I'm not fully against the amount of titles because it does offer some variety among fans. If you don't like the direction or writer on one title, then you could choose another one from the same franchise. A few months ago, I decided to pick up Secret Avengers because Avengers was starting to suck in my opinion. And the new Batman titles coming out this month let readers choose which Batman they want to read about. Variety can be a good thing as long as its not over used.
When Marvel announced its multiple Avengers titles, I understood why because there was an abundance of characters (Steve Rogers, Iron Man, Thor, Luke Cage, etc.) and one of the factors that influence a reader's choice is the team members. One of the reasons I chose Avengers after Siege was because of the roster (having Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Wolverine on one team seemed like a good idea at the time). Another influence on a reader's choice is the team's role in the Marvel Universe. While the Avengers would handle the big cosmic threats, the Secret Avengers would work undercover and the Avengers Academy would train the heroes of tomorrow (at least that's what their recruitment brochures say). All in all I'd say Marvel made the right choice to release multiple Avengers titles.
Now there's a greater number of Batman titles coming out and I can't understand why DC needs to launch additional titles. I can understand why Batman Inc. needs its own series, but wouldn't it be easier if DC put Bruce Wayne in one series (Batman or Detective Comics) and Dick Grayson in the other. Same idea could apply for Batman: Streets of Gotham and Batman and Robin (I would have enjoyed seeing Bruce work with his son, Damian). I get that Batman is the poster boy for DC Comics and he's one of the favorite heroes among comic book fans but all the Batman promoting DC does makes them look greedy rather than people who want to tell good stories.
As I stated earlier, a comic's creative team can be just as influential on one's reading choice as much as the comic's concept. I thought Avengers was gonna be great but Brian Michael Bendis's writing made me give up the book by issue #4. I enjoy Grant Morrison's portrayal of Batman (Bruce Wayne) but the concept of Batman Inc. prevents me from giving the book a chance. Overall there are many other factors that can affect a reader's decision but if they have a good feeling about a title then they should give it a chance.
As with every other article, feel free to comment and let me know how you feel about the number of comic books that are a part of a franchise or which Avengers or Batman books you are or will be reading in the near future. You know what don't just mention Avengers or Batman feel free to talk about any other franchises that might need more or less titles. Later!
