Comic Book Values Market Watch: 2012 In Review

Well, 2012 is over, so what did it give us as far as comic book values?  We had some big ups and downs this year, mostly ups actually, and saw some interesting trends starting to form.  We saw how quickly the collectors industry can change, and just how fast we’ll have to be to the buzzer in the future.

The good

                Comic book movies are huge.  Like really huge.  Like Avengers made more money in theaters alone than the gross national product of some small countries.  And, with that massive popularity comes massive demand for source material.  So much so, that origin and key books in the last year absolutely skyrocketed in value based off even just rumors.  When Thanos was slated to appear in a post credit scene in Avengers, Iron Man #55 saw nearly a 500-1000% increase in value.  Marvel Premiere #47, the first new Ant-Man, always had a solid guide price but a rather lukewarm market demand. Once Ant-Man was officially declared an upcoming project, that demand went nuts, making that issue go for over double the previously respectable guide price.  What this really means is that 2012 was the first year where we really saw that printed guides, like the venerable Overstreet, are no longer the carved in stone bibles they once were (if you ever did consider them to be that reliable, that is).  The market showed that it can go nuts based off a simple tweet from a producer, making the guide that was printed on Tuesday worthless by Wednesday.  For investors, this is great news as what this really means in the end is that new people are flocking to the hobby in droves, and we could be seeing a trend that lasts for years.

The Bad

                Variants were huge this year.  Like really huge.  Like single issues coming out with 5 different variants of different rarities, and issues that had no real importance getting limited edition variants.  Look, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  This isn’t a good thing.  These issues will not hold their value.  Seriously, go on Ebay and look up Civil War variants. Remember when those were going for a ton?  Or even look up the AvX variants, which came out last year.  Huge huge demand right when they launched, which has tapered out into the issues being thrown in as incentives for real purchases.  The real reason this is a problem is that it artificially inflates the sales numbers for certain issues, making those issues get printed in way higher quantities, meaning that a few years from now none of them are worth anything.  Releasing 5 different variants for a single issue isn’t encouraging people to get into collecting, it’s punishing those who are foolish enough to buy that $100 variant right when it comes out or even the “key” issue it’s based on hoping that it will go up in value.  Did X-Men #1 teach us nothing?  Sigh, look, if you have an artist on staff who can draw a really amazing cover for an issue, then just release that cover, okay?  Stop making us jump through hoops.  Or at least bring back holograms.  I liked holograms.

The meh

                2012 Also saw the big relaunches.  With the New 52 in full swing and Marvel NOW getting launched, this was as good a time as ever for new fans to into the hobby.  Now, the real issue is seeing how these relaunches are handled.  We all remember Crisis and what happened afterwards.  Sure, re-launching is a good idea every now and then, since after a while you just need a refresher.  But will these titles get the editorial oversight needed to make sure everything stays nice and consistent, or will we fall back into the old continuity holes that got us all annoyed before?  2013 will tell!

Mighty Con Comic Convention On Mandy Madrox TV

The latest episode of Many Madrox TV featured an interview with the founder of the Mighty Con Comic Convention Bill Ahart. Mandy got the low down on the upcoming March 2nd Might Con show, including an in depth look at the artists, creators, and vendors that will be in attendance.

Mandy and Bill also discussed why comic shows are so important to the comic book world, and what guests can get out of going to a show that they can’t get from their local shop.

The interview covered over a dozen of the top guests and vendors that will be at Mighty Con on March 2nd at the Dupage Fairgrounds, including artists like Mark Stegbauer and Dan Hulina, creators like Blackheart Comics, and vendors like Geek Inc Comics and First Aid Comics. Bill also let Mandy know about the Blackheart Comics sponsored costume contest, which includes cash prizes.

Check out the full interview below, and don’t forget to stop by the Mighty Con comic convention on Saturday, March 2nd at the Dupage Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Rd. in Wheaton IL.

Comic Show June 21st – 23rd

Mighty Con’s First Weekend Show! Bring The Show Back To The Fans!!!

Where is the comic convention?

Mega Center at Pheasant Run – 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL, 60174

View Larger Map

When is the Mighty Con comic book convention?

June 22nd to 23rd

The doors will open to the public at:

• Saturday 10 a.m till 5pm.
• Sunday 11am till 4pm
• Bonus Friday Night Preview – Get a weekend pass and be able to beat the crowd and join us Friday night 6pm to 9pm for the Friday Night Preview! 

How Much to Get In?

Unlike most weekend shows the Mighty Con show only costs $10 for one day passes (Saturday or Sunday) or $15 for the whole weekend (which includes the Friday Night Preview).

Make sure to secure you tickets by pre-ordering your tickets below! 

Who’s Coming to the Show?

 Sign up for our newsletter for up and coming guests

Avengers Vs X-Men: What Just Happened

As I’m sure anyone actually visiting this website, let alone reading this post, is aware, the biggest comic book event of 2012 has come and gone and the “Consequences” have begun.  Yes, clearly I’m talking about Avengers vs X-Men.  Ok, let’s get this out there right away.  I enjoyed it.  Judging by the majority of reviews I read, whether they be for individual issues or the event overall, I enjoyed it more than most.

Clearly, it had flaws:  Cyclops being so aggressive towards the Avengers right out of the gate for instance.  Personally, he made me side with the Avengers right away.  Also, as is the case with most major events, it is difficult to use every character effectively when you have so many.  And the creation of the Phoenix 5 was odd at first, but I eventually got used to it.

All that being said, there were a lot more cool moments for me.  Just off the top of my head, Cap trying to reconvene the Illuminati was a great scene.  I loved just about everything with Professor X, Cyclops learning that he’s “an idiot” from a very special red-head was a wonderful moment and we got one of my favorite covers of all-time (Jerome Opena’s  variant for Avengers vs X-Men #4).  I was also very excited to get some answers to a few questions that have been unanswered since Messiah Complex.  I took about a 10 year hiatus from comic collecting.  Messiah Complex was what brought me back into the game, so I was excited to have a little bit of closure from that.

So yes, I liked it.  A lot.

But that isn’t really the point of this post.  I think the reason I liked it, and my theory as to why most people didn’t and why it seems that most major events and crossovers get a bad rap are why we’re here today.

Just How Much Story Is There To Tell?

I have a question for everyone.  When was the last time you read EVERY SINGLE ISSUE of a particular crossover?  I read reviews of crossovers, or the dreaded list of the “Worst Comic Events Ever” and one question always bugs me.  Did the person writing this actually bother to read the entire thing?

Now before I really get into this, I’m warning everyone, my examples will almost exclusively be limited to Marvel, as I am very much a Marvel guy.

IGN included two of my favorite events on their worst of all time list:  Onslaught and Secret Invasion.  Let’s tackle Onslaught first.  It seemed that the major complaint was how it completely encompassed the Marvel Universe.  It tied in everywhere.  Hell, even Green Goblin had a tie-in comic to that event.  Personally, I don’t necessarily see the problem with that.  One of my favorite things about major crossovers is that it reminds us that all of these characters do indeed live in the same universe.  Something as major as Professor Xavier becoming an all-powerful entity and laying waste to the Marvel U is going to affect more than just the X-Men.  Oh, and he wasn’t just trying to lay waste to shit.  He was trying to recreate the Age of Apocalypse after seeing into the mind of Nate Grey.  How badass is that?

So anyway, when the world goes to hell, it’s not just the Children of the Atom that feel the effects.

I loved the references to older stories as well.  In Uncanny X-Men 287, we’re treated to a flashback(ironically taking place in the future) of Bishop stumbling upon the ruins of the Xavier mansion and viewing a recorded distress call from Jean Grey to the other X-Teams, warning of a traitor within the X-Men.  Well things come full circle as we actually get to see Jean making that distress call in X-Men: Onslaught.

I’ve read every single issue of this event and it’s much better than it gets credit for.  However, it did lead into the Heroes Reborn story.  So, you take what you can get.

Now, on to Secret Invasion.  At first, even I wasn’t totally sold on this event.  I thought the core series left a lot to be desired.  But hot damn this had some awesome tie-ins.  I loved the X-men and Thor tie-ins.  I thought it was wonderful how the Mighty Avengers and New Avengers tie-ins were used to show how past events had been influenced by the Skrull imposters already in place on Earth.  You know what, as I look at my inventory and see the list of tie-ins, the only one I thought they really could have done without was Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man.

If you started reading Secret Invasion and gave up on it without reading the tie-in series, do yourself a favor and get on that.

Secret Invasion, for me, was a prime example of what a major event should do.  It should bring characters from many different series together and it should introduce fans to characters and creators they may not have been familiar with.  I loved the Black Panther tie-ins because of Jason Aaron.  Secret Invasion reminded everyone that Nick Fury was bad-ass before Samuel L. Jackson and it introduced me to Noh-Varr.  For those who’ve actually read it, was there any more stand up and cheer moment than when Noh-Varr told the Skrulls their invasion was over?

The bottom line is, when you get the whole story, from every angle, it makes the entire event considerably more enjoyable.

Even though I haven’t read them, I’m sure the same can be said of some of DC’s events.  How many people actually read every issue of Blackest Night or Flashpoint?

Granted, there are some things that undoubtedly deserve to be hated.  I’m looking at you One More Day and Clone Saga.

New Story Arc Coming Out?  Time To Sell Cash In Some Bonds!

So, the other major issue with collecting complete comic book events, of course is cost.  Well, surprisingly, or maybe not all that surprisingly, it’s actually fairly common to find new issues for less than cover price at conventions.  Also, if you don’t mind waiting a little bit, give it a year after the event is done.  You’ll end up seeing just about every issue of a major crossover in dollar bins at shows.  Personally, I collected every single issue of Civil War and only paid more than $1 for one issue, of course, it was the last one I needed.

We all know that the main purpose of a major events and crossovers, at least from the publisher’s aspect, is to make money.  Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.  If you have the means and sometimes, the patience, go beyond the core series.  Read the tie-ins, as many as possible.  You’ll get more angles, more conflicts, introductions to artists and writers you may not be familiar with and characters who could become some of your favorites.

My all-time favorite Events, Crossovers and Story Arcs

1.  Age of Apocalypse
2. Civil War
3. Fatal Attractions
4. Mutant Massacre
5. Dark Phoenix Saga
6. X-Cutioner’s Song
7. Messiah Complex/Messiah War/Second Coming (its also a good idea to read 2008’s Cable series)
8. Welcome Back, Frank
9. Avengers: Disassembled
10. X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills

Amazing Spiderman 700 Review

The cover to The Amazing Spiderman 700

Okay, so we’re going to try doing an Amazing Spiderman 700 review without spoilers.  So if you haven’t read this issue yet, and haven’t heard what happens, you’re safe.  You’re also living under a rock, but that’s another story altogether.  But anyways, here we are.  Amazing Spiderman 700, the theoretically last issue in a 50 year old run.  And I say theoretically because I buy the permanence of that about as much as I buy the permanence of what happens at the end of this issue and as much as anything else in the comic universe, which is to say, I don’t.  No one stays dead except Bucky.  And Bucky is alive.

Is Amazing Spiderman 700 Worth The Buy?

So, since we’re trying to avoid spoilers (and since most of you already know what happens despite that, and since it’s already been rehashed by every comic blog and fanboy in the universe) I’d like to review ASM 700 for what it means.  50 years is a long time for a comic series to run.  What does #700 say about where the series made it when it all ended?

Do you know why Venom was such a popular and menacing villain?  Don’t worry, I’m going somewhere with this, and yes, it’s related to #700.  Venom was popular because he was personal.  He wasn’t just a Spiderman villain, he was also a Peter Parker villain.  Much like the Green Goblin, but even more personal, because in many ways he was Spiderman.  He was the black costume, Spiderman’s costume, he shot webs, was strong, could climb walls.  He was that thing that goes bump in the night, and his creation and his fights with Spiderman were epic.  What’s more, his creation was part of the start of the McFarlane issues, a truly “amazing” run.  And why is this all relevant?  Because the people behind ASM 700 compared this issue with #300 in terms of scope and importance.

Look, ASM #700 was a good issue.  It was an interesting story, the writing and art were well done, and it was enjoyable.  But I’m going to call out a few things about it right now.  First off is the price tag.  $8.  That’s a lot for a single issue.  A whole lot.  Particularly a regular issue.  And yeah, I know, it’s #700, it’s a milestone, and something important happens in it.  But you know what Marvel?  If that’s the case, don’t make me pay a ton extra beyond your super high price for the variant cover.   Give me a hologram, or holo-foil, or at the very least some nice glossy card stock.  Paying $8 just because an issue has a few bonus stories that don’t actually effect anything and one big even that even rookie fanboys can see will probably be retconned in a few years just feels dirty.

And that brings us to the next big problem.  There was nothing really new introduced in this issue.  Do you know why #300 was so big guys?  It’s because it was a revolutionary issue.  New villains, new art, new storytelling, new everything.  What do we have in this issue?  A major event that’s of questionable popularity with fans, and will likely be changed back after a year or two once the writers run out of ideas that relate to it.  There just wasn’t anything here that we haven’t seen before (in fact, we just saw the same event played out in the ultimate universe a year ago).  Again, it wasn’t a bad issue.  It just didn’t re-invent the wheel either.

And the final issue we have with this final issue is just that.  It’s the final issue.  With the release of Amazing Spiderman 700, Amazing Spiderman is coming to an end.  Technically, this happened before during the whole Heroes Reborn era when we got all the major titles reset, but eventually everything just got put back to where it was supposed to be with the numbering intact.  So what reason do we have to believe that won’t be the case this time?  And why shouldn’t it be the case this time?  Again, it’s all gimmicks we’ve seen before, and it’s all stuff that we have no reason to believe will be lasting.

When all is said and done, this is a pretty okay milestone issue.  It’s a good read, and I’d recommend checking it out.  But don’t wait on this becoming that epic key issue that’s worth ten times what you paid for it in a few years.  In fact, I’d be amazed if this didn’t end up in the cheap bins at shows alongside other great reads that were just printed in way too high quantities (looking at you X-Men #1).

Overall Grade:  B+

For Another Take on an Amazing Spiderman 700 Review Check Out:

The Amazing Spider-Man 700 Review NDSU The Spectrum

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Newsarama. ‘Amazing Spider-Man 700 An Enthralling Imperfect End Spoilers ComicsAlliance. Hey remember that time Wolverine the Hulk and Ghost Rider became permanent members of the Fantastic Four Or when Superboy the Eradicator Cyborg Superman and Steel replaced the forever-dead Clark Kent Or how Jean-Paul Valley remains Best Shots Extra AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 700-10 out of 10Newsarama. Comic Review The Amazing Spider-Man 700Geeks of Doom. Review Amazing Spider-Man 700 Avenging Spider-Man 15.1Comicmix.com. Unleash The Fanboy -Superherohype.com -Examiner.com. all 570 news articles.…

Comic Review The Amazing Spider-Man 700 Geeks of Doom

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Guillermo del Toro Moves Forward With Dark Universe Movie

Dark Universe, A DC Supernatural Characters Movie, Is Actually Happening!

Guillermo del Toro, the special effects genius who gave us Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy 2 (still one of the best choreographed final fights I’ve ever seen) is apparently moving forward with plans for a movie tentatively titled Dark Universe.

He’s at the stage of looking for a writer right now for the script, and has let it slip that this film will include Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, and Spectre (among others, but he’s stated that giving a full roster will likely ruin some of the plot surprises).

While this is of course huge news for fans of these characters (and there’s plenty of those, for sure), this is even bigger news for DC properties in general.  It’s no mystery that DC has languished for years under the oppressive weight of Marvel properties, trying to get solid movie fanbase but stumbling with poorly constructed films like Green Lantern and Superman Returns.

Man of Steel certainly looks like it may break the I’m-not-Batman-but-I’m-still-good mold, but it’s still Superman.  It’s still a character that everyone knows, and more importantly that everyone has an opinion on.  What Dark Universe can do for DC is draw in a new fanbase, getting people who were genuinely unfamiliar with the characters on screen interested in finding out more about them and heading down to the local comic shop to do some research.

This isn’t to say that the future of DC movies rests solely on del Torro’s shoulders.  This is just a huge opportunity, and it’s good to know that it’s in the hands of a talented and proven director who can get some excitement brewing even at this stage in production.  DC has a plethora of underused characters who, should Dark Universe be successful, can maybe finally get their shot in the spotlight.  Hey, if Rocket Raccoon can be a movie star, why not Animal Man?

For more on this story, check out:

Guillermo del Toro confirms DC’s Dark Universe movie Den Of Geek

Guillermo del Toro Moving Forward With Supernatural DC Comics Movie Dark FILM blog

Guillermo del Toro Working On DC Comics Dark Universe Movie Comicbook.com blog

Marvel Announces LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Video Game

LEGO Marvel Is Coming In A Massive Video Game!

Marvel has just announced via their website an upcoming LEGO Marvel super heroes game that will feature over 100 playable characters.  From the Marvel site:

Also: LEGO Marvel Super Heroes PC PC Games

Geek Gift Guide: A New Perspective

The holidays are upon us!  And the Mighty Con Geek Gift Guide is here to help you out. It’s time to buy gifts for the geek in your life, and that means you’re probably at a bit of a loss.  You see, geeks tend to be a bit tough to shop for.  Let’s take a quick look at why, and offer some very simple advice as to what you can do about it.

Why Geeks Are Hard To Buy For

                Geeks tend to be a fairly logical breed.  Not always mind you, and their passions of certain things can take them down illogical roads, but at the end of the day they tend to have a very straightforward predictable nature.  That means that if there’s something essential that their life is lacking, they get it.  They don’t wait and hope that it arrives as a gift, or just suffer without.  The geek in your life is probably an Amazon prime member and has his credit card info saved in every site that offers one click checkout on the web.  Their electric toothbrush is broken?  New one on the way.  Too many devices in their entertainment center?  The new universal remote will be here Tuesday.  The combination of logic, strong problem solving skills, and a slight impulse control problem that make up geeks everywhere mean that searching for the right item for the one in your life is going to be tough.

Now, you’re going to find a lot of guides out there recommending this product or that, hawking items that you had never heard of till clicking on that site.  We’re not going to do that.  No, it isn’t about some higher standard of practices or anything.  We’d sell our souls to Mephisto for a whole lot less than making the world forget our secret identity.  No, we’re just a bit lazy, and besides, you can shop yourself.  We are here, however, to tell you how to shop.

Buy. Something. Useless.

                Look, the geek in your life has everything useful thing he wants or needs.  The things he doesn’t have that are useful he probably doesn’t have for a reason, namely that they’re probably way too expensive which means you can’t afford them either.  But, geeks love trophies.  I mean really love them.  Who do you think video game achievements were invented for?  They serve no actual purpose, but any true video game geek is so proud of his long list of achievements that he’s ready to burst.  So try this out if you’re stumped for what to get a geek.  Go out to your local comic book show.  Now, find what you, as a normal functioning member of society, deem to be the most useless thing there.  That.  That is what you get for them.

It’s probably going to be a statue of some kind.  And it’s probably going to be big.  Because small statues are easy to store and display, which is why normal people love them.  So forget that.  If you were actually able to find your geek a life size Silver Surfer statue, something that any normal person would look at as a complete burden on their lives, said geek would likely spontaneously combust in gratitude.  Seriously, it’s that easy.  So stop trying to find some gadget that you think will improve their quality of life, and just make them happy.  You’ll save yourself tons of time and hassle, and in the end you will now be declared the coolest person on the planet.

Comic Reviews: Deadpool #2

Deadpool 2 is out on store shelves, the 2^nd issue in the new series from Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan and illustrated by Tony Moore.  This team’s first issue was met with fairly mixed reviews, so how did their second outing fare?

First Thoughts of Deadpool #2?

First and foremost about this issue, before you even get it home, will be the price.  In a world dominated by $3.99 comics (and a few $4.99 ones here and there for “special” issues) Deadpool #2, like #1, comes with a price tag of $2.99.  While in the big picture this may be a small thing, it’s nice to have this greeting you right at the time of the purchase.  It’s like getting a meal at a restaurant that was plated exceptionally well.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll taste good, but at least it’s starting things off on the right foot.

Deadpool #2 Summary

Now when we left off with old Wade, he had been shot in the back of the head by zombie Lincoln, in what was one of the few genuinely good jokes of issue #1.  Issue #2 starts off with a dream sequence in which Wade is being fought over by a somewhat random selection of Marvel women.  Thanks to that reliable healing factor, he soon wakes up and finds its’ time to get back to work.  S.H.I.E.L.D. is starting to get nervous about the havoc these former leaders are causing, and luckily for them Deadpool meets and starts getting guidance from the ghost of Ben Franklin.  After Deadpool is able to take out a zombie Roosevelt by impaling him with an elephant and electrocuting him (and the elephant), he and his S.H.I.E.L.D. contact decide to head out to someone who can help a bit more with paranormal issues, on Dr. Stephen Strange.

And Here’s The Review

This issue suffers from some of the same problems the first issue had.  Namely, instead of a handful of really funny jokes that we’ve come to expect from the mouth of Wade, we get a non-stop stream of watered down material that seems like Posen and Duggan just wanted to see how many funny lines they could cram onto each page.  The art is fairly well done, although Tony Moore has certainly proved himself before and he chooses a very vibrant color palette here.  For the lower purchase price, this book would be worth the pickup for fans of Moore’s art in many cases.

Where this series has failed so far is somewhere a bit more subtle, but still very clear to fans of the character.  When talk began of a Deadpool movie some time ago after the Wolverine movie, fans online were rabid about the fact that it needed to be rated R.  It was bad enough that Wolverine had to be neutered, but to have Deadpool get diluted would be unthinkable.  And this series, aside from the gore you get from Moore’s art, seems to be extremely PG.  Not even a hard PG-13, and certainly not an R.

Remender’s Deadpool in the Uncanny X-Force series is one of the best writings of the character ever, and so with that still coming out it’s hard not to compare the two.  And the new Deadpool series thus far just hasn’t cut it.  There’s still hope, certainly, but if Posehn and Duggan are going to keep people buying this series, they need to return Deadpool to his roots.  Start breaking the 4^th wall, start killing indiscriminately, and for God’s sake don’t force the humor.  Posehn is a terrific standup, so he should definitely know about letting humor flow organically, and hopefully soon we’ll see that here.  Until then, this was just a middle of the road issue with not a whole ton going for it.

Grade: C-

How To Save The Comic Book Industry Part 2: Diamond Comic Distributors

The Comics You Buy All Start Here Diamond Comic Distributors

For those of you who don’t now, comic books will typically come to your local shop through a distributor called Diamond Comic

 Distributors.  Now there may be some smaller, independent titles that come right from that publisher, but at the end of the day, odds are the book you just bought came in a box marked Diamond Distribution.  These are the people with their fingers firmly on the pulse of the comic book world, and it’s here at the top that there is the biggest opportunity to change.

Now I should start by saying that, at the core of what they do, Diamond Comic Distributors is doing a good job.  The comics you go to your local shop to by arrive on time, in good condition, and the shop owners can continue their business (well, to an extent.  See part 1 for more on that).  But, in an age where a new comic book movie is coming out every few months and Saturday morning TV is flooded with characters that kids should be running down to their local shop to get more info on, why isn’t Diamond doing more to grow their business?

What Can A Distributor Do To Grow?

The very best example of this is anecdotal, but at least it’s first hand.  It was some time ago, at C2E2 in Chicago I believe (great show by the way, get more info here if you’ve never been).  I walked up to the Diamond booth, introduced myself to the first person there who acknowledged me, and mentioned that I was interested in setting up an account with them.  Now, at this point most companies would have a few guys fighting over who gets to put their name down on the new signup sheet, since even if you don’t work on commission, you at least want to look good for your annual review.  But, the guy I spoke to reached under a display, grabbed some sheets out of a box, and simply said “fill these out and mail them in”.  He smiled and was polite about it, but then turned away, as our time for interaction was done.

I stopped back later, as quite honestly I was hoping for a bit of an expedited process (frankly I would have been ready to place my first order then and there if they had been able to sign me up), but the next person I talked to gave me roughly the same, this time adding that I could call or email them if I had any questions.

So What’s Wrong With Just Not Being Super Helpful

Look, this isn’t a horrible thing.  These guys were not rude or arrogant or stand offish.  They just weren’t willing to go that extra mile.  And in a business that’s still somewhat recovering from almost dying off 10 years ago, that extra mile should no longer be considered “extra”.  I lost count long ago of the number of comic shows I’ve worked, but big or small one thing I have never seen was a rep from Diamond going from booth to booth trying to sign people up.  I certainly get approached enough by people asking “do you have new comics?” to know that the market at these shows is there.

This is an industry built on the backs of people who don’t really know much about business, but just love super heroes, so certain concessions have to be made.  But the industry won’t grow itself.  The organizations at the top, the ones who actually send out these comics that we rush out every week to buy, need to start being proactive instead of reactive.  Diamond Comic Distributors not actively being bad right now, but just not being bad isn’t good enough.  In fact, just being good isn’t good enough.  It’s time to be great guys.  It’s time to shine like the Diamond you’re named after.

For Part 1 Of This Series, Click Here