If Marvel and DC combined who would rise up to become the competitor?

[Iceburgeruk]

A lot of people claim that if marvel and dc combined then there would be no competition in the comic book scene but i noticed that in a similar situation when the WWF bought out their rival WCW, the wrestling company NWA rose up to fill the void left by the merger with their TNA division.

So who would fill the void if marvel and dc ever were forced to merge?

Fifthteen years ago the answer would have been easy. Image Comics. But with the image stable fractured and many parts of it tied directly to out put of a certain artist or bought up by dc or marvel, the chances of that are not high.

So who would be most likely to take over as the competitor in the big two. Would it be a slightly less known company like Americomics or would it be the older yet edgier Dark Horse comics making a grab for power?

 

[Artistsean]

If the two merged together I think Image or Dark Horse would rise to power, in the 90s those two became almost as popular for a while with Spawn and all those characters. Not so popular now, but if the two merged and one new comic rose to power it would most likely, to me, be Dark Horse or Image (most likely Image).

But what woulde most likely happen is that Marvel or DC, the two major comic powers, would get anough money and buy out one of the lesser companies. Like when Marvel bought out Malibue Comics, then eliminated all the comics and the characters from existance. For example, DC might buy out Image. Then it could use the characters they bought, like Invincible or Spawn, and introduce them to the DC universe like they did when they bought the Charliton Comic characters (Blue Beetle and so on).
Thats usually what DC tends to do, but they could be like Marvel and just buy them out and cancel the comics.

That way DC or Marvel would be stronger and have less compatition.

 

[Sparta*]

If Marvel and DC joined forces.....there would be no competitor lol (at least in my books)

 

[Artistsean]

Thats true, I mean they pretty much own the market right now. But if they joined forces some other company might make some headway into the position of being number two.

 

[Harlekin]

Nobody could rise up since Marvel and DC would pretty much come close to having a monopoly position on the market.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

Nobody could rise up since Marvel and DC would pretty much come close to having a monopoly position on the market.

Yeah but then all it takes is for dc-marvel-merged-company to get lazy and complacent in their market domination and you would get dark horse or image rsing up with new quality stories and comics.

 

[Artistsean]

Right now DC and Marvel are like the Coke and Pepsi of the comic book world. If they were to merge then somebody would become number two. But if they merged then they could probably buy out any company that comes close to being competition to them.

 

[Harlekin]

Nobody would become number two. Even if DMarCvel didn't buy up all the other companies, they've got like 90% of the market. There is no possibility for another company to become a big player like that, no matter the quality of their comics. It's not economically possible.

 

[Artistsean]

If Marvel had 90% there is room for another company to have about 10% or even 5% and two other companies had 4% and 1%. The company that had 5% would still be number two, even though their sales would be drastically lower. Thats what I was meaning.
No matter how much money DMarvCvel makes there will be a space for number two, even if its a very small space.

 

[Harlekin]

There's always a number two, true. I figured you were trying to say that there could be a competitor in this scenario, which is, of course, impossible.

 

[Artistsean]

Oh no, I know that with the combined might of the two biggest competitors at the current time it would be almost impossible to stand against their selling power. Plus even if someone could they would have the combined income and be able to buy out that company.

 

[hippy fascist]

Virgin...no seriously, think about it

 

[Artistsean]

Did you mean Virgin Cola company?

 

[SouLeSS]

The government would rise up, and split the company due to Monopolizing.

 

[hippy fascist]

Did you mean Virgin Cola company?

Virgin group is near microsoft turnover wise. they can get the big names in with one phonecall

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

I would say that Image and Darkhorse would merge,then that company would challange DC/Marvel.Top Cow would then become the 3rd smaller company.

 

[Artistsean]

The government would rise up, and split the company due to Monopolizing.

That is very true and I was thinking about posting that too but didn't know if the Government would care too much about the comic book industry, but they really would. If its any sort of monopoly they would.

I would say that Image and Darkhorse would merge,then that company would challange DC/Marvel.Top Cow would then become the 3rd smaller company.

I think that is very likely, and probably more likely than DC and Marvel merging. But still if those two merged, DC and Marvel, I could see Image and Darkhorse merging, maybe Image and Top Cow.

But still, the government would step in at some point and split up things.

 

[Harlekin]

For the scenario to hold though, we have to assume that there are no laws on monopolizing.

 

[CyberFaust]

If there were no laws.....probably Dark Horse

 

[Iceburgeruk]

That is very true and I was thinking about posting that too but didn't know if the Government would care too much about the comic book industry, but they really would. If its any sort of monopoly they would.



I think that is very likely, and probably more likely than DC and Marvel merging. But still if those two merged, DC and Marvel, I could see Image and Darkhorse merging, maybe Image and Top Cow.

But still, the government would step in at some point and split up things.

If they did merge and the government split them up i wonder if some of the characters and titles would swap so that dc went away with the defenders and marvel went away with doom patrol. Its not like it would be a clinical split would it, they might not even remain dc and marvel after splitting. They might even break up into 3 groups.

 

[Harlekin]

Well, the government wouldn't have to split them, really, since they wouldn't allow a merger.

 

[Artistsean]

yeah, most likely if anyone merged companies it would be two smaller companies. Maybe someone like Darkhorse and Image, or Image and Top Cow. Or Perhaps Image and a even lesser known company like Slave Labor Comics. Two major companies like DC and Marvel would have no reason to merge at this point, unless they stood to make even more money together than they would apart.

 

[hippie_hunter]

For once I agree with Jourmugand. It would be very beneficial for Dark Horse and Image to merge. They could highly promote their original titles such as Hellboy, the Mask, Spawn, Witchblade, etc. While promoting the creators they have such as Mike Mignola and Todd MacFarlane, while trying to get some people to come to them. They could also try and get some more licensed properties like they already have with Star Wars, Aliens, Predator, and beef up their manga line.

 

[Anubis]

I think Hippy Fascist has a point there with Virgin, of course that depends entirely upon how serious they are about their comic book division. They can get the talent. They have the money and resources. So you know, who knows?

 

[Hellstormer]

If the two merged together I think Image or Dark Horse would rise to power, in the 90s those two became almost as popular for a while with Spawn and all those characters. Not so popular now, but if the two merged and one new comic rose to power it would most likely, to me, be Dark Horse or Image (most likely Image).

But what woulde most likely happen is that Marvel or DC, the two major comic powers, would get anough money and buy out one of the lesser companies. Like when Marvel bought out Malibue Comics, then eliminated all the comics and the characters from existance. For example, DC might buy out Image. Then it could use the characters they bought, like Invincible or Spawn, and introduce them to the DC universe like they did when they bought the Charliton Comic characters (Blue Beetle and so on).
Thats usually what DC tends to do, but they could be like Marvel and just buy them out and cancel the comics.

That way DC or Marvel would be stronger and have less compatition.

They really should by Image comics since WIldstorms has some roots from there.