Comics Portal: Are We There Yet?

When it comes to the comics industry, sometimes I feel like a rider in the back of a car, asking the driver, “Are we there yet?”

THE PANDEMIC’S BODY BLOW

Last week, I talked about how comics conventions are coming back. I’ll be off to MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, this weekend! Am I ever looking forward to it!

But it does make me wonder… are we back to “normal” when it comes to comic books yet?

Some of us are already forgetting the last few years, when COVID-19 punched us where it counted, and gave us a good hit! We all had to stay at home for months at a time, some even longer, and stores either mailed our books to us (if they got them at all) or ran outside to charge our card and hand our comics over to us so we could rapidly drive away, not endangering anyone by keeping our distance!

It wasn’t only the comics industry that took the hit! Again, I think we can each point to ways the pandemic impacted all levels of the process of making comics. We’re still dealing with paper shortages and other remnants of the pandemic.

Now, I could rehearse all the troubles we’ve gone through, but for many of us, that’s still near the top of our minds. The thing is, we seem to be returning to “normal.” But are we really?

CHANGES

On some levels, the comics industry will NEVER be exactly the way it was when the pandemic hit us. For instance, the distribution channels have multiplied, and many stores are no longer going through one source to get their wares. Most now have accounts with several companies when it comes to the books and related items.

Personally, I think that’s a good thing. We need to have competition when it comes to this part of the industry. The previous monopoly was detrimental to the industry, with many stores having serious problems getting replacement product when boxes came to them beaten beyond recognition.

Now, if that happens and a store is clearly dissatisfied, they can take their business elsewhere. That’s good for them, good for the customers, good for the industry!

We’re also a different industry in that we’re very mobile in how we work together. ZOOM and other apps have made it possible for everyone to work face-to-face even if we are not in the same states! Of course, we still would prefer to chat over a meal in person, but this is quite a huge development! I think we’re all working together better than before, so that’s a serious improvement! I also hope fans take advantage of this to create groups that get together regularly and when convenient to talk about the industry and their latest “stash,” as some put it.

The landscape is different for many of us in that several local comics shops have permanently closed their doors. I’m still grieving over several of them! However, there are new ones opening up in some of the areas that need service, so I’m optimistic about that!

Also, the Whatnot app is a huge deal for comics stores and creators. The income from that app is helping many groups stay afloat and even prosper! I like that!

DC RE-RE-RE-RELAUNCHES!

As I’m writing this, we are on the verge of receiving DC’s latest initiative, “Dawn of DC.” The company that I previously thought should be renamed “BC” for “Batman Comics” is making an effort to utilize several of their other properties they own, including Doom Patrol, Green Arrow, two Green Lanterns, multiple members of the Superman family, and Hawkgirl, just to name a few. I’m supporting this with a lot of gusto because I happen to enjoy DC’s perspective of more “heroic” characters. Batman is still a prominent part of their weekly comics.

I interviewed Dennis Culver from Unstoppable Doom Patrol for the latest episode of my podcast. I got to read their debut issue ahead of time, and I really enjoyed it! It was true to every incarnation so far, and I hear it has already been extended from a six-issue mini-series to a seven-issue run! I’m hoping it goes even further because it’s great!

When it comes to DC’s TV and film productions, we are in the new “Gunn-iverse,” as I like to call it, so things are going to be very different. Instead of each offering being in its own universe, all of them will now be tied together, much like their “marvelous” competition. Will it work? Only time will tell.

I do have to say, though, that I am getting more than a little tired of all the reboots—and not only from DC. How many Avengers titles can Marvel make before fans go, “What else is there to buy?”

WHAT NEXT?

One of the things I felt we gained as an industry as a result of the pandemic was to be more open to new ways of doing things. Previously, we seemed to live by the mantra, “We’re not changing because we’ve ALWAYS done it this way.”

Those days are gone forever, I hope.

For instance, many companies (including Marvel and DC) are now releasing videos promoting upcoming comics, something that the industry was just beginning to dip their toes into the water of when the pandemic struck. I often see these online and in stores I visit, so I applaud these efforts to reach out to gamers and others visually.

As we continue to try and reach “normal,” whatever that is anymore, I hope we’ll continue to learn from the past and move forward in ways that will help the industry not only survive, but thrive!

What do you think? What else did the industry learn from the pandemic? What should we have learned? Are we ready if another one strikes us? Whatever your opinions, be sure to share them in the space below!

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