Should Marvel reboot like DC?

[theenglish]

Marvel and DC need to get all their major books well written. If they can do that then a lot of other problems go away. Forget reboots, just get decent writing. It was different back in the day when comics were bought from the magazine rack in the supermarket. Now that comics are exclusively purchased in comic shops, readers deserve more sophisticated products.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I doubt it.

Then you don't understand what's happening.

 

[Mr Light]

I don't see the need for Marvel to reboot, that's what the Ultimate line is for.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I assume they would reboot to increase sales, market share and visibility ( Just like DC did). If the Ultimate line isn't giving them that then they should reboot the main line.

 

[Gaith]

As a non-comics reader, I'd be interested in a 100% rebooted Marvel line... but then, although I'd like to, I haven't even bought the new Action Comics #1. The few comic stores around are just too far off my radar, with too short hours. If Wallgreens or Safeway carried the new issues, I'd have bought that for sure by now. But I'm not changing my life patterns to get to the comics stores during the narrow hours they're open, and I'm not going to pay $7 for USPS delivery online. If supermarkets can carry bullcrap magazines about golf, cigars, and video games, I don't see why they can't carry the half-dozen or so biggest comics titles.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Read the comics online. That's where it's going; trade collections are the only print that's going to matter in the long run.

 

[Gaith]

No, thank you. I spend enough of my day online already, and if I'm going to pay for still 2d entertainment, I'm even less likely to assent to that.

 

[Broccoli]

I'd be very surprised if Marvel does a hard continuity reboot anytime in the near future (5-10 years). I can see them doing more of a "back to basics" approach, though not with every character nor at the same time.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Marvel is doing something called "Season One" where they are doing reinterpretations of the origins of the X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil. They're in graphic novel format and scheduled to be released I believe next year sometime. There really is no need to relaunch or reboot their main line though as someone else stated, that's what the Ultimate line was for.

 

[Agenda]

I don't know how long these characters can be kept in print and remain consistently relevant and interesting. Comic book heroes are almost an aberration in fiction. You rarely see so many stories devoted to other fictional characters, month after month, decade after decade. I know these characters are Marvel and DC's bread and butter. But doesn't it have to end sometime?

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ It will end when us fans don't buy them any more. Simple as that, and not before.

 

[Gaith]

^/^^ Haven't comic sales been generally doing a slow dive for a generation or so?

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ Have no idea. I don't track that stuff. I'm sure others who are more informed and are interested in that would be better able to answer that.

 

[C_Miller]

^/^^ Haven't comic sales been generally doing a slow dive for a generation or so?

Yes. I mean, it's really simple as that. There have been several times over the past few years where not a single book as reached 100,000 sales. New readers simply don't exist and you can atribute that to a lot of factors. The direct market having more or less a monopoly on comic books, video games, super high prices (Monthly comics have one of the least bangs for your buck in the entertainment industry, IMO), oversaturation of characters among others.

But yeah, comic book readership has declined.

 

[Admiral_Young]

For me it's the prices (as was mentioned by Professor Zoom kids probably can't afford to get single issues any more). I remember my allowance as a kid was five bucks a week and comics were 75 cents still then (late 80's early 90's) and I'd be able to pick up three or four issues no problem. Now it's rare for me to pick up issues...I'll get them in trade (or through ahem other means). Mostly though I wait for the trades.

 

[JoeZhang]

^/^^ Haven't comic sales been generally doing a slow dive for a generation or so?

As I understand it, since the 1940s except for a couple of spikes.

 

[MNM]

For me it's the prices (as was mentioned by Professor Zoom kids probably can't afford to get single issues any more).

Nonsense. Kids can afford comics. they can afford (and do spend on) all sorts of crap, they just dont buy comics. And I think the reason is very simple, they just dont want to read comics. The characters do well in toy sales, movies, cartoons, etc.. so it isnt like these characters arent popular in themselves, it is just that most kids (and a lot of adults) simply have no interest in reading comics.

 

[Takeru]

Nonsense. Kids can afford comics. they can afford (and do spend on) all sorts of crap, they just dont buy comics. And I think the reason is very simple, they just dont want to read comics.

Wrong, their parents don't want to drive them to a comic shop to buy overprized, flimsy comics.

Tons of people read comics, just look how well manga sell. It's not because they're better or the readers' tastes have changed, the main reason they sell is because they're much cheaper and they're accessible. If you want to read Dragonball you start with volume 1, then 2, 3 etc. until you reach 42. You're done and read the entire story, it's really easy.
Now imagine someone wants to start reading Superman comics, he probably has to start researching on the internet or ask others where to start and then the fanboys start arguing which run is the best and what stories are the most important to "get" Superman. Meanwhile, the new reader has lost interest and decides to check out Superman TAS, because someone told him the entire series is available on DVD in 3 volumes or one box set.

 

[Forbin]

I like what Marvel did with Spidey when they nixed all the extraneous titles and just put out ONE Spidey title three times a month. I'd love if they did that with The Avengers and X-Men. Good grief, they just split Thor into two titles with overlapping storylines!

The Avengers is getting confusing because in one title some bad guys just destroyed Avengers mansion and are about to attack Avengers Tower while Squirrel Girl protects the Cage's baby in Central Park; meanwhile in the other title some different bad guys have just destroyed Avengers Tower while Squirrel girl protects the Cage's baby inside the Mansion...

OY!

 

[theenglish]

A few years ago, during one of the big cross over events, Wolverine was simultaneously in three different places at the same time!