BEWARE!  I am in full rant mode.  No holds barred in this post.  I run an honest blog, therefore I am voicing my honest opinions.  Consider yourself warned.

I am stepping up on my soapbox to address a very important issue, comic reading.

I have a serious question.  Do you read comic books or not?  I am often told by people that they read comics.  Some may say they used to read them.  But most of them actually say they read, as in present tense, comics.

• Demon Knights
• Red She-Hulk
• Trinity of Sin:  Pandora
• Trinity of Sin:  The Phantom Stranger
• Elektra
• The Fearless Defenders
• New Warriors
• All-New Ghost Rider

If you are reading comics, then why in the hell are the above titles cancelled, getting cancelled, or being placed on notice?  There are plenty of other cancelled books, but my frustration level increases with each title I type. There is no reason for any of those books to face the chopping block.

There is a difference between like and read.  If you tell me that you like comic books, then I will just simply say okay.  But if you tell me that you read comics, then be prepared for me to engage in conversation, starting with asking which comics you read.

AVENGERS, X-MEN, SPIDER-MAN, BATMAN, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN.

Some readers only stick to the Big 2 titles.  That is fine, but keep in mind that there are more comic books from these publishers, besides the big guns listed above, screaming for a purchase on the store shelves.  I should know, I read A LOT of them.

We need to stop crying over the fact that Monica Rambeau decided to ditch her trench coat and dookie braids, and support the hell out of Mighty Avengers.

And now we’re throwing hissy fits because Magneto is bald.  So the f**k what?  Magneto is a great comic book, and we need to support that one as well.

If you truly read comics, then you should have no problem telling me what you read when I ask you.  Instead I mostly hear, “Well I, uh, used to read…”  Hold it right there.  You DO NOT read comics.  You USED to read comics.

If I am asked what comics I am reading, I will easily ramble off several titles, walk away, turn around and say, “Oh yeah.”  Then ramble off one or two more titles.

Don’t believe me?

• Morning Glories
• Constantine
• Justice League
• Justice League Dark
• Wonder Woman
• Harley Quinn
• Thor:  God of Thunder
• Ms. Marvel
• Moon Knight
• Magneto
• Punisher
• Deadpool
• Loki:  Agent of Asgard
• Mighty Avengers
• Afterlife with Archie
• Sex Criminals
• Grimm Fairy Tales of Terror

Those are the comic books I read every month.  That does not include mini-series like Super Secret Crisis War, or Helsing.

There are a variety of comic books on the shelves besides mainstream superhero titles.

Do you like horror, supernatural and fantasy?  Then check out comic books by Zenescope.  Titles like the newly released Tales of Terror, and their flagship title, Grimm Fairy Tales are excellent choices.  Wonderland is also a good choice.

DC Comics offer great titles like Justice League Dark and Constantine.

Image Comics offers Ghosted, Five Ghosts, Morning Glories, and several more wonderful books.

If you like sick and bizarre, then you will want titles by Avatar Press, like Crossed.

BOOM! Studios and Archie Comics offer a lot of fun comic books.

Don’t forget Valiant and Dark Horse.

I don’t care whether you read your comic books in print or digital format, we need to pre-order, consistently read, and spread the word. Blog, tweet, Facebook, Tumblr, and whatever else social media platform you use. Just get the word out about your favorite comics.

And another thing. Stop commenting and/or complaining on the feeds and timelines of creators if you’re not reading their books.

People attend comic conventions by the thousands. I wonder how many of them actually read comics. I’m guessing not too many. If so, then there wouldn’t be all those low book sales and cancellations.

I’m thinking about attending a couple of conventions and doing a survey. I’m going to ask as many people as I can if they read comics, and the titles.

Especially all those girls that walk around in costumes. I really want to ask them if they even know anything about the characters they’re cosplaying.

There are too many low title sales, and too many cancellations. We can put an end to it by reading and spreading the word.

I know that I talked a lot of smack in this post, but that’s alright. At least I backed it all up.