If Marvel is broken, how would you recommend they get "fixed"?

[Kevin Boyd]

This doesn't support what is happening in the industry as a whole. Kids do not care for traditional superhero comic books. If they did, Target and Walmart would have bigger sections because they put out products that sell. That's as clear as I can state it. I do hope it turns around, but the numbers do not show it happening. I would love to see kids get involved more and what you are doing is great.

 

Umm... thanks, but...what?

 

Kids aren't buying comics, I agree. What we don't seem to see eye to eye on is why.

 

I think it's because comics are only available at comic shops, which require a proactive trip - you have to want a comic book, and you have to be able to go there to get it, and have the money to buy them. If you don't know you want a comic book, you sure aren't going to make the trip to a shop, which are few and far between.

 

Why don't Target and Wal-Mart have better comic book sales? Probably because there are other things at their stores that the kids would rather buy. I don't think I've ever seen a comic book at a Wal-Mart, but then again, if I go to Wal-Mart I'm not looking for reading material.

 

Do Target and Wal-Mart have thriving book sections? Not the last time I was there. They have a magazine rack and some paperbacks, but that's about it. If I had attention deficit disorder I would go for the action figures, dvds and videogames before reading too.

 

But I do see kids reading graphic novels at bookstores. I just don't see them buying them because they cost $20. That's not what your average kid has for pocket change.

[justiceleaguer]

This doesn't support what is happening in the industry as a whole. Kids do not care for traditional superhero comic books. If they did, Target and Walmart would have bigger sections because they put out products that sell. That's as clear as I can state it. I do hope it turns around, but the numbers do not show it happening. I would love to see kids get involved more and what you are doing is great.

 

Umm... thanks, but...what?

 

Kids aren't buying comics, I agree. What we don't seem to see eye to eye on is why.

 

I think it's because comics are only available at comic shops, which require a proactive trip - you have to want a comic book, and you have to be able to go there to get it, and have the money to buy them. If you don't know you want a comic book, you sure aren't going to make the trip to a shop, which are few and far between.

 

Why don't Target and Wal-Mart have better comic book sales? Probably because there are other things at their stores that the kids would rather buy. I don't think I've ever seen a comic book at a Wal-Mart, but then again, if I go to Wal-Mart I'm not looking for reading material.

 

Do Target and Wal-Mart have thriving book sections? Not the last time I was there. They have a magazine rack and some paperbacks, but that's about it. If I had attention deficit disorder I would go for the action figures, dvds and videogames before reading too.

 

But I do see kids reading graphic novels at bookstores. I just don't see them buying them because they cost $20. That's not what your average kid has for pocket change.

 

Umm, just a brief statement from me. Do you think that it's possible that kids ARE buying comics, but we just don't see them? I mean, this is the age of the internet. I'm not an ebay user myself, but couldn't a large chunk of these people purchasing cheaper modern comics online, infact be kids? Your right about comic shops being out of the way for most kids, so why not bring the product to them? I know many teenagers who have their own credit cards for heavensake, courtesy of mom and dad of course. Given the amount of time kids spend indoors nowadays, it's perfectly logical....when they're not playing video games, watching tv or surfing porn that is.

[Silver Surfer]

Invaders just started, personally the first issue sucked, and I didn't like the stuff in the Avengers where they introduced them either.

To me it seems one of those things where Marvel is just throwing out titles hoping they stick.

It's just a series that personally I don't think brings anything to the comics world...

 

Just my 2 cents

 

I agree that it does suck but I'm hoping that they can only go up from here. They have under used the Torch to such a degree it makes me cringe. Even the depiction of the Torch does him no justice to his "look" and the way he should be drawn like in the 40's and 50's. I think they have some rookie artist that probably hasn't even read a GA book yet.

[lou_fine]

Its really an impossible situation for Marvel, they pay lip service to keeping the quality intact and slowly rebuilding the Marvel Universe. Yet if they dont achieve their quarterly profit goals, WallStreet will absolutely gut them and all the Marvel bigwigs will see their shares drop 30% in a week.

It takes a man of impeccable character and faith to make Marvel comics go the right way under those conditions. Obviously JoeQ is not that 'man'(use that term liberally).

 

Well said. I think Joe Q's only concern is to hit his performance bonus targets so he will relaunch, restart as many times as he can before he pulls the chute and bails.

 

I would agree that Joe Q's original intent was on quality when he first started as EIC. Unfortunately, when somebody is in that position, eventually you are forced to approach it from a business point of view and be concern with the bottom-line as opposed to quality in order to survive.

 

As a result, the reason we are seeing all the relaunches, variant covers, and other gimmicks is that this is what sells in the short-run. The fans are reinforcing this behaviour by going out and buying all these books.

 

As stated, it takes a man of impeccable character and faith to think of quality and hopefully long-term sales as opposed to guaranteed quick short-term sales. Likewise, it takes a fan of impeccable character and will-power to avoid these books and stick to the long-term quality books.

 

If the fans don't change their behaviour and purchasing decisions, then we have also have to take a share of the blame for the state of the current marketplace.