LSU vs. Ohio State. The Redskins vs. the Cowboys. Liddell vs. Silva. Triple H vs. Ric Flair. It’s the time of year for monumental battles with life-changing consequences.

We thought we’d join in the fun by pitting our “Big Two” columnists against each other inside the virtual octagon in a no-holds-barred war of words on who had the better year, Marvel or DC. The format is simple … I threw out six questions on different aspects of the comic book business, giving each of our competitors the chance to initially respond to three of them. Then they had the opportunity to respond to their opponent’s responses on the other three. And finally, we had one final question that hopefully helped them summarize the year for their company of choice.

In one corner, we’ve got Tom “T-Bone” Bondurant, our resident Grumpy Old Fan. By day, Tom wields his words like a scalpel in courtrooms all over the Southeast; as a lawyer, he was born to debate. And his knowledge and love for DC knows no bounds.

In the other corner, we have the “Dynamo Kid,” Carla Hoffman, who, as a comic shop employee, probably spends a good deal of her day debating with the best of them. This California girl’s passion for all things Marvel is limitless, so no doubt T-Bone will have his hands full.

So grab some popcorn, your drink of choice and one of those big foam fingers, fanboys and fangirls … and let’s get ready to rumble!

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Talent

Why did your company have the better year not only in terms of exclusive talent, but also in output by their top creators?

Tom: Well, for starters, DC recently signed exclusives with Keith Giffen and Mark Bagley, two pros who had done pretty well by Marvel over the years. Of course, Giffen has been a DC mainstay for a while, so that’s not really a net gain by itself. However, not only was Bagley identified strongly with Marvel — and could bring some Marvel readers with him — he’s also got a great reputation as a solid, reliable artist. If the rumor holds true that he’ll be the featured artist on 2008’s weekly title, that could go a long way towards easing readers’ fears about both its quality and its timeliness. DC had already signed Sean McKeever and Gary Frank, two pros who also established strong track records at Marvel. McKeever looks to be a good fit for Teen Titans, and expectations are high for his Birds Of Prey; and Frank now has one of the company’s highest-profile assignments as artist on Action Comics.

As for its top creators, for the most part, DC has done a good job matching creative teams to titles. In 2007 it settled on a solid set of A-listers for its regular monthly A-list books, putting Gail Simone on Wonder Woman and Dwayne McDuffie on Justice League. On paper (no pun intended) the lineup of writers for its most recognizable titles looks pretty darn good: McDuffie, Simone, Kurt Busiek, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Paul Dini, and Mark Waid. There’s been some turnover among those titles’ artists, but Ivan Reis, George Perez, Don Kramer, and Terry & Rachel Dodson have been consistently good on their regular assignments. Furthermore, having Carlos Pacheco, Rick Leonardi, and JH Williams III among your “irregular” artists isn’t too shabby either.

Not to say that the other titles suffered: Simone’s Atom is always a treat, especially with Mike Norton’s art. As much as I enjoyed Simone’s victory lap on Birds Of Prey, I grew even more fond of artist Nicola Scott’s energetic work. Darwyn Cooke did a great job balancing homage and innovation with The Spirit. Johns’ work on Booster Gold (with co-writer Jeff Katz and penciller Dan Jurgens) was a very pleasant surprise; and although I don’t read Catwoman, I heard nothing but praise for it.

Carla: I too could haul out a list of dynamic and creative people like the credits to a Lord of the Rings epic. While the cast is diverse, from Warren Ellis to Fred Van Lente, Bob Gale to Peter David, its what they do that’s important rather than the name game. 2007 will be known as The Year that Really Did Change Everything, No I’m Serious, Look at All the Changes(tm). Creators at the House of Ideas have been slinging those ideas left and right making their mark on the Marvel Universe. Mark Millar changed the essential way we view Marvel heroes with the end of Civil War, Brubaker has done nothing but awesome with a book that has no right being so good with the guy on the cover dead in the Arctic Ocean, Fraction has really come into his own with The Order, not to mention the stellar work of the whole Annihilation team with their cosmic crossovers.

Let’s face it, by getting new talent signed exclusively like Phil Jimenez, Butch Guice and Marc Guggenheim, these guys are destined to put out good work because really, the House of Ideas is flying with as many ideas as they can. Sure, this can land them flat on their face (oh, One More Day…), but in the end, it changes. It evolves. And with no risk, there is no gain. Those who dare, win.

Event comics

What big event comics delivered this year?

Carla: Oh, lord. You want event comics? Comics that change the world, ripple through the universe and will be noted for years to come? What HASN’T been an event comic from Marvel these days? Banners highlight titles everywhere, whether it’s Initiative, World War Hulk, Endangered Species, Messiah CompleX, Annihilation: Conquest, the hits just keep coming! Sure, you get tired and sure, your list of comics that tie int one huge event or another is exhaustive but at the same time, every engine is firing at full speed, whether at a wall or off to the race track.

Tom: Carla is right — it seems like every comic Marvel published in ‘07 tied into one of its Big Events somehow. I only read a few Marvel books and I couldn’t avoid Civil War or World War Hulk. Granted, the books I read include Fantastic Four, Captain America and She-Hulk, but still. The thing about Countdown, and perhaps its silver lining, is that it was a lot easier to ignore. Oh sure, elements of Countdown showed up in a lot of different titles, and to various degrees, but by and large it didn’t hijack the entire line. Instead, it created its own mini-franchise where it could succeed or fail on its own.

Oh, you want to know about big events which actually delivered? You mean, besides Amazons Attack? Well, I am very encouraged by Dan DiDio’s desire to emulate the success of “The Sinestro Corps War.” Presumably this means we’ll see similarly discrete, creator-driven, mini-events in 2008 and beyond.

Outreach to new readers

How did your company reach out to new readers this year?

Tom: The most obvious answers are Minx and Zuda. It took DC long enough (in my opinion) to capitalize on its association with Tim Sale, but the Heroes collection should count as well. I would also include the recruitment of “other media” people like Richard Donner, Jodi Picoult, Tad Williams, and Brad Meltzer as attempts to broaden the readership. DC didn’t have any big movie projects in 2007, but it did kick off the direct-to-DVD series with a mostly decent Superman: Doomsday film.

Now, in terms of how *well* these efforts worked, I think Minx has to be the most successful so far. The outside writers’ projects each failed on some level, but at least they got DC some publicity in the mainstream press. That, in turn, might have contributed to Donner’s Action and Meltzer’s JLA selling pretty respectably. The company got more favorable publicity when it put Gail Simone on Wonder Woman, and that I suppose is a form of outreach too — even in a backhanded “finally, something done right” sense.

Moreover, DC’s outreach efforts with Minx and Zuda are designed to pull readers into homegrown works, not adaptations of prose novels. If DC can foster solid assurances that creators’ rights are being protected, that could pay bigger dividends, and inspire more loyalty in readers, than just cashing in on the popularity of Stephen King or Laurell K. Hamilton.

Finally, for the superhero books, both All-Star Superman and Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil were titles that should bring in those hypothetical readers who just want a “clean,” uncomplicated look at these classic characters. (All-Star Batman seems more to trade negatively on readers’ expectations, so to me it’s not as new-reader friendly.) I’ll be interested to see if All-Star Superman’s place on so many best-of list translates into sales. I’ll similarly be interested to see how DC approaches the non-hardcover version of Monster Society … specifically, whether it markets the softcover collection as a regular-size trade paperback, a more manga-esque digest, or some combination thereof.

Carla: Marvel took it to the streets online, in the media and on the bookshelves. Like it or not, Civil War sells. Like it or not, World War Hulk sells.

Let’s face it, everything I listed for the big events draw new readers in to see the larger than life story that new readers already imagine comics to be like (sometimes to the detriment of long-term fans’s well established opinion). Just because you think Iron Man’s a jerk doesn’t mean that the new guy isn’t loving every minute of Shellhead action because he has no previous connection to all that pesky continuity. Major events have been largely independent of incredible mires of history and have reinvented characters for the most part, energizing them nearly as much as the Ultimate line has. Customers at my store saw Hulk fighting everyone and their mom on the cover of a book and BAM! That’s a $3.99 sale. Do they care about the Peter David run? No, they just want to see a smash-up with a fairly decent story in the background and you know what? They got it. The larger the event, the more a new guy (or gal) might pick it up, whether for the zazz factor or the lingering suspicion that this Change Everything event will be worth money someday.

You know those novels that sell really well and have a wide fan-following and a reliable popular author? TAH-DAH! Comics! Stephen King’s Dark Tower, Laurel K Hamilton’s Anita Blake, the Haul in from the Dabel Brothers (as brief as their contract was), Orson Scott Card on Ultimate Iron Man II, the well of talent dips deep at Marvel to find what is already a hot property and coasting on fantastic artwork, new and exciting stories and well-known characters sans tights.

And then there’s Marvel’s new Digital Comics line (an idea long in coming from Marvel) that could either gather internet dust or once again, change the way one looks at comics. Remember all that stuff about daring and winning, kids.

Controversies

The controversies of the past year are well documented on the internet (and at this very blog). How did your company do against the competitor?

Carla: Every time Joe Quesada speaks, a controversy gets its wings. Kind of romantic, don’tcha think? This kind of falls into two questions, so forgive a little longwindedness (hey, I could just say ‘Wait and See’!)

Marvel has been off the charts with decisions that could make or break the company. Killing Captain America was nationwide news! That Mary Jane statue? PRICELESS in terms of controversy and pitch-fork and torch-wielding mobs. I’m not saying that the statue (or its sister-controversy, the Heroes For Hentai cover) are the best ways to put across your product, but for getting people’s attention, good or bad, it did Marvel wonders.

Editorial decisions come to light and th fans go wild. Matt Brady does an interview with Bendis about beating the bejeesus out of Tigra and *I* feel the need to riot. The nature of the end of Civil War (there I go again! It’s like something huge happened in the books and I just won’t stop talking about it!) openly asks for debate, not just about the world of heroes and villains, but our own world and views. Some people call it fascist, for heaven’s sake! How much more controversy can you get than by pulling a Godwin’s Law?

Seriously, folks. I just don’t think the Distinguished Competition could draw this kind of ire and rage. Sure, the long time fan has their troubles with this brave new world of comics, but when modern media gets involved, when Entertainment Weekly has spotlights, CNN has debates and the average Joe has something to chew on while he reads a new comic, I guess they’re doing something right.

Tom: The DC controversies of 2007 tended to fall into a couple of categories: Sex and Death. In the former were the attention-getting attributes of Citizen Steel and Michael Turner’s Power Girl, and in the latter were the (apparent) ignominious deaths of Connor Hawke, Bart Allen, Big Barda and the new Titans East. Stephanie Brown gave DC a sex-and-death exacta as the year drew to a close, with Dan DiDio once again tweaking Steph’s fans for wanting her memorialized in the Batcave. The two categories had already crossed earlier in the year in the opening pages of Amazons Attack, when an anonymous father and son were cut down in order to show how hardcore the Amazons had become.

None of these (and it’s not an exhaustive list, I know) drew the kind of mainstream media attention that Marvel’s controversies did, but in a sense it’s because they’re intramural disputes. Part of the latest Stephanie Brown imbroglio is the suggestion that she’s not really dead after all, and there are hints that Connor, Bart and Barda may not have reached their final resting places either. There’s an ongoing attempt to make Supergirl palatable across ages and genders, and DC scaled down Turner’s interpretation of Power Girl’s chest. Accordingly, while there’s no indication that the company is learning how to avoid these kinds of controversies, DC seems more open to responding to its fans’ concerns.

Diversity of product

What did your company do to offer a wider variety of products?

Tom: May I interest you in a Joker cane? How about this fine Superman Neon Sign? In 2007, DC’s tchotchkes were never more fascinating — and virtually zombie- and laundry-free! (I’m still waiting for that ‘Mazing Man plush toy, by the way.)

Really, it seems like DC tried to diversify largely through expanding its DC Universe titles and collecting more of that area’s non-superhero library. WildStorm, Vertigo, and CMX have each established their own brand identity by now, so there’s not much more room for them to diversify. Minx and Zuda are attempting similarly to claim their own particular niches. I know it seems rather facile to say that DC’s output is more diverse thanks to “off-mainstream” books like the Captain Carrot and Bat Lash miniseries, and the Showcase Presents volumes for Sgt. Rock and House of Mystery. Still, I give it points for trying. To me, diversity is virtually a prerequisite for bringing in new readers, so any movement towards a more diverse lineup is always welcome.

Carla: Kitsch? Showcase Presents editions?? CMX?!?! My Distinguished Colleague is right to be proud of things Marvel’s been doing for years. I’m glad to
see the industry fall in step with smart ideas like cheap and extensive reprint collections, new art directions and fun gifts for the discerning fan. (Warning: That manga thing never really works out all that well, though.)

Diversity is Marvel’s bag for 2007 as they caught on to the comic adaptation crowd by bringing fan favorites. See again: Civil War. A lot of new readers started here and you have to admit, it’s pretty much an all new all different ground zero for people to start with. And if you don’t like it, there are sideline books that stay on the fringes of Registration (Daredevil, Iron Fist, Hulk, who’s his own kettle of fish, etc.), space operas like Annihilation: Conquest to while away your time, X-Men mega-events to go for the mutant fan… there is literally a book out there for everyone and I think Marvel’s doing a pretty good job and making sure a lot of those books are from their company.

I would also like to take a moment and personally thank Marvel for providing the Marvel Adventures line (the hands-down best thing to hand to your Spider-Hungry 9-year-old), Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Marvel Classics Illustrated and oh, that little Stephen King book to a bigger, broader audience. We have new pull customers thanks to Anita Blake. Thank you.

News

How did your company do in terms of creating headlines?

Carla: Sorry, I’m too busy watching Captain America on CNN. That’s right. CAPTAIN FREAKIN’ AMERICA. NATIONAL NEWS.

What? Do I need say more?

Tom: DC wasn’t in the mainstream headlines as much as Marvel was this past year, except (as I said earlier) toward the end, when Gail Simone finally started her Wonder Woman run. Again, that was more in the “finally, WW done right” vein. In terms of blogosphere headlines, of course, it was a different story: late books, high-profile creator fizzles, sex, death, etc. Maybe if that whole “Batman becomes a New God” thing had worked out, it might have drawn CNN’s attention …

Final question: Overall, what single event/action by your company defines why they had the best year?

Tom: It’s probably the most predictable answer, but I’ve still gotta go with “The Sinestro Corps War.” It was filled with carnage. It helped if you read Alan Moore’s old “Tales of the Green Lantern Corps” short stories from the mid-’80s. It featured heavy doses of Superboy-Prime. However, it came across like a natural progression from the rest of Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern work, and it didn’t feel editorially-driven. Moreover, it was fairly compact, involving the two monthly GL books and a few occasional specials. I think the only outside tie-in was that one issue of Blue Beetle. “SCW” was a simple, crowd-pleasing idea which actually drew a crowd, and is therefore illustrative of the “less is more” approach to arcana which works pretty well for DC. All-Star Superman, The Spirit and The Brave and the Bold are also good examples of books which dealt mostly in uncomplicated versions of their characters. I’d even include the main Superman and Batman titles in that list, despite the additions of “super-sons,” because the creative teams took such pains to make those books accessible.

Still, the success of “Sinestro Corps” has evidently taught DC that there’s more than one way to run a blockbuster. Thus, for its apparent influence on future DC policy, “Sinestro Corps” gets my nod for 2007’s DC Event To Emulate.

Carla: I tried to think of something else because the answer’s kind of dark, but all roads lead to the same place. The defining event of 2007 for Marvel Comics is the Death of an Icon, Captain America #25. Not only did this set a very serious tone for our funny books, not only did this firmly end the Civil War and effectively change the sway of leadership of heroes and villains alike, not only did this prove without a shadow of a doubt that a title character doesn’t have to appear in the book to keep that book alive and thriving, but it did something quintessentially Marvel.

It made you think.

Captain America’s death didn’t just effect a fictional world, it affected ours. From the media coverage to our own lives, the image of Steve Rogers shot dead on courthouse steps was enough to make you wonder if there was a larger idea at work. If this meant something about our country, ourselves and the world we live in. Sure, it’s just a story, but for that one moment, it made you think and brought the ol’ MU to the world outside your window. And the best part is? It’s not over, not by a long shot.

Excelsior!

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So there you have it, sports fans … now what do you think?

This entry was posted on Monday, December 31st, 2007 at 1:11 pm and is filed under Comic Books, DC Comics, Marvel, News & Views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.