I think you mostly hit the nail on the head, and I do agree with you that comic companies always need to create new jumping-on points for readers. At the end of the day, they need to grow the readership, but I often find that the key to their success often lies in easy accessibility, having a strong creative vision, believing in that vision, and being able to carefully execute it. When those bases are covered, it shows in the quality of the overall product.
This is what I think is contributing to the success of both the Absolute and Ultimate lines at DC and Marvel. The new universe setting for both means it’s a complete fresh start, and readers (whether they’re new, casual, or longtime fans) can just come in without any prior knowledge of the stories that came before. The fact that these new versions of DC and Marvel characters are not replacing the more classic versions and their more iconic core mythologies also makes it easier for people to invest in these versions with open minds.
I think as long as you tell new stories without erasing and replacing what came before is key to avoiding backlash and seeing a significant drop in sales. I would argue it was the controversial decision to erase and replace characters and stories that people loved that ultimately doomed both the Crisis on Infinite Earths and New 52 reboots. What hurt both initiatives was cherry-picking what characters and stories ‘mattered more’ from the previous DC continuity, and which ones could be sacrificed and thrown out.
Erasure never sits well with long-time readers in particular and often alienates them. Even when the characters and stories they loved get reinstated into the main canon, they may not still get their expectations met because they no longer fit organically within the fabric of the main universe as it currently exists, or they get changed completely from what they know. This is the mistake that both the Absolute and Ultimate lines avoided, which is resulting in better reception, in addition to getting high-quality stories from amazing creators who are themselves invested in their projects.
I fear that insisting on creating a "shared universe" is exactly what prevents new readers to come on board. Look at manga: you pick up a title, you read that. That's it. Many potential readers don't feel like being forced to have to read multiple titles to even *understand* a single one they showed an interest into.
That is, IF we want to expand the reach beyond the usual direct market readers and give these potential new readers something easily manageable to read and collect when -for example- these story arcs are collected and sold in libraries.
Hi Scott, thanks for this! I liked your take on the approach to Absolutes/Ultimates. Are you suggesting maybe 'Seasons', similar to television? This way stories can be told but also buttoned up with a sense of competition. Wonder what you thought of that!
Absolute lines are definitely paradigm breaking. The Ultimate lines are building on what came before and taking it to new levels. You've piqued my interest in Energon.
As I mature, I am on the lookout for new engaging material. Humanoids publishing released a library of science fiction and space operas that bordered on the vignette of old in Asimov, Heinlein fashion.
Awesome points! I think it’s certainly important to have jumping on points for new readers. Comics and comic related properties really are having a moment right now- with the success of absolute DC, ultimate Marvel, Manga, Marvel Rivals, and invincible.
I feel like the more we can demystify canon, the more folks who read weekly manga or watch YouTube recaps will feel more inclined to check out comics directly. These characters have such deep and lasting appeal, it’s just about finding a clear and easy way for new readers to make the jump!
I genuinely appreciate you so much & all that you do. I stepped back from writing literary novels & such with the intent of trying to get into writing comic books professionally in 2024. 5 were published that year & 4 of those are still available. Besides that, I have 2 titles that I am trying to get out there. The biggest of which is my HELLFIRE series. To say that I feel like it will be a masterpiece would be understated - and while I say that I don't know how well that sells because so many people overestimate themselves that I think listeners are lost to the realization that some people can back it up. After all, I am a lyricist with 100+ songs written/recorded, and a literary author with 30+ books written/published to my credit.
Some comic book professionals - who've previously worked for Marvel & DC - have been pressing me to contact editors. I emailed Conroy & Breevort. My presumption though is that without a proper introduction - they'll not take the time to talk to someone who has yet to ping on their radar. I'm planning to pitch my HELLFIRE comics to a publisher when they're finished. Prior to that, I am considering doing a crowdfunding campaign with an exclusive variant or whatnot & see how that goes. Amid this, I have had some nay-saying. Doug TenNaple tells me that there are only 3 people with major selling power within indie comics - and both of them make substantial sales due to their presence on YouTube - not the content in their books, saying that unless someone joins up with one of these rival factions - they're sunk as an indie. He added that the only exception to them is Tim Lim's Kamen America series (Iconic Comics).
I came straight out of the gate saying that I'm not looking to build my own company per se, but to join up with others who can make things fly. Currently, the production of my HELLFIRE comics are underway. Issues 1-5 are flipbooks - with either HOLY GHOST EXORCIST or SMALLDOG as the comic on the back-side/reverse side. 30 total pages of comics, plus bonus material, and a short prose story after each - making each book about 48 total interior pages + 4 for the covers. There is also going to be a HELLFIRE ANNUAL 1. It's a 36-page story. I'm uncertain if I will make it a flipbook, etc. It follows directly after HELLFIRE 5. Anyway, all of that will be Season 1. If it makes enough money to substantiate doing more, I will. It ties into my fiction books too. I overthink everything, but I only know what I know. I know what is down the road - presuming that it makes it that far. I know what spinoffs there'd be, etc. Essentially, I can pretty much see all the way down to HELLFIRE #15.
I honestly feel like it might help me to have some folks who people trust blurb for it, but who? While the deck seems to be stacked against me, I'm not afraid to lose. In fact, I'd rather finish these & fight for a full year - putting them out that much later if I have to in order to do it right. I want them on store shelves & if publishers fail to prospectively make obscene amounts of money on these books that stand out like Watchmen did - only in a completely different way - then I'd be fine cutting a deal with a large comic shop with an internet presence, getting them translated into French & going one of those huge publishers or whatever.
History records that The Stray Cats & The Jimmy Hendrix Experience both had to move to the UK because the American Music Industry was too mindlessly stupid to realize their vast superiority. It was only after they made it there that like a bunch of idiot followers they hopped aboard. I just need to find people with the ability to see what I have in my hand. ...But then you know how it is.
I know that there'll be a myriad of awards this year for last year's comic books. In my opinion, any award show that doesn't honor Dan Jurgens' Batman: First Knight is either blind or stupid. It was perfect. All of it. The art, the writing, the shape, and structure, and tone. God knows that he's paid his dues. He's been DC since the 80s. I also thought that Wesley Dodds Sandman was so excellent that it made me fall in love with the Golden Age character.
So many people have been nice to me, but talk & actions are two different things. A certain - notable - pastor told me that I was one of the best speakers that he'd ever heard in his life, but that he'd never use me. My ministry has been lined with heartbreak. I wonder if some of it is just niceness & acting the way that one ought to act or what. It also strikes me as important to have a foundational relationship with the people you're working with - yet there is no editor within the comic book world who converses with me.
As someone who has jumped "all in" with both Absolute and Ultimate lines, I think you hit the nail on the head. But something I want to mention is that I think readers want to see their favorite creators doing wild, crazy stuff. Shit that can't be easily replicated in live action or animation. It really feels like everyone is taking a big swing on these titles, and people are loving it!
I think that you have two factors that are moderately in tension. The first is what causes a comic to initially sell. The second is what causes a comic to continue to sell over time.
I'll address the second one first. Comics continue to sell when you have the same creative team telling a good story. Comics are a subscription service irrespective of whether they are sold into the Direct Market, through an App, or on the mythical spinner rack. Ideally, even collected editions sold via book stores fit that model. It is certainly true of manga. The continuing quality of the story can be undermined by the need of strong titles to cross-sell with weaker titles via the dreaded Event. Even worse is the constant reversion to #1 issues. Worst of all is turn-over with the creators. Continuity of art is vastly under-rated as part of the value proposition to the customer.
You did a nice job delineating the factors that cause customers to make that initial purchase, but I think that you overlooked one critical factor. That would be how a Jumping On Point relates to prior familiarity with the character.
Very few Big Two superheroes are truly new to most readers anymore. They have all been adapted in one form, or another, in some medium. A Millennial superhero fan may have seen up to four different actors play the perennial B-lister Hawkman. Gen Z readers could be reliably expected to know that there have been multiple Blue Beetles from Batman: Brave and The Bold. Marvel has had its universe even more throughly mined.
While no one is going to read "Green Arrow ... Again", the highest probability reader has probably seen Stephen Amell AND Justin Hartley play the part. There are elements that they'd expect: blonde guy who was at least once rich and uses a bow & arrow. However, they need new stuff, too.
I guess what I feel like I've seen over the last 40 or so years is big initiatives whose excitement fades quickly. Like everybody was excited for the New 52 #1's - but the #2's, not so much. I certainly am just looking at it from the outside, but I think spreading these initiatives out might yield better results. I'll throw out the idea that there should be at least one new series being launched every month. Give them all an overarching theme or "All-In" type branding* but spread out the excitement over a longer period of time - make those buyers come in every month for a longer time, rather than just for 2-3 months.
*I have tried to talk to other people who work in Marketing about these "branded initiatives" and really I can't find anything else in consumerism to compare - where there's nothing necessarily materially different about the line of products, and they are all still being sold for the same price, but they all have a banner indicating that somehow a change has occurred, and it somehow tricks people into thinking that some change in quality has happened.
I think you mostly hit the nail on the head, and I do agree with you that comic companies always need to create new jumping-on points for readers. At the end of the day, they need to grow the readership, but I often find that the key to their success often lies in easy accessibility, having a strong creative vision, believing in that vision, and being able to carefully execute it. When those bases are covered, it shows in the quality of the overall product.
This is what I think is contributing to the success of both the Absolute and Ultimate lines at DC and Marvel. The new universe setting for both means it’s a complete fresh start, and readers (whether they’re new, casual, or longtime fans) can just come in without any prior knowledge of the stories that came before. The fact that these new versions of DC and Marvel characters are not replacing the more classic versions and their more iconic core mythologies also makes it easier for people to invest in these versions with open minds.
I think as long as you tell new stories without erasing and replacing what came before is key to avoiding backlash and seeing a significant drop in sales. I would argue it was the controversial decision to erase and replace characters and stories that people loved that ultimately doomed both the Crisis on Infinite Earths and New 52 reboots. What hurt both initiatives was cherry-picking what characters and stories ‘mattered more’ from the previous DC continuity, and which ones could be sacrificed and thrown out.
Erasure never sits well with long-time readers in particular and often alienates them. Even when the characters and stories they loved get reinstated into the main canon, they may not still get their expectations met because they no longer fit organically within the fabric of the main universe as it currently exists, or they get changed completely from what they know. This is the mistake that both the Absolute and Ultimate lines avoided, which is resulting in better reception, in addition to getting high-quality stories from amazing creators who are themselves invested in their projects.
I fear that insisting on creating a "shared universe" is exactly what prevents new readers to come on board. Look at manga: you pick up a title, you read that. That's it. Many potential readers don't feel like being forced to have to read multiple titles to even *understand* a single one they showed an interest into.
That is, IF we want to expand the reach beyond the usual direct market readers and give these potential new readers something easily manageable to read and collect when -for example- these story arcs are collected and sold in libraries.
Hi Scott, thanks for this! I liked your take on the approach to Absolutes/Ultimates. Are you suggesting maybe 'Seasons', similar to television? This way stories can be told but also buttoned up with a sense of competition. Wonder what you thought of that!
Absolute lines are definitely paradigm breaking. The Ultimate lines are building on what came before and taking it to new levels. You've piqued my interest in Energon.
As I mature, I am on the lookout for new engaging material. Humanoids publishing released a library of science fiction and space operas that bordered on the vignette of old in Asimov, Heinlein fashion.
Awesome points! I think it’s certainly important to have jumping on points for new readers. Comics and comic related properties really are having a moment right now- with the success of absolute DC, ultimate Marvel, Manga, Marvel Rivals, and invincible.
I feel like the more we can demystify canon, the more folks who read weekly manga or watch YouTube recaps will feel more inclined to check out comics directly. These characters have such deep and lasting appeal, it’s just about finding a clear and easy way for new readers to make the jump!
Excited for class Wednesday! Have a good one.
Scott,
I genuinely appreciate you so much & all that you do. I stepped back from writing literary novels & such with the intent of trying to get into writing comic books professionally in 2024. 5 were published that year & 4 of those are still available. Besides that, I have 2 titles that I am trying to get out there. The biggest of which is my HELLFIRE series. To say that I feel like it will be a masterpiece would be understated - and while I say that I don't know how well that sells because so many people overestimate themselves that I think listeners are lost to the realization that some people can back it up. After all, I am a lyricist with 100+ songs written/recorded, and a literary author with 30+ books written/published to my credit.
Some comic book professionals - who've previously worked for Marvel & DC - have been pressing me to contact editors. I emailed Conroy & Breevort. My presumption though is that without a proper introduction - they'll not take the time to talk to someone who has yet to ping on their radar. I'm planning to pitch my HELLFIRE comics to a publisher when they're finished. Prior to that, I am considering doing a crowdfunding campaign with an exclusive variant or whatnot & see how that goes. Amid this, I have had some nay-saying. Doug TenNaple tells me that there are only 3 people with major selling power within indie comics - and both of them make substantial sales due to their presence on YouTube - not the content in their books, saying that unless someone joins up with one of these rival factions - they're sunk as an indie. He added that the only exception to them is Tim Lim's Kamen America series (Iconic Comics).
I came straight out of the gate saying that I'm not looking to build my own company per se, but to join up with others who can make things fly. Currently, the production of my HELLFIRE comics are underway. Issues 1-5 are flipbooks - with either HOLY GHOST EXORCIST or SMALLDOG as the comic on the back-side/reverse side. 30 total pages of comics, plus bonus material, and a short prose story after each - making each book about 48 total interior pages + 4 for the covers. There is also going to be a HELLFIRE ANNUAL 1. It's a 36-page story. I'm uncertain if I will make it a flipbook, etc. It follows directly after HELLFIRE 5. Anyway, all of that will be Season 1. If it makes enough money to substantiate doing more, I will. It ties into my fiction books too. I overthink everything, but I only know what I know. I know what is down the road - presuming that it makes it that far. I know what spinoffs there'd be, etc. Essentially, I can pretty much see all the way down to HELLFIRE #15.
I honestly feel like it might help me to have some folks who people trust blurb for it, but who? While the deck seems to be stacked against me, I'm not afraid to lose. In fact, I'd rather finish these & fight for a full year - putting them out that much later if I have to in order to do it right. I want them on store shelves & if publishers fail to prospectively make obscene amounts of money on these books that stand out like Watchmen did - only in a completely different way - then I'd be fine cutting a deal with a large comic shop with an internet presence, getting them translated into French & going one of those huge publishers or whatever.
History records that The Stray Cats & The Jimmy Hendrix Experience both had to move to the UK because the American Music Industry was too mindlessly stupid to realize their vast superiority. It was only after they made it there that like a bunch of idiot followers they hopped aboard. I just need to find people with the ability to see what I have in my hand. ...But then you know how it is.
I know that there'll be a myriad of awards this year for last year's comic books. In my opinion, any award show that doesn't honor Dan Jurgens' Batman: First Knight is either blind or stupid. It was perfect. All of it. The art, the writing, the shape, and structure, and tone. God knows that he's paid his dues. He's been DC since the 80s. I also thought that Wesley Dodds Sandman was so excellent that it made me fall in love with the Golden Age character.
So many people have been nice to me, but talk & actions are two different things. A certain - notable - pastor told me that I was one of the best speakers that he'd ever heard in his life, but that he'd never use me. My ministry has been lined with heartbreak. I wonder if some of it is just niceness & acting the way that one ought to act or what. It also strikes me as important to have a foundational relationship with the people you're working with - yet there is no editor within the comic book world who converses with me.
Thanks for taking the time to read this...
B. L. Blankenship
As someone who has jumped "all in" with both Absolute and Ultimate lines, I think you hit the nail on the head. But something I want to mention is that I think readers want to see their favorite creators doing wild, crazy stuff. Shit that can't be easily replicated in live action or animation. It really feels like everyone is taking a big swing on these titles, and people are loving it!
I think that you have two factors that are moderately in tension. The first is what causes a comic to initially sell. The second is what causes a comic to continue to sell over time.
I'll address the second one first. Comics continue to sell when you have the same creative team telling a good story. Comics are a subscription service irrespective of whether they are sold into the Direct Market, through an App, or on the mythical spinner rack. Ideally, even collected editions sold via book stores fit that model. It is certainly true of manga. The continuing quality of the story can be undermined by the need of strong titles to cross-sell with weaker titles via the dreaded Event. Even worse is the constant reversion to #1 issues. Worst of all is turn-over with the creators. Continuity of art is vastly under-rated as part of the value proposition to the customer.
You did a nice job delineating the factors that cause customers to make that initial purchase, but I think that you overlooked one critical factor. That would be how a Jumping On Point relates to prior familiarity with the character.
Very few Big Two superheroes are truly new to most readers anymore. They have all been adapted in one form, or another, in some medium. A Millennial superhero fan may have seen up to four different actors play the perennial B-lister Hawkman. Gen Z readers could be reliably expected to know that there have been multiple Blue Beetles from Batman: Brave and The Bold. Marvel has had its universe even more throughly mined.
While no one is going to read "Green Arrow ... Again", the highest probability reader has probably seen Stephen Amell AND Justin Hartley play the part. There are elements that they'd expect: blonde guy who was at least once rich and uses a bow & arrow. However, they need new stuff, too.
I guess what I feel like I've seen over the last 40 or so years is big initiatives whose excitement fades quickly. Like everybody was excited for the New 52 #1's - but the #2's, not so much. I certainly am just looking at it from the outside, but I think spreading these initiatives out might yield better results. I'll throw out the idea that there should be at least one new series being launched every month. Give them all an overarching theme or "All-In" type branding* but spread out the excitement over a longer period of time - make those buyers come in every month for a longer time, rather than just for 2-3 months.
*I have tried to talk to other people who work in Marketing about these "branded initiatives" and really I can't find anything else in consumerism to compare - where there's nothing necessarily materially different about the line of products, and they are all still being sold for the same price, but they all have a banner indicating that somehow a change has occurred, and it somehow tricks people into thinking that some change in quality has happened.