Undeadcow

An entire line-wide challenge feels too open; I'd suggest narrowing it somewhat by maybe selecting a specific flagship title or team (for example: justice league and derivatives); maybe even a sub-line (Vertigo, New 52, Wildstorm, etc). Although it might be fun to just read whatever one wants within DC that might feel too much like the "make your own" challenge.

majorjoe23

I like the idea of keeping it open. My (and I suspect others) involvement might decrease if it gets too specific. I have a lot of Bat books to read, but not a lot of Superman or Justice League stuff.

Beyond Superman, Batman and Justice League books, it would likely get especially limiting for some readers.

Trevor

I see your point Undeadcow (by the way, did you claim your TV Challenge prize yet?), but every Challenge we've done so far (media and comics) has been even more open.

Imagine a DVD Challenge where you could only watch one director or franchise. It simply wouldn't work.

Heck, I'm even worried that DC and/or Marvel are too limiting. Lots of people hate one company or the other. But by keeping it open to all sub-lines of each company, hopefully all of us can find enough to willingly participate.

Trevor

That said, one is always free to refine a broad parameter into a narrow focus; and these Challenges grow into more people picking unique paths of reading each month.

Related, I'm wondering if we make our lists look more like the lists in the DVD Challenges if it would be more interesting. It would allow cooler formatting and creativity; and be much easier to read than daily updates.

terrycloth

I prefer the list and discussion thread seperates makes it easier to follow and find stuff to read

Trevor

Yep, I'd prefer that too. But until we get to double digit participants, perhaps one thread would be sufficient? Just update your one post (bookmark it or even add it to your sig to make it easy to find) but also post comments and thoughts on what you're reading in the thread.

The thread would then be easy to follow the daily updates and thoughts of the day, and short enough to backtrack and scan everyone's lists if one was in the mood to do so.

terrycloth

Yeah i think its just me being selfish. Lol im on a tablet and can barely work it so it would just be easier to update
As i spend more time reading the thread then updating mine

Trevor

Just so we don't wait until the last minute again, we should probably keep talking about what to do for April.

Here's the schedule so far (definitely are bolded):

January - TV/Movie/Book
February - Eisner/Harvey/Etc Winners
March - Rotating Company
April - ???
May - Make-Your-Own
June - Reality
July - Science Fiction & Fantasy
August - Older-Than-You
September - Outside-Your-Comfort-Zone
October - Horror
November - Comedy
December - Holiday
That might be a great idea for April. And it almost sort of meshes with our media Cult Challenge if you squint a little. We could talk it out and come up with a sort of limited weird subject that might be fun for a one-time Challenge but not something we'd want to do every year.
Fwiw, I imagine I'll do my Quadrennial Leap Day Challenge next year for all time travel related comics. It's only ~3 days every four years, but it's something.
Fwiw, July is Sci-Fi, so a good time for the future books I guess. And the 'anything real' month will be good for us all to get out of our superhero rut.

terrycloth

What about character based month?
Example
We can make it avengers
Read books based on characters that are/were avengers
Esp since a lot of UA will be spending the last night of the month watching age of ultron

Trevor

Hmmmm. Normally I'd be against 'forcing' everyone to read a somewhat limited range of books from one company about one team; but given the circumstances this could work.

It'd be a one-time thing fitting the rotating and 'cult' comments above.
It'd be a counter balance to the month of DC.
Avengers and all things related is quite a huge range of books actually. If you stretch it to books of any character who used to be an Avenger it'd be pretty much every Marvel superhero book ever.
There will be a buzz about the Avengers with the movie coming.
They've done a couple crossovers so you could still read some DC (and other company?) books.

Trevor

Just a random thought, but the annual Holiday Challenge includes all holidays, not just the Winter Big Three; so that opens it up a bit more.

PhantomStranger

That is a smart addition. Valentine's Day comics have been pretty popular in the past.

Trevor

Hey, speaking of you. Have your first 8 or whatever books from the 1950s been reprinted? I've started the PS Showcase but think there was an earlier run, right?

PhantomStranger

Most of what you mention was reprinted in the first three issues of my 1970s series, which were in the Showcase.

Showcase Presents: Phantom Stranger Vol. 1 (Showcase #80, Phantom Stranger Vol. 2 #1-21

Showcase Presents: Phantom Stranger Vol. 2 (Phantom Stranger Vol. 2 #22-41, Justice League of America #103, House of Secrets #150, Brave and the Bold #89, 98; Frankenstein stories from Phantom Stranger Vol. 2 #23-30)

I am still recovering from last year's cancellation of my solo series.

Did you know Bruce Timm had wanted to include me on Justice League Unlimited and was denied by the powers that be? How long must I live this cursed existence?

terrycloth

I enjoyed phantom stranger and would of loved to have seen him in jlu

One of my friends whos strictly marvel got into phantom stranger as his first dc book and was pissed there was such a limited run with him

davidh777

I'd be OK with a topical character/series leading up to a summer event. However, my challenge participation has been pretty limited so I'm not the best judge.

Trevor

Yeah, I guess we should finalize April.

My current thoughts are still to keep April as a sort of undefined month where we can change it up every year. Most of the other Challenges, while not really too restricted imho, are nevertheless sort of set on a specific thing at the moment.

Keeping April more open gives us some flexibility.

It also sorta kinda merges with the media Cult/B-movie Challenge if you squint a lot. We can pick specific things that might otherwise seem too limited/repetitive to do every year. We could also pick smaller genres/topics possibly.

Avengers would work in that it'd be a polar break (is that a thing?) from a month of DC; and the upcoming movie is sort of a big deal.

Oh, and for the 36 or so hours of crossover Challenge double counting time one could read Squadron Supreme books and the JLA/Avengers mini.

Undeadcow

The upcoming Avengers movie is too good of an opportunity to pass up; that's a nice thought.

davidh777

April is a good month for it since the event movies start hitting in May.

Undeadcow

Considering the large amounts of superhero movies in the works for future Summer seasons (Avengers now, X-men: Apocalypse next Summer + Batman/Superman, MCU upcoming, etc); April might be a good month for a rotating "movie tie-in month" for whatever specific event film is on the horizon.

Trevor

Good idea; but of course it completely counters my main argument above!

Undeadcow

That's a fair point but unless changed at least three months are really open and vaguely defined. May is "make your own", August is "older than you," and September is "outside your comfort zone" so for those three months there is a giant amount of flexibility. I'm not sure I understand the premise behind June's "reality" theme or the "outside your comfort zone" so counter that future months may need some fine tuning with perhaps the opportunity to change one to just a "to be determined" open month if we decide to lock down April to something more specific (like blockbuster movie tie-in).

Trevor

Well, pretty much every month is super open. This month allows what, a million comics?

I like the blockbuster movie tie-in idea obviously, but I'm not sure we should think of it for a specific month. Blockbuster comic related releases aren't guaranteed every April 30th.

And we have a few more months to come up with better ideas than 'older than you' and 'outside your comfort zone'. That's why those months aren't bolded yet.

PhantomStranger

Being fair with DC, sales on the book were never particularly good. It's a shame DC pissed off Alan Moore before he could write me.

Trevor

Well, at least that one origin story he did was a doozy. And didn't he guest you in Swamp Thing once or twice?