Why do I read reviews? To get tips on series that I am not currently reading but might enjoy. I also like to read others' opinions of series I am currently reading. Sometimes I will look at a bad review as confirmation that I should drop a title, always a difficult decision for a completist.

My "Holy Grails" of comics collecting are DC's Canceled Comics Cavalcade #1 and #2, which apparently printed the final stories of canceled series, stories which never saw publication. These were my absolute favorites as a kid: Secret Society of Super Villains, Freedom Fighters, Firestorm, Kamandi, etc. This was my personal golden age and my ultimate quest.

I read reviews to learn about new stuff I might like. I try to remember reviewers by name, and by who liked what. Reviewers who trashed Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, which I enjoyed a lot, are likely to trash other stuff I might like. Reviewers who even know what Clan Apis is are likely to like other stuff I might like. Anything which gets four floating Tony-heads is something I feel I ought to look into.

I read reviews mostly to find comics I might enjoy, but I get a lot of satisfaction seeing a whole big sidebar on Boneyard, or an "A+" awarded to The League of Extraordinary Gentleman II, which is a sequel even--dare I say it aloud?-better than its predecessor! It kind of vindicates my own judgements...and that is secondarily satisfying. Of course, having found the comic in the first place is the primary satisfaction.

The comparison of favorites is a mainstay of fan involvement. Witness the on-going writing in Andrew Smith's and Craig Shutt's columns about favorite covers, and which issue is the hallmark of an age. Please continue to let us know your choices. I have no "Holy Grail" of comics collecting. I have enough Pogo to want more, but I'd rather buy reprints than the originals. I already have too many comics that are now "too valuable to own." It wasn't my fault; the prices sort of sneaked up on me when I wasn't looking.

I'd like to have more of DC's Tarzan by Joe Kubert, and more issues of Jonah Hex. Someday I may find them. In the meantime, I can sleep at night with what I got...

...except for the new, coming thing. I started Bone with #1, Strangers in Paradise with #3, Bill Messner-Loeb's Journey from its first appearances in the back of Cerebus.

That's why I read reviews. Because a reviewer once suggested I try these and other favorite titles.

Why do I read reviews? These days, I'm more into the "indy" and non-super-hero comics. Since those creators and publishers can't advertise like the big guys, the reviews help me to consider whether or not I want to invest in a new series...especially since I live on a smaller budget these days.

I can't think of any "must-haves" right now unless it would be Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87. That issue introduced John Stewart and has my first published letter to DC!

I remember when I could and did buy virtually everything that Marvel and DC published. If there were books I passed up, it was because I chose to, not because I couldn't afford them. It was a wonderful time to be into comics, as whole universes were open and accessible. Nowadays, with comics at$2-$3 a pop (and more), I've had to cut back on my comic reading.

What's going on in the Batman and Superman titles? Search me. Who is this new Doom Patrol? I couldn't tell you. I've got a weekly budget for comics now, and I've got to be more choosy about what I buy. Since I also have limited time these days, my reading hours are at a premium. I keep up with the books I have an attachment to, or books by creators I know I'll enjoy, but a lot of stuff falls by the wayside. And let's not even start on "indy" books.

I read reviews, especially those by people I trust, to give me a "heads-up" on good stuff that I may be missing. My comics radar isn't as finely tuned as it once was--maybe it's just that there's too much virtual chum in the waters--so I'm grateful to be alerted to cool stuff I've missed, or, conversely, stuff to avoid.

This is probably the standard answer, but it's mine and I'm sticking to it.

For me, the "Holy Grail" question is easy. When I was nine years old, I picked up Mister Miracle #1 off the newsstand and was instantly hooked. I knew Jack Kirby from his work at Marvel, and I had seen some of his other "Fourth World" comics, but this title really hooked me. In fact, this book had such an impact on me, that, years later, I actually made my living for several years as a magician and escape artist. My biggest regret is that I never met Jack to tell him how much his work meant to me.

So, to answer your question, my "Holy Grail" is the original art to the cover of Mister Miracle #1. I have a nice collection of interior pages from various issues, but that cover is the piece I want more than anything. Ah well, maybe someday...

I read your reviews to separate the wheat from the chaff. As the father of a four-year old, and with my wife battling health problems, I don't have much free time to devote towards my favorite hobby. Add in the expense of new comics, as well as stories which spread out over multiple titles, and I only want to focus on those complete stories which are the best. I generally use your reviews to create a want-list of books to hunt for, usually in bargain bins at stores and conventions, and/or to make note of trade paperbacks to read. For instance, after your review of Marvel's Deadline, I found all four issues for half-a-buck or less.

I don't have a "Holy Grail" of comics collecting, though, for the longest time, I was looking for a good reading copy of Denny O'Neil's Charlton Premiere #2. Then, one day while looking through the dollar-bin of a local comics store, I found it in a reprinted edition.

I have an extensive want-list, but through perseverance, I've been checking items off of it. Of course, that list does seem to grow the more I read your column and Craig Shutt's "Ask Mr. Silver Age" feature.

Thanks for your columns. Hopefully your "farewell tour" will include the New York City area.

February 28-March 2:
MegaCon (Orlando)
www.megaconvention.com

March 29-30:
Planet Comicon 2003 (Kansas City)
www.planetcomicon.com

May 10:
The Mighty Mini-Con (Herkimer, New York)
www.mightyminicon.com

July 17-20:
Comic-Con International (San Diego)
www.comic-con.org

September 5-7:
Lone Star Comicon (Houston)
www.lonestarshows.com

November 29-30:
Mid-Ohio-Con (Columbus)
www.midohiocon.com

Because of their enormous libraries of past material, DC and Marvel Comics have the unique ability to put together collections on just about any area of interest. Books that would sell in the mainstream. One example:

Terry Stewart, formerly of Marvel Comics, is now running the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. DC could gather together past stories with a pop music theme, add some commentary, and publish a book in conjunction with the Hall of Fame. They'd sell x number of copies to comics fans, and x number of copies in the mainstream (book stores and record stores), and x number of copies in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame souvenir shop. And they'd keep selling copies in that last one.

You're gonna judge this idea on the basis of some comics that didn't sell four decades ago?

What about stories like JIMMY OLSEN's "The Red-Haired Beatle of something B.C."...or the Kryptonite Crawl story...or the Batman story inspired by the "Paul Is Dead" stuff...or Pat Boone's guest shot with Superman and Lois Lane...and so on and so on.

Were there any music-oriented stories in the various DC mystery titles? I'm guessing there were.

How about in the Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis titles? How about in the DC teen titles?

DC could easily collect a couple hundred pages of popular music-themed stories from their archives. Tying the book in with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would give them an ongoing presence in the museum. They'd have no trouble getting a nice return on the first printing...and they could quite possibly keep the anthology in print just from the ongoing museum sales.

Was your question about Marvel's new solicitation format in PREVIEWS merely rhetorical?

I also don't like the way they withhold information regarding content. But I didn't care for their previous format either, where every single solicitation got the Bullpen Page treatment, complete with hype, buzz, and quotes from Entertainment Weekly. They've gone from too much to not enough. Maybe the pendulum will stop swinging soon and they'll give their customers the simple information they need to order.

Right now, their new books get a significant description, but their monthly title information is as short and shallow as a pitch to a Hollywood producer. It's not very enticing to people reading Previews and ordering for the first time. Everyone else in Previews still gets it right.

I have read your comments about my work in CSI #1, and wanted to thank you for your criticisms. I'm certainly going to keep them in mind to upgrade my art in the next issues of this comic. This series is my first professional work in the USA. Thanks again and here's hoping the next issues of the CSI comic lets me offer you and all the readers a work in constant progress.