I know I stopped reading because of the crossover overkill. I'll pick up trades but I'm not putting out 20 dollars a week to still miss parts of a story.
If marvel wants to start making money introduce the writers you have exclusives with to the larger world. Three stories begging for any kind of live action are Criminal, Powers and the Hood (yes I know BKV isn't tired down by marvel.) They aren't tired IPs that everyone already knows. #disneymarvel
As a former financial specialist, economist, and still a fulltime comic fan, I sold my stake in marvel the day this deal was announced. The next few movies are still outside of the mouses house. So while there is no doubt that disney will market the crap out of every marvel brand imaginable and make some good coin, I don't see marvel doing much better.
The movies are hit and miss. For every spiderman, there is spiderman 2 and 3. 3 being the one that might have killed the franchise. For every Ironman there is Punisher and Elektra.
If they can avoid cheap productions running roughshod over decent titles, they will be ok. #disneymarvel
@HarbingerTG: Clearly, The Mouse House was in this for the IPs. I think the big issue is how much the litigation is going to cost them securing those IPs (considering how slapdash many of the contracts were), and how many properties they're going to lose/payouts to creators. Disney bought Marvel for such a high price relative to their P/E ratio that they're in this for the long haul... #disneymarvel
@PVIII: Well, IIRC, MVL was hovering near 40/share before the economy tanked so it isn't a bad call. There is so much IP they can monetize along with banana montana and the clonas bros.
And if memory serves correctly. Marvel borrowed money from itself to open their studios with 10-20 lesser titles as collateral. I still haven't figured out how they pulled that off.
I also believe some MVL shareholders petitioned to stop the buyout, but I don't know where that case is currently standing. #disneymarvel
I don't think this is really that big of a deal or should be a massive surprise.
Marvel's film branch is going to be a bigger cash cow and more popular than the original comics imprint.
Any year where they don't have any significant major film releases is naturally going to mean a lack of interest in their books and merchandising compared to a year that had 2 major movie releases.
We're still in the lull period before their ambitious cinematic gameplan starts to play out with Iron Man 2, then Thor, Captain America, Avengers, etc.
When that happens Marvel's worth could jump well past what they saw last year. Which is probably why investors wouldn't be too worried too as today the stock is still pretty much the same level as it was since the Disney buyout.
Graeme, I think you're more in the right about how big a part the movies are in the Marvel brand now; even having X-Men Origins : Wolverine in theaters is worth more than all of their comics put together.
While they will try to continue and keep the comic book end profitable with the cross-overs and big events, I think Marvel's best bet money-wise is to use the comics as a platform to develop new IPs for movies and video games - i.e. Runaways.
@Brian St. Claire: Since X-Men Origins: Wolverine was developed by Fox, I can't imagine how Marvel made money off of it, especially since those same people who saw itaren't going to go out and buy the comic after watching that abortion of a movie. #disneymarvel
You better not mean Incredible Hulk. That movie was good.
Also, why is the Hulk the first of the Marvel film series' to embrace alternate comic titles for movie sequels?
I think the Amazing Spider-Man or The Uncanny X-Men or Invincible Iron Man would have been great titles for those series instead of the usual numeric markings.
Plus, how cool would it have been if the movie posters paid better homage to classic covers from their respective series? (Spider-Man especially!)
Missed opportunities across the board if you ask me. #disneymarvel
@AldoraGreel: I rather they just gave the movies title's that corresponded with the film's specific plot or theme. In the same way an overarching comic story has a single name.
I think Batman Begins and Dark Knight sort of fit into that, although I was kinda disappointed that it wasn't "Batman: Begins" and "Batman: The Dark Knight", if only for cataloging purposes. #disneymarvel
If we're going for originality, I've always pondered why Bruce Banner ended up with purple, ragged pants. Every time.
So this Halloween, it's time to answer the question, "Why doesn't The Hulk end up in a purple man-thong?"
Can't wait to see the school kiddie's amazed and admiring expressions as I expose them to Art.
Hopefully, homes will be so grateful to see me leave that they're hurl whole bags of snack-sized candy at me, so it'll be a double win! #halloween
Cesar Romero Joker? No, no, no, no.. People would not likely recognize the difference anyway. I recommend Adam West Batman. complete with eyeholes over the cheeks #halloween
11/03/09
11/03/09
11/03/09
If marvel wants to start making money introduce the writers you have exclusives with to the larger world. Three stories begging for any kind of live action are Criminal, Powers and the Hood (yes I know BKV isn't tired down by marvel.) They aren't tired IPs that everyone already knows. #disneymarvel
11/03/09
The movies are hit and miss. For every spiderman, there is spiderman 2 and 3. 3 being the one that might have killed the franchise. For every Ironman there is Punisher and Elektra.
If they can avoid cheap productions running roughshod over decent titles, they will be ok. #disneymarvel
11/03/09
11/03/09
And if memory serves correctly. Marvel borrowed money from itself to open their studios with 10-20 lesser titles as collateral. I still haven't figured out how they pulled that off.
I also believe some MVL shareholders petitioned to stop the buyout, but I don't know where that case is currently standing. #disneymarvel
11/03/09
Marvel's film branch is going to be a bigger cash cow and more popular than the original comics imprint.
Any year where they don't have any significant major film releases is naturally going to mean a lack of interest in their books and merchandising compared to a year that had 2 major movie releases.
We're still in the lull period before their ambitious cinematic gameplan starts to play out with Iron Man 2, then Thor, Captain America, Avengers, etc.
When that happens Marvel's worth could jump well past what they saw last year. Which is probably why investors wouldn't be too worried too as today the stock is still pretty much the same level as it was since the Disney buyout.
11/03/09
While they will try to continue and keep the comic book end profitable with the cross-overs and big events, I think Marvel's best bet money-wise is to use the comics as a platform to develop new IPs for movies and video games - i.e. Runaways.
(Where IS my Runaways movie, anyway?) #disneymarvel
11/03/09
11/03/09
11/03/09
11/04/09
11/03/09
Also, why is the Hulk the first of the Marvel film series' to embrace alternate comic titles for movie sequels?
I think the Amazing Spider-Man or The Uncanny X-Men or Invincible Iron Man would have been great titles for those series instead of the usual numeric markings.
Plus, how cool would it have been if the movie posters paid better homage to classic covers from their respective series? (Spider-Man especially!)
Missed opportunities across the board if you ask me. #disneymarvel
11/03/09
I think Batman Begins and Dark Knight sort of fit into that, although I was kinda disappointed that it wasn't "Batman: Begins" and "Batman: The Dark Knight", if only for cataloging purposes. #disneymarvel
11/03/09
Sigh. #disneymarvel
11/03/09
10/26/09
... wait, ... that sounds like instructions. #halloween
10/24/09
So this Halloween, it's time to answer the question, "Why doesn't The Hulk end up in a purple man-thong?"
Can't wait to see the school kiddie's amazed and admiring expressions as I expose them to Art.
Hopefully, homes will be so grateful to see me leave that they're hurl whole bags of snack-sized candy at me, so it'll be a double win! #halloween
10/24/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
This Sexy Vader is better only because she's not doing the UTI agony dance. #halloween
10/24/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09