Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Absolute Batman, comic store in your future
Comic Store In Your Future: What’s Future After Absolute Batman?
Comic Store In Your Future: What future for comic books after Absolute Batman? Rod Lamberti ponders fifteen years selling comics
Article Summary
- Absolute Batman proves print comics can still break out, drawing younger readers and becoming a major gateway title.
- Marvel’s comic future feels uncertain under Disney, while DC films need stronger direction to better support comics.
- Rising shipping costs are making local comic shops more competitive as online bargains often disappear after fees.
- The biggest long-term threat is AI in comics, unless publishers invest in human writers and artists for the future.
Some random thoughts after fifteen years of selling comic books, a fact that still surprises me. Absolute Batman shows that American comics can sell and sell lots. A younger generation is getting into comics thanks to that Axe logo. This is this generation’s gateway into comics, such as Ultimate Spider-Man,which was back in 2000.Absolute Batman shows there is indeed life left in the good old print comic book industry.
After years of seeing Marvel Comics languish since Disney bought it, I worry that some high-up person at Disney will learn that Disney actually owns Marvel Comics, and that they will be one of those people who believe print is dead or dying and then decide to shut down Marvel’s comic publishing. Crazy? How well thought-out was the start of Disney+? How much has Disney+ lost over its beginning years? How much actual planning went into the launch of Disney+? Marvel movies were making eye-popping sums of money, so Disney leveraged those characters into Disney+. Did that lead to superhero fatigue? Do people who don’t have Disney+ sometimes feel lost when watching Marvel movies? Disney sure the heck did nothing to help Marvel’s publishing line. Trying to get the Inhumans to replace the X-Men? No Fantastic Four comic because someone is butthurt that Marvel didn’t have the movie rights?
While Warner Bros. frequently changes direction and ownership,the movie Supergirl has flopped. I went to it, and thought what the–??!! Also, no end credits? The group and I that went to see it all assumed there would be end credits and sat through it all only to learn we were wrong. He-Man, the movie, had four end credits for goodness’s sake, and I enjoyed all of them.Supergirl was so all over the place, both character and power-wise. I could not even tell you the names of any of the other characters in the movie, other than Supergirl, Krypto, and Lobo, and Lobo was hardly in it. The ending? What the heck? I thought this DC movie Universe was supposed to be different from the previous one? The main villain was nothing to remember. James Gunn hopefully will tighten up future DC movie scripts. I am hoping Clayface, the movie, is great, leading to more characters such as Deathstroke or Bane hitting the big screen.
The future, what positive things do I see for comic stores? I have seen an uptick in people buying in-store instead of online. Why? Shipping costs, they keep going up. When I first opened Rodman Comics over fifteen years ago, I would include a free comic with each comic bought through us online. The shipping costs slowly increased over the years, making it too costly as the added weight increased, so it ended. I had someone pick up a back issue here, and at the counter, he whipped out his phone and said, “I can buy this cheaper online.” Yeah, I thought that never gets too old. I stated yes, that it would be if not for the shipping cost. Very selective math. Seriously, when people go to the big chain stores, do they try anything there? Yet somehow, it is all right to try to cost a small business owner money. Now that I have typed that, I know my customers will be joking about it after reading this. Seriously, I do research prices online; they often change quickly. Nowadays, though, the cost of a comic sold online is decent, even if the shipping is higher than the cost of the comic.
I just typed “Amazing Spider-Man Marvel” on eBay to see what would show up. The first thing that pops up is the recent blue foil cover reprint of Amazing Spider-Man 129. Buy it now for $6.99; that is a good price. Shipping? $7.00. Making for a total cost of $13.99. I am assuming most physical stores have it for less. I know we did. Gone are the days of not paying taxes on items bought online. Thanks to how inexpensive things were to buy online, I got into statues many years ago for my personal collection. Now, online purchasing does collect sales tax. I was amazed by how long i, actual tooky, to happen. Currently, I do not even buy new statues for the store to sell. They are just too expensive.
It is becoming increasingly inexpensive to buy certain items in physical stores than online. Which, of course, helps storefronts. As shipping costs keep rising over the years, online sales will likely take an increasing hit. That $4.99 comic on the shelf now looks more like a deal than paying more than double for the same thing online due to shipping. What I would like to see in the future is the return of great new talent to comics. Hearing about comic artists who have not received a pay increase for many years does not make it seem like comic publishers are investing in talent. I enjoy many of the artists and writers who have been around for a long time, though I know new talent is needed to bring more readers into the hobby.
What really concerns me about the future? A.I. Over time, it will be used more in the comic industry. Putting out a comic purely made by A.I. can be seen as a cost-saving measure. If a small comic publisher’s choice is to go quietly out of business or try to use A.I. to cut costs, of course, it will happen. Also, over time, A.I. should improve as technology advances. I hate to say this, but there is A.I. art out there of comic book characters that many would find more appealing than some comic artists today. I do not want A.I. to replace comic pros. I do hope that the comic industry invests in human talent instead of A.I. Ten years from now, will people be going to comic conventions and be getting A.I. “signatures”? Crazy right?
Hopefully, the future holds many of the things it has currently. I am surprised that this year is the one I am commonly told I’m the guy with the comic car. More people have said that to me at restaurants or when I am out and about than in any previous year. I have driven the Rodmobile for over fifteen years, and now, it looks like that is what I will be known for. With a little luck, I will still be around and driving it for at least another fifteen years. In the future, will comics still feature human talent and great fans, and continue to provide <a href="https://comicvibe.com/entertainment-news-09-08-26/” title=”Entertainment News (09/08/26)”>entertainment?
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
