Ok, this will turn into a rant so be forewarned if you are reading. Every year Marvel simply has to have a Summer blockbuster, a massive Universe wide event that involves everyone. Every year they swear it will not interrupt the story arcs nor spill into the pages of individual comics. Bull shit. They announced their solicitations for April and just like every year its happened again. Every book involving an Avenger or X-man is tying into the Avengers Vs. X-men event. Some people may be excited about that but let's look back a bit. My one track mind will use Captain America as an example. Ed Brubaker wrote the amazing story of Bucky Barnes return and his eventual claim to the shield of the star-spangled Avenger. It took him years to build the story of Bucky's brainwashing, his time as Captain America and his eventual imprisonment in Russia to pay for his crimes as Winter Soldier. Awesome. Then comes Fear Itself and guess what, Bucky Barnes gets killed! Oh wait, that didn't happen in Cap's book...wait. Then came this pulled out of the rear-end story of how he really wasn't dead and Steve Rogers, who took up his mantle to avenge Bucky's"death" was let in on the fact that Nick Fury had hid the fact that Bucky was still alive. Then came the 7.65-niner issue, I really hate these .1 books, and oh, here we go, Bucky's doing his own thing and now look at Captain America's ongoing book. Bucky is never mentioned. All my personal gripes aside, this is the effect the blockbusters have. Why do a blockbuster? I have a very close friend who is a comic shop owner and they NEVER sell good. People hate them. Marvel needs to get it together, you can see it in peoples conversations that Marvel is getting on people's nerves with their "feed them crap, they'll eat it" business strategy. Quesada himself has stated aloud that fans will buy comics no matter whats in them because they love the characters so it doesn't matter. I'm paraphrasing but to me, I see exactly what he is saying, happening in the books and thats where these "blockbusters" come from. Maybe it's me, and I'm sure whoever reads this, if anyone, will inform me of how stupid I am and how rants have no business being posted but hey, you can't tell me it isn't annoying spilling everything into your favorite book. Avengers vs. X-men will be 12 issues. 12. A year long Marvel event spilling into our books. Maybe it'll be such a well written story people will cry and world peace will come about, not likely but I will give it respect enough to give it a chance but seeing these blockbusters, seeing the way things have gone when one occurs, my expectations are the lowest of the low. I guess we will see.

Today, was quite possibly, one of the worst days of my life. From the moment I woke up things began to fall apart around me, from my bank account to my vehicle to my work place. All of it bad, bad and bad. Don't mistaken this for whining, I have a point. Though it's hard to take my own advice, I must remind myself that though things go wrong, it's just another day, even though the end is nowhere in sight and I feel like I am punished every day simply for waking up. Despite all that the world of comics, like it has been since I was 8 years old, is still my comforting friend. To finally relax I'll read about heroes who overcome, perhaps Longbow Hunters, or Captain America: The New Deal. Never take the gift that is the paneled page for granted, because for some of us, it is all we truly have.

I love Marvel, I really do. Captain America, Iron Man, all the Avengers....ALL the Avengers. Is me though, or are their books getting shorter? I only buy a few Avenger titles, and all of them seem to end abruptly. Of course, with 30 Avengers titles and 50 X-Men monthlies, I can't say I'm surprised,but dang, 4 bucks for 15 pages? This does not make for good business. Seems like if the book actually goes for 20 or more pages, it's mostly action and enough dialogue to remind us that these guys can talk. (Read Avengers 21 if you need an example. The most anyone says is Spider-Woman attempting to fool some Hydra/hulk goons.) Whats the deal with no talking? We doing the "'nuff said" thing again? It takes me 5 minutes, soaking in the art, too, to read Captain America, a 4 dollar book. It takes me 15, focusing on the story only, to read Nightwing, 3 bucks. Maybe I'm just imaging things or my ADD is making me delusional. Either way, seems off.

I know no one will read this, but just in case the cosmos aline just in the right way and someone stumbles upon this, they may see this and develop the ever-longed for opinion. Comics are in a sad place right now. Stories have lost the gift of continuity and DC comics has completely erased it's own beautiful history. DC in fact has basically become Image comics, what with Jim Lee being a major figure head and a few Image artists are now drawing and writing some of their books. Don't get me started on the Liefeld thing. If we wanted shit in comics, we could simply open one of his books and drop a load in it. Just saying. I worry for the future of this business because, yes looking ahead is a wise strategy but...erasing what came before? Craziness. Hate to see where it's headed.