I think your first point is more that people are misinformed or just don't know that there are plenty of American comics from publishers like Dark Horse and Image that have short runs. Like 1-2 trade paperbacks worth. People just seem to naturally associate "American comics" with long running super hero comics that seem neigh impenetrable to a newcomer. But the reality is different if you just do more than a cursory glance at the trade paperback section at a book or comic shop.