Superhero Media: How much longer?

[Theo R Cwithin]

I voted "a decade," but that's mostly an expression of forlorn hope than actual expectation.

 

[Nebulous]

Or, maybe movies will largely die out in favour of long-form high-budget storytelling on streaming services.

I'm home sick and rewatching AMCs The Terror (season 1), 10 episodes, about 45 minutes each, and it's one of the most entertaining, single-shot long form stories I've probably ever seen. I saw it last year and it is just as entertaining the second time. So yeah, epic length streamers could potentially overshadow theatrical movies one day.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[GreyLord]

Um... dude? People are spending about $200 million more per year on comics in 2018 than they were in 2003. So says Diamond Comics Distributors - the people who distribute all the direct comic book shop sales for Marvel, DC, IDW, Dark Horse, and Image. Adding electronic distribution raises that number by another $100 million or so.

I'm not sure that's a good metric, anymore than saying that the money a movie makes indicates ticket sales.

If we use that metric we have been having better and better years with almost every year doing better in sales than the prior...ignoring the idea of how many are actually GOING to the movies.

By that metric, Gone with the Wind and Star Wars were overcome by other successes long ago (and they were in regards to how much other movies have made, but not necessarily tickets sold).

In regards to tickets sold we still have Gone with the Wind at the Top, then Star Wars, then the Sound of Music, then ET, and next Titanic.

At least as of July this year according to this site...

Top movie ticket sellers of all time

From what I understand, comic book issue sales are actually less in number of copies sold today, though that may be because they are around 10-20x (depending on publisher) what they cost when they were at their heyday (so, today instead of your 200-300 million it would be equivalent of 20-30 million in their heyday).

However, I understand with the Movie craze/fad (what the thread is about) that the movies and merchandise related to them has shot through the roof (making more on comic related merchandise than ever before in history).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The current movies are based on story lines from past comics that sold very well and gets old fans excited. Judging by comic book sales, the publishers aren't releasing new stories that people want to buy. So when the old story lines run out, the new movies won't have anything to sell.

The movies aren’t successful from the wallets of old fans. The ticket sales from casuals and those who just don’t read comics vastly outnumber of ppl who would call themselves comics fans.

 

[Nebulous]

One day?

I love a good movie as much as the next person, but there is just WAY TOO MUCH quality television out there.

Streamers haven't quite shoved theatrical movies out of the picture, but they're damn close. And yes, there's far too much media out there. It's information overload. Much of it is great, but a lot of it isn't either. Lol, not that I have time to watch every show to judge them fairly.

 

[Ryujin]

Um... dude? People are spending about $200 million more per year on comics in 2018 than they were in 2003. So says Diamond Comics Distributors - the people who distribute all the direct comic book shop sales for Marvel, DC, IDW, Dark Horse, and Image. Adding electronic distribution raises that number by another $100 million or so.

Is that in adjusted dollars, or straight-on cover cost? US comic costs have gone up something like 30% over that time.

A look at comic prices and price inflation over the years | Diverse Tech Geek

A look at how comic book prices have risen over the years, based on both their cover price and also adjusting for inflation.

www.diversetechgeek.com

 

[trappedslider]

So, yeah, even with Marvel recently announcing that they're shuttering the TV division (for now*), there is just a TON of superhero media content, with no signs of abating any time soon.

*This is the division responsible for all of the non-Disney+ content, I believe. This doesn't affect the giant slate of MCU-adjacent content for Disney+.

What Disney is doing is moving the tv shows to be under the Marvel Studios banner,this will help felicitate better coordination between what the shows are doing and what's going on with the movies. You'll notice this when WandaVision comes out and ties into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

 

[Umbran]

I'm not sure that's a good metric, anymore than saying that the money a movie makes indicates ticket sales.

Okay, fine. Try this:

In 2009 Diamond Comics Distributors reports unit sales of all comics to be 73.8 million copies.

In 2016... they report 99 million copies.

So, can we dispense with the "nobody is buying" and "sales are down" myths already? Please?

And if not, tell us what information would have you setting aside the point, because I am not going to be pleased if the goalpost moves around.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*