If you own a comic book store or you are looking to get any type of return on your comic book “investments”, sell now.
The industry as we know it will be unrecognizable 5 years from now and not in a good way.
The readers of this blog aren’t dumb, you know that sales of any consumer goods have their peaks and valleys.
Look at Apple. 20 years ago you couldn’t give their stock away. The computers were priced very high and they were known as computers graphic designers used, not corporations. If you held on to your Apple stock, however, you are probably doing well on the investment.
Comic books are also hitting their peak right now. The movies are coming out, the cartoons are all over the place, DC has all but cornered the market on animated motion pictures, and product licensing is running rampant.
But don’t let it fool you, it’s already hit it’s peak....you’re now looking at the downside of the comic industry as we know it.
Why? It’s simple, really. The bean counters are running the show at the Big 2 and all they are interested in is the almighty dollar. The problem is no one appears to understand that it’s an industry that survives on originality and collectibility. Neither of which the Big 2 have sustained. Let’s look at some examples:
-The Fantastic Four franchise, the literal first family of comic books has been made a joke of in both comic books and the movies. Has anyone ever looked forward to a Fantastic Four movie once the first one proved to be just this side of mediocre? Does anyone even care if there is ever another Fantastic Four movie? How many more times will Marvel license out to a company that could care less what they do to the brand in production?
-The #1 of virtually any series anymore is rarely a #1. With DC and Marvel “resetting” their respective universes they are releasing a whole new series of #1 comics....again. How many more #1 X-People and Justice League of Whatever can there be? How many different uniforms, haircuts and power-sets can Superman have? How many times are we going to clone Peter Parker and reinvent the story behind Spider-Man? How many more of Batman’s family members can the Joker kill? It’s getting to be a joke (pun intended).
-It’s a matter of supply and demand. Many collectors will know exactly what Silver and Bronze Age comics to buy. The first appearance of Wolverine, Hulk, Thor...any of the classic characters really, is valuable for one reason: there just aren’t that many out there and even fewer that are in great condition! If there were still 5 million copies of the #1 Spider-Man, and they were all in Near Mint condition, it just wouldn’t have the same value. Today, the market is flooded with #1s and places like eBay make them easy to come by if you miss them in a store. Why do you think variants were introduced? Fewer of the variants makes them more valuable. But, trust me, the well is running dry. The desire to sell as many as possible makes current and future value remarkably bad.
-The lack of creativity is maddening. I know people who have stopped reading Marvel comics because of the blatant money grabbing involved with Secret Wars. Seriously, how many different comic storylines can one series have? I also know people who have stopped reading DC because of the lackluster ending to Convergence. I know I’ve mentioned this in other blogs, but changing a character’s sex or race or religion does not count as creativity. So, what do you have to look forward to as a Marvel fan? Will Iron Man design his 1,916th armor? Maybe one that has a Coke machine built-in for mid-fight refreshment? If you’re a DC fan are you anticipating yet another Justice League, maybe Justice League Geriatric for the older heroes? I will give credit where credit is due, Telos, Secret Six and New Suicide Squad by DC are fantastic, so kudos to DC for at least trying to make something different (yes, I know that Suicide Squad and Secret Six have been out many times before, but there are differences with the new ones and they are outstanding). And, seriously, if I read another interview with “creators” who say they are doing something “new”, I ’m going to scream.
-Last is product licensing. What product can you buy today that doesn’t have some sort of comic book hero twist? Build-a-Bear has a superhero line of teddy bears. You can get toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, bubble bath, and any other type of hygiene products with some superhero or another. Listen, I’m not complaining. I love superheroes all over my house, but talk about diluting your brand! My son even has Avengers Cereal in our pantry. Do you know there are a number of sports stars that limit the number of autographs they give out or jerseys sold? It keeps them valuable. It keeps people looking for them and paying good money for them.
Please don’t get me wrong, I have been a collector for 45 years and still look for Superman stuff to put around the house, but if you are looking to make money on your comic book stuff....sell it...like right now.
But I digress...
So, who will win in the end? Company’s like Image. Company’s that come out with new creations often and allow their creators to keep the rights to their creations. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Image become the top comic company in the next 5 - 10 years. Although The Walking Dead has been commercialized, it hasn’t been overdone.
Would I like to see an Autumnlands: Tooth and Claw movie? Absolutely! Do I want the characters on a band-aid, not so much.
Would I like to see an Autumnlands: Tooth and Claw movie? Absolutely! Do I want the characters on a band-aid, not so much.
Place your bets on the future of the “heir apparent” Image Comics. It’s where my money is.
Disclaimer: I do not work for, nor do I own any part of Image Comics. This is my opinion only and does not, but should, represent the opinion of a majority of the planet.
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