What would it take for a new superhero universe to rise and rival DC/Marvel?

[mathew101281]

Marvel and DC were not the result of one individual, so I don’t think one or even two creators could create something on that scale. It would take a collective of creators working together for some reason to amass that much creative energy.

[LordMikel]

It would take time and expense. A good vision for the future. Also not a rehash. I don't think looking at a new Universe and saying, "Oh look, they have a Superman like character" is going to work. But if you want to rival Marvel / DC, then you are looking at it taking probably 20 years. To have rich history and people saying, "did you read the early stuff?"

[DrNewGod]

I doubt a rival could arise from the comic book medium itself.

However, something from gaming, cinema, or novels that migrate into comics might. For example, the world Jim Butcher constructed for Harry Dresden could be broad enough that several writers and illustrators could expand upon it.

[Powerboy]

Marvel and DC were not the result of one individual, so I don’t think one or even two creators could create something on that scale. It would take a collective of creators working together for some reason to amass that much creative energy.

I honestly believe you would have to be able to time travel back to at least the early 1960s to do that. Today, comic books are a niche market, a lot of it with people who were reading comics before they were almost exclusively niche.

Today, you would never built up the kind of readership DC and Marvel once had that somewhat carries over albeit more into other media.

It is quite possible to still create a superhero phenomenon. The Incredibles come to mind. I'm sure there are other things I'm overlooking that have far more episodes or consistent work. But comics with all the competition now from other media and the price of comics now, I just don't see anyone, in actual comic books, ever rising to the level of DC and Marvel.

[Username taken]

Honestly, I would argue that 90s Image was set to rival Marvel and DC before the superhero arm of the company fell apart. Image had already well ahead of DC in the early and mid-90s.

Unfortunately, the original version of Image fell apart and overtime transitioned into what it is now.

If the original superhero universe was kept together will all the original creators in place, Image would have easily rivaled Marvel or DC.

[worstblogever]

DC has always had Warner Brothers in their corner from a publicity standpoint. In the early 90s when Image, Dark Horse, and Wildstorm were all making noise about being the new challenger, Marvel was a mess. They were about marketing toys, primarily through Toy Biz.

And now, DC and WB are closer than ever. Marvel is a Disney IP.

It's hard for anyone to make this a third when the top two have that kind of money and exposure behind them.

[shooshoomanjoe]

I don't think there are enough fans to sustain another company to rival Marvel and DC.

[Gray Lensman]

I think it would have to come from television - possibly film but the small screen is easier. A long running program that inspires multiple spinoffs could be the start of something, but even then it would need follow up in the comics realm.

[skyvolt2000]

I think it would have to come from television - possibly film but the small screen is easier. A long running program that inspires multiple spinoffs could be the start of something, but even then it would need follow up in the comics realm.

Power Rangers say HI. Because I have been to stores where those books sell out way more and more often than any Marvel or DC book.

I don't think there are enough fans to sustain another company to rival Marvel and DC.

Then build your empire outside of the bias direct market.

Look at some of the top selling novels, trades and stuff-it's NOT DC or Marvel. It's everyone that the direct market has chased off.

Focus on other markets.

[CliffHanger2]

I would say DBZ already rivals them in terms of comics and probably outsells them. In terms of movies a lot of money and star-driven vehicles. I mean Hancock made more money than some MCU and DCEU films.

[Mister Mets]

It could happen.

There's enough companies with financial interest to support a new company. Netflix would love to have their own version of the MCU.

There are going to be some complicating factors. You would need multiple series with staying power, at a time when there's more interest in closed narratives. A sci-fi or fantasy universe wouldn't count. The writer and artist would have to be very prolific, or you'd need several, which can result in complex right questions. Presumably, it would need to outlast the original creative team. You would need to develop and maintain popularity. It would also need to be more than a copycat of what we're used to. A shared universe with knockoffs of Batman, X-Men and Wonder Woman isn't going to be the basis for a new company. It would need to avoid the pitfalls of companies that had a chance of being on the level of Marvel and DC, but didn't stay there (delayed projects, overexposure, convoluted continuity, etc.)

How could it happen?

One way would be some kind of monster hit that has spin-offs, perhaps with the support of a major media conglomerate.

There could be some kind of opening outside of the traditional comics market. The next superhero universe might start out as a webcomic, or some kind of all-ages graphic novel series that's a hit in school book fairs.

An existing franchise might be elevated. If the Harbinger film is a monster hit, that could lift Valiant. The Invincible Animated Series could lift that series. A Black Hammer adaptation might make a lot of money.

It could be a series that speaks to some section of the population that doesn't get everything they want from Marvel or DC. Perhaps it's more diverse. Perhaps it's more family-friendly. Perhaps it's more international. Maybe it builds something new from 21st Century influences the way Golden Age DC borrowed from pulps and Silver Age Marvel dealt with cold war anxieties.

Even if it is unlikely, there are several ways it could happen.

[Jim Kelly]

Why does it have to be a superhero universe? Isn't it about time we moved on to other things?

[MRP]

I think the mistake that every wannabe rival/competitor has made in trying to create a shared super-hero universe has made is that they are trying to create it whole cloth out of the gate, and neither the MU or the DCU were created that way. They developed organically over time and were not created as a whole entity. And I just don't think trying to create something wholecloth is going to work.

There have been other successful shared universes outside superheroes and outside comics and the thing with all of them is they started small and grew larger-Star Wars was a single movie, Trek a single show, Wild Cards and Thieves World were both a single anthology series of short stories at first, etc. etc. They started small, provided a quality product, built an audience, added another product, then another, then grew into a larger sandbox with more products/characters and creators involved. Marvel and DC grew the same way. Trying to do it whole cloth all at once is going to limit your audience and limit the chances of it catching on in a big way, because people are often reluctant to buy into something new if it is too big or too much of a commitment. They might try one story or one book (or film or show, etc.) and if they like it will come back for more and then keep asking for more, but ask them to buy into 5, 10, 12 things at once, and you've created a barrier to entrance, and they won't come the first time let clone come back for more and ask for even more.

So it would take a quality book that captures lightning in a bottle. a book that has room to expand and spin off as it grows its audience, curated by someone who understands how to grow an audience and always leaving them wanting more rather than inundating them with too much and drowning the audience before it has a chance to catch one. It has to be grown organically not birthed monolithicly.

And honestly, there just not a large enough customer base in the current direct market for that to happen, so it would have to target an audience outside the direct market to even have a semblance of a chance to succeed.

-M

[From The Shadows]

I think Image could have been that.

[Toreador]

A time machine. Nowadays it take something like a Hollywood studio to back such superhero universe. Something like NBC/Universal or Paramount/CBS to make a print/tv/movie blitz to attract readers/viewers. Start off with a tv series/mini-series, then the comic series to keep to keep interest during the off seasons (and keep continuing the comic when the tv series returns) and cap it off with big summer blockbusters for the really big profits. Also web advertising using Youtube, Instagram and other services. Make some material easily available for d/l on kids (mainly) phones, tablets and computers.

Also license the characters for toy lines and games. Do promotional tie-ins with fast food restaurants and food brands. Companies want quick profits/recognition and don't have time today for a slow burn that DC and Marvel took to get where they are now.