Marvel's Falling Sales 6 6

[NoMan]

Is the coloring today done by computers? It looks horrific and I can't get past that so I just close the book and put it back on the shelve. Story could be epic, but can never get to it because of "look" of art. 

Seriously, open a book from 70s or 80s and open a book today and compare.  The coloring looks, I dunno, done by a computer. 

Does anyone know what I'm speaking of and csn explain?

Edited September 18, 2017 by NoMan

[delekkerste]

21 minutes ago, NoMan said:

Is the coloring today done by computers? It looks horrific and I can't get past that so I just close the book and put it back on the shelve. Story could be epic, but can never get to it because of "look" of art. 

Seriously, open a book from 70s or 80s and open a book today and compare.  The coloring looks, I dunno, done by a computer. 

Does anyone know what I'm speaking of and csn explain?

Yes, coloring is done digitally these days, as is most lettering and a lot of inking.  I'm sure that most people who read Modern comics prefer it that way and would not been keen on going back to hand-coloring and publishing on newsprint.  Digital coloring probably makes graphic novels/trades an easier sell as well, and looks more presentable on digital platforms too.  There's no turning back at this point, as there's no good business justification for it.  Even those like yourself who might prefer the old-school ways are unlikely to delve back into comics in a big way if they went back to hand-coloring, as that's only the tip of the iceberg of the usual complaints about Modern comics from those who grew up with '60s-'80s comics.  

[F For Fake]

On 9/15/2017 at 11:44 AM, 1Cool said:

Does anyone have a child, nephew or niece that is an avid comic book collector or buyer of actual comic books?  I've given my nephew a stack of comics for his 13th birthday a few years ago but I don't think he bought any other.  My daughter has no interest in comics.

We don't have kids, but we have a 9 year old niece that we keep about one weekend every month, and I've been working on getting her into comics for years. She really likes Archies, and will ask for me to get her some Archies if she knows I'm going to a show or the comic shop.  Also, whenever I buy a collection, I give her all of the "kiddie" books. We took her to see Wonder Woman, and she LOVED it, and since then has shown some interest in the DC Kids type books if WW is involved. So I'm hopeful that it may be taking a hold. We'll see!

[Ken Aldred]

2 hours ago, NoMan said:

Is the coloring today done by computers? It looks horrific and I can't get past that so I just close the book and put it back on the shelve. Story could be epic, but can never get to it because of "look" of art. 

Seriously, open a book from 70s or 80s and open a book today and compare.  The coloring looks, I dunno, done by a computer. 

Does anyone know what I'm speaking of and csn explain?

This made me consider a possible reason as to why I don't mind modern computer colouring, when it's done well.

I've been a Richard Corben fan since the late 70s, of his very vivid, airbrush colouring technique. Because of this I never found the transition from old-style newsprint to glossy paper and modern colouring that difficult at all.

Although, we are left with memories of the appalling Flexographic period in the mid 80s. It wasn't all better in the olden days.

Edited September 18, 2017 by Ken Aldred

[Silver Surfer]

Most of the 90's stuff was krap and it kept me away for years but today's work [specifically Marvel], while better, is still krap and has kept me away for probably the last 2 years. They have tried every stupid PC angle and then renumbered, relaunched and destroyed traditional characters. The writing is horrible and the art is not much better. If they did a more consistent job of putting out good material then sales would be up dramatically. Right now they give fans little reason to pick up an issue more than once.  Why don't they try new stuff like a celebrity book review [like Opra basically did]. Imagine if they had Stan Lee and some famous actor/singer who is a comic geek review some of the latest issues, they could draw in thousands of new people on a regular basis. 

Edited September 18, 2017 by Silver Surfer

[romanheart]

I think you can always find titles where the art is decent or very good, but the writing....

 oh... the people!

[ComicConnoisseur]

21 hours ago, 1950's war comics said:

I'm with you,... print media is on life support.... as few as 10-12 years ago i would buy up to 5 newspapers a day , i personally was driven away from buying newspapers because they chose to become politically correct , one sided reporting, but i can still understand why print media of all types is nearly nearing extinction ......

I noticed the same thing that has happened to Marvel has also happened to ESPN.

Disneyfied? 

[Silver Surfer]

I grew up starting to read/collect comics in the late 70's. The number of fantastic stories and brilliant art work that has burned an impression in my brain ever since seems endless. I'd be hard pressed to say the same about any story line in recent times.

[Mercury Man]

21 hours ago, SteppinRazor said:

They really do need to do that.  Just give them epic sendoffs.  Not that the originals all have to die, they can get hurt or retire.  They do need new characters that appeal to kids today and reflect them.  Continue to produce the originals in stories told in TPB form.  Call them untold tales or something.  That way it's not your father's Spider-Man, but kids and dad can still read what appeals to them.

Peter Parker is Peter Parker.  My kid, who is 5, knows Spiderman is Peter Parker.  Why does Peter Parker need to go away?  So a Miles Morales (that is supposed to....but is not) can appeal to more of what America 'looks like'?   Miles is a gimmick.  

[NoMan]

35 minutes ago, Mercury Man said:

Peter Parker is Peter Parker.  My kid, who is 5, knows Spiderman is Peter Parker.  Why does Peter Parker need to go away?  So a Miles Morales (that is supposed to....but is not) can appeal to more of what America 'looks like'?   Miles is a gimmick.  

I didn't realize PP was dead until I just goggled Miles whoever. 

[Mercury Man]

32 minutes ago, NoMan said:

I didn't realize PP was dead until I just goggled Miles whoever. 

Long story, but PP is not dead (I mean comics threaten to kill characters, and they do,  but they keep 'em coming back).  Miles came from another Universe, and now Marvel wants us to embrace him as the new Spiderman.   Or at least a co-existing Spiderman.  I would like Miles Morales more if he were not Spiderman, but maybe a new hero altogether.  But Marvel hates doing that, because they have to try and create something fresh.   Sometimes it works (Deadpool, X-23), sometimes it doesn't (Cho Hulk, Great Lakes Avengers, anybody on US Avengers etc., it's a very long list actually.  Full of failures).

[FineCollector]

Marvel has never and will never understand how to build and launch a legacy character, while DC has been doing it for ages.

[zosocane]

Wait, Peter Parker has been killed off again?  

[grebal]

S'okay, he has a couple of clones, right?  And Ben Reilly is still out there in Scarlet, no?

[lizards2]

1 minute ago, grebal said:

S'okay, he has a couple of clones, right?  And Ben Reilly is still out there in Scarlet, no?

Scarlet Johansson?

[grebal]

In a second! She is so sexy.

[SteppinRazor]

6 hours ago, Mercury Man said:

Peter Parker is Peter Parker.  My kid, who is 5, knows Spiderman is Peter Parker.  Why does Peter Parker need to go away?  So a Miles Morales (that is supposed to....but is not) can appeal to more of what America 'looks like'?   Miles is a gimmick.  

Because he's gone from a kid to an adult to married.  How many 12 year olds want to read about marital problems?  He's fought everyone in his and others' rogue's galleries a bazillion times.  His continuity is a mess precisely because Peter Parker is a been there done that story.  It's played out.  Things come to an end, and it is patently obvious that he became boring to most people.  There's a reason the fans are aging with the characters - they aren't attracting new fans.  Your 5 year old more than likely knows PP is Spider-Man from the movies, unless they're one of the very few who actually read a Marvel title.

That's why there needs to be change.  We have what, 70 years of Steve Rogers stories?  Who cares anymore?  How much more is there to investigate and delve into with this guy?  Let the poor man retire and relax.

It may be that Morales is a gimmick, but that means it was poorly done.  It doesn't necessitate meaning that turning the page on PP shouldn't  be done.

Parker should go away from continuity.  Publish one shot or TPBs with him if you think there's enough market.  He doesn't have to go away completely.

Frankly, I think the only non-replaceable character in comics is Superman.

Edited September 19, 2017 by SteppinRazor

[ComicConnoisseur]

20 hours ago, Silver Surfer said:

I grew up starting to read/collect comics in the late 70's. The number of fantastic stories and brilliant art work that has burned an impression in my brain ever since seems endless. I'd be hard pressed to say the same about any story line in recent times.

I started re-reading Marvel Comics from the 1970s and 1980s on the iPad and Amazon Kindle the last year, and wow these were really good folks! Even stuff we thought was second tier stuff back then blows most modern Marvel Comics away today. They knew how to tell entertaining stories. You cared about these characters. People can say what they want about Stan Lee and Jim Shooter,but these two guys were in charge when Marvel was at its peak. They were organized and the reader felt like they were part of a special community. This is vastly different to how people feel under the new Marvel leadership were it feels like a pile of disorganized mess.

What is starting to concern me is this same pile of disorganized mess is starting to creep into their tv shows on Netflix and ABC. I just hope it doesn't spill over into the Marvel movies these next upcoming years or two. Could happen. 

Edited September 19, 2017 by ComicConnoisseur

[mattn792]

18 hours ago, Mercury Man said:

Long story, but PP is not dead (I mean comics threaten to kill characters, and they do,  but they keep 'em coming back).  Miles came from another Universe, and now Marvel wants us to embrace him as the new Spiderman.   Or at least a co-existing Spiderman.  I would like Miles Morales more if he were not Spiderman, but maybe a new hero altogether.  But Marvel hates doing that, because they have to try and create something fresh.   Sometimes it works (Deadpool, X-23), sometimes it doesn't (Cho Hulk, Great Lakes Avengers, anybody on US Avengers etc., it's a very long list actually.  Full of failures).

You need to get on it and trademark that term before Marvel usurps it as yet another title.  Get you your cut of all that Co-Existing Spider-Man variant money!

Seriously though, of all the lazy excrement (and its quite the pile of excrement) Marvel pulls in their current push toward total failure, the multi-verse thing has to be one of the worst.  Oh, you don't like this guy as the Punisher?  Well here comes Billy Badazz from Universe 12c49, and now that we've slapped a skully face on his chest, he's the new Punisher!  Like it or else...we'll hastily throw another one together!  No Logan isn't dead.  He's just old.  Somewhere else.  Why?  Because we can't let any cash grab go to waste...errr, I mean, because it's a tapestry.  Yes, that's it, a tapestry...

Such a tragedy what they've done to their brand and their history. 

[cortown71]

Old man spiderman.remember you saw it here first.