Marvel announces A-Force Presents

[Cloudman]

...you know...why don't comic distributors communicate more with Gamestop? I mean, most of the stores do have an entire rack for Disney Infinity.

Exactly! It seems like the Big Two aren't giving enough attention to distribution. Loads of people don't even think about comic books because there's just no exposure.

[Darkspellmaster]

...you know...why don't comic distributors communicate more with Gamestop? I mean, most of the stores do have an entire rack for Disney Infinity.

They used to, Game stop used to sell Manga and trades at one point, then...they stopped. Also Play and Trade would be good too. Some gamers, who are like some comic readers, don't like the two mixing.

Exactly! It seems like the Big Two aren't giving enough attention to distribution. Loads of people don't even think about comic books because there's just no exposure.

Well it depends on if certain places will allow for them to sell there. It's up to the chain to okay it, and what sort of deal they would offer with the comics being there.

[Reviresco]

Rogue has been a substantially big seller, why of all these lady announcements has she not gotten her solo back? I like that other lady heroes have fans, but why not take advantage of the female hero with the biggest female fandom??? (Fish and Chips on my shoulders!) *grumpy*

When did Rogue have a substantial big seller solo? Yes, she was the focus of X-Men Legacy, but that still was something of a team book, with a well known title of buying inertia. I also have to wonder if the last batch of X-Men solos have given Marvel pause, as they didn't do all that well.

OTOH, Rogue DID get a prose novel, along with She-Hulk, so it isn't like she's being totally ignored by Marvel. I wonder how that prose novel sold?

[Reviresco]

I think it's a great idea to collect these reprints and put them in book stores or have them available for libraries to buy, and to distribute outside of comic shops. But I don't think it will do that well in comic shops. Folks interested in these titles have already bought them.

[Darkspellmaster]

When did Rogue have a substantial big seller solo? Yes, she was the focus of X-Men Legacy, but that still was something of a team book, with a well known title of buying inertia. I also have to wonder if the last batch of X-Men solos have given Marvel pause, as they didn't do all that well.

OTOH, Rogue DID get a prose novel, along with She-Hulk, so it isn't like she's being totally ignored by Marvel. I wonder how that prose novel sold?

Regarding the prose novels. When the author thinks that the only way to give Rogue her green eyes is to have her kill a kitten there's something wrong here. No mention of the X-men, she lives with her aunt, and there's some weird time travel stuff. The writer treats her like a new character rather then the rogue we know.

[useridgoeshere]

I think X-Girls are being ignored cause FOX.

Aw, you mean Storm's solo won't be included in this?

[shgs]

I like the idea, but under the A-Force banner? Really?

I mean we all had a laugh at how bad a name it is when the ongoing was announced, but at the end of the day anyone buying monthly comics probably knows enough about comics that the name is mostly irrelevent compared to the content.

But this is being marketed directly at laypeople. What does the name tell them? It is a named after a yet to be released series (which could yet be extremely unsuccessful or unpopular) whose name references an X-Men title that will be unknown to non-comic fans. A-Force in no way communicates the fact that these are stories centred on female characters, nor in fact does it communicate any information at all about what the book contains. Some laypeople may recognise the Avengers A, but even this is slightly misleading because not all the characters they say will be featured are even Avengers, and they are certainly nothing like the movie Avengers.

It just seems like an atrocious marketing decision attached to a good idea. Maybe I'm being pessimistic, I certainly hope I'm wrong.

[Reviresco]

Regarding the prose novels. When the author thinks that the only way to give Rogue her green eyes is to have her kill a kitten there's something wrong here. No mention of the X-men, she lives with her aunt, and there's some weird time travel stuff. The writer treats her like a new character rather then the rogue we know.

???

That sounds terrible. But I did think the book was supposed to be about Rogue _before_ she joined the X-Men, so I'm not surprised they didn't show up.

[MajorHoy]

...you know...why don't comic distributors communicate more with Gamestop? I mean, most of the stores do have an entire rack for Disney Infinity.

They used to, Game stop used to sell Manga and trades at one point, then...they stopped. Also Play and Trade would be good too. Some gamers, who are like some comic readers, don't like the two mixing.

Exactly! It seems like the Big Two aren't giving enough attention to distribution. Loads of people don't even think about comic books because there's just no exposure.

Well it depends on if certain places will allow for them to sell there. It's up to the chain to okay it, and what sort of deal they would offer with the comics being there.

Another problem is what would be sold there. Single issues wouldn't work unless the Gamestop-type store becomes like a comic book shop and orders issues from Diamond that are not returnable if they don't sell.

If they went the newsstand-type route, Marvel doesn't supply those any longer and DC has wound up raising the cover prices on newsstand copies to try and still make money on comic books that are returnable for full credit if they don't sell.

[RLAAMJR.]

Aw, you mean Storm's solo won't be included in this?

Hopefully it will be.

[skyvolt2000]

Great idea. They should roll this out for other titles too, and put them in more than just bookstores if they want to reach a wide audience. They need to get kids into these books, and kids don't hang around bookstores.

One major issue-book stores are not everywhere. You would have the same issue that you have with comic book stores.

Aside from Wal-Mart and maybe Target-you would be hard press to find a place that is located in enough places.

You might to be able to do floppies there but you can do trades. I would probably say Wal-Mart & Target since the Marvel toys pretty much have an entire section to themselves.

[Rogue Star]

I think X-Girls are being ignored cause FOX.

I don't know about it being because of Fox. Even Fox is ignoring all X-Women not naked as a jay bird. It's more like Marvel simply doesn't see them as a priority.

[MajorHoy]

I don't know about it being because of Fox. Even Fox is ignoring all X-Women not naked as a jay bird. It's more like Marvel simply doesn't see them as a priority.

Maybe they don't sell well enough as solo acts without Wolverine involved?