Top Ten Worst Comic Book Trends

As we enjoyed last weekend’s Free Comic Book Day event, it reminded us comic book fans about the trends we love to gripe about with the comic book industry. We’ve been griping about these trends for decades and while some have gone away, some new or persistent trends are plaguing the comic book industry.  With that said, here are the top ten worst comic book trends plaguing the industry today.

10. FOMO = Increased Back Issue Prices

Fear of Missing out (FOMO) often plagues many comic book collectors who desperately go out of their way to get the latest trending comic. This was especially bad during the beginning of this decade when any mention of a character appearing in an upcoming movie would cause prices for back issues to explode overnight. This frustrates normal collectors trying to complete a run and at the same time ends up fleecing naïve collectors who have to get the latest trending comic book. Just look at The Amazing Spider-Man #210. A couple of years ago it was highly sought after because it featured the first appearance of Madame Web. Anyone think that book is still in demand after the Madame Web movie bombed?

9. Comic Book Prices Keep Going Up

Right now, the average comic book costs about $5 per issue. Back when the medium first started, a single issue would cost less than a dollar. What used to be a relatively inexpensive hobby, at least for older readers not dependent on their parents’ allowances, is now pricey especially if anyone is trying to buy all the comics that come out on an average month. This has led to overpriced special issues, such as an issue #100, that are priced around $10 and not worth the price as they often turn out to be anthology books featuring forgettable stories instead of monumental events.

8. The Overabundance of Mini-Series

When comic book mini-series first appeared on shelves, they were often devoted to characters who either were brand new or not popular enough to warrant an ongoing series. The limited series served as testing grounds for both the characters or creative teams. Usually, this lead to some characters becoming breakout stars like the Punisher or Wolverine or gave exposure to promising writers or artists. Nowadays, it seems like there is a new mini-series everywhere you turn and often they are about established superheroes like Batman or Spider-Man. Why couldn’t these stories be told in their own titles? Sure, a particular mini-series story may not fit with the ongoing storyline but why not just run the stories in between runs of creative teams? If the famous “Kraven’s Last Hunt” storyline was released today it would have been a mini-series with variant covers and more whistles.

7. Comic Books Villains Turned Anti-Heroes

This is an annoying development with many classic comic book villains. They become so popular that the publishers wind up giving them their own solo titles where they become anti-heroes that we can relate to. The most famous or infamous example is Venom. When he first debuted in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, Venom quickly became one of Spidey’s deadliest and most popular foes. Unfortunately, Marvel Comics saw the character as a gold mine and increasing his appearances in the Spider-Man comics was not enough. No, Venom was given a bunch of mini-series where he faced off against other popular Marvel characters until getting his own title. The problem with this is that Spider-Man was deprived of a solid villain who could no longer be seen in the same way since Venom became an anti-hero.

6. The Multiverse Concept

The Multiverse is a great concept that lets creative teams conjure up interesting stories outside of the limiting comic book continuities. Sometimes these stories featured the deaths of popular characters, which was unthinkable in regular comics. Great examples include the classic The Dark Knight Returns mini-series and Kingdom Come. But leave it to the comic book companies to dip into the well one too many times. DC and Marvel have released too many stories that take place in separate realities that dilute the impact of the stories and the characters. Just look at what Marvel is doing with the so-called Spider-Verse. What was a fun storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man that introduced imaginative and outlandish variations of Spider-Man has now become a means to throw up countless mini-series (see Number 8) with Spider-Man variants. On a broader scale, Marvel is going all out with a relaunched Ultimate Comics line that features our favorite characters in a different reality. This probably makes speculators happy as they look for the next Spider-Gwen but the rest of us don’t care and this leads us into the next worst trend.

5. Derivative Characters and Families

Legacy characters like Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man usually spawn a family of characters that are derivatives of them such as Batgirl, Superboy, Scarlet Spider, Red Hulk and so on. When some of these new heroes first appeared, they replaced the main characters and picked up the mantle and inspired fascinating takes on legacy characters. Steve Rogers’ Captain America led to Sam Wilson Captain America or Hal Jordan Green Lantern spawned Kyle Rayner Green Lantern. Other times these characters were just young knockoffs of popular heroes. The most recent example is Spider-Boy, one of the dumbest characters ever introduced to the Spider-Man family. Speaking of families, the problem with these characters based on legacy characters is that they dilute the original character. There should be only one Batman (who works best as a loner superhero), one Spider-Man, one Captain America, one Superman; except when it comes to Green Lantern since that character is just one of many Green Lanterns in the galaxy.

4. Too Many Crossover Events

Remember when crossover events were truly special and had consequences? Ever since the success of Secret Wars and Crisis on Infinite Earths, crossover events across comic book titles have overtaken the release schedules of comic books. Often these events spill their way into regular titles and interrupt their ongoing storylines to squeeze in a tie-in story related to the crossover event. This is very annoying when following a run that builds up a certain momentum only to come to a crashing halt just to cram in an issue devoted to a crossover tie-in. Meanwhile, anyone who doesn’t follow a certain title feels compelled to buy it just to get the complete story if they were following the crossover event. We all know why these events happen (hint: $$$), and they are a good way to introduce readers to titles they often do not read, a good example was the “Unity” event in Valiant Comics way back in the 1990s. But there are too many of these crossover events now which has made readers tune out.

3. Meaningless Character Deaths

This has gone on for decades in comic books where the villains apparently were killed off only to reappear issues later with some implausible explanation for how they survived. However, this has recently happened with our superheroes, the best example was the famous “Death of Superman” storyline that made headlines and introduced new characters to the Superman family. But too often, these superheroes have been killed off just to tell stories of mourning only to have them resurrected. It has gotten to the point that a death of a character has no emotional impact. Seriously, did anyone believe for a moment that Ms. Marvel was actually dead when she was killed last year in The Amazing Spider-Man #26? The event was filled with empty platitudes and forced emotions. Note to comic book companies: If you kill off a character then that character should stay dead.

2. Variant Covers Everywhere

Pumping out so many variant covers to comic books is just a ploy to get collectors to spend more on the titles. It is also annoying and confusing for anyone who just wants to get a particular comic book to follow a story. Of course, no one is forced to get all the variant covers, which would be too expensive for average fans. But some completists can go insane and broke trying to find elusive covers that instantly go up in price at comic book stores. Another dilemma is that a person may only want the regular cover but sometimes that is hard to do, and that person is forced to buy a variant cover, which would be a nightmare for an OCD collector. Another very annoying trend with the variant covers is the tendency to put out covers that feature characters that do not have anything at all to do with the comic book! For proof, just look for any recent issue of The Amazing Spider-Man which is guaranteed to have Spider-Gwen or Black Cat on the cover even though neither character appears in that issue.

1. The Constant Cancellations and Relaunches of Popular Characters

This is the worst trend with comic books today and the most annoying. In the old days, a comic book would have a run that spanned hundreds of issues with creative teams coming and going from titles. It was fun trying to get the complete run or at least some significant key issues. But ever since the 1990s, comic book companies have been intent on canceling comic book titles only to relaunch them a short while later with a brand new number one issue. This is done to increase sales and attention to the comic book. While this may please some collectors who can now legitimately claim to own a copy of Daredevil #1 it annoys the rest of us who get confused when trying to complete a run. In the end, it’s just a tired marketing scheme that will not benefit the comic book in the long run. Want a long, successful run of a comic book title? Just focus on telling great stories. The word will get out to fans who will seek out the title and make it an enduring success.

José Soto

Wither Physical Media? Or The Downside Of Digital Streaming

By now, we all know about how physical media is dying, especially after the retailer Best Buy announced last year they would discontinue selling DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K disks this year. This is largely due to the prevalence of digital media and digital streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Max, and so on, and declining sales of physical media. These platforms made it much more convenient to access and watch your favorite films and TV shows without the bother of physically getting up, searching through your DVD/Blu-ray library and inserting disks into a player. However, something has been lost with the downfall of physical media. Or is it truly dead?

By announcing that physical media was doomed, interest has increased in fans and collectors to obtain the remaining physical media, especially in secondary markets, as fans are now actively hunting down copies of their favorite films. What helped drive the hunts was a major flaw that became clear with the rise of digital media: the availability of a favorite film or TV show.

On paper, digital media and streaming takes care of the problems with buying and collecting physical media, namely storage and the ease of accessing your favorite Star Trek episode. The problem is the streaming market has become so diversified that these services feel like you’re accessing incomplete libraries. A draw of streaming was the vast libraries they boasted. This was the case when Netflix was the only large streaming service years ago, but with the coming of Disney+, Max and other streaming services, these companies understandably took their toys and went home. Good luck if you subscribed to Netflix to watch the latest Marvel superhero film. You might get Morbius or some knock-off film, but if you want to watch Iron Man or Avengers: Infinity War you’ll have to subscribe to Disney+. The same thing happened if you wanted to watch Star Trek. While you can watch some of the films on other services, for the “complete” Star Trek library you have to subscribe to Paramount+, which offers little else that would interest the average Star Trek fan. And by “complete” we have to keep in mind that Paramount+ cancelled and removed Star Trek: Prodigy from their service. Now you can only see that show on Netflix, which will exclusively stream the second and final season of Star Trek: Prodigy.

Anyone sees where this is going? Essentially, you have to subscribe to all the major and even minor digital streaming services to be able to access the films and TV shows you want to see. That is if they have the rights to stream them. Anyone want to see Outland? Never heard of it? No surprise. Outland was a sci-fi crime drama that starred Sean Connery as a sheriff on a mining station on IO. It copied the gritty and grounded look of Alien but was a well done film. Now where can you find it. Sure, anyone can buy it digitally, but why should they if they are supposed to easily access it on digital streaming? Also the money spent to download Outland is comparable to buying a physical disk.

The same issue has been noted online with the sci-fi film Cocoon. It was successful back when it was released in the 1980s, it even won Academy Awards, but it is unavailable on physical media and you have to hunt for it on streaming. Then there is the situation with trying to watch the original version of Star Wars, no bloody Episode IV or other silly subtitles, and where Han shoots first! Many fans hoped that Disney+ would have streamed the original vision of George Lucas, but to date that has not happened. The only way to see the unaltered Star Wars is by purchasing old VHS cassettes, laser disks, and DVDs. Of course, the quality won’t be 4K but at least it is accessible to you and owned by you.

The problem with buying digital downloads of films and TV shows is that you don’t actually own the downloads. Disney+ boasted that with its service you could download their content to watch anywhere on any device. But do you get to keep the downloads if you unsubscribe? If you can please drop a comment below.

Many owners of the PS5 learned the hard way that their digital downloads are not theirs to keep forever, as it was announced late last year that any Discovery+ content that was purchased and downloaded would be removed from PS5s. So, what is the point of buying downloads if you cannot keep them? With DVDs and Blu-rays, the disks are yours forever, you can watch them at anytime just as long as you have a player, which are very cheap these days. Of course, a problem with all the media platforms is the availability of old and obscure content. There are countless sci-fi, fantasy and horror films and TV shows that have basically disappeared since they are not streaming (usually due to rights issues) on any service and if they had a DVD or Blu-ray release, they have gone out of print a long time ago. This makes me glad that I never got rid of my DVD copy of Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners since it is a favorite that cannot be easily seen these days.

What can a genre fan do? Sure you can subscribe to every streaming service but that is expensive and you’ll be stuck paying for subpar services just to access a film or TV show, which can be removed at anytime, often without notice. This happened to me when I was binging Snowpiercer on Max and stopped watching it a few episodes away from its season finale. The next day the entire series was removed from Max. This streaming service was infamous for removing other genre content because the parent company did not want to pay residuals to writers and so on. Such content included Raised By Wolves and Westworld. Anyone who intended to watch the complete series is out of luck these days.

Another thing that makes physical media superior is that many disks come with unique interactive menus and features that you cannot get on a digital download. Some like The Lord of The Rings films are renowned for the exhaustive content on their Blu-rays and 4K disks like extensive behind-the-scenes features, production art, games, and of course deleted scenes. You certainly won’t get this much material in a download!

The best option is to shop for obscure products on second-hand online services that specialize in obscure and out-of-print DVDs and Blu-rays. But be prepared to pay a lot. Then there is cable or satellite TV. Yes, the point of streaming services was to enable viewers to cut the cable cord, but many times, cable is the best place to watch obscure genre films. However, while sales these days of physical media are past their heyday, they are still being made. It is easy to see a time when physical media makes a comeback like vinyl records did as streaming services and digital downloads become more expensive and inconvenient for fans. But for now, make a point of actively seeking out and buying your favorite obscure sci-fi film like Silent Running or the original version of the Star Trek TV shows. You never know if an increase in sales would have an influence on the decision makers in Hollywood. Besides a Blu-ray or 4K disk library definitely looks cool on display in your homes!

Handling FOMO During The Comic Book Speculator Boom

Comic books have risen recently in popularity thanks to their crossover appeal in live-action media. What is spurring the boom is that as mainstream properties from Marvel Comics and DC Comics are being shown on screen, film and TV studios are mining other comic book properties, not just obscure Marvel and DC characters but those from independent comic book properties.

As properties like The Walking Dead, Invincible, Sweet Tooth, Locke & Key, The Umbrella Academy and The Boys have captured the imagination of television and streaming audiences (along with lower-tier mainstream characters like Scarlet Witch or Black Lightning), these studios have found a treasure trove of characters and stories to adapt. This in turn has made many of these titles increase in value among comic book collectors and speculators. Meaning the prices for key issues have exploded.

A good example of this situation is with Boom! Studios’ Something is Killing the Children, a horror title that only debuted in 2019, yet its first issue commands a price of roughly $1,000 for a near-mint copy. Other hot titles which are increasing in value include The Department of Truth and Saga.

The value of previously insignificant mainstream titles or issues increased significantly as characters or storylines were adapted. A recent example is with The West Coast Avengers, particularly its original middle run by John Byrne that introduced a white version of Vision and a dark version of Scarlet Witch. Both of whom wound up on the hit TV show, WandaVision. That TV show also led to a huge price increase for Fantastic Four #94, which was the first appearance of Agatha Harkness, the major villain of WandaVision.

For collectors who wish to pick up newly important issues or speculators looking to buy low and sell high, this has created a mad scramble to find these books and it’s a textbook example of FOMO. Among collectors that stands for Fear of Missing Out on obtaining an issue before it becomes too expensive. Many collectors have horror stories of passing up titles then regretting their decision as those books too off in value.

Thanks to the speculator boom and relevance of live-action comic book properties, FOMO has gripped the comic book community hard. But fans should not give in to FOMO. How important is it to have that particular title unless you want to make a quick profit? Those sold-out issues always get reprinted or are available for downloading, so for a true fan who wants to complete a run, these are alternatives.

It’s also important to keep in mind that the value of these titles often has peaks and valleys. Sure, some titles like The Walking Dead still command high prices, but the average costs for the first issue these days is only a couple thousand dollars. Back during the heyday of the title and the TV show, the first issue of The Walking Dead often sold for nearly five figures. That is enough to help pay for a new car!

As seen with the above example, once the hype dies down so will the prices and many times tey plummet to the point that the key issue becomes affordable. Consider The Avengers #55, which was the first appearance of Ultron. Back when Avengers: Age of Ultron premiered that issue was unobtainable for the average collector. Today, it can be bought for under $100, and that is for a decent copy. Another example is Marvel Premiere #15, the first introduction of Iron Fist, which was undervalued for a few years because of how poorly the Iron Fist TV show was received. Now is a good time to buy that issue and it should be soon as speculation has reared its head that the character will re-appear again in live action some time in the future.

A more recent and glaring example is Jupiter’s Legacy. There was some hype and speculation with that title since it was going to be adapted into a TV show, but that show was not well received and cancelled after one season. Right now, anyone trying to sell their copy of Jupiter’s Legacy #1 is lucky to sell it for cover price.

So, there is no reason to give in to FOMO. If a title like Something is Killing the Children becomes too expensive, let it go and stop obssessing over it. If you have to read the story get the trade paperback, read it online or borrow a friend’s copy. The key is to be patient, eventually the prices will settle and if you’re lucky you will find a copy you can afford to buy. More importantly, just enjoy the hobby.

The Latest Crazy Internet Rumor: Disney Buying DC

Well, it did not take long for the wild rumors and speculation to begin once it was announced last week that Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia. were merging into one company called WarnerDiscovery. The wildest rumor has it that allegedly the Walt Disney Company is going to buy WarnerMedia’s DC Comics or Warner Bros. Being that Disney already owns Marvel Comics this would mean that both comic book companies can be merged into one.

Think about that for a moment.

If this was somehow true, this would be the most shattering development for comic books and related media since comic books were created nearly a century ago. Of course, fans know that DC Comics and Marvel Comics are the two biggest comic book companies with legendary superheroes and other characters. The fact that the two giants are natural rivals adds fuel to rumor fire about the possibility of this merger.

Think of the team up and crossover events. “Crisis on Infinity Secret Wars” or some other overpriced and over-printed epic spanning hundreds of issues per month with spinoff titles and one-shots cluttering comic book shelves in stores. It would blow out recent events like Dark Knights: Death Metal and King in Black in the shear scope. Imagine trying to buy all the tie-ins for that event!

This could spillover into games, books, and yes, films and TV shows. Thought Avengers: Endgame or The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths were epic? Guess again and imagine a live-action version of the last, great DC/Marvel crossover, JLA/Avengers or the 1990s’ DC vs. Marvel that pitted the Hulk against Superman or Captain America fighting Batman! Imagine further and think of the possibility of Robert Downey, Jr. sharing the silver screen as Iron Man alongside Christian Bale as Batman. Or Henry Cavill’s Superman meeting Chris Evans’ Captain America.

Let’s come back to Earth now and face reality because it is doubtful any of this will happen. Sure, it is possible, but to date there are not any credible, confirmed sources to back up this claim.

The Greatest DC Hallmark Ornaments

The Holiday season is when the ornaments based on popular genre start to shine as they adorn our Christmas trees or desks. Hallmark ornaments based on characters from DC comics, films and TV shows are some of the company’s most popular and enduring line of ornaments. Here is a list of the best DC Hallmark ornaments released to date.

10. Beware My Power (2012):

This Green Lantern ornament was clearly inspired by the mediocre Green Lantern film, but it still is a well-sculpted ornament with a nifty feature. Press the button and see the ornament emit a green light as Green Lantern charges his ring and recites his famous oath against evildoers. 

9. The Bat Cycle (2010):

There are many Bat vehicle ornaments released by Hallmark throughout the years. Most of them related to the Batmobile. While the vehicle ornaments are well done, the Bat Cycle is the best of them simply because of the attention to detail not just on the Bat Cycle but the heroes riding it, Batman and Robin.

8. Descending Upon Gotham (2009):

Batman, naturally is the most popular DC Comics superhero done by Hallmark. The Caped Crusader often is shown in dramatic striking poses and this one is his most dynamic one yet as the pose captures him in mid leap ready to go into action.

7. A Symbol of Hope (2017):

The instantly recognizable and legendary Superman symbol stands out from other DC Hallmark ornaments not just for the simplicity of the “S” symbol but because it plays John Williams’ masterful and iconic Superman theme.

6. Wonder Woman (2018):

This DC Hallmark ornament captured the best moment from Wonder Woman as the Amazonian warrior charged the enemy German line during World War I. The pose is quite dramatic and intense as Wonder Woman uses her shield to ward off gunfire.

5. The Bat Symbol (2006):

One of the best DC Hallmark ornaments has a simple yet imaginative feature of having a light projecting a small Batman logo symbol. It may not be as striking as the one Commissioner Gordon uses to summon the Dark Knight but it looks great on any Christmas tree.

4. The Last Son of Krypton (2010):

Most Hallmark ornaments about Superman have him in a flying pose, which after a while becomes unimaginative and hard to tell the difference from each other. This one differs because it shows the Last Son of Krypton in mid-flight throwing a punch, which signifies Superman is doing something heroic and action packed besides flying. 

3. The Dark Knight Returns (2012):

Hallmark sold many exclusive ornaments in conventions such as Comic-Con. This exclusive is a recreation of Batman as imagined by Frank Miller from his classic graphic novel mini-series, The Dark Knight Returns. Like many Hallmark ornaments this one has a sculpture which is painstakingly accurate down to Batman’s squared jaws  and bulky physique as seen in The Dark Knight Returns. 

2. Comic Heroes #2: Superman (2008): 

Remarkably, this was the only ornament in Hallmark’s short-lived Comic Book Heroes series to feature a DC Comics superhero. This ornament doubled as mini-comic book with a 3D sculpture in the front cover of Superman bursting through the pages of his comic book, which retold his origin story. It’s too bad, Hallmark never got around to doing such an ornament about Batman and a mini-comic book from his line. 

 

1. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016):

Actually this diorama is made up of three separately sold ornments featuring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman as seen in the controversial film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. These ornaments can be displayed separately or put together to form a diorama which represents how the heroic trio joined forces in the film and inspired the formation of the Justice League.The poses and sculpts are excellent as the DC superheroes strike dramatic poses. 

Honorable Mentions:

The following are huntworthy DC Hallmark ornaments for any fan of the superheroes or quality ornaments whether online or at a random store or flea market. 

Aquaman: Justice League (2017); The Bat: The Dark Knight Rises (2012); The Batmobile (2020); Christopher Reeve as Superman (2019); The Fastest Man Alive (2009); The Flash (2018); Green Lantern (2011); Harley Quinn (2010); Holy Hit TV Show, Batman! (2014); The Joker (2013); The Joker (2015); Princess Diana Returns: Wonder Woman 1984 (2020); Superman (1995); Villain Database (2007)

José Soto