Every week Hannibal Tabu (journalist/blogger/novelist/poet/karaoke host/jackass) goes to a comic book store called Comics Ink in Culver City, CA (Overland and Braddock -- hey Steve and Jason) and grabs a whole lotta comics. These periodicals are quickly sorted into two piles -- the "buy" pile (a small pile most weeks, comprised of planned purchases) and the "read" pile (often huge, often including comics that are really crappy but have some value to stay abreast of). Thursdays (Diamond monopolistic practices willing), you'll be able to get his thoughts (and they're just the opinions of one guy, so calm down) about all of that ... which goes something like this ...
What bothers me the most is the same thing that bothers me about people who read books at Barnes & Noble. Your LCS is not a library, kids. It's a storefront, a business. I don't know if Comics Ink is getting extra business from the plug, but every week Mr. Tabu comes into their store, stockpiles that week's comics, reads through them all for review and then deems a select few worthy of purchase. This week, it was 3. $10 worth of comics, after reading probably 4x that many first.
I browse whenever I hit the Comic Stop, but I have a pull list. Good or bad, I buy what lands in my box every week because I've asked Brian and George to put it there. They spent the money to get it, so it's only right that I pay them for it. Do I put things back on the shelf sometimes? Yes. Do I buy "off the rack?" Yes. But I buy. A lot.
As a completest, don't get me started on how Hannibal seems to buy random issues, either. This guy's collection has got to have more holes in it than Hilton Head.
There may be more to the story between Hannibal, Comics Ink, and CBR. I read Hannibal's column every week, because I enjoy a differing viewpoint.
I just think that if you've read it, you've bought it, you know?