I like that this has been a thing, most of them replaced, literally for a couple years now and they're bringing it up
now, when Marvel is in the process of switching them back to the originals. Most of these characters have been in the roles for three years now, or more depending on which one. Things were fine until this last year. Yeah, I think the problem lies elsewhere.
Such as, the constant relaunches and constant events finally screwing them over, like most people predicted. Constant relaunches breaks the collector habit and just makes things confusing if there are too many in a short span. New number ones mean nothing if you're in a sea of new number ones. Same for fresh starts. Captain Marvel had three relaunches under the same writer. It's not fair, and a friend of mine swears up and down those books are great, but I've looked at that and figured "why bother". If you use the same trick too much in a short period of time, it's going to stop working.
As for events, they had five in the span of the last year. Two large scale in Civil War II and Secret Empire, three small in Avengers Standoff, X-Men vs Inhumans and Monsters Unleashed. Civil War II ended and Monsters Unleashed started, like, the next month. They've had
FIVE big linewide events in the last three years; Original Sin, AXIS, Secret Wars, Civil War II and Secret Empire.
Marvels shift to a constant event cycle just caught up with them and people got sick of the whole song and dance.
All that said, I do think the replacement eras don't do the characters replacing the originals the favors Marvel thinks it does. If you define a new character by replacing another, what do they do when the old one comes back? Most don't have a niche or prior role to fit into. Riri Williams isn't going to have much to do other than be a part of the "family" when Tony Stark returns. What is Amadeus Cho going to do when Bruce Banner inevitably returns with his bland ass personality and returns as the one true Hulk? I'd keep Amadeus as the main Hulk, by the way. I think Banner's kind of played out and I don't like the characters he's become in recent years.
It only works out or really gives much of a rub when the character already existed and has a popular role to go back to. Otherwise, you're left with "well, we created this character to be _____ for a couple years, now they're not... what now?" The problem is not thinking it through, not the skin color or gender of the temporary mantle holder. I know it's meant to get around the problem of "readers rarely try the books of new heroes", but it just creates new problems that are even harder to fix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by plastroncafe
But...people walked out because they didn't recognize Thor on the cover of the Thor ongoing?
How bad is this guy at his job?
Has he no back issues to offer? No trades of previous stories?
Was he just sitting on his hands watching?
I mean seriously, how terrible at retail do you have to be to NOT sell something to someone looking specifically to buy that thing?
|
Most comic shops are f***ing terrible, from the employees to the owners, and that's why. Shops have a reputation and, sadly, they frequently live up to it. A quick search of the internet will show a lot of horror stories from prospective new readers who did not feel comfortable or welcome inside the shops.
I've been heavy into the hobby for over ten years and read scattered comics before that. Despite that, I don't do the whole "singles" thing regularly and stuck mainly with trade paperbacks near from the start. There are reasons.
There are good comic shops, some great even, and I've seen stories of ones that go above and beyond, but they sadly do not seem to be the norm.