Forum - View topicNEWS: X-Men: Misfits, Wolverine: Prodigal Son Cancelled
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Fukazeshin
Posts: 3 |
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While i never picked up the Wolverine manga, Misfits was guilty little pleasure of mine. It was a bit of ridiculous that I reveled in. I am sad that I will not see it continued.
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Tamaria
 Posts: 1512 Location: De Achterhoek |
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Meh, the audience for typical superhero comics has been diminishing for years. Wait another forty and most of the readers are either dead or in a nursing home! 
I guess you could say I like X-men and I want to read more comics, but I have no idea where to start! Though store owners are often kind enough to point out some good story arcs/runs, I can't fully appreciate those, because I don't know enought about the characters yet. Even those TPB's with origin stories require quite a bit of prior knowledge. What I like about manga is that most series only have one author. It starts when it starts and it ends when it ends. If it's a big success, we might see a prequel or sequel. Easy. |
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LordRedhand
 Posts: 1472 Location: Middle of Nowhere, Indiana |
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To complicate things further the villain in the countdown series was a different villain wearing the same name, so different death for the same villain not a problem, throw in a general use of alternate universe and paradox solved?.... Or not. In fact though is that for the most part on doesn't really need to follow all of the characters exploits or can afford to skip "Arcs" in a way that manga/anime can't and can add characters easier from one media to another or change completely (Examples Harley Quinn was an Original Batman: The Animated Series character and didn't exist in the Batman comic series until DC added her in due to her popularity, and Mr. Freeze's tragic back story, also an the animated series original and not found in the comics.) So as the above cannon can shift quickly. For my comic collection though I normally collect crossovers and alternate universes so they already are one-shots of a sorts already and pretty much all of them (Amalgam universe and Vs. crossovers being notable exceptions.) retell the "Greatest hits" if you will of that character or group in slightly different ways but enough for you to get the gist of the characters involved. Although if your in a bind you can always go to a local comic shop and ask one of the employees about what would be a good start or understanding say Batman and could give a recommendation/ask probing questions to find if your willing to dive right in or looking for older stories. From my collection the 1991 Batman trilogy Batman: Red Rain, Batman: Bloodstorm , and Batman: Crimson Mist are pretty good on getting how far Batman is willing to go... |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Here's how I see it. Fans aren't completely brain dead. If it turns out that they really do put so much emphasis on the word manga, well then they're probably going to also notice that its written by 'John Smith' or something and reject it anyway. Especially since at that point it seems like you're trying to hide the fact that it's not Japanese and really just serves to reinforce the idea that this is somehow a meaningful distinction. You might as well just stop pretending and try to convince people that 'comic' isn't a dirty word. |
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Onizuka666
Posts: 266 Location: U.K |
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I never personally checked these X-Men manga out, but I remember them being released. My thoughts back then were the same as now, which is that Marvel try desperately to break into that manga market, but continue to fail in realising what makes manga tick, and how to produce such a story well. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that these X-Men manga were ordered to be created by Marvel suits.
So, where to start. Speaking as someone who worked in the comics industry from the retail angle for a few years, and a big manga/comic fan, its simple to me. Mistake 1: Using the X-Men license Those who read manga want original stories with original characters, which the vast majority of manga offer. Marvel were not interested in creating anything fresh for manga readers to embrace, which is why they farmed out X-Men and Wolverine to lesser manga styled artists to work on. Using established IP like X-Men, which was written by and for males, doesn't help. And if you do use an IP like this, you must find the write IP to adapt. The Twilight manga and James Patterson's Maximum Ride manwha, are two works that tread the line of appeal and originality, moulding into the manga form well enough. Mistake 2: Get the right artist/writer If Marvel had any sense, they would have looked to a seasoned veteran like Adam Warren. Adam was one of the earliest western comic artists, to fall in love with anime, manga games etc, and combined with all the tropes, gags etc with his art, was able to mould very entertaining comics material, that can entertain both western and eastern tastes. Now for any of you younger fans that frown upon OEL manga etc, you need to check yourselves. He may not be japanese, but his work is an awesome mix of east and west styles and storytelling. Adam has worked with super hero stuff like Gen 13, to Star Wars, as well as manga stuff like Bubblegum Crisis and Dirty Pair. And if Marvel wanted an all round hit, he would have been the man for the job. Mistake 3: Not researching and Understanding Manga (and its fans) Properly. This one is the real seed in their throat. If you aren't sure about something, you ask people who know more. The comics industry has plenty of experts out there, and there are those who specialise in the anime/manga field. Contacting some of these people, and hiring them freelance or whatever to help you, would have done wonders for them. They still make the mistake that its all about the art, because western comics focus on the art so much more. That's a myth, just like the one about there being one specific manga style, when there are several different ones. Mistake 4: The CMX example The biggest mistake Marvel have made in recent years, is not following DC example, of having a line of manga under an imprint label. While many of us had our doubts about DC's CMX line, especially after the heavy editting of earlier releases, DC have grown CMX into something good. Now, they can take home a slice of the manga audience, by releasing titles like acclaimed Emma. DC are aware that to reach an audience, you can license work from japan, as well as create works yourself. Overall, if you keep a japanese work as pure and focused as possible, the fans will bite. Mistake 5: Continuity Errors, beginnings and ends. So many years of using the same characters, can be taxing on the best human brains. I think that overall, while there are a lot of long running manga series out there, there are also many that conclude. Having stories that end is vital for manga readers, as it allows them, a chance to try something fresh and enjoy other things. Also because manga can cover so many topics, for varied ages and still entertain, many fans embrace this aspect and never look at any other types of comic. The Marvel/DC super hero genre, is very much a closed club, whereas the best other media like Lost, are open to much wider consumers. The main reason for the success of Lost, IMO, is in its original characters, their situation and the island (itself a character of sorts), along with word of mouth. This is perhaps also a bad example, because its easier to get people watching tv (online, on tv or via dvds etc. To conclude, there are many good comic works out there to be discovered. If you dislike super hero comics, you need to take the time and look for lesser known independent western comics, under smaller or lesser known labels (Image, Drawn and Quarterly etc), as super heroes are but one comic genre. Much of them are complete stories too. There's much work that would appeal to manga readers from western minds, in terms of story more than art perhaps. Variety is indeed the spice of life, while western comics aren't as varied as manga. To help any here who have trouble, I'll suggest a few for you. (The Walking Dead, Optic Nerve, Pax Romana, DMZ, The Couriers, Channel Zero, The Exterminators, Drafted, Maus, The Sword, Northlanders, Strangers in Paradise, Wasteland, ((Empowered, Livewires, both excellent and from Adam Warren)), Kick-Ass ((always best to read the book first)), Powers, Runaways, Rising Stars.) A few of the last ones, have more interesting, different takes on whats considered a super hero comic, and deserve to be checked out, none the less. Most you'll find in collected TPBs, but the Walking Dead is still ongoing (but worth it anyway (look for the Walking Dead Compendium, which covers it from issues 1-48, mature readers only). The only walls to checking them out, are the ones you build yourself. As for these now cancelled manga, while Marvel aren't going to push for them to be printed, they should at least offer them as DLC for a price instead, and get Vol 2 out there, especially with iPad now out. It would cost next to nothing at all, to offer both volumes on iTunes, and if all goes well, do a print of Vol 2. Yep, nice dick move there, Marvel Disney. At least the artists have been paid, though. |
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DarkeSword
 Posts: 9 |
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Superhero comics are easier than ever to get into these days, though. All anyone really has to do is spend an hour or two on Wikipedia to get caught up with backstories and history. |
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Teriyaki Terrier
 Posts: 5689 |
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Xenos does have a point and I do agree with him. But let's be realistic here, if a series doesn't sell well, the only option the book companies (in this case Marvel and Del Ray) have is to cancel the series and cut what ever losses they taken.
I am also pretty sure the younger generation had a part in the book selling, as that is part of the audience Del Ray is selling to as well. I don't blame Del Ray or Marvel, if something does not sell, the best bet is to either cancel the series or discontinue the series to cut the losses there and try to regain some revenue. |
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Onizuka666
Posts: 266 Location: U.K |
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I hear what you are saying Darkesword, but that's not really fun or solving the issue, is it?
Fun and enjoyment is the whole point of why we bother with this stuff at all. Besides that, Wikipedia is not always right. If the source material can't cater to the needs of the wider consumer, the way products should, its a lost battle. |
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The Xenos
 Posts: 1519 Location: Boston |
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Amen to that. It's funny. Marvel actually has a couple of series that fit that bill. Again, Runaways is a perfect gateway for manga fans to get into the Marvel books. Adam Warren had an awesome mini series called LiveWires that also would work well.
Amen to that. Though I didn't really mind the art on the Misfits one as much as the redesigns. I wouldn't mind seeing a more shojo influenced artist on even a mainline X-men book. Of course, remember when Kia Asamiya was on X-men and got stuck with horrible Chuck Austin scripts to draw? Beautiful art from an actual Japanese artist, but logged down by one of the worst writers on X-men in years. So even when they got and actual manga artist on board, Marvel still screwed it up.
Not sure about this one. CMX has had some really dumb moves. The one launch title I wanted was Tenjo Tenge and the idiots censored this more adult titled to be PG-13. Though I will admit they've since released Shin Chan and Gon adn I had to get those, I'm still reluctant to trust DC at publishing manga. Plus I think Marvel saw that most Japanese companies were already locked into deals with US publishers at this point, Viz and Del Ray getting most of the market. It really wasn't worth it.
I've followed a number of comics for like ten years and even I get confused. Heaven help someone just diving in. Though there is a plus for people who enjoy jumping into a fully established world, there is also just too much confusion most of the time.
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DarkeSword
Posts: 9 |
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Comic book fans are obsessive about the details. What you read on Wikipedia (or any other specialized wiki) will almost always give you an accurate, generalized history of whatever superhero comic you're interested in reading, at which point you usually have enough "prior knowledge" to enjoy the stories currently being told. And to be quite honest, part of the "fun" of reading superhero comics is knowing that they draw upon decades of history--history that makes stories like Batman RIP and Final Crisis possible. Something like Blackest Night really wouldn't have been as effective without the decades of history and wealth of characters in the DCU. You can read a story, see a reference and say, "wait, what is that all about?" and then go read all about it online, and possibly even track down a graphic novel so you can read it for yourself. There's a wealth of stories that have already been told; you don't necessarily have to read all of them, but they're there if you want to. That's nice. Comic books are a serial form of entertainment; they have been for 80+ years. People will still be reading Batman comics in 50 years, and Batman #1157 will still be referencing stuff that happened in Batman #603. That's just the nature of the beast. But anyway, I digress. My point really was to address the common complaint of, "It's too hard to get into comics because there's so much you already have to know," which isn't really true. Most major superhero comics are written in such a way where you can pretty much jump on at the beginning of a story-arc and do some quick internet research to catch yourself up if you feel a little bit confused. Comics are not hard to get into, you just have to get past being intimidated. |
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Tamaria
Posts: 1512 Location: De Achterhoek |
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I guess that's true, but for someone who didn't grow up with these comics (I was reading British girls' comics and weeklies like Spirou and Eppo) it doesn't really seem worth the effort. As a kid you pick something up because you've got nothing better to do, find something you like about it, continue from there and before you know it, you've got encyclopedic knowledge of a fictional world. It doesn't work that way for adults. I don't want to work before I can enjoy something that's meant as entertainment. That is the main problem, really. There is a ton of good stuff out there I can start reading without any preparations. Why would I go through the trouble of investing that time while I can get an immediate and equal (if not greater!) pay-off from something else? |
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malik_chan
 Posts: 134 |
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That doesn't get you immersed in a story though. Reading background information in the story itself makes it easier for the reader to care for the character/s and makes it easier to get sucked into it. Basically if they want us to read, they need to cater to the needs and wants of not only long time readers, but potential new readers as well. Most new readers don't want to have to look for the information themselves (unless they like spoilers and the like), they want it given to them. |
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Paploo
Posts: 1875 |
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The top selling monthly comics do about the same as the top selling manga volumes- around 100000 copies, sometimes more. Kick Ass's TPB collection just passed the 100000 mark in sales, so there's that too btw Anyhoo, get the Essential X-men collections [skip the 60's ones till later though]- cheap, big, and b+w, they're pure reading, and always in print. |
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Charred Knight
 Posts: 3085 |
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The top selling manga volume are about a million not 100,000. You might get an anime with sales that low, but generally sales are much higher than comics. |
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animeboy12
Posts: 160 |
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Not even close. 100,000 is what a popular manga volume does in a week minimum. One piece sold sold over 2 million in just two weeks animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-03-17/one-piece-no.57-is-fastest-manga-to-sell-2-million |
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