I think Comic Drake said something about how comic books should adopt the manga structure of compiling various issues into book-length chapters to make it easier for readers to keep up on their favorite series without requiring them to wait a month or 2 for the next issue to come out.
When DC and MARVEL reset their numbers it turned a lot of the older fans including myself away. Yes they got a small spike in sales but it quickly went away and now they are in a worse spot then before.
@@mtgamateurnightyeah I remember before new 52 then all that shit happened I haven’t bought a comic in years well I got some reprints of the whole animated series Batman so yeah need to look after those stores tho they can’t leave I think most comic stores are really now just collectible traders I’ve got some rare figures in box and they priced them and yeah 200 for an assassin creed bust and rare ezio figure all boxed sad to see no one want to read anymore
I bought the btas adventures continues as well but only to complete my run as I have every single issue of btas thru now the current run. Other than that I am not interested in spending money for most physical books. People still read comics but it's mostly online or if they are buying it's older books that don't get trade backs. I still read and hunt down silver age and bronze age books myself.@@superherobeatdown
Sell comics in regular stores. This idea has been a common answer. I would add that they should also sell new issues with classic complete stories. That way, new readers can jump into complete story, and if they like it, get another. Hopefully, the reader would just add a comic book to their regular shopping list.
You just described a graphic novel. Also if by regular store you mean target or wal-mart that will most likely not ever happen again. This has been tried before and it did not work.
Not big box stores. Meeting places restaurants, locally gas stations, and the big ones coffee shops and bars. You can reserve yours old school news stand style or just stop by have a beer and read it and discuss with others.
@@AndyfnB That’s what was so great about it back then. That it could be bought anywhere. Retail, grocery store, pharmacy, gas station, corner store, etc. It was great for comic fans, and also a great entry point for children, as they always had a comic to read whenever they went somewhere.
100%. i already go out of my way to buy hard copy comics, if I couldn't be bothered it would be digital. but either way, if I saw a comic at the register of just about any shop at all, id buy it as a little treat to myself.
I also think that there are people, like me, who would rather wait for the story to be complete to read than to have so follow along. I prefer buying the compendiums rather than individual comics.
My problem is it's nearly impossible to find a whole run. You can find like issue 2 of a run everywhere but can't find 1 anywhere. Had this happen several times.
They could probably do a discount for connected books? Especially ones that don't really contribute much to the overall story, it'll probably encourage sales
One way to improve the comic industry is to make direct adaptations of their most popular storylines. It’s a system similar to anime and that’s is how it has began big in the west.
Your not wrong that would help, dc has the animated universe but straight to DVD, they need to put them on streaming platforms so people may get introduced to a universe they may be introduced.
It doesn't work because Comic stories just don't freaking end. And that's ok to some extent. But maybe they should have more that do. Or actually end it and then actually reboot it like 10 years later. Instead of the half reboots we've been getting since forever. Half reboots half way through any given story.
@@DSan-kl2yc No, im sorry but that brakes the foundation of why alot of people like comics. Also i think your wrong, yes these storys are ever continued but they have arcs. take fear state for example, thats a single contained thing mostly, Sure it's technically a continuation but that doenst mean you can't make an adaptation that has absolutely no connections to anything. Like dcs flashpoint animation, for the comic it was connected to a bunch of things but the movie didn't do any of that and took the base line story. So no, they don't need to end comics to make that work and if they did "end comics" that would be dumb ass fuck, works for manga cuz there tends to be one writer and artist but comics ain't like that and i doubt people want them to be.
@@TheRobinWithWit you can't make an animated series that follows the comics without it diverging at some point, or starting from mid way. I'm not saying they should but it's an issue with comics due to their format. I was just bringing this distinction up. They're already adapting stories and it doesn't drive sales and isn't how manga and anime are coordinated. OP was talking about a similar system to manga, and that's just the barrier as to why they aren't similar. And just adapting storylines like the movies doesn't work. It works best with things that are elseworld because they do have endings. You can adapt the whole thing. Everything else will be a partial adaptation. Or it'll be an alternate continuity. Something that happens more rarely in manga. Flash point was connected to a series of movies that made it's own movie universe. That's not a similar system of adaptation to manga to anime.
I think a subscription service would be nice, do something like Shonen Jump does to where if you pay a reasonable price you can read as much series as you want. Also cut down on the series and spin offs, because I know at one point Superman, Batman and Spider-Man had like 5 series going on and it was expensive just to find out what was happening with the characters. Also doing a reboot of the universe every 10 years would probably be good too, I know DC has kind of kept that model but Marvel needs to commit to a hard reboot. Even though they weren't the best the Marvel ultimate comics were refreshing because it was easier to get into the universe then having to read 60 years of comics to understand the history. Also a free recap comic every 2 months or so would be a good idea.
As someone who lives in England, I haven't seen a comic shop anywhere near me. I think the nearest ones would be in London, and that's like a 1-hour train ride for me
if you want Marvel books there is marvel unlimited and if you want DC books there is DC universe. the newer issues come after 6 months for distribution reasons but everything else is already there
One problem. I don’t have a local comic book shop, the nearest would be in a city 2-3 hours away, and even then it’s not large, it’s a small display table piled with random comics
I think positivity and realism also play a major part in these stories. If you stay crazy and negative for too long, people won't like the story after a while
They need to change the comic from comic to volumes like manga have volumes. That way, people have a larger part of the story and will feel a lot better.
I wish people would check out indie comics, or at least the smaller publishers like Image, Vault or Dark Horse. My favourite book right now is Monstress, and while it's winning awards often most people don't know about it, even many avid comic readers. but yeah western comics need to change.
There are several indie series I've read an enjoyed. I think the problem indie comics has is literally just a lack of marketing; Marvel and DC also kinda have that problem, but they're characters' fame and the movies/shows coming out stop the lack of marketing from affecting them
I really liked how it used to be done where a generation existed, had it's run then the story would end and they would start a new generation. Things got really messy when multiverses and alternate timelines got in the mix because now a generation can never end but it goes through so many authors with different stories that keeping the canon consistent is impossible
One thing that would help is A putting more mainstream books like the flagship characters or whoever has a movie coming out at the moment in grocery stores. Another, they need to lower prices. It should not cost almost as much for a single issue as it does to get a trade paperback.
honestly, I'm even more pissed that i can't get to read those comics because they're not available in my country. dc universe infinity was supposed to be released in brazil in june last year, but it just didn't and I couldn't find any explanation why. so i either gotta watch videos like yours explaining what's going on, read the older ones i can actually buy in comic book stores or go to "other sources", which honestly i feel bad about doing because the writers and artists deserve recognition for their job.
Literally just give us a complete run once a writers time with a character is finished, I shouldn't have to get issue 1 and 4 then wait 3 months to find 2 and 3. Hell at this point I'd settle for at least knowing more clearly that what I picked up was the next issue in the run. But not every story gets it's own tagline. If people can't wait that long for a complete story some more one shots would be nice. But again I can never tell of it's a self contained story or not.
U can buy the entire arc but it will cost a bit Immortal hulk 1-50 is on sale but uts a bit costly. Also, Volumes exist. U get an arc that spans from a certain amount of issues. It's how I read avengers infinity(which is a dope arc too).
Also, for the next issue in a run, most times, the comic shop is only selling issues back to back tha are of the same run. Comics are mostly monthly, but certain issues can arise that delay some parts. U can also go online and do a lil research for if it's the next comic in line. I did this when figuring out the watch order of the fate series as well as which mha "team up mission" volumes to read and how they connect to the main story.
never heard of any runs that release issues out of order. if it spans across different titles it would obviously make sense that the numbers aren’t in the same order but it’s usually stated in the titles in some form. usually they’re connected within the arc names or at the end of the last issue it states what’s next most of the time. if you’re talking about events it makes sense to release things separately instead of just throwing it all together then it wouldn’t be much of an event. comics sometimes take patience and if you’re not reading something new then most likely it has some form of collected edition where the story is definitely all together. i guess i kinda understand what you were trying to say i understand delays in a story arc can be a pain in the ass or a story being told out of full chronological order can get confusing but i’ve never heard of issues releasing out of order. i can’t say i’ve seen, for example, "Batman #24" released before "Batman #23"
They need to start following the manga system. Volume releases make much more sense and would attract way more people. You can still have your regular singles, but push the volumes Volumes exist in the comic industry but they need to start being the norm instead of the exception.
Another idea is have a place digitally where people can catch up with comic stories & character journeys but doesn’t spoil most of said story’s details. A personal example for this is Gotham girl. Last I heard was she helped Bane against Batman years ago, but no matter how many sites or youtube videos I looked for I couldn’t find anything on why she did it, what happened after or even much on the storyline as a whole. And this was years ago, yet I still have the same problem.
I would absolutely pay for a subscription model for an app that had all the comics, and would tell which order to read them in, as that's been my biggest problem trying to get into them
Going through the comments, that’s the thing most people are asking for. I would gladly pay a 100 or 10 bucks a month for access to the latest comics. And the amount I suggested is more than what manga platforms charge
They should condense the amount of crossover storylines they do. If they were to just run an arc in one series without all the “meanwhile in [city name]”. Another big issue is them not finishing an arc for a character before a new series has started for the character; this scares off the casual fan because they get into an arc then there’s more stories for the character they’re reading that they assume goes with the arc they’re reading not realizing it’s a separate entity until after purchase so it angers them & makes them give up on comics
I honestly think self contained series work best have one universe with anthology stories so that way big stuff like character deaths or massive grandiose events dont need you to look through dozens upon dozens of mini issues where it doesn’t even feel like anything happened while also paying livable wages i also think they should make stories with endings
I definitly agree you can pay better wages when sales increase. if your whole publishing comany with every IP you have is losing to a single manga AND its being pirated more then you are selling comics I feel like its more then just a "we getting paid enough" theres a fundemental flaw happaning that you as a publishing company NEEDS to change
What pisses me off is both marvel and dc have an online comic subscription, but is not supported for either of kindle fires which along side iPad minis are the perfect size for comics
U said it all I just spent 40$(which I hide from my wife cuz it's Xmas time n she'd kill me for spending that much on comics instead of for the kids lol) and didn't get all the titles I've fallen behind on so a subscription coupled with books that don't span 15 different titles is a great start
Who in there right mind is gonna pay 4 bucks a week for a story your not even sure your gonna like. Especially for older stories you know your gonna be waiting longer to find than read
Agreed the fuck that the average book jump from 4 and "special "/issue can rang from $5 to $8 is wild. It like they dont want people to buy multiple series.
I know its annoying to say at this point but manga really is the cash crop model that comics need to adopt. A single story with few spin offs. Get a super faithful show adaptation and fans will want to read ahead and buy the comics. I know many people right now are buying invincible comics because they want to read what comes next before the show gets to it.
Well for Marvel and DC yes, but Inde comics does that already most of them, Like for invincible like you Said ... And it still doesn't sell out ? After all even invincible really started because of the series, but know that I think About it thats how most manga get known to, animation
@@jackpopo4673 Yeah thats my point I feel like tv shows act as great jumping on point and can promote sales. Trying to jump into a character like batman is hard because the character has existed for 80 years and even if you try to jump into the latest stories they usually tie into many different series a person might not be interested in. Jumping into a manga series is not as hard imo. Can be pricey but if you already know you enjoy the anime than its a good sign your money is worth spent.
@@jackpendragon6080 yeah I agree with this, to be able to follow a comics hero story you need to already have a great knowledge of things Or read one shot from else World and all some of them are classic but their is not a lot of them Now I'm asking myself, with the succes of Invincible, I do Hope they will adapt more Inde comics heros in animation, some of them deserve it, and those one at list doesn't have complicated verse to follow. I'm thinking about the vaillant universe particulary
I feel like Japan gets it. Their model for the manga/anime industry is golden. For some it starts with the anime opening to kind of be like advertising for the show (besides the actual trailer), there are so many reactors on YT that got into anime as a whole because of the opening/endings, and the artists are amazing. Anime op help get people interested in what the hell is going on in those op/ed. Then there's the anime itself, it does a good job of advertising the manga. Especially when they follow it. With most anime, especially modern ones it helps that anime is such a diverse art form, with many animation styles and beautiful animation (I know thats because of the grind those poor people have to go through, but they made it so beautiful). The animation draws people in and that's what studios should want. It help that most manga is created by one main person and a team to create one story. Marvel and DC have multiple storyboard writers for one character, and thats after a decade or two then a new person comes in. The stories are never over. I think that's also a problem, where the hero arc never ends. It just changes. With manga I know there will be an end, and sure the volumes are thicker and more costly than comics but at least I know I'm not going to be spending that much money in the long run because there will be an end, a last volume. It also helps anime studios sell figures and other merchandise that are good quality and looks amazing.
@@gemmacruz6356 oh manga volume are more costly ? ... Well I didn't knew that, in Europe anyway manga is way cheaper but that's because they don't sell comics volume... They sell omnibus, you've got one untire story in a Book That was just for information no jugement on you written
I think one problem particularly for marvel, they currently focused too much on their canon storylines and not enough else world stories unless it’s what if. Im talking about stories like spider-man life story, the dark knight returns, etc. they have a nice beginning middle and end. I’m hoping we can see something like that with the new ultimate spider man launch
My idea for Marvel and DC: Avoid the big storylines where you have to read a bunch of different books just to understand what's going on. If you insist on doing that, have an easy-to-find page on your website specifically dedicated to showing the reading orders for each massive, ongoing storyline. For pricing, the subscription service would be the best solution, but with this, at least readers know what order to go in
A subscription service to read comic books would be great. We could have a solid platform to read comics without spending a whole lot of money and if anyone wants to buy hard copies they can
Marvel and DC both have streaming services. the new comics come there 6 months after but the whole backlog along with a few original books are on there
@@Underworlddreamin part due to the over abundance of services and again complex number of issues I think that a subscription would work but it would need to be a group effort between the big comic companies to increase downloads and increase convenience with new releases put for sale and later add to the subscription set after a set time. This combine with reading playlist that have the main story line in order
@@Underworlddream Because at least for marvel it costs as much as a video streaming service and you don't even get to read the new stuff when it drops, you have to wait 6 months. I have been subscribed to shonen jump for like 4/5 years because it only costs 3 dollars a month, and it only takes like a week to get new issues and that's because they have to be translated, marvel could drop the issues the second they're officially released.
Every title should be telling its own story. It’s fine to have a reference to what happened in another book, but it shouldn’t be necessary to read that to still enjoy the story in that comic.
I partially think the big problem is that we always hear about the same hero's. With the same brands and gimmicks I think the industry needs a flow of heros and villains. Possibly from independent writers. As while I love characters like Batman and Superman and others they are all we typically hear about. Where now stuff like the Boys Invincible and the Umbrella Academy. Have sored to new hights as while we all love the classics. We also desire for something new. Like keep the same hero's we know but let a newer group of characters like invincible take the spot light for a bit.
This is exactly one of the reasons I've preferred Image over Marvel and DC for quite a while now. They're constantly letting artists and writers try out new things, and their stories are self-contained so I don't need to read through years of titles from multiple heroes I don't care about in order to understand what's going on
I heard a perfect comparison would be Manga, one singular story line with spin offs that are most of the time optional reading. I want a comic just like that, that isn't set in a "What if?" Universe but from the main universe.
This, when they got to $3 each years ago I bailed. I dont want to short the creators, but, I'm more willing to pay $9-$12 for a mult-issue sized graphic novel than a biweekly floppy of only 24-28 pages of actual content.
Yeah no kid is gonna spend that much money on one 25 page floppy when they can spend 2 dollars more and get a 160-200 page manga volume that covers a good chunk of story
Im really enjoying the Official Batman comics on Webtoon and several others from original artists Im sad to say its just a more convenient read, i go on my lunch break and read comics for a bit and ill do that when i get home Dont get me wrong I love my print comics but because I want to take care of them im not gonna roll them up and stuff them in my purse And this way i get to have a physical copy of my favorite stories but still read my other stuff
I am SO glad you brought this up! I've got a few things to say about this! 1. They for the most part rely on a very ARCHAIC system to order and deliver comics. (I'm very glad DC split from diamond but they may have also made things a littlw worse. Not sure how things are now though) 2. They need to STOP extending titles. Most series are supposed to be around 6 issues. Now it seems they take all 6 and sometimes extend it to 8 or 12! It doesn't take that many issues to tell a good story! (But I get they want to sell more books) 3. Stores fall into 2 categories they either care WAY too much or they don't care at all. (How many times have you gone into a store and it's just a complete wreck? However it is nice when the workers care about you, but sometimes you get that person who wants to gatekeep and its like alright man nevermind) 3. Unfortunately the point is really bad. Because collectors are out there sometimes stores will adjust there prices to reflect the market or just raise prices. (Stores will raise a $4 book to cost $10 or even more depending on what's trending that week. If the book is $4 sell it for $4! Variants aside because they do actually cost the store more money, other than that why are you price gouging?) I also have other ideas for selling books too. 😏 Another thing to think about is who are buying books? Readers? Yes BUT its definitely mostly collectors and because of that they need to adjust their strategies accordingly. Something to think about also is D&D I know they SEEM unrelated but you have to think who comes in the store. Comic book buyers? Yes, but also ALOT of tabletop gamers and magic players. Pokemon cards are getting big too. So you have to make your store friendly to all those groups so if I'm a woman I come in and there's just a bunch of neckbeards staring back at me thay might be a little off putting definitely going to just buy online. These are the things you HAVE to consider. Let me know if you have any questions thank you for coming to my Ted Talk
They should hire people who care about it, to many forget they are writing superhero stories not opinion pieces. Also it would help if they actually tried to make something good, a lot out there is not good, few good ones but a lot of bad ones.
On 1 end i agree theres a lot to go through in some stories, however with characters who have 60 or even 10+ years on them its underatandable they have so much story to them. I either go to those knowledgeable like dope spill, comics explained comicstorian, or Jobers and goons for my info or just pick pieces i like. I feel the stories of some characters are like the story of megaman X and jumping into later titles without playing previous games. Its still a good story on its own but reading previois stuff makes it hit even harder. Like the ending of immortal hulk (#50) or Venom 200. The story on its own is good but looking back over the histrory of the character and seeing their growth brings a tear to my eye. I low key cried at the end of their books. Also, Asm#74 (end of kindred arc) was pretty good too. Miles morales has some gas comics i been reading too. Sonic idw is pretty fun too
I mean, sure. But are we just going to ignore the fact that they have failed to produce any good new character? They already did everything possible with the characters they have.
More animate shows will increase sales.sample😊. I'll give you an example, anime.What makes manga(Japan comic books)succeed, is likely the good shows they made about it. Easy!! I mean good shows(well animate)= a good sales.❤
This. There are so so *SO* many cool and interesting storys I see on RUclips on a daily, which id actually like to read start to rinish. The thing is I dont know where ANY of them start. I have no idea which comics I would have to buy, so I just dont. They really gotta make comics more accesible for the broad mass.
I'd say something more comics (as some do) should be doing more recaps, like the starts of some TV shows, where's there's art and lines from previous pages, with an explanation by the side to catch up readers on everything from the storyline, in a page or two. Like for example if it was a story with red hood as an integral character and his backstory major, you could have a paragraph explaining there his backstory and what happened to him, so for casual readers, or new ones altogether to understajd the stakes behind the story
i think promoting other print forms of comics like trade paperbacks, hardcovers, compendium, omnibuses or just general collected editions that summarize a story arc or maybe like a compilation of a period of a characters life/time. i’ve just recently got into TPB, HCs, etc and i’m saving a lot more money along with targeting my buying toward whole lots or mostly complete ones. i feel like more clear beginner guidelines and/or starter sets from the companies/creators would make it a lot easier for people wanting to or just getting into comics along with casual readers. i feel like a lot of people are just hard to please, asking too much, and/or have unreal expectations of what can be fit between 30 something to 40 something pages. the old timers/purists it seems are less about promoting/cherishing/sharing the things they like and enjoy nowadays. they would rather whine/complain on random forums instead of coming together and writing letters to the editors (for example) like the days before my time. instead it’s just more division and problems instead of unification and solutions. just some of my drawn out opinions lol
I think an online model would work well with perhaps selling complete stories in comic book form. With an online model they could have a forum for suggestions for new comics, or new ideas for existing comics even what comics should get the ax. A pure online model would freeze out collectors but a hybrid model, with the story dump printing instead of issue by issue over months, could satisfy collectors AND casual readers.
Dan slot talked about having to deal with this a bit too. A lot of his Spider-Man stuff doesn’t involve doc Ock because it’s his favourite character it’s just the best name he had access to. Carnage had his own comic/event stuff and green goblin was dead or tied up in other superhero events so he used Doc Ock.
They should copy what the manga industry does and have a subscription for people to read digitally and release physical copy in volumes rather than issues. They should also stop having stories hop from one series to another, there’s been series I’ve tried to read on marvel unlimited and DC infinite but stopped because needing to refer to a guide for what to read next was too much work. Alternatively, they could rename issues on their subscription services so that when you’re reading a story it just goes from chapter 1 to chapter 2 even if those two chapters were actually issues from two different titles. For example if you’re reading world war hulk, instead of needing to go from Incredible Hulk 106 to world war hulk 1 to ghost rider 12 the app would just have those as chapters 2, 3, and 4 of the world war hulk series.
You hit it on the head, if a story starts help casual readers follow, I can’t stand getting into an arc and finding out the next logical point in the story is on issue 341 of some random title
A lot of people are talking about distribution, and that’s all great and definitely a contributing factor. However, there is a legitimate question of quality of material in marvel and dc which drives sales trends for the entire industry. How are smaller publishers supposed to garner attention when the big two are producing questionable material and driving more casual readers away from the shelf before there’s ever a chance?
Shonen jumps model for manga online is a good example of this done right it's only a couple bucks a month but you get all the new releases and old releases are free. Their service is far from perfect but it's so cheap that a lot of people don't bother pirating it.
I don't really buy comics to read. I have the public library which I do most of my reading and then my LCS has daily and weekend auctions where I buy the variant prints for 1:10 of the original price. My display graded wall looks crazy because of it.
They should save the crossovers for big events more. Phase 1 of the mcu was great because you had all those strong individual storylines, but when they did finally cross over it felt like a huge deal
Using the Krakoa era as an example: dawn of X was amazing since there were only 3-4 on going series to focus on. All the sudden: end of the reign of x and start of destiny of x: there were around series tossed into mix along with a change of direction in the xmen line. Those two factors are what made me take a step back from reading the franchise.
The ploy that they use, spreading a storyline across so many different titles, is the reason why I stopped collecting comics (that and running out of storage space), and just read them digitally. It's just far too expensive, for someone like myself, that reads DOZENS of titles from DC, DOZENS from Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, independents, etc. What I would do sometimes, is wait until after a storyline has been compiled into a complete graphic novel. Nowadays, when I do buy comics at a Comic-Con or comic book shop, after I've read it a few times, I'll just donate them to my local library. That way, I can help out a little, for kids and those that love to read the comic books, but not necessarily need to keep a collection. My thoughts on how the industry could address this issue; Write the storyline straight through the original book, in a way that nothing is lost by the reader not buying the other titles that cover that storyline. As far as those different books covering that storyline that aren't the main book of that story, they offer aspects of the same story/scenes, but just from the perspective of THAT book/title's characters. Like, say a storyline about let's say the Beast World story. The main book is The Titans...so when you're reading their book, all of the action is mostly from their perspective. But when you read a different book from that storyline, the same situation/battle scenes are similar, but just from the perspective of the main characters of THAT book/how they're experiencing it. I think what frustrates people is when, a big storyline crosses several books in addition to the main one, and the info/scenes in the peripheral books contain VITAL info/plot points. So if you DON'T read those other books, you've got gaps in the story you're reading. I understand it from a marketing point of view...they want to introduce you to/make you a new customer of these other titles you might not read normally, but it's ridiculous. 🤷🏿♂️
I mean it depends what the goal is. A) Go back/forward to a news stand "subscription" model. Think the Mile High Collection. Except at your local coffee shop or bar & Grill. Brings people out and together. B) Focus on larger format. People love to wait and hoard a season at a time. Make cheap old school weeklys for purists and collectors than drop a big glossy quarterly for like $25. (You could also subscribe to this in December for the next year and not worry about it). C) Digital Subscriptions with high end limited print run full arc, year, etc paperbacks or even hardcover coffee table style only.
Make comics digital, if they want they can have a subscription of a hero they prefer and it gets sent to their door. They can also order physical comics online if there is a particular comic they want forever. Have the site have artist fan clubs. The artist is allowed to promote what works they are doing and they can sign comics via their discretion. They get the amount that the fans paid extra vs the regular comics.
Dunno where I saw this, but something like the Shonen Jump model could work. Big book of varied stories, polls provide direct feedback, pump what’s successful and either minimize or ax what doesn’t.
I realize it might not be feasible, but a little hope I had always wished for is that they would sell comics with more in them. I can grab a manga and get so much out of it, but with a comic it’s so much less but it is nicer to look at. I would like for, at least, some sort of middle ground. I would buy the big consolidated comic books with whole stories but they cost and aren’t a common thing from what I’ve seen.
They could do visual graphic novels that can be on the internet and they can have people pay subscription services based on that Or even had audio books on Spotify about certain heroes that would be interesting to listen to like stories about some of the missions that black Widow goes on or wolverine’s stories that we never got to see in the comics years before joining the X-men
Honestly you don’t even need to do anything crazy with new retailers. Just put up famous stories like year 1, the long Halloween, and all star Superman. The trick isn’t to create more loyal subscribers to the monthly books. Collected editions are the main way people read comics now. You can’t just create a diehard fan overnight, but casual readers that picked up year one on an impulse buy have the potential to get Hooked on the classics, and once people get hooked on the classics it has a snowball affect. The big 2 put literally 0 effort into getting new fans. The only reason I read comics is because a family friend happened to go to the comic book store goes the wedding issue and I convinced my mom to buy me the court of owls which I randomly found on the shelf. Put comics in regular stores
The pricing is the biggest struggle. Inpretty much only get stuff once its in a tpb, which is a variable time and can take a while, but i wouldn't be able to collect otherwise.
Do it like how Jump manga by making a huge magazine monthly subscription within it individual storing books volume. If you want your favorite character/ comic book series you can buy it. Also display all your different artists and writers work all in once. If you have favorite issue you have options to buy it. Maybe that helps with sales.
The most important thing is to build back trust of comics. Lying about data, pretending the industry was fine, removal of long term writers,cutting of workshop programs for new artists and beating down on long term fans built a fatigue that has persisted. In the age of superhero blockbusters comics should be on the rise but instead both movies and comics are failing drastically. I hope the trust between the consumer and creators can be reforged. I just wanna read stories about my hero’s being hero’s
This is more or less an idea based on 19th century novel chapters published on newspapers: make an app with monthly subscription. Publish stories with minimal references to previous stories in expected numbers (12 issues, 26 Issues, 78 issues, 112 issues, etc.) have the creators vision prioritized over sales. Only make physical volumes and omnibuses at higher prices depending on quality/ visual. Also make alternative universes more ambiguous, embrace infinity over restrictions
I've been saying for years that the comic book industry needs to adopt the manga magazine model and have publications dedicated to certain areas of comics. Like the Detective Comics magazine doesn't just get you Detective Comics, but issues other Batman titles as well. Justice League could have issues from the Justice League comics but also League members. As someone who's been on the edge of comics for years, the big thing that puts me off is the single issues... As well as the constant events.
More compilations if you have a story put it all in one big graphic novel that's available on download, reduce weekly issues and make them one issue "shorts" that tell self contained stories, I think people would be happy to wait for the full story, treat them like regular novels with a similar price point. It would definitely make it more accessible, make books of storylines relatively self contained and any relevant information should be included in a star wars style opening crawl, with a discount available through qr codes if you want to check it out. Oh and please pay the creators properly, without them you have got nothing after all.
comic books are a true blue monopolized industry, it's marvel and it's DC or it's nothing, that'll be the death of this industry i promise you, there's nothing new to this age old industry, fuck dude you could pull a dude from the 70s and plop him in front of an avengers movie n he'd see all the characters he just finished reading, yes marvel n dc make new characters but that doesn't really matter when they have so many iconic characters they could never ditch, we need new eyes on comic books, new writers, new artists, new people doing it in general, n the saddest part is most young people looking for those jobs will probably go to marvel or dc to get them, again showing us our problem
sell story packs with multiple comics that are all continuing a story, or just a big book version which im sure exists im pretty sure my friend had like 1 or 2 in highschool but i mean make that more common, price it appropriately but i mean put all the relevant books together after they're out
My local comic book shop is like an hour bus ride away from my college. Even though the bus is free for students I still don’t want to spend a whole day going to one store. It sucks that they don’t have an online shop
Just shove all of the stories into big books. Entire story with all the plot lines in order put into books. Different comics are the different chapters and then you have the entire plot line on one place. Then you have the casual reader covered in allowing them just to get the whole thing at once after it's done. Collectors can have their individual comics too, possibly selling book copies that have sheets in between the chapters (comics) to put the real comic as a space and safety smart solution. If the line lasts years, a subscription delivery would work great, with people who'd have been subscribed the whole time to receive like a free copy of the whole thing with the collector sheets.
What I always hated is when storylines required jumping to other series in order to follow. And then I'm suddenly having to invest in a character I hadn't been reading because I have no idea what's going on.
I like the idea of graphic novels or a book with multiple issues so it’s a bit more accessible, I don’t normally buy comics but I feel like I would if it was a bit more accessible to jump into both for the cost and the the issues
There also just needs to be more competition and options for comic book enthusiasts, period. Don't get me wrong, I love many of DC and Marvel's characters and stories to death, but there's also only so much appeal those stables can have before people just get tired of them and tune them out.
If I’m being honest, even if people start reading any solo series right now, the constant tie ins and crossover event will tire out both the person and their wallet. And you feel pressured to keep up to be able to read the ENTIRE story and eventually that stops being fun.
The big 2 really need to adopt the same model as Image. Tonnes of stories, but those stories are from one run (sometimes with spin-offs) and you don't actually need to read anything else to keep up with a single story. Take Invincible for example, you COULD read Invincible Universe and Guarding The Globe for additional content if you want, but it isn't actually necessary to read those in order to understand Invincible. The problem is though, Marvel and DC will never do that, they're so tied up with this idea of connected stories and universes that it would require them to completely rethink how they approach their books and that's probably never gonna happen
I got the DC app and it's one of the best decisions I've made but I'm also years behind on stories so I'm paying 7.99 a month to catch up on comics from the mid New 52 run to everything thats in rebirth. But to stay up-to-date DC and Marvel definitely need to figure out a new way because charging $4 a title and then forcing readers to get a random issue of a run they don't typically read to keep up with the story is a nasty business practice.
You all are amazing to have casual conversations with, I should do open discussions like this more often
I think they should hold on to the story until it's fully done and I can read the whole series in go. Or a couple books
Sell some story line in volumes like manga.
that way i don't have to hunt down 20 comics.
I think Comic Drake said something about how comic books should adopt the manga structure of compiling various issues into book-length chapters to make it easier for readers to keep up on their favorite series without requiring them to wait a month or 2 for the next issue to come out.
While that may be a contributing factor, ask your local shop why the faithful aren’t buying books anymore
When DC and MARVEL reset their numbers it turned a lot of the older fans including myself away. Yes they got a small spike in sales but it quickly went away and now they are in a worse spot then before.
@@mtgamateurnightyeah I remember before new 52 then all that shit happened I haven’t bought a comic in years well I got some reprints of the whole animated series Batman so yeah need to look after those stores tho they can’t leave I think most comic stores are really now just collectible traders I’ve got some rare figures in box and they priced them and yeah 200 for an assassin creed bust and rare ezio figure all boxed sad to see no one want to read anymore
I bought the btas adventures continues as well but only to complete my run as I have every single issue of btas thru now the current run. Other than that I am not interested in spending money for most physical books. People still read comics but it's mostly online or if they are buying it's older books that don't get trade backs. I still read and hunt down silver age and bronze age books myself.@@superherobeatdown
Comic book shops themselves are part of the issue. Focusing on direct to market. Too many books for shelves.
my LCS blames amazon
Sell comics in regular stores. This idea has been a common answer. I would add that they should also sell new issues with classic complete stories. That way, new readers can jump into complete story, and if they like it, get another. Hopefully, the reader would just add a comic book to their regular shopping list.
You just described a graphic novel. Also if by regular store you mean target or wal-mart that will most likely not ever happen again. This has been tried before and it did not work.
@@mtgamateurnightIn the 90s you could buy a comic book almost anywhere. This helped contribute to the boom during that period.
Not big box stores. Meeting places restaurants, locally gas stations, and the big ones coffee shops and bars. You can reserve yours old school news stand style or just stop by have a beer and read it and discuss with others.
@@AndyfnB That’s what was so great about it back then. That it could be bought anywhere. Retail, grocery store, pharmacy, gas station, corner store, etc. It was great for comic fans, and also a great entry point for children, as they always had a comic to read whenever they went somewhere.
100%. i already go out of my way to buy hard copy comics, if I couldn't be bothered it would be digital.
but either way, if I saw a comic at the register of just about any shop at all, id buy it as a little treat to myself.
Endings we need endings... This will result in more new stories to be made and beloved characters to be put to rest.
I also think that there are people, like me, who would rather wait for the story to be complete to read than to have so follow along. I prefer buying the compendiums rather than individual comics.
Compendiums can get too thick and be heavy though
My problem is it's nearly impossible to find a whole run. You can find like issue 2 of a run everywhere but can't find 1 anywhere. Had this happen several times.
Collected editions are the way
@@jackclark5292 I agree, unless you want to be a purist and have the original paperback issues for their potential value down-the-line.
They could probably do a discount for connected books? Especially ones that don't really contribute much to the overall story, it'll probably encourage sales
One way to improve the comic industry is to make direct adaptations of their most popular storylines. It’s a system similar to anime and that’s is how it has began big in the west.
Your not wrong that would help, dc has the animated universe but straight to DVD, they need to put them on streaming platforms so people may get introduced to a universe they may be introduced.
DC kinda does this with their animated movies while marvel sorta experimented with the idea in X-men the animated series.
It doesn't work because Comic stories just don't freaking end.
And that's ok to some extent.
But maybe they should have more that do.
Or actually end it and then actually reboot it like 10 years later.
Instead of the half reboots we've been getting since forever. Half reboots half way through any given story.
@@DSan-kl2yc No, im sorry but that brakes the foundation of why alot of people like comics. Also i think your wrong, yes these storys are ever continued but they have arcs. take fear state for example, thats a single contained thing mostly, Sure it's technically a continuation but that doenst mean you can't make an adaptation that has absolutely no connections to anything.
Like dcs flashpoint animation, for the comic it was connected to a bunch of things but the movie didn't do any of that and took the base line story. So no, they don't need to end comics to make that work and if they did "end comics" that would be dumb ass fuck, works for manga cuz there tends to be one writer and artist but comics ain't like that and i doubt people want them to be.
@@TheRobinWithWit you can't make an animated series that follows the comics without it diverging at some point, or starting from mid way.
I'm not saying they should but it's an issue with comics due to their format. I was just bringing this distinction up.
They're already adapting stories and it doesn't drive sales and isn't how manga and anime are coordinated.
OP was talking about a similar system to manga, and that's just the barrier as to why they aren't similar. And just adapting storylines like the movies doesn't work.
It works best with things that are elseworld because they do have endings. You can adapt the whole thing.
Everything else will be a partial adaptation.
Or it'll be an alternate continuity. Something that happens more rarely in manga.
Flash point was connected to a series of movies that made it's own movie universe. That's not a similar system of adaptation to manga to anime.
I think a subscription service would be nice, do something like Shonen Jump does to where if you pay a reasonable price you can read as much series as you want. Also cut down on the series and spin offs, because I know at one point Superman, Batman and Spider-Man had like 5 series going on and it was expensive just to find out what was happening with the characters. Also doing a reboot of the universe every 10 years would probably be good too, I know DC has kind of kept that model but Marvel needs to commit to a hard reboot. Even though they weren't the best the Marvel ultimate comics were refreshing because it was easier to get into the universe then having to read 60 years of comics to understand the history. Also a free recap comic every 2 months or so would be a good idea.
As someone who lives in England, I haven't seen a comic shop anywhere near me. I think the nearest ones would be in London, and that's like a 1-hour train ride for me
Really, just any subscription service would be nice
if you want Marvel books there is marvel unlimited and if you want DC books there is DC universe. the newer issues come after 6 months for distribution reasons but everything else is already there
@@baddealdude807 Huh I will check it out. How much does it cost?
@@baddealdude807
Yeah I was gonna mention this
I prefer physical copies but that app helps
@@baddealdude807but who wants to read six month old comics when if you are reading comics the storyline is already spoiled by other comics or RUclips.
@baddealdude807 Yeah, people keep talking about wanting these service but people are still not buying.
One problem. I don’t have a local comic book shop, the nearest would be in a city 2-3 hours away, and even then it’s not large, it’s a small display table piled with random comics
I think positivity and realism also play a major part in these stories. If you stay crazy and negative for too long, people won't like the story after a while
It's simple.
We read comics to be entertained, not be preached to. We look for the ridiculous not the relatable. Comics have forgotten this.
I don't know. A lot of people do look for relatability in stories. It's one of the main reasons why Spider-Man is Marvel's most popular character.
They need to change the comic from comic to volumes like manga have volumes. That way, people have a larger part of the story and will feel a lot better.
I wish people would check out indie comics, or at least the smaller publishers like Image, Vault or Dark Horse.
My favourite book right now is Monstress, and while it's winning awards often most people don't know about it, even many avid comic readers. but yeah western comics need to change.
There are several indie series I've read an enjoyed. I think the problem indie comics has is literally just a lack of marketing; Marvel and DC also kinda have that problem, but they're characters' fame and the movies/shows coming out stop the lack of marketing from affecting them
I really liked how it used to be done where a generation existed, had it's run then the story would end and they would start a new generation. Things got really messy when multiverses and alternate timelines got in the mix because now a generation can never end but it goes through so many authors with different stories that keeping the canon consistent is impossible
One thing that would help is A putting more mainstream books like the flagship characters or whoever has a movie coming out at the moment in grocery stores. Another, they need to lower prices. It should not cost almost as much for a single issue as it does to get a trade paperback.
honestly, I'm even more pissed that i can't get to read those comics because they're not available in my country. dc universe infinity was supposed to be released in brazil in june last year, but it just didn't and I couldn't find any explanation why.
so i either gotta watch videos like yours explaining what's going on, read the older ones i can actually buy in comic book stores or go to "other sources", which honestly i feel bad about doing because the writers and artists deserve recognition for their job.
Try a vpn
Literally just give us a complete run once a writers time with a character is finished, I shouldn't have to get issue 1 and 4 then wait 3 months to find 2 and 3. Hell at this point I'd settle for at least knowing more clearly that what I picked up was the next issue in the run. But not every story gets it's own tagline.
If people can't wait that long for a complete story some more one shots would be nice. But again I can never tell of it's a self contained story or not.
U can buy the entire arc but it will cost a bit
Immortal hulk 1-50 is on sale but uts a bit costly.
Also, Volumes exist. U get an arc that spans from a certain amount of issues. It's how I read avengers infinity(which is a dope arc too).
Also, for the next issue in a run, most times, the comic shop is only selling issues back to back tha are of the same run.
Comics are mostly monthly, but certain issues can arise that delay some parts.
U can also go online and do a lil research for if it's the next comic in line. I did this when figuring out the watch order of the fate series as well as which mha "team up mission" volumes to read and how they connect to the main story.
never heard of any runs that release issues out of order. if it spans across different titles it would obviously make sense that the numbers aren’t in the same order but it’s usually stated in the titles in some form. usually they’re connected within the arc names or at the end of the last issue it states what’s next most of the time. if you’re talking about events it makes sense to release things separately instead of just throwing it all together then it wouldn’t be much of an event. comics sometimes take patience and if you’re not reading something new then most likely it has some form of collected edition where the story is definitely all together. i guess i kinda understand what you were trying to say i understand delays in a story arc can be a pain in the ass or a story being told out of full chronological order can get confusing but i’ve never heard of issues releasing out of order. i can’t say i’ve seen, for example, "Batman #24" released before "Batman #23"
They need to start following the manga system. Volume releases make much more sense and would attract way more people. You can still have your regular singles, but push the volumes
Volumes exist in the comic industry but they need to start being the norm instead of the exception.
Another idea is have a place digitally where people can catch up with comic stories & character journeys but doesn’t spoil most of said story’s details.
A personal example for this is Gotham girl. Last I heard was she helped Bane against Batman years ago, but no matter how many sites or youtube videos I looked for I couldn’t find anything on why she did it, what happened after or even much on the storyline as a whole. And this was years ago, yet I still have the same problem.
Comics need to be like JLU The Question with great storylines
I would absolutely pay for a subscription model for an app that had all the comics, and would tell which order to read them in, as that's been my biggest problem trying to get into them
Going through the comments, that’s the thing most people are asking for. I would gladly pay a 100 or 10 bucks a month for access to the latest comics. And the amount I suggested is more than what manga platforms charge
Both Marvel and DC Have apps
@@TheMadmax03they do
They should condense the amount of crossover storylines they do. If they were to just run an arc in one series without all the “meanwhile in [city name]”. Another big issue is them not finishing an arc for a character before a new series has started for the character; this scares off the casual fan because they get into an arc then there’s more stories for the character they’re reading that they assume goes with the arc they’re reading not realizing it’s a separate entity until after purchase so it angers them & makes them give up on comics
I honestly think self contained series work best have one universe with anthology stories so that way big stuff like character deaths or massive grandiose events dont need you to look through dozens upon dozens of mini issues where it doesn’t even feel like anything happened while also paying livable wages i also think they should make stories with endings
So much this. Mini series should be kept mini and published as magazines or graphic novels.
I definitly agree you can pay better wages when sales increase. if your whole publishing comany with every IP you have is losing to a single manga AND its being pirated more then you are selling comics I feel like its more then just a "we getting paid enough" theres a fundemental flaw happaning that you as a publishing company NEEDS to change
What pisses me off is both marvel and dc have an online comic subscription, but is not supported for either of kindle fires which along side iPad minis are the perfect size for comics
U said it all I just spent 40$(which I hide from my wife cuz it's Xmas time n she'd kill me for spending that much on comics instead of for the kids lol) and didn't get all the titles I've fallen behind on so a subscription coupled with books that don't span 15 different titles is a great start
Who in there right mind is gonna pay 4 bucks a week for a story your not even sure your gonna like. Especially for older stories you know your gonna be waiting longer to find than read
Dude it's 4 bucks
Agreed the fuck that the average book jump from 4 and "special "/issue can rang from $5 to $8 is wild. It like they dont want people to buy multiple series.
My parents wouldn’t pay 4 bucks for Pokémon cards let alone every week for a comic
I know its annoying to say at this point but manga really is the cash crop model that comics need to adopt. A single story with few spin offs. Get a super faithful show adaptation and fans will want to read ahead and buy the comics. I know many people right now are buying invincible comics because they want to read what comes next before the show gets to it.
Well for Marvel and DC yes, but Inde comics does that already most of them, Like for invincible like you Said ... And it still doesn't sell out ? After all even invincible really started because of the series, but know that I think About it thats how most manga get known to, animation
@@jackpopo4673 Yeah thats my point I feel like tv shows act as great jumping on point and can promote sales. Trying to jump into a character like batman is hard because the character has existed for 80 years and even if you try to jump into the latest stories they usually tie into many different series a person might not be interested in. Jumping into a manga series is not as hard imo. Can be pricey but if you already know you enjoy the anime than its a good sign your money is worth spent.
@@jackpendragon6080 yeah I agree with this, to be able to follow a comics hero story you need to already have a great knowledge of things
Or read one shot from else World and all some of them are classic but their is not a lot of them
Now I'm asking myself, with the succes of Invincible, I do Hope they will adapt more Inde comics heros in animation, some of them deserve it, and those one at list doesn't have complicated verse to follow. I'm thinking about the vaillant universe particulary
I feel like Japan gets it. Their model for the manga/anime industry is golden.
For some it starts with the anime opening to kind of be like advertising for the show (besides the actual trailer), there are so many reactors on YT that got into anime as a whole because of the opening/endings, and the artists are amazing. Anime op help get people interested in what the hell is going on in those op/ed.
Then there's the anime itself, it does a good job of advertising the manga. Especially when they follow it. With most anime, especially modern ones it helps that anime is such a diverse art form, with many animation styles and beautiful animation (I know thats because of the grind those poor people have to go through, but they made it so beautiful). The animation draws people in and that's what studios should want.
It help that most manga is created by one main person and a team to create one story. Marvel and DC have multiple storyboard writers for one character, and thats after a decade or two then a new person comes in. The stories are never over. I think that's also a problem, where the hero arc never ends. It just changes. With manga I know there will be an end, and sure the volumes are thicker and more costly than comics but at least I know I'm not going to be spending that much money in the long run because there will be an end, a last volume.
It also helps anime studios sell figures and other merchandise that are good quality and looks amazing.
@@gemmacruz6356 oh manga volume are more costly ? ... Well I didn't knew that, in Europe anyway manga is way cheaper but that's because they don't sell comics volume... They sell omnibus, you've got one untire story in a Book
That was just for information no jugement on you written
they need to bring back motion comics or start animating the modern comic.
dooms day clock and feath metal could save dc if they do it right
Better writers and artists are needed ,the big two needs to spend the money and Better editors.
I think one problem particularly for marvel, they currently focused too much on their canon storylines and not enough else world stories unless it’s what if. Im talking about stories like spider-man life story, the dark knight returns, etc. they have a nice beginning middle and end. I’m hoping we can see something like that with the new ultimate spider man launch
My idea for Marvel and DC:
Avoid the big storylines where you have to read a bunch of different books just to understand what's going on. If you insist on doing that, have an easy-to-find page on your website specifically dedicated to showing the reading orders for each massive, ongoing storyline. For pricing, the subscription service would be the best solution, but with this, at least readers know what order to go in
A subscription service to read comic books would be great. We could have a solid platform to read comics without spending a whole lot of money and if anyone wants to buy hard copies they can
Marvel and DC both have streaming services. the new comics come there 6 months after but the whole backlog along with a few original books are on there
They had a subscription service for years now, people are not buying it.
@@Underworlddreamin part due to the over abundance of services and again complex number of issues I think that a subscription would work but it would need to be a group effort between the big comic companies to increase downloads and increase convenience with new releases put for sale and later add to the subscription set after a set time. This combine with reading playlist that have the main story line in order
@@Underworlddream Because at least for marvel it costs as much as a video streaming service and you don't even get to read the new stuff when it drops, you have to wait 6 months. I have been subscribed to shonen jump for like 4/5 years because it only costs 3 dollars a month, and it only takes like a week to get new issues and that's because they have to be translated, marvel could drop the issues the second they're officially released.
So, this may sound far fetched, but DC really should do more light novels, when I last went on amazon for one, they were selling like hotcakes
DC Infinite and Marvel Unlimited have been my go-to source of comics reading it on my iPad
Create another Ultimate Marvel type thing where we can read a universe that doesn’t have sixty+ years worth of lore
Every title should be telling its own story. It’s fine to have a reference to what happened in another book, but it shouldn’t be necessary to read that to still enjoy the story in that comic.
I partially think the big problem is that we always hear about the same hero's. With the same brands and gimmicks I think the industry needs a flow of heros and villains. Possibly from independent writers. As while I love characters like Batman and Superman and others they are all we typically hear about. Where now stuff like the Boys Invincible and the Umbrella Academy. Have sored to new hights as while we all love the classics. We also desire for something new. Like keep the same hero's we know but let a newer group of characters like invincible take the spot light for a bit.
This is exactly one of the reasons I've preferred Image over Marvel and DC for quite a while now. They're constantly letting artists and writers try out new things, and their stories are self-contained so I don't need to read through years of titles from multiple heroes I don't care about in order to understand what's going on
Just release them as graphic novels and don't do single issues anymore
Yep what I was thinking
I heard a perfect comparison would be Manga, one singular story line with spin offs that are most of the time optional reading. I want a comic just like that, that isn't set in a "What if?" Universe but from the main universe.
They could make more direct adaptations of their comics like anime does with their manga. The Invincible TV show it's a very good example of this.
DC did that before but for some reason not really anymore
The Dark Knight Returns
Under the Red Hood
Flashpoint
Etc
@@Azusashusband they should make mini series instead
@@AzusashusbandThat's different. Their comics would financially benefit more from animated tv series that are direct adaptations of their comics.
I'm gonna say this, When I want to buy a Comic, I'm going to get something like the Conan Dark horse Omnibus.
Id like them to be accessible in my local bookshop.
Or just stop making comics because who cares about that shit anymore.
I know for sure it’s now like 6 or 7 bucks! I know no kid would ever buy something expensive like that! It seriously needs to be lower
This, when they got to $3 each years ago I bailed. I dont want to short the creators, but, I'm more willing to pay $9-$12 for a mult-issue sized graphic novel than a biweekly floppy of only 24-28 pages of actual content.
Yeah no kid is gonna spend that much money on one 25 page floppy when they can spend 2 dollars more and get a 160-200 page manga volume that covers a good chunk of story
Im really enjoying the Official Batman comics on Webtoon and several others from original artists
Im sad to say its just a more convenient read, i go on my lunch break and read comics for a bit and ill do that when i get home
Dont get me wrong I love my print comics but because I want to take care of them im not gonna roll them up and stuff them in my purse
And this way i get to have a physical copy of my favorite stories but still read my other stuff
I am SO glad you brought this up! I've got a few things to say about this!
1. They for the most part rely on a very ARCHAIC system to order and deliver comics. (I'm very glad DC split from diamond but they may have also made things a littlw worse. Not sure how things are now though)
2. They need to STOP extending titles. Most series are supposed to be around 6 issues. Now it seems they take all 6 and sometimes extend it to 8 or 12! It doesn't take that many issues to tell a good story! (But I get they want to sell more books)
3. Stores fall into 2 categories they either care WAY too much or they don't care at all. (How many times have you gone into a store and it's just a complete wreck? However it is nice when the workers care about you, but sometimes you get that person who wants to gatekeep and its like alright man nevermind)
3. Unfortunately the point is really bad. Because collectors are out there sometimes stores will adjust there prices to reflect the market or just raise prices. (Stores will raise a $4 book to cost $10 or even more depending on what's trending that week. If the book is $4 sell it for $4! Variants aside because they do actually cost the store more money, other than that why are you price gouging?)
I also have other ideas for selling books too. 😏 Another thing to think about is who are buying books? Readers? Yes BUT its definitely mostly collectors and because of that they need to adjust their strategies accordingly. Something to think about also is D&D I know they SEEM unrelated but you have to think who comes in the store. Comic book buyers? Yes, but also ALOT of tabletop gamers and magic players. Pokemon cards are getting big too. So you have to make your store friendly to all those groups so if I'm a woman I come in and there's just a bunch of neckbeards staring back at me thay might be a little off putting definitely going to just buy online. These are the things you HAVE to consider.
Let me know if you have any questions thank you for coming to my Ted Talk
They should hire people who care about it, to many forget they are writing superhero stories not opinion pieces. Also it would help if they actually tried to make something good, a lot out there is not good, few good ones but a lot of bad ones.
On 1 end i agree theres a lot to go through in some stories, however with characters who have 60 or even 10+ years on them its underatandable they have so much story to them.
I either go to those knowledgeable like dope spill, comics explained comicstorian, or Jobers and goons for my info or just pick pieces i like.
I feel the stories of some characters are like the story of megaman X and jumping into later titles without playing previous games.
Its still a good story on its own but reading previois stuff makes it hit even harder.
Like the ending of immortal hulk (#50) or Venom 200.
The story on its own is good but looking back over the histrory of the character and seeing their growth brings a tear to my eye. I low key cried at the end of their books. Also, Asm#74 (end of kindred arc) was pretty good too.
Miles morales has some gas comics i been reading too.
Sonic idw is pretty fun too
I mean, sure. But are we just going to ignore the fact that they have failed to produce any good new character? They already did everything possible with the characters they have.
More animate shows will increase sales.sample😊.
I'll give you an example, anime.What makes manga(Japan comic books)succeed, is likely the good shows they made about it. Easy!!
I mean good shows(well animate)= a good sales.❤
This. There are so so *SO* many cool and interesting storys I see on RUclips on a daily, which id actually like to read start to rinish. The thing is I dont know where ANY of them start. I have no idea which comics I would have to buy, so I just dont. They really gotta make comics more accesible for the broad mass.
I'd say something more comics (as some do) should be doing more recaps, like the starts of some TV shows, where's there's art and lines from previous pages, with an explanation by the side to catch up readers on everything from the storyline, in a page or two. Like for example if it was a story with red hood as an integral character and his backstory major, you could have a paragraph explaining there his backstory and what happened to him, so for casual readers, or new ones altogether to understajd the stakes behind the story
Thats a good idea i feel a subscription model would do good i usually wait till they make a whole collection of the stories i like
i think promoting other print forms of comics like trade paperbacks, hardcovers, compendium, omnibuses or just general collected editions that summarize a story arc or maybe like a compilation of a period of a characters life/time. i’ve just recently got into TPB, HCs, etc and i’m saving a lot more money along with targeting my buying toward whole lots or mostly complete ones. i feel like more clear beginner guidelines and/or starter sets from the companies/creators would make it a lot easier for people wanting to or just getting into comics along with casual readers. i feel like a lot of people are just hard to please, asking too much, and/or have unreal expectations of what can be fit between 30 something to 40 something pages. the old timers/purists it seems are less about promoting/cherishing/sharing the things they like and enjoy nowadays. they would rather whine/complain on random forums instead of coming together and writing letters to the editors (for example) like the days before my time. instead it’s just more division and problems instead of unification and solutions. just some of my drawn out opinions lol
I think an online model would work well with perhaps selling complete stories in comic book form. With an online model they could have a forum for suggestions for new comics, or new ideas for existing comics even what comics should get the ax. A pure online model would freeze out collectors but a hybrid model, with the story dump printing instead of issue by issue over months, could satisfy collectors AND casual readers.
Dan slot talked about having to deal with this a bit too. A lot of his Spider-Man stuff doesn’t involve doc Ock because it’s his favourite character it’s just the best name he had access to. Carnage had his own comic/event stuff and green goblin was dead or tied up in other superhero events so he used Doc Ock.
They should copy what the manga industry does and have a subscription for people to read digitally and release physical copy in volumes rather than issues. They should also stop having stories hop from one series to another, there’s been series I’ve tried to read on marvel unlimited and DC infinite but stopped because needing to refer to a guide for what to read next was too much work. Alternatively, they could rename issues on their subscription services so that when you’re reading a story it just goes from chapter 1 to chapter 2 even if those two chapters were actually issues from two different titles. For example if you’re reading world war hulk, instead of needing to go from Incredible Hulk 106 to world war hulk 1 to ghost rider 12 the app would just have those as chapters 2, 3, and 4 of the world war hulk series.
Btw, the Viz/Shonen Jump apps is what they should copy
You hit it on the head, if a story starts help casual readers follow, I can’t stand getting into an arc and finding out the next logical point in the story is on issue 341 of some random title
A lot of people are talking about distribution, and that’s all great and definitely a contributing factor. However, there is a legitimate question of quality of material in marvel and dc which drives sales trends for the entire industry. How are smaller publishers supposed to garner attention when the big two are producing questionable material and driving more casual readers away from the shelf before there’s ever a chance?
Shonen jumps model for manga online is a good example of this done right it's only a couple bucks a month but you get all the new releases and old releases are free. Their service is far from perfect but it's so cheap that a lot of people don't bother pirating it.
That’s why I’m happy with my indie comics
I don't really buy comics to read. I have the public library which I do most of my reading and then my LCS has daily and weekend auctions where I buy the variant prints for 1:10 of the original price. My display graded wall looks crazy because of it.
They should save the crossovers for big events more. Phase 1 of the mcu was great because you had all those strong individual storylines, but when they did finally cross over it felt like a huge deal
Using the Krakoa era as an example: dawn of X was amazing since there were only 3-4 on going series to focus on. All the sudden: end of the reign of x and start of destiny of x: there were around series tossed into mix along with a change of direction in the xmen line. Those two factors are what made me take a step back from reading the franchise.
The ploy that they use, spreading a storyline across so many different titles, is the reason why I stopped collecting comics (that and running out of storage space), and just read them digitally. It's just far too expensive, for someone like myself, that reads DOZENS of titles from DC, DOZENS from Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, independents, etc.
What I would do sometimes, is wait until after a storyline has been compiled into a complete graphic novel.
Nowadays, when I do buy comics at a Comic-Con or comic book shop, after I've read it a few times, I'll just donate them to my local library. That way, I can help out a little, for kids and those that love to read the comic books, but not necessarily need to keep a collection.
My thoughts on how the industry could address this issue;
Write the storyline straight through the original book, in a way that nothing is lost by the reader not buying the other titles that cover that storyline. As far as those different books covering that storyline that aren't the main book of that story, they offer aspects of the same story/scenes, but just from the perspective of THAT book/title's characters.
Like, say a storyline about let's say the Beast World story. The main book is The Titans...so when you're reading their book, all of the action is mostly from their perspective. But when you read a different book from that storyline, the same situation/battle scenes are similar, but just from the perspective of the main characters of THAT book/how they're experiencing it.
I think what frustrates people is when, a big storyline crosses several books in addition to the main one, and the info/scenes in the peripheral books contain VITAL info/plot points. So if you DON'T read those other books, you've got gaps in the story you're reading.
I understand it from a marketing point of view...they want to introduce you to/make you a new customer of these other titles you might not read normally, but it's ridiculous. 🤷🏿♂️
I mean it depends what the goal is. A) Go back/forward to a news stand "subscription" model. Think the Mile High Collection. Except at your local coffee shop or bar & Grill. Brings people out and together.
B) Focus on larger format. People love to wait and hoard a season at a time. Make cheap old school weeklys for purists and collectors than drop a big glossy quarterly for like $25. (You could also subscribe to this in December for the next year and not worry about it).
C) Digital Subscriptions with high end limited print run full arc, year, etc paperbacks or even hardcover coffee table style only.
I like your own Animation!
I don't live in the USA and for me is almost impossible to get comics I even tried to buy them online but no luck, so I just gave up.
Make comics digital, if they want they can have a subscription of a hero they prefer and it gets sent to their door. They can also order physical comics online if there is a particular comic they want forever. Have the site have artist fan clubs. The artist is allowed to promote what works they are doing and they can sign comics via their discretion. They get the amount that the fans paid extra vs the regular comics.
Dunno where I saw this, but something like the Shonen Jump model could work. Big book of varied stories, polls provide direct feedback, pump what’s successful and either minimize or ax what doesn’t.
I realize it might not be feasible, but a little hope I had always wished for is that they would sell comics with more in them. I can grab a manga and get so much out of it, but with a comic it’s so much less but it is nicer to look at. I would like for, at least, some sort of middle ground. I would buy the big consolidated comic books with whole stories but they cost and aren’t a common thing from what I’ve seen.
They could do visual graphic novels that can be on the internet and they can have people pay subscription services based on that
Or even had audio books on Spotify about certain heroes that would be interesting to listen to like stories about some of the missions that black Widow goes on or wolverine’s stories that we never got to see in the comics years before joining the X-men
I'll start reading comics again when Jon Kent and Tim drake are straight...
Eh give it awhile for Tim he'll be back with Steph eventually
Honestly you don’t even need to do anything crazy with new retailers. Just put up famous stories like year 1, the long Halloween, and all star Superman. The trick isn’t to create more loyal subscribers to the monthly books. Collected editions are the main way people read comics now. You can’t just create a diehard fan overnight, but casual readers that picked up year one on an impulse buy have the potential to get Hooked on the classics, and once people get hooked on the classics it has a snowball affect. The big 2 put literally 0 effort into getting new fans. The only reason I read comics is because a family friend happened to go to the comic book store goes the wedding issue and I convinced my mom to buy me the court of owls which I randomly found on the shelf. Put comics in regular stores
The pricing is the biggest struggle. Inpretty much only get stuff once its in a tpb, which is a variable time and can take a while, but i wouldn't be able to collect otherwise.
They keep being political and u can tell every single time a new character they bring out
Do it like how Jump manga by making a huge magazine monthly subscription within it individual storing books volume. If you want your favorite character/ comic book series you can buy it. Also display all your different artists and writers work all in once. If you have favorite issue you have options to buy it. Maybe that helps with sales.
The most important thing is to build back trust of comics. Lying about data, pretending the industry was fine, removal of long term writers,cutting of workshop programs for new artists and beating down on long term fans built a fatigue that has persisted. In the age of superhero blockbusters comics should be on the rise but instead both movies and comics are failing drastically. I hope the trust between the consumer and creators can be reforged. I just wanna read stories about my hero’s being hero’s
This is more or less an idea based on 19th century novel chapters published on newspapers: make an app with monthly subscription. Publish stories with minimal references to previous stories in expected numbers (12 issues, 26 Issues, 78 issues, 112 issues, etc.) have the creators vision prioritized over sales. Only make physical volumes and omnibuses at higher prices depending on quality/ visual. Also make alternative universes more ambiguous, embrace infinity over restrictions
I've been saying for years that the comic book industry needs to adopt the manga magazine model and have publications dedicated to certain areas of comics. Like the Detective Comics magazine doesn't just get you Detective Comics, but issues other Batman titles as well. Justice League could have issues from the Justice League comics but also League members.
As someone who's been on the edge of comics for years, the big thing that puts me off is the single issues... As well as the constant events.
That n Manga is killing em
More compilations if you have a story put it all in one big graphic novel that's available on download, reduce weekly issues and make them one issue "shorts" that tell self contained stories, I think people would be happy to wait for the full story, treat them like regular novels with a similar price point. It would definitely make it more accessible, make books of storylines relatively self contained and any relevant information should be included in a star wars style opening crawl, with a discount available through qr codes if you want to check it out.
Oh and please pay the creators properly, without them you have got nothing after all.
comic books are a true blue monopolized industry, it's marvel and it's DC or it's nothing, that'll be the death of this industry i promise you, there's nothing new to this age old industry, fuck dude you could pull a dude from the 70s and plop him in front of an avengers movie n he'd see all the characters he just finished reading, yes marvel n dc make new characters but that doesn't really matter when they have so many iconic characters they could never ditch, we need new eyes on comic books, new writers, new artists, new people doing it in general, n the saddest part is most young people looking for those jobs will probably go to marvel or dc to get them, again showing us our problem
sell story packs with multiple comics that are all continuing a story, or just a big book version which im sure exists im pretty sure my friend had like 1 or 2 in highschool but i mean make that more common, price it appropriately but i mean put all the relevant books together after they're out
My local comic book shop is like an hour bus ride away from my college. Even though the bus is free for students I still don’t want to spend a whole day going to one store. It sucks that they don’t have an online shop
I remember hearing that piracy is s problem of accessibility an price, they fix that and comics will come back cause the interest is there
Especially agree on continuing to buy print since, buying digital copies isn't as reliable as one might hope..
I'm looking at you Ubisoft 😤👀😅
Just shove all of the stories into big books. Entire story with all the plot lines in order put into books. Different comics are the different chapters and then you have the entire plot line on one place.
Then you have the casual reader covered in allowing them just to get the whole thing at once after it's done. Collectors can have their individual comics too, possibly selling book copies that have sheets in between the chapters (comics) to put the real comic as a space and safety smart solution.
If the line lasts years, a subscription delivery would work great, with people who'd have been subscribed the whole time to receive like a free copy of the whole thing with the collector sheets.
What I always hated is when storylines required jumping to other series in order to follow. And then I'm suddenly having to invest in a character I hadn't been reading because I have no idea what's going on.
I like the idea of graphic novels or a book with multiple issues so it’s a bit more accessible, I don’t normally buy comics but I feel like I would if it was a bit more accessible to jump into both for the cost and the the issues
I feel like they should take a page out of Webtoon's book!
DC has done a couple of webtoon series
Thank God for collected editions like TPB's, HC's and Omnis.
Full on reboot for every single main universe title, rental comics, online comic books, & a subscription service model (physical and/or digital)
Have Volumes come out a few months early and have different comics and volumes be sold in local walmart, Toys R us and indigo Book sections.
There also just needs to be more competition and options for comic book enthusiasts, period. Don't get me wrong, I love many of DC and Marvel's characters and stories to death, but there's also only so much appeal those stables can have before people just get tired of them and tune them out.
If I’m being honest, even if people start reading any solo series right now, the constant tie ins and crossover event will tire out both the person and their wallet. And you feel pressured to keep up to be able to read the ENTIRE story and eventually that stops being fun.
Skybound’s Transformers: let me introduce myself!
The big 2 really need to adopt the same model as Image. Tonnes of stories, but those stories are from one run (sometimes with spin-offs) and you don't actually need to read anything else to keep up with a single story. Take Invincible for example, you COULD read Invincible Universe and Guarding The Globe for additional content if you want, but it isn't actually necessary to read those in order to understand Invincible. The problem is though, Marvel and DC will never do that, they're so tied up with this idea of connected stories and universes that it would require them to completely rethink how they approach their books and that's probably never gonna happen
I got the DC app and it's one of the best decisions I've made but I'm also years behind on stories so I'm paying 7.99 a month to catch up on comics from the mid New 52 run to everything thats in rebirth. But to stay up-to-date DC and Marvel definitely need to figure out a new way because charging $4 a title and then forcing readers to get a random issue of a run they don't typically read to keep up with the story is a nasty business practice.