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Sunday, February 27, 2005
Comics of the Future
The internet is used more and more to hype books through creators making themselves known and fan reactions to controversy. Identity Crisis was reviled by many but you can't deny that the on-line reaction is what helped sales (and DC is hoping that sells the spin-off books as well). If something makes a big splash on-line, human curiosity will drive people to pick up a title they would not have otherwise been purchased. There were many people who followed IC and Avengers Dissembled purely through the reactions found on blogs, news sites and message boards.
The question then is, why doesn't a smart publishers save some money by coming out with a comic that is all on-line reaction?
The book will be "plotted" and "drawn" by John Byrne, with "scripting" by Mark Millar. Before it's "release" there will be vague interviews done for Newsarama and The Pulse hinting at big changes to beloved characters and "a whole new way at looking at superhero justice...for a more complex world." Rich Johnston will have spoilers for the book concerning which female superhero dies and comes back as a cyborg floozy. All this leads up to the first issue of the book. That first issue, by the way, will not exist.
See, there's no point in spending money on paper or staples when you can just raise the consciences of the creators, characters and companies with internet fan reaction. A press release will be sent to the above mentioned news outlets crowing about how the first issue of Force Works Dismembered (that’s the name of it) has sold out as there are no more available copies (never mind that there were never any to begin with). The forums for John Byrne and Mark Millar will praise their namesakes for being brave and innovative by changing the entire way we look at superheroes being retconned into manic-depressive werewolves. All the while other message boards will be on hand to declare absolute and dedicated ire to what is being done to beloved characters like Spider-Woman II, who had the sad fate of being sexually taunted by none other than her own clone. Grame MacMillan will be on hand to catalog it all but will soon have to deal the comments section of his own blog being taken over by people who started making fun of such discussions only to get into their very own heated and serious discussion about the book, only with more name-calling. Blogs of all kind will have snarky retorts, photoshop remixes and snarky photoshop remixes coming out of their ears. Then the second issue will be “released,” complete with news that Millar has been replaced by Chuck Austen who has plans to use his Worldwatch characters in the book. Then things really get out of hand.
The “all reaction, no book” method of creating comics will turn out to be so profitable (there is no book to buy but people still place orders for second and third reprints, not to mention the limited edition deluxe collections which has behind the scenes info about what particular movies were watched to be ripped-off) that Marvel and DC use it a lot over the next few years for big event books like Global Guardians Discombobulated and Badoon Sisterhood…No More!. The on-line world of comics will feature more heated rhetoric, creators acting immaturely and people everywhere looking at short-term events while turning there backs to long-term problems. Basically, what we have today without any ink getting on your fingers.
Permanent Link: 9:41 AM |
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