What I’ve found in the past year (and the New 52 has been a surprisingly effective catalyst here) is that I can drop an unsatisfying book–abruptly, sometimes in the middle of a multi-issue arc–and not miss it. Because once I set myself free from the habit of an unsatisfying reading experience, I stop being unsatisfied.

It’s hard. I know that. My dad bought me first comic book in 1969 (Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane), I was 5 years old. I used to go with him to the drug store every Sunday to pick up the paper and he’d buy me comic books. Back in the day I bought both Marvel & DC, though mostly DC. I stayed with DC through the bronze age, the crisis, and the crazed event driven culture post Death of Superman.

While I wasn’t happy with this current reboot I was going to give it a chance but then SDCC 2011 happened. I was appalled how the “batgirl” of the con was treated. How she was heckled and the publishers who were in charge of the panel didn’t stand up for her and shut down the audience. I was also appalled how questions about women in the industry were dismissed.

Clearly the company knew they had a PR disaster on their hands because they then had to release a “We hear you” press release.

I dropped my DC pull list the next day. It wasn’t easy. It was a 40+ year relationship. I wasn’t going to buy DC until things improved, but Smallville Season 11 changed my mind. So right now, this is the only DC I’m buying. I’m buying one Marvel. The rest are various publishers.

I have a 20 plus year relationship with my LCS, and the owner was kidding with me that it was if I was coming off a bad divorce and now playing the field with all the other comic books out there. I think he makes a good point.

Once I stepped away from the big two, I discovered a lot of variety out there. The budget that was eaten up by my DC pull is now free and I’m enjoying spreading my wings.

The advice here is spot on. The bottom line is what matters. I can complain all I want about stories I don’t like but it’s going to last as long as sales sustain it.

So for example, I can complain about the recent Wonder Woman/Superman hook up until I’m blue in the face. It’s not going to change one thing. The only thing that matters is if it sells. It will in the short term but I chose not to rubberneck.

Either road, that a publisher might get lazy, rest on their laurels for years-on-end, shouldn’t surprise. I think that these Webcomics is a great way to circumvent a lot of that crap.