of the character I've cared for. It also didn't hurt that that Moench/Jones run stopped doing title-crossovers and limited stories to two-issue arcs. But, y'know, nothing like that is ever going to happen again.

[@josequintana3669]

First: Great new intro and glad you haven't left! As far as the list: Stop with the multi/multi-verses. Stop with the next super event. How many crises can DC come up with? Too many titles of the same character.

[@Nostripe361]

Deconstructed stories has also affected manga. Remember when Madoka came out every magical girl story was a deconstruction with suffering girls and usually an evil being handing out the powers Though one of these did kind of redeem itself by having a surviving magical girl go around the world beating up terrorist and gangs while telling the magical organization that she did not care about their rules

[@phenomenal-xv4ey]

I will talk about the #8 trend, the lack of genre's in the comic book industry. I can whole heartedly agree, everything is superhero and while superhero's are my favorite, different subjects make the whole industry more interesting and accessible. These were some of the comics I enjoyed: - Conan (first comic book I ever read) - Kull the Conqueror (a Conan knock off) - Haunted Tank (part of GI Combat...this would be a hard sell since it features a Confederate flag) - Sgt Rock - Kazar - GI Joe - Transformers - The Black and White version of TMNT - Cerebus the Aardvark I'm sure I'm forgetting some but having a variety of different subject matter will bring in a variety of readers.

[@angbandsbane]

@Phenomenal 2171 One quick correction: Conan (created 1932) is the knockoff of Kull (created 1929). Mind you, both were created by Robert E. Howard, so I don't know how much luck he would've had suing himself or something.

[@phenomenal-xv4ey]

@@angbandsbane thank you for the correct info. Robert E. Howard told some amazing stories and I loved the fantastical artwork. I really liked the Conan and Kull sword vs sorcery stories, because they used their brains as much as their muscles.

[@angbandsbane]

@@phenomenal-xv4ey Agreed!

[@Sorain1]

The industry seems to have forgotten that Comics are a medium, not a genre.

[@anonygent]

I was a college kid reading comics and the big trends at the time were mutants, teenagers, and ninjas, so when I saw TMNT #1 on the shelf, I just laughed and laughed. I'd be $500+ richer today if I had bought the damn thing.

[@StateBlaze1989]

Congratulations, CBR. You've caught up to 2015.

[@codynick1999]

The worst trend is making Peter Parker the unhappiest person to ever appear in comics. Like give my man a break

[@22espec]

At least the Spiderman 1000 gave him a good ending for his story.

[@scrbroadcast]

Comics Gate was always correct

[@zechboidavidson]

People forget how cool the multiverse is its has endless potential that writers are not tapping into

[@alpyki2588]

Sad thing is the multiverse issue is as old as the idea of the multiverse itself. Dark Shadows during its original airing (1970) decided to be in parallel time (an early multiverse idea) a little too long to the point viewers lost interest and stopped watching. It was canceled while the story was still in parallel time. This lesson is over 60 years old.

[@jmace2424]

#3 don’t worry, once they get done alphabetizing all the characters, NO ONE is going to buy Batman books anymore.

[@kokilimonke]

As a European I find this American obsession with superheroes in comics a bit strange. I have never read any superhero comics. I guess they're not that popular over here, at least not in my country. But I love comics. The closest thing to superheroes from what I'm used to is Asterix and Obelix. I would highly recommend European comics. They are very good and funny. They focus more on comedy, adventure, spys, history ect. My favorites is: Spirou and Fantasio Marsupliami Gaston Asterix & Obelix Agent 327 Joe Bar Team Lucky Luke Valhall Valerian og Laureline Pondus Herman Hedning Arne Anka Krüger & Krogh Check some of them out, they are all great.

[@flipkiller8521]

Don't forget Diabolik and Yoko Tsuno.

[@SubZero-hs9xc]

I'm European too But i love supehero comics

[@skinnysnorlax1876]

Well ...we invented them lol. Yeah, you could argue that pulp in general was a precursor to the superhero comic, and that's certainly not wrong. But superman is 100% part of American culture and heritage (one of the reasons I get so pissed with the tired "superman but evil!" trope lazily thrown around.) Lots of cultures like espresso, but it's only really a staple in Italy, cause they made it and found a niche for it in their culture. I'm not defending the current state of superhero stories btw, or being critical or dismissive of your perspective. Just sharing mine

[@kokilimonke]

@@skinnysnorlax1876 for me one of the most rediculus American superhero is Thor. Yeah its a American invention, but it's a blatant rip off of Norse mythology, and a horrible attempt of ripping it of also. At least from what I have seen from the movies. None of the cool stories or tropes from norse mythology is present. The characters seems very superficial and not like those they are based of. Even Valhall itself seems like a empty glorified shell of a place. They even blow it up 🤣 it's like visit heaven and blow ut paradise. 😅

[@Dinker27]

I suppose it might just be a matter of money and availability among countries. I'm in the US, but when I was a kid, I was introduced to Tintin and Marsupilami by cartoons.

[@richardslammer7574]

OK the so called spider family pic. When it was in black-and-white behind Batman I was legit going why the bloody blue Hell are there are 2 gwens?!? One on each side. Then when the pic finally went to color at number five i was like "oh that's black cat."

[@jacotromp59581]

I just read Kill or be Killed from Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser. It's amazing. It's so much better than Batman has been in the last 10 years.

[@samuellindsey6379]

Hahaha was just going to say this. My grandma bought it for me for my bday. Comics are still kinda good, just stick to Image or DH. They tend to not dive into all the political-superheroes be. Love Something is Killing the Children, Sex Criminals, Gideon Falls… can go on.

[@WikiThis]

I remember seeing that on Amazon and thinking the premise sounded pretty cool. I'll back sure to pick it up now.

[@TheUnseenPath]

Also, stop with the reboots, the revivals, the changing of different animators and teams, elseworld , what ifs, etc. Tell a single story arc and make it good. This is giving people headaches. The families argument I can agree with on your point but Nightwing isn't Batman so the families ideas can work if they produce new and original heroes just be careful with it.

[@oversol5469]

Comics seem more like collectibles and decoration than actual books to be read. Then every story is just the current seasons problem or vilian with no intention or final goal

[@pookiesis1465]

Im a black woman who loves comics. Making everyone gay or bisexual is so unnecessary.

[@armellebiampamba4257]

Ok but can I take a second to appreciate the animation at the beginning! I've always loved seeing artists create animated intros for their channels and by far yours is my favorite! Great work😊

[@shadowking9739]

Dude, words cannot describe how awesome the new intro is!

[@PersephoneDaSilva]

Needing to have every single thing with a character reminds me of this guy who went: "Sims 4 finally has hearing aids! Now I can actually feel represented in the game!" 🙄 I've always been on the heavier side. And even though I could make my Sims fat, I didn't. I liked my Sims at a healthy weight. That was more than enough "representation" to me.

[@delevingne8691]

The comic book industry can’t compete. Blue Lock sold 2 million copies in January alone. Its a soccer manga 😂

[@noanyobiseniss7462]

Short arcs not told within a larger frame arc are the bane of all consumers.

[@old_account189]

At around 1:45 European comics are well known for executing non action scenes very well (talking/eating/conspiring etc. character moments). It's one of the key points in continental differentiation. The main point i see is that in comics where it's well done, it works.

[@KillerMoth]

That intro is CLEAN

[@22espec]

I was so disapointed with the new son of superman comics, his first stories with the new Wondergirl gave him a good chemistry between them, I could see them as a couple and i though they were going for that road but then.. they make him gay and make him fall for a male reporter... and now they ecpect us to believe that he is going to be the one who takes over the mantle when it's obvious that another reset is coming.

[@raptorskilltor4554]

Number 1: Being boring

[@CevicheGato]

I’m digging your new content Just Some Guy

[@bloodrunsclear]

One of the saddest moments of my life was finally getting to visit a comic shop with my own money…and finding NOTHING to read. It felt terrible, like the world of possibilities was completely barren. Industry, you had a fan in waiting…and you lost him forever.

[@editorrbr2107]

That point about the lack of comic genres is absolutely true.

[@Hurricanelive]

The worst trend for me is that comic publishers since the 90s don't want my money. Same with the toy crash, technology and far too many entertainment choices were born, they didn't want my money. Now feeding off of nostalgia they all want my money, but I don't have the money anymore to pay the inflated prices as they overprice and over inflate their worth. When they really want my money again they will get rid of all the families and wokisms, retain decent writers and editors, and stop charging full price for a half price experience.

[@TheUnseenPath]

The watchmen were flawed but good (for the most part) still heroic but not perfect. Deconstruction can be depressing when it's everywhere. I prefer hopeful endings life is dark enough as it is.

[@camronmorgan7621]

I want to make a comic that can be turned into a video game. Hardest thing ever but having a blast. Nothing will probably come of this. I’m just really enjoying myself.

[@Wastelandman7000]

The thing about decompressed storytelling is that it ignores where western comics came from. They were born from the pulps. Pulps, in their rawest form, are just short stories. Western comics are at their best (as a general statement) when they are episodic. Think the original Conan or Shadow Magazine stories. Trying to tell a story in real time in a medium made out of still pictures is doomed to fail.

[@Ali-ii8il]

i still want a new ongoing good Howard the duck comic

[@Launchpad05]

'You know what they say. You're out of luck until you go duck.'

[@Gensolink]

you know I really appreciated when I read Invincible and it gave me a comprehensive story that goes from point A to B without having to consume another series because fuck accessibility for newbies. I remember being disappointed that Old Man Logan just got wrapped up in some shit B plot that has nothing to do with the interesting world and storyline it originally had.

[@hayseshouhda5730]

always appreciated your videos! keep it up!

[@grantmathieson650]

This really perked me up after a long ass day.

[@DzustComics]

Outside of the big 2 a lot of these trends these problems aren't that bad. Image especially provides excellent science fiction, fantasy, comedy and horror on a regular basis. And if these things get adapted one day, good on the creators. SOME superhero families DO need to shrink. Has anyone ever cared about signal or Spider Pumk?! The spiders especially should stick to Peter, Miles and Venom. Everyone else is superfluous. Least known characters still get books and backing from publishers if they're good enough. Moon Knight is bigger than ever thanks to amazing talent like Warren Ellis, Jeff Lemire and Jed MacKay. But the big 2 will probably never balls up enough to publish crazier books like Howard the Duck or Invisibles again.

[@ascensionindustries9631]

Image has always had great stories. I still have a ton of their comics from the 90s. I think some of their concepts get overlooked in Hollywood's comic driven film extravaganza. Walking Dead had a good run, but imagine a well written Spawn, true to its roots with a proper budget. There's more of a fan base for that than the Eternals.

[@paranoyd70]

I stopped buying comics back in 2007. I saw the writing on the wall even back then, and I was 100% correct. And the comics industry has been in a downhill decline ever since. And I honestly don't see it ever changing or recovering. The time to change course was years ago. Now its way too late. Don't get me wrong, there will always be the rare exceptions like Isom from Young Rippa, but the industry as a whole is dead. And it was the woke Left who killed it.

[@CrazyMazapan]

As they are killing the film industry

[@Bolbi145]

Missed out on Blackest night, that’s the correct time to bail after

[@nobodyshome6792]

My last comic purchase was in 1997.....

[@sbyrstall]

It was dying before the Wokeness Saga.

[@nobodyshome6792]

@@sbyrstall it was hollywood and the movie industry that saved the comic book industry in the 90s.... It is Hollywood and the movie industry that is destroying the comic industry now.

[@Baleandor]

Good to see you back. New intro is sick!

[@princecharon]

I remember when I could buy a copy of Amazing Spider-Man for a quarter. Now it's been (I think) years since I saw one for even as little as $2.50, and I doubt the kids now are (after adjusting for inflation) getting huge allowances compared to what kids in my youth got.

[@heywoodjablome9114]

11:20 "The big 2 put out books and the fans just buy them because they're the only new stories featuring their favorite characters" Except they're *not* buying the books. The big 2 put out books and _nobody_ buys them because the books suck. As you yourself point out, 11:35 one volume of a manga outsold all of mainstream comics.

[@starsiegeplayer]

I really love JSG's avitars. I think he makes them himself?

[@cardboardpolitician]

I've almost completely given up on DC and Marvel. I love standalone stories that Image publishes. No crossovers. Interesting new characters and new approaches.

[@sloantempest9421]

I wouldn't say manga genres are diverse. I haven't seen a vast space opera in manga sense Gundam. They basically don't exist in the modern era. Outside of Slice of Life, it's mainly fantasy (eurocentric & Japanese-centric) or urban fantasy (usually based in Japanese mythology). & also, if I understood that last part of that statement correctly, you're saying that manga is culturally diverse?

[@aquawolfx8715]

Oh, that new opener is a banger! Great to have you back in the saddle with a killer new design. Growth and evolution!