Yet I also have characters I'll follow without fail. Martian Manhunter for one - and yes, I even bought the Austen-penned JLA issue where J'onn was the focus, even after swearing I'd never purchase an Austen-penned issue EVER. I've kept up with the JLA even though terrible story arcs and barely any J'onn in them at all. Lately however I've dropped both the JLA/JSA Classifieds even though J'onn is in them - they're simply awful lately, all around.

Conversely, I used to think Iron Man was cool and now I can't stand the character (Probably has something to do with the way he's being written, a malady that also affected former fave Batman until this year.)

On the irrational side, I'll always check out a book with Supergirl, the Jessica Drew Spider-Woman or Nova in it.

For me, the title gets really good when Englehart takes over (which seems to be where Busiek got most of his ideas too), and remains top well into the 1980's.

The Avengers used to be my Buy It Whatever book, but the triple-whammy of Johns, Austen and Bendis has killed it for me. Similarly, I was aa big fan of Amazing Spider-Man, but the aggressive bloating of the line in the late 80's/90's drove me away once, and it's done it again now, aided by the execrable The Udder and the baffling Civil Bore.

Why do you have to torment me, Reed, by making me think of how cool that would be?!?!?!

And yet, oddly enough, I've found myself enjoying JLA comics. Specifically the Giffen League, which was lovely and human and very funny... and the Morrison League, which is good because, well, it's Morrison. I'm sure I'd love the Avengers if Grant wrote them, too...

I dunno why. Maybe I'm more receptive to DC...? No clue.

also hate minor-league x-men, why like dazzler and jubilee (who are the same mutant in different clothes anyway) when all they do is produce light and CYCLOPS is RIGHT THERE! cawahyzees.

i can't imagine ever stopping ult or amz spidey, x-men continues to dissapoint but good creators like whedon mean i can enjoy a book i want to enjoy that is often given to crap creators cos everyone will buy it anyway. like batman, collected all of hush and dropped it until morrisson kubert and will probably drop it after them.

Avengers is the only team book that i really like though i liked the Mark Gruenarld's Squadron Supreme books too...

Winterteeth, you did a much better job expressing my own point than I did. I guess I do tend to gravitate toward a certain "sensibility" or "style" more so than a certain character or creator.

Brandon Bragg suggests the JLA is superior to the Avengers for teamwork and team spirit; Bill Reed's comments about the Avengers seems to indicate he'd object to the JLA for the same reason: It was (and still is) a marketing ploy by DC to team up its "world's greatest superheroes." Does the League have a larger reason for being?

I figure this is a timely discussion, given the imminent arrival of Justice League of America #1 (due out Wednesday, right?). For my part, I'm a much bigger League fan than Avengers fan. But then again, I'm a much bigger DC boy than a Marvel boy. Still, I'd say Marvel's suggestion that the Avengers are the world's greatest superheroes is specious. Or at least it WAS specious for most of their history. The line-up of the New Avengers belies their earlier claim, because the team didn't until then boast the inclusion of Marvel's two biggest stars, Spider-Man and Wolverine. And presto! Now the book is huger than ever. (One really wonders if they've any thought as to how Civil War mucks that all up.)

As DC found out when Morrison took over JLA on the condition he could have the Big (or at least the Original) Seven: Your flagship hero team should contain your flagship heroes. And let's face it: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye don't stack up to Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern. (Hey, I'm just sayin'.)

But is that all it takes to make a good team book? Star power? Surely not, or the X-Men and Teen Titans wouldn't have been such breakout hits in the early '80s when half of the characters were brand-new. So what makes the League better than the Avengers? Or is that a false distinction from the start?

p.s. Although I discovered Comics Should Be Good several months ago (shortly before the move to CBR) and I've read it faithfully ever since, I'm still impressed with the level of discourse on these flame-free boards. What a delight to encounter posters who peacefully and intelligently disagree.

My favorite Avengers issue is the one where Wonder MAn brings them along when he appeared on David Letterman, and Fabian Stancowicz attacked...

Untouchable in my humble opinion.

And I believe Jake is responding to res196e7's comment about not liking Vertigo rather than to Greg or the main article.

I was "yelled" at by Alex back in the old days of this blog because I said I don't like the Pixies. Apparently anyone who likes music MUST like Frank's whiny nasal voice and the screechiness of the guitar.

Bill: you've probably heard the Pixies before and just don't know it (it's their song playing at the end of "Fight Club" while the buildings fall down). Chris at Crisis/Boring Change wrote a decent review of one of Doolittle recently.

Wait! No! I might have. I have no idea who they are, though. My areas of expertise are pretty much comics and TV/movies. I'm a complete music and sports imbecile.

It's like when someone tries to brag about their indie-music cred and asks if you've ever heard The Pixies.