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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Big Two Comics, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 25 of 65
1. When Jack Kirby drew Captain America saluting Adolf Hitler

201605261328.jpgHate and outrage have defeated love and optimism yet again. On Monday it was suggested that Marvel had a story trick up their sleeve that would steal the spotlight from DC's ramming-speed publicity blitz for its revamped universe and Rebirth #1. A shocking!!! plot twist in Captain America Steve Rogers #1 that revealed Steve was really a Hydra agent all along seemed unlikely to unseat a wholesale rewriting of ten years of DC history, along with a shocking Alan Moore related plot twist. But, today we have a genuine tweet storm and think piece blitz, all wrapped in a bow

10 Comments on When Jack Kirby drew Captain America saluting Adolf Hitler, last added: 5/26/2016
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2. Are we seeing the twilight of the “Big Two”?

We’ve been keeping an eye on threats of eroding comics sales that may spell trouble ahead for the comics industry, and it isn’t just Brian Hibbs any more. Big Bang Comics in Dublin, Ireland went on a tweet-storm yesterday criticizing not only DC’s anemic relaunch but Marvel’s increasingly tepid flood of titles no one is […]

10 Comments on Are we seeing the twilight of the “Big Two”?, last added: 1/19/2016
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3. FIGHT! Tony Isabella vs Best American Comisc, Heidi MacDonald and Derf Backderf

Please note the "FIGHT!" title is a joke—Tony is a wonderful human being, and we're just having a good old fashioned argument, like friends do. But this is the internet and we must ratchet up the appearance of conflict so.... Read the rest of this post

6 Comments on FIGHT! Tony Isabella vs Best American Comisc, Heidi MacDonald and Derf Backderf, last added: 1/6/2016
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4. Will 2016 be bleh, meh, or somewhere in between for comics sales?

2015 was a great year for comics, but comics sales were generally up in single digits, which is not a bad thing, but less growth than before. There have been many “storm on the horizon” type analyses, with Todd Allen summing up many of the existing risk factors. Recently retailer Brian Hibbs wrote extensively on […]

4 Comments on Will 2016 be bleh, meh, or somewhere in between for comics sales?, last added: 1/1/2016
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5. The Beat Podcasts!: More to Come – Supergirl Power

In this week’s podcast, the More to Come Crew – The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald, Calvin Reid and Kate Fitzsimons – discuss the new Supergirl tv show and writing to appeal to female audiences, The New York Review of Books opening a comics publishing imprint, Attack On Titan and what its lack of American press […]

0 Comments on The Beat Podcasts!: More to Come – Supergirl Power as of 11/2/2015 7:21:00 PM
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6. How a toxic history of harassment has damaged the comics industry

At the recently concluded Small Press Expo in Bethesda a very cool thing happened. A bunch of awards were presented to several talented, unique cartoonists who are turning out though provoking, beautifully crafted work, influential work. The winners were all popular and well deserved. And they all happened to be women. It was a thing, for sure, and much talked about. What struck me, first off, was just how strong the work was–Sophie Goldstein's multi leveled future history of a world where having a baby became a rebellious act, Emily Carroll's mastery of horror and structure, Eleanor Davis's powerful examination of self-sabotaging quests for self-esteem in many settings. The other thing that struck me was the contrast with the other conversations I was having at the show. Talking with people I used to work with in the "mainstream" comics industry about the long lists of men who would never have given Goldstein, Carroll or Davis a shot at telling their stories. Because they are women, and those people didn't think women could make good comics.

13 Comments on How a toxic history of harassment has damaged the comics industry, last added: 10/2/2015
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7. DC’s $4.99 Line Is Already Here

With all the talk about comics prices, the number of $4.99 #1 issues in the Marvel relaunch and the general chaos over at DC right now, it might interest you to know that DC already has a line of $4.99 comics.  If you didn’t know that, you probably weren’t looking in the right place.  These […]

10 Comments on DC’s $4.99 Line Is Already Here, last added: 9/1/2015
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8. New Black Lightning Archive: DC, Tony Isabella Reconcile

Black Lightning 4“Dogs and cats, living together!” – that’s what immediately popped into my mind yesterday when I read Tony Isabella praising DC on Facebook for how it was treating him in regard to Black Lightning.I’ve never seen the original contract between DC and Isabella in regard to Black Lightning so I have nothing to say of substance in regard to the property’s legal status, but as anyone who has followed Tony’s online writing over the years can tell you, Isabella’s statements about DC’s treatment of him and his landmark creation have not exactly been complimentary. That changed, however, yesterday, when Isabella called attention to an Amazon listing of the April 2016 release of Black Lightning, volume 1, the first of what could be a series of collections featuring DC’s first African-American superhero to star in an an eponymous book.

According to Isabella, the rapprochement is the result of outreach by Dan Didio and Geoff Johns, and Isabella is confident that DC will treat him fairly in regard to the payment of royalties. He also raised the possibility of doing more work for DC given sufficient reader demand; the prospect of Isabella working with, say, the creators of the revived Milestone line on a multi-generational crossover is particularly intriguing, given certain thematic resonances with Milestone’s nuanced reflections on creative identity.

To say that Isabella’s announcement is the most unexpected Facebook post of the year is an understatement — it’s one of the most dramatic turnarounds I’ve seen in decades of reading about comics-related disputes, and kudos to all involved for bringing about what I hope will be a truly lasting peace in our time.

3 Comments on New Black Lightning Archive: DC, Tony Isabella Reconcile, last added: 7/25/2015
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9. All-New, All-Different Avengers Assemble with Kubert, Ross and Waid

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When Marvel takes news to big outlets like The Wall Street Journal, they usually have something sizable to announce, a new artist for the main Avengers title after Secret Wars, shipping schedule, an Alex Ross cover debut, and roster confirmation are little details that add up to news.

The Free Comic Book Day Avengers issue already revealed the roster of the team after the Secret Wars eight months later event. Marvel even gave us what looks like a (fairly) stable creative team in Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar. But today, they revealed that artist Adam Kubert will be switching storylines with Asrar. Also, they shared this Alex Ross cover: which is kind of insane. In addition, this comic book will be shipping more than an issue every month. The Avengers will first come together to fight someone that Marvel Studios film watchers and Nova fans will be familiar with: Warbringer, a Chitauri alien warlord. This new set of Avengers will be low on money, (I guess the whole Superior Iron Man thing burned some bridges?)

“They’re poor, and they have to manage their assets,” said Marvel Executive Editor and SVP of Publishing Tom Brevoort. “Another new wrinkle: Half the team goes to school. They’ve got hours of operation, and if they get stuck in Zimbabwe, somebody’s going to have to write the absentee slips.”

Marvel isn’t looking that bad when comparing their Avengers to DC’s Justice League strictly in terms of diversity. The Vision is a robot. The team has not one, but two women. It’s great to see three younger kids joining the Avengers ranks as well — all three are powerful and with the support of Vision and Tony Stark as Iron Man, they have nothing to worry about. How long with the new Thor be around? Her character is very ill and may have precious little time left to serve as an Avenger. Hopefully Waid will naturally integrate Sam Wilson into the Captain America mantle in a way that doesn’t seem forced, AXIS did some damage to his new role in the Marvel Universe. As ComicsAlliance pointed out as well, this roster is slim, a far cry to the massive Jonathan Hickman-penned multi-character Avengers world concept. As interesting as that story was, it’s time to take the franchise in a new direction, and Marvel seems to be doing just that with the new effort.

2 Comments on All-New, All-Different Avengers Assemble with Kubert, Ross and Waid, last added: 6/25/2015
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10. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Long Lost ‘Captain America: White’ to Begin in September

In the long forgotten year of 2008, Captain America: White #0 washed up against the shores of time.  Traditionally, zero issues herald the arrival of #1s (or in the case of the New 52, insert themselves into the time stream a year after the reboot).  White, however, never got a #1.  Until now.

captainamerica001

Today, Marvel announced that Captain America: White would begin this September.  The spiritual sequel to Daredevil: YellowSpider-Man: Blue, and Hulk: Grey, Captain America: White will be a retelling of Steve Roger’s origin story, detailing how he came to be a super soldier, his relationship with Bucky Barnes, and how he grapples with being a man out of time.

captainamerica003

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are responsible for some of the most beloved stories in modern superhero comics, including Batman: Long HalloweenSuperman for All Seasons, and the aforementioned Marvel Color books.  While Loeb’s writing has received its fair share of criticism in recent years, he has always shown a knack for finding innovative ways to revolutionize superhero origin stories.    Sale’s art is timeless and will be colored by Dave Stewart, a visionary who is responsible for the innovative coloring styles of books such as the Moon Twins’ Daytripper and Gerard Way’s Umbrella Academy.  Interestingly, there seem to be two coloring methods present in the preview pages, with the above reflecting a painterly style and the image below reflecting a blocked inking method reminiscent of the coloring in Loeb and Sale’s Batman books.
captainamerica004

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Solicitations for the first two issues follow:captainamerica005

CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #1 & 2 (of 5)
Writer: JEPH LOEB
Art & Cover: TIM SALE

ISSUE #1
• From his re-awakening in the present day to his days on the battlefield during World War II, follow CAPTAIN AMERICA as he recalls a special mission during THE BIG ONE!
• It’s 1941 and the HOWLING COMMANDOS are just looking to kick back and relax….
• But CAP and BUCKY are about to make their night a whole lot worse!
• The EISNER AWARD-WINNING team of JEPH LOEB and TIM SALE reunite to tell a shocking story of CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY!
• Extra-sized issue featuring CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #0
64 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99





captainamerica006

ISSUE #2
BULLETS! BOMBS! EXPLOSIVE REVELATIONS!
• CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY are ready to lead the HOWLING COMMANDOS, but are the HOWLING COMMANDOS ready to follow?
• Things go from bad to worse and only Bucky can save the day!
• Will a shocking appearance from an old ally turn the tide of battle?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99




2 Comments on Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Long Lost ‘Captain America: White’ to Begin in September, last added: 6/13/2015
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11. DC to Begin Placing Ads on Story Pages

The other day, a rumor started going around that DC Comics would be splitting certain comic book story pages in half, placing half-page ads on the same pages as art.  Well, it turns out that that rumor is true.

This evening, Chris Burnham (Batman IncorporatedNameless) tweeted these photos:

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When Bleeding Cool first broke the story, Rich Johnston indicated that artists had been told to draft their stories with these ads in mind, so they shouldn’t dramatically change the flow of the story.  However, they do change the overall presentation of the book and limit the sorts of panel layouts that can exist on pages designed to be displayed with ads.   Chris isn’t a fan of the ads themselves, either.

I’m not against these ads, but I do worry about the artistic integrity of the comic books they appear in.  Books that don’t use traditional panel layouts like Sandman: Overture couldn’t have these ads incorporated into them, and I hope that if DC continues this integrative practice, that they don’t encroach upon the artistic freedom of their creative teams.

 

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UPDATE: An earlier version of the article indicated that Chris was upset with the job DC did integrating the art with the advertising.  This is incorrect.  He was displeased with the production of the ad itself.

21 Comments on DC to Begin Placing Ads on Story Pages, last added: 5/29/2015
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12. Connor Willumsen on Marvel’s ban on implying “a blast in the can”

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One of today’s most iconoclastic cartooning voices is Connor Willumsen, a traveling ninja who periodically busts out experimental and beautiful comics. He’s also known for turning his back on mainstream work, including a run on Punisher Max that he left early on. Prompted by Ronald Wimberley’s powerful “Lighten Up” about being asked by a Big Two editor to make a mixed race character lighter, Willumsen has followed up with “Penetrating Rule,” about Marvel’s ban on showing anal sex. (Although…Alias #1…) I highly recommend you read both pieces, as they show why…well, let’s be honest, we need indie comics and indie comics that pay living wages.

I can understand why showing Wolverine giving a lady a blast in the can may have aroused alarm bells, but it’s certainly worth discussing.

Link a bit NSFW, especially if your W does not like the sight of Wolverine’s hairy ass.

10 Comments on Connor Willumsen on Marvel’s ban on implying “a blast in the can”, last added: 3/22/2015
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13. Review: Spider-Gwen #1 Packs a Pun-ch

By: Lindsey Morris


spidergwn

 Spider-Gwen #1 

 Marvel Comics 

 Writer: Jason Latour

 Artist: Robbi Rodriguez

 Colorist: Rico Renzi

 Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

 Cover Artist: Robbi Rodriguez

As one of the latest phenomena in the comics industry, the pressure to put out a compelling first issue was certainly on for writer Jason Latour, artist Robbi Rodriguez, and colorist Rico Renzi. With over 200,000 pre-orders, a huge fan base, and a cosplay opportunity that caught fire on the con circuit, Spider-Gwen #1 was a smashing success long before anyone got their hands on the first copy.

The story follows up on Edge of the Spider-Verse #2 (sort of), which really should be considered the zero issue for this series. There is little recap of those events, which is unfortunate because it immediately puts the ongoing at a bit of an imbalance from a narrative perspective. New readers might find sussing out what’s going on difficult, but it seems fitting that the frantic speed this comic has picked over the past few months be mirrored in its plot – at least initially.

The artwork is definitely what stands out most for the book, with every page bringing something dynamic and bright. Rodriguez puts together panels that are tight, but sketchy, and Renzi uses a great cool palette throughout, punctuated by contrasts that will eventually make your eyeballs hurt. Every page pops with this mix of well-executed madness, and together they make visuals that are pitch-perfect for a comic about a girl bitten by a radioactive spider who also happens to play drums and fight crime.

The overall plot, however, leaves a little something to be desired. It’s a fun romp through the life of Spider-Gwen, don’t get me wrong, but there is an air of superficiality that just can’t be shaken. Constant phone checking, puns even Deadpool would groan at, and a villain without a clear motivation all add up to a plot going seemingly nowhere. This is a first issue, so some slack is merited, but Spider-Gwen would benefit immensely from being grounded in conflicts other than personal drama and directionless villains in the coming months.

Spider-Gwen #1 is an entertaining, if disjointed, introductory issue. Frenetic almost to a fault, the singular artwork and a vivid color palette lend themselves to the punchy writing and teenage antics. A worthwhile read for all comic fans.

1 Comments on Review: Spider-Gwen #1 Packs a Pun-ch, last added: 2/25/2015
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14. Visit for Poison Ivy, Stay for Black Hand: DC shakes up the New Suicide Squad Roster

newsuicidesquad

DC’s New Suicide Squad team is about to get shaken up yet again. In the aftermath of Convergence, DC is rebranding the team with an all-new set of villains. No, the comic will not renumbered, but will see a roster change. The news was announced in the Channel 52 backmatter page on this week’s releases from DC. Sean Ryan is still on the writing duties of the comic when the title shifts cast with issue #9, with Carlos D’Anda tackling the pencils on the comic.

This cast is really strange, as we have Reverse-Flash hot off the fame from the brand new tv show and his guest appearance from New Suicide Squad #5. Poison Ivy joins the fray who’s seen some interest in her exploits with Harley Quinn. Black Hand is an important character, but not someone who would usually be associated with the Suicide Squad meeting. Cheetah is a villain getting some play thanks to Wonder Woman. Seeing a Talon added to the full team is a great way to up the popularity of the infamous new Batman rogue. The only true question mark is Parasite, a Superman villain that DC is trying to push as much as possible as of late.

Group Desk Sergeant/Editor Brian Cunningham chimed in on some mission orders for the New Suicide Squad team:

Parasite will be the team’s secret weapon against ISIS in the next arc beginning in June’s issue #9. Black Hand has a power that Squad taskmaster Amanda Waller might covet for a team that can go boom on any given mission–he can resurrect the dead!

Look out for the comic in June, featuring the new team roster in New Suicide Squad #9.

2 Comments on Visit for Poison Ivy, Stay for Black Hand: DC shakes up the New Suicide Squad Roster, last added: 2/12/2015
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15. The Beat Podcasts! More To Come: 2014 in Comics

image 300x300 The Beat Podcasts! More To Come: 2014 in Comics Brought to you by Publishers Weekly, it’s More To Come, the weekly podcast of comics news, interviews and discussion with Calvin Reid, Kate Fitzsimons and The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald!

In this week’s podcast the More to Come Crew discuss the big stories of 2014 month by month, including gains and growing pains in the booming convention economy, rising industry awareness of reader diversity, wage stagnation at Marvel and DC and the talent flight to Image and much more.

Download this episode direct here, listen to it in streaming here and catch up with our previous podcasts on the Publishers Weekly website, or subscribe to More To Come on iTunes

0 Comments on The Beat Podcasts! More To Come: 2014 in Comics as of 1/6/2015 11:35:00 AM
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16. The Free Comic Book Day Silver Titles are Pretty Awesome

20 f5381 685x1028 The Free Comic Book Day Silver Titles are Pretty Awesome

By: Alexander Jones

After revealing the first wave of Free Comic Book Day titles, it was only a matter of time before the rest of them started to pop up. This next batch is very exciting, and full of fun offerings from all your favorite publishers with the big guns like Marvel and DC, along with Valiant, Comix Tribe, IDW, Image, Oni and the mysterious new Legendary Comics imprint that kicked off with Grant Morrison’s Annihilator. DC still has their titles blocked out with the letters ‘TOP SECRET’ sitting on the front page, it’s likely whatever these comics are will be revealed closer towards Convergence. Of course, Marvel is launching Avengers material close to their upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron film. Included in this silver collection of titles is a lot of material from other media, meant to turn you non-comics reading friends completely addicted to this medium. See if Attack on Titan, Avatar, or Sonic can hook your non-reading friends. Free Comic Book Day is on the first Saturday of May. CBR broke the news this morning with covers, and quick description information. All these titles are considered silver comics, with the gold titles being the first wave of books.

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  • 2000 AD Special–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • And Then Emily Was Gone–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Avengers #1–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Bodie Troll & Friends–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • Captain Canuck–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • CBLDF Defend Comics–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Comics Festival–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Dark Horse All Ages Avatar PVZ Bandette–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • DC Comics Silver Book–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • GFT Wonderland Special Edition One Shot (MR)–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Graphix Spotlight Cleopatra In Space–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Gronk and Friends–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • Hatter M Love of Wonder–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Hip Hop Family Tree 3-in-1 Featuring Cosplayers (MR)–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Ice Bayou Blackout–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Jojos Bizarre Adventure and Yu Gi Oh–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • Jurassic Strike Force 5 One Shot–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Kodansha Comics Sampler–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Lady Justice–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Legendary Comics Sampler–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • March Grand Prix–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Mercury Heat Debut (MR)–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Motorcycle Samurai–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Overstreet Comic Book Marketplace–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • Phantom Special–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Rabbids–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Mega Man Worlds Unite Prelude–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Stan Lee Chakra The Invincible–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • Steampunk Goldilocks–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Street Fighter Super Combo Special–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Stuff of Legend Call to Arms–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Supermutant Magic Academy Step Aside Pops Combo–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • Tales of Honor–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Terrible Lizard #1–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • The Tick–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • TMNT Prelude to Vengeance–FCBD 2015 EDITION

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  • Valiant 25TH Anniversary Special–FCBD 2015 EDITION
  • Worlds of Aspen–FCBD 2015 EDITION

3 Comments on The Free Comic Book Day Silver Titles are Pretty Awesome, last added: 12/18/2014
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17. The Cover to Nonplayer #2 and how to make money as an artist

nonplayer 2 cover web The Cover to Nonplayer #2 and how to make money as an artist

Some rambling thoughts on various aspects of making comics and making money.

I alluded earlier to the sudden announcement that Nonplayer #2 by Nate Simpson was finished and would be presumably be coming out later this year. Simpson has written a much longer piece complete with a FAQ confirming that the issue will be in the May solicitations from Image; he’s contacted Image about reprinting issue #1 but no response yet, and Warners—which had optioned the comic—has let their rights lapse, so it’s there for the taking. And then he gets to why it took 3 1/2 years to draw the comic. It’s a long answer but I’ll lift a graph:

When Nonplayer #1 was released, a few things happened. As I have detailed here in the past, there was quite a bit of distracting hoopla (at least by my standards). Between promoting the book, fulfilling poster and comic orders, Googling myself, hanging out with all my new comics friends, talking to Hollywood big shot types, and trying to answer every comment on DeviantArt in a meaningful way (man, that was cray), the amount of time left in a day turned out to be quite small. So regret #1 is not having made more hay while the sun was out, because I had a finite window of full-time access to the comic, and a lot of that time was spent on things other than drawing.

Then came other things—the declining health of his mother was a particularly severe impediment, followed by a shoulder injury, a soul sucking job, a baby, and the other things that life throws at you in a three year period. In my earlier report I joked that he was “staying up every night until 4 am drawing one precious line a night” but it turns out I was pretty close:

Progress was excruciatingly slow for me. An hour or two every morning, just adding a few more lines, a little bit of color, and then off to work. With time at such a premium, my blogging stopped almost completely. Every once in a while, folks would poke at me or wonder where Nonplayer had gone, and there wasn’t really anything I could show or tell them. I was half-done with the book and was literally getting a face drawn one day, a hand the next day, a telephone the day after that. It was like crossing a desert on all fours with no oasis in sight.

Simpson’s guilt and discomfort over not being able to work on his passion project led to him crossing the street when he walked by his comic shop and other distressed behavior. Luckily, the issue is finished now—twitter tells is it looks good, no surprise given his obvious talent.

furry water poster The Cover to Nonplayer #2 and how to make money as an artist
I don’t mean to make Simpson feel any worse than he did, or to rain on his issue #2 parade, but perhaps there is no shame in admitting that, perhaps, maybe, possibly, a monthly comic is not for you. Or even a bi-monthly comic. Some artists are slow. Most procrastinate (myself included, though I am hardly an “artist”) and a deadline or a bill is often the surest encouragement to work. But some people just don’t have the ability to generate regular work—and that’s okay. They can be amazing talents and nice people. Discipline is another ability entirely. After all, Rafael Grampa is the total bomb, and I interviewed him in 2009 about Furry Water…and it still hasn’t come out.

And you know, just being the bomb doesn’t pay the bills. Although this is the true golden age of comics, TV and Cadbury Highlights, just being awesome is not enough. This link has been going around about how there are way too many comics being published in France and cartoonists are giving up and doing whatever people do in France to make a living. I was told about the French comics glut when I was there earlier in the year for Angouleme, and there was fretting and lip biting about it, but the subtleties of the situation weren’t able to penetrate my amazement at being in a place with so may glorious comics.

Zainab Akhtar has a longer think piece here spinning out of a recent Lizz Hickey comic (since removed but the internet is an elephant) that was expressing frustration over “give me money” campaigns people have for shoes, plane tickets and other stuff. Obviously this is a sore spot for many people, but crowdfunding for creative endeavors is well established by now. Akhtar shares a fundamental mistrust of asking for money but also pooh poohs the idea that art is a sacred calling and people don’t need to be practical:

At the same time,online funding has been freeing for many artists, allowing them to give up the jobs they had and make art full-time, untethered; I’d guess the majority of artists are making a little bit extra from donations that eases their living costs somewhat, or pays for printing and so forth. To return to Hickey, artists are making art in the first instance- there is no petulant, throwing toys out of the pram exercises -‘I’m going to stop making things if you don’t support me financially!’ but that is a reality that many artists are faced with- at some point making art in the spare time you find around jobs and commitments is simply no longer financially sustainable. How many artists has comics in particular lost to that road? If crowd-funding and donations is a way to temporarily supplant that, then why not? There shouldn’t be any shame in that choice. Wanting to be supported and paid for what you do is perfectly valid, and it’s kind of sad that we still have to justify that. Money isn’t required to make art, or even for validation, but as a tool for food and shelter and time and living, it works just fine. 

Obviously, I’m no stranger to crowdfunding. A year ago I had a (incredibly generous) donation campaign that helped pay off a lot of debts involving this website, and I launched a Patreon over the summer. The result has been more than I expected, and has absolutely helped keep this site going. At the same time, it’s more than the money raised by a lot of cartoonists who have more talent in their little finger than I have in my whole limbic system. I find that distressing.

And yet, as a mentioned when I launched my Patreon, I consider it analogous to subscribing to a magazine. If you would pay $4 for a magazine about comics every month, then maybe you can pay $1 a month for a barely passable, typo-riddled website about comics. Crowdfunding is the latest iteration of crowdsourcing in a world where we get everything for free that we used to pay for, entertainment wise. You can spend an hour un tumblr and be showered with more majestic art and comics than you would get in a MONTH before the internet. That access, unfortunately, also devalues the worth of all that majestic creativity, yadda yadda. Responsible people with consciences know, deep down, that it isn’t free, and that if you truly love a work of art, throwing a dollar into a hat is a small way to show your appreciation. And despite what we’d all like to think, that is kinda the way things work now.

All that access is also devaluing work that should be paid for. I’ve been seeing some grumbling on FB about artists being asked to work for nothing on spec or for development, and I’ve heard several recent examples of one of the most alarming business models of all: work for hire for a backend only. Even when there are page rates, unless it’s Marvel or DC, they aren’t what anyone in a metropolitan area could live on, or anyone with anything but an extremely spartan living style in a remote forest cabin. It was suggested that artists don’t dare speak out because they fear not getting work from publishers paying the low rates. As one artist told me “It’s SOP for established publishers who realize artists will keep taking worse and worse deals.” It’s also part of the general decline of artists at the Big Two—a decline which is useful for keeping art rates at “salary cap” levels. But, it’s also undeniable that there is a glut of excellent comics artists and and surpluses drive down prices.

I don’t think that publishers that pay low rates are socking away giant Scrooge McDuck like piles of money—in fact, I know they aren’t. Sales are up but it’s still a low margin business for most sectors.

Image Comics is obviously the biggest beneficiary of the current system—and when I say Image Comics I mean the creators at Image and the readers of Image. Image is a seine net for every other business model; it’s a perfect mix of salt-mine hardened veterans and first flush of inspiration newcomers. And readers seem to like it. But, in order to buy in, you still need to save up enough money for that three or four months of waiting for cash to flow in. And that takes a day job, or some big two work or a working spouse. Or a tiny cabin and a patch of kale to live on.

And with Image we circle around once more to Nate Simpson. Obviously, Image isn’t a good model for him. Neither is crowdfunding, whether Kickstarter or Patreon. there is really no model that supports a Nate Simpson, because his work habits are not geared to a self-starting model. Luckily he is a very talented artist (and a nice guy) and he has other work options. His passion project will remain that—and something that others can enjoy when it comes out. For many creators, comics will never be a full time job—but as an industry we need to make sure that there’s still a business model that makes it possible for those who CAN work full time to be able to get a job that pays a living wage,

15 Comments on The Cover to Nonplayer #2 and how to make money as an artist, last added: 12/17/2014
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18. The Art of Batgirl and Where We Go From Here

This is obviously prefaced with a heaping helping of “what the hell does a straight white male know about these issues?”. The simple truth: I don’t know anything. I likely never will – or at least not in a way that can be internalized. At best, I can gather other people’s feelings and memories and keep them in my brain for reference, paging through as I react and respond, because… well, I might not know anything about this, but I think that reaction and response is important instead of choking the fire of discussion dead through inaction.

So. Batgirl #37.

GalleryComics 1920x1080 20141210 BG 37 547d1afe7b9673.90639560 1000x479 The Art of Batgirl and Where We Go From Here

The new creative team on Batgirl arrived with a certain amount of pomp and circumstance. Briefly bringing my experience as a retailer into the fray, the fervour was created almost entirely by the creative team themselves, and not the company publishing the book. A book lives on finding an audience and marketing to that audience, and while DC did eventually run a house ad steeped in current social media trends, it was the creative team that was actually out on social media sites stirring the fan base and building a culture. At the time, I remember thinking that this was something important – not only in the way the creatives were interacting with the fans, but in the way that the reaction seemed to transform into a small movement of sorts, one that would boost sales of a series through actual interest in tone and content. This week, it seems as though the shine is off that apple with the release of the team’s third issue, Batgirl #37.

In the issue, Barbara Gordon is confronted with another Batgirl, one that is using social media and various forms of “art” to essentially take her branding identity away from her. Over the course of the book, you discover that the person under this fake Batgirl’s mask is in fact Dagger Type, an artist who is identified by characters in the story as male. Babs is taken aback by this and is left defeated as the issue’s villain continues with their nefarious plan to steal her public identity.

SCN 0218 640x544 94c7f The Art of Batgirl and Where We Go From Here

As the book crescendos, Dagger Type is portrayed as erratic, firing a gun into a crowd of essentially innocent bystanders. Babs eventually defeats the villain, and discovers that they’ve been doing this at the behest of a mysterious benefactor. The cops take Dagger away, and the book draws to a close. This reading of Batgirl #37 has dredged up accusations of transphobia. As with all art, this is a valid interpretation of fictitious events – a reaction to substance informed by opinion, experience and information. That’s a shame because… well, this book was meant to be something else. As stated before, it was something different than the norm, and marketed to a different and potentially new audience, and this misfire will probably do some damage. The only consolation, I would think, is that despite this valid interpretation of the comic, it isn’t something done with malicious intent, more than it was the unfortunate side-effect of the story’s plot.

Revisiting the plot again, using the same reference material, the plot is also about the nature of art, identity, and belonging. The book opens with the fake Batgirl going on a crime spree. Babs shows up and stops the crime, but not the fake Batgirl, who is said to have been up to these types of heists and behaviours for quite some time, chronicling these events on social media platforms. Babs is upset that she’s being defamed, which is compounded when she goes to a Dagger Type art show that features nothing but pictures of this so-called Batgirl, complete with a rendition of the heroine in a wheelchair, splashed with shadow and a bright red overlay. The presentation effects the characters present in different ways. It strikes Babs as demeaning and regressive. She makes a move to find Dagger Type, and soon discovers that the artist has been the fake Batgirl all along. The plot involves using art and social media to co-opt the Batgirl brand, and add it to the Dagger Type cache. When the reveal happens, everyone in the audience acts dismissive. Dagger waxes poetic about how they should relish in this moment, where they “begin to comprehend that the artist is really the subject. And the subject, his brand!” This elicits the greatest reaction from the crowd, who rejects this notion with lines like “why does everything cool turn out to be an ad?”

The intention – or at least my interpretation of the events as described – is a comment on art and commercialism, as seen through the lens of the modern superhero genre. It’s an ugly balance that comic companies (and retailers… hi!) have been trying to work with for years, taking art and using it for commercial gains. It’s an exploration of the kind of rejection that occurs when false notes are struck, and the commercial ends up bleeding into the art. It’s also about the pretension of craving attention, and the effect popularity can have on art and the artist. There’s a lot to dig into there, but at the core of it all, deep down in the nugget, I truly believe this book is about art, and the reactions to it. It’s typified by the scene where Babs and her friends are walking through the Batgirl gallery, and they all have different reactions to the presentation based off of experience. Babs’ very personal experience with the identity being explored in these photos elicits a very personal and valid response. I can only imagine that’s what many people felt as they read through this issue and experienced a similarly flawed take on identity. The issue essentially agrees with the idea of interpretation being in the eye of the beholder, and never once says that people who enjoyed the art installation in the pages of the book are wrong. It does cast judgement on intent. Dagger Type’s intent was self serving to a cartoonish degree, climaxing in rage when people didn’t understand his genius. I don’t think the creative team is doing that here. I think they wanted to turn in a story that commented on what they did, letting the art speak for itself. It may have said something things they didn’t intend, but they aren’t mad at anyone for it – as the issue implies, any reaction to art is valid.

Now, not long after I wrote this article (but a long while before it’s been posted), Cameron Stewart, Brendan Fletcher and Babs Tarr issued an apology.

I wish Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, Babs Tarr and Maris Wicks all the best as they continue to explore this character and produce art for us to consume. I hope that it continues to challenge us, and causes discussion. I hope that discussion comes from an honest place, and is not confronted with reductive reasoning. I also hope that, like all great artists, they will continue to grow and learn from previous experiences and new information, as even the best intentions can be flawed. The best artists take those noted flaws and learn to grow, instead of digging their heels in. These people are some of the best. Oh, and one more thing:

15 Comments on The Art of Batgirl and Where We Go From Here, last added: 12/16/2014
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19. Must read: David Harper analyzes the changing state of the industry

Jeff Smith rocket raccoon Must read: David Harper analyzes the changing state of the industry

Out with the old, in with the new? As we’ve been reporting, October comics sales were pretty damn massive. It’s the culmination of a year that started a little rocky but has blossomed as new trends blew into town behind a strong trade wind. Multiversity’s David Harper has the much needed big think piece on what’s happening complete with CHARTS. First he points out that The Big Two are still the big two:

Before we get into the bad, let’s look at the good. Marvel and DC continue to be the backbone of the industry. In October, the pair combined to account for over 67% of units shipped by Diamond, and they are and will continue to be the 800-pound gorillas that comics are mostly known for. Some often wish they would just go away, but they aren’t just necessary, they’re the absolute foundation of the livelihood of comics. With them gone, it would likely be difficult to impossible for the books you love to succeed or even exist.

What do I mean by that? Well, it’s pretty simple. In an industry that’s worth $50 million on average, DC and Marvel account for two thirds of that revenue. Without them, comic shops would have a hard time making enough money to survive. Without Marvel and DC, print comics would likely die just like the doomsayers are always saying they’re about to. In that way, Marvel and DC’s success is tantamount to the health of the industry, and we’ve seen them reach enormous heights in recent years.

BUT events, the backbone of the last 10 years of Big Two sales, are definitely losing their punch. Harper has charts that will show it all but here’s one stat on first issue sales:

House of M #: 233, 721 (2005)

Axis #1: 138,966 (2014)

At DC, events and weeklies are showing similar sales erosion.

But they sure do love their weeklies (or bi-weeklies, in the case of “Brightest Day”), and with three running right now, DC is seeing lower and lower sales on their debuts with each passing launch. The latest, “Earth 2: World’s End”, opened at a mediocre #57 with about 55% lower sales than “Batman Eternal” started with earlier this year. Anecdotal evidence from retailers have indicated that these books have sold less and less as their runs have went along, and it’s quite likely that DC’s huge bet on weeklies isn’t hitting the levels they were aiming for.

It has taken all my self control not to post those charts (PLEASE GO TO LINK) but I can’t resist this one, which I’ve meant to do when I had a spare moment myself: a chart showing Image’s market share growth from 4% in 2009 to its current 12%:

timthumb Must read: David Harper analyzes the changing state of the industry
That is some chart. Harper writes:

The chart you see above is Image’s growth in both unit share and in dollar share of the marketplace over the past five years. Between January 2009 and October 2014, Image’s unit share in the marketplace has more than quadrupled. And that’s not even an apples to apples comparison, as industry revenues have skyrocketed during that time, moving from $31.31 million in January 2009 to $56.09 million this month. That means Image is taking a bigger slice of a much bigger pie.

Now, this month their 12.28% number is a bit inorganically boosted – as I said before, “The Walking Dead” #132 was featured in October’s Loot Crate, and issue #133 (also in October) sold nearly 80% less without the Loot Crate bump – but that’s still a very impressive number that speaks to how effectively they’ve grown. It’s not even how big they’ve gotten that impresses me the most, though. It’s their Terminator like relentlessness in growing their market share. This wasn’t an overnight thing, but a steady progression.

But what else are those trade winds blowing in? Marvel and DC are betting their 2015 on Secret Wars and Convergence (although the latter is, to be fair, a stop gap.) Meanwhile, the usual poster children—Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Harley Quinn and not Batgirl and Gotham Academy—are finding a strong audience. And others have trimmed their sails (while boosting sales) as well:

Meanwhile, other publishers are embracing change more than ever. Boom! and Dynamite are putting together effective impersonations of Image’s creator-owned direction. Dark Horse is launching a bevy of awesome looking new titles from creators like Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, Mike Mignola, and more. Archie has, against all odds, become a bastion of innovative and forward thinking storytelling. Valiant is attempting to bridge the gap between Marvel and DC’s universe building and Image’s creator friendly nature.

Harper leaves his analysis with a comparison to Motorola: a once dominant player that fell off the charts when they stuck with their tried and true business plan—small communication devices—while the world tacked to smart phones. About 14 years ago I gave a speech about the same thing at an industry gathering, but the telex machine was my metaphor: even pre internet, the telex machine had been done in by the fax machine, and tried to adapt by allowing you to send faxes from a telex. It didn’t work. The comics industry was in grave danger of sticking with a dying model back in 2000 when I delivered this speech.

Now, I don’t think Marvel and Dc are going to go way of the telex machine, or even Motorola—which is still around but in diminished capacity. Not with those 40 movies on the schedule. But…things have finally changed: I will allow myself one more theft as I construct my unified sales theory: Here’s the top 30 books from October, via ICv2:

TOP 300 COMICS – October 2014
Rank Index Title Price Pub Est.Qty
1 274.55 WALKING DEAD #132 (MR) $2.99 IMA  326,334
2 139.31 DEATH OF WOLVERINE #4 $4.99 MAR  165,582
3 126.92 THOR #1 $3.99 MAR  150,862
4 119.10 DEATH OF WOLVERINE #3 $4.99 MAR  141,567
5 116.92 AVENGERS AND X-MEN AXIS #1 $4.99 MAR  138,966
6 100.00 BATMAN #35 $4.99 DC  118,860
7 97.64 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #7 $3.99 MAR  116,051
8 83.75 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8 $3.99 MAR    99,549
9 81.87 HARLEY QUINN ANNUAL #1 $5.99 DC    97,312
10 74.01 AVENGERS AND X-MEN AXIS #2 $3.99 MAR    87,964
11 71.27 AVENGERS AND X-MEN AXIS #3 $3.99 MAR    84,708
12 63.44 JUSTICE LEAGUE #35 $3.99 DC    75,400
13 63.32 JUSTICE LEAGUE #34 $3.99 DC    75,264
14 62.41 CAPTAIN AMERICA #25 $4.99 MAR    74,183
15 60.18 DEATH OF WOLVERINE LOGAN LEGACY #1 $3.99 MAR    71,532
16 58.52 WALKING DEAD #133 (MR) $2.99 IMA    69,561
17 57.68 HARLEY QUINN #11 $2.99 DC    68,557
18 57.21 WYTCHES #1 (MR) [*] $2.99 IMA    67,996
19 52.70 BATGIRL #35 $2.99 DC    62,644
20 51.38 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #20 $3.99 MAR    61,072
21 50.51 ALL NEW X-MEN #33 $3.99 MAR    60,032
22 49.28 GUARDIANS 3000 #1 $3.99 MAR    58,574
23 48.72 UNCANNY X-MEN #27 $3.99 MAR    57,908
24 48.65 ROCKET RACCOON #4 $3.99 MAR    57,830
25 48.28 DETECTIVE COMICS #35 $3.99 DC    57,385
26 47.76 AVENGERS #36 $3.99 MAR    56,771
27 46.72 SAGA #24 (MR) $2.99 IMA    55,534
28 45.95 BATMAN AND ROBIN #35 $2.99 DC    54,616
29 45.60 BATMAN ETERNAL #26 $2.99 DC    54,199
30 45.48 DEATHSTROKE #1 $2.99 DC    54,059

Setting aside the freakish Loot Crate numbers of The Walking Dead, this is not the chart you ever expected to see in the biggest sales month ever, with the Harley Quinn annual selling ealy 100,000 copies, Scott Snyder and Jock’s Wytches debuting at #18, and the new, Doc Marten’d Batgirl at #19. More teling to me—Skottie Young’s Rocket Raccoon is still selling 57,000 copies at issues #4. That is not a flash in the pan (Although I will wait for Jason’s monthly analysis for any variable I don’t know of.) The graphic novel chart for October shows a similar lemony fresh scent: the top five are two Batman Books, Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye and Jonathan Hickman’s East of West. Even Paul Pope’s Aurora West made the top 20.

This is the new thing. I doubt that Marvel and DC’s reliance on events will go away, and I similarly doubt that they will cause the Big Two’s fleet to founder in shallow waters. It’s all ADDITIVE. While events are hard to order and offer diminishing returns, they still create a foundation for hundreds of stores.

The point is we finally have something of a healthy diversity in comics. The last time this happened was, ironically, in the switch over from the newsstand to the comics shops. Mainstream comics were experimenting with all kinds of wacky stuff in the late 70s, from Howard the Duck (a big hit in its day) to Jim Starlin. As he “direct sales market” arose, even Fantagraphics titles would sell 50,000 copies a month. Love and Rocket once sold what Rocket Raccoon does now. It only took us 30 years. And where we go from here?

Where we’re going there are no charts. But it looks like clear sailing for days and months to come.

9 Comments on Must read: David Harper analyzes the changing state of the industry, last added: 11/14/2014
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20. Marvel teases Civil War 2015, bringing back its most successful event ever

 

Civil War 2015 Marvel teases Civil War 2015, bringing back its most successful event ever

Not content to resurrect Secret Wars, their most successful mega-event ever, Marvel just sent out a Civil Wars teaser image showing Iron Man and Captain America once again battling for the soul of Spider-Man, as he was in the 2005 Civil War event. The cover image is by Adi Granov.

Civil War  the original event was written by Mark Millar and drawn by Steve McNiven. It ran for seven issues from 2006-7 and had the tagline “Whose side are you on?” It was the waning years of the Bush administration and Milar’s story played into the still fresh wound of 9/11 with a story in which Iron Man and Captain America took different sides on the eternal debate over freedom vs safety. The book was well written and had a larger subtext that just who was fighting who and really tied into the Zeitgiest. Perhaps by no coincidence it remains the ONLY event book which still sells in collected edition form (at this very moment it’s Marvel’s #6 book on Amazon.)

In the original, Spidey switched sides from Iron Man, who favored the Superhero Registration Act, to Cap, who believed such an act violated our civil liberties. Spider-Man was given an Iron Spidey costume however which reappears on this teaser.

Bringing back old concepts to boost sales isn’t exactly the most creative or reassuring move on Marvel’s part, but you always knew the villain or hero would come back even if they looked dead; these day’s its the story concepts that come back.

PS: a number of people have been wondering if the original Civil Wars storyline  would show up in the Marvel Cinematic U. A site called Movie Pilot lays out the pros and cons for that.

 

7 Comments on Marvel teases Civil War 2015, bringing back its most successful event ever, last added: 10/15/2014
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21. SDCC ’14: Spider-Verse panel Recap

by Alexander Jones

This early in the morning, it’s tough to get comics fans to wake up for anything. Luckily here at San Diego Comic-Con, there was a room full of eager Spidey fans frothing at the mouth to hear more news about the upcoming Spider-Verse event over at Marvel. The event combines every single Spider-Man character (owned by Marvel) into one jam packed story. This saw multiple heroes down at the show decked out in some awesome costumes. There was an Black Cat cosplayer in the room, a Miles Morales Spider-Man, and the original Peter Parker outfit as well.Spider-Man - Spider-Verse variant cover by Skottie Young

The panelists included Dan Slott, writer of the event; Senior Editor Nick Lowe; Daredevil author Mark Waid; Superior Foes of Spider-Man author Nick Spencer; artist Humberto Ramos; and Amazing Spider-Man colorist Edgar Delgado. Nick Lowe solicited much excitement from the crowd who happy to oblige amongst some of the others. He teased that he was going to show some of the fans a video later on in the panel. Mark Waid was attempting to tease that artist Humberto Ramos was only late because he wanted to make a big entrance. This solicited even more applause from an energetic crowd.

We then got another tease at the Spider-Verse tease variant covers by Gabrielle Dell’Otto.

Another comic was shown off at the upcoming The Superior Spider-Man #32 by Slott and author Christos Gage, along with Giuseppe Camuncoli and Adam Kubert teased the Edge of Spider-Verse. Humberto Ramos then showed up to a crowd who didn’t give him any applause at first. The audience then gave him some news after the initial whimper. Lowe explained that they were not going to show us any of the art from Spider-Verse yet.

Slott elaborated on the return of Superior Spidey. He states that Spidey got caught in a time vacuum and ended up stranded in 2099, where the new comic book picks up. The audience was shown some variant Skottie Young covers that are absolutely gorgeous. The focus then naturally shifted over to Spider-Man 2099. Lowe asked the audience if they bought the title from Will Sliney and original creator of the hero; Peter David. The audience once again broke off into massive applause. The editor explained some of the premises behind the issue. Rick Leonardi was mentioned as returning to the book with Issues #4 and #5 coming in October.

Mark Waid then teased Daredevil during Original Sin, which focuses the spotlight on Matt Murdock’s mother. She had abandoned him as a child, and Matt sees her again when she has been on tough times and found her way to prison. She is on her way to Wakanda. The group teased pages from upcoming Daredevil #7. Lowe shared that the group has a terrifying story coming up entitled “Who Are The Purple Children.” Waid states that the happy-go-lucky Daredevil is now starting to lose his cool with this title.

IMG_0844Slott elaborated about the Original Sin storyline crossing into Spider-Man, which features the Spider that bit Peter has also bitten Cindy Moon. She is also known as the Spider-Bride by Ezekiel. Ezekiel served as Spidey’s mentor for a short  time. Ezekiel has been keeping Moon enslaved for a certain amount of time, and her breaking out of imprisonment is going to be a major inciting incident towards Spider-Verse.

Lowe then brought some more attention to The Superior Foes of Spider-Man. Author Nick Spencer was talking about how this comic is focusing on some of the C and D-list villains in the Marvel Universe. He teased that that the comic book series may be crawling down to a halt soon. Issue #14 shifts the character focus more towards Overdrive. Spencer noted that at times he only needs to write down a paragraph and then have artist Steve Lieber work out what the page in full is going to look like.

Edge of Spider-Verse #2 by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez was met with much fanfare, as it features the return of Gwen Stacy as an alternate Universe Spider-Man. Edge of Spider-Verse #3 is written by Gerard Way and Jake Wyatt was also met with much acclaim. Lowe stated that he has been trying to find a way to write for Marvel for some time. The musician turned comic artist has a massive following.

spider_man_unlimited_screenshot_trailer_1

In The Amazing Spider-Man Issue #7, Dan Slott teased a brand new spider-Man that he created for Spider-Verse. The Spider-UK, who has supposedly been on the Captain Britain Corps. The next issue bring in the MC2 Spider-Girl known as Mayday Parker. Slott teased that she may be in for a “rough” time.

Spider-Verse Team-Up was then announced which is a new comic shipping in November. Each issue is being written by a different author. Christos Gage, Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco, Dave Williams, and others will be penning the story.

The crowd was even more excited about the brand new Scarlet Spiders tale. The comic is a mini-series written by Mike Costa and drawn by Paco Diaz. The book features Ultimate Jessica Drew, Ben Reilly Spider-Man, and the Scarlet Spider. The cover teased was a variant issue drawn by long-time Ultimate Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley.

The trailer for a multi-media project was teased. Developed by Gameloft, the panel was teasing a video game entitled Spider-Man Unlimited. There are 23 playable Spider-Men in the brand new phone game. Lowe noted that each Spider-Man has different abilities, and there are going to be other villains in the title. The game is set-up like a Temple Run style format.

Whew! That is a lot of Spidey info. Spider-Verse kicks off in Amazing Spider-Man #9 in November.

 

1 Comments on SDCC ’14: Spider-Verse panel Recap, last added: 7/27/2014
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22. ONE AND DONE: Up, Up, and Away?

supes32

Keeping up with comics is ridiculously expensive if you want to keep up with a number of titles that come out every month. Not everyone can do that–I definitely can’t. So welcome to One and Done, a weekly column where I go to a comics shop and try to find one good book that’s worth the exorbitant price. It’s not easy.

I really didn’t want to spend four dollars on a comic book this time. June has been an expensive month for me, and I didn’t have a lot of leeway this week. Which is a shame, because Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely’s Six-Gun Gorilla finally came out in trade paperback, and as someone who loved Spurrier’s work on X-Men: Legacy I would love to be reading and writing about that right now. But I could only spend four dollars at the shop, not twenty.

Instead, I bought Superman #32. I almost didn’t. Money’s tight, and I know how the vast majority of cape comics work: a dash of plot, a load of action, and a cliffhanger for dessert. Not to mention the fact that publishers are absolutely trigger happy with “events” and “crossovers,” which is pretty coercive and stupid but also has worked for literally ten straight years so of course they’re not going to stop.

Anyway, I should tell you why I bought Superman #32, instead of, say, Trees #2 (which is worth getting, Trees #1 might still be free when you read this. If it isn’t, let me know. I will tweet you a very entertaining plot summary) or Flash Gordon #3 (which I hear is Very Fun Comics). Some of you probably know why, because if you pay even the slightest attention to mainstream comics online, it’s painfully obvious why Superman #32 is A Big Deal. But bear with me for a paragraph or two while I address The Casuals.

On the Hype Scale, Superman #32 lies somewhere between “New J.K. Rowling Book (Non-Harry Potter Division)” and “Apple Releases New iPhone.” This is because Superman–despite bearing the name of and being about the oldest, most famous superhero in the whole world–has not been a very good book for about three years straight. And this week’s issue #32 marks the introduction of an Acclaimed New Creative Team, which makes it the Perfect Jumping On Point. The hope, then, is that this book will stop sucking.

But that’s a very general explanation for the hype. There’s an equally specific one, and its name is John Romita Jr.

Superman #32 is Romita’s first DC Comics work, after a legendary 30-year career of working almost exclusively for Marvel. That’s like Derek Jeter leaving the Yankees to play some games for the Red Sox, to use a sports analogy. He’s joined by writer Geoff Johns, who had an acclaimed tenure telling Superman stories in Action Comics a while back, and has spent much of the last decade remaking the DC Universe in his own image.

He’s a smaller part of the hype, but only because LOOK AT THE TALENT WE POACHED is a much better headline than GUY WHO DID GREAT STUFF HERE ONCE RETURNS TO HOPEFULLY DO GREAT STUFF AGAIN.

They’re joined by Klaus Janson, an inker who a good enough artist in his own right to get people excited about him drawing a book by himself, and Laura Martin, an award-winning colorist. So, the reasons to buy this book are stacked up right there in the credits.

So is it any good? No. Not if you paid four dollars for it.

That qualification is important, and should be adjusted based on how you feel about the reason we’re all here: John Romita Jr.’s art.

I, for one, really enjoy JRJR. He has a distinctive, blocky style that often feels refreshingly blue collar. Sure, his faces tend to all look similar and he can get really weird with anatomy–Superman’s head completely disappears in the fourth figure of that cover illustration up top–but there’s a lot to love about how he portrays things like physique. His Superman–and Clark Kent–is built like a truck, but not bulging with muscles made of marble. This Kal-El is less Greek god, more caped linebacker. It really helps to convey a sense of might, not just strength.

But man, the story on this thing. Let’s start with this. Here is the solicit (that’s comic speak for ad, I suppose) for Superman #32:

““THE MEN OF TOMORROW” chapter 1! A NEW ERA for SUPERMAN begins as Geoff Johns takes the reigns – and he’s joined by the legendary super-talent of John Romita, Jr. in his first-ever work for DC Comics as they introduce Ulysses, the Man of Tomorrow, into the Man of Steel’s life. This strange visitor shares many of Kal-El’s experiences, including having been rocketed from a world with no future. Prepare yourself for a run full of new heroes, new villains and new mysteries! Plus, Perry White offers Clark a chance to return to The Daily Planet!”

There are two plot points mentioned in that solicit. They are the only two things that happen in the book. There is nothing I could spoil for you if I wanted to. There’s some stuff in there about Clark not having much of a personal life and Jimmy Olsen not knowing what to do with his fortune, but they literally don’t go anywhere, as they’re most likely B-story stuff to check in on throughout the run whenever we need a break from Superman punching giant robot gorillas.

Oh, and Superman also punches a giant robot gorilla, but there’s no reason for it other than giving JRJR something dope to draw. That’s something I take issue with. I mean, if you’ve got it, use it, but use it in a justified way. If you want to have a giant robot gorilla fight (and there’s nothing wrong with that, those are awesome), then make it amazing, make it happen for a reason, make the script earn the art it asks for. Don’t waste an artist’s talent or a reader’s time.

One of the things I don’t really understand about how comics are critiqued and received are the standards that we hold creator-owned books like Saga or Fatale or Mind Mgmt to, and the ones that we judge mainstream superhero comics by. Cape comics get a pass on a lot of things: bad dialogue, barely any plot, and a near-sociopathic insistence on buying multiple titles to get a “full story,” as if they still cost ten cents a pop.

You’re going to read a lot of reviews saying how great Superman #32 is. A lot of those reviews will likely be written by people who also adored books like The Wicked + The Divine #1, a book absolutely full of great ideas and hidden meanings and lots of potential energy. Superman #32 has none of these things. So why would we call it good?

Superman #32 is a bad comic book. But ‘The Men of Tomorrow,’ the larger story of which Superman #32 is the first part, could be absolutely fantastic whenever it’s done. Everyone working on it is top notch.

But there are ways to make a good comic book, to tell a good serialized story twenty-two pages at a time. The stands are full of good examples, and we read them every week.

This is not one of them.

As always, support your local comic shop if you can, patronize your local library if you have one, and say hi on Twitter if you like.

 

Be back in a week.

8 Comments on ONE AND DONE: Up, Up, and Away?, last added: 6/29/2014
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23. The Retailer’s View: Event Comics and Ordering Abuse

by Brandon Schatz

When you spend your days breaking open comic solicitations and marketing for a living, you begin to pick out patterns. A new batch of solicitations hit the internet, and suddenly your world starts to Beautiful Mind itself with floating words and numbers that glow as you drink the information. When I’m placing orders, it’s helpful to be able to see the patterns. Ordering is hard enough when you have to guess at the individual buying habits of hundreds of different people, most of whom won’t let you know if they liked a book until the next issue is out on the stands, and every little bit of help is appreciated.

That said, being able to see patterns can also be a curse. When you begin to see the moving parts and start to understand how and why they move, the machine becomes a lot less impressive. Suddenly it’s not some magic thing, it’s a series of wrote events. The worst of this ability comes when you begin to see dark clouds on the horizon. You know something bad is coming, but you’re not sure what you can do to stop it. Lately, I’ve been getting some dark vibes from Marvel and DC in the shape of some weird final order cut-off abuses. But first, some context.

For the bulk of the direct market’s existence, retailers have had to work in a system where orders for much of their stock are placed months in advance. For example, at the end of this month, I will be sending in my orders for books that start shipping in August. As you might guess, it’s a tough racket, trying to guess what people will be interested in so far in advance. To that end, roughly five years ago, several publishers started participating in a “final order cut-off” program, which allows retailers to adjust their orders on the company’s upcoming slate of books right up to the point where the books hit the printer, roughly three weeks in advance of release. Closing this time gap was, and is a godsend. More often than not, a book that hits the stands on a Wednesday will have its second issue up on FOC on Monday, and a retailer can take into account the books’ actual demand, instead of using the order they placed blind several weeks before. While this system isn’t flawless, it tends to work out more often than it doesn’t. It allows the patterns to ply with greater ease, freeing retailers to stop fretting over wild guesses in the face of numbers they’re more sure of. Naturally, it needed to be destroyed.

There are times where I feel Marvel and DC are at odds with their “retail partners”, and treat them with a modicum of disdain. I’m sure this isn’t true, but their actions often say otherwise. For example, I take DC’s insistence on providing the industry with a new round of lenticular covers as a sign that they think we’re stupid, and that retailers will buy anything if they wave their arms wide enough. For the most part, this is true. DC will undoubtably have their best month of sales in September, despite the fact that the production time on the covers had retailers ordering them over three months in advance, with no chance to adjust at a later date. At a basic level, it shows that the company doesn’t care much if a retailer can recoup money from the comics they’ve purchased, they just want the books out the door.

Original_Sin_Thor_Loki_The_Tenth_Realm

Marvel has adopted a similar tactic lately when it comes to some of their event books. Yesterday, they asked us to set our orders for all four issues of their Thor and Loki Original Sin tie in. The first issue ships in July, while the last ships in September. They did something similar with the Hulk vs. Iron Man tie in, and will be doing the same for the Death of Wolverine series. Rapid shipping books without the luxury of order adjustment. This is a nightmare. Not only does it circumvent the final order cut-off system, which helps retailers reflect a book’s actual readership in their orders, but it takes the old system, and makes it worse. At least back then if there was a four issue mini-series solicited, you would be able to adjust your numbers according to a wider range of sales data. You didn’t have to set your numbers all at once, you could stagger the decision making, take a look at where your customer base is drifting, determine if they were even into the event, and maybe have enough time to save yourself for ordering way to much or too little on the final issues.

In doing this, the publishers are putting their foot down and stating they are in the business of selling comics for them and not for anyone else. They are the only party this form of ordering benefits, after all. As a retailer, the larger the gap is between my final order and the comics release, the more risk I have to take on. How do I know the series will retain its’ readership? And what if I didn’t order enough to begin with? Will I be awash in copies, or will I be crossing my fingers that some back orders go through so that my customers might see the product?

When retailers have to deal with this kind of risky guesswork, it has ripple effects in the industry. Smaller gaps in ordering time inevitably leads to improved ordering, and improved ordering means a store cut copies from their order that wouldn’t be sold, and use that money to stock comics that would. It allows a shop to be more profitable, and better serve their customers and the industry. This is how things should work in a system where one cog needs the other to perform a function.

What’s worse is the fact that this is all clearly a test. Remember what I said before about spotting patterns? Marvel and DC will do this kind of thing every so often, experimenting with the delivery system to see what they can get away with, while still experiencing sales. These are test balloons to see if they can continue to build a system that benefits them more than anyone else. The unfortunate thing is that we as retailers often put up with it, and allow them to continue to leech power away from us. We place our orders for lenticular covers with a smile despite the nightmare that occurred last year, and the fact that DC had decided what the plots would be internally before handing out assignments to whichever warm bodies they could find. We look at the final order cut off for the Thor and Loki mini, and we shrug and plug in numbers that amount to “Thor + Loki + Original Sin” and hope for the best, knowing full well that despite adjustments made to approximate demand, the orders won’t stick the landing. We do this, and we do this, and we do this, and we never fight back, because we can’t. After all, where else are we going to get the product from? And hey, if we don’t have the product, they’re just going to get it from somewhere else, right?

The system is already broken. Comics are hard enough to distribute. The final order cut-offs were something nice, something that made the whole process a little easier – and slowly but surely, it’s ebbing away. In the end, Marvel and DC might be able to smile and count their money while they see sales on certain titles retain a greater amount of sales, but shops will inevitably be all the poorer for it, leaving them with less money to spend on the next thing – which will inevitably bring about the next short sighted ploy and so on and so forth.

When I think about this, I’m always reminded of the fact that the end of the world won’t probably happen suddenly. We like to think it might, because that would absolve us all of our wrongdoings. If the comic industry ends, it won’t be any one big thing. It won’t be a pressed button. It will be the little things that add up. It will be the tiny cuts. It will be things like this, and the cyclical acts it produces. This is not what I want. This is not what we want.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go place my orders for The Death of Wolverine. I’ll see you on the other side.

[Brandon Schatz has been working behind the comic book counter for eight years. He's spent the past four as the manager of Wizard's Comics and Collectibles in Edmonton, Alberta. In his spare time, he writes about the comics he likes over at Comics! The Blog and stares at passive keyboards and empty word documents, making secret wishes and bargains that will surely come back to haunt him. You can find him on twitter @soupytoasterson. The opinions expressed are those of Schatz and do not necessarily reflect those of The Beat]

12 Comments on The Retailer’s View: Event Comics and Ordering Abuse, last added: 6/19/2014
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24. ONE AND DONE: ‘She-Hulk’ #5 and the Joy of Polite Comics

she-hulk5

One of my favorite things about monthly comics is the intro page. It has taken on special significance in recent years–I’d say it’s thanks to the wild success of Hawkeye. But I can’t say that authoritatively, mostly because I’m the guy who only buys one comic per week. But it’s a good example.

Every issue of Hawkeye tells you that Clint Barton is the greatest sharpshooter alive, that he’s an Avenger, and that this book is about what he does when he isn’t an Avenger.

Then there’s a dumb joke. It’s the best part.

The practice is far from new–superhero comics have a long tradition of slapping  a boilerplate paragraph on the title page describing the hero’s whole deal in brief. But recently, with Marvel titles like Hawkeye and Moon Knight and All-New Ghost Rider, these pages have taken on a bigger role than just a reminder of who this book’s about.

They’re a mission statement. A reassurance that All You Need To Know can be summed up in a few lines above the credits. It’s very polite of them.

‘Polite’ really is the best word to describe it. See one of those intro pages in a comic book, and it’s easy to see that the book is doing you a courtesy, making a conscious effort to remain accessible and friendly to the curious (and cash-strapped). The hope is that you can jump right in and be ready to go.

With She-Hulk #5, I absolutely did.

She-Hulk’s intro page isn’t like any of the aforementioned ones. There’s little in the way of style or design to it. It’s mostly just She-Hulk, breaking the fourth wall and telling the reader everything they need to know to appreciate the story they’re about to read–The Blue File. She also says that the currently absent letters page will be back soon.

It’s not very striking at all. In fact, it feels like a throwback. But it gets the job done, and doesn’t tip it’s hand toward the biggest surprise: Ron Wimberly’s art.

Part of the fun of all this, of buying comics off the shelf one issue at a time, is the feeling of discovery you can get. Not of just worlds or stories or characters, but of all the wonderful and diverse work that all occupies the same shelf space. Until this week, I’ve never seen Wimberly’s art before. Now I wish I had.

It’s playful, vibrant, and doesn’t give a damn about what you think. Wimberly plays with perspective, making frequent use of the foreground in panels and rarely elects to settle at eye-level, instead framing his subjects from above or below. Anatomy and proportion are more suggestions than hard and fast rules, with limbs dynamically filling up space to highlight sound effects and make the action pop off the page.

And the color work from Rico Renzi is just as bold. Day-Glo pinks and purples and oranges fill the pages, adding to Wimberly’s visual dynamism. It’s all such cool stuff, and feels more akin to a punk indie comic than a mainstream title.

Charles Soule’s script isn’t as bold and ballsy as the art, unfortunately. That’s not to say it’s bad–it’s clever and funny, with only a few beats that seem to refer back to earlier events that a new reader would be in the dark about. There’s a cliffhanger, and it’s a smart and organic one that holds promise for the rest of the arc, whether it be two more issues or six.

But man, if only it had the stones the art did.

Now comes the tricky part–how do you decide if a book you picked up on a lark is one you’re going to keep picking up or just wait for other options. I’m not disappointed by She-Hulk #5 on the whole–I’m actually very satisfied (it’s also one of the few Marvel books still selling for $2.99, so maybe that helps). But the story isn’t really one I’ll be turning over in my head much–and now that I’ve seen Wimberly’s work, I’ll be inclined to seek it out more than I’ll probably want to reread this issue.

Or maybe I won’t really know for sure until #6 is on the stands and I find myself compelled to jump back in. Sometimes you don’t have an answer right away. That’s okay. I’ve got time.

As always, support your local comic shop if you can, patronize your local library if you have one, and say hi on Twitter if you like.

Be back in a week.

0 Comments on ONE AND DONE: ‘She-Hulk’ #5 and the Joy of Polite Comics as of 1/1/1900
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25. Rocket Raccoon #1′s Initial Orders Inflated By Single Source

art by Skottie Young

art by Skottie Young

by Brandon Schatz

A few days before the book’s final order cut-off with retailers, Marvel let it slip that their upcoming Rocket Raccoon series had garnered over 300,000 initial orders, well above expected estimates for the series. Yesterday, the other shoe dropped as reports came in regarding mass quantities of the book having been ordered by Loot Crate, a company that sends boxes filled with assorted genre and video game paraphernalia to homes via subscription.

With numbers ranging from roughly 100,000 upwards to 180,000, depending on who’s been dong the digging, many feel as though this places an asterisk on the numbers Marvel so proudly announced. To put this into context, people who are subscribing to a service are receiving product, much like a shop’s regular subscription service. What’s more, many of these copies will be read and experienced by those who don’t normally make the regular trip to the comic shop, exposing the series and comics in general to a new audience – and while Marvel’s initial announcement wasn’t all that forthcoming, the information stands: Rocket Raccoon #1 has received over 300,000 in initial orders, a number that has no doubt grown as retailers made their final order adjustments with that information in mind.

11 Comments on Rocket Raccoon #1′s Initial Orders Inflated By Single Source, last added: 6/13/2014
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