Beyond The Panels #10: Avengers L.C.D.- Are Superhero Movies Good For Comics?
I was having a conversation with someone once and they said something to me that went like this-
"You must be really happy superheroes are so popular right now."
And I sort of ranted at them that the overall public's opinion on superheroes had nothing to do with how felt about them or whether I thought they were cool or not or anything like that. Quite the opposite- I never gave a shit if anyone else thought superheroes were cool, because I don't need the validation of the herd when I like something. I like it because I like it, end of story. After this rant, the person sort of slinked away. I'm sure they meant well by it and thought I'd be so happy, but I'm not that kind of person. I'm a ranter.
So, this begs the question- are superhero movies, the vehicle by which superheroes have gotten so popular in the last decade, good for comics?
No. They're not. Simple as that and anyone who tells you otherwise is fooling themselves.
I could literally end this whole thing right there, however, I'm a ranter, so I'm going to explain why I think that.
Now, as Disney and Marvel love to remind us, superhero movies are a multi billion dollar business with millions of fans. Millions of fans. How many of those fans have transferred over, though? Can you name a comic that's sold over a million copies since the 90s? I can't and I'm well versed in the industry. Sure, superheroes are more visible than ever, but where are all the eyes? Where are the crossover fans that Marvel tries to get by shifting things in their comic universe to be more like their movies?
Comics are a daunting thing. It's hard to know where to start, but they are also rewarding. You'd think in today's binge friendly entertainment environment, comics would be doing better business. Most publishers have stores stacked with trades, putting out as much of their back catalogs as possible. So, why aren't people binging?
Now, here's where I get insulting- I don't think movie fans have the intellectual wherewithal to read comics.
See, it's one thing to buy a ticket, turn your brain off, and watch a comic movie, but it's another to read a comic. Comics are a medium where the reader is an active participant. You're not just watching the things happening- you're in the characters' heads. Your brain is giving the whole thing motion and depth. You are a part of the whole experience. There are hidden depths to comics, depths that are rewarded on re-reading. The movies have made the audience see superheroes as a passive entertainment. It's not like people are less inclined to read now a days- everyone is constantly reading on their phones or computers at home.
The movies, while entertaining, aren't really what you would call good storytelling, for the most part. The MCU, with very few exception, is fluff- 80s action movie-esque, quippy, vapid entertainment. There's no subtext and the plots merely serve to move the whole thing forward to the action scenes. They are messy in tone and shallow in emotion. This is what the audience expects. I have a relationship with my favorite characters. I know them intimately. I don't see how the movies can foster such things. There's nothing there to develop a relationship with, because they have to end the movie standing tall, with a quip at the ready. The character moments are glossed over or forgotten in subsequent movies. Does Tony Stark still have PTSD? Who the fuck knows, he certainly doesn't act like it. It's hard for me to care about the movie characters, because they aren't characters, they're just plot elements. Nothing is permanent, nothing matters, just getting to the next joke or cool action scene.
Comics are sometimes like that, but what keeps us coming back isn't just the jokes and the battles, it's the characters. They feel like people. The movie characters don't. Sure, there are outliers- Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and the Dark Knight movies, but most of the superhero movies can't hold a candle to the emotional depth and storytelling power of the comics. They aren't made to- they're made as disposable entertainment for a fickle audience.
Not all, of course, is doom and gloom. Here's the thing- right now, superhero movies aren't drawing many eyes of older consumers, but there's a whole generation of kids who love these characters. A whole generation that can very easily find their way into comics.... however, there's very little way for that to happen now. I was a spinner rack kid- I could buy buy comics at the gas station. I could talk my parents into it. These kids won't have that, even though it's the obvious solution. Hell, they could even make these newsstand editions cheaper than direct market ones, since price is another place where modern comics and the limited buying power of these children clash.
We're living in a weird entertainment environment right now, one where nerdy shit is de riguer. As far as it goes, comics are still a road too far for most people, even though they've been doing the long form storytelling thing for decades and perfected the shared universe waaay before other mediums thought of doing it. There's no reason they should be as marginalized as they are. I do blame the movies for this- they've taken something that can mean so much and made it into a commodity, simple entertainment full of jokes and explosions. These movies aren't good for comics. They aren't helping the industry any. Sure, the parent companies are making a lot of money and that is probably keeping the doors open, but as far as it goes, nothing the movies are doing right now is helping the industry get more eyes and I have a feeling that the companies making the movies prefer it that way- they'd be competing for entertainment dollars with a vastly superior product.
Still, maybe if Marvel and DC got their heads out of their asses and led the way back to the newsstand market, this could be an entirely different story. We'll just have to see. I'm willing to concede that anything can happen and that the movies have the potential to be very good for the industry in the long term... but I don't have a lot of faith that anyone will capitalize on it. The Diamond monopoly is too strong for that shit.
Next Issue- I'm sure you've heard spoilers about a certain return happening in Marvel: Legacy #1. You may be wondering why that character is coming back. Well, that character is the heart and soul of the Marvel Universe. Want to know why I think that? Join us next time to find at....
Beyond The Panels!!!!!
"You must be really happy superheroes are so popular right now."
And I sort of ranted at them that the overall public's opinion on superheroes had nothing to do with how felt about them or whether I thought they were cool or not or anything like that. Quite the opposite- I never gave a shit if anyone else thought superheroes were cool, because I don't need the validation of the herd when I like something. I like it because I like it, end of story. After this rant, the person sort of slinked away. I'm sure they meant well by it and thought I'd be so happy, but I'm not that kind of person. I'm a ranter.
So, this begs the question- are superhero movies, the vehicle by which superheroes have gotten so popular in the last decade, good for comics?
No. They're not. Simple as that and anyone who tells you otherwise is fooling themselves.
I could literally end this whole thing right there, however, I'm a ranter, so I'm going to explain why I think that.
Now, as Disney and Marvel love to remind us, superhero movies are a multi billion dollar business with millions of fans. Millions of fans. How many of those fans have transferred over, though? Can you name a comic that's sold over a million copies since the 90s? I can't and I'm well versed in the industry. Sure, superheroes are more visible than ever, but where are all the eyes? Where are the crossover fans that Marvel tries to get by shifting things in their comic universe to be more like their movies?
Comics are a daunting thing. It's hard to know where to start, but they are also rewarding. You'd think in today's binge friendly entertainment environment, comics would be doing better business. Most publishers have stores stacked with trades, putting out as much of their back catalogs as possible. So, why aren't people binging?
Now, here's where I get insulting- I don't think movie fans have the intellectual wherewithal to read comics.
See, it's one thing to buy a ticket, turn your brain off, and watch a comic movie, but it's another to read a comic. Comics are a medium where the reader is an active participant. You're not just watching the things happening- you're in the characters' heads. Your brain is giving the whole thing motion and depth. You are a part of the whole experience. There are hidden depths to comics, depths that are rewarded on re-reading. The movies have made the audience see superheroes as a passive entertainment. It's not like people are less inclined to read now a days- everyone is constantly reading on their phones or computers at home.
The movies, while entertaining, aren't really what you would call good storytelling, for the most part. The MCU, with very few exception, is fluff- 80s action movie-esque, quippy, vapid entertainment. There's no subtext and the plots merely serve to move the whole thing forward to the action scenes. They are messy in tone and shallow in emotion. This is what the audience expects. I have a relationship with my favorite characters. I know them intimately. I don't see how the movies can foster such things. There's nothing there to develop a relationship with, because they have to end the movie standing tall, with a quip at the ready. The character moments are glossed over or forgotten in subsequent movies. Does Tony Stark still have PTSD? Who the fuck knows, he certainly doesn't act like it. It's hard for me to care about the movie characters, because they aren't characters, they're just plot elements. Nothing is permanent, nothing matters, just getting to the next joke or cool action scene.
Comics are sometimes like that, but what keeps us coming back isn't just the jokes and the battles, it's the characters. They feel like people. The movie characters don't. Sure, there are outliers- Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and the Dark Knight movies, but most of the superhero movies can't hold a candle to the emotional depth and storytelling power of the comics. They aren't made to- they're made as disposable entertainment for a fickle audience.
Not all, of course, is doom and gloom. Here's the thing- right now, superhero movies aren't drawing many eyes of older consumers, but there's a whole generation of kids who love these characters. A whole generation that can very easily find their way into comics.... however, there's very little way for that to happen now. I was a spinner rack kid- I could buy buy comics at the gas station. I could talk my parents into it. These kids won't have that, even though it's the obvious solution. Hell, they could even make these newsstand editions cheaper than direct market ones, since price is another place where modern comics and the limited buying power of these children clash.
We're living in a weird entertainment environment right now, one where nerdy shit is de riguer. As far as it goes, comics are still a road too far for most people, even though they've been doing the long form storytelling thing for decades and perfected the shared universe waaay before other mediums thought of doing it. There's no reason they should be as marginalized as they are. I do blame the movies for this- they've taken something that can mean so much and made it into a commodity, simple entertainment full of jokes and explosions. These movies aren't good for comics. They aren't helping the industry any. Sure, the parent companies are making a lot of money and that is probably keeping the doors open, but as far as it goes, nothing the movies are doing right now is helping the industry get more eyes and I have a feeling that the companies making the movies prefer it that way- they'd be competing for entertainment dollars with a vastly superior product.
Still, maybe if Marvel and DC got their heads out of their asses and led the way back to the newsstand market, this could be an entirely different story. We'll just have to see. I'm willing to concede that anything can happen and that the movies have the potential to be very good for the industry in the long term... but I don't have a lot of faith that anyone will capitalize on it. The Diamond monopoly is too strong for that shit.
Next Issue- I'm sure you've heard spoilers about a certain return happening in Marvel: Legacy #1. You may be wondering why that character is coming back. Well, that character is the heart and soul of the Marvel Universe. Want to know why I think that? Join us next time to find at....
Beyond The Panels!!!!!
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