How do you....

[Wringer]

determine what book to read when.

For the past bunch of yrs I've been getting books on a weekly basis, 4-8 books per week.  pretty easy to sort that many books to see who goes 1st.

however, over the past 3 weeks I have been unavailable to pick up books so when i went into my LCS this week i had a 3 week backlog.  20 books (99% Marvel...I know, I know but i am what i am...sue )

now this is a bit more of a challenge since I no longer buy books I dont enjoy, tho there are a few on the edge.

basically i break it into familes and then sort by what i want to read first.  this breaks it into managable chucks and then I take the top books in each family and again sort by must reads:

using this methodology, below if my reading order for the Feb releases up to this week.

WALKING DEAD #107...speaks for itself
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #3...i was hesitant but enjoying the book and will give it a bit longer to see where it goes
X-FACTOR #251...Loves me some PAD...varying cast and subplots make this series a joy
SCARLET SPIDER #14...this is a fun title, always liked Kaine in S-M and even more in Spider-Girl.  Chris Yost rarley does me wrong
SECRET AVENGERS #37...last issue in Remenders fantstic run...not picking up the new#1
AVENGERS ARENA #4...didnt want to like this one, but i do.
WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #25...Aarons quicky writing and characterization won me over...Broo rocks
VENOM #31...Flash Thompsom in control (sometimes) of the sysmbiot, Remender set this up so well so i'm giving Bunn some leaway...so far so good thou i'm not blown away 
IRON MAN #6...high on the list because i love the character but Gillem nor hitting it out of the park yet.
UNCANNY X-MEN #1...1st issue...i like bendis for the most part and willing to see where this goes
CAPTAIN AMERICA #4...Remender & Romita Jr...great pairing, big fan of both but would love to see JRjr seperated from Jansen forever.  JR is one of the best storyteller currently in the biz and i would love to see him inked by someone else...maybe Danny Miki
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #4...see #2
X-FACTOR #252...see #3
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #4...liking Waids take on this so far, just want to see a hullk beside SMASH...i like my hulks with personality
AVENGERS #5...Hickman is way out there but I'm liking the new characters and set up
ALL NEW X-MEN #7...was not sure this was going to work but i kind of like it...issue 6 was great
NEW AVENGERS #3...illuminati together and getting into trouble...connected but not to Avengers storyline...i like how Hickamn is weaving these together
CABLE AND X-FORCE #4...not sure but i;ll give it a few more issues as I really like the characters involved...Forge, Colossus, Cable and Hope among others...also a fan of Larroca
AVENGERS #6...see above
BTVS SEASON 9 #18...got a soft spot for Buffy and the book is pretty good...only reason its on the bottom is I need to refresh and reread the last couple issues to catch up.  for some reason it always get pushed to the bottom but once i read it i wonder why because it is fun.

there you go...so how do you make the hard choice as to what to read when?
 

 

[Jeff]

I get my shipment of comics once a month so I have to do this all the time.  I've found that I vary from month to month but as a general rule I sort them all by company first; sort of:  DC, Marvel, all others except Valiant, and then Valiant.  I then normally sort them by the week they came out within those categories.  I actually read mine in the reverse that you do.  I put the one's I care about the least at the beginning and build up to the one's I want to read the most.

For example - if my shipment for this month came today I'd likely read them in this order:

BATMAN #17 (DOTF)    13-Feb
SUICIDE SQUAD #17    13-Feb
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #17   20-Feb
   
ALL NEW X-MEN #7 NOW    6-Feb
AVENGERS #5 NOW    6-Feb
X-FACTOR #251    6-Feb
CABLE AND X-FORCE #4 NOW    13-Feb
FANTASTIC FOUR #4 NOW    13-Feb
SECRET AVENGERS #1 NOW    13-Feb
AVENGERS #6 NOW    20-Feb
DAREDEVIL #23    20-Feb
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #4 NOW    20-Feb
NEW AVENGERS #3 NOW    20-Feb
X-FACTOR #252       20-Feb
   
HIT-GIRL #5 (OF 5) (MR)    6-Feb
BEDLAM #4 (MR)    13-Feb
CYBER FORCE #3    13-Feb
FATALE #12 (MR)    13-Feb
MANHATTAN PROJECTS #9    13-Feb
WALKING DEAD #107 (MR)    13-Feb
HAPPY #4 (OF 4) (MR)    20-Feb
   
HARBINGER  #0    6-Feb
BLOODSHOT  #8   13-Feb
HARBINGER  #9   20-Feb


Sometimes I'll go ahead and group double issues together - for instance, I may bump X-Factor 251 down the list next to X-Factor 252 so I can read them back to back.

Another divergent from the norm would be for crossovers.  I would normally bump them to the top of the publisher list and read them in the order they cam out.  (Like Avengers vs X-Men did recently)

[EmeraldWarrior420]

I never have this problem. I have the opposite problem. I read everything too fast, then I want to spend more on back issues; which I'm trying to get under control.

[Perry]

As I also get my books monthly, I base my "how and when" on a few different factors, but at first I set them up to read in relation to my mood at the time. I mean if I am wanting a humor book or a drama book or an action book or in the case of Morrison and Hickman, if I want a thinking book.
 
Of course what inevitably happens is I change my reading order up about 5 times  and I end up reading them in no standard order, but I do have norms that I seem to follow.

My first book usually ends up being a book without ties to another story. Whether that is FATALE or MANHATTAN PROJECTS (when I use to buy the monthlies) or HAWKEYE or DD, I tend to read a book featuring a story that will not, usually, expand past its innate singular structure. Will not span into other titles, or if it does ... like in BATMAN, I don't have the rest of the tie-in stories to read so I am not bound to read them.
 

Like Jeff, I usually end up reading my Valiant issues last. I just enjoy diving into that universe and not breaking away. I have no problem going from Marvel to Image, back to Marvel to DC, back to Marvel or whatever, but when I read the Valiant books I want to start and end in that universe without interruption. Not sure why that is, but I do enjoy reading all of those titles in succession.

As for the rest? That IS usually just a mood thing. It really does depend on how I am feeling at the time.