This is a super interesting, and lengthy, thread from a comic shop in Dublin about 2018 and the current market of comics. They are clear this is for their shop, specifically, and not meant to be taken as gospel for the industry as a whole, but is likely similar to many shops.
The bullet points:
DC has stayed pretty strong from Rebirth on, but there is a big gap between their top titles and the bulk of their output.
Marvel has had some big issues but the constant relaunches and expensive #1 issues is killing books and driving away readers. The LCS estimates they could have sold triple the amount of copies of Uncanny X-Men #1 if it was regularly priced, not 8 dollars.
Image has had a good year, but Saga taking a hiatus has hurt their sales as Saga is their biggest title and there are customers that would just buy Saga and try new Image books. Additionally, the difference in sales between the handful of high profile books from creators like Gillen and Vaughn and the dozens of new series from relatively unknown creators is GIGANTIC with a lot of books not selling a single issue.
IDW's Transformers books sold well and had a loyal following that may vanish with the new reboot, the rest was middling.
New publishers like Vault and Aftershock sold surprisingly well and were appreciated by the fans but publishing issues and delays put a damper on some of the titles, primarily with Vault.
A price increase is probably on the way, as comics have been 3.99 for over almost 2 decades now and costs have increased over that time. It will be up to publishers to make that price feel worth it, as 5 dollars an issue is a big mental hurdle to climb.
Next week's Avengers is the origin of the first ever Iron Fist and I would like Jason Aaron to please have an Iron Fist run at some point because:
this rules
Also it is super weird seeing Andrea Sorrentino's art colored by someone else, it looks more like Esad Ribic than anything I've seen from him
the shading, especially the way shadows fall across the characters' faces, is really reminiscent of ribic. Sorrentino doesn't seem to have the same bugaboo about drawing mouths though, so that's nice
also yeah this looks dope
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
it was the smallest on the list but
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Marvel has announced a bi-weekly X-Men title, to replace its weekly title that has gone monthly.
It is Major X....written by Rob Liefeld, with art from Liefeld, Whilce Portacio and Brett Peebles.
I don't like Liefeld's art, but I respect his hustle as an artist.
But uh
His writing isn't very good at all and I am not very confident that a brand new title based on a character he designed back in 1994 that he never used that he is mostly just writing will be anywhere close to good, for anyone.
I think that’s the least Leifeld thing Leifeld has ever drawn. I mean, it’s still his style, but he drew feet! And the guns mostly look like guns! And I’m not seeing any anatomy that’s way out to lunch!
They kind of look like guns, like that's clearly what they're supposed to be but man for a guy who has drawn many many many many thousands of guns being gripped Rob Liefelds drawings of guns being gripped sure aren't very proficient
I think that’s the least Leifeld thing Leifeld has ever drawn. I mean, it’s still his style, but he drew feet! And the guns mostly look like guns! And I’m not seeing any anatomy that’s way out to lunch!
Yeah as much fun as it is to make fun of his 90s output he has become a more competent artist since then.
I think that’s the least Leifeld thing Leifeld has ever drawn. I mean, it’s still his style, but he drew feet! And the guns mostly look like guns! And I’m not seeing any anatomy that’s way out to lunch!
To be fair, there's only one character there with anatomy that we can see.
The rest are either floating heads, or hidden behind a floating head.
I do kind of envy Beast and Wolverine's dentist though. "Open Wide... well, damn, I don't even need a mirror to see your back teeth. Could practically fit both hands down those maws if I needed too".
Yes, I like to believe that's the kind of thing that makes a dentist's day.
A magical weapon with three great razor-sharp blades. According to legend, a master forger created a sword with two blades at the facetious suggestion of a knight, who, finding that the resulting blade was quite functional, jovially quipped, "Ah, very good, but could you make a triple sword?" When the answer turned out to be yes, the knight was too shocked to ask about the possibilities of a quadruple sword.
Apparently Major X is from "another realm" where humans and mutants live peacefully
It is called
X-istence
Wait, are you telling me that in the year 2019 Rob “90s EXTREME” Liefield is writing a book with a positive aspect of coexistence and a character trying to make that the reality here, while the main X- book is focusing on a world that is forcibly making mutants take a “cure” to their mutations?
Apparently Major X is from "another realm" where humans and mutants live peacefully
It is called
X-istence
Wait, are you telling me that in the year 2019 Rob “90s EXTREME” Liefield is writing a book with a positive aspect of coexistence and a character trying to make that the reality here, while the main X- book is focusing on a world that is forcibly making mutants take a “cure” to their mutations?
The fuck happened?
Oh no, a "horrible tragedy" occurs in X-Instence, which was founded by survivors of a mutant/human war, and causes Major X to seek vengeance in the Marvel U.
I dug through my long boxes last night to find some older runs I wanted to re-read
And man
Jason Aaron's Amazing X-Men is one of the most wasted opportunities Marvel had around that time.
The first arc was a super fun swashbuckling adventure that A) brought Nightcrawler back, turned Azazael from a joke villain to a goddamn soul pirate who raids both heaven and hell and C) had a good solid core roster that highlighted everyone really well while letting WatXM focus more on the kids.
And Aaron was gone by issue 7.
It has the X-Men fight the demonic corrupted souls of Billy the Kid and Jack the Ripper as sky pirates in hell!
It fuckin rules!
+6
Options
Dyshow am I even using this gunRegistered Userregular
Is it just me or does Major X's left arm/shoulder area look WEIRD on that cover?
I am absolutely no artist but something seems off to my brain for some reason.
Posts
this rules
Also it is super weird seeing Andrea Sorrentino's art colored by someone else, it looks more like Esad Ribic than anything I've seen from him
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
This is a super interesting, and lengthy, thread from a comic shop in Dublin about 2018 and the current market of comics. They are clear this is for their shop, specifically, and not meant to be taken as gospel for the industry as a whole, but is likely similar to many shops.
The bullet points:
DC has stayed pretty strong from Rebirth on, but there is a big gap between their top titles and the bulk of their output.
Marvel has had some big issues but the constant relaunches and expensive #1 issues is killing books and driving away readers. The LCS estimates they could have sold triple the amount of copies of Uncanny X-Men #1 if it was regularly priced, not 8 dollars.
Image has had a good year, but Saga taking a hiatus has hurt their sales as Saga is their biggest title and there are customers that would just buy Saga and try new Image books. Additionally, the difference in sales between the handful of high profile books from creators like Gillen and Vaughn and the dozens of new series from relatively unknown creators is GIGANTIC with a lot of books not selling a single issue.
IDW's Transformers books sold well and had a loyal following that may vanish with the new reboot, the rest was middling.
New publishers like Vault and Aftershock sold surprisingly well and were appreciated by the fans but publishing issues and delays put a damper on some of the titles, primarily with Vault.
A price increase is probably on the way, as comics have been 3.99 for over almost 2 decades now and costs have increased over that time. It will be up to publishers to make that price feel worth it, as 5 dollars an issue is a big mental hurdle to climb.
What could have been.
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
I'd like to see Storm interact with the Marvel universe sans her X-teammates.
the shading, especially the way shadows fall across the characters' faces, is really reminiscent of ribic. Sorrentino doesn't seem to have the same bugaboo about drawing mouths though, so that's nice
also yeah this looks dope
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
It is Major X....written by Rob Liefeld, with art from Liefeld, Whilce Portacio and Brett Peebles.
I don't like Liefeld's art, but I respect his hustle as an artist.
But uh
His writing isn't very good at all and I am not very confident that a brand new title based on a character he designed back in 1994 that he never used that he is mostly just writing will be anywhere close to good, for anyone.
Steam: MightyPotatoKing
Edit: also you'd think after becoming basically a joke to fans and the industry in general, liefeld would try to improve on some things
Though I guess I don't see any usb ports on those guns
Good job brain
Steam: MightyPotatoKing
OOOOH A DOGGO
Yeah as much fun as it is to make fun of his 90s output he has become a more competent artist since then.
It is called
X-istence
Okay I might be on board now
To be fair, there's only one character there with anatomy that we can see.
The rest are either floating heads, or hidden behind a floating head.
I do kind of envy Beast and Wolverine's dentist though. "Open Wide... well, damn, I don't even need a mirror to see your back teeth. Could practically fit both hands down those maws if I needed too".
Yes, I like to believe that's the kind of thing that makes a dentist's day.
unironically love this
Is it a sword? I had assumed some kind of generic martial arts stick.
Wait, are you telling me that in the year 2019 Rob “90s EXTREME” Liefield is writing a book with a positive aspect of coexistence and a character trying to make that the reality here, while the main X- book is focusing on a world that is forcibly making mutants take a “cure” to their mutations?
The fuck happened?
It's still Liefeld
https://www.starwars.com/news/announcing-marvel-alphabet-squadron-crossover?cmp=smc|2087252029
And man
Jason Aaron's Amazing X-Men is one of the most wasted opportunities Marvel had around that time.
The first arc was a super fun swashbuckling adventure that A) brought Nightcrawler back,
And Aaron was gone by issue 7.
It has the X-Men fight the demonic corrupted souls of Billy the Kid and Jack the Ripper as sky pirates in hell!
It fuckin rules!
I am absolutely no artist but something seems off to my brain for some reason.