Phil Prasco of 'Towards 2112 Comic Books saw our article on Marvel Previews (see 'Marvel Adds Previews Supplement) and sent us this comment:

 

With all of us not really knowing what direction Marvel is headed, I seriously wonder what long term plans Marvel has for it's future.  The future of the comic book medium has been in serious jeopardy for 10 to 12 years.  With a small twinkle of light at the end of the tunnel, that is the current upswing in comic related media (i.e., comic movies, related video games, and marketed collectables), I see the current directors of Marvel as not having a clue as to what their customers want.  My customers and I both agree that a comic book artist, or comic book writer, probably doesn't have the proper background to run the day to day business of a comic book publishing company.  It would appear that Marvel is currently committing a 'NEW COKE'.  That is, they plan to introduce a product that their customers don't want.  Just ask the folks at Coca-Cola how well that went over.  Constantly re-launching titles, new line divisions, having creative teams only on a title for 4 to 6 months, always jumping from the latest and manufactured hot craze, it's just flabbergasting.  And now they want to have their own Previews?  Didn't they already try to arrange their own distribution system once, with tragic results?  And with most, if not all titles having print runs in less than 100K, they should spend more time producing a product that their customers want.  And they want to charge an additional 60 cents for the Previews?

 

Looks to me as if Marvel, Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada really don't want customers.  Maybe they have a pile of original art they can sell.  I can't see Marvel surviving on 40 titles with only 75-85K printings at their current price.  Lower the prices, sell more comic books.  Simple rule.  10 staff writers, 20 staff artists, print on CHEAP newsprint, and beg your customers to buy your product.  Hmm... maybe I can ask a 25 cent cover charge to access my comic book website... Hmm...