May 2005 Sales Figures: Marvel Thumps DC

[Great Rao]

This will continue as long as the direct market, the slavish devotion to the outdated 22-page format, and the complete ignorance towards intraweb e-comics remains in place.

DC is currently developing a massive project of new online comics:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=26

Just remember, we were first folks!

[Great Rao]

Based on the job listings linked to from this article, it looks like DC might also be developing an MMORPG.

[Permanus]

Based on the job listings linked to from this article, it looks like DC might also be developing an MMORPG.

They are; it's been in development with Sony for about two years now. Not to be outdone, Marvel are doing one too. Bizarrely enough, Marvel chose Cryptic Studios, the team that came up with the entertaining City of Heroes, to develop theirs, just a couple of years after unsuccessfully trying to sue them.

[DBN]

This will continue as long as the direct market, the slavish devotion to the outdated 22-page format, and the complete ignorance towards intraweb e-comics remains in place.

DC is currently developing a massive project of new online comics:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=26

Just remember, we were first folks!

I was thinking along the lines of an Itunes-like service where one could conviently download the latest offerings as well as complete runs of past series for a small fee.

And offer DVDs of past series to supplement the archive editions like Marvel has done with Spiderman.

[nightwing]

And in other news, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead! 

Honestly, I've been reading comics since around 1971 and in all that time was there one year Marvel *didn't* beat DC in sales?

Michel Weisnor writes:

Manga also appeals to a younger audience and a relatively female one. When was the last time you could say that about Marvel or DC? No offense to the 30+ crowd, I believe a younger audience is a necessity to continue comics into the 21st century. For that to occur, one company is going to have to take a chance.

According to the Wall Street Journal, DC is working on attracting the female audience:

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118126827149628679-7S4L__238c2krRS0yXKnxMo5tiE_20070707.html

Most of the stuff mentioned in that article sounds more interesting to me than anything superhero-related DC's doing or has done.  Maybe if they end up being a hit with girls, it will inspire them to produce something fit for boys.

[Michel Weisnor]

And in other news, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead! 

Honestly, I've been reading comics since around 1971 and in all that time was there one year Marvel *didn't* beat DC in sales?

Michel Weisnor writes:

Manga also appeals to a younger audience and a relatively female one. When was the last time you could say that about Marvel or DC? No offense to the 30+ crowd, I believe a younger audience is a necessity to continue comics into the 21st century. For that to occur, one company is going to have to take a chance.

According to the Wall Street Journal, DC is working on attracting the female audience:

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118126827149628679-7S4L__238c2krRS0yXKnxMo5tiE_20070707.html

Most of the stuff mentioned in that article sounds more interesting to me than anything superhero-related DC's doing or has done.  Maybe if they end up being a hit with girls, it will inspire them to produce something fit for boys.

Believe it or not DC overtook Marvel in October 2005 on the strength of :drum roll please: Infinite Crisis #1. DC's kept it close, 3% - 6%, through 52 and relaunches but now Marvel's really hitting on all cylinders. 

Publisher Comics, Magazines, & GNs Dollar Share Comics, Magazines, & GNs Unit Share
MARVEL COMICS                  42.80%                                        46.60% 
DC COMICS                         27.66%                                        30.81% 

On the web, most readers display dissatisfaction with DC's current direction. Core monthly readers are burned out from 52 and "Infinite Crossovers" and started checking out Marvel's tight integrated storylines.


In regards to Plain Janes, check out this link

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=103509

Minx is doomed to failure if distributed through comic shops, just my opinion.


DBN, I hope DC uses an iTunes service. Most disagree webcomics are the wave of the future. With the ever changing computer technology, sooner than later, grade schoolers will read books on computer tablets. It's a good idea to start e-comics now and streamline as time progresses....

Speaking of online comics, I recently started using cbr/z (I know I am about 6+ years late). While this media may not replace handheld comics (yet), I see why many find it an addiction. 

[DBN]

DBN, I hope DC uses an iTunes service. Most disagree webcomics are the wave of the future. With the ever changing computer technology, sooner than later, grade schoolers will read books on computer tablets. It's a good idea to start e-comics now and streamline as time progresses....

Speaking of online comics, I recently started using cbr/z (I know I am about 6+ years late). While this media may not replace handheld comics (yet), I see why many find it an addiction

I don't believe that the handheld comic is outdated quite yet, just the 22-page "monthly" format (for $3 and 15 minutes of entertainment). Comics need to be liberated from the specialized shops so they can have a wider audience. Let's say we take the 3-4 current Super-related montlies, combine them into one Super Family title (with backup stories as well to drive up the page count a bit) with standard magazine size, and sell that one title monthly instead of wasting resources on printing 3-4 different books.

And yes, it would be quite nice of them to get a head start instead of playing catch up as they normally do. I like .cbr/z because I was able to dl every issue that I have ever owned and rid myself of 15 longboxes in the process.

[nightwing]

On the web, most readers display dissatisfaction with DC's current direction. Core monthly readers are burned out from 52 and "Infinite Crossovers" and started checking out Marvel's tight integrated storylines.

Okay, so one more time for this brain-damaged old-timer:

You're saying that people are "burned-out" on DC's massive crossovers, but happy with Marvel's?  Because it looks like both companies have the exact same strategy: keep the company-wide x-overs going 12 months a year and tie every book in the line to that story. 

So it seems to me that if one company is faring better than the other, it's not because they offer any real alternative from the competition in terms of storytelling but because (a) readers happen to just like prefer seeing tons of Marvel characters locked in perpetual crossovers as opposed to DC ones doing same, (b) Marvel's stories, while equally byzantine and never-ending, are when you get down to it, quantifiably better told or drawn, or (c) since most Americans make less than $200K a year, readers are having to choose one company's entire line over the other company's, where in past ages they could manage to cherry-pick a few titles from each.

Any way you slice it, it seems to me an "everything or nothing" kind of all-out war for readers that's going to leave the industry overall in worse shape once the dust settles.  It's hard to imagine any new readers drawn in by, say, a Spider-Man movie being willing to take the plunge and shell out 50 bucks or more each month to buy every single title Marvel puts out.  Ultimately it just forces the last few holdout to finally declare their allegiance to one company or the other.

Minx is doomed to failure if distributed through comic shops, just my opinion.

I don't know, somehow both articles leave me with the impression DC is targeting Minx to major bookstores.  I agree it's stupid to launch anything new in comics and limit distribution to comic book stores.  That's like inventing bubble-gum and telling kids, "Hey, I think you'll like this new treat.  Just tell your parents to check the phone book for a bubblegum specialty shop in your town, have them drive you there, buy a pack and try it out."