Used to hunt dollar bin comics for key issues, but I switched to reading every issue of a run straight through after a 2015 relaunch wrecked my favorite character's origin story. Has anyone else given up on hunting keys and just started reading full arcs instead?

I spent two years chasing first appearances and Batman cameos before I realized I missed the entire point of The Immortal Hulk because I was only flipping through for variants.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_kim1mo ago

Man, I used to be the same way! I was deep in the key hunting game for years, always flipping past story to find that one variant cover or first appearance. But then I picked up a random run of Moon Knight (you know, the one where he's a cab driver) and decided to actually read every page. It totally flipped my thinking. Now I'd rather find a great story than a key that's worth something, because that's what actually sticks with you.

fisher.mason1mo ago

You're saying "that's what actually sticks with you" like reading a story is some kind of life changing event. It's just comics man. I get that some people find meaning in a good run or whatever, but acting like key hunting is some empty hustle compared to sitting down with a random Moon Knight arc feels a bit dramatic. @the_kim, you can enjoy both without making it sound like one is a waste of time. Some of us just like collecting keys because they're neat to have on the shelf, not because we're chasing some deep emotional payoff. Not everything has to be that serious.