I don't think that is the case anymore. I think you're half right in that new number one issues with big characters attract a lot of attention and sell well, but I wouldn't say it's speculators. These days I think it is more about people feeling like they can get in on the "ground floor" of a new series.

To continue the tv analogy, it is the same reason lots of people try the premiere of a new series but won't just start watching in the 3rd season, even if the show says it is a good jumping on point.

Just found WORLD WAR HULK #4 (OF 5) on the September 19th shipping list. I don't see any INCREDIBLE HULK since the September 6th list (#110)!

Wow. I only had memory to go on, so it looks like they're as screwed up as you thought. I shall now be more outraged than I was.

Exactly. And that is annoying as hell.

I thought the speculator market died in the 90s.

He was green because the purple shorts went better with it!

That might be it, but long running books such as Superman and Action Comics and Batman and Detective Comics don't need to pander to such trickery to attract new readers.

Usually a new creative team is all it takes to generate proper interest in a long running book, regardless what issue number they start at.

Again, it's all in the marketing.

World War Hulk #5 - "IN STORES: November 14, 2007"
Incredible Hulk #111 - "IN STORES: November 21, 2007"
Incredible Hulk #112 - "IN STORES: December 19, 2007"
Incredible Xxxx #113 - "IN STORES: January 16, 2008"

I would say...don't judge a comic book by its cover.

I don't disagree. One need to only look at another Jeph Loeb projent, in Hush. Any other time that would have come out as a 12 part maxiseries, but for some reason they actually put in in Detective proper and sky rocketed the sales of that book to make it number 1.

It's silly, but it doesn't bother me anymore either. Much like crossovers or variant titles don't. Mainstream comics are going to do what they can to squeeze the juice from the few remaining readers they have through whatever stunts they can think of. That's been made pretty clear. If it's self destructive that's on them.

Maybe one day I will put out my own comic where every issue is the first. I will cancel it, then bring out a new issue one next month and so on.

This would be groundhog day the series.


I seriously stopped reading Hulk when Kaare Andrews stopped doing the covers back with Geoff Johns.

Read Radioactive Man comics. The issue numbers are stories in and of themselves!

Seconded.

Yeah..I am beginning to agree. I am finding difficulty in mustering any interest in placing my order for comic books this month.

To everyone bitching about Marvel's practice of restarting the numbering on books...

Must I remind everyone that Marvel editors think comic book fans only stick around for an average of three-five years?

We should be fortunate that we see books reach #37..

No no. Think of the possibilities. The Hulk could have a long lost son found in issue 1 that has cancer from gamma radiation. The next ten issues would be cameo after cameo of old hulk villains trying to figure out who released this gamma radiation on the kid. Once he dies a very heart breaking death the Hulk will go through stages of grief by changing colors.

Chameleo-Hulk!!!

Big news.

And by big news, I mean big spoilers.

This is a good example as to why well over 90% of the good stuff from Marvel's flagship titles took place in the 60's and 70's and in the newer incarnations of these characters in the Ultimate lines. The new stuff in the old MU? I'll pass, thanks.

The problem with all the renumbering is that it makes it harder to search for back issues of certain titles. The Punisher is a good example of this. i't been renumbered so many times over. Suppose your bidding on issue #4 second series and theres no picture. Would the issue you get be the fourth issue of the '87 series (the first series being the mini)? Or would it be the fourth issue of the second ongoing series (ignoring the minseries)? Marvel no longer uses volume numbers in the indicia of their books so it gets confusing now.

I'm not sure anyone would bid on a comic without some kind of picture, at the very least to see what condition it's in... but I do understand what you're saying.

...and they are expecting to retain readers of the "Incredible" title after #113? Seriously?

Ah, the irony. I remember reading in an issue of Tales Too Terrible To Tell (New England Comics reprints of ollllllld horror comic stories with articles about the industry) that "#1" was dangerous to put on a comic book. If the issue was labeled #2, it meant that enough people bought it that there was enough money to publish a second issue.

This same issue of TTTTT had a cover pic of #2 of some horror comic or other that apparently never published a #1! The sneaky so-and-so's decided to start with #2 to mislead people into thinking it was worth buying!

And I remember when "anniversary" issues meant more pages (with a higher price tag) and hopefully a "bigger" story. Amazing Spider-Man #300, vs. Venom. Incredible Hulk #300, the banishment of the Hulk. Star Wars #50. Transformers #75. Detective #600, which hooked me at least through #611 and pulled me into the Batman comic as well. FF #350: The Thing vs. The Hulk (again?!?).

Speaking of which, here's an oddity: Fantastic Four #236, the 20th anniversary issue. (It was originally bimonthly.) Think about it: Even if it had started out monthly, it would have been #240 or #241. (I don't remember if it completed twenty years or started the twenty-first.) At any rate, it's not a multiple of 25! And it's an anniversary issue? What were they thinking? Somebody would have to do some research and some math to account for the issue number. And today, everyone wants to renumber everything. Even to the point of DC's "Zero Month" with issue #0 of everything, and Marvel's "Minus One" issues. Unbelievable.

From what I've seen of upcoming issues of both Hulk titles, I am going to have to say I'm officially done. If you would have told me during the middle of Planet Hulk that I would soon be dropping Incredible Hulk, I would have called you crazy....but somehow Marvel managed to screw it up bad enough to pull it off.

That's going to leave me with 3 Marvel titles I still read monthly and enjoy.