Confessions of a Comic Book Guy is a weekly column by Steve Bennett of Super-Fly Comics and Games in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  This week, Bennett looks at the coming year in comics in the light of his list of warning signs, and lists his top two most anticipated comics of the year.

Last week I wrote of retailer Brian Hibbs' assertion that the number of comics had "doubled, and maybe as much as quadrupled" and this had made it "significantly harder for anything to stand out and gain traction in a radically oversaturated marketplace" (see "Confessions of a Comic Book Guy--Too Much Is Never Enough").  And while I disagreed with him as someone who has also been through the direct sales booms and busts of the past, I understood his concern.  Because "too many comic books" is definitely on my short list of warning signs of an impending bust.

There were certainly too many comic books being published the last time there was a bust.  Back in the 90's, Marvel and DC, as well as Image, Dark Horse, Valiant, Tekno, Defiant, Broadway and Continuity (among others I'm sure I’m missing) were all publishing superhero comics for the exact same static number of readers.  More than they could ever buy. Not that anyone really expected all those comics to actually be read; this was of course during the days of the collector boom when comic books were considered not just collectibles but actual investments.  But that's another story.

When I wrote that I had a list of warning signs that wasn't just hyperbole.  Maybe it's because I had parents who grew up in the Great Depression or the world seemed intent on ending on a weekly basis while I was growing up in the 60s (I was a doomsday prepper before there was a word for it).  But by nature I embrace the inevitable and have taken it on as an article of faith that there will be another bust.  Every day I diligently scan the Internet, examining the details of every big publisher announcement and comic book-related Hollywood deal for signs of the impending collapse of our industry.  And believe me, the portents rarely augur well.  No matter how golden the age I'm living in is, I'll always be the guy looking for dingy yellow buildup.

Another thing that makes me nervous is when new publishers join an already crowded market.  So while I couldn’t be happier to see the return of Milestone (see "Milestone Returns as Milestone Media 2.0"), it does make me a little nervous that their titles will be competing head to head with Marvel/DC.  The same way I'm concerned about the announcement Heavy Metal was going into comic book publishing; eight series in 2015 with 12 more in 2016 (see "Heavy Metal To Base Its Comic Book Line In Portland").  Though I’m gratified to hear that their "mission" (I wish I had one) is to produce "innovative sci-fi" comics, which makes it sound like they’ll be competing more with Image than Marvel or DC.

The other thing which makes me nervous about an impending bubble burst is the good old fashioned event-off taking place between DC's Convergence and Marvel's redux of Secret Wars this spring.  And while it's nice both publishers are trying not to forecast exactly what’s going to happen, it's also unnerving that we're being told almost nothing about either.  Well, at least Marvel has shared that they’re ending the Marvel Universe as we know it, though I'll believe it when I see it.  Proving that other retailers share some of my concerns there's a piece on Newsarama worth reading, "Comic Book Retailers Wary of Escalating Events, But Hopeful for SECRET WARS Success."

And although DC has been maddeningly sparse when it comes to plot points, I did like some of the things Dan Didio said about Convergence in a piece on Newsarama, "DAN DIDIO: CONVERGENCE Leaves 'Every Door Open,' Wants To Reunite Generations of DC Fans."  Especially when he admits, in print, that DC Comics has finally done some actual market research on its changing audience.  Something unthinkable just a year ago.

That being said, the one #1 comic I'm looking forward to this year is neither Convergence nor Secret Wars.  It's actually a toss-up.  The first contender is Mickey Mouse #1 from IDW Publishing (see "IDW To Publish Disney Comics").  While delighted to once again being able to purchase Disney comics featuring their classic characters, I hope the line will appeal to kids as much as hardcore Disney collectors.  And the second is Archie #1 (see "A New 'Archie' #1 in 2015"), a comic which, if it meets expectations, will be a brand name comic that could be enjoyed by the largest possible potential audience.

I decidedly do not mean Archie Vs. Predator (see "'Archie Meets Predator' Crossover"), and not because it's yet another horror/teen comic mash-up.  But because it just doesn't make sense.  Predators have a strict code of conduct; as a matter of honor they only hunt dangerous humans for sport and I'm afraid the Riverdale Gang gang really doesn't qualify as such.  It would be far much more appropriate for them to throw down against either Jason or Freddy.

The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.