Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, comics stire in yor futurem, entertainment, fantastic four, marvel

Comic Store In Your Future: Bring Back The Fantastic Four, Start A Revolution

Rod Lamberti of Rodman Comics, writes weekly for Bleeding Cool. Find previous columns here.

I just got done reading Rich's article, Marvel Comics Claims The Fantastic Four Was Cancelled Because It Didn't Sell – But Marvel Two-In-One Could Bring It Back.

I am stunned that Marvel or anyone at Marvel would claim sales were the reason the Fantastic Four was cancelled and have not been brought back. I wish sales were a bigger factor in Marvel's decisions.

In a previous column, I wrote:

"Marvel seems to think relaunching is still the way to go. Nick Spencer has taken to Twitter to defend the practice. It is a way to keep a series going even though sales are not there for the book. Yes, typing that line up seems crazy. It doesn't sell so let us start over again with the same character and same creative team."

Inhumans and Captain Marvel have been kept in publication for years. I dread ordering the titles and their re numbering since they have restarted so often. They don't sell. How many unsold copies are stuck at comic stores around America? Yes, I know the Inhumans are going to be featured in a T.V. show. I wish someone would tell Marvel that when their characters are on the big screen or small screen that doesn't help sales. Anyone remember the comic, Agents of SHIELD? It was cancelled. The T.V. show did not help the comic series sell. Mockingbird made it onto T.V. with her in Agents of SHIELD. Her comic series sold terrible.

T.V. and movies do not move the sales needle sadly. It isn't just a problem for Marvel. Wonder Woman the movie is out currently. Millions have seen the movie. Wonder Woman's comic sales though have not seen an increase.

Marvel Two in One could bring the Fantastic Four back? A team up book in this day and age? When basically all the main comic characters in the Marvel Universe team up each year to fight in that year's big comic crossover there isn't much demand for team up books. They just don't work since all the character know each other and team up so often. I enjoyed the first Marvel Two in One series along with DC's Brave and the Bold decades ago, but that was before yearly crossovers and characters showing up so often in each other books. Comic titles used to have their own supporting cast. Mostly their own little universe before giving up their corner of the universe to be a part of the company line universe.

Pretending the Fantastic Four does not have their own comic because of sales is quite foolish. They had two series at the same time. Reed and his family was lost in time and Ant Man's Fantastic Four group worked in the present. It didn't make sense with Reed still making the Illuminati's meetings in the present and not telling Ant Man that they were alright. But at the time they had two books. Because why have one selling book when you can have a spin off to drain off readership?

So many of Marvel's titles just re launch even though they have low sales. It makes no sense that titles like Solo, Foolkiller, Nighthawk, and so many others were given a series while the Fantastic Four is not given another try. As a retailer I know the odds are pretty darn good I would sell more Fantastic Four comics over so many Marvel titles. It would outsell Black Bolt, Elektra, Iceman, Jean Grey, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Ms Marvel, Royals, Secret Warriors, Thanos, Ultimates 2, and more.

Marvel put out a Fantastic Four title with some talent that could move the sales needle and you would have a profitable title on your hands. People do miss the Fantastic Four.

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