Combiner Wars

[Shockwave]

Actually, you are wrong.

I am looking for a reason to stay, and having a harder time the longer I look.

For a franchise that's been around for 30 years that shouldn't be that tough. Have you read all of the UK Marvel comics? If not, maybe go back and read those. Or if you have read or seen everything, maybe go back and enjoy the stuff you liked before. Re-read All Hail Megatron or the Ongoing or Furman's early UK works. Maybe go back and watch some of the shows that you've liked. Fiddle with the toys that you liked. Or, maybe go and instead of buying new toys that you apparently don't like, go and get past ones that you missed out on and would like better. Just cause you don't like the current content doesn't mean you have to just throw everything out.

[Dominic]

I am only willing to go so far back. I plan to read the UK content (soonishly). But, that is both finite and dated. I have seen enough of the Japanese content to know that it will not be worth my time to track down more of.

On a semi-related note, my "drop" order for "Robots in Disgrace" went through on the first try. (Given how tenaciously "Earth 2" stuck to my pull-list, I was half expecting RiD to stick around until spring.)

[Shockwave]

I am only willing to go so far back.

Why? If there's content out there that's good and you haven't read it, then why not read it? That just seems so limiting. You need to broaden your horizons.

I plan to read the UK content (soonishly).

Might as well since the current stuff isn't doing anything for ya.

But, that is both finite and dated.

So? If you haven't seen it, it's new to you.

[Dominic]

I am only willing to read so much content from the 80s. Even stuff I liked then does not hold up well now. (I am still angry about Gruenwald's "Captain America" run. Some of it was good. But, much of it was everything wrong with comics.)

If my primary TF fix is comics from the 80s, even if they are "new" to me, then I have little reason to stick around.

You need to broaden your horizons.

Yeah, my pull-file is too narrow with 10+ comics from 3 or 4 publishers on it.

[Shockwave]

I am only willing to read so much content from the 80s.

Again, why? More on that question in a moment...

Even stuff I liked then does not hold up well now.

Again why? Age doesn't diminish quality. And if it does then maybe you didn't really like it to begin with.

(I am still angry about Gruenwald's "Captain America" run. Some of it was good. But, much of it was everything wrong with comics.)

Then why did you like it in the first place? Or did you even like it to begin with? At best, I could see an opinion changing over time only by virtue of the difference in reading something through the eyes of a kid vs. the eyes of an adult. But other than that there really shouldn't be any loss of quality over time. Good is good whether it's new good or old good.

If my primary TF fix is comics from the 80s, even if they are "new" to me, then I have little reason to stick around.

Oh right, I forgot that you're only capable of enjoying something once. Which brings me to my quote below:

You need to broaden your horizons.

Yeah, my pull-file is too narrow with 10+ comics from 3 or 4 publishers on it.

All of which you're likely to cancel at the drop of a hat. So that proves nothing. I mean, you're basically trying to tell me that only new stuff can be good which is just so much bullshit.

[Onslaught Six]

For some reason I've got no problem with a trailer truck combining with a space shuttle or a fire truck combining with a god damn lion, but a police car in my lime flavored construction vehicles?

IDW you've gone too damn far.

Megatron is an Autobot, Brainstorm's a Decepticon, mass hysteria, dogs and cats living together...!

[Shockwave]

Hey, does anyone wanna go halves on an order from BBTS? I wanna get Powerglide and Bombshell, but the only ones they have in stock is with Thundercracker and Windcharger. I already have Windcharger and don't really need TC, so if anyone wants those two, let me know. The four pack is 41.99, I'd offer to split with someone if they front $20, I'll even cover all the shipping.

[Dominic]

Again why? Age doesn't diminish quality. And if it does then maybe you didn't really like it to begin with.

Because quality does diminish over time.

In some cases, this is perception based. Gruenwald's "Captain America" run impressed the hell out of me 25 years ago. Some of this was that I happened to read better parts of it. But, some of this had more to do with the fact that I was 12 and had much lower standards.


In other cases, time can diminish the quality of even legitimately good stuff. Michelinie's "Iron Man" run was a decade or so ahead of its time. But, that sill leaves it about 20 years out of date. As good as it was, parts of it are painful to read now.

hen why did you like it in the first place?

See above.

All of which you're likely to cancel at the drop of a hat. So that proves nothing. I mean, you're basically trying to tell me that only new stuff can be good which is just so much bullshit.

My collection has plenty of old stuff in it. But, if I am going to stay interested in comics, I need to be getting new content. (I will disuss my pull-file more in the comics thread.

The four pack is 41.99, I'd offer to split with someone if they front $20, I'll even cover all the shipping.

No dice. I want Bombshell as well. (I want Windcharger, almost as a joke and have no desire for Thundercracker.)

[Shockwave]

Because quality does diminish over time.

Not necessarily. It can in some cases, but generally I would disagree with that. Case in point: I still enjoying watching the original version of Star Wars now as much as I did over 30 years ago. The quality on that has not changed. It was good then, it is still good now and will still be good another 30 years from now. (note, this does not account for creator made changes that screw things up later on. I'm looking at YOU special edition trilogy!)

In some cases, this is perception based. Gruenwald's "Captain America" run impressed the hell out of me 25 years ago. Some of this was that I happened to read better parts of it. But, some of this had more to do with the fact that I was 12 and had much lower standards.

Yeah well that would be my statement about seeing things through kids vs. adults eyes.

In other cases, time can diminish the quality of even legitimately good stuff. Michelinie's "Iron Man" run was a decade or so ahead of its time. But, that sill leaves it about 20 years out of date. As good as it was, parts of it are painful to read now.

Why? So it takes place years ago, that shouldn't diminish the quality of the story. A good story is a good story and doesn't automatically become bad just because it takes place in the past. Even in the case of updated/better technology, that still wouldn't invalidate the quality of something produced before. The Day the Earth Stood Still is actually a perfect example of how newer doesn't mean better. The original is still a great movie even though the costumes and special effects are decades outdated. The new one sucks massive donkey dick in spite of being made with current state of the art special effects.

But, if I am going to stay interested in comics, I need to be getting new content.

Why? The comic book industry has been around for several decades before any of us here were born. Even if all new books don't interest you the law of averages states that there would still be plenty of previously unread content from those eras that would be worth reading. In fact, that seems to work for Anderson. He gave up on pretty much all of DC with the new 52 and went back and read stuff from before. And he wound up finding some pretty good stuff as I recall. Again, this attitude of "it has to be new in order to be good and as soon as it's done, it's old and therefore crap" just baffles me. I mean, what happens if the comics industry just dies completely? Will you get rid of your comics then? Or will you actually keep what you liked and go back and enjoy them again?

[andersonh1]

In fact, that seems to work for Anderson. He gave up on pretty much all of DC with the new 52 and went back and read stuff from before. And he wound up finding some pretty good stuff as I recall.

There was a time when I had a similar attitude to Dom, and I didn't like comics before the mid 80s. But since I really don't like most of current DC, it was either drop everything or try out older books. It was actually my discussion with Sparky about the Guardians of the Universe and how they'd been historically portrayed that motivated me to go read some issues of GL from the 70s that I had but had never read. And to my surprise, I had a lot of fun reading them. That was almost two years ago, and my exploration of old DC has just gone on from there. I figured with 70+ years of published books there had to be things I would enjoy earlier than 1988. I can't say that I"m a big fan of most Silver Age comics, but I've found that I really like Golden Age DC.