Mr. & Mrs. X: Gambit and Rogue Appreciation 2018

[Mateo3000]

I've gotten accustomed to being spoiled so I'm hopeful we get something today.

I would LOVE more insight on issue #6 but I feel like they should keep issue #5 stuff at bay since it will be directly affected by this next issue. Until after the release or #4 anyway. Oh my lawd, we are less than 2 days away. So excited!

I would love to see early preview art of #6.

[anyajenkins]

It's hard to discuss sales, because we don't have the numbers, even those numbers are estimates and not 'real' and we don't know digital. Domino had a bigger first issue, but a bigger drop and it's still considered a 'hit' series that just got an annual. And Gail Simone actually posted that domino's numbers were better than the comichron numbers showed (and also that the orders for issue 2 were placed before the stores knew how issue 1, actually sold. Moon girl's scholastic deal is, I believe, for the book fair not libraries, so that would be bigger orders, but we still don't know those numbers either.

[Couplest]

X-men Monday delivery! And KT tweeted that big changes are coming in issue 4!9A489C69-D50B-4833-8768-01DDFB473A9D.jpg

[DearMachine]

Just a quick comment on the sales. The safe number of sales at the end of 2017 when Marvel did their last batch of cancellations was about 15K sales. Xmen Gold always sells 30-35k, Blue usually sells in the high 20k's, while Red sales high in the 30k's. So MMX at 24,250 is solid for a secondary book that's not part of the mainline X-men titles. If sales can be maintained at or above the 20K then the run can definitely last fairly long.

As for titles like Ms Marvel, Moongirl and Captain Marvel. It really is Marvel's agenda that's keeping them alive despite horrendous sales numbers, because the so-called scholastic boost is very minuscule. Scholastic sales never do reorders or second printings, and in general are very small (as in a fraction) of sales coming from stores and digital. The average person who collects comics probably owns more comics than any school and maybe even library, and remember there are MANY more individual buyers of comics than schools/libraries that buy comics monthly. Ms. Marvel is clearly kept alive because the character was created by Sana Amanat who is currently a director and head-editor at Marvel, many expect her to become EIC of Marvel one day. Captain Marvel is kept alive because of the movie and will probably be advertised a lot more in the future. Sales are very important but whatever Marvel sets in their agenda (whether they're pushing certain titles as part of their diversity line, big event titles, relaunches, and/or nostalgia type titles) is also just as important.

For right now MMX is doing well. But we have to remember that ongoings are a war of attrition so we have to keep supporting MMX by any means possible if you love the characters. Buy the physical copies, buy variants, buy digitally, pretty much support it any way that you can afford. Also it would be nice if MMX is part of Marvel's agenda whether because it's a nostalgia based title, is pushing a female lead character, is part of the Xmen agenda, or is a favorite of some of the editors.

I tend to be sceptical that Marvel is pushing a liberal agenda at the cost of their profits. If they seem to be focusing on more diverse characters, it's an attempt to broaden their customer base. Once you've saturated a certain segment of the market, one of the obvious ways to achieve growth is to appeal to another segment. I went to a talk by a chief innovation officer of a pharmaceutical company a few weeks ago, and she made that exact point. They may be presenting it as a social good (and I think it is), but it's ultimately Marvel using a standard innovation strategy.

You're vastly underestimating the Scholastic sales. They aren't selling individual issues, but trade paperbacks. Libraries and school libraries are a massive market, and it's likely that Marvel is selling in the hundreds of thousands at book fairs, via catalogues, and at other events. Unfortunately, Scholastic doesn't release sales figures for the individual books, but it's probable that they're significant. For instance, the NY public library alone has 58 copies of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, vol. 1. My own metropolitan library has 31. Multiple that by larger cities across the United States. And then add in all the thousands of school libraries that may buy one or two copies, because they're looking for ways to get more kids to read, and comics are viewed as a solution to a lack of interest in literacy. That's not taking into account the inevitable turnover as books are damaged, lost, worn out, etc. Where a collector may buy one copy of a TPB, a library will buy multiples, and will have to keep buying. (Two of my best friends are librarians, so I get to hear about this stuff a lot. )

Even if Marvel is selling less than that, though, there's a huge advantage to having titles that are being marketed and sold via the major channel where books get into kids' hands. Comics have a problem of an aging audience, and the best way to combat that is by attracting kids and making them loyal to your characters and your version of story-telling.

Anyway . . . this discussion probably will clutter up this thread. :P

I agree with you about MMX, though. I'm currently buying a hard copy and a digital copy. I probably will pick up the first TPB.

[DearMachine]

X-men Monday delivery! And KT tweeted that big changes are coming in issue 4!9A489C69-D50B-4833-8768-01DDFB473A9D.jpg

Nooo. Why do their eyes look sad? What is happening to my precious couple?

I may have to wait up until midnight on Tuesday to read the next issue.

(ETA: I was so concerned that I typed "sad" as "side." I am too invested in Romy.)

[donpricetag]

Change is a part of marriage. Fret not. I hope.

[Kalternativa]

X-men Monday delivery! And KT tweeted that big changes are coming in issue 4!9A489C69-D50B-4833-8768-01DDFB473A9D.jpg

I have a theory that would like to share: if those intro scenes from MMX#1 in space are our couple and Xandra fleeing and then being hit?

[Mateo3000]

It's hard to discuss sales, because we don't have the numbers, even those numbers are estimates and not 'real' and we don't know digital. Domino had a bigger first issue, but a bigger drop and it's still considered a 'hit' series that just got an annual. And Gail Simone actually posted that domino's numbers were better than the comichron numbers showed (and also that the orders for issue 2 were placed before the stores knew how issue 1, actually sold. Moon girl's scholastic deal is, I believe, for the book fair not libraries, so that would be bigger orders, but we still don't know those numbers either.

I highly doubt book fair sales are that much higher than scholastic sales. Book fairs usually sale more at one time (during the fair) but school/libraries order books/comics much more often. I love book fairs and I still go but there’s no way book fairs are keeping Moon girl alive. The title is clearly part of whatever agenda Marvel has, it’s probably part of their push to establish fans among a younger demographic.

[AppleJ]

X-men Monday delivery! And KT tweeted that big changes are coming in issue 4!9A489C69-D50B-4833-8768-01DDFB473A9D.jpg

I MIGHT be freaking out a bit!

[Mateo3000]

I tend to be sceptical that Marvel is pushing a liberal agenda at the cost of their profits. If they seem to be focusing on more diverse characters, it's an attempt to broaden their customer base. Once you've saturated a certain segment of the market, one of the obvious ways to achieve growth is to appeal to another segment. I went to a talk by a chief innovation officer of a pharmaceutical company a few weeks ago, and she made that exact point. They may be presenting it as a social good (and I think it is), but it's ultimately Marvel using a standard innovation strategy.

You're vastly underestimating the Scholastic sales. They aren't selling individual issues, but trade paperbacks. Libraries and school libraries are a massive market, and it's likely that Marvel is selling in the hundreds of thousands at book fairs, via catalogues, and at other events. Unfortunately, Scholastic doesn't release sales figures for the individual books, but it's probable that they're significant. For instance, the NY public library alone has 58 copies of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, vol. 1. My own metropolitan library has 31. Multiple that by larger cities across the United States. And then add in all the thousands of school libraries that may buy one or two copies, because they're looking for ways to get more kids to read, and comics are viewed as a solution to a lack of interest in literacy. That's not taking into account the inevitable turnover as books are damaged, lost, worn out, etc. Where a collector may buy one copy of a TPB, a library will buy multiples, and will have to keep buying. (Two of my best friends are librarians, so I get to hear about this stuff a lot. )

Even if Marvel is selling less than that, though, there's a huge advantage to having titles that are being marketed and sold via the major channel where books get into kids' hands. Comics have a problem of an aging audience, and the best way to combat that is by attracting kids and making them loyal to your characters and your version of story-telling.

Anyway . . . this discussion probably will clutter up this thread. :P

I agree with you about MMX, though. I'm currently buying a hard copy and a digital copy. I probably will pick up the first TPB.

I don’t think I’m vastly underestimating scholastic sales. My nephew and his friend work at two different libraries. Their libraries each had about 10-15 copies of volume ones but it was nearly impossible to find any copies of newer volumes or the most current monthly releases. My nephew said they usually order more copies of first issues/volume 1’s to gauge interest but when it comes to ordering further issues/volumes and trades they are much more sporadic. Sometimes they’ll wait a few months (2-3) to order new issues or new trades. It is highly unlikely that Marvel or any other company keep a title alive based on scholastic sales. It would be far too risky and unpredictable unless you’re selling a textbook or something of similar educational value.

X-men Monday delivery! And KT tweeted that big changes are coming in issue 4!9A489C69-D50B-4833-8768-01DDFB473A9D.jpg

My anticipation for this issue is so high. I think our couple will be fine and I’m glad that there are high stakes in their adventure. I don’t want the book to just be random married adventures with no real significance. That would be boring and would make it easy for some future crappy writer (another Mike Carey or Milligan) to ignore it for their own personal agenda.

[Sparta]

You do realise that they're throwing a party after this arc ends. So it can't be that bad...

[AppleJ]

Yes, yes . . . Obviously we knew it wasn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows for them! Kind of what makes it so exciting to read, there are real consequences. Doesn't mean it isn't a bit hard to watch at times . . . Thinking like the issue where they got stabbed by Vargas. Soooooo good, but SO gut wrenching. Glad to have these tough moments, but also really feel for them as characters.

[DearMachine]

Sometimes, it's just fun to let yourself get caught up in the story and its emotions. I'm so analytical about most books and films that I love how reading about Gambit and Rogue still gets me feeling genuine emotions, even if those emotions aren't always happy or positive. I walked around with a stupid smile for like a month after X-Men Gold #30. :P

[Sparta]

Well, the clues are in the opening pages of MMX#1 when the ship explodes.
Some say it's a perilous situation, some are analysing the way it's narrated (it could be two people having a conversation), and there's some speculation about a Rogue and Gambit baby as well (which would relate to the "huge development").
Hard to say...some interesting theories over in Tumblr and Twitter...

[Kalternativa]

Mojo already planning make a visit... LOL