Should any new comics be in color?

[Venom]

Andrew's thread made me ponder the future of non-Mirage Turtle comics.

Should a new series come out, do you think it should be full color and printed on glossy stock like most comics today or try and maintain tradition be keeping the book black and white?

Personally I wouldn't mind either way, but anyone who creates a Turtle book from here on out will be doing so with making a profit in mind, no more doing it out of love. :ohwell: Since black and white books fail to capture the attention of the comic audience as a collective whole it would seem that any company who produces a book would do it in color.

Thoughts/opinions?

[Andrew NDB]

Should a new series come out, do you think it should be full color and printed on glossy stock like most comics today or try and maintain tradition be keeping the book black and white?

If they aren't doing proper duotoning like they used to years ago then it needs to be in full, vibrant digital color. And I'd probably have it be in color anyway just so it can compete.

[Spitfire]

Go color. Unless B/W serves the story or is some one off artistic choice I think they should stick with color over all. Like you said color brings in cash and B/W doesn't. I want turtles to stay afloat so I welcome the color.

[DrSpengler]

First and foremost, I'd want any new TMNT series to sell. Black and white has an atmosphere all its own, but if it hinders the book's numbers in anyway, then color it is.

There have been PLENTY of color TMNT books in the past and the Turtles work just as well in that medium as they do in the black and white style.

Preferably, I'd like something more along the lines of the "Digital Webbing" style color over the "Mirage Vol. 2" style color. The computer effects can add some moody atmosphere that old fashioned color techniques couldn't.


And again, I want any new TMNT book to SELL. I've kind of had my fill of "this book doesn't make money, I'm only publishing it for my own entertainment, I don't care what you think or what you like, stop buying my book, GO AWAY!, Waaaaah why aren't our books selling?, I guess there are no more dedicated TMNT fans, its all your fault!"-style marketing from Mirage.

A well-done and well-marketed TMNT reboot from a snappy creative team could really turn the franchise around, at least in the world of comics where they deserve to be a bigger presence than they have in the past decade. If color helps it meet that end then, yes, absolutely. Gimme color.

[Andrew NDB]

It's hardly even a cost factor these days. You go and look up the cost to print, say, 10,000 copies of a book in color vs. B&W the difference in cost is there, but it's basically negligable.

[CyberCubed]

I liked the way the full-color #1 re-print was colored, so something like that would be alright. Although I know other publishers would color comics differently.

[Andrew NDB]

I liked the way the full-color #1 re-print was colored, so something like that would be alright.

I dug that, but they can do much better. I'd like to see texturing and multiple light sourcing, and other digital tricks of the trade.

[Candy Kappa]

I'd love to see some color comics in the future

[Venom]

Same here Andrew. It'd be pretty awesome to see a panel with Leo unsheathing his katana and a glint of moonlight or streetlight hit it.

On a side note: I picked up a couple issues of "Ignition City" the other day and the Highland Martians had a Lawson vibe to them hehe.

Now to bring it back on topic, the landscapes in that book are beautiful. Even though the book takes place in a grimy, run-down settlement comprised of dilapidated spaceship remnants I found myself really loving the atmosphere of the place.

[prescribeddrone]

I prefer color, so yeah that would be nice. And it would sell more, for sure.

[lilmotto]

I vote yes for color. Personally I think it adds even greater depth to the universe the tale is told in

[Oculus Orbus]

I really love B/W, but I want color for the new TMNT comics. They have to sell, and to do that they need to be able to compete with the other books. Every B/W book nowadays is put as an indie comic (basically, low sales), and I hope the new comics are something bigger than that.

I hardly buy any mainstream comic, but I want TMNT to be big again, including the comics.

[discordiatookie]

Black and white, or colour for me. I'll take them as they come...

[ToTheNines]

I'm a black and white guy personally, but I wouldn't mind color at all. I loved the coloring job from TMNT volume 2, that looked great.

[Galactus]

Yes. I've often found that the books being black and white is a major hindrance in trying to persuade people to give them a try.

[Powder]

Stan Sakai's watercolors ftw!

[CyberCubed]

If color helps sales, why did Volume 2 end after only 13 issues? That volume was being released when TMNT was still fairly popular nation-wide.

[Venom]

People weren't ready for Jim's eclectic style and require a more "mainstream" art direction and look. You may counter with "Then why did the Dreamwave series flop after 7 issues?" to which I would offer that people may have preferred original stories from the start rather than adapting episodes from a television show.

[ToTheNines]

If color helps sales, why did Volume 2 end after only 13 issues? That volume was being released when TMNT was still fairly popular nation-wide.

They only planned to do 13 issues, and Mirage didn't really do anything after that until Image started up again with more black and white.

[Kendamu]

I've read several of the old Mirage books in color and in B&W because of the First graphic novels and the color TMNT #1. I liked it just fine both ways. If color gets people to buy comics or download 'em from the Playstation Store or whatever, cool!