Your 2020 Predictions, Part Five: The Fate of Luke Skywalker!
Alrighty then, let’s see if we can wrap up this look back at your 2020 comic industry predictions today! And don’t forget to get in your 2021 forecasts (without, you know, predicting things that have already been announced…don’t think I didn’t see that!).
Catch up on the previous parts, if you haven’t already (one, a two, three, and four), and let’s get started!
LondonKDS falls down with
“1) DC gives up on normal periodical comic books – future publishing will be ‘prestige’ format Black Label, graphic novels for kids/teens, and four monthly magazine-format anthology comics of 120-200pp each. They will be
‘Superman and related characters,’ ‘Batman and related characters,’ ‘DC Universe,’ and ‘comics set in the TV Arrowverse continuity.’ Stories from the anthology magazines will be sold individually as digital comics”
While none of this came to pass, I do think this is a not unthinkable path forward for DC at some point. However, given the Arrowverse shows appear to be faltering a tad and dropping off the air, I don’t know we’d get much before a series or two of “Green Arrow Seaon 9” comics or whatever.
“2) Marvel officially gives up on completing Gaiman’s Miracleman, instead tries to imitate Doomsday Clock and does a crossover between Earth-616 and the Miracleman universe which goes down like a lead balloon.”
I would read this a million times, but alas, no go. Frankly, I’m surprised “Marvelman” hasn’t made it into the regular Marvel Universe yet. I mean, they did pay real money for the character, only for the reprints of the Miracleman version be overpriced with production issues prior to stalling when it came time for the new stories, and the reprints of the original ’50s comics weren’t something anybody wanted. It’s (ahem) a miracle there aren’t five comics starring Marvelman right now.
“3) At least one of the recently-founded minor comics companies goes down the tubes after failing to sell any of its titles for film/TV development.”
Feels like comic companies come and go all the time, vanishing without a trace and no clue as to what they departed (other than, you know, the usual reasons). I think this year COVID may have shuttered publishers more than making it to the silver sceen.
William Gatevackes swings open with
“1. There will be a return to DC/Marvel crossovers, but they will be treated as big events this time around. A+ list creators, big story lines and…lasting effects on the character’s continuities.”
Honestly, I kinda half-expected something like this to happen as some kind of show of solidarity/sales boosting event for the industry to help counter impacted sales stores have experienced during the pandemic. Anyway, I’m not resting ’til I get an official Swamp Thing/Man-Thing crossover event.
“2. The BIRDS OF PREY film will flop because of its R rating. Warners won’t see this and instead will blame it on the mostly female cast.”
Well, it did $200 million on an $84 million budget, so not really a flop, but probably didn’t perform as well as they wanted. I don’t think WB specifically blamed g-g-g-girls for the underperformance, but I’m sure plenty of online dudes couldn’t wait to do so.
Plus it was released in February, and I think we were all beginning to realize we were in deep poop with this whole COVID thing around that time. I don’t know if BOP definitely took a hit because of this, but I’m sure it didn’t help.
“3. Marvel Studios will do a stealth introduction of the X-Men/FF characters into the MCU. Something like in the form of Latveria casually being mentioned in BLACK WIDOW or Magneto being referred to as Wanda’s father in WandaVision.”
Speaking of COVID, all the Marvel movies and Disney+ shows and such were pushed back, so if any X-Men/FF references are made, they await our return to movie-going in…2023, probably?
ScienceGiant grows on me with
“You know what? I’m going to lob some evergreen softballs at you Mike. Have fun!”
I HATE FUN.
“1) Wow! I still can’t believe in the year 2020 that comic book creator said something so clearly insensitive and/or misogynistic.”
Well, this isn’t exactly the circumstance of his fall, but the sexual misconduct accusations made at Warren Ellis i was not a story I was expecting to happen. I’m sure there are more fitting answers matching the tone of your question, but…man, that one is just at the forefront for me.
“2) Wow! That highly anticipated film of fantasy/science fiction/comic book IP certainly underperformed. The backlash bodes ill for the genre and that means fewer movies like it next year.”
I don’t think the previously mentioned Birds of Prey hurt the prospects of future super-movies. Besides, most people who saw it really liked it, so it was received well at least. We may get fewer superhero movies next year anyway, if only because, well [gestures at everything],
“3) Wow! Another fine example of ‘over promise, under deliver.’ It was anyone’s guess when the next issue of that series was going to be released, wasn’t it?”
Especially with that two month gap in comics publishing in the middle of the year! Not what you meant, I know, but it’s what happened!
“4) Wow! Lucy pulled the football away AGAIN on Charlie Brown.”
Lucy? Charlie who? Can’t say I’m famliar.
Bully, the Little Predicting Bull, horns in with
“Well, I’ve been dead wrong every year I predicted comics would be printed on slices of ham, so it’s time to get serious.
“In 2020, comics will be printed on slices of turkey.”
I’m sure there were some turkeys out there making comics, but no comics on turkey this year, Bully.
[MEANWHILE, IN THE YEAR 2078]
“SOYLENT GREEN IS MADE OF COMICS! OF COMIIIICS!”
DavidG provides wideband coverage with
“1. The unbroken 25 year streak of no new Miracleman will continue in 2020.”
2020’s Marvel Comics #1000 contains one brand new page of Miracleman by Gaiman and Buckinham! Look, what else do you want, a continuation of the previous series? Let’s not be greedy!
“2. DC will finally crack under the pressure of public opinion and will throw a ton of money at Helfer and Baker to complete the ‘Body & Soul’ storyline in The Shadow. It will be everything we have waited for and more.”
I am never ever ever going to find out how this story resolves, am I?
“3. Disney will announce that the next Star Wars movie will be a Thanos origin story featuring Jedi AND sassy droids, in a desperate attempt to reboot the franchise, and hopefully capture some of the Marvel magic.”
Can you imagine if this had happened? Online dudes would’ve flipped their lids and…I don’t know if they’d be mad about it or not, to be honest. Meanwhile, the general public would just kinda shrug and buy their tickets.
ExistentialMan individually thinks about the following
“1) DC will continue to publish fewer books than Marvel and be just fine.”
Given DC got hit with layoffs and reorganizing, not sure I’d say were “fine,” as such. Again, probably another COVID-related thing that no one could have accounted for because who knew a pandemic was on the way?
“2) The DC 100-Page Giant books will continue to sell at a steady pace throughout 2020. They will also not be released in digital format.”
The Giants program was replaced by multipacks, as discussed in a previous installment of this predictions coverage. But some of the previous original stories from the giants are making it to digitial. Just think of me and my store fondly, on occasion, as you all switch over to reading exclusively on your tablets and phones as I’m sure Jack Kirby intended.
“3) The Netflix/Millarworld show Jupiter’s Legacy will be released in 2020 to excellent reviews.”
Not out yet! One or two stills I’ve seen look pretty good, though, at least as far as costuming goes.
“1. Image comics will launch an extremely successful mega-hit series like Saga or The Walking Dead… BUT… It will be launched and planned as an ongoing series, but only 5 issues will ever come out and the series will be abandoned, like many others before it (like Bitch Planet for example).”
I guess Department of Truth had a strong start, but it wasn’t like wild Walking Dead numbers or anything. Too early as yet to see if it’ll break that five issue benchmark. however!
“2. Marvel, seeing the success of their 2019 X-Men relaunch, decide to add more titles to their X-Men line-up and have them all be interconnected. There will be the usual suspect, X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force, X-Factor and New Mutants as well as more obscure ones like: Fallen Angels, Excalibur, Caliban the X-cellent, Stacy X vs Opioids, X-treme X-Men, Krakoa: The inner life of a living island, Marauders, Space X: The X-men in Space, Jean the Phoenix and Me, X-ceptional X-Men, Astonishing X-Men, Krakoa’s Taxation Time, Roadwork: The Krakoan’s Gate Traffic Controller, ClassiX X-Men, Exiles, New X-Men, Weapon X, X-Men Legacy, X-Men 2099, X-Men party like it’s 1999, X-cetera. This dilutes the brand and sales plummet across all titles. In an attempt to boost sales, Marvel begin making ‘Pog’ variants”
I’d be all in the POG variants, natch. And yes, Marvel is (surprisingly slowly) adding titles to the X-side of their publishing line. So, not quite to the extent (X-tent?) you feared but I get what you’re coming from given Marvel’s long-standing publishing strategy of “if one sells well, two will sell better.” I will note that there’s been no X-book yet called X-Cetera is an absolute crime.
3. Another year without Lego comics
There some books featuring comic book characters, but no LEGO-themed comics, like there should have been to tie in to LEGO movies and toys and games because this industry just keeps walking the “no money to be made here” path. Ah, well, what can you do…just build your own superheroes in LEGO and have adventures with them, I guess.
Whelp, Phinally Done with your 2020 predictions. We laughed, we loved, we all learned a little something. Thanks for contributing,o pals, and we’ll be back next year for the 2021 predictions! Of course, I’ll have posts wetween now and then, so I hope you return!
Well, BLOODSHOT and THE NEW MUTANTS “certainly underperformed,” but they have a pretty good excuse for it, and I do not suppose that they were actually “highly anticipated.”
By the way, if THE NEW MUTANTS is the only thing with Anna Taylor-Joy you have seen, please do not base your opinion of her on it. She is ridiculous there, phenomenal elsewhere.
to be fair, the “if one sells well, two will sell better” and “13 will make us rich” is inherent in Marvel’s DNA going back to Martin Goodman. The man couldn’t help but flood the market with titles at the least sign of sales. People complain about Independent News’ (not DC) limit on the number of titles he could publish after his distribution company failed, but that’s arguably what allowed Marvel to slowly grow into the company he could sell for a hefty profit.
“Caliban the X-cellent
Stacy X vs Opioids
Krakoa: The inner life of a living island”
I would probably read these.
[…] Turan reminded me of two other superhero movies that made it to the big screen last year. It was regarding superhero […]
“I get an official Swamp Thing/Man-Thing crossover event.”
GIANT SIZE SWAMP-MAN THING!