Need to wittle down my potential pull list

I'm about to get a job (fingers crossed/knock on wood) and I'll start my first pull list. I wrote down all the titles I want to check out and the list is 44 items long! I'll need to cut out at least half of them to have a pull list I can actually manage. I guess I'll have to pick a few TPB and cut out the least impressive.

In case you're interested, here's the list

EDIT: Had to add FF, Harbinger and Uncanny X-Force

*whittle

@Joygirl: Thank you my dear

Batman is very solid, and the new Uncanny X-Force's first issue was enjoyable. I can't speak to any others on your list, though as always I will say please don't buy Avengers Arena. I'll refrain from a rant here, but suffice to say I understand Deathmatch is pretty good and it's similar enough in basic concept that you probably wouldn't miss Arena if you were reading it.

I have heard that Batman, The Dark Knight isn't that good maybe you could cut a title more in the Batuniverse. Also one Wolverine title seems like a better idea at least to begin with. You could also go in a different direction go more hardcore for a few universes ans have a more focused taste.

Voilà, I've cut your list down to half.

@The_Tree said:

Voilà, I've cut your list down to half.

The Walking Dead

Talon

Batman

Batman, Incorporated

Batwoman

The Revival

Chew

Saga

Invincible

Hellboy in Hell

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man

Superior Spider-Man

Repossessed

Thor: God of Thunder

Aquaman

Daredevil

Green Lantern Corps

..... I have these on my pull-list, and all are excellent. Is that whittled down enough? :)

Here's what I'd cut:

@Crash_Recovery said:

Uncanny X-Force (it's just not the same anymore)

I've heard this. I guess it depends where you're coming from. As one who has not had the pleasure of reading Remender's run, I can recommend the new one. But if you're trying to figure out which ones to follow and which ones to pick up in trade at some point instead, then you may wish to just plan on buying the collections of the last X-Force volume, as pretty much everyone seems to have loved it.

This is what I would cut out for now. Since your not reading Green Lantern, you should cut out Corps cause it will always crossover at some point. (Corps is good thou) . And since someone mentioned Avengers Arena, man what a good book. Haven't been let down by it or the other books I haven't cut.

@SuperSlayin: The only ones on the list I read are Batwoman and Batman(though I'm a couple of months behind on Batman), but they're both really good.

@SuperSlayin: that's 44 books! I'm at around 34 after whittling down from around 40 (still going, hopefully down to 25ish) and worked it out as around $180 a month...so yours would be maybe $240?

First things first: Go down to your local comics store and ask for a couple of things: Diamond Previews, Marvel Now Previews and Marvel FREE Previews

Marvel Free Previews is free, and Marvel Now Previews is free if you buy Diamond Previews (which covers most publishers), so all in all that's 3 magazines for a few dollars. Marvel Free previews features actual pages from upcoming titles, and the other 2 will show you teasers and blurbs for where the books will be in 4 months time, so you'll know right away if some of them are worth following. In my opinion, some books you can afford to just check in on from time to time, depending on the arc, or the creative team working on it. There's also a similar magazine featuring pages from indie titles called Sidekick that's pretty good, but better for bulking up your pull-list, rather than shrinking it..

To reduce the initial hit to your wallet, maybe try waiting til the start of an arc before picking up each book. ie.leave Batman and Aquaman til the new arcs in March (both issue 18). By the time you're picking up all the books on your list, you'll have decided which existing ones you like and which you want to drop. Chances are they'll be dropping off at about the same speed that the new-arc-books are joining, and you'll get a chance, first hand, to read all of them!

I'd advise that you look at some of the "thicker" areas where you're picking up repeated versions of a character or a team and find favorite ones.

I see at least 7 Bat-team ones there. The good thing with whittling down when books are similar, is there's usually clear winners and clear losers, and I reckon you'll only keep on 3-4 of the Bats after comparing them.

Same goes for the several Kirkman's on your list; I find he's stronger at writing some genre's than others.

Lastly, read reviews, listen to podcasts, chat on the forums, some titles are shamelessly useless and sell based on their name alone. Won't take you long to find out which.

Wow!! all of you have so many pull list. I only have 5 or so and most of them are x-men titles.

Of those the ones I enjoy the most are :

Batman

Batman and Robin

Talon

Deathmatch

The Flash

Superior Spiderman

Aquaman

Nightwing

Looking at that list, I'd recommend going with:

The Walking Dead - Easily one of my favorite comics, month in and month out.

Batman - The Snyder/Capullo team is making the best Batman comic in years.

Saga - If you've liked BKV's other stuff, I say definitely read Saga. If you haven't read his Y: The Last Man yet, I'd recommend reading that too. The whole Y: the Last Man series is in print in collected editions.

Avengers Arena - I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying this series. It's been very well executed through the first three issues.

Superior Spider-Man - Slott & Stegman have done a great job in the first two issues. I'm definitely interested in seeing where this goes.

Daredevil - This is Marvel's best comic not named Hawkeye. I didn't see Hawkeye on your list, but I can't recommend it enough. Both Hawkeye and Daredevil are great, fun reads.

I don't read Hellboy in Hell, but everyone I know who does loves it.

Batman Incorporated isn't something I'd recommend to someone beginning to dabble in comics for the first time. Unless you're familiar with the stuff Grant Morrison has been doing for the last several years, I'd give it a pass.

On the bat-books side, go with Batman and Batman & Robin. Both of these books have gotten the best reviews from both fans and critics.

The Flash, Indestructible Hulk, and All-Star Western are all on my pull-list. They're well worth the money.