I guess I’m old-school. I remember when superhero comics were supposed to inspire. Now it’s doom and deconstruction and even shambling rot. Probably because there are no young fans aspiring to something better and only old fans peering into the abyss.
Man, you sound like... well... me!
Comics plunged into darkness in the late 1980's, and with very few exceptions like Giffen/DeMatteis JLI/JLE, they've been there ever since. I look at so many titles from the 50's/60's/70's/80's era and sadly think this stuff could never get published now, except as they are, collected reprint volumes for guys like us who grew up on them.
I can't even remember the last time I bought new comics, they're so alien to me. It's literally been about 5 or 6 years. When I do buy them, I always feel like they cost too much, and were a vast disappointment for what I paid.
So I mostly buy back issues. I thumb through the new books at my local shop, but I've wised up and stopped buying new material, other than Masterworks and other collections. Most recently, the Marvel Masterworks KILLRAVEN hardcover, and the Kirby NEW GODS, MISTER MIRACLE and JIMMY OLSEN trades. The OLSEN one came out in April.
