Is The Comics Medium Going To Survive?

[HipHopStan]

Who remembers when 7-Eleven and pharmacies had comics?

And grocery stores.

 

[Brehcepticon]

Like the printed word I don't see comics disappearing completely but I can see them existing at diminished capacity.

 

[Majestyx]

marvel and DC got ASS stories.
there are independant and BLACK owned companies finally making piff. i will support that shyt, marvel and DC can fukk off. shyt, i'm trying to work wit some of them since some of my homeis are working with them now.

everything @Mr. Negative said is facts

 

[Family Lives Matter]

If they make dope stories people will buy
People are sick of reboots and gimmicks

 

[He Who Posts Well]

I think there will always be comic books. There are a lot of independent publishers with sucessful comics.

Disney/Marvel just can't get it together even though their problems are fixable. The fact that they are even considering to stop publishing comic books shows how out of touch they are.

And why don't they address ESPN? Everytime earnings comes up, Disney mentions how much of a burden it is. It might be time for a spinoff.

 

[MenacingMonk]

There's too much unnecessary titles out. Been like that for years. Marvel and DC need to drop 1/4 or half of these books out.

Comics been around for decades. They'll never die.

 

[Days of Future Piff]

I remember going there in the mid 2000's and they had Biggie Smalls toys

Sites like readcomicsonline.to is what I use now to just read online.

Who remembers when 7-Eleven and pharmacies had comics?

Lowkey, this is one of the things hurting the industry IMO.

Back in the day, comics used to be sold at 7-Elevens and places that EVERYONE went to, which attracted a lot of new readers and kids. Now that they're mostly sold in specialized shops, the only people really messing with them are the longtime readers and the fanboys, so they have to cater more and more to the fanboys to keep the business running. The only thing that sucked for the companies back in the day was that if a book's sales weren't up to par ( ) then the publisher had to pay for the unsold stock. They set up specialty stores so that they wouldn't have to do that--any books that didn't sell got tossed into the back issue bin, and it was up to the shops to sell off what was left. This move saved the publishers in the short term, but in the long term, made comics a lot less accessible to the general audience.

The other problem is that a lot of writers today grew up in love with the characters, and once they got the keys to the kingdom all they cared about was making their favorite characters the coolest and the strongest and the best whether it made sense or not*, and going out of their way to sabotage all the characters they personally didn't like. Too many writers today want to shoehorn their personal fanboyism and their politics into everything they touch.

(* Note: This is what ruined Wolverine and Batman IMO)

The third problem? IMO too many creators missed the point of Watchmen. Now make no mistake, Watchmen in and of itself is unquestionably one of the GOAT comic book stories ever told, and a must-read. But the book's intellectual depth flew over a lot of people's heads. People saw blood, guts, and T&A and they concluded that's what makes a good comic. A lot of books are trying way too hard to be Watchmen today.
People trying to make EVERY storyline and character all super violent and adult for no reason

Having the "heroes" spend more time fighting among each other, arguing over fake moral dilemmas, and acting as mouthpieces for the author's political views
How about having some superheroes that fight actual bad guys and protect innocents?

Granted, there's still great stuff out there
...but these are some of the problems with the industry currently.

 

[Mr. Negative]

There's too much unnecessary titles out. Been like that for years. Marvel and DC need to drop 1/4 or half of these books out.

Comics been around for decades. They'll never die.

yup. Marvel been pouring water in their own boat.

Deadpool movie? GREAT!

Did we need FIVE extra Deadpool books? Did Movie fans buy it? NOPE

GotG Movie out? GREAT!

Who the fukk wants to read a Star Lord book, a Gamora book, a Rocket and Groot book? Nobody. ESPECIALLY not Movie fans.

 

[Mr. Negative]

Lowkey, this is one of the things hurting the industry IMO.

Back in the day, comics used to be sold at 7-Elevens and places that EVERYONE went to, which attracted a lot of new readers and kids. Now that they're mostly sold in specialized shops, the only people really messing with them are the longtime readers and the fanboys, so they have to cater more and more to the fanboys to keep the business running. The only thing that sucked for the companies back in the day was that if a book's sales weren't up to par ( ) then the publisher had to pay for the unsold stock. They set up specialty stores so that they wouldn't have to do that--any books that didn't sell got tossed into the back issue bin, and it was up to the shops to sell off what was left. This move saved the publishers in the short term, but in the long term, made comics a lot less accessible to the general audience.

yup. It's also the deal with Trades being better sellers.

You can just go to a bookstore and browse trades like you used to be able to at the local drug store.

Never as a kid did I imagine there would be comic books at the library. Trades there all around.


Sorry, homie. If I respond to the rest of your post I'ma go on an anti-batman rant and my blood pressure will shoot up.

 

[Neuromancer]

No but a lot of things will have to change.

 

[teacher]

i buy comics like every week
basically just variant covers i like really

You dont buy the regular covers of the variants you purchase?

 

[BXKingPin82]

You dont buy the regular covers of the variants you purchase?

Nah
Sometimes i do
I bought all the Nighthawk shyts
Been buying all the Ms.Marvel and Black Panther ones
But i just stick with the covers i like
Mostly Skottie Youngs shyt now

 

[teacher]

Nah
Sometimes i do
I bought all the Nighthawk shyts
Been buying all the Ms.Marvel and Black Panther ones
But i just stick with the covers i like
Mostly Skottie Youngs shyt now

marvel is getting me

niccas sucking me in to all these events

 

[Neuromancer]

As far as the rest of that stuff.....

A while back I made a post here about how the comics industry adapted the practice of the music industry.

The thought that (this goes especially for Marvel) that if you put a hot producer on your lead single, your album is gonna sell regardless of the quality.

It failed for the same reason the major labels are failing. If you go on the internet and see folks saying your shyt sucks, on top of being able to find out how much it sucks before you buy.... well.... youre not gonna buy.

Tie this in with other foolishness like Event Event Event fatigue, blatant hamstringing up and coming talent for the sake of your shytty star players, and replacing your established characters for the sake of movie tie ins and "diversity".... and yeah. your shyt's gonna stop selling as much.


Another thing I've constantly said is yes. People who are fans of our books are gonna see your movies and watch your TV shows.

But People who are only fans of your Movies and TV shows are not gonna go buy your comics. Changing your comic characters to their movie counterparts only alienate your comic fans. Folks that have been reading and buying the books for those characters for 10, 20, 30, 40 years.

And it's like they don't get it. World War Hulk may have proven a time where folks would buy trash events just because they were events. Putting Bendis name on a book even if he wasn't writing it may have piqued the interest of folks at one point....

But nowadays, only good stories and good art sell comics. As it should be.


Sorry for the essay. Got a passion.

All of this. As a writer in the comics,industry it's apparent what the big lables are trying to do. I also think that if you're going to add diversty to your books. It might behoove you to add actual comic book writers from diverse backgrounds. And not flavor of the year Novelists (Hi Marvel) Which will cause your books to fail thanks to writers who don't get the medium.

 

[D-NICE]

I remember going there in the mid 2000's and they had Biggie Smalls toys

you should of grabbed one breh