Comic Book Resources

See, I think this will appeal to the dwinding, aging fan base because on the face of it, this will be the kind of old-fashioned, straight-forward beat-em-up that will be more in tone with The Avengers this summer. I could see this appealing to fans of the Marvel movies who haven’t read the comics, kids who have grown up with the cartoons, and former fans who have drifted away from the hobby because the more mature storytelling of recent years didn’t appeal to them.

I agree Wesley. I first got into comics just after Civil War ended. One of the first trades I picked up after getting a few monthly comics was Civil War. At the time I loved it because it was like a bunch of Action Figures smashing together. I think AvX will have the same appeal.

I think using two of the biggest and most publicly recognizable teams in comics can have a great impact on the industry. With the X-Men and Avengers movies, these characters (although different from the movie versions) are squarely in the public eye. And the super hero brawl is a well-recognized cliche, whether you read comics or not. Yes, the entire brawl is based on the past decade of stories, but as long as things are marketed well it should appeal to new and old readers alike.
Most importantly, it has to be good. That can have the biggest impact of all.

I’ve got to agree with everyone else here in the comments — AvX sounds like something with a lot of mainstream appeal. I mean, what’s more universal than “my favorite superhero can beat up your favorite superhero”?

I’m not sure I get this guy’s criticism

Basically, he’s complaining because he hasn’t liked Marvel’s direction for previous events, and now they’re giving him the kind of event that he wants….but he’s not happy with that either.

I’m not really sure what he’s hoping for here.

The reality is that all of this is a sideshow. Neither Marvel, nor DC, are really even in the comics industry, or at any rate neither has much concern with growing their presence in the comics industry beyond that dwindling fanbase.

The strategy for growth beyond the dwindling fanbase at Marvel/Disney, and DC/Time-Warner, is to grow beyond comics, rather than grow beyond the fanbase within comics. The strategy is movies, movies, video games, animated series, more movies, merchandise, Burger King tie-ins, etc.

These companies are not short on resources; if anyone in a position of authority really gave a fig one way or another for producing real, significant growth in comics sales, they could bring a lot more to the effort than same-as-it-ever-was crossovers and reboots. They might or might not succeed but they could do a lot more by way of trying if they wanted to. They aren’t doing so. That should tell you all you need to know.

A hug?

If the movies are (hopefully) going to bring any fans into the comic shops, it’s going to be the younger fans who will dig this kind of fight comic. This is the first event from either of the big two I’ve seen in years that would be great to put into the hands of a 10yr old and say “here, try this”. Even the tie-in comic, with all the one on one fights, actually sounds good. Will AvX advance the artistic side of the genre, and have it taken more seriously in the pop-culture climate? Not at all. Will it bring in new readers, or just pander to us 30yr old fogeys who already buy comics? Hopefully yes to both. Does it look like a hell of a lot of fun, and some good summer escape reading? Yep.

wow, Marvel is “damned if they do, damned if they DON’T”.

I give them credit for doing (what seems like on the surface) like an old-school hero vs hero slugfest.

Unfortunately I have zero interest in either of the two teams involved…

If they are indeed looking to entice younger readers here ( and I agree, an event based on superheroes fighting other superheroes, both with high-profile movie series, is a recipe for success), then they are going to need to tone down the heavy emphasis on violence and (to a lesser degree) sex. The movies have been able to do so without making creative sacrifices. Time for comics to get back to doing the same.

If any kind of significant long-term growth beyond that dwindling fanbase is going to happen, it almost certainly won’t be within the direct market, and it definitely won’t be until or unless publishers find a way to drop cover prices to a point more in line with how comics have historically been priced.

I think what the retailer is looking for is something even slightly creative or even just different from the superhero publishers. I’m amused by the folks saying a superhero vs. superhero punch-out is just what the industry needs to attract new readers. REALLY? Marvel and DC together have only produced about 10 billion such stories already. I can’t imagine that another one will have any real (i.e. long-term) impact on the industry.

I think Bennett is acknowledging that while he’s glad to see the big event shift in tone to a throwback tale with the whole superteam slugfest, he does not see it as a product that will expand his dwindling customer base. Go read the entire column (which briefly aims to cover a great deal of ground) if for nothing else this interesting point:
“I won’t exactly miss any of the cancelled titles from its “First Wave,” though I do hope DC won’t use the low sales of Mister Terrific and Static Shock as an excuse for not trying more titles with non-white leads.

Avengers vs. X-Men? Do they actually pay writers to come up with that kind of stuff?

I agree with most of what Mr. Bennett is saying except his comment about outreach efforts. I think that Marvel (and for that fact, DC) has been reaching out to more than just it’s dwindling base. Digital comics. Movies. Cartoons. Video games. The Marvel characters are everywhere now. Sad to say, but I don’t think anything can really bring people into the brick n’ mortar stores if they haven’t been drawn in already. The comic shops are for the dwindling base. The other outlets are their outreach to everybody else. Even if paper comics die, and the brick n’ mortar stores with them, Marvel and their characters will survive in digital and other mediums.

Now, I read comics the old fashioned way, and I don’t see myself making the jump to digital any time soon, but I have to accept that what’s good for me isn’t necessarily the preferred consumption method for everybody else. Plenty of people are happy getting their fix of Iron Man and X-Men via the movies and they many never set foot inside a comic shop, or play a video game, and they may not want to. (I’m happy getting my James Bond fix via the movies, and I haven’t had a desire to walk into a Borders and buy up the Ian Fleming novels.) And that’s fine for Marvel/DC because the movies have proven to be a big success for them.

Yes, it sucks for the comic shops, but after years and years of this discussion taking place, has anybody come up with ideas to bring new readers into shops that actually work? And I’m not talking stunts like Obama cameos or Death of Superman. I’m talking means that draw new people into the stores and keeps them coming back. Arguments can be made about the content of the comics, and arguments can be made about the shops themselves. I don’t think anybody knows how to do successful outreach that sells more comics to other than the dwindling base. I think what we’re seeing is “it”. Dwindling base goes to the comics shops. Kids watch the toons. Everybody watches the movies or plays the games. There will be new outlets developed in the future, and some of the current outlets will eventually dwindle and go away.
-r-

I think not enough attention, or credit, is being given to the creative process here either. Marvel IS doing significant things differently with this event.

All people are seeing is “Avengers vs. X-Men,” immediately writing it off as derivative and recycled.

But that fails to take into account the 12-issue, twice-monthly format or, most importantly, the way the writing has been divided between five different writers, each tackling their own particular issues semi-independently. It’s a real change from the norm for Marvel. It’s also the first company-wide event in which Axel Alonso has really had a hand in as EiC.

Then there’s the fact that there’s only one tie-in miniseries with a similarly unique idea/creative lay-out.

There’s a lot that Marvel’s doing different with this event that people are completely ignoring, choosing instead to focus solely on the title and the basic narrative premise.

@Your Name: I suspect the reason people are hesitant to believe that this event will be any different than previous events in any creative or marketing way is that Marvel has given us absolutely zero reason to believe their hype. Every new project they put out is ‘the biggest and best thing to ever happen to comics in the history of ever, an you’re a complete idiot if you’re not ordering this in double the quantities of everything else on the shelves.” You can only hear that so many times before it all becomes white noise. AvX might very well be different. I simply don’t care anymore.

@Richard: “has anybody come up with ideas to bring new readers into shops that actually work?” They might consider advertising – and not in-house ads, or ads on sites here like CBR, ads in places where *we* aren’t. I can’t tell you how often people stumble into our shop and mutter (or exclaim) “oh, wow! They still make these?!” I once *actually* lost an argument with a women regarding whether or not new comics are still being published because she was so insistent in believing otherwise – to the point that facts didn’t matter. And I can kind of understand what fostered that viewpoint – you used to find comics in drug stores and grocery stores and mainstream bookstores. Nowadays you largely have to go to specialty shops to buy comics (though some bookstores are still in the game). While a television ad still probably wouldn’t get through to that woman – it would go a long way to convice people that our industry still *exists* in the first place.

DC did it to some pretty large success this year. Say what else you will about the relaunch, it tripled my subscriptions on Action and Justice League, doubled them on Batman, and gave me subs on a Swamp Thing title for the first time since I’ve been working in comic shops in the past years. A significant portion of those folks were people who’d seen the TV ads and were curious. And for the most part, those folks have stuck around. Marvel has no excuse for not advertising more in front of new prospective audiences.