Your Favorite Character, Sales, and Quality

[SuperFerret]

Stemming from a discussion in this thread, let's talk ultimate hypothetical.

Say there's an announcement that your favorite character has a monthly book of their own, and it will last for a year straight at least. That's a given in this hypothetical situation (there will be changes later on), and it doesn't matter if your favorite character is a big time name like Superman, Batman and Spider-man, or some D-lister like Squirrel Girl and Ambush Bug. They have their monthly and it's announced that it will last at least one year.

You'd be happy, and hopeful, most likely. I know I would, hell we all would be.

Here's the catch. One of two things happens.

1) The book is exactly what you want from this character. It is the most iconic depiction of your favorite character for years as far as you're concerned, BUT it's not selling well and the publisher cuts it off at 6 months, fully half of what was promised.

2) The book sells like hot cakes. People are buying it up in droves, it's gaining all sorts of new fans, and the publisher has decided to extend the run another year, at least, BUT the character you love and most things about it have been changed (in your eyes) for the worst.


Which would you prefer?

 

[The Morningstar]

Definitely 1.

If it's poorly written then i'd rather it get cancelled and relaunched.

If it's brilliantly written I'd rather have a great book about the character exist, even if it's for a short time.

It actually really annoys me when people carry on buying a book about their favourite character(s) even though they readily admit it's crap. I remember once I was in my LCBS and there was this guy completely trashing Matt Fraction's Uncanny X-Men. And i mean trashing it.

What did he do? He took it up to the counter and paid for it...

I wanted to say something, probably along the lines of "You're an idiot" but hey, it's his money, I ain't gonna stop him flushing it down the toilet.

 

[Manic]

Give me option 1. I'd rather have a well-written book about a character I love last for a short time than a long-running piece of crap.

 

[Kane52630]

You guys are insane, give me option 2!

[BLACKOUT]I kid, I kid, give me option 1. [/BLACKOUT]

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I'd always prefer option 1. I don't mind option 2 as much for bigger characters, though. Batman, Superman, et al. are big enough to withstand periodic blows to their established characterizations, and the sales might do some good in getting them back into the public consciousness. See the Avengers post-Bendis, for example. Sure, most of the Avengers franchise is f***ed, but its high sales and exposure occasionally get an Avengers Academy or Slott's Mighty Avengers greenlit. Third-stringers, on the other hand, don't get a lot of exposure anyway, so if their main exposure comes in the form of some wonky characterization that makes no sense for them, odds are a lot of people are going to think of them according to that, which would be pretty damaging.

 

[The Morningstar]

I'd always prefer option 1. I don't mind option 2 as much for bigger characters, though. Batman, Superman, et al. are big enough to withstand periodic blows to their established characterizations, and the sales might do some good in getting them back into the public consciousness. See the Avengers post-Bendis, for example. Sure, most of the Avengers franchise is f***ed, but its high sales and exposure occasionally get an Avengers Academy or Slott's Mighty Avengers greenlit. Third-stringers, on the other hand, don't get a lot of exposure anyway, so if their main exposure comes in the form of some wonky characterization that makes no sense for them, odds are a lot of people are going to think of them according to that, which would be pretty damaging.

See Daniel Way's Deadpool for an example of that. Although I wouldn't really call Deadpool a third stringer, but he isn't an A-Lister by any means.

 

[Bruce Banner]

Have to go with option 1. I would rather have it cut short with something awesome than to drag out something I will eventually hate.

 

[E-Man]

Easily option 1 for me. I'm a Black Panther fan, and I've been through one really bad run. I'd rather take one great mini over suffering the rammifications of that ****** run that will linger for a long time.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

But you're totally looking forward to "American Panther," though, right?

 

[E-Man]

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!*runs and jumps out of the nearest window*

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Haha, I'd feel terrible if I were a big Black Panther fan too. Clearly, Marvel just has no clue what to do with him at this point.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

#1

Do I look like a businessman? I don't give a damn how it sells if I love it.

 

[Ponyboy]

haha, good to know we all have standards!

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Proper portrayal alone >>>> Great sales alone

 

[Baramos]

#1. Why in the world would I care about sales? If it ends, hey, I finally have an actual complete story arc of a superhero character.

 

[SuperFerret]

This was started as more of a "This is how you're wrong" sort of thread against someone who I don't remember.

 

[E-Man]

This was started as more of a "This is how you're wrong" sort of thread against someone who I don't remember.

It's me Ferret!

 

[Duke]

I definitely take option #1.

 

[Kane52630]

It's me Ferret!

aw son of a b***! [/JR]

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

ok i am game
#1 for sure! Quality over sales.i love, love the Doom Patrol and they never seem to garner enough sales to ever stop from being cancelled (They've been cancelled more than a Lindsey Lohan parent/ teacher conference!) but i dont ever want them to turn into your basic, run of the mill superteam! Their weirdness is why i dig em so!