More unwanted and certainly unnecessary commentary on your predictions, Part Two.

§ January 6th, 2011 § Filed under predictions § 4 Comments

And then, suddenly: more predictions! (Part one of my commentary here). Again, not commenting on every single one, but I will return to them in a year to see how folks did!

  • De declares

    “The summer superhero movies will perform well enough but not fantastically, causing studios to mine more past properties in hopes of making a quick buck (get ready for the Strawberry Shortcake movie in 2012!).”

    I think there’s probably some movement in that direct already, attempting to exploit the less-“name” properties to generate some real-world income outside the Superman/Spider-Man/Batman perennials. There’s talk of that TV show based on Teen Titans’ Raven, there may someday be an Ant Man movie, and so on. But too many second stringer comic book films like Punisher War Zone, The Spirit and Jonah Hex crashing and burning in the box office may be bit of a discouragement.

    “Marvel and DC will stop producing direct-to-video films as the public grows tired of the superhero genre.”

    Well, there will always be kids, and kids like superheroes (at least in animated form) so I think these may stick around for a while. There can be an oversaturation point, but I don’ t know that we’ve reached it yet. DC’s direct-to-DVD releases are about one every…four to six months, something like that. If they were monthly, that’d be a bit much.

    “The recently announced Carl Barks collections by Fantagraphics will receive public attention on the Today Show via Al Roker and become selections in Oprah’s Book Club. The widespread exposure of clever humor and commentary by 50-year old Donald Duck comics create a nationwide movement of crazy alternative-energy initiatives and treasure hunting.”

    De, I like the way you think. If more people read Donald Duck comics, the world would be a better place indeed.

  • Googum gums

    “Green Lantern may have a harder climb for that: imagine a mythical ‘new reader’ bounding out of the GL movie and into, say, Blackest Night. No.”

    Yeah, that is a good point. None of the current Green Lantern titles are exactly inviting to the non-initiated, are they? I’ve already begun planning orders on the Green Lantern Showcase and Chronicles reprint volumes for anyone expressing interest in early GL material, though I hope I don’t have to explain the whole “Pieface” thing to anyone. The two Sinestro War volumes might be a good sampling of recent material.

  • Matt remarks

    “My predictions for 2011, The Green Lantern movie will be critically panned, but commercially successful.”

    Yeah, probably. It looks cool, but will surely be your standard by-the-numbers, cliché-ahoy superhero flick.

    “The Superman books will reintroduce elements from the new krypton storylines.”

    Oh Lordy I hope not. After, what, two years of that hoohar? I’d be happy if they just reintroduced Superman to the Superman books. (Not a slam on the Luthor/Jimmy Action, which is a hoot.)

  • Frowny frowns

    “At some point Grant Morrison will be done with Batman and then there will be incredibly ham handed attempts to return the character to the status quo in time for the new film.”

  • I think eventually that’s gonna happen, like I’ve noted at the end of this post, but Batman is kind of a special case. Batman’s one of those characters that doesn’t necessarily need to adhere to any particular interpretation, and in fact seems to invite reinterpretation…and, almost uniquely, this facet of the character is understood and accepted by most people encountering the character. I get the “this doesn’t look like Superman” or “what’s with Spider-Man’s costume” stuff all the time, but different versions of Batman seem to be taken in stride. (Though a very small percentage of people didn’t appreciate All Star Batman‘s genius, but we can safely ignore them.) Even the Batman and Robin “Dick is Batman, and there’s a different Robin” thing was pretty easily grasped by most people newly exposed to that title.

    “For some stupid reason, Steve Rogers will be back in the Captain America costume in time for the new film.”

    That’ll probably happen, if only because Marvel seems to be a little more self-conscious about that sort of thing.

  • Wayne states

    “I honestly believe that each Earth-One GN will be terrible.”

    You’re right so far!

  • Sanctum Sanctorum conjures

    “Marvel will go back to the MARVEL ZOMBIES pool one more time, this time utilizing Disney’s animatronic special effects wizardry for a live-action amusement park thrill ride (because ‘teh kidz’ just love rotting corpse versions of their favorite heroes).”

    I could totally see a remade Pirates of the Caribbean ride long these lines. Would probably traumatize every kid that went through it, though. (Or maybe delight every kid and traumatize every parent, more likely.)

    Seriously, I do expect a return to the Marvel Zombies thing in the comics at some point…maybe a full-on “Marvel Universe Vs. The Marvel Zombies” event, which seems like the only way for this oddball franchise to go at this point.

    “Mike Sterling will email me to tell me how much I owe him for the variant editions he obtained for me.”

    Nah, that Mike Sterling guy is a jerk. He’ll never do this.

  • philip speaks up with

    “We’ll see the end of ‘events’ for a while and a return to good, long-form storytelling (okay, that’s really a “hope” more than a prediction and though it is unlikely, please just let me have this).”

    That would be nice, but don’t hold your breath.

    “There will be just enough new work from Los Bros Hernandez to make me wish there was more new work from them.”

    This is always true of every year.

    “DC will still not know what to do with Wonder Woman.”

    Sadly, also true of almost every year.

  • Ben peeks into my dreams with

    “DC will guerrilla market a one-shot via leaked uncolored pages, wherein Swamp Thing returns to the main DCU, but he is wearing tights and is traveling across America with his perky goth girlfriend Death. The comics intarwebs will collapse upon itself in an orgasm of hate.”

    If only this would happen. If only.

  • Dan Wars enters the battle with

    “By the end of 2011, the original Fantastic Four will be reunited. Duh!”

    And it will feel so good. But yeah, that’s pretty inevitable, I think. “Thanks for buying us for billions of dollars, Disney…don’t mind if we ‘permanently’ alter one of our properties, do you?”

  • Greg Merritt merits a response with

    “Gin Genie will make her long-awaited return to the Marvel Universe.”

    I honestly had to look that up, because my brain immediately went to David Bowie’s “The Jean Genie,” and I couldn’t get that out of my head. But, yeah, any character whose Wiki entry reads “there was some indication that alcohol helped or increased her powers” probably needs to come back.

  • Mr. A leaves no gray area by predicting

    “Without Dirk Deppey’s daily links roundup, traffic to TCJ.com will crash by at least 90%.”

    Well, I certainly hope not, as there’s still some quality material there, and the Fantagraphics blog is a fine place to start. But I think the internet will certainly miss Dirk Deppey’s fine linkblogging, if it hasn’t already.

  • Gordon unleashes

    “Smaller, more independent press comics focusing on non-superhero fare will begin to become more prevalent and receive more press, since superhero comics will be seen more as ‘movies-in-the-making.'”

    That would be nice, but unfortunately, with the number of comics-friendly press outlets shrinking, and the competition for attention increasing, the press may focus on the big, loud and splashy versus the subtle and challenging. You know, unlike before.

    “The trend towards “graphic novels” made specifically to be turned into other media (30 Days of Night, anyone?) will increase, with a plethora of celebrity-driven “vanity projects” arising (one example – Ron Jeremy’s CAPTAIN HEDGEHOG)”

    First, that is the most horrible example you could have possibly made. Second…yeah, that’s a given, especially in this economy, where a nice fat TV or movie studio check would be quite welcome. And…I’m trying to think of some current celebrity comics, but am drawing a bit of a blank. …Is Turf by Jonathan Ross still happening? I don’t even remember. But I’m sure there will always be some marketplace presence of comic books with licensed celebrity names attached to them, even if, as of late, it doesn’t really seem to help sales that much. Oh, wait, I just remembered…one of those guys from Heroes had a comic book, too. Is that still going? I should probably check.

    “The repeated use of ironic quotation marks, ‘…,’ ‘anyone”’and ‘meh’ will gradually fade, as more articulate comics/pop culture aficionados emerge online, thereby causing nerd critical sites (and Mike Sterling’s Empire 4.0 tumbler thingie) to disappear.”

    That would be Estate 4.1, thank you, and alas, “meh” is a blight that will never fade.

    “Next franchise for DC to exploit: Joel Schumaker’s SWAMP THING. (Sorry, Mike)”

    Would still totally see it.

    “Dan DiDio and Brian Bendis will both wrestle a bear at a convention…and lose.”

    Better get my bear costume drycleaned.

    “Finally, Mike Sterling will still be seen as the greatest comics blogger in the multiverse.”

    Well, naturally.

And on that point, I’d better stop for the day. Yes, that means there will be a third part to this. I’m very sorry.

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