Comments on: Countdown to excitement http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:55:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: scratching up http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-371165 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:05:10 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-371165 <strong>scratching up...</strong> Stop Dog Aggression... scratching up…

Stop Dog Aggression…

]]> by: Blog Comment Poster http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-368385 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:53:38 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-368385 Still don\'t get it how all this stuff about Countdown to excitement can affect it... Still don\’t get it how all this stuff about Countdown to excitement can affect it…

]]> by: BradyDale http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-68910 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:37:08 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-68910 CIVIL WAR was different. Maybe it's because I work in politics, but CIVIL WAR was relevant. Very relevant. It's the first big one that meant much to me. but we also have to remember for young fans, CRISIS is sort of like the JFK assassination. It doesn't mean anything to kids today, as much as that shocks people who were alive then. I started reading comics in the 2nd grade, but the first big event that MEANT SOMETHING to me was INFERNO. INFERNO will always be my CRISIS. Big events are a part of our coming of age, so I don't want them to go away, but they could struggle hard to make them matter. A lot of them really sucked. Remember ATLANTIS ATTACKS? Of course you don't. CIVIL WAR was different. Maybe it’s because I work in politics, but CIVIL WAR was relevant. Very relevant. It’s the first big one that meant much to me.

but we also have to remember for young fans, CRISIS is sort of like the JFK assassination. It doesn’t mean anything to kids today, as much as that shocks people who were alive then.

I started reading comics in the 2nd grade, but the first big event that MEANT SOMETHING to me was INFERNO. INFERNO will always be my CRISIS.

Big events are a part of our coming of age, so I don’t want them to go away, but they could struggle hard to make them matter. A lot of them really sucked. Remember ATLANTIS ATTACKS? Of course you don’t.

]]> by: Darren J. Gendron http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-68330 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:56:57 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-68330 OK, ignoring the whole "event" status of comics from the big two, and whether or not they impact the universe - let me say this: Weekly comics are needed. Marvel and DC both need to have one. They're really the only leg up on the internet theft of comics, the wait for trade crowd, and the overall sense of death to the floppy comic hurdling down on the industry. Really, if someone gets hooked on these books, waiting for someone to upload the next edition won't cut it when a Wednesday fix is available. Waiting for a trade? Well, some will still probably do this. But with a well-written serial comic, trades should be more cumbersome than they're worth. I like stories that are written for the trade. At some point, a lot of the comics out there need to stop coming out as their individual titles and instead come out in more of an anthology-based weekly magazine, then collect the more popular runs as trades later, after they've found an audience. If regular comics ever want to dream of getting back into 7-Eleven or newstands, that's the format they should be cranking out. It also opens up more of a chance for those comics considered good but not getting sales. Imagine what Manhunter's readership would be like, both in numbers and support, if you were also buying JLA #1 and Detective Comics at the same time. Or what if Dan Slott's Thing were attached to Astonishing X-men? OK, ignoring the whole “event” status of comics from the big two, and whether or not they impact the universe - let me say this: Weekly comics are needed.
Marvel and DC both need to have one. They’re really the only leg up on the internet theft of comics, the wait for trade crowd, and the overall sense of death to the floppy comic hurdling down on the industry.
Really, if someone gets hooked on these books, waiting for someone to upload the next edition won’t cut it when a Wednesday fix is available. Waiting for a trade? Well, some will still probably do this. But with a well-written serial comic, trades should be more cumbersome than they’re worth.
I like stories that are written for the trade. At some point, a lot of the comics out there need to stop coming out as their individual titles and instead come out in more of an anthology-based weekly magazine, then collect the more popular runs as trades later, after they’ve found an audience. If regular comics ever want to dream of getting back into 7-Eleven or newstands, that’s the format they should be cranking out. It also opens up more of a chance for those comics considered good but not getting sales. Imagine what Manhunter’s readership would be like, both in numbers and support, if you were also buying JLA #1 and Detective Comics at the same time. Or what if Dan Slott’s Thing were attached to Astonishing X-men?

]]> by: Sphinx Magoo http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-68087 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:47:28 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-68087 I think that Mary Marvel is at a low point for a few reasons: 1) It doesn't take the Wisdom of Solomon to see that characters bought from other companies (Blue Beetle and the Question from Charlton, members of the Freedom Fighters from Quality) don't do well under the current DC administration. They tend to get hurt or killed a lot. The phrase "cannon fodder" seems to apply to them a lot... 2) Having recently appeared with the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League, she has loser stink on her. And you know what's happened to Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and Maxwell Lord recently... 3) The Marvel Family is changing so much under the current administration that anyone looking for anything closely resembling an old Marvel Family story is going to be left scratching their heads... 4) The last big crossover messed up not one but TWO Superboys... 5) No matter how good it is, Jeff Smith's version won't change anything about the DCU Marvel Family... And lastly, looking at how convoluted Supergirl's storyline was before she was reintroduced by Jeph Loeb, she's probably not feeling too bright about her prospects. I think that Mary Marvel is at a low point for a few reasons:

1) It doesn’t take the Wisdom of Solomon to see that characters bought from other companies (Blue Beetle and the Question from Charlton, members of the Freedom Fighters from Quality) don’t do well under the current DC administration. They tend to get hurt or killed a lot. The phrase “cannon fodder” seems to apply to them a lot…

2) Having recently appeared with the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League, she has loser stink on her. And you know what’s happened to Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and Maxwell Lord recently…

3) The Marvel Family is changing so much under the current administration that anyone looking for anything closely resembling an old Marvel Family story is going to be left scratching their heads…

4) The last big crossover messed up not one but TWO Superboys…

5) No matter how good it is, Jeff Smith’s version won’t change anything about the DCU Marvel Family…

And lastly, looking at how convoluted Supergirl’s storyline was before she was reintroduced by Jeph Loeb, she’s probably not feeling too bright about her prospects.

]]> by: Jamie Coville http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67915 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:51:05 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67915 I'm glad we've got a diverse market with lots of good material coming out from a variety of publishers. DC &#38; Marvel can continue to sell to the weekly continuity addicts and everybody else can read Monster, Scott Pilgrim, or whatever. I’m glad we’ve got a diverse market with lots of good material coming out from a variety of publishers.

DC & Marvel can continue to sell to the weekly continuity addicts and everybody else can read Monster, Scott Pilgrim, or whatever.

]]> by: Simon Fraser http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67873 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:22:03 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67873 This actually makes complete sense for DC. By partitioning up the art process they got to keep control of the final product and make each artist as close to an interchangeable machine part as possible. Now they can do the same with writers! Whoopeee! Comics made by even bigger committees! This actually makes complete sense for DC. By partitioning up the art process they got to keep control of the final product and make each artist as close to an interchangeable machine part as possible. Now they can do the same with writers! Whoopeee! Comics made by even bigger committees!

]]> by: Primate http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67843 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:35:02 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67843 I tend to agree with Mike. DC should be focusing on telling good stories in the marquee books (or, in the case of Wonder Woman, ASB+RBW, Action Comics, and Wildstorm, telling any stories at all!), before throwing resources at yet another "EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG!" event. Identity Crisis was great, though polarizing. Infinite Crisis was great, though the art problems stung us towards the end there. 52 has been great. And we're still revving up for "World War 3" and "Amazons Attack" and maybe even "Gorilla Grodd has a Toothache." Do we really need another event? I tend to agree with Mike. DC should be focusing on telling good stories in the marquee books (or, in the case of Wonder Woman, ASB+RBW, Action Comics, and Wildstorm, telling any stories at all!), before throwing resources at yet another “EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG!” event. Identity Crisis was great, though polarizing. Infinite Crisis was great, though the art problems stung us towards the end there. 52 has been great. And we’re still revving up for “World War 3″ and “Amazons Attack” and maybe even “Gorilla Grodd has a Toothache.” Do we really need another event?

]]> by: Mike Gagnon http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67776 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 15:58:48 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/22/countdown-to-excitement/#comment-67776 Is it just me, or has the whole "big comics crossover earth shattering event" lost all meaning and significance? Ever since these big events became an annual thing I've totally lost interest in them. No matter how hard we try, we're just not going to recreate Crisis on Infinite Earths. These events will have much more meaning and impact on readers if we relegate them to real event status that occur no more than once or maybe twice a *gasp* decade. Is it just me, or has the whole “big comics crossover earth shattering event” lost all meaning and significance? Ever since these big events became an annual thing I’ve totally lost interest in them.

No matter how hard we try, we’re just not going to recreate Crisis on Infinite Earths.

These events will have much more meaning and impact on readers if we relegate them to real event status that occur no more than once or maybe twice a *gasp* decade.

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