Posted: 19 March 2018 at 6:51am | IP Logged | 1
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I, like many others, am sick to death of Marvel Comics renumbering their titles. It comes across as gimmicky. And it does feel like they are being run by indecisive people. The comparison doesn't quite work, but how would you feel about a business (print shop, taxi company, airline) that kept rebranding, changing its name, etc?
It makes searching for issues hard on eBay or via comiXology. Try finding INCREDIBLE HULK #315. Easy-peasy, eh? Not many of those about. Now try finding WOLVERINE #1. That'll be harder.
Try introducing a potential reader to comics:
So, with it being gimmicky, seemingly indecisive and hard to fathom (if you're a "civilian" or lapsed reader), it all seems absurd. Doubly absurd is that Marvel are renumbering months - not years - after reverting to original numbering. Fewer gimmicks would be better.
Now, this isn't a topic solely to bash Marvel. But it is a topic which suggests there is a better way to revamp/rejuvenate titles instead of gimmicky renumbering.
Briefly, I question the premise that #1 issues attract new readers. They may do, but do they sustain new readers? Do those new readers stay on board? Gimmicks are fine. I'm sure a major celebrity appearing in a TV series is fine, but gimmicks don't hook long-term viewers/readers forever. Wrestling learnt that lesson when it booked actor David Arquette to win the WCW World Title. It led to mainstream publicity and USA TODAY headlines, but it didn't attract new wrestling fans or please existing fans.
So, how to revamp/rejuvenate?
Marvel UK titles have, for the most part, been reprint titles. In 1973, SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY began publication. Here's one issue:
SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY was Marvel UK's longest-running publication, clocking up 666 issues (what an eerie number, eh?).
In that time, it revamped/changed its name a few times. Here are some of the names it changed to:
SPIDER-MAN COMIC SUPER SPIDER-MAN TV COMIC THE SPIDER-MAN COMIC SPIDEY COMIC
Despite the name changes, it was still the same title, reprinting Spider-Man issues for a UK readership. That never deviated. The back-up strips changed (Iron Man and The Mighty Thor were among those who featured in the comic), but it was the same title. It never felt the need to renumber. And 666 issues is quite an impressive run. The title ran for 12 years from 1973 to 1985.
Although reprint titles and original titles are different kettles of fish, the fact remains, it is possible to revamp and rejuvenate titles without renumbering them.
Some UK comics would often revamp/rejuvenate by having a tagline "Bold, new direction!" on the cover. Gimmicky? Perhaps. But the original numbering remained intact. 2000 AD, a weekly UK comic running since 1977, and which has "Programs" rather than "issues", recently published Prog #2072. I got a letter printed in one issue, where I'd asked if they had any plans to renumber. The editor (Tharg the Mighty) told me that they were proud of the number of issues under their belt - and had no plans to do that. Like other UK titles, they've revamped/rejuvenated without reverting to original numbering.
I know numbers are not the be-all and end-all. A 900th or 1,000th issue can be poor. But I like the sense of history. That is important to me, perhaps too important. My first Batman title was BATMAN #309. Although the contents and art were more important, the sense of history served a point. I realised that the high numbers probably meant my stepdad and dad had both read the title. And that it had been around a long time.
Any title existing for decades is impressive to me. So high numbers count.
I wouldn't be surprised if Marvel once again renumbered before 2020/21. Either reverting to old numbering or having #1 again. And, like I stated, it's gimmicky. I doubt it attracts new, long-running readers. Maybe a lesson for Marvel (and DC!) going forward is to find other ways to hook new readers and revamp/rejuvenate a title. A slight name change can be good (not a complete name change), a new tagline can help, a new logo can rejuvenate, etc, etc.
And I feel that doing that keeps both current readers on board and potentially hooks new readers. It might also make browsing comiXology a hell of a lot easier.
Edited by Robbie Parry on 19 March 2018 at 6:52am
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