A Comic “State of the Union” Address [Rant]
My fellow comic collectors, I have come here today not to praise the comic book industry, but to bury it.
After an opening statement like that, I’m sure all of you are ready for a rant and I will definitely not disappoint you. But first, I would like to let you know what brought this rant on in the first place. You see, comics have been my personal passion for over 25 years and the recent crap that we have been subjected to is really making me question my love for a hobby that seems to be dying out. Now mind you, the characters themselves are never going to die out. Its the printed comic book industry that is in decline. “Event” fatigue, high prices, low quality, no new readers, and overall bad or non-existing writing is turning an industry that I used to love into huge mess. Now I know that some of the things that I’m going to say will be offensive and maybe biased and I want to apologize in advance for it but I feel it needs to be said. So without further ado, let’s begin.
Over the past decade or so, the comic book collecting industry as a whole has been in decline. New books are practically worthless and most can be purchased for pennies because no one wants them. To top it off, most comics can be found online for free. Why would you pay $3-$4 for a comic when you can just download it for free? (In case you’re wondering, I actually still pay for my comics. Stupid me!) Now you would think, with average print runs of less than 100,000 copies of any main character title, that these books would fly off the shelves and become high in demand. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. Even gimmicky covers that serve absolutely no purpose but to make you spend extra money to get them all have no future market value because of the new weekly gimmicky covers that keep coming out. This is what killed comic collecting in the 90s. People stopped buying books for the content and spent their money on the gimmick. (As my 50 copies of X-Force #1, bagged and 30 copies of Bloodshot#1, chromium, can attest to) When the value of these books collapsed, many people were left with a sour taste in their mouth. Which brings me to my second reason why the comic industry is declining.
No new readers. That’s probably the second biggest reason that the hobby I know and love is slowly dying out. It used to be a profitable hobby. You could buy a book for a few bucks and sell it within a year for twice your purchase price. New collectors were coming into the industry every day. Print runs ran an average of three times as much as today’s print runs just to meet the demand. Stores were opening up by the dozens in the 80s and early 90s because fans kept filling them every Wednesday looking for new books and poring through back issues, picking up old stories of their favorite heroes. No one cares anymore because you can download an entire character’s comic history in less than a day. Hell, you can buy a CD-Rom that has the same thing for $40. On top of that, the kids of today are so absorbed in the internet and MMORGPS (massive multiplayer online role playing games) like World of Warcraft that there is no time left for reading. Reading just isn’t interesting. No one uses their imaginations anymore. They don’t really have to when you have moving images on the screen that do the imagining for you. Parents try to get their kids to read but the kids are usually so absorbed in their Xboxes and Nintendo DS, that reading is too much work for them. (Trust me on this. I have two kids.) Reading is seen more as a chore instead of a reward. I wish that wasn’t true but it is. With no new readers, and with current collectors getting older and older, soon there will be no one left to purchase new books.
Which brings me to my third issue with the industry today. Price. Even if the kids of today wanted to collect comics, they simply can’t afford them. Comic book prices are beyond insane. When I started collecting comics in 1986, the average price of a comic book was 75 cents. Today, that price has skyrocketed to an average $3.50 per book. The actual inflated value of 75 cents from 1986 to today is $1.50. That means that in 1986, with my $10 a week allowance, I could buy 10 comics, two bags of chips (large), 3 packs of baseball cards, and still have enough change left over to play a few games of Donkey Kong in the arcades. With a $20 a week allowance today, I can buy five books, 1 bag of chips (small), and maybe 1 pack of baseball cards. Maybe. You would think the publishers of comics would understand that, but no they don’t. It’s all about the money. It’s all about getting every last dollar they can from your wallet into theirs. In order to do that, they make new and improved ways to get you to buy books without you realizing that the con is on. For example, let’s say you love Spider-Man. So you go to your favorite comic store, whip out $4, and buy Amazing Spider Man and you’re done, right? $4 a month isn’t so bad, right? Wrong. Spider-Man is bi-monthly, so that’s $8. Still not bad. But wait, there’s more. There’s his appearance in Fear Itself, and he’s part of the FF, and the New Avengers, and his myriad of one shots and crossovers and guest appearances. In total, there is probably over 15 Spider-Man related books a month. Now that price has jumped to $50 a month. God forbid you like Spider-Man and Batman. Now you’re spending over $100 bucks a month. Over-flooding the market with books that really have no overall purpose other than taking your money is another thing killing the comic book industry today.
These useless books lead into my next issue with the hobby we all love. Content. What is a comic book, really? In the purest sense, a comic book is a story with colored pictures that show you what you’re reading. That means the most important thing about ANY comic should be story and art. That’s it! Story and art! If either of those are missing, you have just thrown away your money. The best written story can make you hate reading it if the art is just so disgusting that you can’t stand looking at it. The best art in the world is nothing but pictures if the story behind it is weak or not thought out. (Now I know art is subjective and each person has different preferences, but you get my point) Many of the comics of today are severely lacking in both. Believe it or not, I blame the Trade Paperback for this. Today’s comics are all written in a specific way that gear them towards being reprinted as trades. What that means is a very slow start leading into a tension building middle leading to a resolution. All over the course of 5 or 6 books. Rinse, and repeat. What that means, is over the course of a year, the reader is only getting two unique stories. Four if you consider the fact that a lot of Marvel books are bi-weekly, which makes them even worse since the writers have even less time to plot out a solid story. (I’m generalizing but you get my point) Back in the good old days, most comics were self contained. At most the story took place over two issues. That meant that writers actually had to do their job and WRITE GOOD STORIES. Characters had to be developed monthly instead of bi-annually. Every issue had the same content that two or three issues of today have. To prove this point, please take a look at the following chart:
(I know its a generalization, but these stats are true for a lot of the books printed today. And yes I did count every word because I have no life!!) Look at those word and panel counts. Today’s comics have around half to two thirds the amount of words per issue from books printed 25 years ago, at three times the price. On top of that, the amount of panels per issue today is 80% of what was drawn back then. Of course the stories and art of today’s book are worse than those from 25 years ago. There’s less of them. It’s a lot harder to tell a story with 1,500-1800 words and 100 pictures than 3,000 words and 130 pictures. Of course it will take three or four issues today to tell the same story that one comic was able to deliver back then. It also takes me five minutes to read a single comic when it used to take fifteen. Basically, we are getting less content and paying more for it. And what is that extra money for, glossy paper? Who cares? The artists of the past are better anyway. I didn’t ask for a change nor did I want one.
Speaking of artists and writers, there we have another issue. I’m sick of all of the changes from year to year. It is rare that a single writer/artist will stay on a book for a prolonged period of time. They write/draw the title for a year and then jump ship for some new guy to take over. (This is generally true for most titles, not all) So while you, the reader, are getting accustomed to the writing/art styles and nuances of one writer/artist, and growing to like and accept him/her, suddenly a new person jumps on and completely redoes the book to fit their style. Its annoying and confusing and it makes us not want to buy the books anymore. Once again, the Trade Paperback is to blame because the more characters a writer/artist works on, the more trades they can have their work appear in and the more exposure they get to the general public. It shows the comic publishers their range and makes them more desirable to hire for an exclusive contract. Whatever! I can write six crappy sub par stories or draw six characters in the same crappy indistinguishable style too but it doesn’t mean I deserve to be called a writer or artist. (I can’t draw a straight line, by the way so I’m being really biased here towards the artists, but you get my point)
I have one final issue with the comic industry today and it is a huge one. “Events”. Event fatigue is a gigantic reason why the comic industry is failing. People are sick of hearing about huge monumental industry shattering game changing stories that will result in nothing ever being the same again EVERY YEAR, then having the story itself be crap or nonsensical and the ending being a HUGE letdown. With the exclusion of Flashpoint and House of M, I cannot remember any single event that had a lasting effect on the face of comics that wasn’t completely reversed the following year. These “events” are not events. They’re just another way to suck more money out of our wallets. Its bad enough that the stories are often disappointing. (Final Crisis and Flashpoint being prime examples) What makes these “events” even more insulting are the dozens of crossovers and one-shots that tie-in to the “event” that you are forced to buy but are just another way to make you spend more money. Every year! On useless crap that ends up having no actual relation to the “event” other than just a slight reference. Books that if they never came out, you, as a reader, would never even know or care. Its this repetitive formula that keeps on leaving a sour taste in the mouths of what few comic readers there are left out there.
So what, if anything, can be done to keep the industry from eventually dying out? Well, to begin with, better writing would be a great start. Like using more of those little things that stories are made of? What are those called? Oh yeah, words. Maybe telling more than two unique stories per year would help. Maybe having writers and artists sign a five year contract with a fat bonus that that they’ll receive at the end of it. How about less “events” like Fear Itself and Blackest Night with their 60+ crossovers and more “events” like Schism which stands alone by itself. How about a price reduction so people without six figure incomes can afford to let their children go out and buy some comics. Maybe we can do away with the gimmicky covers and focus more on making the interiors look amazing. Maybe even create a new character or two for new fans to grow up with. Finally, and this is really important, advertise your product so new fans (AKA Kids) are the target audience. Put ads on television and in magazines that kids read. Make a deal with all of the online games that allows for game codes to be included in comics. Then, if a child buys enough comics and redeems enough codes, they can get something cool for their games. Give kids under a certain age a guaranteed discount on any books across the board. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do something to attract new customers. (Which is the ONLY positive thing about DCnU. At least a universe reboot makes it interesting for new readers to get into comics, which is what is currently happening at most comic stores worldwide. GO DCnU. Bring some life back into comics.)
Well, I’ve ranted enough. I hope the industry turns around and the hobby I love doesn’t die out, but without some sort of change and an infusion of new readers and collectors, I’m afraid that printed comics will soon join the 8-track and the record in obscurity. That’s my opinion folks. Take it or leave it.
More ranting @ acomicbookblog.com/tag/rant/
23 Comments
I’d agree with about everything you said on this except for the word count and panel issues. The comic I enjoyed the most last week (Wonder Woman 1) was very economical in terms of verbiage: not too many text boxes, very terse, yet gripping dialogue. Since comics are an artistic medium, I much prefer the art, facial expressions, body language, color tone, etc. to carry the story. I also prefer larger panel layouts with more invested into each picture than a series of boxy panels.
Mind you, I did not grow up on comics. In fact, I am one of those new readers everyone seems to complain that comics don’t have (about a year or so). When I do go back to comics of the 80s and 90s, I tend to find them dragging in terms of story-telling.
I definitely agree with you in terms of reaching kids, though. Both big publishers need to try to reach kids more through comics, games, animated television, etc.
WOW. I didn’t realize that stats about the # of words; that’s just insane!!
Thank you for comments. Like I said at the beginning, I will be a bit biased and art is subjective. However, to me at least, words tell a story. The more there are, the more story you can tell. There are exceptions. (GI JOE #21 being one of the best comics of all time. No words.) As for the number of words stats, they are extremely scary but generally true across the board for all comics of the past few years. I hope this article puts the writers on notice that we are aware of the change, and we are not pleased.
Great rant!
I had to drop all my Batman titles – it cut my monthly budget in half! They just got greedy… Streets of Gotham was my wake up call that it was time to get out.
I learned my event lesson with Siege. I’m only buying the primary series for Fear Itself, which is finally starting to pick up.
As for artists and writers leaving books, I recommend captain America and good old ed brubaker. He’s the best!
As someone who’s only recently gotten into comics (i read abit when i was younger but mainly my dads old 70′s comics as i had no money), I’m amazed at how little info comic publishers actually spread to the general public, without having a comic shop near by and without same day marvel releases their pretty much impossible for me to follow issue to issue legally (I’m stuck buying tpb of issues i’ve already downloaded as i like having the hard copies). It’s also not that easy to follow what’s coming out and what characters are appearing in what books this week.
Another odd thing is that there doesn’t seem to be any new characters since the 90′s who stand on their own (x-23 is ok but still relies on existing guests), I’m surprised that rather then reboot after reboot (didn’t ultimate x-men #1 already come out 10 years ago?) that they don’t try to introduce new characters for new readers to pick up on without having to know the back story. Introduce them in a comic like dc’s presents with a mini series, if people buy that arc give them their own book.
I agree whoever you are. In particular, I hate the long drawn out stories of today (largely, as you say, the result of the TPB initiative).
I love the comparison of Avengers #1 (back in the early ’60s) with the latest Justice League #1. The former told a story of the Avengers meeting, fighting amongst themselves, and then fighting Loki, and then forming the Avengers — all in one single issue.l
The new JL #1 can’t even introduce all the players in one issue.
I don’t know if it can really be said that the end of comics is coming. I think it is more of a transition. There are many people I know who are still trying to make a name for themselves who write great stories and can even draw pretty well. The real problem is getting a publisher to hire you. So now comics are flying to the internet where indie publishers are doing the best they can to work and pursue their passion in their downtime.
I will say that publishers are letting a lot slide without giving much thought to new voices and artists, but I think this is just the growing pains of something better.
Great article. You hit so many valid points. The one thing you left out however is how confusing comics are today. Because of the crossovers and the big events, it becomes impossible to read, say, 15 issues of “Batman” straight through and understand them. Invariably issues of “Batman” will be continued into other titles so reading the “Batman” series is totally confusing.
A similar thing happens with the 5 issue series and things like that. If you’re reading the “World of Krypton” storyline in “Superman”, it doesn’t make sense because you have to read the 5 issue “World of Krypton” comic to understand the full story. This makes everything a big mess because there are too many titles and too many issues trying to tell one story.
Not to mention, all the significant events in the lives of the characters happen OUTSIDE their own books. If Batman dies, it won’t happen in “Batman”. It happens in “Final Crisis”. If Batgirl gets shot by the Joker, it happens in a graphic novel. The message sent by DC and Marvel is, “Don’t buy the monthly issues of your favorite character because nothing of importance will happen there.”
There is a lot here that I disagree with, but I do think you wrote an interesting article,
I work in the publishing industry, and though I do not know the exact problems the comic book publishers face, I imagine they are similar.
The issue about price. One of the biggest problem publishers face is the rising costs of paper stock and printing prices. Publishers have to find a balance between acceptable standards and the price a consumer would be willing to pay.
Paper stock and colors have vastly improved from the comic book runs in the 80s. I am sure this has been a necessary change in order to solidify the genre as being considered a literary work instead of something as something just a kid picks up.
I am lucky enough to live in walking distance to a great comic book shop where I can spend a couple hours hanging out talking to the guy who runs the place and the various patrons who visit and truth be told, I do not see too many kids picking up comic books and graphic novels (they are as you say, enraptured in the video games). Most readers seem to be in their mid 20s or older. These people have more disposable income, so in general, the publishers can increase the quality of their product and justify a higher price.
Content-wise, you have to pick and choose what titles are really worth your money. Do you think everything my company publishes is something that I want to read? Absolutely not. There are demographics. Target audiences. If you do not like something, quit reading it! That will really tell the publisher that you are unsatisfied.
I am just jumping back into comic books after about 15 years away from the scene and I think DC employed a very interesting tactic by rebooting their line. Whether some these books are true reboots or not is a different story, but the company certainly shook things up. A number of the new books are truly excellent works.
Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman, Frankenstein, Detective Comics, and Batman are all well done and will remain on my pull list. These total $18 a month, the same as about 8 large coffees here in NYC. Like everything else it is all about prioritizing and budgeting.
I love that books today take their time telling their story. In particular, the new Swamp Thing creeps along. This makes me feel like the stories are not being churned out one after another and that the writer has a grander story in mind that needs to span multiple issues to tell. Let the story breath.
Can you really tell me that you do not like graphic novels and collections of singles like Watchmen, V for Vendetta, 100 Bullets, Fables, and Preacher?
I think that most readers today want something more substantial than a story contained in 20-40 pages.
As a new reader brought in by the New 52 I am very glad of this particular reboot as it gave me a chance to jump in at the start of something, but it doesn’t surprise me that long time readers are suffering reboot fatigue. I completely agree with you that the publishers should be targeting kids, or at least teenagers. I am new to comics and I will be continuing to read several of the new DC lineup. But I am in my late 30′s, I am the same generation as the majority of comic book readers, long term survival of the industry will require attracting more of the Gen Y’s and the current pre teen generation (Gen Z?).
Right on man. I hope some bigwigs get to read this.
You made a number of insightful points. One that kind of struck me that didn’t seem to be a huge emphasis in your post: actual NEW characters.
I’m quite new to comics, but it seems to me almost none of the “new” 52 showcase brand-new, never before seen characters. I could be wrong, but it seems like almost zero.
Does anyone know for sure how many of the new 52 feature brand-new characters??
Thank you everyone so much for all of your comments. Let me try to respond to you all.
I’m with you Jaime. When Marvel started putting out titles bi-monthly, I dropped half of my books. As for Brubaker, unfortunately, I never liked his work. Or maybe it was just Cap I wasn’t a fan of.
David, I’m totally with you. At least Marvel started making new character with their Amazing Fantasy series. We got some good ones like Arana and Amadeus Cho from that book. DC doesn’t ever introduce new characters. Just different people in the same suit.
Madman, I am in full agreement. What’s the point of JL#1 if not to introduce the whole team. You want to focus on two characters, put only them on the cover and call it Brave and the Bold. That would have made more sense and made the issue a better read. I guarantee that if there were no trades, everyone would have been in issue #1. To me, that’s the whole point of a team book. The team. The entire team. Not just one or two guys.
D.T. I hope you’re right, but without new readers, it really won’t make a difference.
John, you hit the nail on the head. Content is a huge issue. That’s what I meant by nonsense filler issues that have no impact on the overall story of the character. Continuity is always going to be off when any one character has 3 or more titles devoted to him/her and 3 or more different writers driving each series. Publishers need to stop flooding the market with crap tie-ins and minis and just focus on the main stories. And stop with the F’ing “events”. They serve no purpose other that to shock the reader for two seconds, then fizzle and get corrected in a future “event”.
Anton, no offense, but I never asked for nice shiny paper. I LOVED the old paper. It was less flashy and forced the artist to do a better job of actually drawing their images, instead of letting the inker and colorer cover up their art with flash and brightness. (Romita JR. actually knew how to draw before shiny paper became the norm) However, even if the price has increased and the $3.99 cover price is the most acceptable, at least give me the same amount of content as 15 to 25 years ago for that price. Don’t give me half a comic, expect me to pay four times as much, and then smile and say I got my money’s worth. There’s a difference between creeping along and standing still. When you can summarize an entire issue of a comic in three sentences or less, that issue failed. It was boring and unimaginative. The writers have a job to write good stories. Stories that catch the fan’s attention immediately and with ANY issue of a comic. If a new fan can’t pick up a comic and feel engaged with the character(s) right away, that is one less fan that the comic will have. We cannot afford to lose any potential fans to a breath. We need a gust of wind to blow them away and make them yearn for more. And Vertigo books are really incredible stories within stories. I actually own each one of those books you listed and those are some of the best reads I EVER had. However, Vertigo does not follow the Trade Paperback formula. They start each of their story arcs at a breakneck pace and rarely slow down. Vertigo is actually an exception that I wished all other publishers would take notes from and copy.
Steven, we see eye to eye on this. New kids are the only way to keep the industry thriving into the far future. Publishers need to begin advertising to them in full force.
Clayton, as far as I know, there are ZERO, nil, nanda, zip, none, new characters in the DCnU. Just old ones being moved around with new or slightly different origins. Actually, I’m wrong. I think there are two new characters in Demon Knights. But they’ll be forgotten about and killed off soon enough. (Cynical bastard, am I not?)
Thank you all for your wonderful comments. Please keep them coming.
Victor, no offense taken, and thank you for taking the time to reply. I was only trying to provide another side to the discussion. Paper does matter to a lot of readers and it is an issue that every publisher struggles with. I still think there is a lot of great artwork out there not being covered up and outshined by the colors. In fact, I think the colorist’s contribution should be heralded a little more because color affects emotion and can really help set the tone for the book. Content wise, as long as the words have weight, I am fine with a smaller word count and a more relaxed pace.
Okay, so –
There’s a lot that I agree with. But (as a comic book writer for Marvel) maybe I’m taking some points too personally. I’ll try to set that aside.
The big point I disagree with is that somehow the number of words per comic, or the number of issues to tell a story are indicators of value.
By that logic, WATCHMEN is a crap comic because Alan Moore stretched the story out over a years worth of comics as opposed to cutting to the chase. And conversely, Deadpool Team-Up is a better comic than Fables or Captain America because it was all single-issue stories.
Also, in terms of the number of words per-comic as an indicator of value – it isn’t. It’s just an indicator of style-of-the-day.
The frequent refrain around Ultimate Spider-Man’s debut was that Stan Lee told Spidey’s origin 9 panels, whereas Bendis took a year. Okay. But there wasn’t a lot of texture or humanity in Stan Lee’s nine panels.
Comics of the silver age used exposition like a blunt-force object to beat you over the head – often TELLING you the exact same thing that the art was DEPICTING. They have their charm, but the medium and the audience have evolved past that point.
Also, it’s probably worth mentioning that I have never heard any creator I know even intone the idea that they switch projects “because the more characters a writer/artist works on, the more trades they can have their work appear in and the more exposure they get to the general public.”
There are plenty of reasons creator line-ups change. People get bogged down and can’t meet their deadlines. Sales in general are bleeding out readers every month, and the company wants to try something else to reinvigorate a title. Or, a book no longer makes enough to pay the bigger name creators their regular rate.
I know this isn’t the general opinion of the comic fan community, but it is the truth:
Creators are not trying to piss you off. We are not trying to screw you over. All the creators I’ve met sincerely love these characters and want to tell stories with them.
Sometimes the demands of the market get in the way. Sometimes business concerns get the way. But if ANYTHING prevents a creator from delivering a wonderfully satisfying story in a given month – MOST of the time the problem is that the creator is still just a limited, fallible human being who tries, experiments, fails and succeeds. And because we generally have a month (to as little as a few days) to create the whole story. And then do it again. And again. And again.
It’s a wonderful job. I’m/we’re thrilled to be doing it. But it isn’t easy.
And I promise – creators aren’t trying to let you down.
(PS – like the awesome Kieron Gillen my run on Generation Hope is basically all one or two issue stories, with smaller threads carrying forward. And they’re NEW CHARACTERS! And it’s $2.99!! Sounds like it’s EXACTLY THE COMIC YOU’RE LOOKING FOR!!)
James, thank you so much for your comments. It is truly a pleasure to get a response for one of the people actually creating something that I have been a fan and collector of for over 25 years. Please allow me to respond.
First of all, for someone who said they’re not going to take what I said personally, you might have done just that. I did mention at the top of my rant that my views might be biased and offensive, but I was ranting for a love of something, and begging for a change for the better, not to personally attack anyone. Art, as a whole is a personal preference of the the person enjoying it. Writing is an art. I feel the way I feel because I do not enjoy the style of today’s writers. That’s my personal preference. And according to a lot of the comments, I am not alone.
As for Watchmen, the book was written 25 years ago. It was a mini-series. And it was AWESOME. Right after the Dark Phoenix saga, it is the best story ever written. However, it was a mini-series. It ended. The story is over. No more Watchmen. 1 story. Period. Comic books of today keep on going. We don’t have a year to wait for one story to end just so another one could begin. Also, no offense, Alan Moore is one of a kind. And don’t take this wrong either, but Deadpool Team-Up was better than Fables or Avengers to me (I don’t read Cap so I can’t comment on him) because I felt satisfied at the end of every issue, instead of getting excited for one or two issues, only to be bored by the next two issues, then finally getting a resolution to the story by the last two issues.
As for style of the day, can you honestly tell me that it’s easier to tell a story with 1,800 words than with 3,000? Words mean something, at least to me.
As for the writer exchange issue, I understand. I don’t agree with it, but that’s my opinion and I’m allowed to have it. I understand the issues of life, time constraints, and deadlines. I have two kids of my own and they can make the day fly by faster than a jet going at mach 5. I’m on your side. Fix it. (Not you in particular, in general) Stop putting out sub par books bi-monthly and put out excellent books monthly. Stop flooding the market with meaningless filler minis and focus more on the main series. STOP the ridiculous “events” and their 40-100 useless tie-ins. We can’t afford it anymore. Don’t you want new readers? Do you think a kid just starting out is going to pick up 20 books a month devoted to one story and get it?
Believe me when I say this. I respect what you guys are doing. It’s not easy at all. I’m writing the fantasy fight blog for this site and it takes me a week just to put out the pale imitation to the real thing that you guys do. (Check it out if you get a second. I would love a real writer’s opinion) I cannot imagine having to plan a whole story arc. Especially 12 single issue stories. Here’s the thing though. Its been done in the past and it was done very well. I know creators are not trying to let us down. The problem is that today’s style is not creating new collectors either. And that should be the ultimate goal of publishers. Market great stories that breathes new life into the industry through new fans. Kids of today need instant gratification. They cannot and will not wait for satisfaction. That’s why I wrote the rant. Because the industry that I have loved and followed for over 25 years is in trouble and I want to help it in any way I can. Even if it means writing tough offensive opinions about people I admire and respect.
One last thing. I love Generation Hope. I get it every month and review it for the site. So far it has been a great read and very satisfying. But one new book a month that fits my “perfect comic” formula out of a hundred monthly options makes it the exception and not the norm. Kieron is a superstar and I wish him the best on the new Uncanny. (I have every issue since #1) I just wish Marvel wasn’t canceling the series just to reboot it. That, to me is a slap in the face of long time fans. Numbering, especially for the last long time Marvel book that has never broken it’s numbering, is VERY important. (It’s good for new fans though so I am conflicted)
I look forward to hearing from anyone and everyone. especially people in the industry. These responses show me that you actually care.
I should mention, and I hope you find this encouraging – in the current planning stages for a big Marvel Event – there is very vocal editorial direction to try and avoid extra tie-in miniseries, one-shots, etc. And there is a very real focus on trying to make sure the story as it exists in ongoing titles has purpose, narrative value, and real impact on the characters!
So, if we fail – it won’t be by design. Just by artistic shortcomings!
I finished the latest issue of Supergirl in 4 minutes. Flat. Who wants to pay top dollar for that? Even the Sunday magazine last longer, and that is mostly ads. Bazooka Joe had it right: 5 cent gum, 10 second comic. Price has to parrallel the quality, and comics aren’t doing that. I’d willing buy 10 Superman books a month, but that shouldn’t be in lieu of producing new products that I’d also be willing to buy, if the quality is there.
You have a lot of good points, particularly the event overload that has been going on, but I feel that a lot of those comparisons are unfair. Take word-count for example, many comics from the 60s had exposition heavy-dialogue that was unnecessary. The first issue of Fantastic Four has something like, “Look! Up in the sky! Those words just appeared! They’re forming a four! What could it mean?!” Or the appearance of Fin Fang Foom would be accompanied with, “My god! He’s lifting the barracks as though it were a toy! His wrath is fearful to behold, he will destroy us all!” Don’t get me wrong I love old comics, but that dialogue is extremely unnatural. Also some of the comics that take so many issues for a single story are some of the best comics out there (Fraction’s Iron Man, Brubaker’s Cap). Sometimes larger panels can give the art more room to breath and makes it look much better. I still completely agree with you on the ridiculous prices and the number of events and tie-ins and how spider-man and wolverine have to be on EVERY team. Also, just for the record, I think the new DCU is great and I thoroughly enjoyed JL #1.
Thanks again for your comments and replies. I’m really enjoying the personal views and opinions of the various fans and creators.
T.A., I feel your pain. When the new Hulk series first came out, I let my friend borrow the first 12 issues so he can catch up. He told me that he didn’t have 3 hours to spend on it. I told him a half an hour to forty minutes would be enough. He doubted me at first, but sure enough, after less than an hour, he called me up and said that he read them all. To me, that’s just sad that a year’s worth of issues can be read in less than an hour.
Cage, while I agree that the style of 50 years ago was a bit unnatural, but it added a descriptive quality which gave more depth to the story. Now, we only have the art to rely on that depth. I do agree with you that the new DCU concept is great. Especially for new fans. I can’t comment on their stories since I only got three of them. (Not a DC fan, sorry) However, I did get JL#1 and was sorely disappointed by it.
Anton, like I always say, art is a personal preference and everyone is allowed their opinion. I prefer more words and art panels. But no matter what, I hope for more fans and readers.
James, I would love to have a massive “event” without all of the fillers. Schism did it and I am loving it so far. It it by far, the “event” of the year, more than Flashpoint and Fear Itself. I pray that Marvel can do what you say and actually keep the main story in the main Mini Series. That would be very refreshing to new and old fans alike.
Keep the comments coming, people. I’m loving it all.
I don’t agree with most of what Victor Kutsenok wrote, actually.
I love the extended story lines of most comics. Seriously, who doesn’t agree that it makes for better stories?
Buying for investment is a fun hobby that I take part in, but if that’s a primary for you buying books, you are going to be disappointed, duh.
I do hate the yearly “events” though; Fear Itself was pretty good as far as Uncanny X-Force goes.
Thank you for your comment Tommy. So, who doesn’t agree that extended story lines make for better stories? Apparently the 1/2 to 2/3 of the fans who stopped collecting comics over the last 10 years. Don’t believe me? Look up the data online. Are the stories the main factor for this grand exodus? Of course not. Price is a huge factor, too. Still, long drawn out stories that do nothing but drag for 3 to 4 months until they finally get resolved are definitely part of the problem. Only 2 actual new stories a year is a problem. Less to read and less to look at is a problem.
Also, I definitely agree with you that comics are no longer an investment worth hobby. Still, shouldn’t then the goal be to attract new customers and breathe new life into it so maybe it can once again be one?
You may not agree with me on a lot of my points, but you have to agree that they are the truth. They reflect what is happening and that something, anything, must be done to change them.
Please keep your comments coming and tell your collector friends to comment to. I want the industry to take notice and only with the help of true comic fans can that be done.
Great article, Victor! I agree with many of your points, especially value for money when it comes to the story contained. Thanks for sharing!