Marvel VP of Sales blames diversity for falling comic book sales

[Endus]

Don't give me "Thor Girl". Give me Lady Sif. Don't give me "Spider-Gwen", give me a Gwen Stacey (sp?) with her own unique powers. Stop ripping-off your own characters, and actually CREATE something!

They're literally doing just that. FemThor has access to powers that the Odinson never did, because she approached the mantle of power and its purpose in ways that the Odinson had never considered. It's a major component of the story they're telling.

These ARE the "new characters" you want them to create, and in some cases (like SpiderGwen) they aren't even replacing the archetypes you hold dear. X-23 is a perfect example; she's very much NOT Logan. She shares some of his power suite, because she's a clone, but she has an ENTIRELY different background and upbringing, and that changes a huge amount of her character. Which is sort of the POINT of these things. To explore character differences, because character is way deeper than a specific power suite.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

The ones that were big in the news though were mostly reboots of existing characters. Problem is those diverse characters are mostly in comics which I think restricts the likelihood they'll enter the mainstream. I think their efforts to diversify have been more finiancially benificial in other forms of media.

There hasn't been a single reboot in marvel like this, the closest you could come is iceman on the xmen is now gay.

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I think the issue is how blatantly these changes are being made *PURELY* for "politically correct" reasons.

Instead of building new, interesting characters, Marvel has started shoehorning new characters into the role of older characters, so that they can pretend they've done something new, when they haven't really accomplished anything.

Spider-Man was always my favorite hero growing up. To me, he's the only character that I really felt *NEEDED* his super-powers. As a nerdy kid, I got picked up, bullied, and beat up a lot. So, I could relate to Peter Parker. I thought his powers were cool, because I liked skateboarding, and felt like I could really imagine the "whoosh" of swinging past buildings.

I don't care that Peter Parker was white with brown hair; I cared that I could relate to him. I was actually totally on-board with the petitions to cast Donald Glover as Peter Parker, because while he may have *looked* different, I think he could have conveyed the same kind of character.

Now "Thor Girl", on the other hand... Everything about this is fucking terrible. Marvel tries too hard to "pass the torch" with their characters, when if people actually gave a shit about the new characters, they'd have asked for them. Let's take X-23; I'm personally of the opinion she's a garbage character. She's "Wolverine Jr.", a character who exists purely to try and replicate the success of Wolverine. She would not exist without Wolverine -- and I mean that in every sense of the statement.

Jean Grey, or Phoenix, on the other hand? Great character. I'd love to see her role expanded. She has everything she needs to be an A-list character, so support her. If people don't respond? Then tough noogies; try again.

Don't give me "Thor Girl". Give me Lady Sif. Don't give me "Spider-Gwen", give me a Gwen Stacey (sp?) with her own unique powers. Stop ripping-off your own characters, and actually CREATE something!

Disney has a terrible practice of telling people what they want to see, and when people disagree, it's because they must be racist, homophobic, or something else that goes against their political-correctness crusade.

endus hit this on the head as he said they are all new and most have new powers, miles has power peter never had khan has powers ms marvel never had, fem thor has powers odin son thor never had, the only one without new powers is riri and that's because the iron man stuff is all tech.

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I just don't get why people think this whole "new character takes over superhero identity from an established hero" is a new thing. They've been doing it for decades now.
Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, etc... all of them have had other people take over the role for them for a period of time....some of them multiple times. In almost every case the original would reclaim their title in a year or two. Every comic book reader knows this. As long as the quality of the books doesn't decrease with the change...most of us accept it. I find the people that get the most upset about this are the people that don't actually read comics.

as you said its because they don't actually read comics and they just freak out about sjw crap.

[Daws]

Can't say I'm a follwer of comic books but every time I see them mentioned on sites like IGN I keep seeing them get slated for terrible or mediocre stories, by both reviewers and commentators. So maybe that has something to do with it all?

[Ivanstone]

Can't say I'm a follwer of comic books but every time I see them mentioned on sites like IGN I keep seeing them get slated for terrible or mediocre stories, by both reviewers and commentators. So maybe that has something to do with it all?

Marvel is not good to their writers. Keeping Thor a boy won't change that.

At least Jason Aaron seems to have a grand plan in regards to Girl Thor and Boy Thor which began with his initial run on Thor: God of Thunder. Girl Thor and Original Sin were intermediate steps in that plan.

[Logwyn]

I blame the creation of Deadpool but that's just me..

[Ivanstone]

I blame the creation of Deadpool but that's just me..

Rob Liefeld is a crappy artist and writer.

Yet somehow he managed to create two very lame characters that have gained a great deal of traction in a very short period of time. I literally can not think of two other characters (Marvel or DC) that have comparable popularity from that time period and beyond.

Edit: Besides Harley Quinn I mean.

[Claymore]

I think you're missing the point of my comment.

With Thor Girl and X-23, Disney/Marvel is taking characters we know, and saying "But women would be EVEN BETTER at being them!".

I've do a lot of professional writing. This is a pretty common trope in writing-theory. By introducing a new character, in order to make the reader like them, without putting in a lot of effort, you simply link them with characters the reader already likes.

Look at WoW, at Burning Crusade specficially. We saw this horseshit left and right. Med'an, the secret son of Medivh and Garona. Arator, the secret son of Turalyon and Alleria. Garrosh, the secret son of Grom. It's weak fucking writing.

Case in point; if you took away the hammer, nobody would give a shit about Thor Girl. Remove her name, remove any connection she has to Thor, and you're left with nothing. The same could be said of Spider-Gwen and X-23 (and seriously, don't even come at me with "But she's a clone, of *course* she's like Wolverine!").

If they want to make a political statement, how about doing some actual work? How about a Syrian refugee who has the power to heal, but wants more power to take back their homeland? What about a Russian monk who wants to travel the world, learning different martial arts, but keeps getting into conflict because of his mother country? New stories, new powers, new characters that don't use *EXISTING* characters as a crutch.

[Endus]

I think you're missing the point of my comment.

With Thor Girl and X-23, Disney/Marvel is taking characters we know, and saying "But women would be EVEN BETTER at being them!".

Not at all, actually. Congrats on not READING the source material, I guess.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I think you're missing the point of my comment.

With Thor Girl and X-23, Disney/Marvel is taking characters we know, and saying "But women would be EVEN BETTER at being them!".

I've do a lot of professional writing. This is a pretty common trope in writing-theory. By introducing a new character, in order to make the reader like them, without putting in a lot of effort, you simply link them with characters the reader already likes.

Look at WoW, at Burning Crusade specficially. We saw this horseshit left and right. Med'an, the secret son of Medivh and Garona. Arator, the secret son of Turalyon and Alleria. Garrosh, the secret son of Grom. It's weak fucking writing.

Case in point; if you took away the hammer, nobody would give a shit about Thor Girl. Remove her name, remove any connection she has to Thor, and you're left with nothing. The same could be said of Spider-Gwen and X-23 (and seriously, don't even come at me with "But she's a clone, of *course* she's like Wolverine!").

If they want to make a political statement, how about doing some actual work? How about a Syrian refugee who has the power to heal, but wants more power to take back their homeland? What about a Russian monk who wants to travel the world, learning different martial arts, but keeps getting into conflict because of his mother country? New stories, new powers, new characters that don't use *EXISTING* characters as a crutch.

other then the fact that x-23 is almost nothing like logan other then well being his clone, and fem thor is almost nothing like thor other then hitting stuff with a hammer. your only wrong in every way you shouldn't feel bad though.

[Sky High]

I mean, some of the changes they made were at least to me totally acceptable. lady Thor, ok we already had a horse faced alien be Thor so a chick picking up the hammer, whatever. moon girl, obscure E list character no one remembers, go right ahead. X23 picking up the wolverine mantle, sure I mean she's a clone of Logan anyway, right? Ironman not being Tony Stark? fuck off. be a lil extra creative and make her a unique hero.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I mean, some of the changes they made were at least to me totally acceptable. lady Thor, ok we already had a horse faced alien be Thor so a chick picking up the hammer, whatever. moon girl, obscure E list character no one remembers, go right ahead. X23 picking up the wolverine mantle, sure I mean she's a clone of Logan anyway, right? Ironman not being Tony Stark? fuck off. be a lil extra creative and make her a unique hero.

rhodes war iron man years ago and doom is also iron man right now.

[Sky High]

rhodes war iron man years ago and doom is also iron man right now.

sure, as temporary titles. as far as I know "irongirl" isn't in that category.

[ohiostate124]

I think Marvel just went too hard and too fast with it. Correct me if I'm wrong but basically the main Avengers are all different right now aren't they?

Black captain America
Black female iron man
Asian hulk
Female Thor
Etc.

I think DC did it right with Green Lanterns. They introduced a Hispanic female green lantern and a middle eastern green lantern but Hal, john, guy, and Kyle are all still around in their own book instead of replacing them completely.

Give the fans an option. Let them speak with their wallets.

[Endus]

sure, as temporary titles. as far as I know "irongirl" isn't in that category.

It's exactly the same kind of situation.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

sure, as temporary titles. as far as I know "irongirl" isn't in that category.

riri is iron heart doom is iron man.

[ohiostate124]

riri is iron heart doom is iron man.

She still should have been called Iron Maiden.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I think Marvel just went too hard and too fast with it. Correct me if I'm wrong but basically the main Avengers are all different right now aren't they?

Black captain America
Black female iron man
Asian hulk
Female Thor
Etc.

I think DC did it right with Green Lanterns. They introduced a Hispanic female green lantern and a middle eastern green lantern but Hal, john, guy, and Kyle are all still around in their own book instead of replacing them completely.

Give the fans an option. Let them speak with their wallets.

most of them ere still around though, steve is still cap tony is in a coma/an ai right now, hulk is dead dead but he didn't die because cho became the hulk he died cause of civil war 2 and thor is till around in his own unworthy thor series.

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She still should have been called Iron Maiden.

i agree .

[Ivanstone]

Black captain America
Black female iron man
Asian hulk
Female Thor
Etc.

Steve Rogers was still leader of the Avengers even as an old man. Now that he's young again, he has his own comic. Is being mind controlled however. Or taking a page from Nick Fury's Handbook of Extremely Long Fucking Strategies.
Doom is Iron Man. Tony is an AI Hologram and having a nap otherwise.
Banner went into hiding. Got killed. Will likely be back sometime in the future. Probably for 2018's gigantic crossover.
Boy Thor was still a member of the Avengers. Still in need of impulse control. Has at least figured out why he can't use his favourite toy.
Shall I continue?

[ohiostate124]

Steve Rogers was still leader of the Avengers even as an old man. Now that he's young again, he has his own comic. Is being mind controlled however. Or taking a page from Nick Fury's Handbook of Extremely Long Fucking Strategies.
Doom is Iron Man. Tony is an AI Hologram and having a nap otherwise.
Banner went into hiding. Got killed. Will likely be back sometime in the future. Probably for 2018's gigantic crossover.
Boy Thor was still a member of the Avengers. Still in need of impulse control. Has at least figured out why he can't use his favourite toy.
Shall I continue?

Well I realize they will all be back eventually because comics. My main point was that Marvel just needed to take it slower introducing all the diversity.

Secondly, I've dropped most marvel books now because I can't justify paying 3.99-4.99 for books about characters that I'm not invested in. I think that's the second main problem.

Too much diversity too fast without building some of the new characters up and too expensive.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Well I realize they will all be back eventually because comics. My main point was that Marvel just needed to take it slower introducing all the diversity.

Secondly, I've dropped most marvel books now because I can't justify paying 3.99-4.99 for books about characters that I'm not invested in. I think that's the second main problem.

Too much diversity too fast without building some of the new characters up and too expensive.

marvel unlimited is your friend. and fem thor and cho were built up for years before they got there new suits.