MoreFunTravis and comic book fatigue

Hey gang!  Ravingnerd is feeling a bit under the weather so he’s asked me to step in and attempt to assuage you all with a little blog post from yours truly.

 

This is a topic that has weighed heavily on my mind over the last month and a half.  I have found myself in a slump.  Even as I type, I am staring at a pile of unread comics dating back from even as far as a month and a half ago.  We’re talking indie hits, Marvel events, and even good ole classics like Batman.  It is all just piled up, unread and waiting.

So why am I ignoring my poor comic books?  Well, its a little thing I’d like to call comic book fatigue.  Once a year or so, I go through this.  I let comics pile up and pile up and ignore everything, even my most favorite of titles.  Things just don’t interest me anymore.  Don’t worry, I’ll snap out of it, but every now and again it has driven me out of the hobby for anywhere from two months to a year plus.

I’ve found I’m not the only one who occasionally succumbs to this.  Comics can just…pile up and overwhelm you.  Life moves on and suddenly the adventures of Spider-man and the Fantastic Four take a back seat.

So what do you do?

Well, even though I have once again succumbed to funny book burnout, I’m here to offer you intrepid readers a few tips to avoid this insidious condition

First, and I’d say most importantly, don’t feel as though you have to read everything.  Just because you love Batman does not mean you have to pick up and digest every Bat-family book.  Read what you love!  For some reason, comics fans have this impulse to read EVERY SINGLE THING that their favorite publisher/writer/artist etc puts out.  I am telling you now, ignore this.  Read what you find best and ignore the rest.  The second you start buying Nightwing or another X-men title just to be in the loop…you’re in trouble.

I’ve also found that at some point….you just have to walk away.  That’s right.  I’m telling you to quit.  When your stack of unread comic books gets to be overwhelming…just shelve it.  Forget it and move on.  Sometimes not reading a month or two issues helps you get fresh eyes on a series you love and makes everything feel new and exciting again.

Finally, and my most practical piece of advice to stave off comics malaise…JUST START READING!  This isn’t a chore for chrissakes!  It’s a hobby!  It is supposed to be fun.  Just pick up whatever you love most and launch into it.  I’ve found that if my stack is growing to unwieldy levels and I can’t find that oomph to launch into it…reading one title I always adore (like Walking Dead or All New X-Men) will get me in the mood to read more and more until I’m caught up.

 

So there you go.  There’s my annual problem and a few tricks I use to fight it off.  Does this happen to you?  You guys ever just get burnt out on the hobby and don’t read anything for weeks?  Months?  Let me know, and let me know how you keep your comics hobby interesting and invigorating.  ‘Til then!

MoreFunTravis