Fantastic Four: Grade, Review, Discuss, Sequels?...SPOILERS likely

[Guy Gardener]

But you can't tell how badly I'm logjamming this topic as long as it's tricated.

 

[Ethros]

It's er, really time for all discussion pertaining to this movie to go in one thread. Three separate threads on SF/F's front page is madness.

... I nominate this one. It's spoiler-friendly and the most on-topic.

Yeah, this, big time.

I'm enjoying reading the bashing this movie is getting, but getting pretty sick of trawling through 3 different threads to do so

 

[JWPlatt]

I need an explanation for this comment in various post-mortem articles:

...Simon Kinberg and Hutch Parker engaged in a last-minute scramble to come up with an ending.

Isn't that what the script is for? What was the ending in the original script? I don't think anyone is saying the script wasn't complete. Okay, so someone didn't like the ending and wanted a new one. So the articles should say "a new ending," but they don't.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I'm just making assumptions, but if the first cut of the movie was 2 hours 10, than whatever the ending was, was contingent on the missing 40 minutes leading towards that end.

JENGA!

 

[the G-man]

It's er, really time for all discussion pertaining to this movie to go in one thread. Three separate threads on SF/F's front page is madness.

... I nominate this one. It's spoiler-friendly and the most on-topic.

Yeah, this, big time.

I'm enjoying reading the bashing this movie is getting, but getting pretty sick of trawling through 3 different threads to do so

I'm the G-man and I approve this message

 

[Mr Light]

I watched "Rise of the Silver Surfer". Aside from the unforgivable stupidity of never actually SEEING Galactus and the rushed anti-climactic ending, it's actually decent. I like how it opens with the FF as established celebrities. I vote for that as the best FF movie filmed thus far.

 

[theenglish]

Younger readers have not been flocking to comics books over the past few decades because of the simple fact that comics cost too much for them. For the price of three or four comics, you can purchase an ebook and a month's worth of streaming music or a movie ticket or a few cans of beer or whatever. Teens have to learn how to make their money stretch a little.

The direct-market system is also a factor. Comics used to be sold everywhere, even drugstore and convenience store spinner racks. They were easy for casual or novice readers to find and sample. Under direct distribution, new comics are seen mainly by people who already frequent comics shops. It's led to the audience becoming much smaller and narrower, which is no doubt a factor behind the rising prices.

I wonder what kind of impact digital comics have had on their sales? I'm pretty much 100% digital these days.

I am 100% digital now (or 95% if you count the collected editions I buy when I am is North America a couple of times a year). The digital market, since it is international, allows me to read comics again even though I work mainly in developing countries.

As the Christopher's comment, I have said for years that Marvel and DC should take their books that are more "suitable" for a broader audience and make a second printing on lesser quality paper with cheaper colors and sell them in the corner stores and supermarkets at a competitive price. They are almost certain to make a profit and even if they don't they are investing in the future of their business.,

 

[Christopher]

Aside from the unforgivable stupidity of never actually SEEING Galactus

How is that stupid? Ask Alfred Hitchcock: The threat that you don't see is often scarier than the one you do. And I don't think anyone would accuse Hitchcock of being a stupid filmmaker. What Galactus looks like doesn't matter in the slightest -- what matters is the threat he represents.

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

I think FF2 is closer to Waiting for Godot than North by Northwest.

Shapeless Cosmic smoke monsters do not make for great climactic moments in movies (see also:Green Lantern, ST: TMP).

 

[StCoop]

As the Christopher's comment, I have said for years that Marvel and DC should take their books that are more "suitable" for a broader audience and make a second printing on lesser quality paper with cheaper colors and sell them in the corner stores and supermarkets at a competitive price. They are almost certain to make a profit and even if they don't they are investing in the future of their business.,

The problem is that the non-comic shop outlets that used to sell them don't want them since the money they'd make isn't worth it. If it was a viable revenue stream it would still exist.

 

[TemporalFlux]

I watched "Rise of the Silver Surfer". Aside from the unforgivable stupidity of never actually SEEING Galactus and the rushed anti-climactic ending, it's actually decent. I like how it opens with the FF as established celebrities. I vote for that as the best FF movie filmed thus far.

Well, you do get the smallest glimpse of Galactus when Surfer enters the cloud. In the fire, you can see the outline of Galactus's head looking at the Surfer; and you get a glimpse of the outline of his hand reaching for Surfer as he's building up energy to explode. The big man was in there; it was just subtle.

I took the dust cloud to be debris that was orbiting Galactus's world ship from the many planets he's destroyed; Galactus hadn't been cleaning his windshield to use an analogy. Also, the original appearance of Galactus in the comics featured a debris cloud of rocks; the Watcher placed them around earth as an illusion to try to trick Galactus into believing earth had already been destroyed.

 

[theenglish]

As the Christopher's comment, I have said for years that Marvel and DC should take their books that are more "suitable" for a broader audience and make a second printing on lesser quality paper with cheaper colors and sell them in the corner stores and supermarkets at a competitive price. They are almost certain to make a profit and even if they don't they are investing in the future of their business.,

The problem is that the non-comic shop outlets that used to sell them don't want them since the money they'd make isn't worth it. If it was a viable revenue stream it would still exist.

But that only happened after comics moved to their current "premier" production format. That's why I say print an "inferior" version at reduced cost. I'm telling you that if a comic costs as much as a candy bar kids see in line at the supermarket then parents will be more likely to toss one in with their grocery pile.

 

[Corran Horn]

As the Christopher's comment, I have said for years that Marvel and DC should take their books that are more "suitable" for a broader audience and make a second printing on lesser quality paper with cheaper colors and sell them in the corner stores and supermarkets at a competitive price. They are almost certain to make a profit and even if they don't they are investing in the future of their business.,

The problem is that the non-comic shop outlets that used to sell them don't want them since the money they'd make isn't worth it. If it was a viable revenue stream it would still exist.

But that only happened after comics moved to their current "premier" production format. That's why I say print an "inferior" version at reduced cost. I'm telling you that if a comic costs as much as a candy bar kids see in line at the supermarket then parents will be more likely to toss one in with their grocery pile.

When I was a kid (born in 1977) they were newsprint and usually cost $1.

The economics of comics have changed since then--I don't see that coming back.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

But that only happened after comics moved to their current "premier" production format. That's why I say print an "inferior" version at reduced cost.

I've spoken with several people in the industry about this over the years. Newsprint isn't any cheaper than the glossy stock the companies are using now. And with newsstand distribution, companies would not sell enough copies on the newsstand to justify the expense of selling to the newsstand. (Newsstand distribution is returnable; they would have to vastly overprint.) As an economic matter, going back to the newsstand doesn't make any sense for the publishers.

 

[TemporalFlux]

^ It doesn't really matter; the reality is that comics have priced themselves out of the market and continue to do so. When Generation X (maybe Y) dies out, comics will go with them; the generations behind them have been pushed out by the cost. They've even dropped the ball on digital; they want us to believe a digital comic should cost the same price as paper? That isn't done with new movies or games.

 

[StCoop]

^ It doesn't really matter; the reality is that comics have priced themselves out of the market and continue to do so. When Generation X (maybe Y) dies out, comics will go with them; the generations behind them have been pushed out by the cost.

Except sales have steadily been going up over the past few years.

 

[Hound of UIster]

Right the rise of indie comics and digital comics have pretty much made comics profitable again and you have new demos being added such as with women and younger readers using stuff like Walking Dead, Spider-Gwen, Thor, etc.

This doom and gloom scenario is something from the early 00s.

 

[Guy Gardener]

^ It doesn't really matter; the reality is that comics have priced themselves out of the market and continue to do so. When Generation X (maybe Y) dies out, comics will go with them; the generations behind them have been pushed out by the cost.

Except sales have steadily been going up over the past few years.

Because divorced 50 year olds have more money than 30 year olds married with children?

After little Beckie moves out of home, there's all that money sitting there that used to be sent off to her orthodontists every month that could be spent now on just about anything.

 

[theenglish]

I watched it tonight on the big screen because my eight year old asked his mother for a ticket and she thought we would love to see a super-hero movie together. He and my daughter were thoroughly entertained so I rated it a little higher than I might have otherwise. They both want me to buy them FF comic books now so that is a good thing.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I just looked over the august solicitations.

Still no sign of a new one #1 since the FF was cancelled.

I doubt it's coming back till after Secret Wars finishes.

UM

http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/1/887...ially-reveals-45-titles-that-will-start-after

They just listed new 45 titles starting after Secret Wars and fantastic Four isn't one of them.