Marvel VP of Sales blames diversity for falling comic book sales

[rogueMatthias]

This is bullshit. IT's practically Marvel saying "if you don't like our comics you're racist/sexist". Fuck them.

Marvel comics sales has gone down because because the quality of their writers has hit rock bottom and they still rely on that hack Bendis for too much.

For too long the comics have just been used to make crowd-pleasing headlines and events to bolster movie sales - There's been little attempt at telling good stories in the comics themselves for a long time.

People LIKE DIVERSITY. Honestly, some of the most popular characters have been minorities - just look at the popularity of Cage, Panther and Storm. The readers are very accepting of any characters, even those taking over the mantle of other heroes.. IF THEYRE DONE WELL.

I actually like the new Thor, it's written well and works with the previous continuity to advance new characters. Agent Venom added a hero with a disability and simultaneously grew the characters of both and Flash and the Symbiote and told good stories. This is what we need more of.

Riri... She was making headlines as the next Iron man before anyone really a clue who the fuck she was. Iceman was SWAPPED to being gay against decades of being straight for his new series (we saw every thought in his head in "thought bubbles" and he was living with all the worlds greatest telepaths - like it or not, it IS a retcon). This is the kind of crap that annoys people. Build up new characters then have them take over, people were happy to see Rhodes take on the mantle as they knew hiim and he'd earned it to them.

[xuros]

Well no shit Einstein. No one wants a female Thor, nor a black teeny female Iron Man.

Yeah I agree. Why fix whats not broken. I like Black Panther and all but thats a new and different character. Why kill off a long standing character just to replace it with a race/gender that make the SJW(lol @ the W) types happy?

[Shadowferal]

Rhodes taking over for Iron Man...Sam Wilson taking over for Cap...if one is long acquainted with the comic books these changes made sense.

It's seems that we have a consensus here (how rare is that?) that the problems are poor writing and marketing and design decision coming from the top. (Trying to mesh the mediums of comic-book, television, movies, was just a bad idea overall when nether of which can agree with the other)

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Yeah I agree. Why fix whats not broken. I like Black Panther and all but thats a new and different character. Why kill off a long standing character just to replace it with a race/gender that make the SJW(lol @ the W) types happy?

thors not dead tonystark is in a coma i think spidermans not dead. the only one who is dead dead is the bruce banner and he didn't die because cho became the hulk he died in civil war 2.

[Fullmetal89]

Oh wow they finally realize all the PC garbage they have been pushing is hurting sales. Kudos to the VP for actually noticing the problem. First step.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Comics suck these days thats the pure and simple.

Back in the day, you have amazing writers like Frank Miller, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman producing groundbreaking and industry redefining stuff. Miller in particular produced a whole new style of comics, the "grim and gritty", that his style made such a mark its still being aped today.

Where are the superstar artists? Where is the next Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, J.Scott Campbell? Marvel, and most other companies don't hire fresh new artists because they don't have to, there is not enough books like there used to be so instead of taking a chance on a new talent to take over a struggling title, anyone remember Stephen Platt, Marvel is being lazy and just taking solid industry veterans who ape Joe Quesada who more than likely keep their deadlines.

Throw in the fact most characters and storylines are complete shit and you have a struggling company. Not to mention Marvel does not feature the mutants because they don't own the film rights to them.

Frank Miller is considered to be literally Hilter these days .

[Louisa Bannon]

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It's all incredibly confusing and part of the reason comics are so difficult to get into.

It's even worse than that really. Endus has explained it pretty well. Trying to jump into anything these days with decades of history behind it, multiple crossover and big event type crap happening all the time, artists and writers coming on board and then jumping ship, the continuity is incomprehensible and yet you have to slog through some of it to even understand what the hell is going on. It's more like a job than entertainment. The people that really know what's going on have probably never stopped reading comics since they were children.

By contrast, I remember when comics were 10-12 cents. And I haven't bought a real comic book since maybe the year 2000. I am pretty sure Marvel Boy by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones is the last thing I bought. I've always been the type to follow creators I enjoy rather than just characters, but I do have characters I follow also. But ultimately, I stopped reading or collecting some years back.

I just stopped wanting to keep up with it all.

[Ivanstone]

Where are the superstar artists? Where is the next Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, J.Scott Campbell? Marvel, and most other companies don't hire fresh new artists because they don't have to, there is not enough books like there used to be so instead of taking a chance on a new talent to take over a struggling title, anyone remember Stephen Platt, Marvel is being lazy and just taking solid industry veterans who ape Joe Quesada who more than likely keep their deadlines.

The "superstar" artists are very much a product of the speculation age of comics. And none of those artists with the possible exception of Jim Lee produce any noteworthy work anymore.

Marvel does try to cultivate new artists because at very least they cost less than established artists.

- - - Updated - - -

Frank Miller is considered to be literally Hilter these days .

He's not Hitler. But he did let Al Qaeda win by letting their actions turn him into a worse person.

Although being a huge Ayn Rand "fan" is also not helping his cause.

[Noxx79]

Oh wow they finally realize all the PC garbage they have been pushing is hurting sales. Kudos to the VP for actually noticing the problem. First step.

Nope, it's more that they couldn't write a good story to save their lives, nut nooooooo is sjw, feminists, LGBTqers, never THEIR fault.

The mythical sjw didn't ask for iron man to be turned into a black girl. They asked for a good story starring someone else than a muscular whit man. If they can't provide that, and instead try to hack or force in CRAP, that's on them.

[Louisa Bannon]

Frank Miller is considered to be literally Hilter these days .

Frank Miller defines lucky, and right place at the right time. He was fine in his day, keeping his more annoying opinions to himself. At the time, he was generally a better writer than many of his peers - but maybe that's not saying much since we are talking about comic books.

I do think "Elektra Assassin" was quite good despite being rehashed Stephen King. I like the quasi-mythical feudal Japanese backstory in "Ronin" but not the futuristic stuff (an excellent example of page-turning pacing there). I like "Elektra Lives Again" (probably his most mature graphic effort). Miller was always best when working with others as with "Daredevil Born Again." All the "Sin City" stuff is fun, but its really just ripoff Spillane and Steranko. I mean, just go look at Steranko's "Stroke of Midnight," "Outland," or his graphic novel "Chandler" - that's what Miller is doing in Sin City. Heavy on the chiaroscuro, oh so artsy!

Ultimately, he's a one-trick pony.

[Cosmic Janitor]

He's not Hitler. But he did let Al Qaeda win by letting their actions turn him into a worse person.

Although being a huge Ayn Rand "fan" is also not helping his cause.

When I use an obviously nonsensical phrase like "literally Hitler" then it is for the explicit purpose of hyperbole.

[Deleted]

No one wants to read any sjw-garbage that is forcefully inserted in their favourite ips.

[Dhrizzle]

Ms. Marvel and Luke Cage had their own titles in the 70s.
And this is what they should have done, create new titles for new characters. Unfortunately, that's not the company policy anymore.

I'm pretty sure Ms. Marvel would be blasted by the currently outraged for spinning off Captain Marvel instead of being a "new and interesting" character in her own right.

This is bullshit. IT's practically Marvel saying "if you don't like our comics you're racist/sexist". Fuck them.

Geez, how big a victim mentality do you need to twist this into Marvel saying mean things about you?

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Changing characters to minorities or replacing them with minorities is shitty and bad. Creating new ones that are minorities is great.

What are the sale demographics? I'm betting 92.9% of comic book buyers are white dudes.

Why do you think "white dudes" who read there comics care, poeple who actually read comics know this stuff isn't new and don't care if they make a black Spider-Man or female Thor. It's the people who don't read comics who care.

[Nakotsu]

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...-a7662771.html

Maybe its because people want to watch anime more then read a comic book.... just maybe....

[Beazy]

Nope, it's more that they couldn't write a good story to save their lives, nut nooooooo is sjw, feminists, LGBTqers, never THEIR fault.

The mythical sjw didn't ask for iron man to be turned into a black girl. They asked for a good story starring someone else than a muscular whit man. If they can't provide that, and instead try to hack or force in CRAP, that's on them.

LoL that's funny.

Now, back in reality, Endus linked an epic website a few weeks ago called MarvelUnlimited.com where you can pay a monthly fee and read all the comics from Marvels past. I've been using this to read comics I missed over the years. I'm loving it. There is enough content there to last years.

If you are interested in comics, I suggest you get a monthly sub and check it out.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

No one wants to read any sjw-garbage that is forcefully inserted in their favourite ips.

Then it's a good thing marvel isn't doing that.

[Kallisto]

thors not dead tonystark is in a coma i think spidermans not dead. the only one who is dead dead is the bruce banner and he didn't die because cho became the hulk he died in civil war 2.

Exactly this Stark is in a coma, the girl who is wrongly called Iron man by the media is called Ironheart. Victor Von (Doctor) Doom has taken up the Iron Man mantle. Hell even Rhodes has been Iron Man and no one battered an eyelid for him. Doc Oc allowed Peter to retake control of his body. Thor is still Thor, it was just another person who happened to be female that was deemed worthy of the hammer.

I swear if John Stewart became Green Lantern today people would flip their lids, even when he's superior to Hal Jordan, or Ultimate Nick Fury as well.

[Toppy]

Comic fans tend not to go for "new and interesting," that's why Thor and Iron Man with female leads are way outselling less known characters like Squirrel Girl.

Well they also changed squirrel girl from how she originally was, and hired a rather unpopular artist to handle it. The new squirrel girl comic had a lot of hype, then it came out and it was like "The fuck is this?"

[Stormcall]

Seven to Eternity (Image) is one of the best comics I've read in a long time.

Does it pick up after the first 4 issues? I got the first trade, and it was solid, I enjoyed it and all(and the art was definitely quality), but didn't really make me go "man, I wish I had more of this to read right now!" either. Outside of the Marvel/DC stuff, I got a lot more enjoyment out of the recent Legend(Z2), Animosity(Aftershock), and Kill or Be Killed(Image) trades than I did from Seven to Eternity.

As for the whole diversity stuff, I only care about the stories. I read female characters, I read minority characters, I read straight white dude characters, and I enjoy all of them, long as the story holds my interest I'm fine. I do wish Marvel would quit rebranding new characters as old characters though. Why couldn't Riri Williams just be introduced as her own character, and not be announced as "the new Iron Man is a black teenage female!"(which isn't even true, she doesn't call herself Iron Man)? Amadeus Cho was a fun character in Incredible Hercules, but why does he have to be the Hulk now? Couldn't they have found something to do with him that didn't involve him usurping the role of a long time beloved hero? Why does X-23 have to be Wolverine now, instead of just being, well, X-23(or another name of her choosing)? Hell, I liked X-23's book, and a big theme of the book was her wanting to find her OWN identity, rather than just being the weapon she was designed as. But now, rather than continue to forge her own identity, she adopts Wolverine's identity(including the costume, despite her saying in her own book that she dislikes bright colors)? That's kinda the issue Marvel has-they're too ham-fisted about their diversity, they're like shoving it in your face and screaming "look, diversity!" rather than just letting the characters speak for themselves. I mean, the current DC Green Lantern book stars 2 minority Green Lanterns, Jessica Cruz(Latina female) and Simon Baz(Lebanese Muslim) but DC didn't use that as the selling point of the book