Warning: Trying to read every issue in order burned me out fast

I thought I had to start at Amazing Fantasy #15 and read every single Spider-Man comic in release order to be a real fan. After 6 months I was only up to 1973 and I hated picking up a new issue. A guy at my local comic shop in Portland told me to just jump into a big story arc like Kraven's Last Hunt or read the original 12 issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. So I dropped my OCD plan and grabbed Ultimate Spider-Man #1 through #13. Man, I actually enjoyed reading again and felt like I understood the character way better. Has anyone else gotten stuck trying to be a completist and missed the fun of just reading a good story?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_mitchell3d ago

And honestly @shane_martinez44 nailed it about the homework mentality. But I gotta ask - how do you break that completist habit once it's wired into your brain? I was the same way, felt like I was cheating if I skipped anything. Took me a solid year of forcing myself to read random trades before I stopped feeling guilty. Did you just wake up one day and decide to quit, or did it take a slow burn of realizing the old way sucked the life out of you? Because I still catch myself googling "what issue came before this" even when I'm reading a standalone story.

shane_martinez443d ago

That OCD completionist trap is real. Reading some random 1973 issue where Spider-Man fights a guy with a giant magnet is not gonna make you a better fan. Jumping into JMS run or something like Spider-Man Blue actually lets you enjoy the character. Ultimate Spider-Man Bendis run is the best starting point period. Ditch the homework mentality and just read good books.