io9's Most Important Events in Comics This Decade

I am pleased to say that I was unaware of many of these. Pleased because I didn't get bilked by the companies anymore than I did... All told, I have to say I felt the Big Two reached into my wallet, bodily, and stole my hard-earned money with no excuse - not once, not twice, but numerous times.

I loved The Mutant Massacre and it was the catalyst for my comic book collection, but Jim Shooter had a... well, not "quiet," but possibly understated (by others) brilliance; that was the first, last, and only time a multi-title crossover event actually worked. I'm far from naive, so I realize the intent was the same as it is today with these events: to not only move units, but introduce flagging titles to larger audiences. I have no problem with this, especially since I've become a fan of a handful of titles and characters through these efforts (the first being Thor - again, with The Mutant Massacre). However, the "'Aughties," as many are calling them, proved just how far a great idea could be taken before it goes from being "great" to "overplayed" to outright "Bullshit."

So I missed the alien invasion. I nearly missed the Dark Reign (and try, I did). And while I'm onboard for The Siege, it's literally only because I realize now, after the aforementioned, that if I want to not just collect but actually read and enjoy Marvel Comics, I have to be. I think that sucks - you know, just for the record.

A lot of these are from the DC Universe, which I have never followed for all sorts of reasons, but which The Rundown does not report on only because DC refuses to support us in any way, including sending us PR. DC prefers to cozy-up to mainstream publications - you know, the ones nobody reads - like newspapers and TV tabloid "news magazines." I was happy to learn that basically no one was pleased with DC's series of Dick Moves this decade - the company literally released ongoing, weekly "THIS WILL CHANGE THE DC UNIVERSE FOREVER" maxi-series all of the last, at least, five years. And not even die-hard DC fans appreciated it.

Comic books cost too much for this shit and the industry is doing the same thing they did in the 1980s, 1990s, ad infinitum: screwing the fans. It hasn't worked yet, but now they got Spider-Man money, so it isn't going to change.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009