My only real joy when it comes to comic books anymore is reading Wizard magazine to find out what's new and what's hot. I base my choices on what's HOT, then hope and pray that it comes out in a trade-paperback so I can buy and read the whole arc at one time.
What I'm most interested in reading ... eventually... is, House of M, Infinite Crisis, The current Spider-Man arc "The Other", and Astonishing X-Men.
Unfortunately, my time limits me from collecting month-to-month, but I love reading the trades. When I was younger, I was all about flashy art and pretty covers, but as I've matured I've definitely become more interested in strong storytelling.
So, there you go.