• The Licensing segment is expected to contribute net sales of approximately $205 million - $215 million in 2009 with an operating margin of approximately 66 - 70%.
• The Film Production segment is expected to contribute revenues of approximately $145 million - $150 million in 2009 and to generate an operating margin of approximately 15% - 21%.
• The Publishing segment is expected to contribute net sales of approximately $115 million - $120 million in 2009, with an operating margin of approximately 31% - 35%, reflecting an anticipated $5 million negative impact to operating income from digital media initiatives.
• Corporate overhead, net is expected to approximate $31 million in 2009.
• Marvel anticipates a 2009 effective tax rate of 38.0%.
• Marvel’s guidance is based on 78.4 million diluted shares for 2009 and does not reflect any future share repurchase activity.
I think people underestimate how cheap it is to make and distribute comics. Licensing and film make a lot of money, but it's not like the comics side of things runs at a deficit.
Ah I thought I remembered a Thunderbolts thread here. Just finished reading the first post-Siege Thunderbolts collection and I really liked it. Mostly set-up for the new team but still had some fantastic moments with Cage and USAgent. The last issue (147) was kinda weird though since it referrences Avengers Academy and I won't read that story till early next year. Still though I'm looking forward to reading the next arc which is practically a collection of one-shot stories.
You honestly get everything you need from that crossover in Thunderbolts. And not just cos AAs writing is stiff as cardboard, but simply cos their side of the story wasn't that interesting from the get go. I've always been a Thunderbolts fan and i'm loving the new squad and art style, can't wait for single issue arcs. I miss simple, one-issue stories in this time of Dark Reigns, Blackest Nights and Sieges.
So I read all the T-Bolts starting with Ellis' run and finishing with the end of Siege, which I have to say was a really great line of comics, the end of Siege where the team splinters and start fighting each other amongst a ruined Asgard was just great. I dropped the series after than because I didn't particularly care for the new line-up, most of whom were characters that I either get enough of all ready (Cage) or don't really care about (Juggernaught, Crossbones, Man-Thing please don't hurt me TLB). However I'm willing to give them a chance seeing asI'm looking at most of my usual pick-ups being cancelled.
What is the new team like, are they good as before? Are the story arcs interesting and the characters engaging? Basically I am asking whether it's worth me picking up.
I like the new run, the T-Bolts are getting back to their roots of being a team that focuses on reforming super-villains and has the potenial to work on character development for some of the anti-hero/psuedo villains on the Raft that Marvel really hasn't done anything with. Plus, Ghost continues to be awesome and the bests character on the team.
Witch_Hunter_84 on
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten in your presence.
The most intriguing thing I find about the new thunderbolts run (having just jumped on), is that it is a real question on who is going to go all the way and who is going to wash out.
Ghost could be a phenominal hero, but he's as paranoid as you can get without collapsing completely into a catatonic state.
Juggernaught was a hero once, but after wwh he gave up on trying to be that, and has shown himself to be perfectly fine with enabling the violence of his team mates.
Moonstone Talks a lot about wanting to be better, but she's a psychologist who has a knack for manipulating those around her so it's anyones guess what her real plan is.
Crossbones is a neo-nazi and utterly pitiless in his actions. It seems deeply unlikely that he'll make the cut, but I have a hard time beliving that they would make such an obvious choice about who will fail.
Just when I'm starting to warm to the guy he reaffirms his douchiness by killing the guy they went in to Shadowland to save. Lots of dead ninjas though, that was pretty cool; and it looks like I may win the bet on Moonstone sleeping with Man-Thing, she's taken quite a shine to him one might say.
Witch_Hunter_84 on
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten in your presence.
I'm just saying that Crossbones' actions caused me to re- SS the character.
So bad it's grand. So help you god if you didn't remove aviator sunglasses when you typed that. I hope they are building up to make Crossbones the teams main antagonist, what with suping up his powers (aka: giving him any at all) and having him be the member that polarises the team towards the good members.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
edited November 2010
The next issue is the T-Bolts vs. the Avengers, and here's hoping for Crossbones to beat up Steve Rogers and make a joke about the time gun.
And Man-Thing to beat up Thor, because Thor is fearful his golden locks will get dirty.
I like the current setup in that Juggy, Karla, Ghost and Crossbones are kind of making an alliance.
I think it's less of an alliance and more just they've semi-resigned to their situation. Ghost and Karla are old hats at this now, Crossbones is happy to kill people and Jugs is just doing his thing, in fact, he is being shockingly pragmatic in this series, its a good character change from Rash n' Bash.
Generally, it's good to see something other than Bickering Villains as a team dynamic.
Generally, it's good to see something other than Bickering Villains as a team dynamic.
I think it comes from the fact that these 4 are veterans and proffesionals, who are used to the idea of a team dynamic.
Going back to my character break down, Ghost basicly percieves the others as being fellow prisoners, Moonstone thrives in social environments, Crossbones is a mercenary with no scruples (so he'll work with anyone) and juggernaught is and has always been muscle for someone or the other since he's not exactly brilliant.
TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
edited November 2010
With T-Bolts #150, you get a Thunderbolts Saga that is narrated by Songbird and Moonstone. And they've kind of brought up a greater retcon of the whole Clint/Karla relationship to be her moonstone messing with her back around that #35-45 issue range.
Booo, boooooo. I know Marvel is kind of trying to really ignore that it ever happened because of Mockingbird being back, but not like this! Not like thiiiiiissssss.....
Well, we're getting a new addition to the T-Bolts team. A veritable powerhouse which makes us wonder, what the hell are they gonna be doing for the next mission that requires so many heavy-hitters? Also, Ghost's origin story was awesome! A bloody rampage of death and revenge, kinda sad about what happened to the lady they hired to be his companion without his knowledge though.
Makes sense that that was the thing to push him over the edge, coupled with the attempt on his life.
Witch_Hunter_84 on
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten in your presence.
Well, we're getting a new addition to the T-Bolts team. A veritable powerhouse which makes us wonder, what the hell are they gonna be doing for the next mission that requires so many heavy-hitters? Also, Ghost's origin story was awesome! A bloody rampage of death and revenge, kinda sad about what happened to the lady they hired to be his companion without his knowledge though.
Makes sense that that was the thing to push him over the edge, coupled with the attempt on his life.
Agreed. That was a great issue and I freakin' loved Ghost's origin, rife with awesome!
That's kinda what I like, the absolute over reaction. It seems appropriate given how incredibly paranoid he is now. And one of the main elements I liked was the explanation of his powers, not your run of the mill phasing get up.
Ghost vs Hexus mini-series you say? Yes. Yes.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
edited December 2010
If this is Ghost's origin (and it could always be a ruse), I do like how his conspiracy theories all tie back into the one time he was happy in his adult life. Therefore, to Ghost, happiness automatically means there's something going on.
I don't know if Ghost has ever gone against the FF or Reed Richards, but I would like to see that rumble at the Baxter Building.
I think the origin story was a lie. For some reason I think that the actual Ghost was the bomber they hired to do the internal housecleaning at the programmer's company, but somehow the explosion caused some sort of "conciousness jump" that melded the two personalities, giving him the paranoia and expertiese of an assassin and the genius of the programmer. I'm probably over thinking the entire thing, but the bomber also kinda looks like the current Ghost we all know when we saw him without his mask on.
Witch_Hunter_84 on
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten in your presence.
That would be an interesting take on it and give Ghost more of a villainous appeal. But I kinda figured
the difference in appearance was just his extreme paranoia, changing his appearance would be part of always having a contigency, like "even if i'm seen without my mask, i'm not him".
Personally, I voted for Sandman. I always liked the fact that character had once earned redemption, even serving as an Avenger, and it always pissed me off that he was turned villainous again, without much explanation.
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I wonder what the comparison of sales between T-Bolts and the main Wolvey book?
I think people underestimate how cheap it is to make and distribute comics. Licensing and film make a lot of money, but it's not like the comics side of things runs at a deficit.
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What is the new team like, are they good as before? Are the story arcs interesting and the characters engaging? Basically I am asking whether it's worth me picking up.
Fact. Plus I wanna see what they do with asgard cannibal troll girl, she has potential.
Ghost could be a phenominal hero, but he's as paranoid as you can get without collapsing completely into a catatonic state.
Juggernaught was a hero once, but after wwh he gave up on trying to be that, and has shown himself to be perfectly fine with enabling the violence of his team mates.
Moonstone Talks a lot about wanting to be better, but she's a psychologist who has a knack for manipulating those around her so it's anyones guess what her real plan is.
Crossbones is a neo-nazi and utterly pitiless in his actions. It seems deeply unlikely that he'll make the cut, but I have a hard time beliving that they would make such an obvious choice about who will fail.
gonna be a wonderful train wreck when it happens.
Fuck. Yes.
God . . . dammit!
why would you want to be a nazi
I did Nazi that coming.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
Really? I'm fuhrerous that his is no longer a straight up villain.
He only was able to kill the cop because he was using some terrigan mist powers that let him shoot a flamethrower laser from his mouth.
So he was kinda like a mutant himself in doing that, so he was a self hating racist!
So bad it's grand. So help you god if you didn't remove aviator sunglasses when you typed that. I hope they are building up to make Crossbones the teams main antagonist, what with suping up his powers (aka: giving him any at all) and having him be the member that polarises the team towards the good members.
And Man-Thing to beat up Thor, because Thor is fearful his golden locks will get dirty.
I like the current setup in that Juggy, Karla, Ghost and Crossbones are kind of making an alliance.
Generally, it's good to see something other than Bickering Villains as a team dynamic.
I think it comes from the fact that these 4 are veterans and proffesionals, who are used to the idea of a team dynamic.
Going back to my character break down, Ghost basicly percieves the others as being fellow prisoners, Moonstone thrives in social environments, Crossbones is a mercenary with no scruples (so he'll work with anyone) and juggernaught is and has always been muscle for someone or the other since he's not exactly brilliant.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
Booo, boooooo. I know Marvel is kind of trying to really ignore that it ever happened because of Mockingbird being back, but not like this! Not like thiiiiiissssss.....
Agreed. That was a great issue and I freakin' loved Ghost's origin, rife with awesome!
Also, I'd love to see Ghost fight Hexus, the Sentient Corporation.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
Ghost vs Hexus mini-series you say? Yes. Yes.
I don't know if Ghost has ever gone against the FF or Reed Richards, but I would like to see that rumble at the Baxter Building.
Batroc is in the lead. As he should be.
Personally, I voted for Sandman. I always liked the fact that character had once earned redemption, even serving as an Avenger, and it always pissed me off that he was turned villainous again, without much explanation.
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he's in the lead now :V
I considered sandman, but Shocker doesn't get enough love
I'd have voted for Constrictor over any of them