The Comics Industry in the Face of International and National Economic Crisis

In the passing week a thread was posted in the DC forum about an upcoming Zatanna ongoing book. My first thought and reply was that it won't last over 10 issues (give or take). If you expect ti to be as huge as Batman and Robin or Justice League of America, you must be kidding yourself.

A few minutes ago I saw another thread about an upcoming Maggog ongoing series. Really.

Earlier this year DC canceled a little book with a small devoted following called Blue Beetle. As we speak, at Marvel Captain Britain and MI:13 is getting the ax. And yet, both companies continue to solicit new books that most likely won't make it into a second year (or at least get canceled shortly after).

While such shenanigans were part of our fans' lives for many years, sometimes we even criticized that approach - now it makes no sense. Not in such a financial state. Further more, not only did Marvel increased the price of their books to the minimum price of 3.99$ just a few months back, but they also flood the market with lots of books (see last week's 39 new publications), most of them will barely sell.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the creative teams and as far as I care those books can be the greatest pieces of art ever created. My problem is with the Big Two who seem to cover their eyes facing reality so they could continue with their own stupid tricks. What makes Zatanna such an important book it can't wait for a release in a year or two when hopefully things get better? Will it make Paul Dini a better man having on his resume "Zatanna #1-10"? Wouldn't it be nicer to have "Zatanna #1-50"? (Yeah, I know, even in a better economy it will be hard to get this book such afar...)

^ Well, a good book is a good book. Sometimes things happen, books don't sell. Doesn't mean that a decent story shouldn't be attempted to be told/sold. If anything, DC is doing the right thing by bringing in more of a selection for the reader. And, Blue Beetle now being a co-feature, maybe they'll try fusing books to make them sell. 40 pages for $4 isn't awful. I'd pay 10 cents a page, especially if the story was good.

By the by, I created the Zatanna and Magog thread! Grrrr...!

yeah theres the current troubles in the uk as well which will hit sales as well

(I've shedded about ten titles I used to collect in the past six months and only three of those were cancelled)

Time has shown the entertainment industry is hit the least hardest in economic downturns, sometimes there's an increase during such times as people seek escapism. As for books coming out, you have to assume comics have to try and stay afloat especially in bad economies where time and again number one issues tend to sell better than monthly books; meaning, they could actually do better by dropping monthlies in favor of short mini-series that will surely be collected in trades, in an industry where trades make up half of sales. So, as you can see, minis may in fact keep them from going bankrupt.

^ Never considered that. Nicely put.

I wasn't talking about minis, but ongoing books. What's the point in publishing a new ongoing starring a D-list character seeing as how over 90% of them barely survive their first year of existence? Mini-series are actually better. See how few years ago Marvel changed Omega Flight and Loners from ongoing books (as announced first) to mini-series in order to see fan reaction. As we have yet to see any of the teams return in new books to this date, I assume they didn't sell as well as Marvel hoped.

Spidey_82 wrote:I wasn't talking about minis, but ongoing books. What's the point in publishing a new ongoing starring a D-list character seeing as how over 90% of them barely survive their first year of existence? Mini-series are actually better. See how few years ago Marvel changed Omega Flight and Loners from ongoing books (as announced first) to mini-series in order to see fan reaction. As we have yet to see any of the teams return in new books to this date, I assume they didn't sell as well as Marvel hoped.

Actually, selling it as an ongoing works better than a mini. With a mini, if you say six issues, you got to put out six issues. Heck, even though sales are awful, the last issue of Ambush Bug is coming. An ongoing, you can dump that anytime.

^ Another good point.

Plus, sometimes characters stick that are from out of nowhere. Blue Devil, Impulse, Dr. Fate, Sandman (Neil's and Wagner's), and so many more. I get that the times are hurting sales and why would they throw those characters out, but, again, diversity/change stirs interest.

That reminds me how The Punisher mini-series from 1986 started as a four-issue limited series (with a tagline on the cover) but after the fourth issue came out, there was suddenly a "issue five out of a five-issue limited series".

"It sold so well and we surely want your money, so we'll quickly come up with a 'bonus issue' out of the blue."