Haha, we're on the same wavelength, guys! Earlier, I was going to add a line to my original post saying that Western comics were becoming my favorites.
I do heart me some GNs, though I don't follow many series consistently. I love the Runaways series by Marvel, but it has flaws like anything else. Sure, it may seem like purely teen fodder, but it is pretty frickin' hilarious. Plus Brian K. Vaughan started it...
Funny, I've been meaning to get into both Sandman and Fables, Hat! ...But the series are both so loooong and expensive! Meh, from what I hear they're quality at least! (I also heart me some Gaiman).
...I've been eyeing Hare+Guu for a while, so perhaps I'll check that out!
Has there ever been that many good manga titles? 
You should try some Western comics. Scud the Disposable Assassin and any Deadpool series are my jams.
The name "Scud the Dispoable Assassin" sounds amazing; why have I not heard of this before? And by all accounts, Deadpool is an amazing character, but it's so hard to jump into an American series, especially one as expansive as X-men/Deadpool. I want to though!
You're right, good manga is rare.
...But I feel like when I first started getting into manga, there were a lot of quality ones and a lot with potential. I mean, though it's embarrassing to admit now, the first few chapters of Bleach and the like are all solid. Maybe my point of view has changed, maybe the audience being written to has changed.
Maybe I'm being unfair, but is there anything the fan community has really latched onto that has only recently been published? I mean, most things that end up on otaku classic-manga lists tend to be from at least five years ago. What's behind this? An industry that promotes infinitely extending bloated cash-cow series (-cough- Shonen Jump)? Lag between the US and Japan? Just plain sucky quality?
Or is it just me?
