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Are Marvel & DC Comics Really Close to Failing?
If you read the headlines, you might firmly believe that the comic book industry is in a state of total, imminent crisis. Back in 2017, a "Meet the Publishers" panel at San Diego Comic-Con kicked off a storm when the heads of DC Comics states an intention to "stop the collapse of the comic book industry." DC eventually insisted it was something of a misquote, but the sentiment created a very real sense that all is not well in the comic book world. At a time when comic book adaptations are bigger than ever... public interest in the actual comics seems to be waning.
More recently, veteran retailer Brian Hibbs presented a barnstorming "State of the Industry" address at the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting, confirming that comic book retailers do indeed seem to be in decline. By his estimate, up to 10% of stores in the United States have closed over the last year. Needless to say, Hibbs' warnings of watching the entire industry "crumble away" have given rise to a flurry of new speculation online, questioning the health of the Direct Market complete with exaggerated claims that DC Comics is about to be shut down, and Disney is killing Marvel Comics, too. Suffice to say, these rumors are completely unfounded.
But just how bad are things in the comic book industry? Is this all just a storm in a teacup, or is it really a matter of Heroes in Crisis? It's not an easy question to grasp for casual fans, so let's take a look at the evidence, and then examine just what publishers are doing to correct the problems.
The problems in the Direct Market are, realistically, being worsened by the publishers; they're taking short-term strategies that are designed to give a brief boost in monthly sales, at the expense of building an actual ongoing relationship with the readers. Sadly, retailers identify Marvel Comics as a particular problem. Just as in the '90s, many of Marvel's sales are driven by variant covers, often at an exaggerated price. Brian Hibbs gave an excellent example, in the upcoming "War of the Realms" event.
In truth, the comic book industry isn't really in a crisis; it's more that it's undergoing a period of dramatic disruption, with both the publishers and the retailers struggling to work out how best to operate in the modern world. That doesn't mean the comic book publishers are in any danger of going bust; reports that Disney and Warner Bros. are considering shutting down Marvel and DC Comics are complete nonsense, with no supporting evidence behind them at all. Rather, it means that they're going to need to experiment, and deviate from the traditional Direct Market model. DC Comics feel to be the trailblazer right now, but even they haven't quite cracked it. Whoever works out the right approach first will surely become the market leader.
But there will inevitably be real consequences for comic book shops. If the publishers find a new model that works more effectively in the present, it's likely to become their main sales channel going forward. This will increase the pressure on retailers, who again will need to either adapt... or close up shop. What will the future hold if and when that happens? Well, readers will have to wait to cross that bridge.
Rob Liefeld Predicts the Collapse of DC Comics Soon
Superstar artist Rob Liefeld is the creator of Deadpool and Major X as well as the star of the internet sensation Rob Liefeld’s Cameo Videos, and now he is predicting the death of DC Comics in the near future. Liefeld took to Twitter to predict that the company will “drive off a cliff real soon,” an event for which Liefeld needs popcorn to observe.
DC has also been making adjustments to its sales strategy lately, cutting back both on the collected editions they publish and the monthly comics they put out. The strategy on comics sales has seemingly paid off for DC, with the company neck-and-neck with Marvel in total units sold in the recent sales charts, though Marvel handily wins dollar share thanks to the high price of their comics. Units sold per title at DC easily beat the units sold per title at Marvel.
#dccomics #marvelcomics #comicsdying
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