CBR: EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley On Events, Minis, Backlist & More

[CBR News]

Concluding our exclusive 2-part interview, Marvel Comics Publisher Dan Buckley talks the company's 2012 strategy from "Avengers Vs. X-Men" to "The Avengers" film, through conventions and digital.


Full article here.

[mietha]

This guy lost whatever little credibility he had when he claimed Siege wasn't a cross-over event. Yeah, ok, the "story" had 4 issues with, what, 30 or 40 tie-ins where, surprise, surprise, the vast majority of the story actually was. Not to mention that Siege was a joke anyway, but that's beside the point.

[Sabrewulf]

AvX" is something we believe in both as a great story and a way to bring in new readers, so you're going to see a very aggressive marketing campaign to lapsed readers and the mainstream audience supported by a significant investment.

Oh this should be good. Are they actually going to pay people to buy this stuff now? Because I can't think of any other way they are going to reach the kind of new reader that may give a crap if the movies don't already work. Even giving the books away free don't seem to work.

But it's actually funny to watch anyhow. The first step for Marvel is that the readers aren't lapsed. They're gone. Whether it's due to being out-priced, the constant event mentality, or the pushing of substandard talent or poor quality, they are gone.

It's Marvels denial that's doing the most damage right now.

[Spaced]

The amount of promo stuff they're throwing at the LCS is pretty hefty:

• Avengers VS X-Men Program, a free comic previewing the upcoming event
• Avengers VS X-Men Postcards
• Avengers VS X-Men Customizable Flyer
• Avengers VS X-Men Customizable Press Release
• Avengers VS X-Men Backlist Sales
• Avengers VS X-Men mini posters
• Avengers VS X-Men promo items
• AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1 Advance Screening Copy, delivered to retailers in late March 2012
• Avengers VS X-Men Party Lithographs
• Mass media promotion around the launch of AvX and the associated parties
• Promotion of parties to Marvel fan base via Marvel.com, Twitter and Facebook
• An additional discount on the Road to Avengers VS X-Men Trade Paperback

And these same retailers will receive complimentary team specific versions—based on their allegiance—of the following:
• Exclusive AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1 Spotlight Variant specific to the team supported by the store
• Free Avengers VS X-Men mini-posters showing store allegiance
• Free Avengers VS X-Men Party Tickets
• Free Avengers or X-Men Team Pins
• Free Avengers VS X-Men in-store signage and shelf-talkers

And who's to say what else is to come. They could be promoting it heavily in trailers showing with the Avengers movie or on TV spots, maybe adverts in mass market magazines. That would constitute a "significant investment".

[Sabrewulf]

As you've said, launching new series that don't have major names in their titles such as X-Men or Avengers seems to be difficult at best in today's market. Additionally, miniseries -- with some rare exceptions -- not tied to events seem to be an increasingly hard sell to long-time readers. The reaction they're often met with is, "If it's a mini-series, it must mean it doesn't matter so why should I pick it up?" Could you address the challenges of launching new product in today's market -- are the days of titles with "B-List" characters and miniseries behind us?

It's all about finding the perfect combination of the right character and right creators. I'd point to "Daredevil," "Punisher," "Defenders," "Incredible Hulk" and "Venom" as very strong launches -- from both creative and sales standpoint -- in 2011. In 2012 we're starting strong with new books like "Scarlet Spider" and "Winter Soldier," and I think everyone would agree that those two titles also have a strong combination of character and creator.

Funny how all those books are either Avengers or Spider realated in some way.

The only one that isn't The Punisher is almost at cancellation point.

Plus I don't think any of them can be considered strong launches. Ignoring the #1's which have inflated figures due to multi varaints, free issues or just plain hype. The latest issues look like this..

Daredevil #8 43,494
Defenders #2 38,935
Incredible Hulk #4 45,876
Punisher #7 22,908
Venom #12 28,728

I suppose some of them could be considered strong by Marvel standards. Except they're all been beaten by Batgirl, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.

That being said, this is the toughest time in the past decade to launch new titles.

Yet DC seem to be managing just fine.

Bill Jemas should get a great deal of credit for getting this business off the ground for Marvel. He worked very closely with editorial to ensure that we constructed stories that could easily be repurposed for trades.


Yeah well done Jemas for killing off a big chunk of fan base with decompressed stories for the sake of something which sells minimal compared to the monthly format.

Can the business grow in 2012? Yes, it will as long as we as the industry believes it can and aggressively pushes to do so. Like I said to the AP and I'll say it again here -- instead of spending so much time talking about how print is dead and who won market share, let's all spend more time supporting and celebrating the medium.

Funny how that seems to be Marvels new mantra since you stopped winning the market share.

The amount of promo stuff they're throwing at the LCS is pretty hefty:



And who's to say what else is to come. They could be promoting it heavily in trailers showing with the Avengers movie or on TV spots, maybe adverts in mass market magazines. That would constitute a "significant investment".

Yeah but who will be like, ooh I got a free mini poster, now I have to pick up AvX despite the fact I don't buy $3.99 books and can't abide Bendis.

People aren't stupid. Any fans who go into comic shops already know exactly what to expect from this event and have already made up their mind whether to buy into it or not.

[gma2darescue]

"First, I want to clarify that we do not do "crossover" events."
So DD/Spidey isn't a crossover?
Or the upcoming "Omega Effect"?

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

"First, I want to clarify that we do not do "crossover" events."
So DD/Spidey isn't a crossover?
Or the upcoming "Omega Effect"?

A crossover story isn't the same as a crossover event.

I think he's saying for a universe spanning event you don't have to buy 3-5 different ongoings to understand the primary story.

In other words, imagine if you had to read Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Avengers, New Avengers, Spider-man and Black Panther to get the main story. Sure those books had tie-ins that helped to enrich the overall story but you only needed to pick up one book to follow Fear Itself.

[Nova2814.1]

A crossover story isn't the same as a crossover event.

I think he's saying for a universe spanning event you don't have to buy 3-5 different ongoings to understand the primary story.

In other words, imagine if you had to read Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Avengers, New Avengers, Spider-man and Black Panther to get the main story. Sure those books had tie-ins that helped to enrich the overall story but you only needed to pick up one book to follow Fear Itself.

Just curious, would you consider the likes of Messiah Complex or Second Coming as crossover stories or crossover events? To me they are events, but because they're X-Men, they almost feel divorced from the "main" Marvel Universe.

[John Trenchfoot]

To be fair, try reading Dark Avengers #15 and then #16 without reading Siege. I defy you to work out what the hell's going on.

But I'm still in the pro-Marvel camp. Sure, when looked back at, this will probably not go down as the greatest time in their history, but they will survive and come back better.

Or - gee - maybe they WON'T! Maybe all the CBR naysayers (all 6 of them) will bring about the end of the company. Wouldn't that be something?

Just joshing, moderator.

[NickFury90]

Bill Jemas should get a great deal of credit for getting this business off the ground for Marvel. He worked very closely with editorial to ensure that we constructed stories that could easily be repurposed for trades.

Writing for trade should never be applauded

[Ari Gold]

Writing for trade should never be applauded

So now we know who to blame.

[deathcry]

Just curious, would you consider the likes of Messiah Complex or Second Coming as crossover stories or crossover events? To me they are events, but because they're X-Men, they almost feel divorced from the "main" Marvel Universe.

Second coming was a crossover. << notice that symbol at the end. SI, CW, AvX are mini-series elevated to event status because other books tie-in to them, but aren't part of the essential main story.
Doomwar was just a mini-series. There were no tie-ins (if I remember correctly).

[hondobrode]

Tired of Spidey, X-Men and Avengers.

There's hardly anything else at Marvel.

Had hope for Defenders but Strange seems out of character and the Dodsons aren't working on this title for me.

[deathcry]

So now we know who to blame.

I thought it was pretty well known that Jemas started this (or I should say majorly pushed it to the forefront). I think it would be fine, but it seems to rarely work out as well as if they would just write stories that were whatever length that story needed to be.

[ARCHER9]

Actually DC is having difficulty as well launching "new" titles. 6 of the new 52 have already been cancelled and the ones selling the best are Superman, Batman, and Justice League titles. Look at last months top ten. A lot of those titles were already selling well.

On top of that people talk about how DC has more diversity in their minority books. Until they cancelled Mr. Terrific and Static Shock. When Animal Man, Demon Knights, and All Star Western make it to the top ten you can tell me how well DC's diversity is doing for them.