Big Two Comics

It was only the golden age of last week that Marvel and ComicsPRO, the organization for comics retailers, announced a special promotion for FORMIC WARS #1: ComicsPRO member stores would be able to release the issue on TUESDAY, 2/15, instead of the customary Wednesday.

Over a year ago, when Marvel and DC both turned into pawns of the larger game of Disney and Warners, it wasn't too hard to see the handwriting on the wall for some massive changes as the "Big Two" at the heart of comics publishing fundamentally altered their corporate structures -- including eliminating up some of their unprofitable businesses and looking to save money all over. At DC, there have been lots of snippets of change coming out, including, of course, shutting down the Zuda, CMX and WildStorm lines, and more recently, a major change in the contracts for creator participation books which has made Vertigo a much less desirable destination for creators. Chris Butcher has an interesting post which mentions other cost cutting measures, including not shrink wrapping hardcovers any more.

Various stuff from blogs and PR and whatnot.

Okay, here's what we know now. Re, death of Spider-Man, Marvel released a cover for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #655 which seems to link up to that whole death-thing going on. PLus it's by Marcos Martin so...

A couple of developments in the ongoing pamphletpocalypse/sales adjustment. § At long last John Jackson Miller has appeared with comforting words to explain why September's sales figures weren't cause to jump out the window. This may be just our interpretation, but it appears that the plunge isn't so much that all periodical sales are shrinking as top periodical sales are slipping. Miller explains that the tail-end of the long tail is actually HEALTHIER than ever.

As reported by Laura Hudson, at today's ICv2 conference, people were moaning about prices. :

The complaint of high prices was discussed as well, along with the statistics that the average cover price of a comic book in the second quarter of 2010 is now $3.53, up from $3.38 in 2009. "Overall, [fans] are paying more for the same type of content than they were two years ago," said Griepp.

So Darwyn Cooke got caught on video saying that superhero comics should "...stop catering to the perverted needs of forty-five-year-old men." He called out rape, children being forced to eat rats, explicit sex, foul language, and a lack of new characters. And now some people are getting upset. Oh come on, like you've never thought any of that. Unfortunately the whole thing got derailed by his swipe at turning Batwoman into a lesbian, which came off as rather homophobic to some. Personally, I have to admit, I read it more as the character continuity issue of a man who likes his Bronze and Silver Age comics, which is somewhat humorous, given that he's complaining about comics being ruled by the whims of forty-somethings, but he is large, he contains multitudes. (To which I say, Darwyn, it wasn't "overnight". She may have been around since 1956, but she hadn't made any significant appearances since Crisis on Infinite Earths which basically changed everything. SEE? I can be as big of a geek as you are.) So let's break this down from the point of view of someone who is not forty five or male -- me.

Marvel At the Saturday Cup o' Joe panel, Marvel teased fans with the hint that they would be doing something to do with Crossgen in 2011. After Crossgen entered bankruptcy, Disney bought up its creative properties. Now that Disney owns and operates Marvel Comics, it is seems natural for them to take advantage of the fact.

Marvel For those who love GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (and who doesn't), Rocket Raccoon and Groot are getting their own four-issue miniseries this January entitled (wait for it)... ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT.

Comics mastermind Alan Moore, creator of creator of WATCHMEN, not to mention V FOR VENDETTA, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, and many, many more says he's told DC Comics to go jump in a lake. According to Moore in an interview with Wired's blog, Underwire, DC offered him the rights to WATCHMEN back in exchange for writing "some dopey sequels and prequels".