Comics aren't accessible to newcomers. Worth a listen. As one comment stated, you may enjoy an AVENGERS film on the big screen, but get confused when you pick up a book and see multiple Captain Americas running around.

A UK comic/magazine, LOOK-IN, ran from the 70s until 1994. It featured licensed cartoon strips of UK/US shows at the time, i.e. DUKES OF HAZZARD, AIRWOLF, SPACE: 1999. Remarkably true to the spirit of the shows, etc. 

I bought that magazine because of the strips. I was enjoying, say, SPACE: 1999 or DUKES OF HAZZARD on TV - and there was a comic/magazine adapting those strips and being true to the source. It would not have been appealing to pick up that comic and find something vastly different.

Example:

I had a DC issue of STAR TREK years ago. Can't recall the exact "conversation" in the letters page, but editor said something like, "We have to play by Mr Roddenberry's rules." I think someone had asked why a certain arc couldn't be done.

I've come across it at other times, too. And I respect it. Just a shame it can't be a two-way street.

With some exceptions, I'm struggling to work out the point of monthly comics. I picked some up again over the last fortnight; and these issues (first issues) were nothing more than a warm-up. It left me wondering why.

I want to support the monthly comics. I don't think any title will survive if everyone decides to wait for the TPB. I'm seeing little incentive, though. Unlike first issues years ago - i.e. SUPERMAN VOL. 2 #1 - every issue I picked up felt like a warm-up. I didn't feel like I'd got value for money.

I'm sorry to be negative. Can't fault the art or writing, it just felt, well I know it's not the same, but I believe each entry in a film franchise should stand alone. I don't think a film franchise should have entries which feel like a "warm-up". Whilst you will gain more from watching all the BOURNE films, each one should still stand alone and be enjoyable in its own right.

I don't know, I am probably being too harsh. I never had an issue with occasional "To be continued..." stories, it's just that the first issues I paid for featured stories which, decades ago, would have been free inserts in existing titles. It's hard to work out what the incentive is.

EDIT: There have been and are first issues recently that the above does NOT apply to.

It did seem different years ago because even with, say, a six-issue mini-series, an issue in itself provided much bang for your buck. It's like now you have a first issue and it's something like, "Meet the characters, lots of talking, here's your mission - see you next month."

I won't name names so as to not prejudice the views of those who may have picked up a recent comic, but it felt like an insert. I remember the BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS insert in an old Batman comic. A teaser. Very effective, though. And as it was a free insert, not a problem. But the comic I read today (which was released last week, actually), it felt like a teaser, the sort of story that would have been an insert 25 or 30 years ago.

It cost me under four quid. Fine. You pay your money, you take your chances. Not a problem. But I was disappointed.

I had to buy that book.

With regards to fidelity to source material, obviously, the source is the main character at creation. There have clearly been tweaks along the way. But. Right now, the Marvel movies are way closer to the source material than the comic versions are.

Tony Stark is an inventor who is the son of Howard Stark (and is not adopted)

Steve Rogers is Captain America

Peter Parker is a school kid

Bruce Banner is the Hulk

Etc

There are quirks in origins, the costumes look tweaked (but it has been that way since the '70's) but I do feel that the soul of the characters are there. Or rather, enough of their soul that they are as close to the original characters as the characters in the '80's were.

Edited to add: Let's not forget that there were some really stupid stories in the early days of characters as well - Spider-Man shooting a web to snag a returning space capsule being my prime example of such