Why I'm Done with Marvel and DC

There's no real point in making this too long, I just need to purge this out of my mind so I can walk away.  I work some at a comic shop.  Since practically all they order is Marvel and DC, I could and have read any of their published comics for free and put them back on the shelf.  No revenue generated for Marvel or DC.  Since I can get into movies for free, I could and have seen movies with their properties in them.  No revenue generated for Marvel or DC.  But beyond all that, I could just pirate all their stuff.  No profit generated for Marvel or DC.  The thing is, pirating is too easy.  It's a false justification that I thankfully don't even have to apply in this situation.  Because when I looked at the stuff that I was reading for free from Marvel and DC, there wasn't much there.  Daredevil and Wonder Woman, that's it.  Criminal if and when it comes back (maybe Brubaker and Phillips will play the long game and take it to Image).  Not much to drop, but I was still hesitant.  I mean, boycotting them doesn't really solve anything.  Besides them not getting any of my money anyway, the comics exist solely for the merchandising and movies.  That's where the real money is made and why these companies can barely be bothered to admit that the market is cannibalizing itself and losing readers consistently. 

The whole process of thinking about this started when the Kirby family's attempted lawsuit didn't even go to court because the contracts are airtight.  Sure, I knew Kirby and the vast majority of the old guard didn't get shit for all the groundwork they laid.  I knew Alan Moore had been boned extensively by DC.  But it was all out of my hands.  I just wanted to read comic books.  But then the snowball got rolling.  Frank Santoro says goodbye to Marvel.  Steve Bissette calls for a boycott of Marvel.  James Sturm says he won't go see Avengers.  The Gary Friedrich debacle where they singled out a guy, who by the way has no health insurance and is struggling to survive, for practices which all kinds of fucking hacks and wannabe company-men pull off on a regular basis.  "Marvel's" The Avengers.  Before Watchmen.  Excellent posts by Sean Witzke, David Brothers, and Abhay Khosla and a series of tweets by Tom Spurgeon.  But what really did it was the message implied in an idea of good will, the idea to donate money to the Hero Initiative or the Jack Kirby Museum Fund if you went to see the Avengers.  I remember thinking it was a good idea that was unfortunately going to produce lackluster results, but what I took from it the most and what really finalized my decision was this part:

"Plus, of course, you - the collective “you”, representing comic book fans all over the world - want to see this movie. And you’re going to, most likely, right? Even though you know of the morally shady practices of Marvel towards its creators, they’ve got you hooked. Don’t be ashamed, they’ve had you hooked for years. It’s what they do."

I don't think this is what was intended, but that is the most damning and truthful thing ever written about comic fandom.  The general public don't give a shit and shouldn't be bothered.  But comic fans should know and respond better.  We know about Bill Finger, Siegel and Schuster, about how Stan Lee somehow is elevated to godhood for only partial contributions, and about Steve Gerber.  Certainly comics are not alone in this regard, you don't have to look hard to see where older creators were treated terribly in the world of films, music, and movies.  This is not an ethical industry, but more importantly and why it is so damning, it is so arrogantly public and nonchalant about it still to this day.  There also is no desire to change.  Before Watchmen is the zenith of this, taking something that once stood to represent steps towards improvement and tossing it aside.  Still, let's clarify:  I don't think any of the people that consume Marvel and DC's products are evil.  I don't think anyone who works on their products is evil.  Certainly the industry pays relatively well and making a living being a cog in the wheel is far from isolated to comics.  That reads passive aggressive, but I don't know anyway else to put it.  Harlan Ellison manifesto, etc... 

But "they've got you hooked?"  Marvel and DC put out some decent to good stuff, sure.  But what happens if you don't see Avengers or read the umpteenth incarnation of Daredevil?  You maybe miss some good work, but why not read stuff that doesn't have a moral stain all over it?  If you really like comics, there's plenty of stuff out there.  If you only care about reading about superheroes, well, you've got to make up your own mind.  I haven't read that many superhero comics relative to a ton of people, but I've read plenty of all levels of quality.  There's still things to say about superheroes, but there's been enough to sate me.  I'm good.  So I'm officially unhooked.  I have around 10 older Marvel and DC comics I'm going to get and then I'm riding into the sunset on Fury MAX, which looks to be an exit of incredible greatness.  Who knows, maybe not just making a clean break here and now is proof that I'm even worse than the people who want to fuck all these people over so they can keep reading 100 Superman comics a month, because they're at least honest while I'm here puttering on about this garbage.

A specific point:  the Before Watchmen row, unlike everything at Marvel, has made me go personal, which is kind of petty, but fuck it, it's my decision.  This will not affect Marvel or DC in the absolute slightest.  I just feel like I'm doing the right thing.  It's invigorating in a way, like I'm moving forward positively.  Pathetic?  Yes and no, once again who cares, this is what I'm feeling, I'll be in the bathroom.  So some people I'm done with period, specifically the ones who have said a bunch of stupid shit surrounding Before Watchmen.  Stracynzski has always sucked, so no loss there.  But Azzarello?  That guy has written some damn good comics and is clearly a smart guy.  Unfortunately, "There really is no controversy" and "Comic fans don't like new things"?  Sorry, you lose.  Just shutup and don't say anything OR just say, "I'm doing it for the money" or "I don't care."  Darwyn Cooke?  Jesus, just click on that Abhay link above.  Hell, here it is again.  We're all hypocrites, but you just took the prize!  So I dumped all the comics of theirs that I had and won't be buying anymore, no matter if they're from Marvel or DC or not.  Nobody point me towards something dumb by JG Jones, I've still got this Marvel Boy sketch that is awesome. 

So no more Marvel or DC.  Too long, apologies.