Would a mass boycott of the X-books work or would it be counter-productive?

[donpricetag]

The idea that Marvel is expending money to produce a product that they actively want to fail simply because Fox has the movie rights is stupid. The MCU movies have mad a TON of cash and there is no evidence that the Fox X-men movies are negatively impacting the MCU movies' bottom lines. Sure, Marvel would like to have the X-men back, but even if they actually canceled all of the X-men comics Fox would continue to make movies and they would continue to make money. As evidenced by the comic sales versus movie ticket sales figures, comics readers make up a tiny portion of the folks seeing these movies. Fox is not Sony, and regardless of what Marvel does, X-men properties will continue to be a cash cow for years to come. The X-men film rights are not going back to Marvel anytime soon and Marvel clearly know this. If anything, Marvel actually has an interest in keeping the property hot to some degree, because once the current X-men and Avengers lines of films runs their course, if there isn't a reboot of some kind, then a Fox/Disney joint production may become appealing to both entities. Even with a 50/50 split of profits this film would do HUGE money for both studios.

And as others have pointed out, trashing this story as an inferior version of decimation based on a handful of preview pages is ridiculous. We have no idea if this will be better, worse or the same quality as decimation. And while there are some similarities in the general concept being out now, we really don't know how this will all play out. It could be markedly different once things get rolling.

Finally, as far as Inhumans goes, while I'm sure Marvel would like the comics to take off now, that's not really the point. They've brought the concept to a certain, relatively low, level of success at this point, but they are playing a long game here. The Inhumans presence on Agents of Shield will build some interest in the property and then their movie will take it to the next level. The comic is there to entice those who are interested and provide supporting add-on sales to those whose interest in the product are peaked by the tv show and movie properties. Even if these comics continues to tread water with middling sales, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Does Marvel want the X-Men to not sell? Hell no. Even while being marginalized, the X-Men make roughly half of their sales. For ages it's been this way with Marvel comic fans. You either read the Avengers side or the X-Men with few that die hardedly (not a word) reading both, Spiderman has historically been the middle ground. The issue with Marvel's current strategy is to make money off of the X-Men books, while not going out of their way to promote the franchise and create new fans that might further fuel the movie goers that hand over billions of dollars to Fox (Marvel/Disney wants that money). There's very very little chance Fox will ever hand over the rights back to Disney. However, Disney isnt going to make it easier for them either. The notion Disney has is, they are making new fans out of kids, which is true to a point. But it's not necessarily true in terms of the books. I think they know the comics have a specific type of following, but they are trying to change that (make more money by appealing to broader audience... not just us) by making the books easier to pick up. In essence, they're dumbing it down, kind of like not having their animation series carry season long story arcs in place of ones that can be finished in one or two episodes (max). They are trying to cater to the smaller attention span of the Millennial aka "New Readers" (ya know, Unicorns). I believe at some point they'll figure out how pointless that is and change their model back to something that might satisfy us more (storytelling wise), but it's not going to be soon (I also predict a 100% digital future, ie no paper comics, zero material and shipping costs with no left over stock = nearly 70-80% profit if creator contracts remain). But also dont be silly enough to believe if they could flip a switch and have all the X-Men fans pour their money into the Inhumans and Avengers at the same reject the Fox films, they wouldn't. It's smart business, why help hype something you get minimal profit from while half your stable is readily available? Again, they dont want X-Men to fail, but they aren't going to help Fox out either (remember Fox has access to anything X-Men related, not just past stuff. This mixing of the franchises makes adapting future/ current X-Men stories harder to do). Go find a first party X-Men TV show, shirt, toy, poster, or video game with them in the forefront made in the past year. You might come back with some stickers or a wristband.

[datugu]

Out of pure curiosity (I've read maybe 15 X-Men comics in my life and have no agenda or preferences about them what so ever): What's so bad about the upcoming X-books?

That they killing (again) all the mutants and making the inhumans take their place.. I'm not fan of the inhumans, but many friends that are fans hate what Marvel is doing to the inhumans... they are chaging them to become like mutants, live what mutants live, etc...

And the only reason is because Fox has the rights for movies and Disney hates that... they want 100% control...

In my case I will give my opinion after I read some of the x-books after SW, I will not judge until I read at last 5 numbers...

The only thing I'm not ok is that the mist is sterilizing the surviving mutants... and I will more than sure that the inhumans will not answer for this crime...

One of the things that interest me is to know what happen to Cyclops revolution... and any mutants that helped him!!!

[Master of Sound]

Don't we have the complex thread for this?

[Galerion]

Out of pure curiosity (I've read maybe 15 X-Men comics in my life and have no agenda or preferences about them what so ever): What's so bad about the upcoming X-books?

Nothing at all.
Some people just prefer juicy apples but they get served juicy oranges instead and then they complain about it despite the fact that a ton of other people enjoy oranges. You know what Im getting at?
Buy what you like and vote with your wallet. That's what your job as a customer is. I for one will spend a lot of money on comics once the new ones they get released. I see a lot of potential and awesomeness on the horizon.

[FlawedCoil82]

After "X-Men '92" #4, I am not buying a single Marvel comic until/unless they announce that book's return or another 90s X-book replacement. I did it for 15 years before and I can do it again. And really, I think that is the only possible way Marvel would get the hint that X-fans aren't happy. X-Men fans would need to stop buying ALL Marvel titles and then let Marvel know why all their books are suddenly dropping. Marvel doesnt care if they lose the support of one of their franchises (especially when its movie rights are owned by another company). But they sure as Hell do not want to lose the support of ALL their books. Unfortunately tho, this would never happen, as most readers would never be willing to punish all of Marvel's books just for the mistreatment of one.

But as for me, I know what I want and if Marvel is not willing to give me that then I am not willing to give them any of my money for any other books. It's that simple. I would rather have no Marvel books at all in exchange for not having to keep witnessing the deliberate mass disgracing of my top favorite Marvel book. But I think that would be the only way Marvel would understand that we X-fans demand quality and are willing to watch their profits suffer from all their books if they don't start treating the X-Men right and perhaps they better change that if they dont want the rest of their books to fall. Again, it'll never happen but still just imagining all the Marvel readers out there coming together to send an unavoidable message to Marvel's entire publishing department that we are tired of them undermining and sabotaging the X-Men and are willing to drop ALL of their books until they start showing the X-Men the respect they deserve, sure helps me to sleep at night.

[wunderpanda]

If you want to boycott, target the non-X books, the Avengers movies, SHIELD, the Netflix shows, any merchandise that isn't XMen related. It's more than likely that this Inhuman push will fail the same way Young Avengers, Avengers Academy and the Initiative characters didn't catch on. They had to fall back on X-23 and legacy characters to carry the books before Wiccan and Iron Lad fell into obscurity with Jack Flag and Le Peregrine.

I imagine Marvel would like to *have its cake and eat it to* with the X characters, cancel the Xbooks but keep all the readers money by redistributing the characters in other titles. Storm in the Black Panther book, Gambit in Ghost Rider, Jubilee in Blade, Magik in Dr Strange.

[Master of Sound]

Nothing at all.
Some people just prefer juicy apples but they get served juicy oranges instead and then they complain about it despite the fact that a ton of other people enjoy oranges. You know what Im getting at?
Buy what you like and vote with your wallet. That's what your job as a customer is. I for one will spend a lot of money on comics once the new ones they get released. I see a lot of potential and awesomeness on the horizon.

Wow, those are great words to describe exactly the way I feel about it. Though somehow the 'apple lovers' always scream a lot.

[cranger]

Wow, those are great words to describe exactly the way I feel about it. Though somehow the 'apple lovers' always scream a lot.

It is funny how the orange lovers, with so many fresh juicy oranges are getting bent out of shape that the apple lovers think the apples they got tasted bad.

Anyway, a proper boycott would work, as someone higher up the food chain would take notice and heads would roll, but that is not going to happen. There just aren't enough die hard apple lovers and many of the apple lovers would rather take any apples they could get then go without and there are plenty of new apple lovers who never knew how good the apples used to taste.

[protege]

it would absolutely NOT work.

make no mistake, marvel would be pleased with nothing more than to see x-men fans reject what is left of the x-men in this day and age.

in fact, an ideal situation for them would be to convert what remains of the x-men fanbase over to the inhuman line of books. that way they get to keep their 'hated and feared' audience on books they actually own, and could happily retire the x-men line with "no hard feelings." they would come out looking like the good guys in this situation, and the population would love them for it and sing their praises.

what would be a more productive and effective use of your time is to boycott and reject the inhuman books that marvel is planning on publishing.

not only for yourself, but anyone you know. spread the word of what has been happening in this regard. reject marvel on this matter, and you will see results closer to what you are looking to accomplish.

I wonder how the "hated and feared" angle would work in the inhumans, considering how they don't really give a f--k

[Vegeta]

I wonder how the "hated and feared" angle would work in the inhumans, considering how they don't really give a f--k

That's fine for the old Inhumans, but I think the Nuhumans (who have spent much of their prior life living among and accepted by humanity) might feel differently when they are being pelted with debris, having derogatory slang shouted at them and the occasional lynch mob.

[AcesX1X]

I wonder how the "hated and feared" angle would work in the inhumans, considering how they don't really give a f--k

crystal and professor gorgon certainly look like they "give a f--k" on the cover of that all-new inhuman rag, with the angry mob surrounding them and getting ready to lynch them.

[JustAnotherFan]

I have to agree with the majority that boycotting upcoming x-books would never work. First of all you can never get enough fans to join your boycott for it to have any effect. Some fans actually like the upcoming x-books for whatever reason or they still want to support X-Men and give this story a chance. And even if you did get enough people to join your boycott for it to affect the sales then Marvel would only use it as an excuse to cancel more of the remaining x-books because "there is no demand and the books don't sell". If you want to see x-books continue then you have no choice but to buy them and then Marvel will use the steady sales as proof that this direction and story is popular enough with fans to continue with it for years to come. So you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

I can't really tell what you or anyone should do but personally I'm not going to play Marvel's games. I've come to terms with the fact that Marvel doesn't care about the X-Men all that much anymore and that X-men will never be as they once were unless movie rights situation changes.* So I've decided to give up on X-Men even if it will end up cancelling them and moving all X-Men to other books Marvel wants to promote. It's not going to be any worse than X-Men sharing their own books with other franchises.







*And even then they probably wouldn't be as good as they used to be when the comics still did their own thing instead of just promoting film franchises.

[Master of Sound]

It is funny how the orange lovers, with so many fresh juicy oranges are getting bent out of shape that the apple lovers think the apples they got tasted bad.

Anyway, a proper boycott would work, as someone higher up the food chain would take notice and heads would roll, but that is not going to happen. There just aren't enough die hard apple lovers and many of the apple lovers would rather take any apples they could get then go without and there are plenty of new apple lovers who never knew how good the apples used to taste.

Doesn't all apples taste good? Some have different flavors but I like apples and oranges. As long as they are tastefully. So far the new x-line looks good and I'm all for change every now and then.

Honestly, right after every big change in the X-books over the years got us great stories.

As mentioned elsewhere; Fans responded hysterical when Age of Apocalypse started. Most saying they would stop buying X-Men. Then a decade later M-Day happened. Fans got hysterical. Most saying they would stop buying X-Men. Then some years later Schism happened. Fan became hysterical again. Most saying they would stop buying X-Men. Now the Terrican Mist comes as surprise surprise fans get hysterical and many saying they would stop buying X-Men. Get my point?

[cranger]

Doesn't all apples taste good? Some have different flavors but I like apples and oranges. As long as they are tastefully. So far the new x-line looks good and I'm all for change every now and then.

Honestly, right after every big change in the X-books over the years got us great stories.

As mentioned elsewhere; Fans responded hysterical when Age of Apocalypse started. Most saying they would stop buying X-Men. Then a decade later M-Day happened. Fans got hysterical. Most saying they would stop buying X-Men. Then some years later Schism happened. Fan became hysterical again. Most saying they would stop buying X-Men. Now the Terrican Mist comes as surprise surprise fans get hysterical and many saying they would stop buying X-Men. Get my point?

Schism had some good stories that had nothing to do with Schism, in fact the need to keep reminding everyone about the Schism really dragged the books down. Also, there were no good stories that came out of Decimation. None. That was a very bleak period for X-Men stories. Sorry, we got X-Factor, but the main line was junk.

Besides, can you honestly tell me that people did not quit? Have the sales of X-Men books gone up, down or stayed the same? Marvel has been relying on events and #1s, not stories, to keep up sales (to retailers) and now they are looking to flood the shelves with what looks like an all time high number of titles. I do not see X-Men sales being anywhere near the beginning of the Bendis run and I don't think Marvel's tricks are going to keep doing the job.

So, I hope for the sake of anyone buying the new books that they get some great stories, while they last.

[AcesX1X]

sales all over the board are down, but x-men remains up comparatively speaking. i guess marvel really know what they're doing on all fronts, obviously. hysterical fans notwithstanding of course