How will the coronavirus affect comics?

[Reviresco]

This virus should not be used as some weapon against making certain books. We already got trolls doing that.

Folks dying and we got folks offended by a Ms Marvel book.

I don't care what comic book companies put out-put out whatever.

I had a family member (a cop) survive the virus. That is more important than what a comic book has inside it. I don't have to read the book.

It's not going to be the trolls, but the bottom line that is going to dictate what books get made, if the LCBS go down. Which is why I keep saying to the digital contingent that keep predicting the end of print / cheering on the demise -- it will effect them too. There will be less books at higher prices.

[The Overlord]

I still think this crisis should be a chance to change these things. I still think stuff like Spider-Man and X-Men are a mess in the comics due to bad continuity, with Spidey stuff like Sins Past and One More Day and stuff where they retcon Moria MacTaggert into an immortal mutant that can reset the universe and the X-Men make death totally irrelevant. Its why nonsense like that will never be adapted, it is the least appealing part of comics to the general audience, the sweeping Marvel universe does seem like an impregnable mess that cannot appeal to new readers, it's why having new stories that are self-contained helps for the future and appealing to new readers.

[gurkle]

I still think this crisis should be a chance to change these things. I still think stuff like Spider-Man and X-Men are a mess in the comics due to bad continuity, with Spidey stuff like Sins Past and One More Day and stuff where they retcon Moria MacTaggert into an immortal mutant that can reset the universe and the X-Men make death totally irrelevant. Its why nonsense like that will never be adapted, it is the least appealing part of comics to the general audience, the sweeping Marvel universe does seem like an impregnable mess that cannot appeal to new readers, it's why having new stories that are self-contained helps for the future and appealing to new readers.

The current Spider-Man and X-Men runs are selling well, though, so whatever problems Marvel is having it isn't with those stories. If anything they'll need to make their other titles more like those two (with the X-Men it's basically: traditional costumes and familiar characters for the traditionalists; a radical new status quo for the non-traditionalists).

[skyvolt2000]

Exactly.

Why the bother?

And i don't know why some retailers are treating this like its a "strike". This is an unusual situation that will persist for the foreseeable future, things aren't going to revert to the status quo. My office for example is looking at re-opening soon but operations are going to be permanently altered.

Point is, people need to start getting ready for a possible new status quo particularly considering that retail (i.e brick and mortar) isn't what it used to be.

Correct.

I see Diamond finally settled on a date. Too bad the only book I want is one I am already getting via a subscription.

[The Overlord]

The current Spider-Man and X-Men runs are selling well, though, so whatever problems Marvel is having it isn't with those stories. If anything they'll need to make their other titles more like those two (with the X-Men it's basically: traditional costumes and familiar characters for the traditionalists; a radical new status quo for the non-traditionalists).

Except you sell those stories to new comers? One More Day, Sins Past and this story with Moria? How would you explain these stories to new comers. This type of endless retcons and convoluted continuity is kryptonite to new comers.

[gurkle]

Except you sell those stories to new comers? One More Day, Sins Past and this story with Moria? How would you explain these stories to new comers. This type of endless retcons and convoluted continuity is kryptonite to new comers.

Is it really? The X-Men never sold better than they did in the early '90s, when the plots were almost incomprehensible to new readers who had come there after watching the X-Men cartoon. And at that same time, Spider-Man was a married man.

As long as newcomers have some familiarity with the basics of the characters and the franchise, they usually pick up on the latest status quo; that's how soap operas work. Of course just because they start to understand a story doesn't mean they'll like it.

[Drops Of Venus]

But that's the thing. Are they making any money at all by going to digital first? You can actually sell items, but at a loss, when you figure out all the costs in producing and distributing said item. If you can't make enough money to offset that cost, AND make a profit, then no. Selling for a pittance may NOT be making money. It's not bringing in money. It's actually losing money. As I've said repeatedly. How many people here are willing to do the same amount of work, for only 10% of their former salary? How many people are willing to pay 9 time more for their digital comics, to equal the same amount of profit Marvel makes off a comic?

My post wasn't even just about digital exclusive comics. I was talking about Marvel making money with ANY publishing they'll do for the rest of the year, that surely is not going to be just digital. But since you brought it up... yes, it is absolutely possible to make money with digital comics.

1. The cost of production of digital comics is not the same as the cost for physical comics. You don't have printing or shipping to worry about, which means it's actually cheaper. So there's no need to argue that people are doing the same work for less money, because it's not the same work. And we don't actually know how much money Marvel makes from digital. They don't reveal those numbers. The 10% market share for digital you keep using is from the entire industry in 2018. We don't even know how they got to that number. Was a platform like Marvel Unlimited accounted for? And how would it be, since the profit for a book being streamed might be calculated in a different way from a book being sold? That's how little we know about Marvel's digital profit, which has never been fully disclosed by the company. And even if we knew anything for sure, their numbers may be completely different by the end of this year, since there has been a rise on digital entertainment due to the circumstances. If that rise proves to be consistent and profitable, that is something that Marvel will absolutely take into consideration while making future plans. There's no point in obsessing over how comics used to make money before this, because that's all in the past. There is no guarantee that things will ever be the same now. We could be facing a new status quo for the comic book industry.

2. Another reason why they wouldn't be ''doing the same work for less money'' is simply because not all titles would be digital first, just the ones that could benefit from it. The way the direct market is set up, there's no reason why SOME titles should be a priority at LCSs. Retailers themselves complain about Marvel flooding the market with books that don't sell at their stores, so why do they care if those books start to be prioritized elsewhere? Marvel is not gonna make the traditional Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Venom, Avengers, etc, digital firsts, and I get that, but they COULD do that to single issues of books like Ms. Marvel and Runaways, and it wouldn't affect most LCSs, since those books are already doing poorly in the DM anyway. I truly believe the floppy format is not necessary for all books, and I do think it's possible we will see publishers realizing that in the current situation. Also, it's not like we only have digital OR LCS as options. These are not the only ways for people to have access to comic books. Some books could thrive through digital and THEN trades in the book channel, libraries, online stores with delivery, book fairs, Scholastic, etc. Some books could thrive in the growing graphic novel market. Now's the time to think outside of the box.

[Digifiend]

I agree there - The Champions line (any Outlawed tie-ins), Runaways, and the Agents of Atlas line (Aero, Sword Master, and Atlantis Attacks) would probably have done OK as digital firsts.

[Journey]

I agree there - The Champions line (any Outlawed tie-ins), Runaways, and the Agents of Atlas line (Aero, Sword Master, and Atlantis Attacks) would probably have done OK as digital firsts.

Runaways has to be kicking ass in digital sales that's the only thing that could explain why it's still going on. Them physical sales be less than ideal.

[The Overlord]

Is it really? The X-Men never sold better than they did in the early '90s, when the plots were almost incomprehensible to new readers who had come there after watching the X-Men cartoon. And at that same time, Spider-Man was a married man.

As long as newcomers have some familiarity with the basics of the characters and the franchise, they usually pick up on the latest status quo; that's how soap operas work. Of course just because they start to understand a story doesn't mean they'll like it.

And what are the sales numbers compared to Manga or YA graphic novels nowadays? How much of the comic book market share does DC or Marvel have nowadays?

https://www.rutgers.edu/news/why-are...perhero-comics

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.for...oes-behind/amp

There is a reason why this convoluted nonsense is left out TV, movie and video game adaptations, they are not selling points to the general public. The characters are still popular, but in a more streamlined format.

[Snoop Dogg]

Current Spider-Man is so safe and traditional compared to current X-Men that I don't even get the argument.

[Username taken]

Current Spider-Man is so safe and traditional compared to current X-Men that I don't even get the argument.

Exactly.

The current run is pretty much as back to basics you can get without rebooting Spider-man.

The X-books on the other hand are going through a much needed creative renaissance. Is it convoluted- absolutely. Is it batshit crazy- yes. It's a high concept that the X-men (IMO) have needed.

I don't think the X-books have even sold this well in a very long time. Spider-man fans have been very excited about the current direction and it's also selling very well.

If Marvel is going to tamper with stuff, its not the X-men or Spider-man.

[The Overlord]

Current Spider-Man is so safe and traditional compared to current X-Men that I don't even get the argument.

Except it just resets to the same status quo so often, even the illusion of change is gone, like how would you explain to newcomers why Mary Jane and Peter Parker are no longer married?

[Journey]

The only team that needs rebranding is the Avengers they never have a clear direction whenever a new writer comes along always a status quo shift and repeat with a new cast over and over again.

[gurkle]

Except it just resets to the same status quo so often, even the illusion of change is gone, like how would you explain to newcomers why Mary Jane and Peter Parker are no longer married?

People said the same thing to justify breaking up their marriage: how can you explain to newcomers that Spider-Man is married even though almost all newcomers know him as a single guy?

The answer is always that people adjust to whatever the status quo is, as long as they like the stories.