I only read Marvel, and they're great. I see your point Flum, but they have nice stories along the way. Take for example Avengers World event, the one before the last secret wars. Everybody knew it was simply a two year long lead-up to a massive factory reset for the marvel universe, but it was still one of the greatest story arcs ever. And the characters do develop, and even if many of the devlopments are only temporary, they give you a nice insight into the characters' characters. Comics aren't for everyone, but they are still good.

I get that, flum... But I have come to see it like this: if you don't like stories that end in a wedding... Don't read romance novels. If you don't like stories that present clued that encourage deduction, don't read mysteries. What you describe is indeed a part of the genre. Despite attempts to say otherwise, and despite exceptions.

My issue with comics is they never progress, the status quo always remains the same, and there's no real element of danger because of it.
Or am I just assuming that and I should actually try reading more?

I never thought I'd say it but I might actually like that weird Japanese manga more than American comics.

(And no ranking allowed!)

An offhand comment on another thread made me think about the comics I read. When I was young(er) we really only had two choices. The Big Two. When occasionally, a third party publisher would be innovative or successful, one of the Big Two would absorb them, or at least absorb the new ideas. But these days, it seems that comic publication is more tolerant and less prejudicial. While Dark Horse leads the herd of the new brands... are there others? What do folk read these days, if anything? Or when you make your choice at the Comic Book Shop ballet box, do you simply choose one of the Major Candidates?