The two big comic book companies, DC Comics and Marvel Comics, rule the comic book market and have done so for decades. But their reign right now is largely due to inertia and for decades comic book fans complained about the Big Two and the saturation of the market with superhero comics. It seemed as if it would be that way for a long time…and it still is at this point. However, this status quo is overdue for a shakeup and it is probably going on right now with independent comics.
To the outside world, what captures the headlines are the latest (non) developments with superheroes, like someone dying and coming back to boost sales, a newly relaunched title with a brand-new number one just to flood markets with variant covers, and so on. Also, back issue sales are still dominated by older superhero titles and will continue to do so. But what has captured fans’ attention has been the proliferation of independent comics from various publishers that for the most part don’t feature superheroes but cover a wide range of subjects. From straight horror to sci-fi to fantasy to crime dramas, there are actually a wide selection of comic books in your local comic shops (LCS) or available digitally. Many non-fans and casual fans are understandably surprised at the many choices available of comics to read and enjoy.
Right now the hot comic is Mark Spear’s Monsters, a beautifully drawn comic put out by Keenspot that features many classic monsters in painted art that evokes Alex Ross but with Spears’ own unique style. Other popular comics include Feral, Geiger, Monstress, A Vicious Circle, Invincible, Conan the Barbarian, Saga, Eight Billion Genies, The Infernals, Something is Killing the Children, Local Man, Transformers and G.I. Joe. None of these titles are superhero-based, except for Invincible, Local Man, and maybe Geiger. The latter is more of a post-apocalyptic tale of a radioactive loner/warrior, while Local Man is a fresh grounded take on Image Comics’ superheroes. Yes, Transformers, Conan the Barbarian, and G.I Joe are based on popular IP, but they are not based on superheroes.
What’s an even more interesting development is that movie and TV studios are turning more and more to comic books not based on superheroes to adapt as they see the potential in the stories. There have been successful film and TV adaptations of non-superhero comics like The Walking Dead, Road to Perdition, 300 and Sin City, but be prepared for an onslaught of even more adaptations. Right now, there are efforts to adapt Eight Billion Genies and Something is Killing the Children, which at the very least would make great animated films.
Of course, not every independent comic is a winner, not all the concepts pan out or their stories peter out after a few issues, but there are many more titles to choose from and more will come. Right now, Image is arguably the leader when it comes to non-superhero comics, with other publishers rising such as Dynamite Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, Boom! Studios and IDW Publishing. Originally, Image began with superhero comics that to be honest were sup par and most of them are no longer around. But Image took a chance with writers and artists who were able to present their own unique visions and stories and it paid off well for the publisher and comic book fans.
Sure, the LCS and online catalogs are flooded with superhero titles from DC and Marvel, but more and more, a shopper will see that there is much more product in the comic book medium to choose from. Even if at some point in the future, Marvel or DC falter, which won’t happen for a long time, other publishers will take over and dominate the market with either their own superheroes or better yet, other genres. The groundwork is already in place and eventually the independent comics will overtake the superhero genre. Independent comic books today offer something for every taste, which is a sign of a healthy medium that will be with us for a good while.
An increasingly popular sub-genre in comic books these days are reboots or reimaginings of famous superheroes and supervillains. We’ve seen this earlier in the year with the relaunch of Marvel Comics’ Ultimate Comics line, with Ultimate Spider-Man being the most popular and successful series in that line. The comic book reimagines Peter Parker/Spider-Man as much older than his counterpart in the regular comics, and is married with children, and only recently became Spider-Man.
DC Comics has also jumped into reboot game (though they pioneered this back in the 1950s) with their Absolute line of comics that began this week with the release of Absolute Batman. In this series, Bruce Wayne/Batman is not a mega-rich playboy whose parents are dead. Instead he is an ordinary, lower-class citizen of Gotham, who happens to be the Dark Knight Detective. The Absolute line will continue shortly with the release of Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman, which will present radical interpretations of the iconic superheroes. Or are they?
These comics have caught on and become very popular thanks to inspired writing and artwork, but the heroes in the comics are essentially the same. Despite being older and married, Peter Parker is still a wisecracking superhero who looks and acts the same way as he does in the regular comics. The same goes for Batman. Sure there are some changes to the costume (with Batman’s bat-themed chest symbol doubling for a huge axe), but he is still a brooding vigilanted patroling the crime-infested streets of Gotham. Again, these are well done comics, but maybe the comic book companies could have gone further and given us radically different takes of these characters. In fact, it’s been done before.
As mentioned before, DC Comics debuted a completely new version of their Golden Age hero, the Flash, in Showcase #4 in 1956, which actually launched the Silver Age of Comics. Originally, the Flash was Jay Garrick, a college student who accidently inhaled these special vapors that gave him his superspeed powers. His costume was fairly simple, with the only distinguishing feature being his steel helmet with wings. When the superhero was reintroduced in Showcase #4, he was reborn as Barry Allen, a police forensic scientist who was struck by lighting and doused with chemicals that gave him his powers. His scarlet costume was a stark contrast to the original Flash, by the way.
Following the success with the new Flash, DC gave readers new, distinctive reinterprations of their older, less popular heroes like Green Lantern, who now boasted a space-themed background, whereas the original Green Lantern had a mystical background. The comic book company went on to reinvent some of the Golden Age supervillains that plagued their most popular superheroes.
The last time DC presented radically different versions of their characters was in the 1990s and early 2000s with their limited imprint of Tangent Comics. Characters were wildly different from the traditional counterparts. For instance, the Flash was now a teenage girl with light-based powers, and the Joker was a female anti-hero who fought crime in the city of New Atlantis.
In 2001 and 2002, DC hired Marvel guru Stan Lee to reinterpret their famous characters. This led to several one-shots called Just Imagine… where Batman was a Black crimefighter whose real name was Wayne Williams and Wonder Woman gained her magical powers from an artifact.
While there is the potential for these radical reimagings to succeed as seen with the Barry Allen version of the Flash, there is also the possibility that the new versions fail to capture reader’s imaginations. The Tangent imprint, while very well done, did not take off in the long run and are largely forgotten to this day, though the comics are worth checking out. This is probably the main reason why the current reimagings of popular superheroes play it safe. Aside from some minor updates and tweaks, Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne are still the characters we know and love. But the comic book companies should be more willing to push the envelope and go for broke.
This has worked in the past, as with the Flash and even with the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man. Perhaps the Ultimate Comics imprint that Marvel first introduced in the early 2000s might have endured to this day if, for example, they had started off with Spider-Man being Miles Morales or have a completely different line up for the Ultimates (the Ultimate Comics version of the Avengers who were essentially the same superheroes in the regular comics).
One character that organically developed into a wildly different version than his regular counterpart was the Ultimate Comcis version of Reed Richards. In the Ultimate Fantastic Four comics the only noticeable difference with the team was that they were much younger than the traditional Fantastic Four. Yes, there were other differences such as the origin of their powers and group dynamics but none of it was out of the ordinary. However, over time, Reed Richards was radicalized and became the villain called the Maker, who continues to pop up. Actually, the Maker is responsible for the new Ultimate Comics line, since he time traveled to the past and prevented the creations of the Marvel superheroes, which is why heroes like Spider-Man got a late start in their careers.
It remains to be seen how long the new interpretations will last or maintain their quality, but comic book companies should not hesitate to allow their creators the freedom to let their imaginations run wild and present readers with radical and unique reinterpretations of their beloved heroes and villains.
As we enjoyed last weekend’s Free Comic Book Day event, it reminded us comic book fans about the trends we love to gripe about with the comic book industry. We’ve been griping about these trends for decades and while some have gone away, some new or persistent trends are plaguing the comic book industry. With that said, here are the top ten worst comic book trends plaguing the industry today.
10. FOMO = Increased Back Issue Prices
Fear of Missing out (FOMO) often plagues many comic book collectors who desperately go out of their way to get the latest trending comic. This was especially bad during the beginning of this decade when any mention of a character appearing in an upcoming movie would cause prices for back issues to explode overnight. This frustrates normal collectors trying to complete a run and at the same time ends up fleecing naïve collectors who have to get the latest trending comic book. Just look at The Amazing Spider-Man #210. A couple of years ago it was highly sought after because it featured the first appearance of Madame Web. Anyone think that book is still in demand after the Madame Web movie bombed?
9. Comic Book Prices Keep Going Up
Right now, the average comic book costs about $5 per issue. Back when the medium first started, a single issue would cost less than a dollar. What used to be a relatively inexpensive hobby, at least for older readers not dependent on their parents’ allowances, is now pricey especially if anyone is trying to buy all the comics that come out on an average month. This has led to overpriced special issues, such as an issue #100, that are priced around $10 and not worth the price as they often turn out to be anthology books featuring forgettable stories instead of monumental events.
8. The Overabundance of Mini-Series
When comic book mini-series first appeared on shelves, they were often devoted to characters who either were brand new or not popular enough to warrant an ongoing series. The limited series served as testing grounds for both the characters or creative teams. Usually, this lead to some characters becoming breakout stars like the Punisher or Wolverine or gave exposure to promising writers or artists. Nowadays, it seems like there is a new mini-series everywhere you turn and often they are about established superheroes like Batman or Spider-Man. Why couldn’t these stories be told in their own titles? Sure, a particular mini-series story may not fit with the ongoing storyline but why not just run the stories in between runs of creative teams? If the famous “Kraven’s Last Hunt” storyline was released today it would have been a mini-series with variant covers and more whistles.
7. Comic Books Villains Turned Anti-Heroes
This is an annoying development with many classic comic book villains. They become so popular that the publishers wind up giving them their own solo titles where they become anti-heroes that we can relate to. The most famous or infamous example is Venom. When he first debuted in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, Venom quickly became one of Spidey’s deadliest and most popular foes. Unfortunately, Marvel Comics saw the character as a gold mine and increasing his appearances in the Spider-Man comics was not enough. No, Venom was given a bunch of mini-series where he faced off against other popular Marvel characters until getting his own title. The problem with this is that Spider-Man was deprived of a solid villain who could no longer be seen in the same way since Venom became an anti-hero.
6. The Multiverse Concept
The Multiverse is a great concept that lets creative teams conjure up interesting stories outside of the limiting comic book continuities. Sometimes these stories featured the deaths of popular characters, which was unthinkable in regular comics. Great examples include the classic TheDark Knight Returns mini-series and Kingdom Come. But leave it to the comic book companies to dip into the well one too many times. DC and Marvel have released too many stories that take place in separate realities that dilute the impact of the stories and the characters. Just look at what Marvel is doing with the so-called Spider-Verse. What was a fun storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man that introduced imaginative and outlandish variations of Spider-Man has now become a means to throw up countless mini-series (see Number 8) with Spider-Man variants. On a broader scale, Marvel is going all out with a relaunched Ultimate Comics line that features our favorite characters in a different reality. This probably makes speculators happy as they look for the next Spider-Gwen but the rest of us don’t care and this leads us into the next worst trend.
5. Derivative Characters and Families
Legacy characters like Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man usually spawn a family of characters that are derivatives of them such as Batgirl, Superboy, Scarlet Spider, Red Hulk and so on. When some of these new heroes first appeared, they replaced the main characters and picked up the mantle and inspired fascinating takes on legacy characters. Steve Rogers’ Captain America led to Sam Wilson Captain America or Hal Jordan Green Lantern spawned Kyle Rayner Green Lantern. Other times these characters were just young knockoffs of popular heroes. The most recent example is Spider-Boy, one of the dumbest characters ever introduced to the Spider-Man family. Speaking of families, the problem with these characters based on legacy characters is that they dilute the original character. There should be only one Batman (who works best as a loner superhero), one Spider-Man, one Captain America, one Superman; except when it comes to Green Lantern since that character is just one of many Green Lanterns in the galaxy.
4. Too Many Crossover Events
Remember when crossover events were truly special and had consequences? Ever since the success of Secret Wars and Crisis on Infinite Earths, crossover events across comic book titles have overtaken the release schedules of comic books. Often these events spill their way into regular titles and interrupt their ongoing storylines to squeeze in a tie-in story related to the crossover event. This is very annoying when following a run that builds up a certain momentum only to come to a crashing halt just to cram in an issue devoted to a crossover tie-in. Meanwhile, anyone who doesn’t follow a certain title feels compelled to buy it just to get the complete story if they were following the crossover event. We all know why these events happen (hint: $$$), and they are a good way to introduce readers to titles they often do not read, a good example was the “Unity” event in Valiant Comics way back in the 1990s. But there are too many of these crossover events now which has made readers tune out.
3. Meaningless Character Deaths
This has gone on for decades in comic books where the villains apparently were killed off only to reappear issues later with some implausible explanation for how they survived. However, this has recently happened with our superheroes, the best example was the famous “Death of Superman” storyline that made headlines and introduced new characters to the Superman family. But too often, these superheroes have been killed off just to tell stories of mourning only to have them resurrected. It has gotten to the point that a death of a character has no emotional impact. Seriously, did anyone believe for a moment that Ms. Marvel was actually dead when she was killed last year in The Amazing Spider-Man #26? The event was filled with empty platitudes and forced emotions. Note to comic book companies: If you kill off a character then that character should stay dead.
2. Variant CoversEverywhere
Pumping out so many variant covers to comic books is just a ploy to get collectors to spend more on the titles. It is also annoying and confusing for anyone who just wants to get a particular comic book to follow a story. Of course, no one is forced to get all the variant covers, which would be too expensive for average fans. But some completists can go insane and broke trying to find elusive covers that instantly go up in price at comic book stores. Another dilemma is that a person may only want the regular cover but sometimes that is hard to do, and that person is forced to buy a variant cover, which would be a nightmare for an OCD collector. Another very annoying trend with the variant covers is the tendency to put out covers that feature characters that do not have anything at all to do with the comic book! For proof, just look for any recent issue of The Amazing Spider-Man which is guaranteed to have Spider-Gwen or Black Cat on the cover even though neither character appears in that issue.
1. The Constant Cancellations and Relaunches of Popular Characters
This is the worst trend with comic books today and the most annoying. In the old days, a comic book would have a run that spanned hundreds of issues with creative teams coming and going from titles. It was fun trying to get the complete run or at least some significant key issues. But ever since the 1990s, comic book companies have been intent on canceling comic book titles only to relaunch them a short while later with a brand new number one issue. This is done to increase sales and attention to the comic book. While this may please some collectors who can now legitimately claim to own a copy of Daredevil #1 it annoys the rest of us who get confused when trying to complete a run. In the end, it’s just a tired marketing scheme that will not benefit the comic book in the long run. Want a long, successful run of a comic book title? Just focus on telling great stories. The word will get out to fans who will seek out the title and make it an enduring success.
Comic books have risen recently in popularity thanks to their crossover appeal in live-action media. What is spurring the boom is that as mainstream properties from Marvel Comics and DC Comics are being shown on screen, film and TV studios are mining other comic book properties, not just obscure Marvel and DC characters but those from independent comic book properties.
As properties like The Walking Dead, Invincible, Sweet Tooth,Locke & Key, The Umbrella Academy and The Boys have captured the imagination of television and streaming audiences (along with lower-tier mainstream characters like Scarlet Witch or Black Lightning), these studios have found a treasure trove of characters and stories to adapt. This in turn has made many of these titles increase in value among comic book collectors and speculators. Meaning the prices for key issues have exploded.
A good example of this situation is with Boom! Studios’ Something is Killing the Children, a horror title that only debuted in 2019, yet its first issue commands a price of roughly $1,000 for a near-mint copy. Other hot titles which are increasing in value include The Department of Truth and Saga.
The value of previously insignificant mainstream titles or issues increased significantly as characters or storylines were adapted. A recent example is with The West Coast Avengers, particularly its original middle run by John Byrne that introduced a white version of Vision and a dark version of Scarlet Witch. Both of whom wound up on the hit TV show, WandaVision. That TV show also led to a huge price increase for Fantastic Four #94, which was the first appearance of Agatha Harkness, the major villain of WandaVision.
For collectors who wish to pick up newly important issues or speculators looking to buy low and sell high, this has created a mad scramble to find these books and it’s a textbook example of FOMO. Among collectors that stands for Fear of Missing Out on obtaining an issue before it becomes too expensive. Many collectors have horror stories of passing up titles then regretting their decision as those books too off in value.
Thanks to the speculator boom and relevance of live-action comic book properties, FOMO has gripped the comic book community hard. But fans should not give in to FOMO. How important is it to have that particular title unless you want to make a quick profit? Those sold-out issues always get reprinted or are available for downloading, so for a true fan who wants to complete a run, these are alternatives.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the value of these titles often has peaks and valleys. Sure, some titles like The Walking Dead still command high prices, but the average costs for the first issue these days is only a couple thousand dollars. Back during the heyday of the title and the TV show, the first issue of The Walking Dead often sold for nearly five figures. That is enough to help pay for a new car!
As seen with the above example, once the hype dies down so will the prices and many times tey plummet to the point that the key issue becomes affordable. Consider The Avengers #55, which was the first appearance of Ultron. Back when Avengers:Age of Ultron premiered that issue was unobtainable for the average collector. Today, it can be bought for under $100, and that is for a decent copy. Another example is Marvel Premiere #15, the first introduction of Iron Fist, which was undervalued for a few years because of how poorly the Iron Fist TV show was received. Now is a good time to buy that issue and it should be soon as speculation has reared its head that the character will re-appear again in live action some time in the future.
A more recent and glaring example is Jupiter’s Legacy. There was some hype and speculation with that title since it was going to be adapted into a TV show, but that show was not well received and cancelled after one season. Right now, anyone trying to sell their copy of Jupiter’s Legacy #1 is lucky to sell it for cover price.
So, there is no reason to give in to FOMO. If a title like Something is Killing the Children becomes too expensive, let it go and stop obssessing over it. If you have to read the story get the trade paperback, read it online or borrow a friend’s copy. The key is to be patient, eventually the prices will settle and if you’re lucky you will find a copy you can afford to buy. More importantly, just enjoy the hobby.
Well, it did not take long for the wild rumors and speculation to begin once it was announced last week that Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia. were merging into one company called WarnerDiscovery. The wildest rumor has it that allegedly the Walt Disney Company is going to buy WarnerMedia’s DC Comics or Warner Bros. Being that Disney already owns Marvel Comics this would mean that both comic book companies can be merged into one.
Think about that for a moment.
If this was somehow true, this would be the most shattering development for comic books and related media since comic books were created nearly a century ago. Of course, fans know that DC Comics and Marvel Comics are the two biggest comic book companies with legendary superheroes and other characters. The fact that the two giants are natural rivals adds fuel to rumor fire about the possibility of this merger.
Think of the team up and crossover events. “Crisis on Infinity Secret Wars” or some other overpriced and over-printed epic spanning hundreds of issues per month with spinoff titles and one-shots cluttering comic book shelves in stores. It would blow out recent events like Dark Knights: Death Metal and King in Black in the shear scope. Imagine trying to buy all the tie-ins for that event!
This could spillover into games, books, and yes, films and TV shows. Thought Avengers:Endgame or The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths were epic? Guess again and imagine a live-action version of the last, great DC/Marvel crossover, JLA/Avengers or the 1990s’ DC vs. Marvel that pitted the Hulk against Superman or Captain America fighting Batman! Imagine further and think of the possibility of Robert Downey, Jr. sharing the silver screen as Iron Man alongside Christian Bale as Batman. Or Henry Cavill’s Superman meeting Chris Evans’ Captain America.
Let’s come back to Earth now and face reality because it is doubtful any of this will happen. Sure, it is possible, but to date there are not any credible, confirmed sources to back up this claim.
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