Ultimately Off-Topic VII: The Miles Frontier

[Plawsky]

Are you serious? Of course it's going to sell more overseas. There are 196 countries on the planet. I'd expect any film with the same level of promotion to achieve a similar result.

What do you mean by "claims like that"?

I'm saying you should actually do your research before you say Cap had poor ticket sales in Europe. Your assumption that films are always going to gross more overseas is an incorrect one, and shows that you don't look at box office numbers very often. That's not a problem obviously, because not everyone's into looking them up; but you should have a better understanding of them if you're going to discuss them like that. Here's a few superhero movies that made more in America than in the rest of the world combined:

Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Incredible Hulk, Batman '89, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, X-Men, X2, X-Men:The Last Stand, Superman Returns, Green Lantern, Watchmen...

And that's just from superhero movies. Plenty of movies make over half their money in the US.

[Robbie_Jee]

I'm saying you should actually do your research before you say Cap had poor ticket sales in Europe. Your assumption that films are always going to gross more overseas is an incorrect one, and shows that you don't look at box office numbers very often. That's not a problem obviously, because not everyone's into looking them up; but you should have a better understanding of them if you're going to discuss them like that. Here's a few superhero movies that made more in America than in the rest of the world combined:

Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Incredible Hulk, Batman '89, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, X-Men, X2, X-Men:The Last Stand, Superman Returns, Green Lantern, Watchmen...

And that's just from superhero movies. Plenty of movies make over half their money in the US.

Well that settles it then. I'm not trying to say it would have had a better result with a different country's name in the title. But it would have done a lot better in sales overseas if it was something like Thor, Iron Man, X-Men or Spider-Man, which if you cared to look, all sold substantially better than Captain America, particularly in Europe. I can link you actual statistics if you like.

Captain America is a cheesy, annoying name, and sends a patriotic message that only American's can understand. The idea that "America is the greatest country in the world" is not an idea that other nations share, at all. I don't want to go too into it, but a title such as Captain America is going to hold very little interest worldwide in comparison to a name such as Ant-Man, which sounds loads, loads better. It has nothing to do with a particular character's nationality. We love your comicbook heroes. I'm talking about how the TITLE engages different nationalities across the globe. And when Ant-Man is released, we can return to this discussion and compare the overseas sales of Ant-Man to Captain America. Just so we're accurate.

[Plawsky]

Based on what though? There was clearly just as much foreign interest in Cap as there was American, and people have at least heard of Captain America. Ant-Man is much farther down the list of well-known superheroes. I can't think of a lesser known superhero who's gotten a film over the past decade.

That's not to say that it can't be a great movie; I'm really excited for it. I think Edgar Wright will make it a really cool film. But I highly doubt it will gross more than Cap 2, and will probably be the lowest grossing (and likely lowest budget) film of the MCU. Ant-Man is much more of a risky venture by design than Captain America was.

[RockyBanks]

Have any of you fellas or ladies on the UU board sold large groups of comics on ebay before? I have decided I have way too many single issues and I want to get rid of them and maybe make a buck or two while I'm at it. I don't plan on asking retail price for anything since most of these are a few years old now, but I was hoping someone who has been successful at this could give me some pointers.

I've sold a few bundles before, but each bundle comprised a single story arc. I listed them at about 99 cents an issue, and they all sold.

The problem with eBay, if you're a new user, is that you don't get your money as soon as your item sells. Unless you have a certain level of positive selling history, eBay delays your payment for several days. I get the point--it's supposed to protect buyers from getting ripped off by unproven sellers--but it makes it a pain for new sellers to get a foot in the door.

[Drz]

I can't think of a lesser known superhero who's gotten a film over the past decade.

Kick-Ass, Jonah Hex, Elektra, Ghost Rider, this is just to name a superhero movie, not comic book based.

Ant-Man is much more of a risky venture by design than Captain America was.

Based on what? His power set? Do you know how much i had to listen to ignorant Europeans bashing Captain America till the movie came out? Beign a scientist supreme > guy with a shield. :b

[RockyBanks]

Plawsky: my Manhattan Projects trade came in, and WOW. I wanna keep reading this book just to see where this crazy train is headed.

I imagine this book is some kind of catharsis for Hickman, a little playground where he can go off the f***ing rails. I see the same DNA that ran through his Fantastic Four and Ultimates books, but none of the restraint or reverence.

[Plawsky]

Kick-Ass, Jonah Hex, Elektra, Ghost Rider, this is just to name a superhero movie, not comic book based.

I left Jonah Hex and Elektra off, because they both bombed (Jonah Hex to an extreme extent). I also left out "new" heroes like Kick-Ass and Hancock (although Kick-Ass was a huge comic for an indie). But I feel like Ghost Rider has much wider recognition than Ant-Man, but it's hard to gauge that.

That said, name recognition isn't everything, as Green Lantern showed. I just think the Ant-Man name will make non-comic people think it sounds stupid. Hopefully they can market strong enough to combat that.

Based on what? His power set? Do you know how much i had to listen to ignorant Europeans bashing Captain America till the movie came out? Beign a scientist supreme > guy with a shield. :b

Because Ant-Man doesn't have the name recognition or the comic attention that Cap does. And unfortunately, I think a lot of people will say "a guy who shrinks - who cares?"

[Plawsky]

Plawsky: my Manhattan Projects trade came in, and WOW. I wanna keep reading this book just to see where this crazy train is headed.

I imagine this book is some kind of catharsis for Hickman, a little playground where he can go off the f***ing rails. I see the same DNA that ran through his Fantastic Four and Ultimates books, but none of the restraint or reverence.

Excellent.

[Wolverine12]

Do you already have an eBay history? It's a lot easier to get bids if you've got a decent amount of feedback. If not, it can still happen, but a lot of buyers are wary of people without feedback, for obvious reasons.

Do some shopping around and see what your books usually go for. You can sort to show only sold listings, so you can see what someone actually paid for them, not what someone listed them for. Most modern runs can be sold for $1-2 per issue. Obviously, you can get lucky and find an eager buyer willing to pay more, but that's easier said than done. Some things, like Uncanny X-Force, routinely go for a lot more, but they're pretty rare. It might take a few times listing it to find a seller, but stay with it and you can find someone. Free shipping is always a plus for buyers.

I do have a history, mostly as a buyer though. I figured $1 an issue is where I would start. I won't be selling Uncanny X-Force though, that series is too awesome.

[Drz]

Because Ant-Man doesn't have the name recognition or the comic attention that Cap does. And unfortunately, I think a lot of people will say "a guy who shrinks - who cares?"

Trust me, i had to deal with that crap when it came to Captain America. Like i said, if the name of the movie is a problem, they can give it a subtitle or make Ant-Man the subtitle.

[Robbie_Jee]

Based on what though? There was clearly just as much foreign interest in Cap as there was American, and people have at least heard of Captain America. Ant-Man is much farther down the list of well-known superheroes. I can't think of a lesser known superhero who's gotten a film over the past decade.

Objectively based on the fact that Captain America didn't sell anywhere near as well as Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man or X-Men: First Class. Subjectively based on the fact that the words "Captain America" are incredibly cheesy and it promotes the cause of a single nation.

Ant-Man wasn't really less known than Captain America until Captain America got his own film. Most people didn't even know who Captain America was, nor Captain Britain. But that's beside the point. Both Captain America and Ant-Man are relatively unknown characters to non-comic-book fans. It all falls down to what name would attract more customers. And Ant-Man wins hands down.

You're ideas based around Captain America are of an American perspective only. If you really want to settle this, we can wait until they're released. Considering the poor reaction Europe gave Captain America, I'm positive it's sequel won't sell more than Ant-Man. Ant-Man's ticket sales will quite easily trump Captain America's and it's sequel. Hell, I expect Ant-Man will probably sell more than Captain America and it's sequel combined overseas. In fact, I'd put money on it. A name like Captain America is not going to sell more than Ant-Man overseas, based on individual bias alone and America's militant history.

That's not to say that it can't be a great movie; I'm really excited for it. I think Edgar Wright will make it a really cool film. But I highly doubt it will gross more than Cap 2, and will probably be the lowest grossing (and likely lowest budget) film of the MCU. Ant-Man is much more of a risky venture by design than Captain America was.

So now I ask you, Based on what, though? Because I believe you're basing this theory purely on the individual bias that you are American. And that's it. Whereas sales indicate that CA sold substantially less than Thor, Iron-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man.

A name like Ant-Man will attract far more fans than Captain America to non-comic-book fans overseas. It's a given. I can't believe you're so blinded by your own patriotism to not be able to see what's so blatantly obvious. Of course Ant-Man is going to sell better. It's bound to, probably even within America also, not just outside of it. And I'll prove this to you when it's released. A title like Ant-Man is going to have a completely opposite effect on countries ourside of America than a title as bias as Captain America. Also, Ant-Man just sounds loads better than Captain [insert country here].

[Plawsky]

Trust me, i had to deal with that crap when it came to Captain America. Like i said, if the name of the movie is a problem, they can give it a subtitle or make Ant-Man the subtitle.

I don't doubt that the same happened for Cap; hell, that even happened over here to an extent. I just think that Ant-Man will experience even more of that, which is why I'm hoping they can pull off some solid marketing to show that it's not just "a shrinking guy."

Objectively based on the fact that Captain America didn't sell anywhere near as well as Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man or X-Men: First Class.

It's still the #20 superhero movie in terms of gross (the list only shows American numbers, but the rankings still correlate). The only other Marvel/DC properties that outrank it are the Avengers, Batman, Spider-man, Iron Man, X-Men, Superman, and Thor. But even the first X-Men movie didn't do as well as Captain America, it took the sequels to gain more recognition.

So that's showing that only the biggest of the big outdid Captain America. Characters like Ghost Rider, Hulk, Green Lantern, Green Hornet, Blade and so many others are all outperformed by Cap.

That's what I'm basing this on. There's a pretty strong correlation between popularity in the comics and popularity in film. Batman and Spider-man are the biggest characters in comics, and their ticket sales show it. Ant-Man, however, has not had nearly as much success at holding a solo series, and hasn't been featured in as much other media (films, TV shows) as Captain America.

Now, I know that's not everything, but brand strength is huge. Batman and Robin performed pretty poorly because Batman Forever severely hurt its brand, and even the Begins relaunch performed modestly because of that. Spider-man 3 had the same effect on Amazing Spider-man. So it would obviously help Ant-Man a lot if it turned out really good and could get some great word of mouth around it. And fortunately, it's not only riding on its own brand, but it has the Marvel brand to help carry it, which wouldn't have had as big of an effect if they released it before the Avengers.

But as it stands, I see no reason why it would perform better than Captain America based on brand recognition, because that would also put it above Fantastic Four, Hulk, Green Lantern, etc.

This isn't based on my opinion of the characters or my views as an American, it's based on looking at past trends. Before Captain America came out, I would've agreed with you about its foreign performance, but the numbers show otherwise. If you can show me an individual bias in my posts, I'd love to see it; but, as always, I've looked at the numbers.

[Samorai_black]

Plawsky: my Manhattan Projects trade came in, and WOW. I wanna keep reading this book just to see where this crazy train is headed.

I imagine this book is some kind of catharsis for Hickman, a little playground where he can go off the f***ing rails. I see the same DNA that ran through his Fantastic Four and Ultimates books, but none of the restraint or reverence.

I just got my trade of MP yesterday as well with Vol.1 of Chew and both books are amazing comic works. I just started using Amazon and I it is one hell of a drug. I have bought so much comics and books even a few video games in the last month.

Lock and Key Vol 1
The Boondocks comic strip collections
Hyrule Historia
Unwritten Vol 1
Northlanders vol 1
Fables vol 18

At this point I am getting a package a week from Amazon.

[Time_to_Zap]

AH Tara and Willow are a thing, ermahgerd. ^_^



This is why I should never get sick, I go on Buffy sprees.

[horsehead]

Plawsky: my Manhattan Projects trade came in, and WOW. I wanna keep reading this book just to see where this crazy train is headed.

I imagine this book is some kind of catharsis for Hickman, a little playground where he can go off the f***ing rails. I see the same DNA that ran through his Fantastic Four and Ultimates books, but none of the restraint or reverence.

I've just ordered the TPBs based on this. Vol 1 arrives tomorrow!