How do you deal with bad comic book stories?

Over the years, there has been a lot of terrible stories in comic books (but a couple of really good stories too), so how do you deal with comic book stories that are written terribly or were forced?  
 
When I deal with stories that are forced, I tend to not read the stories at all because I feel that if there isn't a logical reason about why the character has to do what they are doing or why this particular plot is happening, then the story is not really worth reading to me.  Also, if I read a story that has a terrible plot or bad character development, then sometimes I would analyze about why the story is bad and what I hope would be done better in the future for the stories. I also tend to think that the bad stories never really happened since it sounded odd to me in the first place.
 
So what do you do about bad comic book stories? Do you just think that the story never really existed or do you refuse to read the rest of the series if the writing is so bad?

I vent here or reread an old story featuring the team or character I like to remind me why I put up with some of the crap that makes it to publishing.

I vent here or reread an old story featuring the team or character I like to remind me why I put up with some of the crap that makes it to publishing.

@Rabbitearsblog: Its nice to know that your not just over analyzing and that many others have seen the flaws and issues in a story. One of the reasons I love Comic Vine.

@Rabbitearsblog: Its nice to know that your not just over analyzing and that many others have seen the flaws and issues in a story. One of the reasons I love Comic Vine.

Pick up a trade paperback by Michael Straczynski, and try to remind myself why comics are worth reading.

Pick up a trade paperback by Michael Straczynski, and try to remind myself why comics are worth reading.

Maybe read a Bendis non-team book.

When reading Chuck Austen's run on Uncanny, I wanted to burn my comics, or get really drunk. JK...but it was tempting.

I hunt the writers down and then kill them.

Who wrote that Avengers X-men stuff again?

@rogue_mar1e said:

Literally. I just pretend it doesn't exist.

Rarely read bad stories. If I do, I lol.

As a writer, I find it particularly frustrating. Not only comics, but sloppy writing in TV or Movies. Makes me wish I had been given a shot at writing it.

As a writer, I find it particularly frustrating. Not only comics, but sloppy writing in TV or Movies. Makes me wish I had been given a shot at writing it.

@rogue_mar1e said:

I do the exact same thing.

@FadeToBlackBolt said:

@chrischarlton said:

As a writer, I find it particularly frustrating. Not only comics, but sloppy writing in TV or Movies. Makes me wish I had been given a shot at writing it.

Yes! Thank you, this is exactly what I was saying in a PM. (I was talking about AvX) I don't even care if nothing major happens, the mere fact this sh*t is being published offends me. These people should not keep their jobs. There are thousands of writers out there vastly more talented who would cut their f*cking arm off to write comics, and these bastards just abuse the privilege (and it is a privilege) with their ineptitude.

Yeah - I guess the bottom line is that a lot of those names sell books. What they may or may not take into consideration is how many of those big names are writing multiple books and end up phoning in one project or another. But yeah, it is a privilege. At the same time, not everyone can be "on" all the time and a writers work is always subjective. Some readers may love it while others don't get it.

Grant Morrison has written some of my favorite books, but there have been quite a few times where I just didn't get what he was writing or couldn't get into the story.

Your AvX reference reminded me of AvP. I caught that movie on cable recently and it's just appallingly bad writing. I'm a huge alien and predator fan, and there are aspects of the story that are cool, but the dialogue and pacing is total crap. Not to mention the acting of the lead character. Sadly, (again), someone saw that and said "yeah, it looks good to me!". SO MUCH more could have been done with that movie.

sigh.

I also tend to write fan fictions that are not related to the current continuity, especially after reading through a horrible event that I think should never happened and it usually makes me feel better knowing that I could write the story so much differently.

I Imagine killing people..............what? It's a perfectly natural form of stress relief...............I don't need help.........you need help.

@FadeToBlackBolt said:

@chrischarlton said:

As a writer, I find it particularly frustrating. Not only comics, but sloppy writing in TV or Movies. Makes me wish I had been given a shot at writing it.

Yes! Thank you, this is exactly what I was saying in a PM. (I was talking about AvX) I don't even care if nothing major happens, the mere fact this sh*t is being published offends me. These people should not keep their jobs. There are thousands of writers out there vastly more talented who would cut their f*cking arm off to write comics, and these bastards just abuse the privilege (and it is a privilege) with their ineptitude.

Wait, wait, wait...

Are you saying that all I have to do is cut my arm off?

...

Sh*t. I'd suck at typing if I did that.

...

That's a no-win scenario.

DAMMIT!

Well, what I like to do sometimes is go on amazon and browse through the graphic novel section. I just try to find something I like and support that. Like atomic robo. I bought the first trade and was floored by it. Its a brilliant title. It reminds me that there are really great books out there, but I have to find them, and not wait for them to come to me.

I just don't like it if it's bad...

It really frustrates me when I see well-written, character driven stories being shunned by fans while mindless rubbish like AvX dominates. I'm really starting to lose faith in the comic book readership.

Send the writers and publisher hate mail.... and a resume.

If the writing is bad and I get no enjoyment out of the comic, or worse, if it pisses me off, I stop buying it. If its an ongoing like Wonder Woman or Captain America, which are title I buy regularly, I will go back to it when the crapfest is over and a better writer is on board......and I will act like the events that occurred while I stopped reading the title never happened (I know its kinda like burying your head in the sand, but I don't care.)

It really frustrates me when I see well-written, character driven stories being shunned by fans while mindless rubbish like AvX dominates. I'm really starting to lose faith in the comic book readership.

There are certain titles I read whether the stories are good or not. Brand loyalty for Batman,Detective, Superman, Action and Amazing Spider-man. When their bad stories arise (and right now, Detective, Superman and ASM fall into that category) I simply tough it out and wait for the series to get good again. Please Lord, may it not take too long! When the books do get better, I tend to pretend the bad run didn't really happen.

send the writers a bag of crap. their work.

@chrischarlton said:

As a writer, I find it particularly frustrating. Not only comics, but sloppy writing in TV or Movies. Makes me wish I had been given a shot at writing it.

This.

Drop it and pick up something new.

Don't read'em.

@FadeToBlackBolt said:

Sadly, guns are stupidly hard to get in this hippy country. I stop reading the story, boycott the writer, and explain to everyone why reading that comic makes them a moron and a terrible person.

This or:

• Denial - "It was probably just a bad issue. I'm sure the rest of the story arc/cross over will be awesome".
• Anger - "What the f^&k was that sh!t?!?! I wasted £4 on that".
• Bargaining - "Maybe if I hold on until the final few chapters, through all these rubbish filler issues, it will live up to my high expectations".
• Depression - "Everything's wrong! EVERYTHING'S RUINED!"
• Acceptance - "It was just one arc. You can forget about it, JV. Read something you like to get that bad taste out of your mouth and move on".

If the writing is bad and I get no enjoyment out of the comic, or worse, if it pisses me off, I stop buying it. If its an ongoing like Wonder Woman or Captain America, which are title I buy regularly, I will go back to it when the crapfest is over and a better writer is on board......and I will act like the events that occurred while I stopped reading the title never happened (I know its kinda like burying your head in the sand, but I don't care.)

If it isn't crucial for a character I just forget it happened. Yet another reason One More Day was the worst thing in Spider-Man history. It had such a massive effect on Spidey I can't just ignore it.

If it isn't crucial for a character I just forget it happened. Yet another reason One More Day was the worst thing in Spider-Man history. It had such a massive effect on Spidey I can't just ignore it.

I'm not going to lie. Sometimes, I hear about something so bad that I must see them, or buy them (like Battlefield Earth, Steel movie). That said, I hear SO many people say that Deathstroke is not good right now. I am tempted to buy it.

@chrischarlton said:

As a writer, I find it particularly frustrating. Not only comics, but sloppy writing in TV or Movies. Makes me wish I had been given a shot at writing it.

This.

@chrischarlton said:

As a writer, I find it particularly frustrating. Not only comics, but sloppy writing in TV or Movies. Makes me wish I had been given a shot at writing it.

This.