There are no spoilers in the following.
A few years ago, I walked into my office on a Wednesday morning, and Will, a co-worker who doesn't read comics, said to me, "I can't believe about Captain America."
"What?"
Then it became clear that all over CNN, Fox News, the internet, etc., was the death of Captain America. I'm sure you remember it. At the time, Captain America was probably my favorite Marvel title, and no one really saw it coming. I was a little annoyed, but hey, comics need the press any way they can get it, right?
Cut to today, and sales have slipped a whole bunch, and it's time for a new death. At this point, comic book deaths are the currency of mainstream exposure. Announce way ahead of time that some long time beloved character is going down, and then make it so. What can you do? Comics need eyeballs, and this is one way to get them.
Today is Tuesday, and new comics, including Fantastic Four #587, come out tomorrow. Actually, the FF issue is out a day early in some shops. This morning, the news is everywhere, including my own website. We warn you prodigiously, but honestly, if you make it through today without being spoiled, you've done something amazing. Granted, there are only a handful of people actually reading Fantastic Four in issues who this affects, but their experience is entirely tainted. In real life, if there's a death, it comes as a surprise. You never see it coming. That's what death is all about. It should function that way in fiction too. In fact, it should be more so in fiction. A character death, especially a legacy character should be about surprising the readers, who never saw it coming. But now it's like watching an M. Night Shymalan movie. You know there's a twist coming, and when you know that, it's mostly ruined.
The writers will tell you that they are only interested in telling a real and organic story, and the chances are that that's exactly what they set out to do. But somewhere along the line, marketing comes along and sees an opportunity, and there's no doubt that there's real value in that, but it comes at the expense of the story, which is why people are reading these comics in the first place. Take out that shock, and take out that twist, and now, they even tell you who and what it's going to be ahead of time, so what's the point? Thankfully, my favorite comics tend to be those that exist under the radar enough that, unless I'm looking for it, I'm going to get a good story experience, the way it was intended, the way it works best.
At the same time, being part of the comics industry, I can't expect the same sort of organic experience that most readers can. Today, in my inbox, I got an email from Marvel, the subject line of which told me who's going to buy the farm in Fantastic Four. I didn't have a chance. Luckily, it doesn't really make any difference to me, but this is a clear case where the publisher isn't really in it for the story. They're in it for the spectacle. Personally, as a reader, which is really what I still am, I think that's completely awful. I understand it. It's their business to run as they see fit, but it's completely awful.
And yet, we're running the story here. We have to. I wouldn't suggest otherwise. It's the climate we live in, and business we truck in. We try to warn the crap out of you, and stay sensitive to the readers who care, but comics have lost something in addition to thousands of readers, and it's a little bit discouraging. With the way Previews works, the internet, and 3-months-prior solicitations, publishers have to work hard to deliver an experience for the reader that is still fresh and stimulating, but just like movie trailers that now included beats from all 3 acts of the film it's "teasing", comics themselves deliver just a little less bang for anyone who's been paying the slightest amount of attention.
I guess I'm just lucky that the news media doesn't give a rip about what's happening to Dash Bad Horse in the next issue of Scalped.
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Josh, I got the exact same email. RIGHT IN THE EMAIL HEADER! I was avoiding all that until I headed to the comic store today, but now that experience has been ruined.
Amen to that Scalped comic. It just seems so odd, I mean on shows like ER we always kinda knew when something big was going to happen based on the promos, but you would never have an episode spoiled for you by the Boston Globe the day before it aired.
I probably won’t be able to get to the shop until next weekend, and right now I am thankful not to be on Marvel’s e-mail list. I am enjoying this run of Fantastic Four in issues, and I hope to not be spoiled on this, unlike Cap, Batman, Superman, etc.
Mark Millar needs to write a sequel to 1985 and call it 2015: Kill Marvel on some character-based metatextual revenge tip.
Here’s the solicit:
Tired of being fodder for whims of businessmen, the greatest Marvel heroes have banded together against their ultimate enemy. Not Magneto. Not Galactus. Marvel comics.
@RoiVampire ER didn’t need to reveal the plot to get viewers. They already had them. Comics have to give it all up to get eyeballs.
They’re not even in it for the spectacle, IMO–but rather the bump in sales.
I had a friend who spoiled it in the worst way … told me it was someone that it wasn’t, and wouldn’t tell me they were joking … so I went to read the commentaries … oh well … couldn’t have lasted until the month-end DCBS shipment anyway …
I get my comics once a month from DCBS, so I won’t be reading this issue of FF until mid-February. If I can avoid spoilers until then, I’ll consider it a miracle. At least I don’t have it as bad as my friends who are really into sports. They get the outcome of games they haven’t watched yet ruined for them by Facebook updates. That hasn’t happened to me yet with comics. For the most part, I’ve given up on not knowing what’s going to happen in comics before I get (most) of them, because of my need to rely on Previews to order what I want from DCBS. I try to avoid reading the captions for titles I know I’m going to get every month (Ultimate Spider-Man for example), but for other titles that I may want to try out, I sometimes have no choice.
@Josh: I have to say that even though you guys warn people about spoilers at the beginning of the POTW podcasts, you never really go out the way to spoil most books. You guys are very adept at describing what’s good or bad about an issue and its story without always giving everything away. I feel satisfied that even after you talk about an issue, when I finally get it, the experience is still fresh to me. Maybe it’s just the fact that if a comic is well-written, you can still enjoy it even if you know how it ends. Those are usually the ones worth re-reading in my opinion.
@josh Do you think anyone is going to run out to the store to buy this issue of Fantastic Four? This isn’t 1994 anymore.
However, if this was day and date digital (D&DD) I could see a download spike. That may be the (only?) place to reach new readers.
Is this really going to move units? I can’t picture a guy who doesn’t already read comics seeing this news and thinking, “Hey, I liked Chris Evans in that movie. Say, isn’t there a comic shop on the way home from work?… Hmm….” Even a lapsed comic reader sees this wire story and thinks, “Yep! That’s why I quit.” Right? Or is this another case of me wildly misunderstanding humans?
@Jimski @Thursday It’s worked in the past, and they’re going to keep trying until it doesn’t.
Maybe it will get people who don’t buy comics who think this one may be worth something later on to buy it. That’s the only thing I can think of.
Ask the comic store owners whether they get people in just for the death of major character issues and I bet they will tell you they do.
@Jimski @josh And fraknly, if it really does work, good for them. But man if it doesn’t seem desperate.
I LOVE the way Mr. Kirkman does his Walking Dead previews, but the system we use now (very advanced preorders) rewards relatively detailed previews and spoilers.
Just to highlight the effect this can have: This week’s issue of FF (F3?) is the second most pulled book on the site. The last issue of the arc before this one was the sixth most pulled. (Part of that may be a competition issue, but probably not all of it.)
I also miss the surprise – the death of Captain America (SPOILER?) came completely out of left field. Just think how many more units Marvel would sell if they didn’t splash it all over the place for the last six or seven months (yes – it’s been that long). Captain America 25 sold so much because it was a shock (plus a good story). Now, with FF (also a good story), it’s just “Oh, this will be undone by next year.”
Have to go Internet dark until Friday – I just know I’m going have it spoiled for me before then.
@josh True but it was the first show i thought of that had a lot of deaths. Let’s say if someone were going to die on community, chances are i wouldn’t see the spoiler in the paper until the morning after the episode appeared.
I really wanted to be surprised by this, however, with the media picking up on it, a couple of my friends who don’t read comics assumed I already had read the issue because it was being reported by the mainstream media and it was ruined for me. I’m still looking forward to picking it up and reading it tomorrow, but some of the thrill is gone now.
@cubman987 I told everyone that is going to see me today or tomorrow that it was happening but i didn’t wanna know the spoilers. not checking twitter or facebook until tomorrow when i get the issue
I’m with @Josh on using this to move units. There’s no doubt that it will.
When Cap died, granted I wasn’t around a comic shop for Superman, but things got nasty around where I lived. There are two shops pretty much next to each other. When a friend of mine asked if I could snag the issue for him, I went to both. One said they would get me both covers at cover price, but it was a gamble if they would have them for me. The other was selling them for 15 bucks a pop right there and then.
To make matters worse the second shop, who was selling them for an outrageous price, said that the first shop pulled all of their books from the shelf and some people’s boxes to sell them online for even more. Shockingly they made said claim as they pulled an issue from someone’s box so that I could purchase a copy for my buddy, who was willing to pay up.
The end result of the rumors led to the first shop no longer recommending the second to customers who are looking for something. They now direct them to another shop that’s 10-20 minutes away. I also heard that the owner of the second shop got a box for the first store in his shipment recently. When the guy came to pick it up he met him at the door LOCKING it behind him. All of which I find a little crazy.
The way the big two handle “deaths” by screaming it from the mountain tops months in advance, to me is one of the worst things about comics. Coming soon, “The Death of Spider-Man” & “The Death of Oracle.” And that’s just currently. I agree with everything Josh said in this article. At least we won’t ever read articles titled, “Rick dies in next month’s Walking Dead!”
And I know that some people don’t care. Ron is always defending the industry with his “It’s about seeing how they tell the story” logic. But I read for the story itself. And part of reading a story is experiencing it as it happens. It’s no different from a movie or tv series. I’m currently watching a popular Showtime series that I’m a couple seasons behind on. I had a rather big character death spoiled for me by a friend. It’s totally changed the way I view that character. And when the death comes, it will have little to no shock value or resonance. I’ve been expecting it for ages now.
It’s just sad that DC and Marvel have to go about it so deperately. “Hey everyone!!! Look at what we did!!! Crazy, eh?!” Just to get a bunch of internet and news media headlines for a day, people to go, “Hmm”, and go back about their business. Ruining the experience for the actual readers who buy their product year round. It’s like screwing over your friends, just to be able to hang out with a hot girl for one night. A hot girl who has zero interest in you other than you buying her drinks.
@RoiVampire Yeah it just never crossed my mind to tell any of my friends this since most of them usually don’t care about that kind of thing, but they were just interested in my reaction since they know I love FF….oh well, it was who I expected it to be anyways.
@cubman987 I even told all my coworkers, not taking any chances today
The spectacle is the WHO, and that’s how you get people guessing, get them involved, build buzz. Marvel’s in it to sell books. If they can build buzz with a mystery of WHO, I don’t really begrudge them that.
This never bothers me because the who is never really the STORY. It’s just a plot point. The How and the Why, that’s the story. And then my favorite part, the What Comes Next. None of that is really spoiled by knowing who.
Honestly, I’m mostly interested in the ramifications. It’s not hard to write a story where someone dies. But what the survivors do, how they act, how it changes them, and what they do next? That’s really meaty stuff when done well. 🙂
@jmstump : A LCS in Denver actually limits the number of FCBD comics you can pick up in store now … so they can turn around and sell them to online customers. Lots of good it’s doing them … I just get my FCBD comics from DCBS now … Now they’ll lose the $40-$50 I would have spent on trades and in the quarter bin had I gone into the shop. I suppose they make it up in online sales.
And the funny thing is … I get the idea of limiting the number of FCBD comics per customer because that means there are more to go around for everyone who comes into the store … but to do it so you can sell them for a profit doesn’t seem right to me.
It’s interesting, the end of BD #18 vs this FF announcement. i loved the end to that BD issue, and with the FF issue i spoiled myself so i didn’t have to look around the corner or under the bed for the spoiler monster. knowing the pay day was coming with FF made my reading of this series me anxious to get it over an done with. But I am more interested in the next steps as @daccampo says.
@daccampo : I beg to disagree … it is spoiled when you don’t really want to know anything about an issue until your DCBS shipment comes at the end of the month … And some yutz drops a comment on your Facebook page or on Twitter … or in a comment on an ifanboy article with a header that says “There are no spoilers in the following.” … etc. etc.
I agree with you about the how and the why … but I stopped reading solicits and listening to some podcasts so that I wouldn’t know what happens in my books until I actually read them.
It’s been almost 19 yrs since the death of Superman but when that bomb dropped DC did a good job keeping the marginally interested along for the ride. Times certainly have ‘a-changed’ since then but the tactics from these big publishers haven’t. I guess that bothers me more than anything.
Hickman’s run on FF has been a lot of fun. Hopefully this “stunt” will draw more readers to his story.
@mikespit12000 : I thought it was H.E.R.B.I.E.
The age of the spoiler won’t end. I had the final Harry Potter book spoiled by someone on youtube who went on to hundreds of videos and posted a list of deaths in the comments section, page numbers and all. Just to be a douche. If the ‘net and news stop doing it, somebody will do it just to be an ass.
Can anybody vouch for the quality of the Three storyline? Or indeed, all of Hickman’s run? FF is never a book I’ve had much interest in, is it worth picking up?
@cahubble09 I was probably in one of those stores last FCBD. I agree with you on limiting to make sure everyone gets some, but to turn around and sell them seems dirty.
@Selfstyler: “douche” … that is a good word for it. I am of the opinion that I should have just shut down all contact with the outside world if I really didn’t want to know.
@ifanboy: thanks for removing the yutzy comments … hopefully some readers won’t have the fun of the surprise spoiled …
I saw that “Fantastic Four” was trending on Twitter, so I idly checked it out, and I was gobsmacked by how many clowns just tweeted the spoiler right then and there to all and sundry. Not just your everyday clowns, either. The New York Daily News, for crying out loud.
I mean, if nothing else, tease it to get the clickthrough. Basic marketing, people.
@Jimski Doesn’t make a difference to them, and the comic audience is literally insignificant.
@cahubble09 Well, you’re not really disagreeing with me. 😉 I’m not arguing that the “who” isn’t spoiled — that’s inarguable; clearly that element has been spoiled. I’m only offering my opinion that for ME, the who is the LEAST important aspect. So it doesn’t bother me when it’s spoiled.
Josh, if I could give you a hug right now, I would. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
@Josh I find it funny that you criticize Marvel for the “spectacle” but you say it’s there business and they can run it as they see fit, but later on you say that you have to run the story because it’s the “business you truck in.”
It’s ok for ifanboy to capitalize on the page views that this “spectacle” generates because it’s the “business you truck in”, but not Marvel because they are not in it for the story, but rather the spectacle. Just like ifanboy, Marvel needs to turn a profit. I don’t begrudge them for doing this, and like @daccampo said the story isn’t the who; it’s the how, and the why.
@RocketRacoon I frequent iFanboy because of the major comic book news websites, it’s the least spoiler-y and least press junket-y. That being said, having a dedicated place where members here can talk about the news is a good idea, because it keeps other posts (like this one) from getting inevitably hijacked.
@Thursday That bold should have been on news. Time for another coffee break!
I don’t like whoring. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but that’s exactly what this seems to be. Marvel is whoring themselves out for a little publicity. I can’t say this doesn’t always bring in new readers, because I started reading comics when Superman died, though that was announced a long time ahead of the actual event. I think that what needs to be discussed is the diminishing returns and how this is not attracting new readers.
I only started reading this book because I like Hickman so much. I haven’t read the issue and am in total black out (PS thanks for removing any potential spoilers) but I’m not sure it made a whole lot of sense to kill off one of the FF so early on into the run. I can only hope that this is what Hickman had planned from the beginning and that this wasn’t some sort of editorial decree. I am excited to read it and because I am the reason that comics sucked in the 90’s, I am buying two copies, one to read and one to keep sealed.
Skipping all the comments here in case the death is spoiled. I tried to find the issue at my LCS today, but they refused to sell it early! I even told the owner that Marvel was allowing the issue to be sold early and that the publicity over the death was out there, but she wouldn’t budge.
I appreciate the effort to keep us unspoiled here. I think I’m going to stay away until I can get to the store tomorrow morning.
Like i mentioned in the FF thread…my LCS bagged and boarded all their issues and marked them up to $14.95….and my LCS guy got pissy when i told him i was gonna get my copy somewhere else. HMPH!
Gimmicks suck, but like josh said, comics need eyeballs. Its a fineline. But at this point, we all know death’s aren’t permanent and its just really an excuse for a mini event and then an after resurrection mini event. It sells so i guess its good. I dunno..i just hate the hype and the excuse to overcharge.
So far so good. Skipping comments, avoiding facebook, twitter, and most of my websites till my DCBS shipment comes Friday. Its been tough though. Its a bummer that people are actually excited to spoil a story for others. “Fuck your reading enjoyment! I want the WORLD to know how big of a douche I am!” Fuck you spoilers. I’m gonna win this time.
@wallythegreenmonster – $14.95?! That’s ridiculous. You got every right to take your business elsewhere.
As for the book and the big death itself. I read the book. Not going to spoil anything at all, so fear not. Just as I said before, the death ended up meaning absolutely nothing to me when it happened. Obviously, I was waiting for it. But not just that, I had it pegged at least halfway into the book. Going in, knowing someone was going to die, I was on full alert from page one. One by one, each character’s situation ruled them out. Then you just knew what was coming.
As for DAccampo saying that it’s not about the who, but the why and how. Yeah, I’ll agree. That is what they have made it about. But I won’t agree that it is how it should be. It’s not a matter of one or two aspects outweighting another. ALL of them factor in for good storytelling. Character deaths in all forms of storytelling were created for a reason. To elicit an emotional, most times shocking, reaction. You don’t just needlessly kill of a character for no reason. You do so a sacrifice. One of the biggest things gain in exchange in most forms of storytelling is the surprise and shock factor. This is 100% not the case in comics. The big two have thrown this aspect of their storytelling in the trash. All in exchange for attention from people who at the end of the day don’t care one bit. The one thing I will agree with you though, is that pretty much the only positive of killing off a character from a storytelling and narrative standpoint is the aftermath. Captain America and Batman were mainly killed off to get mass media attention (and in turn 5 new readers). But in terms of comic book fans, the only thing gained is a status quo change. I agree that it is a neat, interesting thing to introduce to a book or story. But by no means does it have to be the only benefit of killing off a character.
@j206 Well, but… Batman’s death led to a HUGE set of stories that sprawled out over several years. Supeman’s death did as well. So did Cap’s death. Now you can argue that those stories are not well-told, but that’s a different issue. They didn’t “kill of a character for no reason.” There was always a storyline in place, even if the initial idea was proposed by editorial or anyone higher up the food chain. I think people are being a little harsh on DC/Marvel editorial. The writer/creative team/editorial staff have a vision for how it’s going to go. THEN the idea of DEATH as a buzz building tactic is seized upon by Marketing, whose job it is to get people talking and buying.
So I don’t think Marvel or DC are throwing storytelling in the trash. I think they’re strategically letting ONE plot point (the WHO) escape in order to build interest and sales, while maintaining a strong core story that allows you all the other elements. I mean, Hickman’s been working toward this for a year and a half, right? And his plans extend on from here. So I think it’s pretty clear that, whether well executed or poorly executed, this is just part of a much larger story that’s not just about who dies.
@daccampo – No, I was agreeing with that sentiment. The aftermath aspect is the only good to come from deaths. The death itself is totally meaningless. The only good is the new status quo that is built. But even with that in mind, I can’t shake the feeling of it being a writer making the best of a bad situation.
Also, I disagree with people saying that all they are giving away is the WHO. It’s not just the who. It’s giving away the entire plot device of killing off a character. It’s not that I don’t know who’s dying that makes a death impactful. It’s not expecting a death in the first place. The whole point of deaths in stories for the most part is that they catch the viewer/reader off guard. When you take that aspect away, it’s beyond anti-climatic.
@RocketRacoon: Chris Neeseman made a great comment about this on the 11 o’clock Comics podcast recently in regards to comics journalism in general. Basically boils down to: if you want to make money as a website, you’ve got to sell ads. To sell ads, you’ve got to generate page hits. To generate page hits, you’ve got to give people what they want. Like it or not, news of a big character death is what people want. Conor’s piece was good, and he is also an FF fan with a website at his disposal so…yeah, it’s going to come up. In other words, don’t hate the players, hate the game.
Spoiled this morning by Brian Brushwood on twitter….I was pissed, but I can forgive.
@Jimski I would say the predominate reasons it sells more is half people who don’t understand speculation properly (“#*)@ dies in this? It’s going to be worth so much money!”) and half people who just… have some sort of weird scrapbooking type need to document everything. Like my mom who has every state quarter and who bought all of us kids our own copy of the Princess Diana Tribute issue of People. This weird idea that even though you care nothing about comics and only marginally about the characters in a vague sense, that this event MUST be cataloged.
I never would’ve figured it out before, but for Batman’s death (which was significantly less publicized) I remember being grateful I had a pull, because the issue had sold out. Some guy came in while I was still in the shop wanting to buy “the one where batman dies”. So there you have it. It works, but I’m sure, on the other hand, that the longterm benefit is very slight.
@BC1 I don’t disagree with you. My point is that Marvel is doing the same thing; generating interest in their book. Simply there’s no reason to bemoan the fact when the very spectacle Josh is complaining about is generating page views for the site. In essence, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
@j206 Okay, I’ll admit you’re right about that. TODAY’S SPOILER only gave away the WHO. The whole “One Will Die” campaign had already given away that someone would die — which means that you’re going into it looking for the death. Expecting the death. So you’re right that the overall campaign does give away more than the “who”, it also gives away the “what” (i.e. a big plot point in the story).
But then again, that’s just an exaggerated version of, for example, that old John Byrne Alpha Flight cover that announced “One of these characters will die!” In that case, you immediately want to read the book to see if it’s true and who it is. Same thing with FF — it’s just dragged out over months. because it’s announced at a) the start of a storyline and b) in advance of the solicitations 😉
TV does it, too. Think about the difference of, say, Battlestar Galactica ads at the end of the second-to-last season that tease what’s coming and what will be answered in the final season. And then TV ads that run before each EPISODE of the final season that give you a little more information, teasing stuff like “and tonight, the final five revealed!” (Or whatever — don’t hold me exactly to this example. I’m sure you get the gist. 😉 ) In each case, they’re telling you something to get you excited about the story, but they’re also technically spoiling you by telling you a little of what you can expect to happen.
I’m on my way back overseas and won’t get my issue until June. I wonder if I should bother trying to go spoiler free for 4 months or just give in right now.
@kmob181 LOL … and I was moping about having it spoiled when I only needed to wait until the end of the month …
@daccampo – Yeah, tv does it too. But in most cases, it’s the networks and their desperation that do so. Same with some movie trialers. The tv networks and movie studios are so desperate for people to watch their stuff, that they blow the story. I myself, am at the point where I no longer watch “next week on…” tv promos, and don’t watch a ton of movie trailers anymore.
The fact of the matter is that tv writers and movie directors have no say in the way the networks and studios (who care zero for the craft. just want #’s) shamelessly and desperately promote their work. I’ve read more than a few tv scribes and film directors complain about their plot or key scene being ruined by ad wizards.
So I guess my point is that the comic book publishers are no different than tv networks or movie studios. We generally tend to romanticize the partnership between the creative and business side of comic book making. But truth of the matter is that they’re no different. I highly doubt the creative people care for this sort of marketing in terms of what it does to their ability to tell a story or surprise readers. And I’m sure marketing could care less about such concerns.
It’s the exact same thing as NBC desperately wanting you to watch Heroes next week by screaming at you “SOMEBODY DIES NEXT WEEK!” And for myself, both cases hamper my enjoyment. It sucks, and I wish it would go away. But in today’s crowded entertainment marketplace, it’s how the game is played, sadly.
I was going to try going till monday without spoiling but someone posted it on facebook (someone who doesn’t read the book, grr) and I looked at my newsfeed.
@D Yup. same thing happened to me on Facebook… My local radio station posted the spoiler right in the title of their post. There was no avoiding it!
To me, comic book deaths from big DC or Marvel books don’t matter. It all seems to be a gimmick sooner or later. How many times have you seen plots and deaths get retconned or just ignored?
I bought into the whole Batman death thing. I even got a few of the issues where characters were mourning him, but it all feels pointless now that he’s back.
I dunno, I’d be much more interested if some main character in Invincible or The Walking Dead died, mostly because I know that they aren’t going to come back in a few months.
People talk about the fact that it gets mainstream media and people who don’t read comics talking about them. WHOOPDIDOO!!
Other than helping comic book sites get some extra hits, what else is accomplished by this? Your random friend who says to you, “So I heard they killed one of the Fantastic 4?” isn’t going to suddenly start reading ‘silly’ comic books now because of this. People like paying attention and taking notice the same way they do with any other headline on the internet. The news media wants people to click their links, so they make things sound a big deal. And the average person online is curious enough to pay notice.
I’ve read headlines about Jersey Shore going to Italy. Congrats MTV, you made me aware of this happening. Still not going to watch your show. And it’s much more the case when people read that a comic book character died.
It’s cool if you’re concerned with making it so random people who don’t care about your product remember that you exist. Other than that, you’re not really drumming up extra business or bringing in new customers.
@j206 Good point
@wallythegreenmonster That would be my last visit to that store.
Good article, Josh.
@j206 Yeah you’re not going to watch Jersey Shore, but that doesn’t mean that thousands of other people aren’t going to tune in after seeing a headline. The same might be true of this comic
There’s nothing wrong with generating buzz. The only guaranteed way for comics not to grow is to just go about business as usual.
@j206 I started reading comics after the whole Civil War Spider-man unmasking; guess it happens once in a while.
@cutty – My Jersey Shore analogy wasn’t meant to be equal in terms of the likelihood of people being swayed by the press. In those terms, the analogy doesn’t work. I was comparing how little interest I have in Jersey Shore to how 99% of the population feel about comic books.
@RocketRaccon – Really? That was the primary reason you started to read comic books? If so, cool. Still by far the minority in this case.
The whole thing was bullshit. Sorry but that’s what it was. Marvel cares more for being media whores than respecing the readership who’s supposrted it for decades. The lame movies they allow to be made of our characters proved that years ago.
When this hit, and that started on MONDAY night, I turned off my computer and didn’t look at any news or listen to anything on the radio but the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack and Kirby Krackle so I wouldn’t have this spoiled.
It pisses me off that, as a reader of this series for YEARS that it’s more important to Marvel to get a cheap pop from a media that doesn’t give a damn about us or our comics than it is to keep up happy enough to keep giving them out $3 and $4 dollars for these comics.
Well, I’ve pretty much dropped most of my Marvel ongoings. I won’t be following FF when it starts and when Fantastic Four #600 comes out next year chances are good that I won’t be coming back to it. I’ll get the fake final issue, my 99th consecutive issue, and that’s it. I’ve already informed my LCS to stop pulling it as well as Deadpool, Avengers and Thor.
After supporting Marvel for 20 years it feels like walking in on your wife having sex with the man who introduced you to her.
Marvel: YOUR Universe…unless we can get cheap publicity then screw you.
@Zarathos81 You might be taking this too personally. If they could survive on the business of current readers for the next 50 years, they’d probably cater to what you want specifically; I think they’d much rather do it that way actually – just concentrate on telling good stories and not worry about profits, or stockholders, or staying employed, or anything else that gets in the way.
…at least you dropped Deadpool, so some good came out of it 🙂
@Zarathos81: Don’t forget to replace your avatar.
Keeping spoilers out of the thread.
That took a long time to type…
The thing thats annoying me most about this current Fantastic Four media event is that i can’t find a copy of this issue ANYWHERE. 4+ shops, no one got any extra issues for the store. I’ve been reading the story for months, and now i just want to see what happens but i can’t. Usually i can find the most recent 5 or 6 issues at any shop in town, and i still can, except for this polybagged madness. Are people going all 90s buying 5 copies at a time? Oh well. So whats the point of creating an event for speculators and making it hard for readers to enjoy?
I will not be defeated. On the plus side, i’m still relatively spoiler free!
@wallythegreenmonster The point is to sell a lot more copies than they normally would.
@conor –yeah i khow…just annoyed. I do wonder if people are buying it cause of the hype…if so i wonder how much they get out of it its the first FF issue they’ve picked up? its all craziness.