Suddenly…a 1986 Rogue sticker drawn by Art Adams…
…from the Heroic Origins card set from Comic Images:
I certainly hope they remembered to trademark that image. And logo. And hair.
You are currently browsing the archives for January, 2012
I certainly hope they remembered to trademark that image. And logo. And hair.
Let’s all just enjoy a swell Gil Kane splash with the Atom about to be flattened by an iron.
While the look in that dude’s eyes is particularly creepy, for some reason his hands are terrifying.
image from The Atom #15 (Dec. ’64/Jan. ’65) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane & Sid Greene
MY FIRST GELATINOUS CUBE POST FOR 2012.
So Bully, the Little Stuffed Bull Who Apparently Can Work an iPad with His Little Hooves, knowing of my particular obsession with the classic Dungeons & Dragons monster the Gelatinous Cube, sent along this screenshot from the iPad game Puzzle Quest 2:
Oh, you poor, misguided warrior. There is no defeating…the Gelatinous Cube.
In other news:
- Speaking of Bully, I helped him out a bit with his “366 Days of Alfred Pennyworth” project.
- If you remember this Sluggo Saturday (the one with the wholly-inappropriate Dolly Parton gag I made), the folks at Boing Boing present the strip in full, and come to sort of the same conclusion I had about what was going on there. (Thanks to pal Andres for letting me know about this!)
- ~P~ at Sanctum Sanctorum wants you to put words in Dr. Strange’s mouth! (~P~’s example of what he’s kind of looking for is…slightly Not Safe for Work…but what are you doing goofing off at work and looking at comic book websites for anyway? Well, except for mine, of course.)
- Not comics, but pal Dawn has written a book (FaeMaker: Making Fantasy Characters with Polymer Clay) and I thought I’d point that out to you folks. You might have seen her selling her wares at a San Diego Con or two, and she’s a swell gal…so please pick up her book if that sounds like something you’d be into!
- Pal Dave whips out a long-awaited new installment of “This Used to Be The Future” with…The Secret Story of Ray-Gun 64!
- As pal Dorian says: “Useful.”
Going dark.
image from Swamp Thing #48 (May 1986) by Alan Moore & John Totleben
Learn more about PIPA and SOPA: 1 2 3
Here’s a light post to make up for all those text-heavy posts of late.
If there’s a better sci-fi phrase than “set blasters to flesh,” I don’t know what it is.
from Star Lord #1 (May 1978) by T.B. Grover and Carlos Ezquerra
The third and final look at your 2011 predictions…yes, I’m done with them, finally.
Okay, let’s just jump right and wrap it up…part the third of our look back at your 2011 predictions. Again, if I give an incorrect answer to any of these because there’s something I missed, please jump in and correct me in the comments.
- Hulk Finn (fantastic user name by the way…HULK FINN SMASH PUNY RAFT) predicts
Someone’s gonna die by the end of Fear Itself. I say Cyclops. He seems to be a prominent figure in the whole She bang.
A major character apparently did “die,” but not Cyclops. Look for that character to come back in the next big crossover event or, you know, whatever.
- Jeff R sez
Secret Six won’t last through more than half of 2011. However, we’ll get a new Suicide Squad monthly immediately after the cancellation.
Well…yeah, that pretty much did happen, didn’t it?
Hellblazer will get it’s final regular writer in 2011, starting a 15-20 issue arc that leads into the final issue, #300 in ’12. There will be a few more Constantine miniseries during the two years, moved out of the main book because there aren’t any numbers available for them.
We are getting some Constantine stories outside of Hellblazer right now, mostly because of New 52-type stuff. I hope DC doesn’t cancel the series with #300, but I can see the current creative team on the book through that issue, wrapping up current plots and other hoohar.
Miracleman will be republished, and, in the case of book 2, completely redrawn from Moore’s original scripts. Marvel and Gaiman will try to get Rick Veitch to do that art job, but probably won’t manage to talk him into it.
Alas, Miracleman still remains unreprinted. I can understand the impulse to want Chuck Austen’s (aka Beckum) art contributions redrawn to more closely fit the artwork throughout the rest of the series…but I kind of like Austen’s contribution.
Wednesday Comics II will start in the summer.
I’m sort of surprised we haven’t seen a new Wednesday Comics-type project yet, but I suppose DC was busy with the relaunch and couldn’t devote resources to this.
- MaxGRobinson believes
*Marvel’s going to bring back Doctor Strange in a big way. Whether it’s a new ongoing or a big role in something like Fear Itself I dunno.
Well, he’s back in The Defenders. Does that count?
*The last of DC’s Red Circle titles comes to an end. (unless that’s happened already?)
Yeah, that’s pretty much done.
New Aquaman on-going spins out of Brightest Day.
There is a new Aquaman series…I don’t know that it would count as having “spun off” from Brightest Day, but, you know, close enough.
New Power Man and Iron Fist mini sparks a new ongoing (wishful thinking on my part)
Not in 2011, but Marvel never seems to let go of the idea. Maybe someday!
- Andrew Leal notes that his local Toys ‘R’ Us was racking some comics, and predicted that some department stores like Target might do the same. …I haven’t noticed anything like that yet, but I don’t get to Target or similar stores too often. I haven’t even checked our local Toys ‘R’ Us to see if they have any comics, so I am underinformed about this particular topic. …Anyone been seeing comics for sale in odd (i.e. more mass market-y) places lately?
- Joe Schwind declares
50,000 year-old Religious Extremist/Free Expressionist Conflict doesn’t end.
Nope, totally ended. Did you miss it?
Collisions between aging comic book artists and economic reality continue.
Sadly, will likely always be true.
Comic fans acknowledge the environmental impact of books outsourced to China, publishers remain oblivious.
Publishers tend to remain oblivious to comic fans for the most part anyway…just out of self-preservation, because those fans are crazy.
- Ray says
The Tin-tin movie will not be a commercial hit. The Tin-tin movie videogame, however, will be great.
It didn’t do so hot in the States (about $68 million) but worldwide it did about $350 million, so I think nobody’s disappointed.
I had to check to see if there was a video game based on the movie, and sure enough there is…the reviews range from “middling” to, quoting from a quote at the link, “a frontrunner for Worst Game of 2011.” So, um, yeah.
- Mister Bile coughs up
Michael J. Strazinski is hired to “redefine” yet another main comics character. (Although the results won’t become clear until a year later, everyone agrees that the results “Aren’t all that bad, all things considered.”)
That’s “J. Michael Straczynski,” and…I don’t think he’s popped up in comics too much aside from that Superman Earth Onethis project is still in development at DC.
The Speed Force is revealed to be the true mastermind behind an industry-wide crossover event.
Well…the Flash was central to the Flashpoint series, which led into the New 52 relaunch, which shook up the comics industry…I suppose that’s close enough for horseshoes.
A lot of ex-Vertigo people end up at Marvel’s Icon line, looking dazed and confused.
Nah, they just normally look like that. Icon has pretty much remained “dudes already at Marvel,” however.
Hawkman is rebooted.
Yeah, they tried it again.
The next Spider-Man game will disappoint.
Superhero video games always disappoint somebody. I think Edge of Time was the most recent, and it got average reviews, it seems.
- MichaelFromJamaicaNY says, mon
I predict this Halloween will be extra freaky deaky, what with all the Thor family, and the grown women dressed as the 14 year old from True Grit, and the latex clad Trons, and the Black Swans, and the Tron Swans.
Freaky. Deaky.I didn’t get out this Halloween, sadly, so I have no idea how nutty the costumes got this year. Though I would have paid One American Dollar to see a Tron Swan costume.
- Steven E. McDonald has some silly predictions, but then made a few I wanted to comment upon
Marvel finally caves in to the falling sales and ongoing hate and retcons the Spider-Marriage retcon
I really think that we’re stuck with the “no married Spidey” thing as long as Joe Quesada has a say in the matter. As soon as Disney gives the current editorial staff, um, “large severance packages,” we may see some movement toward restoring the wedded status quo. In a big event, of course. With lots of tie-ins. Reprinted in multiple hardcovers.
Swamp Thing will make his long-awaited return to the DCU. Shortly thereafter, whatever book he arrived in will be canceled.
Well, technically speaking, Brightest Day ended, it wasn’t cancelled!
We’ll see more original graphic novels, often set up like European albums. While DC will lead this trend in the Big Two, smaller publishers will expand upon the offerings they already have, with the result that Top Shelf will improve market share very nicely.
DC hasn’t followed up on their success with Earth One with any similar projects, though Marvel is. Various companies did put out original GNs, but it didn’t feel like it was that much of an increase over previous years.
- Darius Smith dares
All periodical comic books will cease publishing in 2011!
Totally happened. I SEEN IT
- londonKdS says
Prediction I’ve been privately making for several years now: there will be a major controversy over some female Marvel/DC creator being caught doing erotic fanfic/fanart as a private commission or under a secret fan identity. Sexist fanboys will leap on this as what they wrongly think is a demonstration of the hypocrisy of feminist fangirls who attack oversexualisation in official canon, while the publisher involved will initially take harsh action against the person until people critique their hypocrisy given the tolerance of well-known male creators quietly doing erotic commissioned art of corporate-owned characters.
Didn’t happen, as far as I know, but I’ll just reprint what I said the last time I discussed this prediction:
I’m not sure what to say about that, except “erotic” commissions from superhero comic book artists are never not hilarious. But I can probably see the potential of a controversy of this sort breaking out, though ideally a publisher, if it takes a stand on this issue, should be even-handed about its policy regardless of the gender of the artist in question. (If a controversy does occur re: erotic commissioned art, it’ll be panicked dudes who are okay with drawings of Wonder Woman and Black Canary making out, but will freak if it’s Aquaman and the Flash making out.) (I am totally not Googling any of this, by the way.)
- John Parker predicts
Johnny Storm will die and sometime in the future will become either the original Human Torch or Dormammu due to some time warping bedevilment.
Well, he died, sort of, but just plain came back as Johnny Storm. Ah well.
If Johnny Storm has a girlfriend or is married (sorry,I don’t follow the book) then there’s a baby on the way !
For some reason, I’m picturing Frankie Raye as Galactus’s herald Nova, flying around all preggers. (I don’t think there’s a flaming bun in the oven at this point…one melodramatic plotline at a time for this poor fella!)
Mike will post Swamp Thing pages in Portuguese.
Didn’t happen, but not for lack of wanting.
Doctor Who will be great, stetson or no, and everyone will say Gaiman’s episode is the best of the series even if it isn’t.
I posted on Twitter about the time that episode aired to the effect of how it must have been able to heal the sick and restore sight to the blind, the way people were talking it up. …It was a good episode, though.
- Bill says
After a falling out between Alan Moore and Top Shelf, Moore will announce that all his future comics projects will appear with Archie Comics.
“Hot Dog…you can talk?” “Oh yes, Forsythe, I can talk…and I can do so much more. LET ME SHOW YOU” “Oh GOD AAAKLGSJKLD”
Sad to say, this didn’t happen.
Another issue of All Star Batman and Robin will appear. Batman punches God.
Also didn’t happen. Pretty much the only place it can go at this point.
A new creator will take over Wonder Woman with great fanfare, and take the character in a new direction that will last for five issues, then be forgotten and never referred to again.
A new creative team did take over Wonder Woman and, despite my misgivings about it, people do seem to really like it. …I think we’re good for at least six issues, though.
A J. H. Williams drawn issue of Batwoman will appear late.
Not so far! Though he did get a bit of a head start.
- Jerry Smith forges ahead with
DC will actually hold to a mostly $2.99 price point, as they have vowed to do.
Yeah, pretty much. They just announced a couple more titles going to the $3.99 price point, but so far, so good.
Marvel will not.
Marvel does have quite a bit more $3.99 titles, but sometimes they surprise me with a comic that seems like it’d have $3.99 written all over it, but it’s still $2.99.
The Green Lantern movie will be a huge hit.
Well, a “crash” is kind of a hit.
Thor will not (but it will make its money back).
500 million on a $150 million budget…it’s not Titanic money, but, you know, I’d take it.
Marvel will just go for it and announce that all of their characters, supporting characters and the Pet Avengers are gay.
Not all. Just Ego the Living Planet. …And I’m not even quite sure how that works, exactly.
The Legion of Super-Heroes will be cancelled and relaunched with a new #1.
A safe bet in any year, though it certainly happened this year in a big way.
A new comics reading app will be created that will become the perfect way to read comics on a mobile device. It will soon fail and whatever Microsoft hacks out will replace it.
Haven’t heard anything about it, but as we’ve found out recently, I’m not the go-to guy about this sort of thing. My reading app is “my hands and eyes,” and my mobile device is “my feet.” (Typing that officially makes me The Oldest Person Ever.)
- Ragnell says
Steve Rogers back as Captain America, Bucky Barnes back in Winter Soldier gear before the movie comes out. That’s really the only thing I’m sure will happen.
Like I said in a previous entry, I’m pretty sure Cap was back in his action suit by the time the movie rolled around…or close enough, anyway. And Bucky will be back as Winter Soldier in a new series Any Day Now.
Well, that and there will be another incredibly sexist statement by an industry professional that will get a backlash.
And DC will do another stupid thing that minimizes their female and/or minority characters, and Sattler will be trotted out to say something stupid as a defense again.
Probably the same answer for these two, most recently involving the portrayal of female characters in some of the New 52 titles. I don’t know what Sattler had to say, but there was certainly some back and forth between the creative teams of said books and the fans.
- Oh, hey, Hulk Finn is back with
Racists will be in even more of an uproar when they learn that “Random Background Norse # 7″ will be played by an Asian.
Wow, I’d totally forgotten people were bent out of shape about Heimdall being played by a Black man in the Thor movie. Given that Heimdall was one of the better things about that film, seems even sillier in retrospect. …Wouldn’t surprise me if those folks did get upset about other aspects of the film. They usually can find things to complain about.
Okay, for better or worse, finally done. Thanks for putting up with this, folks, and let’s move on to new, non-prediction, stuff tomorrow. And I’m still taking predictions for 2012, but I’m going to hold off on commenting ’til next year. Just, you know, to avoid villagers with rakes and torches waiting outside my castle.
The Return of Swamp Thing is okay, however.
Purchased for me at a nearby video store that’s going out of business:
…a promo card display thingie for that cinematic classic Swamp Thing. Dig the soft focus, the romantic lighting, the soulful look in Mr. Thing’s eyes. Makes it almost look like Ghost, only with a swamp creature instead of, you know, a ghost.
Related: about a year or so ago, I purchased one of those newfangled high-def 47-inch flatscreen TVs to replace my 1980s-vintage 27-inch TV, which was beginning to have some problems and was probably time for it to go. What I have been discovering since the replacement is that some of my DVDs are not anamorphic; i.e. they don’t automatically fill the whole widescreen area on my new television. Sure, on some TVs you can fiddle with the image ratio and force it to fill the screen, but it never looks as good as having an actual anamorphic image.
Anyway, the reason I introduced this whole thing with the word “RELATED” is…I found out that my original DVD release of the Swamp Thing film, the one with the, ahem, extra footage that caused it to be recalled…is not anamorphic.
…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
And let’s not even mention the stain.
So I don’t know which is more disturbing:
That 1) there was a comic book series devoted to the love life of Richie Rich…
…or 2) that Richie Rich is totally ripped:
I’m half-surprised Harvey didn’t put out a title called Richie Rich and His Manly Torso, so long as they were putting out six dozen other Richie Rich series.
Part Two of my look back at your 2011 predictions; plus, I totally steal a joke from Mystery Science Theater 3000, and I apparently don’t know what “truncated” means.
So I received a call very early Thursday morning telling me the store alarm is going off, and the police are there waiting for me to show up…and when I finally arrive, I see that our glass front door had been smashed. Some of you may remember that this has happened before…but unlike that instance, which just apparently vandalism, this was definitely burglary. All they got away with was a five-year-old laptop computer that didn’t have any vital information on it, but still…it’s a drag.
Thus we had a morning of sweeping up glass and calling around for replacement glass…and unlike last time, we should have the new glass within a day, instead of waiting for it forever.
This is my long-way-’round of explaining why my 2011 predictions post for today will be slightly truncated. I know, I know, I could probably let it slide a day and you’d all understand, but I need to distract myself, and hey, I got a blog, might as well use it.
Speaking of which: now, I know everyone just assumes I am the all-knowing master of all things comic book-related; flawless and magnificent. Alas, I am only a mere human, just like you…well, maybe a little better than you. However, I can make mistakes and forget things and just plain miss things outright, and my post yesterday was no exception. For example, I either hadn’t known or simply forgot that, unlike what I said yesterday, there were some digital-only releases as indicated by Randal and Dr. Polite Scott in the comments.
I have repeatedly admitted that I am not up on digital distribution stuff, beyond 1) it exists, and 2) Marvel and DC are directly marketing it in comics they’re sending to comic book stores, so I really don’t know a lot about preferred formats and such, so I appreciate it that Bruce and Kevin have attempted to clue me in a bit on all this.
Once again, taking the long-way-’round: if there are any more predictions that I don’t know enough about to comment upon, I may very well call upon one of you folks to chime in and help me out. I know the thing right now is to deride and eschew comments sections (ahem), but by and large, the readers who engage with me here in my comments sections have usually been helpful and funny and interesting. Yes, yes, in every pile of Star Wars figures there’s the occasional Ric Olie, but for the most part, I think my comment sections add to the experience rather than detract. Well, aside from the occasional death threat or crazy person. Or maybe because of.
Hmm. Almost left myself some time to actually go back over those predictions. Lemme get going on those. But first…don’t forget, I’m still taking your predictions for 2012!
- Bret writes
All government will be replaced by Thunderdome.
I suspect some of us would have preferred this.
Superman will decide to walk around the world after walking across America. He will spend the majority of his time mocking the less fortunate and spitting in their faces.
With that collar and armor he kinda looks like he’d be the kind of super “hero” who’d do this. But nah. Not yet.
There will be a public apology for the commercial failure of Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Whether it will be the public writing a letter to Edgar Wright, or Edgar Wright and Micheal Cera releasing one of those hostage videos at gunpoint apologizing to Universal for under-performing is unclear at this time.
I think I’ve mentioned before that I actually liked the Scott Pilgrim movie, even though the comic doesn’t really do anything for me. And I was a bit surprised that it failed that badly, given that you’d think a movie featuring Michael Cera repeatedly getting hit would be more popular. There were some comments from the head of Universal that were…okay, not an apology, but at least an acknowledgement that the film should have done better.
Also, the new Dr. Who will be good.
I thought it was pretty good. Your Who Mileage Will Vary, of course.
But really, most people will only notice the Thunderdome thing.
Can’t people just get beyond Thunderdome?
- Al Ewing is perhaps less than serious when he writes
Quick predictions – Steel is NOT going to die, but John Stewart is. There’ll be a funeral issue where the other Green Lanterns agree that he was the most soldierly, like a true soldier, and his past as an architect – wimp of the professions – will be erased once and for all. Probably he’ll be back as a Red Lantern within the year, blowing away some dudes with a sniper rifle.
I’m surprised this didn’t happen. Give it another year.
Some comics will be sold for $4.99, but only if they have really amazing pinups at the back.
We did get some $4.99 annuals, regardless of pin-ups. Did the Hellblazer annual have pin-ups? Man, I’d rather have another page or two of comics than more pin-ups.
Vertigo will die off. Archie Comics will do a series where Archie goes to Heaven and also Hell, in a format similar to the Betty/Veronica marriage. Reggie will be revealed as a Satan.
Vertigo’s still hanging in there, and while Archie didn’t do this story, I can’t think of any reason in the world why they shouldn’t.
A Drunken Bakers movie will be announced, directed by Lars Von Trier and starring Ken Stott and Paddy Considine.
I wasn’t familiar with the Drunken Bakers…until I looked it up and now I want this movie.
They’ll reprint all Hugga Bunch comics in a big absolute edition hardback costing $299.99 including free hug.
If someone gave me three c-notes for a Hugga Bunch collection, I’d definitely hug them.
- Demoncat had a lot to say, so let me break it up a bit
Marvel will have Mickey and co visit their universe.
Not yet…but I expect some kind of crossover at some point. I mean, don’t you?
Marvel will give the x-men a break with cross overs. right after they have jean grey come back from the dead as dark phoenix one more time and wreck havoc.
No break for the X-men yet. And Phoenix is still dead…but not for long, I’m sure. I mean, that’s pretty much her deal, yeah?
marvel will finaly bring scarlet witch back in the avengers fold sane.
Leading back towards that, probably, if I’m understanding that Wikipedia entry about her involvement in Avengers: Children’s Crusade properly, but perhaps someone more versed in this material can let us know.
dc not only will kick marvels butt sales wise digitaly but will have Oracle back walking around . the death of barbara a fake out to restore her walking.
I’m not sure how the two are connected, but…as I understand it, the publishers are still being cagey about exact numbers, unless something got out there that I didn’t see, so any butt-kicking is as yet unresolved. …Barbara Gordon is up and walking again, thanks more to New 52 Reboot than any faked-death plot. (Though we haven’t seen the explanation of her cure yet.)
dc will also have swamp thing return in his own title and Mattel will give him his own dc classic wave. wave 25
Yes on the new title, no on the wave of figures…but we got a new deluxe figure that as far as I was concerned was its own wave.
- Decker decks us with
Joaquin Phoenix will be hired to write a high-profile book, while ten genre-breaking, critically-acclaimed books will be canceled.
I get the point here, but I don’t think any Big Name Celebrity Comic came out and received an inordinate amount of attention to the detriment of better books. It sort of feels like that time has kind of passed for now.
Ryan Reynold’s Green Lantern media blitz will receive a second wind in time for dvd sales when John Boehner is caught in a Sassy Larfleeze costume during a fundraiser.
Please tell me this didn’t happen and I missed it.
Somebody will create something moving that sends me back to the comic shop looking for another fix.
Well, only you can tell me if this happened, Decker. Let us know!
- I can’t help but sense a bit of irritation from Subzero when he predicts
Marvel will continue f – word – ing up Spider – Man by telling the story that was SUPPOSED to be told in BRAND NEW DAY. And, yes, this will make things even more confusing and contradict all stories before it. Deal with it. Additionally Marvel will go from one big mega – crossover to two every year. And the price for singel issues will go up to 4.99 now including 20 extra pages from the New York City phonebook – collect them all.
None of that happened…though in the case of the $4.99 Marvel book, I will add “yet.”
DC will kill of another big character then bring him back – before the end of the storyarc – only to kill him a second time. Now for real…yeah, right. At least they don´t f – word up the GREEN LANTERN movie. At least the original Batsymbol will stay awhile.
I think Flashpoint sort of pushed back any big “DEATH OF [DC HERO NAME HERE] stories for now. As for the Green Lantern movie…er, sorry, friend. And I’m pretty sure the Batsymbol won’t be going anywhere for the foreseeable future!
Savage Dragon will still be one of the best superhero comics and still be ignored by most comic readers. Who will keep buying the big two megacrossovers instead – while bitching about it. Same thing with Invincible and other good independent books.
…Pretty much a “hit” here. Savage Dragon is kind of an overlooked gem now, isn’t it? Erik Larson just keeps doin’ his thing, and it just keeps getting weirder and more amazing.
All the people who claimed none of the CrossGen books were any good after the company went bankrupt will be bitching that they aren´t as good now that Marvel does them. They will still buy them.
In my experience here at the shop, folks seemed to like the new CrossGen just fine. I didn’t pay attention to how the general worldwide reaction was.
- Bully the Little Stuffed Psychic Bull predicts
A comic book starring a water-skiing, flame-thrower wielding cat will becomes a surprise cult hit.
This only happened in a world I’m not fortunate enough to live in.
At least one comic book will be published on lunch meat. At least one.
“I thought I had a comic here to read while I enjoyed my honey ham sandwich, and now I can’t find it!” …COMIC MEAT TRAGEDY.
One major DC or Marvel superhero character will be changed into a woman. Not replaced by a female version. Changed into a woman.
…Not in any comic I read. Did this happen anywhere that I know about? I mean, aside from the more “adult-interest” titles?
The Captain America or Thor movie will provide an easter egg which suggests a Marvel heroic character not even hinted at previously in movies or casting news will be in “The Avengers.” And that character will be Rocket Raccoon.
There was an Easter egg in Captain America with the original robotic Human Torch…could it be…? …Nah.
- Mikey Wayne relates
In the next big cosmic event for DC, the Spectre will be taken down first.
I don’t think the Spectre was in Flashpoint, but then I only read the issue that had Swamp Thing in it. Spectre’s been pretty much a no-show for a while…maybe he’ll pop up in that new Earth 2 book.
- Michael Grabowski grabs at
I predict that Marvel will publish an entire Spider-Man comic story in a digital format only. No print version of that story will be announced or made available, at least not in 2011.
Given my track record regarding my knowledge about digital comics, I hesitate to answer…but I’m pretty sure I would have at least heard of this had it happened. And if it hasn’t happened yet…I’m sure it will soon.
- Adam Horovitz calls upon all his mystical energy to foretell
Personally, I’m holding out for the return of ‘Mazing Man in a new Seinfeld/Swamp Thing crossover comic…
It wasn’t in a Seinfeld/Swamp Thing crossover, but sure enough…frighteningly enough…’Mazing Man came back. That’s enough for me to point at Adam and call out in terrified tones “Sorcerer! Sorcerer!”
And that’s about that for now. I’ll wrap this up on Sunday, hopefully. Yeah, I know, it’s a three-parter. Sorry, gang!
Looking back at your predictions for 2011, part (sigh) one.
Okay, I didn’t see any easy way through this except by just going through all the predictions, so…well, that’s what I’m a’gonna do. Let’s see if I can get through last year’s predictions in just a couple of posts so I don’t drive everyone crazy.
And I’m still taking predictions for 2012…make your pal Mike work for his blogging dollar next January!
Let’s start with my predictions, because it’s my site, so there:
I think DC will hold the $2.99 price through the year, because not doing so would certainly look bad for them, wouldn’t it?
Well, yeah, they did, but this was probably a “gimme” given the promotional push they gave to the whole “holding the line at $2.99” thing. A couple of books went to the $3.99 price point following the New 52 relaunch, but by and large, most of DC’s books are still at the lower price. And this year a couple more titles are going to the $3.99 format, but still, DC’s holding on to that $2.99 cover price across the majority of the line.
Sales will continue to suffer on redundant books (i.e. the thirteen or so Thor mini-series, for example) but no one will learn any lessons from this.
This was more me griping than really making a prediction, though I will say DC’s multiple Batman and Green Lantern titles seem to be doing okay. For now.
Someone will put out a complete edition of William Overgard’s Rudy. (Hey, let a boy dream.)
DENIED.
A new Swamp Thing series will be announced by the end of the year, firmly planted (heh) in the DC Universe. And it will turn out to be awesome.
Well, well, well…whaddaya know. I’m not sure I’m going to throw the word “awesome” at it quite yet, but we’ll see once we start getting some actually Big Green Swamp Machine action goin’ on in there.
The rerelease of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s Flex Mentallo in a new collected edition will be met with confusion and fear from the usual suspects.
Um, well, this would require the book having come out. …Maybe this year!
And I think Wizard will end its print edition and move solely online…if it continues to exist at all.
Ayup. …Actually, I have no idea if the online version is still happening.
And now, on to what you guys had to say:
- Mike says:
not a prediction- but I would love a year where a powerful character or entity isn’t easily bamboozled and ‘taken over’– skrulls, black lanterns, chaos and other things become tiresome!
where’s me plots based on sexy mayors!?
Pretty sure we didn’t get a year without a character getting “taken over,” as that’s Standard Superhero Plot #17. Can’t think of any specific examples, but considering I just read a new comic this very week with that plot device, I’m pretty sure it must have happened at some point last year.
And we’ll probably have to wait on the Dark Knight Rises film before we get any “sexy mayor” plots with Nestor Carbonell as Gotham’s Mayor Garcia.
- The Sniffer – whom I think I somehow annoyed and drove away from the site…er, sorry! – predicted
Joe Quesada will end his reign as Editor in Chief at Marvel. He will be given another job within the Disney Company, higher up. He will be replaced by a Disney insider, not currently someone working for Marvel.
Half a hit, with Quesada definitely being replaced as Editor-in-Chief, but by another Marvel dude.
- Kurt says
Marvel and DC will be forced to merge, due to low sales, creating a new company called Marcy. The best-selling book will be their team up book, Brave & The Two-in-One.
Oh, you. …Actually, I wonder if there will ever be a circumstance where the two companies would merge? Maybe if Warner Bros. sells DC to Disney, and Disney shooshes ’em all together into a big ol’ comics goulash. “WALT DISNEY AND STAN LEE PRESENT BATMAN AND THE JUSTICE AVENGERS IN ‘IF THIS BE THE KRYPTONIAN ETERNALS!'”
- Fellow Swamp Thing fan Rich suggested
Swamp Thing will return, but in the mainstream universe. His story will become far less cerebral as he regularly interacts with folks in Spandex.
A HIT, A VERY PALPABLE HIT. That Search for Swamp Thing mini certainly wasn’t very cerebral…in fact, it was pretty dumb…but the current series isn’t that bad, I think. Swampy was also certainly interacting with the superhero crowd in all that Brightest Day brouhaha and that Search mini…and there were a handful of cameos in the first New 52 issue, with Alec Holland talking directly to terribly-costumed Superman.
- TomO says
DC will lose patience waiting for everyone to flock to their titles now that they are all $2.99, and we’ll see a line-wide increase to $3.99 announced by October 2011.
A miss, thankfully, primarily because of the success of New 52 relaunch which I don’t think any of us really expected. (The relaunch, not the success, though I suppose it applies to both.)
There will be a lot of flailing about with the industry finding a digital platform and model embraced by the readership at large. Nothing major happens in 2011, as I still think we have another year before an iTunes model pops up that dominates industry wide.
I’m still not 100% “up” on the digital thing, as I have my hands full selling physical products, though I think DC and Marvel directly marketing comics with digital download codes through comic shops counts as pretty major.
Pogs come back in a big way!
Oh thank God this didn’t happen.
- Steve predicted
At least one independent publisher will go completely day-and-date with digital releases.
Dark Horse did, I believe, and I’m pretty sure Archie had already.
Marvel and DC won’t go fully day-and-date, but one of them will try it with an *ongoing* series (priced the same as the print version).
A hit, I think, with the previously-mentioned comics with prepacked download codes.
The Thor and Captain America movies will make a ton of money, but not quite as much as was hoped for, leading some to question whether the superhero movie is dead and whether Marvel’s strategy in that arena is sound, even though they make a ton of money.
Well, according to Box Office Mojo, Captain America made about $370,000,000 ($140,000,000 budget) and Thor took in $450,000,000 ($150,000,000 budget), so they turned a profit, I suppose, depending on what other promotional expenses and whatnot is involved there. So while some folks in comics fandom will continue to predict the superhero film genre is kaput, I think it’s still got some life in it.
Fear Itself will make a relative ton of money, but not quite as much as hoped for, leading some to question whether the event comic is dead and whether Marvel’s strategy in that arena is sound, even though it makes a relative ton of money.
I will note that the sales on the most recent Fear Itself series Fearless ain’t a patch on its parent series. I think the strategy of keeping certain events going on way past the initial rush of interest and excitement is the lesson to be learned here.
DC will launch another new ongoing Superman book.
Technically, I guess they did, even if they were just relaunches of previously existing titles. But I expect we’ll have to wait for the whole New 52 thing to shake out before any new ongoing Superman titles pop up. (Frankly, though, I hope they don’t…two is plenty.)
Dynamite and BOOM! move to the “front” of the Previews catalog.
Not yet! But they’re at the beginning of the alphabet, so they’re not too far away!
- aj had a numbered list, like so
1) Grant Morrison will be revealed for the acid tripping megalomaniac he truly is.
I know some people weren’t happy with some comments he make in his Supergods book, but I don’t know that was the result of megalomania.
2) corollary to the above, Morrison books will drop in value and regard when he flashes crowds at ComiCon panels, convinced that like Batman, he needs “world-wide exposure”
Don’t think any of that happened, but I’m reasonably certain that would have driven up sales on Morrison books!
3) Xmen comics will become a convoluted, confusing, self referencing mess that…well. um. nix that that one. thanks.
I think I’ll be nice and refrain from commenting on that one!
4) Although the ramp up to digital has begun, most companies still won’t be able to see past the iPad, and the expense of that device will prevent any meaningful adoption of digital/mobile comics distribution. In a misguided conception that the willingness to pay iPad prices extends to everything else, publishers will assume they can set any price they want. (relates only to digital distribution)
Gah, I really don’t know enough about this stuff, as my eyes just kind of glaze over whenever people start talking about “digital platforms” and such and hey, those little furry things running around my feet don’t have anything to do with me so I’ll just ignore them, said the dinosaur. I do know that nobody ever seems to like the price points of any digital releases from the big companies, so I suppose that last part of the prediction seems to ring true.
5) Price wars between publishers will calm down, settle at 2.99 and 3.99, and everyone will still complain about it. (justly so)
Prices still at about those levels! And nobody likes that $3.99 price point (unless it’s for a thicker comic…which most of the time it isn’t).
6) JLA will be cancelled, lacking editorial directives that can make a cohesive book.
Again, technically true. I’ll let you decide if the current Justice League book is cohesive or not.
7) BOOM Studios will have their reach exceed their grasp, licensing things that they can’t really support in the market. (this will be disappointing to me)
They seem to be doing okay so far. Hellraiser, Planet of the Apes, Elric all have modest but loyal followings, and Peanuts seems to be off to an okay start. Nothing earth-shaking or blockbusting, but they sell.
8) Walking Dead will have season two, and rabid fans will boycott it.
I haven’t heard any boycotts yet, but just from what I’ve gleaned from online reaction, people are reacting less well to the second season than the first one. Heck, people started disliking the series with episode two, as anything was bound to suffer in comparison to the premiere.
9) Robert Kirkman finally goes bat-sh#$ loco, buys out all the other Image partners, renames it Kirkman’s Image Comics, and ban any creator from working on any book anyone else has ever done before.
As amusing as this would have been, alas, it did not happen.
10) http://www.themeangeek.com will gain precisely 1 listener, raising comics awareness to three whole people.
I hope I helped at least at little in you achieving this goal!
- Thwacko noted
1)At least one major publisher (though not necessarilly one of the “big two”) will start digital only releases on some (or maybe all) titles.
2)One of the second or third tier publishers will go out of business or be bought out by a bigger publisher.
3)The return of licensed character titles to the big two.Haven’t heard of any digital only releases, aside from maybe some back catalog material on previously-released print items. Maybe I missed something? And there are so many comic publishers I’m sure someone went out of business, though I haven’t heard of any acquisitions. But then, I wasn’t keeping track. …Some follow-up on your predictions this is turned out to be, huh?
As far as licensed properties go at Marvel and DC…when I discussed this last time, I mentioned all the Stephen King and Anita Blake and such that Marvel had, but I forgot about DC’s various video-game tie-in comics. I suppose those count. But DC pretty much gave up on The Spirit and Doc Savage, I guess.
- Thelonius Nick had this to say:
1) DC’s new pricing policy (and Marvel’s unwillingness to really match it) will put it within spitting distance of #1 company by volume.
Pretty sure they passed Marvel briefly, didn’t they? At any rate, they’re neck ‘n’ neck last time I checked.
2) Marvel’s Fear Itself event will generate interest at first but fizzle out when it doesn’t offer anything new and all tie-ins are $3.99 or $4.99.
The main Fear Itself series did okay, but the multiple minis were a bit too much, and didn’t do nearly as well. A lot of the tie-ins were $2.99, though, which was nice.
3) The Cap and Green Lantern movies will do well at the box office without translating into any significant sales bump for their respective comic franchises. Thor’s Asgardian setting won’t translate well to the big screen and will be critically shunned and poorly attended.
Swap “Green Lantern” for “Thor” and that’s pretty much what happened. Green Lantern‘s sales have remained strong, though not due to any movie bump. I didn’t notice any movie bump on any of these titles, actually.
4) Marvel will continue to dick around with Dr. Strange in the pages of the Avengers and fail for yet another year to give him his own ongoing title. Pissed off Strangefans will hex Marvel by the powers of the Vishanti and the company will end the year in flames, literally.
I don’t know if you would call Defenders his own ongoing title, but hey, it’s monthly and he’s in it. Fans are having some words about it, however.
- Buzz says
Sudden & dramatic collapse of brick & mortar stores, both mainstream & speciality shops (such as comic book shops). Existing stores that survive will do so by either offering services to readers (such as B&N allowing one to browse through any e-book they offer while in their store, thus encouraging people to buy a Nook & regularly visit the B&N coffee shop; or in the case of comic book/pop culture stores to offer gaming, etc.).
Stores are still hanging on so far, thankfully! Our store has offering gaming stuff for years, so a little diversification never hurt anyone. …Let’s see how things go this year, though. This is definitely an economic climate that is not friendly to small business.
- Ian @TRO says
More Omnibi.
Yeah, there were plenty of these. Even with the economy the way it is, we’re still getting plenty of high-end reprint projects from both Marvel and DC. Of course, no one’s buying these monsters at the suggested retail price (anywhere from $75 to $125), but still, these are some pricy items for this marketplace.
More Vertigo characters in DCU.
Thanks to the New 52 and Brightest Day, we’ve got…Shade the Changing Man, John Constantine, and that big green plant fella. At least.
Hopefully more than one Milestone character gets an ongoing (IE, in addition to Xombi mini)
Again, thanks to the New 52…just Static so far.
Marvel will have some events.
There was also some unrest in the Middle East, I understand.
- De delights in saying
I have a sneaky suspicion that Dark Horse, of all companies, will revolutionize the digital comics arena. The comiXology model will remain the same for DC, Marvel, Image, and the rest for now.
Dark Horse certainly stirred up some hoohar with their digital announcements, at any rate.
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!).
Most superhero movies did reasonably well, but studios mining past properties is probably just business as usual rather than a reaction to how the films did. More of a “what did well before? What else can we do that’s just like that?” situation.
Marvel and DC will stop producing direct-to-video films as the public grows tired of the superhero genre.
Not quite yet…I suspect that the superhero genre will play out eventually, but so long as there are still superhero films coming out that are relatively well done and entertaining, the occasional clunker of a film is just seen as “a clunker of a film” and not a death-knell for an entire genre.
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.
In a good and just world, this is what would have happened.
- Googum contributes:
Honestly? I reckon 2011 is just going to trundle along, without any monumental success (a new direct market comic breaks a million in sales or downloads first week) or colossal failures (DM collapses, Marvel or DC cancel 75% of their line) and be mostly more of the same. The water isn’t quite hot enough to boil that frog, but he hasn’t hopped out, either.
In a way, DC did cancel about 75% of its line…and then replaced them with even more titles! The New 52 relaunch was probably the most notable success of the year, and one that I sure didn’t see coming.
Marvel will have a mild uptick in trade sales for Thor and Captain America; but they’d have to, after flooding the market. 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.
Marvel might have had some increase in trade sales, like you said. I did see an upswing in GL sales, mostly in Sinestro War and, yes, Blackest Night trades. And in reprints of the current (well, then-current) GL series.
And even though it’s become obvious Comic-Con applause doesn’t translate directly into box office numbers, no one changes their behavior in the slightest. Well, you don’t have to be Karnak for that one…
Weren’t there stories about some movie and TV companies slightly scaling back their Comic Con participation? I seem to recall that. But I bet you’re right, and people will still presume success based on fan reaction at events such as these.
- That Andres guy I put up with every week at the shop says
DC’s $2.99 price point won’t hold. People will start predicting digital comics are just a fad (this is after sales die down like they have been for digital magazines).
Well, it’s holding so far, despite, as mentioned before, having a couple of titles bumping up to the $3.99 level. We’ll see how things go over the next year or so. …And I’m sure folks are calling digital comics a “fad”…hell, comic books themselves are a fad from early last century that are still hanging on, somehow.
- Tom A foresaw
Jack of Hearts is brought back to life and takes his rightful place among Marvel’s heavy hitters (2 series by end of year) Now to push for Stingray in 2012.
Well, yeah, kinda. Not so much with the “heavy hitter” part.
- Matt Jeske sez
…The Green Lantern movie will be critically panned, but commercially successful.
You were half-right!
The Superman books will reintroduce elements from the new krypton storylines.
Blame the New 52 for getting in the way of this one.
The Beat blog will return to be as interesting to read as it used to be.
I’ll let you decide if this one is a “hit.”
- Frowny frowns
1) 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.
Morrison doesn’t appear to be quite done with Batman, but I’d say cancelling everything and doing a huge relaunch sort of counts as “hamhanded.”
2) For some stupid reason, Steve Rogers will be back in the Captain America costume in time for the new film.
I didn’t read it, so I don’t know how stupid the reasons were. But he’s back in costume now…right? Was it in time for the movie? I lost track.
- Former Employee Aaron drops this into my lap
Doom and gloom predictions! Right before Skynet is activated and we all die in a fiery jamboree the $2.99 price point will be eradicated and all comics will cost $3.99 and up. On the brighter side i foresee more original graphic novel releases this year! Also I’ve been wondering how many different Batmen will we have in the Dcu.
1. WRONG. 2. A FEW. 3. ONE. UNLESS YOU COUNT BATWING, THEN TWO. UNLESS BATMAN INC. STILL “COUNTS,” THEN LOTS.
- Wayne Allen Sallee writes in with
…I know next to nothing about digital comics, but my guess is that Dark Horse or possibly Dynamite will move to that arena. I also predict that, given the storyline of Superman: Earth-One, that specific world will be DC’s Earth-1990s. (Not being snarky, I honestly believe that each Earth-One GN will be terrible.)
Dark Horse certainly did. And…yeah, Superman: Earth One sure sold well, but boy did it get some negative reviews.
- ~P~ wrote some silly predictions, and then added
Mike Sterling will email me to tell me how much I owe him for the variant editions he obtained for me.
Right Mikester?
…Um, oops?
- My new best friend whom I totally met in person just a few weeks ago philip says
The gap between print and digital will continue to shrink, making more new books available sooner in digital format.
“Day and date” seems to get thrown around a lot, so I’m guessing it’s shrunk as much as it’s going to (until “day and date before” becomes the norm).
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).
Oh, silly philip. Even DC’s relaunced universe has got somethin’ in the works.
There will be just enough new work from Los Bros Hernandez to make me wish there was more new work from them.
This is never not true. I always want more work from the Bros.
DC will still not know what to do with Wonder Woman.
I made my opinion on the topic clear, but it’s selling and everyone likes it, so pay no attention to me.
- Ben predicted
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.
Then it will turn out to written by Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis over a weekend trapped at an airport hotel. It will be the single most awesome thing all year, but will fail to cover the authors’ expenses on alcohol.
Wishing this were all true doesn’t make it so, alas. Except for the “collapsing in hate” part…I totally would have loved and supported this comic.
- Dan Wars blasted us with
By the end of 2011, the original Fantastic Four will be reunited. Duh!
Duh, indeed!
- Greg Merritt suggested
Gin Genie will make her long-awaited return to the Marvel Universe.
And then team up with Iron Man.You are a cruel man. Iron Man did team up with some booze, though, so you’re close. But sadly, Gin Genie is still dead.
- Mr. A says
Without Dirk Deppey’s daily links roundup, traffic to TCJ.com will crash by at least 90%.
I’m sure that wasn’t the case, but I certainly miss Mr. Deppey’s Journalista, as do many online comic fans.
- 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”.
Haven’t really seen this happen yet, as superheroes are more flashy and get more attention and thus make for better “news” stories in the Real World (which I’m assuming you’re meaning by “press”). But indie graphic novels and comics still get some good critical assessment in places like the A.V. Club and such, so they’re not being ignored. You’re just not likely to see the Associated Press syndicate a story about, I don’t know, a new issue of Palookaville (and more’s the pity).
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)
Gah. …Anyway, I haven’t seen too many celebrity-spawned projects some down the pike. There’s Heart but that’s hardly taking the world by storm at the moment.
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.
Estate 4.1, thank you, and it didn’t disappear…it was, um…resting. And I wish “meh” would fade, because seriously, that makes me want to hit someone with my truck.
Next franchise for DC to exploit: Joel Schumaker’s SWAMP THING. (Sorry, Mike)
As I said before…A+ WOULD SEE AGAIN.
Dan DiDio and Brian Bendis will both wrestle a bear at a convention…and lose.
If this happened and nobody told me, I’m going to be pissed.
Finally, Mike Sterling will still be seen as the greatest comics blogger in the multiverse.
I probably had a chance at that, except for the fact that this look back at 2011 predictions is going on for another day, at least.
