KELLY THOMPSON's Jessica Jones

[Qwerty]

Why is it straight to tpb? I was caustiously looking forward to it from the preview I saw. But I'm not fond of trade paperbacks.

[Wiccan]

It's meant as a digital series on a new format Marvel is trying.

[Qwerty]

It's meant as a digital series on a new format Marvel is trying.

Well I hate it. It's not even hardcover, it's tradepaperback. 136 pages. I'm not a fan of this at all.

[gurkle]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it seems to me like the changed management at Marvel is taking a lot of projects that might have been ongoings and shifting them to minis, TPBs, etc.

For example, Chelsea Cain doing a new Vision comic was rumored more than a year ago but is finally coming out as a 6-issue miniseries toward the end of this year.

There's been a lot of change at Marvel between Alsonso leaving and Bendis leaving, and it could just be that we're seeing a lot more time-limited projects while they work out their new direction. Like in 2000 when there was a management shakeup going on they released a ton of 3 and 4-issue limited series that could have been ongoings but weren't.

Or maybe this is their new direction and I'm looking at it the wrong way.

[Carabas]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it seems to me like the changed management at Marvel is taking a lot of projects that might have been ongoings and shifting them to minis, TPBs, etc.

For example, Chelsea Cain doing a new Vision comic was rumored more than a year ago but is finally coming out as a 6-issue miniseries toward the end of this year.

There's been a lot of change at Marvel between Alsonso leaving and Bendis leaving, and it could just be that we're seeing a lot more time-limited projects while they work out their new direction. Like in 2000 when there was a management shakeup going on they released a ton of 3 and 4-issue limited series that could have been ongoings but weren't.

Or maybe this is their new direction and I'm looking at it the wrong way.

Seems like Marvel has finally taken note of all those books that just don't sell at all and get cancelled as floppies even though they do gangbusters as trades.

[strathcona]

Seems like Marvel has finally taken note of all those books that just don't sell at all and get cancelled as floppies even though they do gangbusters as trades.

That's what I'm thinking. Books that sell decent in digital, and well in TPB, but poorly in single issues... why sell the single issues then? Me? I prefer single issues, but as long as I get a physical copy of the TPB eventually I'm happy. And now that Thompson is writing her, I will buy my first Jessica Jones comic ever!

[Drakeon]

Yeah, books like Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica, and Cloak and Dagger have a history as low sellers in floppies. So digital first to tpb just makes sense as a buisness stategy.

The only reason books like Moon Girl and Squirell Girl survuve is due to a deal with scholastic as thier main sales are digital and trade.

[Prof. Warren]

I think because most people have discovered Jess, Luke, and Danny through the Netflix series that Marvel wanted to try putting these characters on digital platforms first.

As someone who is strictly a physical comics reader, it's a slight bummer but on the other hand, I get what Marvel is trying to do and I can't fault them for trying a different approach and seeing how it works out.

I'll probably get the trades eventually. Jess, at least, if not the others.

[millernumber1]

That's what I'm thinking. Books that sell decent in digital, and well in TPB, but poorly in single issues... why sell the single issues then? Me? I prefer single issues, but as long as I get a physical copy of the TPB eventually I'm happy. And now that Thompson is writing her, I will buy my first Jessica Jones comic ever!

That's a really good point.

[ed2962]

Even though I'm a print guy, I kinda hope this is successful for them. The comics industry needs to evolve in order for it to continue.

[Raye]

Seems like Marvel has finally taken note of all those books that just don't sell at all and get cancelled as floppies even though they do gangbusters as trades.

Yeah, that's my thinking, some books just have different audiences, overall. I mean, sure, as the OP in this thread demonstrates, not every single fan of a character will be down with it, but overall... I suspect Iceman and Wasp should have been relaunched in this model rather than throwing them back into the direct market.

I am already an almost entirely digital reader, with a couple in trades (mostly because i started them in physical trades and want to have the complete set on my shelf rather than half in paper half digital, but still) so I am loving this, personally.

[Digifiend]

Iceman and Wasp were both announced as ongoings but revealed to be minis in the October solicits. I agree, they should've been MDOs.

[ed2962]

Iceman and Wasp were both announced as ongoings but revealed to be minis in the October solicits. I agree, they should've been MDOs.

Now that's something Marvel really needs to stop doing...pretending something is an ongoing knowing full well it's only planned for one story.

[responsarbre]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it seems to me like the changed management at Marvel is taking a lot of projects that might have been ongoings and shifting them to minis, TPBs, etc.

For example, Chelsea Cain doing a new Vision comic was rumored more than a year ago but is finally coming out as a 6-issue miniseries toward the end of this year.

There's been a lot of change at Marvel between Alsonso leaving and Bendis leaving, and it could just be that we're seeing a lot more time-limited projects while they work out their new direction. Like in 2000 when there was a management shakeup going on they released a ton of 3 and 4-issue limited series that could have been ongoings but weren't.

Or maybe this is their new direction and I'm looking at it the wrong way.

I think you're on the money. They're doing all these smaller, time-restricted projects while they're casting out a wider net to get new (or relatively new) talent. I don't think Marvel specifically wants to shift permanently to a miniseries-heavy line-up because they don't like the lower sales and they're still pulling off tricks to have their cake and eat it, too, like releasing each issue of a mini as a #1.

I think that these digital projects are something that Marvel wants to adopt as part of their strategy going forward, if they're a success. But as always, they're shooting themselves in the foot by not bothering to promote them at all.

[Mike_Murdock]

You're looking at the solicit for the complete book. In the meantime, it's a digital first series you can read right now. It's not coming out in floppy because they're not triple dipping. They're not trying to get money from people in digital, floppy, and trade. Instead, you can buy it from Comixology or you can buy it in trade or both.