Marvel EIC Joe Quesada, during an appearance on CNBC's 'Power Lunch,' told interviewer Michelle Caruso-Cabrera that he expected The Call of Duty:  The Brotherhood #1 to be sold out within hours of its release today.  He was responding to her question as to how many had been shipped to retailers (to which he said he didn't know).  Caruso-Cabrera then asked whether the book would be reprinted, noting that Marvel had a 'long-standing' policy of not reprinting sell-outs.  Quesada said that it would be packaged with other Marvel material and released in a few weeks, presumably in the Mighty Marvel Must-Have format created for this purpose.  He also mentioned availability on Marvel.com. 

 

The CNBC appearance was part of a well-coordinated public relations effort by Marvel for the first book in The Call family (see 'Marvel's New Reality Series').  It was teased at least four times, usually with book in hand, in the run-up to the interview.  Although the teases tended to wander a bit (The Call went from Marvel's first new team in ten years, to its first new superheroes in ten years, to its 'first new series of comics in more than a decade'), over-all the coverage was positive and well-informed.  It's particularly interesting that Caruso-Cabrera knew to ask about reprints. 

 

Caruso-Cabrera also asked Quesada how Marvel would protect its position if the new category was a success, since it couldn't protect the character of a fireman.  Quesada  downplayed the risk, saying at one point that, 'Marvel has no competition,' and wrapping up by saying that Marvel was the #1 publisher and expected that its book would be the top book even if others chose to publish similar fare.

 

The Call has had particularly strong coverage in New York, where all three daily newspapers ran full page features with color art this week, but Associated Press has also covered the story, so local print coverage will be occurring in some markets.  And national television in a variety of venues is also driving awareness.  While it's too early to say with assurance that The Call of Duty:  The Brotherhood #1 is a hit, it's showing all the early signs of another PR-driven Marvel sell-out.