Marvel: Civil War

[The NZA]

that's pertty much why i think they delayed this, they got a fair amount of story they wanna push in all the books - theyre launching a few titles, inlcuding that Punisher War Journal one - and like Skeet pointed out: folks are buying Thunderbolts, Cable/Deadpool etc from what i understand, so theyre not gonna rush the core book's end and have the fallout kinda weak like DC did with Inifite Crisis, i think.

 

Make the core book bi-monthly, and get the writers of all the other seires to catch up a bit...lookit Brubaker on Captain America, he's not even playing along yet and the story's like half-told. i think it was a timeline issue to keep the event together for them.

[Newtype]

Here's a few things fans are saying about all this.

 

DC got flack from fans because their work was rushed and some will be re-drawn come the trade collection. Nevertheless, they made their ACTUAL customers (the shop owners) fairly happy with keeping the event on a close-to predictable schedule.

 

Marvel is getting flack from retailers because this will impact their bottom line. And that sucks. Because comic book stores are run on very thin margins and for small stores things like this add up.

 

Fans will bitch about anything, but their bitching is because they want their comics. Retailers bitching because something impacts their bottom line is something quite different.

 

And I think this all goes back to the idea that neither Marvel nor DC are actually magazine publishers anymore - they’re licensing managers and book publishers. An issue of the serial being late doesn’t bug them because they’re more concerned about the viability of the property and the eventual trade paperback. And you’re not going to seen an economic penalty on the publishers that doesn’t hurt the local comic shops MORE because the local stores are completely dependent on Marvel/DC sales while Marvel and DC both have other areas to sell their properties.

 

My favorite part of the whole press release is this: “Also, we hope the addition of a few more key Civil War titles will make up for any lost sales that result from these moves.”

 

So, not only are people supposed to tolerate these delays, but they should buy MORE crossover books?

 

So, the next time a customer buys something and isn’t happy, I guess I should say, “Sorry, buy two more things, that will make you feel better. No, I can’t give you any refund on what you bought, but in exchange will gladly let you buy more.”

 

Look, man, this is fucked up.

 

CIVIL WAR has been one of the few legitimate home run hits that Marvel has had -- it is both connecting with the core Marvel reader, but it is directly and specifically bringing "back" "Lapsed" readers, and new faces to their core properties.

 

To have the schedule slip this badly is, flatly, unconscionable.

 

History shows us that when books like this start to slip, they end up with a cascade effect. I laughed when I saw the projected dates for #6 & 7 as being back on a monthly schedule after #5's big-ass delay -- that seems... unlikely? improbable? pure fiction?

 

The momentum of the story (which has been, let me add, come in fits and starts, with the "waiting for a bus" plan of shipping [wait 20 minutes, then 3 show up at once]) is going to be gutted, and that means one thing: lost sales. How much, how many? Dunno, but there WILL be some... and who is going to have to bear the cost? Yessir, the retailer.

 

This is magnifying a thousand fold by it being a Big Ass Crossover That Affects Every Book -- you know, it really sucks when ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN ships months late, but, at least, that doesn't affect anything other than ALL-STAR. CIVIL WAR, on the other hand, affects each and every Marvel title, and is, at the very least delaying FF and ASM by a month. Books that I depend upon for their steady cashflow. It is, as noted above, delaying other books that were set to launch out of CW -- that's more cashflow I'm being denied.

 

So, it is fucked up.

 

There have been (and continue to be) a number of very high profile, spectacularly late comics lately, and it needs to S-T-O-P. Stop fucking soliciting things that aren't far enough along the creation process to have a CHANCE of shipping. This isn't Marvel-exclusive, by any means -- how is it even POSSIBLE that ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN #5 was originally solicited for April '06, then rescheduled for July '06, and now they're telling us NO-FUCKING-VEMBER for it. How can that be?

 

I mean, I wasn't the only person who laughed (defensively, in pain and fear) when they announced Adam Hughes on ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN, right? I mean, why not retitle the whole ALL-STAR line as the ALL-LATE line?

 

This shit needs to stop, and it needs to stop now. We don't need more late comics. We don't need any more ULTIMATE HULK VS WOLVERINE #3 or DAREDEVIL FATHER #6. We don't need the core books of the universe lines, like WONDER WOMAN or JUSTICE LEAGUE moving to 6 week schedules because the creators can't hack monthly. No, damn it, 9 issues a year is NOT acceptable on what has to be a monthly book, I don't care what pedigree the talent has.

 

There is art, and there is commerce, but as a retailer, and for the sake of the industry, there has to be a regular churn of ongoing titles to provide the cash flow to keep everyone going. That's just a bottom line reality.

 

But as pathetic as ALL-STAR anything and DAREDEVIL: FATHER have become, the problems are multiplied a thousand-fold for a core-universe crossover book like CIVIL WAR.

 

June's sales chart says that $21.24 million dollars of comics were in the Top 300, of that, CIVIL WAR #2 was nearly $760,000 of that -- what's that? about 3.5% of the month's total? CIVIL WAR is now "on hold" for a month (then another month, after that), and that's more than 3% of the month's dollars just gone *snap*, like that.

 

It kills confidence in Marvel as a brand among consumers, as the domino affect cascades across the whole line. YOU CAN NOT DO THIS WITH CROSSOVERS.

 

Even if you have to replace George Perez with Ron Lim.

 

There are theories of whose "fault" this is -- maybe it is the artist, maybe it is the writer, and I say no, none of that matters: it is the publisher.

 

ASSHAT OF THE WEEK: goes to Marvel Comics.

 

What do you think?

Edited August 21, 2006 by newtype

[The NZA]

i think the only valid compiant there is the retailer one, and lets be honest, retailers get fucked a lot. Marvel did a number on them with their "no returning overstock" policy years back, as i understood it.

 

im upset, yeah, but i dont get the extent of the backlash the fanboys tend to give....when creators pull a book mid-story (see: Joe Mad, Rob Scrhab, etc) i see reason to get upset. When the schedule is either crazy (Ultimates) or practially non-existant (DD: Father, uh, Hard Target, mebbe Ult. Wolvy vs Hulk?) there's room. On a big event, sure it looks bad, but - i guess i compare it to other forms of pop culture entertainment. Movies sometimes get delays; we all know damn sure that video games do. If its a month or so late, why are people acting like its gonna suck now? Same story, same plot, same penclis, that was the idea behind not using a fill-in artist: if youve been readin the event thus far, you know its not something they seem to be just making up as they go, why lose faith in the whole thing for one delay?

[Newtype]

What bugs me is that is what Marvel said.

 

“Also, we hope the addition of a few more key Civil War titles will make up for any lost sales that result from these moves.”

 

Now it feels like they pushed it back to throw in some new books just to make a quick buck.

[The NZA]

i wouldnt rule it out. Joe Q's been talking like this is the last big event for a little while; if they got last minute ideas for books to sell (bear in mind, early on i only heard, uh, new series for Heroes for Hire and that chick team one or whatever, now they talk bout the new Pun book and who knows what else), theyre gonna run with em and squeeze them in here.

Couple a delay from the artist (possibly) with books you wanna have the first arc out on by the event's end - works good for sales, works good for trades - and youve the right formula for a delay.

[Newtype]

True, but that's stuff that needed to be done before they started. Not only was this rushed but so many plot holes.

[The NZA]

really? what plot holes are bothing you?

[Newtype]

Read the tie-ins then read Civil War. Your going to find a whole mess of them.

 

Meanwhile I found some new banners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The NZA]

haha fuckin nice, good spin on the King one. Snakes and Nextwave galore, i love it.

 

you gotta name the plotholes tho man, im readin and im seein the usual continuity glitches (DD's both in and outta jail, some characters are in 2 places at once, etc) but nothing glaring is getting me, point out some specifics if you got em.

[Ganny McVagflaps]

DDs not both in and out of jail. They're two different people

 

One month, whatever. I'd prefer it to be top quality than rushed and shit.

[Newtype]

For Drifter

[Drifter]

Awwww shucks, you're too kind, 'course it would be even better if it read "I'm with THE Bastard"

[The NZA]

well, he is bastard spidey, not the bastard spidey.

[Drifter]

The characters full name is Spider Jeruselem, often refered to as Bastard Spidey or The Bastard, not half of one or the other. As A Pimp Named Slickback would say his name is like A Trib Called Quest, you have to say the whole thing.

[Jables]

If you wanna get semantic, in full it's 'Magical truth-syaing basdtard Spidey'.

 

And to everyone anti-rego,

 

Please refer to The Boys #1 and quietly file your meaningless arguements up your rancid liberal cracks.

 

Love,

 

Skeet.

[Ganny McVagflaps]

Oh and all damage 'caused by registered heroes will be paid by the government (as per the last SS-M).

[The NZA]

ima read the Boys tonight, and get caught up. Till then, this only furthers Skeet's anti-brubaker movement. How dare he call himself a cap fan, and side with Stark!

 

i will refrain from any lower comments until i receive ultimate cap and deadpool inna mail first, natch. yes, im still hopeful.

[The NZA]

For Joel:

 

Civil War update

Size: 422.5 MB

Number of Files: 36

 

same logon info as before...enjoy.

[archangel]

You....sir....ROCK

[archangel]

ok.

 

So, now that i'm caught up:

 

How the FUCK are they not making the Pro Registration side out to be crazies?

[The NZA]

that's the thing: its a fair cause that's being pursued with such zeal as to villify it; again, this big plan reed & stark have in mind are, in my mind, supposed to justify a degree of that...but then, as of the most recent issue of "Frontline", the backstory revealed a chunk of it, and...

 

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

it looks like a prison colony in the n-zone. tis interesting, but i dont see it as this innovaive thing reed was talking about that's supposed to change everything...again, event's less than halfway done, so i guess ill have to wait & see.

 

but yeah, i agree with you, and its only serving to make Tony a huge dick, and Steve more a badass than ever, in my book.

[archangel]

it really is. the pro reg side is practically indefensible.

[The NZA]

I mean, in Civil War # 3, Tony's got his hand out there and just seems to want Steve to see his master plan and try to get him to come around to it...but then, that's sullied by the "cape-killers" lined up above.

Regardless of who's right, if the pro-reg side has the Sentry and nabs Thor as well, the anti's gonna need some serous heavy hitters to stay out of lockup, soon. the street vigliantes (DD, Moon Knight, Cage etc) are cool as shit but i dont think you can stay alive with them against mucle like that.

[archangel]

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

well, you also have X-Factor and, possibly, the X-Men (minus, of all people, Bishop) going over to that side. Wolvy doesn't seem to want any part of this, and the FF are split, with Ben leaving and Susan probably switching sides. I don't see how this looks well for any side.

[The NZA]

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

shit, ive gotta read X-Factor, 2Ts been on that one as well.

Last i read, the X-Men were out front of the hideout and cyk was being oddly controlled into shooting bishop...so youre right, they might factor in, but not yet anyway.

Thing's gone, sure, but it looks like the Fantastic Three are on the same page, no? I gotta check.

and no, its not looking well for either, its just hard for me seeing the anti stay alive when the heaviest hitters are on the pro-side, and Hulk's out of the loop entirely.