2016, my last year of comics (maybe)

Now that title doesn't seem as final as maybe I'd hoped, but then that's probably because I'm hoping it doesn't happen.

However, if the next year doesn't work out as hoped, 2016 will be the final year I write about comics on here (and maybe even collect them).

The reason for this is simple: I don't enjoy comics like I used to!

It's rather heartbreaking to finally, after 13 or so years, stop loving comics like I used to but the main crux of it is there are two things which have changed for me; time and quality.

With the first it's a simple thing. I'm married now and my wife is expecting our first child. As a result of both of these (as well as a house to keep tidy) my free time has decreased to maybe an hour a day, a length of time which will only decrease as I start a new job which I need to put masses of effort in so that I impress and extend the contract from 6 months to indefinite. As a result of all of this, comics have to take a back seat.

Also, I have a suspicion my wife dislikes this hobby of mine which, understandably, takes up a lot of space in our small home. Therefore, by no longer collecting and maybe even selling off a few issues, maybe I can make her a little happier.

As for the second, it's a little more complicated. I've noticed in the last couple of years a distinct change in comics, specifically the big two. While Marvel has changed their whole universe to take more of a look and feel of their cinema/tv universe, DC seems to have gone really dark and, in my mind, morbid with all their books. For me, neither of these have greatly appealed and has seen the number of books I collect from both publishers reduce as they have become a lot more 'corporate'.

This leaves only Image as a source of good comics but, because of their varied nature, I'm not able to find many titles which really take my fancy and so I don't have many books left on my pull list as 2015 closes. A number I don't see increasing any time soon.

Therefore, I figure that at the end of 2016, which is this blogs 5th birthday, it'll be time to stop writing here and focus on grown-up life (along with reviews at pipedream comics, which I plan to continue should time allow). It will have been a fun five years of writing down my thoughts but if I have no more comics I won't have much to write about.

Of course, none of this may happen. I may find that better comics hit the shelves, I have more time than I expected in order to read them and I'm able to reach a compromise between my family and my hobby. That's why there's a maybe!

But it's a big maybe, one too big to believe will happen. So, if this my last year of comics, I'm going to try and get as many thoughts down as I can before my time is up.

I doubt that'll happen either, but sometimes I'm just too damn optimistic ;-)