What Does It Take For An Indie Superhero book To Catch Your Eye In Such a Crowded Market?

[mathew101281]

With Marvel and DC putting out so many books a month what are books like Invincible, Savage Dragon etc. doing to catch your eye? What do you look for in an indie superhero that you can't get from the big two?

[DebkoX]

Something different. Something unique. Something fresh.

[sifighter]

Well for me it's the publisher or creative team, you see I like my comics universes to be connected or as some would say to have continuity. That's why I read a lot of Valiant titles and have interest in Mark Millar's work. Besides that if I know the creative team from Marvel or DC and I really like them I will buy their series.

If I don't have any of that though I may just read for the premise alone.

[Dark-Flux]

In the case of Invincible and Savage Dragon its the feeling of shear unpredicability. What with the nature of the Big 2 and their circumstances the "Death" of Wolverine rings hollow because i know that ultimatly its just a gimmick to boost sales and he'll be back in a year or two and everythings back to the status quo. With Dragon or Invincible, nobody is safe, anything can happen and death or other big shake ups actually have long lasting consequences.

With Valiant, they give me everything i like about Marvel/DC and the perks of having a shared universe, but because its on a smaller scale its more easily coordinated, and like independent works like Dragon and Invincible theres a sense that changes matter and will stick. And as a result its easier to become invested.

Thats why, if i do check out any Big 2 titles, it tends to be a specific teams run i follow to get a (for the most part) "full" story. Ive never read a Marvel event book because im not interested in following "the universe".

[matt levin]

After some forty years of comics reading (yeah, really!) I'm no longer very much interested in superheroes. Of the nearly fifty monthly/semi-monthly titles I buy, it seems right now all I'm getting 'superheroically' is Astro City, and, stretching the "super-hero" idea, Not Like Us (Image), Dr. Strange (maybe...not too thrilled with #1) and one other title-- and this, in answer, is how I chose that one other title: it's a Marvel, right now the only Marvel, and superhero, other than Doc Strange (a very long-time favorite character) and 1842 (the rare western setting) I'm getting. Squirrel Girl.

As I looked across the racks of new titles one week, I noted (yet again) how most, if not all, DC and Marvel (especially) covers featured grimacing, glaring, physically overly-developed characters I found in no way attractive, despite strong shoulders, chiseled chins and huge bosoms. And then there was this title featuring an ungainly looking, but cheerfully smiling, character, which, being so unusual in appearance--smiling!--I chose to buy, as it seemed a rather daring departure from the new norm.

Squirrel Girl is a unique take on superheroing: she reasons with her 'enemies', persuades them with conversation and alternative approaches to their otherwise dangerous plans. She's funny, witty as well as odd. The comic looks good, reads well, entertains, and provides that unique 'take' to the superhero trope. That's what I look for, whatever company is publishing.

I've signed up for Batman/Man from UNCLE: at least for an opening issue or two: could be interesting, and likely, not really 'superheroic' given the international espionage aspect of UNCLE. I'm reading Savior, and Strange Fruit (Image) and signed up for Huck and Black Jack Ketcham, two other possible superhero titles promising different aspects of superherodom.