Good article on saving the industry

[Alpha Rider]

Marvel and DC had had it in the past, but it least had a purpose. Now it seems that they are fallowing what Image had done back in the 90's. All we need to see now is a big brested woman holding big guns (the ones you shoot with)

[Alpha Rider]

Thinking it over, what the industrty really needs is to stop treating the artist like pre-madonna and over paying them. This is the legacey that Image had left behind. When the 7 left Marvel because they wanted more control over the charaters, but they also wanted more money. To keep the remaining top artist from leaving Marvel and DC started to over pay them, so now we have "Well if I don't get what I want, I'm going over to Image." Don't get me wrong they do a lot of good work and work for their money, but they also make cash on the side with toy design, movie consepts and story board work, as well as animation charater designs. And that's big bucks.

[Flightpath07]

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/20851.html

Link to article saying "Event Fatigue" is upon us; big comic events no longer boosting sales, as sales continue to drop across the board.

[DelBubs]

So to counter that Marvel will be doing a panel on the next thing after 'Fear Itself', 'Shattered Heroes'! What drives Marvel to keep eventing?

[Flightpath07]

So to counter that Marvel will be doing a panel on the next thing after 'Fear Itself', 'Shattered Heroes'! What drives Marvel to keep eventing?

The definition of insanity is 'doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results'.

'Nuff said.

[Le Messor]

What drives Marvel to keep eventing?

Who ₭now$ what ¢ould €v€r ₫rive Marv€£?

- Le Messor
"I'd love to, but I'm going to count the bristles in my toothbrush."

[DelBubs]

Who ₭now$ what ¢ould €v€r ₫rive Marv€£?

- Le Messor
"I'd love to, but I'm going to count the bristles in my toothbrush."

Much akin to milking your herd to the point of killing it.

[Phil]

Who ₭now$ what ¢ould €v€r ₫rive Marv€£?

To be fair, they're just doing their jobs, the same as the heads of any company.
If people didn't like them, then people wouldn't buy them.

[Le Messor]

To be fair

But whyyyyyyy?

they're just doing their jobs, the same as the heads of any company.

True, but the problem here is Executive Meddling - when the heads of the companies start to think their job is that of the laborer on the floor. They may run the company, but that doesn't mean they know how to do every job within it. But they try to.

If people didn't like them, then people wouldn't buy them.

Well, people aren't buying them anymore.
And that's not entirely true; comics are not unlike drugs. You get too much, you get too high. Not enough and you're gonna die. You get addicted, and you get high from reading them, then you think you can fly and walk off the edge of a building and the people think you're an idiot and you never live it down at work and I didn't need that job anyway.
Forget that last part...

I've been realising more and more lately that I'm buying a lot of comics I'm not enjoying. I buy X-Men (which aren't as bad now as they have been, they're just nuthin' special) because of the constant cameoing by Northstar and Jeffries; but the more time goes on, the less I want to keep buying them.
Events are a big part of why. Not the only part, but a big one.

- Le Messor
"I'm going to the Missing Persons Bureau to see if anyone is looking for me."

[Flightpath07]

"I'm going to the Missing Persons Bureau to see if anyone is looking for me."

I'm missing all the people who once thought I was sane...

[EccentricSage]

See, that's why I quit Marvel when they cancelled everything I loved. I'll be trying to get a hold of the new Alpha Flight soon, which I'm happy to do, as it's rare for Marvel to do right by fans anymore, so I need to support this. If I weren't poor I'd buy multiple copies. lol

I know the Temptation to buy a book just because a beloved character is in it, but I learned the hard way from Weapon X that this only encourages the writer's abuse of said character. Certain writers have no respect for fans and should be boycotted by fans for the way they treat the fans and characters.

I would love to pick up the one book where Wildchild beats the **** out of Wolverine (Not that I hate Wolverine, but I'm loosing all ability to relate to are care about his character.), or the one where he tortures Daken (boohoo 'torture is wrong' I feel sorry for Wolvie but Daken deserves anything he gets. Someone should do a time travel story and un-create him.) ... but, I don't want to give money to Marvel for Loeb's **** writing, especially after what he did to so many great feral mutants. Someday if I find it in a bargain bin somewhere, I'll pick it up because at least some of the art was good. Then I'll just be helping some poor ****er who ordered too many copies recover their losses.


If you need a comic book 'fix', there are manga out there with a lot more integrity, because there's no creative team changes. I'm loving Bleach and Dance on the Vampire Bund. Anime is good, too, with stuff like Cowboy BeeBop, Ghost in the Shell, and Tengu Topa Gurren Lagann. (bet you can't guess who my favorite Gurren Lagann character is. *snerk*)


Aaaaalsoooo... I just have to say... I love how you guys think. I swear every time I hop on a thread here I get a goofy grin, or just crack the hell up. Apparently my problem is that I was born in the wrong part of the continent. You guys are totally 'my people'. lol

[Le Messor]

I'm missing all the people who once thought I was sane...

Who are these deluded fools?

See, that's why I quit Marvel when they cancelled everything I loved.

The fairest reason of all.

I know the Temptation to buy a book just because a beloved character is in it, but I learned the hard way from Weapon X that this only encourages the writer's abuse of said character.

Yeah, I agree.
I don't do it, but I agree with it.

I don't want to give money to Marvel for Loeb's **** writing, especially after what he did to so many great feral mutants.

I've always thought he was overrated. I've found his writing average at best - and that includes The Long Hallowe'en. Nothing wrong with it ('cept that feral mutants story you mention), but not worth the 'this guy is a great superstar we should all love!' hype he seems to get.

If you need a comic book 'fix', there are manga out there with a lot more integrity, because there's no creative team changes. I'm loving Bleach and Dance on the Vampire Bund. Anime is good, too, with stuff like Cowboy BeeBop, Ghost in the Shell, and Tengu Topa Gurren Lagann. (bet you can't guess who my favorite Gurren Lagann character is. *snerk*)

Good for you! (That sounded way less condescending in my head.)
Unfortunately, I've never been able to relate to anime. The only true anime I've seen (and I've seen quite a bit, including parts of Cowboy Bebop) and truly enjoyed was Full Metal Alchemist. I don't hate it, either, or protest when somebody threatens to put it on in front of me, but I always feel a bit distanced from it.

(I say 'true anime' because I love LOVE Avatar: The Last Airbender - the cartoon! The Cartoon! - but it's American, and thuswise doesn't count.)

Apparently my problem is that I was born in the wrong part of the continent. You guys are totally 'my people'. lol

Oh.
Now I'm sad.

(You know I'm on an entirely different 'continent', right?)

- Le Messor
"I'd love to, but people are blaming me for the Spanish-American War."

[EccentricSage]

lol 'doh. I thought you were one of the Canadians. I guess it's an Alpha Flight fandom thing... our like-minded tendencies... particularly humor.

So... why DO you keep buying bad comic books when the writers abuse characters you like? Masochism? I get masochism, but sometimes you have to take a stand!

And yeah... Wasn't Loeb a writer for 'Heros'? I got the impression that was why he's sooooo special, but to be honest, I thought the dialogue and pacing for Heros was one of it's biggest week points. I loved some of the characters, but in between some great moments, I was just 'meh' and couldn't follow it.

I get how a lot of anime just isn't for everyone. My sister isn't that into anime, ether. But what about the manga? Manga tends to be very different from anime in it's pacing and depth. I don't care for the Bleach anime most of the time, for example, but I adore the manga.

I also liked the Full Metal Alchemist anime. I think there's something about the pacing and set-up of the whole world and story that reminds me of well written western style comic books. Maybe you'll like Gurren Lagann if you check it out... it can be downright over-the-top, but it's highly spirited and has a complex story that spans a great deal of time. There is even an epic villain turned hero, and a good guy who gets killed off and somehow comes back later. If that won't make an Alpha fan feel at home, I don't know what will. XD Another epic anime with a massive plot and spirited characters/story telling is Eureka 7.

Ultimately, there are a lot of popular anime out there like Naruto that don't appeal to me at all, ether. (the Naruto manga is actually very good though!) I think too often Anime are ether cheep and gimmicky or are poorly paced and un-inspired adaptations of manga.

Oh... Also, in most cases, dubbing ruins anime. There are some fantastic exceptions, like Eureka 7, but if you ever check out Gurren Lagann, go with subtitles. The English VA aren't BAD, but they don't understand the style of the anime, so a lot of the dramatic moments or humor won't come across right in the dub, and the original Japanese VA for it are so amazing.

[Flightpath07]

Other than Alpha Flight, the only monies that Marvel is making off me is my newest obsession with Avengers Academy; that comic actually is about characters, which is unusual in Marvel-dom.

Oh, and i am gonna give Wolverine and the X-Men a couple of issues, see how it is. Chances are, it being an X book, it won't be very good, and I'll drop it quite quickly.

DC has me interested in both "Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE" and "Red Hood and the Outlaws". I'm also interested in the steampunk world of "Lady Mechanika" from Aspen Press, and Image's "Hack/Slash" series.

Trying to really limit what i spend my hard-earned money on. If it's not awesome, I'll skip it.

[Phil]

True, but the problem here is Executive Meddling - when the heads of the companies start to think their job is that of the laborer on the floor. They may run the company, but that doesn't mean they know how to do every job within it. But they try to.

Again, that's not a fault exclusive to Marvel. It's a common business fault.

Well, people aren't buying them anymore.

Yet Fear Itself #4 sold 93,435 compared to AF #2's 26,862.
The actual comic market has shrunk for varying factors, but the events are still the only thing selling near decent numbers.

I've been realising more and more lately that I'm buying a lot of comics I'm not enjoying.

If you don't mind me asking; Why?
As soon as something gets too awful for me to read I drop it as quick as I can. My money doesn't stretch far enough to pay $4 for something I loathe.