stake in : comic strip , Comics Publishers , Marvel Comics| Tagged : fantastic four , sales
Marvel Comics Claims The Fantastic Four Was Cancelled Because It Did n’t Sell - But Marvel Two - In - One Could bring in It Back
I ’ve knownTom Brevoortonline since before a number of you were bear , courtesy of the rec.arts.comics content boards that live before there were websites to host them . He ’s the only someone still working in Marvel column to this day , now as Senior Vice President of Publishing . And at no item , during that metre , has he ever really ordered a hitting on me , which I really appreciate . And as much as I like the man , and admire him , I sometimes find myself having a go at something he say . Usually around his expertly crafted public statement that on occasion are stand for to be read in one way , but if you tunnel down , they do n’t really say that at all . I mean they are to be admire , butsometimes are worth a little unpickingsuch as his " We are publishing FANTASTIC FOUR . Next month , we will be publish FANTASTIC FOUR . A year from now , assuming that it ’s still selling well , we will be publishing FANTASTIC FOUR " from 2014 .
Because , yes , with Bleeding Cool , the classical model would beover Marvel ’s cancellation of theFantastic Fourcomicsand all licensing – secret plan , trading cards , miniature , statues , posting , calendar – from Marvel Comics . When the order amount down from Marvel chairmanIke Perlmutterafter a particularly sleeveless group meeting with Fox Studios over the Fantastic Four moving-picture show , not only were the strip to be set off ( in a personal manner of Marvel column ’s choosing ) , put not a sign of the FF could be seen in the offices as Perlmutter walk through . Marvel ’s first family were post to Coventry and , away from a couple of day trips , have remained there since .
At the time I receive content from a number of Marvel employees – some who have never mouth to me before or since , outraged at the determination . And hoping Bleeding Cool stimulate a pother might reverse insurance . There was a fuss , but nothing more . At the clock time , when we ran the stories that the FF was to be strike down , Tom Brevoort was quoted as saying " My deny rumour is n’t potential to keep anybody who ’s prone to paranoia from panicking . But really , does this even seem remotely plausible to people ? Does it make any sense ? sept have a very foreign approximation as to the way a line is run . "
Which Bleeding Cool does n’t fence with at all . It did n’t seem plausible , in good order from our original report . But truth is always stranger that fable , and other eccentric examples of Ike Perlmutter in military action have issue since that make it seem a flock more plausible .
At the time , we were told that the Fox - licensed X - Men books were n’t to be cancelled as they made too much money for the publishing house , but the FF as a middling sales solo title could be missed without hurt the bottom short letter . Indeed , I was by and by told by some editorial folk at Marvel that over the years , there had been move to cancel the book over short sale , especially in theJemasyears , but it was seen as too important to the ship’s company to keep its first comedian still in publishing . And while theFraction / Allredrun had not been well received in sales , the previousJonathan Hickmanrun had , and theJames Robinsonrun also put on sale . When the comic went , it was outselling many other Marvel rubric that were n’t cancelled – and persist uncancelled . Indeed the FF gross revenue then outsell most other Marvel sales event now .
I note all this because in the ComicsPRO Marvel retailer conference all last night , Tom Brevoort made the contention to retail merchant that the only reason there ’s no Fantastic Four Word is because it does n’t deal . And here ’s the matter – technically it could be true . If the FF was a multi - book publication line that sell well , like the X - Men book , it may have pull through Perlmutter ’s reject . However it did most unquestionably sell enough not to be cancelled by Marvel Comics on the terms they publish other titles .
And that does n’t explain why Marvel cancelled all Fantastic Four licensing the fashion they did ( and still are ) . Brevoort knows why there is no Fantastic Four book , and plenty of their creators and editorial staff would like it back . Do they really think aMarvel Two - In - Onefeaturing the Thing and Human Torch is really potential to outsell a newFantastic Fourcomic ? Well , according to Marvel reps on the call last dark , it will be the test . If Marvel Two - In - One does sell well ( and it has been pointed out to me that rather than a likelyBrian Bendisbook , this is a serial that late - ThingwriterDan Slotthas a mountain of specific love for ) then a case could be made to work back theFantastic Fourcomic leger .
Here are a few sales charts picked at random . I do not believe they show aFantastic Fourthat does n’t betray . From August 2012 , it is a mid - degree deed and , as well asFF , outsoldWolverineandDaredevil .
The relaunch of Fantastic Four in 2014 saw it outsellWalking Deadand theX - serviceman . First issues are often bumped by promotional measures , but even so that ’s a safe start , before it settles down into its unconstipated spot .
Which was a little further down the chart , a mid - point spot , outselling many other Marvel mainstays in August 2014 , includingWolverine And The X - Men .
Even after the Holy Scripture was officially scrub , which often kills retail merchant parliamentary law of the remaining issue ( one of the reason Marvel does n’t wish to formally herald cancellations until after orders are in ) it still outsell comics such asCaptain Marvel , She - HulkandX - Force .
A three - yr absence of the form of address can not be explained solely by downhearted gross revenue , rent alone Marvel ’s decision to cancel so much Fantastic Four licensing , which should have been , basically , free money . AndMarvel Two - In - Onewould have to sell a hell of a lot for Marvel to somehow make the font for the title ’s return .
Does n’t mean it wo n’t , mind .
Enjoyed this ? Please apportion on societal media !
