Your 2022 Predictions, Part Six: Anvil of Despair.
THIS HAS GONE ON FAR ENOUGH…so let’s wrap up the 2022 comic industry predictions! Find the previous installments here: 1 2 3 4 5, and find the current installment right in front of your eyeballs right now!
Look at Damien, it’s for him as he says
“I will continue to feel shame over the time I commented here that Miracleman will definitely come out in the next year as I met Mark Buckingham and he told me he was about to start drawing it.
“I have no other predictions.”
Oh ho, a ringer, eh? …Well, to be fair, even if you did know he started drawing it, that’s no guarantee it was going to be ready to go any at predictable time. Thus, no harm done. This time.
Dave Carter fought off a swamp rabbit in order to reveal
“1) More publishers will leave Diamond exclusivity and go to with multiple distributors, adding in PRH and/or Lunar.”
As discussed previously, Dark Horse Comics announced it would distribute comics through Penguin Random House, so that definitely counts!
“2) DC will do something else with Superman to anger conservatives and thus garner free publicity from frothing conservative media outlets.”
I mean, probably? It’s always somethin’ with those guys. From what I was able to glean, it’s still mostly caterwauling over Superman’s son being bisexual. Along with, you know, outright glee over DC cancelling his book because it was “too woke” or whatever (and not a victim of yet another reworking/soft-relaunching via the “Dawn of DC” initiative). Anyway, like I said, it’s always something and it’s usually horseshit.
“3) Dav Pilkey will once again have the best-selling comic of the year.”
Well, I wasn’t sure where to find an overall sales list…I’m sure there’s something obvious I missed, but I did look at the New York Times’ monthly best-seller lists for 2020, and Pilkey was at the top 8 out of 12 months, so I’d say that was pretty good.
Bob Stec goes this way with
“1. Marvel and DC will both publish bronze age Christmas comic omnibi (actually more of a wish than a prediction).”
Not that I noticed, unfortunately. DC’s TPB of Golden/Silver Christmas stories came out a few years ago, which you might still be able to find. Otherwise, it’s all just been NEW, NEW, NEW stuff. (Grifter Got Run Over by A Reindeer? Hmm.)
“2. Funny comics will make a comeback due to the success of titles like the recent Jimmy Olsen mini-series and the new One-Star Squadron.”
Well, don’t call it a comeback because things haven’t gone too hogwild with that sort of book at the Big Two. Funny comics are always easier to find at the indies, since I don’t know if Marvel or DC feel they would “undermine” their potential multimedia-adaptable properties by making them too, well, funny. Which is a silly thing, I know, considering the success Marvel’s had making their characters funny onscreen. Anyway, I hope more lighthearted books come our way soon…I mean, I haven’t read it yet, but I suspect the new She-Hulk comic has to be at least a little amusing, right?
“3. The price of paper will force Marvel and DC to switch to cheaper paperstock but it will be presented to the public as a nostalgic return; many long-time readers will be caught frequently smelling their purchases on new comics day.”
I haven’t noticed any particular egregious downgrade of paper lately, though I feel like Marvel’s awful cover paper stock tears if you even think about looking at it sideways. I’m guessing you meant a return to newsprint (like the comics of the ’70s and earlier) being presented as “isn’t this great, just like the old days” but it’s my understanding that the cost difference between newsprint and the basic white paper stock used by a lot of comics now isn’t that much different. At least, the savings wouldn’t be enough to risk a perceived drop in product value by suddenly printing on brown paper.
Michael Grabowski hits the slopes with
“Along the lines of the NFT trend, i predict that some comics company will successfully publish a limited-release digital comic with blockchain coding (or something like it) to test the waters for a collectible market for online comics. It won’t be Marvel or DC, but it will involve some well-known creator(s).”
I haven’t kept up on the NFT thing, aside from hearing about one or ‘nother suddenly collapsing in value, leaving some poor sucker holding a digital hot potato now worth only pennies on the dollars they paid. I’ll note that you said “successfully,” and a quick Googling shows a lot of high hopes but I don’t know about any follow-through.
I see DC is getting into the game, releasing an NFT version of Superman #1 from 1939, and I have no idea how that’s supposed to work. “Here, you’re the only person to own this particular digital copy of Superman, we can’t sell any more of it.” I’m sure these are questions I could have answered by the articles I’m finding, but frankly I can’t bring myself to click. Sorry.
…Oh, okay, fine, I clicked, and frankly it just sounds like you’re buying digital comics? But digital comics with receipts showing that you bought this digital comic? I don’t know, I think I’ll just read my copy of Famous First Editions featuring Superman #1 and be happy with that.
Andrew-TLA brings us home with
“1. Many, many deluxe, omnibus editions will be published of everything George Perez as tribute. Except Avengers/JLA, which gets a digest.”
I don’t believe we got more Pérez in print at a faster pace than before, save for that JLA/Avengers short run volume. Which was normal-sized, thank goodness, because can you imagine having to decipher that art at digest size? Good gravy, if my eyes weren’t bad before….
“2. A particular actor is hinted at being in talks for an unspecified MCU production. Given that the actor in question (please note, I have no one specific in mind) is both short and Canadian, everyone immediately assumes he will be the new Wolverine. Then some unrelated-to-the-X-Men movie has the post-credit sequence introduce him as Puck.”
100% for a live-action Puck in an Alpha Flight movie, but I’d your yearly salary that when it happens, he’ll be played by someone who’s an apparent 5’6″ compared to everyone else onscreen’s supposed 6’4″.
“3. The Zack Snyder-loyalists and those who prefer the lighter touch of pretty much everything else will be united in their belief that ‘The Batman’ is a pretty fun film.”
A look at Rotten Tomatoes shows it currently has an 85% positive rating, which is pretty good! I don’t know how Snyder fans specifically feel about it, and I’m not sure entirely how to search that out (maybe going on Twitter, finding like a #snyderrulesgunndrools hashtag and looking for references to The Batman there). I did take a brief look and some of the Snyder fans on the Twitters were all “The Batman flopped, bring back the Snyderverse” (I wish I could flop like this) and such, so maybe that Bat-film is just incorporated by some of them into their arguments. Anyway, please don’t yell at me, Snyder Fans, I’m am but a humble comics blogger/retailer/whateverer.
Okay, that’s it, I’m done for the year. But remember to get in your 2023 comic industry predictions while there’s still some 2023 left! Thanks for reading, pals, and I’ll be back on Monday with…well, something!
Anvil of Despair? What will be the next title, then? Time of the Void?
If only Dave Carter had predicted that DC would publish a “Joker gets pregnant” comedy story leading to FOX News talking heads losing their collective minds. Dave was so close with that prediction.
Good gravy, last year these went on for nine posts. You lucked out this time, Sterling!
“it’s my understanding that the cost difference between newsprint and the basic white paper stock used by a lot of comics now isn’t that much different”
Yes! The price savings, if any, isn’t enough to make it worthwhile, so comics prices wouldn’t go down any.
Re: The “Definitive Artist” Twitter postings —
The “Definitive Artist” question is a tricky one because so many of these popular characters have been around for so many decades spanning the various “Ages of Comics.”
So, for instance, if we take Batman, probably the “Definitive Artist” during the Golden Age would be Dick Sprang, the “Definitive Artist” during the Silver Age would be Sheldon Moldoff (Bob Kane’s ghost artist from 1953 to 1967), and the “Definitive Artist” during the Bronze Age would most likely be Jim Aparo (because of a huge run of Brave & the Bold) — although Aparo was influenced by Neal Adam’s style. But a case could be made for Adams and/or Marshall Rogers as the definitive Batman artist of the Bronze Age because their work and stories with Denny O’Neil and Steve Englehart were so iconic.
For Superman, arguably Joe Shuster is the “Definitive Artist” during the Golden Age –but he had so many assistants and ghost artists early on that Jack Burnley or Wayne Boring could also be strong contenders for “Definitive Artist” during the Golden Age (or, if a sub-category for “Definitive Artist” during the Atomic Age is created, then probably Wayne Boring is it for sure. Curt Swan has the distinction of being the “Definitive Artist” for both the Silver Age and the Bronze Age. John Byrne is the “Definitive Artist” of the Copper Age.
For Wonder Woman, H. G. Peter is the “Definitive Artist” of the Golden Age, Ross Andru is the “Definitive Artist” of the Silver Age and José Delbo is the “Definitive Artist” of the Bronze Age. George Perez would be the “Definitive Artist” (and writer) of the Copper Age.
For Aquaman, his co-creator Paul Norris would not be the “Definitive Artist” during the Golden Age, as he left after 12 stories–but Aquaman’s second artist, Louis Cazeneuve, would be “Definitive Artist” of the Golden Age, as he drew Aquaman stories from 1942-1948. Ramona Fradon and/or Nick Cardy would be the “Definitive Artist(s)” in the Silver Age. Jim Aparo would be the “Definitive Artist” in the Bronze Age.
Yes, Carmine Infantino would be the “Definitive Artist” for The Flash (Barry Allen) for the Silver Age and Bronze Age (due to his return) –but Irv Novick would be a strong contender for the Bronze Age as well.
Gil Kane is the “Definitive Artist” for Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and the Atom (Ray Palmer) during the Silver Age. Probably Neal Adams or maybe Mike Grell or Joe Staton would be the “Definitive Artist” for GL for the Bronze Age–but then again, Kane came back to do some Bronze Age Green Lantern and Atom stories.
George Papp, who co-created Green Arrow, would be the “Definitive Artist” for GA during the Golden Age. Lee Elias would be the “Definitive Artist” for GA during the Silver Age, and Neal Adams would be the “Definitive Artist” for GA during the Bronze Age–with Mike Grell as runner up.
Sheldon Moldoff and/or Joe Kubert would be the “Definitive Artist(s)” for Hawkman during the Golden Age. Joe Kubert/and or Murphy Anderson would be the “Definitive Artist(s)” of Hawkman for the Silver Age.
Steve Ditko is the iconic and “Definitive Artist” for Spider-Man during the Silver Age–even if John Romita Sr drew more stories. John Romita Sr (and maybe Gil Kane and Ross Andru) would be the “Definitive Artist(s)” for Spidey in the Bronze Age–in as far as Jim Mooney and other Bullpen artists drew the John Romita Sr. “model” of Spidey and Peter Parker. John Romita Jr and Ron Frenz might be considered contenders for the “Definitive Artists” for late Bronze/early Copper Ages. Then Todd McFarlane happened.
Ditko is also the “Definitive Artist” for Doctor Strange during the Silver Age. I’d go with Gene Colan as the “Definitive Artist” for Doctor Strange during the Bronze Age –with Frank Brunner as a strong contender.
Creator Bill Everett the “Definitive Artist” for Namor during the Golden Age. So many people drew Namor’s Bronze Age comic that it’s hard to say who his “Definitive Artist” is for that period–John Buscema, Marie Severin, Sal Buscema, or Bill Everett–who returned to his most famous creation near the end of his life.
Because he co-created and worked on Captain America during the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Ages, I’d say Jack Kirby is the “Definitive Artist” for Cap –although some might argue that Gene Colan is more of the “Definitive Artist” for the Silver Age, and Sal Buscema the “Definitive Artist” for the Bronze Age.
Co-creator Jack Kirby and/or Werner Roth would be the “Definitive Artist(s)” for the X-Men during the Silver Age, and Dave Cockrum and/or John Byrne would be the “Definitive Artist(s)” for the X-Men during the Bronze Age.
If you take Iron Man, probably Don Heck or George Tuska would be the “Definitive Artist(s)” of the Silver Age, and then Bob Layton is the “Definitive Artist” of the Bronze Age.
Jack Kirby is the “Definitive Artist” for Thor during the Silver Age. John Buscema is the “Definitive Artist” for Thor during the Bronze Age. Walt Simonson is the “Definitive Artist” (and writer) for Thor during the Copper Age.
Gene Colan is the “Definitive Artist” for Daredevil during the Silver Age. Frank Miller is the “Definitive Artist” (and writer) for Daredevil during the Bronze Age.
For Teen Titans, Nick Cardy is the “Definitive Artist” of the Silver Age and George Pérez is the “Definitive Artist” of the Bronze Age.
For Justice League of America, Mike Sekowsky is the “Definitive Artist” of the Silver Age and Dick Dillin is the “Definitive Artist” of the Bronze Age.
Michael Golden for the “Definitive Artist” of The Micronauts.
Dick Sprang! Still the BEST name in comics!