Comics Reading Today is so Different

Nowadays it’s only natural to see multiple page previews of comics coming out in two or three (or eve more) months. You know what the covers and what the first few pages would look like way in advance.

In the 80′s during the height of my comic book fandom, we did get to see a cover here or there in advance, but sometimes they would be small and not so easy to see. More often than not, I find myself seeing the cover for the first time as I picked up my subscriptions from the store. And as for what’s inside, I have absolutely no idea.

And you know what, it made comic book reading much more fun and exciting for me. It was fun because it’s so thrilling seeing the cover for the first time as you walk into the store. And back home, you’re being treated to something you have never seen before. It’s all new.

Today, a lot of that thrill is gone. You already know what the cover looks like. You’ve already seen the art and know what happens in the first 4-6 pages. Preview pages come so well in advance that by the time the actual comic book comes out, it all seems already OLD. Where’s the fun in that?

What has changed in the last 20 years that made multiple page previews essential to enjoying comics today? What happened in the last 20 years that made people decide to do away with the mystery?