Marvel ruining it for everyone?

[Jeffro.]

blah.blah.blah. This place is such a killjoy at times. Gloom and Doom

 

"At times"? Seems people have been slacking off while I've been gone.

 

Noobs being noobs

The noobness of noobs is particularly noobtacular in the last, say, 3 years.

 

Here's good advice: type less. Read more.

 

And if you're offended because you've been here 3 years or less, that's precisely the point.

 

 

You said it, Emilibro Estevez

[RockMyAmadeus]

blah.blah.blah. This place is such a killjoy at times. Gloom and Doom

 

"At times"? Seems people have been slacking off while I've been gone.

 

Noobs being noobs

The noobness of noobs is particularly noobtacular in the last, say, 3 years.

 

Here's good advice: type less. Read more.

 

And if you're offended because you've been here 3 years or less, that's precisely the point.

 

 

Get off my lawn !

 

7 months to go!

[paul747]

Dc is doing same. losing people left and right... They dont need another cash grabbing reboot !

[JohnFranklin]

The reboots, variant covers and so many character options, really drives me crazy.....I really miss the days of NO reboots and the in the back of the comic there was that list of books on sale that month.

[Doktor]

My biggest problem with Marvel at the moment are the freaking legacy characters. I absolutely HATE legacy characters. It's why I never liked DC, and Marvel following suit by doing the same thing annoys me to no end.

[Broke as a Joke]

I used to enjoy when you could pick up a book and find an editors note citing a back issue to check out for more information. Do they even do that anymore? I mean spiderman is on probably his 7th volume by now. It would be very hard for a new reader to try to figure out the current back issue convolution.

[Doktor]

Editor's notes were killed back in the early 00's when Joe Q took over. Apparently he thought they were getting wildly overused (they were) and tried to reign in the editors on using them, but they didn't listen. So he issued a blanket edict that they were banned completely & it stayed that way for nearly a decade. Axel has softened on that in the past couple years since he took over as EIC but they're still not widely used.

[Jeffro.]

I used to enjoy when you could pick up a book and find an editors note citing a back issue to check out for more information. Do they even do that anymore? I mean spiderman is on probably his 7th volume by now. It would be very hard for a new reader to try to figure out the current back issue convolution.

 

When you have zero continuity, the need for such notes is also zero.

 

I used to love reading those in 70s and 80s comics. It made me want to seek out the issues being referenced.

[Jeffro.]

By the way, Marvel and DC ruined it for me about 15 years ago and I've never been happier. More cash for older comics.

[FineCollector]

Editor's notes were killed back in the early 00's when Joe Q took over. Apparently he thought they were getting wildly overused (they were) and tried to reign in the editors on using them, but they didn't listen. So he issued a blanket edict that they were banned completely & it stayed that way for nearly a decade. Axel has softened on that in the past couple years since he took over as EIC but they're still not widely used.

 

In order to reference a piece of work, one has to have read that piece of work. There's no such professionalism at Marvel.

 

The asterisk is what made comics accessible to me as a kid. I remember an 80's Absorbing Man story in Thor where Crusher Creel is crawling up on a beach, complaining about how the Hulk beat him. The asterisk told me where they fought, and it sounded cool, so I went and found it. Suddenly, I realized I liked Absorbing Man, so whenever he appeared on the stands, I bought whatever book he was in.

 

Marvel uses reboots because they say people don't know where to start reading. Reference the material (single issue or TPB, I don't care), and let the reader decide if they want to go back or not. That's how they'll orient themselves.

[Jeffro.]

Editor's notes were killed back in the early 00's when Joe Q took over. Apparently he thought they were getting wildly overused (they were) and tried to reign in the editors on using them, but they didn't listen. So he issued a blanket edict that they were banned completely & it stayed that way for nearly a decade. Axel has softened on that in the past couple years since he took over as EIC but they're still not widely used.

 

In order to reference a piece of work, one has to have read that piece of work. There's no such professionalism at Marvel.

 

The asterisk is what made comics accessible to me as a kid. I remember an 80's Absorbing Man story in Thor where Crusher Creel is crawling up on a beach, complaining about how the Hulk beat him. The asterisk told me where they fought, and it sounded cool, so I went and found it. Suddenly, I realized I liked Absorbing Man, so whenever he appeared on the stands, I bought whatever book he was in.

 

Marvel uses reboots because they say people don't know where to start reading. Reference the material (single issue or TPB, I don't care), and let the reader decide if they want to go back or not. That's how they'll orient themselves.

 

[old man rant alert]

 

Isn't it funny how we didn't have a problem figuring out where to start? I started reading X-Men with issue 150. Iron Man also with issue 150. ASM with issue 210. Avengers was (I think) around 236. In some cases I went back and sought out back issues. In some cases, I didn't. I figured it out on my own. I didn't need a reboot to tell me where to start.

 

[/old man rant alert]

[Artboy99]

Editor's notes were killed back in the early 00's when Joe Q took over. Apparently he thought they were getting wildly overused (they were) and tried to reign in the editors on using them, but they didn't listen. So he issued a blanket edict that they were banned completely & it stayed that way for nearly a decade. Axel has softened on that in the past couple years since he took over as EIC but they're still not widely used.

 

In order to reference a piece of work, one has to have read that piece of work. There's no such professionalism at Marvel.

 

The asterisk is what made comics accessible to me as a kid. I remember an 80's Absorbing Man story in Thor where Crusher Creel is crawling up on a beach, complaining about how the Hulk beat him. The asterisk told me where they fought, and it sounded cool, so I went and found it. Suddenly, I realized I liked Absorbing Man, so whenever he appeared on the stands, I bought whatever book he was in.

Marvel uses reboots because they say people don't know where to start reading. Reference the material (single issue or TPB, I don't care), and let the reader decide if they want to go back or not. That's how they'll orient themselves.

 

This is exactly what happened to me but with different books. The first time I saw the Absorbing Man was in Thor 235/236. In that battle the Absorbing Man defeats Thor and leaves him unconscious on the street while he roams off destroying the surroundings. I loved the story! It made me want to see more of the villain and an asterix told me where he last appeared so I went looking for that issue. Each previous issue I found referenced another previous book until lo' and behold I ended up having a copy of Journey into Mystery 114, his first appearance.

 

It definitely worked.

 

[mysterio]

Editor's notes were killed back in the early 00's when Joe Q took over. Apparently he thought they were getting wildly overused (they were) and tried to reign in the editors on using them, but they didn't listen. So he issued a blanket edict that they were banned completely & it stayed that way for nearly a decade. Axel has softened on that in the past couple years since he took over as EIC but they're still not widely used.

 

In order to reference a piece of work, one has to have read that piece of work. There's no such professionalism at Marvel.

 

The asterisk is what made comics accessible to me as a kid. I remember an 80's Absorbing Man story in Thor where Crusher Creel is crawling up on a beach, complaining about how the Hulk beat him. The asterisk told me where they fought, and it sounded cool, so I went and found it. Suddenly, I realized I liked Absorbing Man, so whenever he appeared on the stands, I bought whatever book he was in.

 

Marvel uses reboots because they say people don't know where to start reading. Reference the material (single issue or TPB, I don't care), and let the reader decide if they want to go back or not. That's how they'll orient themselves.

 

[old man rant alert]

 

Isn't it funny how we didn't have a problem figuring out where to start? I started reading X-Men with issue 150. Iron Man also with issue 150. ASM with issue 210. Avengers was (I think) around 236. In some cases I went back and sought out back issues. In some cases, I didn't. I figured it out on my own. I didn't need a reboot to tell me where to start.

 

[/old man rant alert]

 

Same here. Damn lazy kids today.

[Designer Toast]

Some of the Star Wars titles are the only Marvel books I read now. I dropped a ton of titles after the silly, multiple relaunches. I buy far more Image and Dark Horse titles now. I blame Jim Shooter.

[vaillant]

Editor's notes were killed back in the early 00's when Joe Q took over. Apparently he thought they were getting wildly overused (they were) and tried to reign in the editors on using them, but they didn't listen. So he issued a blanket edict that they were banned completely & it stayed that way for nearly a decade. Axel has softened on that in the past couple years since he took over as EIC but they're still not widely used.

 

In order to reference a piece of work, one has to have read that piece of work. There's no such professionalism at Marvel.

 

The asterisk is what made comics accessible to me as a kid. I remember an 80's Absorbing Man story in Thor where Crusher Creel is crawling up on a beach, complaining about how the Hulk beat him. The asterisk told me where they fought, and it sounded cool, so I went and found it. Suddenly, I realized I liked Absorbing Man, so whenever he appeared on the stands, I bought whatever book he was in.

Marvel uses reboots because they say people don't know where to start reading. Reference the material (single issue or TPB, I don't care), and let the reader decide if they want to go back or not. That's how they'll orient themselves.

 

This is exactly what happened to me but with different books. The first time I saw the Absorbing Man was in Thor 235/236. In that battle the Absorbing Man defeats Thor and leaves him unconscious on the street while he roams off destroying the surroundings. I loved the story! It made me want to see more of the villain and an asterix told me where he last appeared so I went looking for that issue. Each previous issue I found referenced another previous book until lo' and behold I ended up having a copy of Journey into Mystery 114, his first appearance.

 

It definitely worked.

Bingo!

And you nailed one (and only one) of the ESSENTIAL aspects of the Marvel Age. "Continuity" is not just an "aristotelian" concept of time and space. It has been a lot more. Consistency and respect for the characters (and their own personal values, each one of them) will bring back readers, not writing "fairytale" episodes to erase all past conscience.

[Quicksilver Signs]

blah.blah.blah. This place is such a killjoy at times. Gloom and Doom

 

"At times"? Seems people have been slacking off while I've been gone.

 

Noobs being noobs

The noobness of noobs is particularly noobtacular in the last, say, 3 years.

 

Here's good advice: type less. Read more.

 

And if you're offended because you've been here 3 years or less, that's precisely the point.

 

 

Get off my lawn !

 

7 months to go!

 

Awesome! I just noticed I joined same time as Kav, slightly lower post count though.

[jason4]

Only modern marvel I truly liked and collected was Rick remender uncanny xforce. Of course that ended

[whisp]

If they added that every damned issue now has a variant cover or two or three or ten - the article would be spot on!!!

 

+1

[ComicConnoisseur]

And for those who doubt, consider:

 

The entire comic book industry, new comics, trades, statues, magazines, etc sold about $780 million worth of printed material in North America for the year 2013.

 

http://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales.html

 

That's every character, every comic book, newsstand or otherwise, throughout North America.

 

On the other hand, licensing revenue for Spiderman alone in North America was about $400 Million.

 

That's one single character, in North America, vs. the entire comic book industry. Now, granted, Spidey is the #1 licensed character on the continent (and, indeed, the world)...but in North America, he's not that far ahead of Batman at around $350 Million.

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/superhero-earns-13-billion-a-748281

 

So, two characters, just on licensing (that's merchandise like toys, key chains, bumper stickers, back packs, lunch boxes, pajamas, etc.) equal or nearly equal the entire comic book publishing industry in revenue.

 

And that certainly doesn't count the massive amount of money that film and TV are bringing in.

 

Disney characters in total, by the way, had $41 BILLION in licensed merchandise sales in 2013. That's against their subsidiary Marvel's roughly $200 Million in comics sales in 2013 (including everything Marvel prints.)

 

That is, just in licensing alone, Disney makes 200 times what Marvel Comics makes by publishing comics.

 

No, comic books are a drop in the bucket now.

 

THIS.

I will give an example of this. A couple I know loved the Man of Steel movie so much they went out and each bought Superman t-shirts with the Big S,as opposed to going out and buying two Superman comic books.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Editor's notes were killed back in the early 00's when Joe Q took over. Apparently he thought they were getting wildly overused (they were) and tried to reign in the editors on using them, but they didn't listen. So he issued a blanket edict that they were banned completely & it stayed that way for nearly a decade. Axel has softened on that in the past couple years since he took over as EIC but they're still not widely used.

 

In order to reference a piece of work, one has to have read that piece of work. There's no such professionalism at Marvel.

 

The asterisk is what made comics accessible to me as a kid. I remember an 80's Absorbing Man story in Thor where Crusher Creel is crawling up on a beach, complaining about how the Hulk beat him. The asterisk told me where they fought, and it sounded cool, so I went and found it. Suddenly, I realized I liked Absorbing Man, so whenever he appeared on the stands, I bought whatever book he was in.

Marvel uses reboots because they say people don't know where to start reading. Reference the material (single issue or TPB, I don't care), and let the reader decide if they want to go back or not. That's how they'll orient themselves.

 

This is exactly what happened to me but with different books. The first time I saw the Absorbing Man was in Thor 235/236. In that battle the Absorbing Man defeats Thor and leaves him unconscious on the street while he roams off destroying the surroundings. I loved the story! It made me want to see more of the villain and an asterix told me where he last appeared so I went looking for that issue. Each previous issue I found referenced another previous book until lo' and behold I ended up having a copy of Journey into Mystery 114, his first appearance.

 

It definitely worked.

Bingo!

And you nailed one (and only one) of the ESSENTIAL aspects of the Marvel Age. "Continuity" is not just an "aristotelian" concept of time and space. It has been a lot more. Consistency and respect for the characters (and their own personal values, each one of them) will bring back readers, not writing "fairytale" episodes to erase all past conscience.

Continuity died with the end of Secret Wars and Crisis on Infinite Earths for both Marvel and DC.

After that it`s just multiple What if and Imaginary Stories.

Too bad because they had something special.