Brain Trust 2.0 #2: Event Overload?

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With Infinite Crisis, DC tried a different approach - it brought in supporting artists to pitch in and aid completion. Though this resulted in a faster delivery time, I think fans were still frustrated by the lack of consistency. Imagine seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 3, only ¿ of the way through the film, Johnny Depp is replaced by Stephen Colbert. Colbert is a funny man, and the film would still be amusing, but not for the right reasons. Clearly the structural lesson here is to anticipate the scope of the event and make sure that artists have extra time - hype doesn't just build for the readers, it puts pressure and more work load on those involved creatively as well.

In terms of tie-ins and affiliated books, no event has completely satisfied me. There is always some book that really doesn't feel like it belongs. I know creators want to tie in to boost sales of their books, but if it doesn't feel natural, then it shouldn't be allowed. I hate reading bad tie-in books, and it's especially frustrating if I normally enjoy said title. It's particularly frustrating if there are plenty of related titles on the shelves already. Restraint is the key here. I think we're seeing publishers taking some initiative here, though DC's 15-ish Countdown-related books in August makes my knees get weak. The dilemma with Countdown is that it presumably will tie into all major DC occurrences (or at least that's how we've understood it). Take a look at the first page of last week's solicits and you'll begin to understand what might be happening.

Despite my reservations with affiliated books, it must be said that I technically don't have to buy any of them - or shouldn't have to at any rate (who can forget that bizarre Superman and Wonder Woman deviation during the build up to Infinite Crisis a couple summers ago). Well, actually, I do (part of the job), but you shouldn't. Naturally for all the examples of prudence (Countdown is self-contained just as World War Hulk should be), there is one that defies the trend. Each X-book throughout the summer and the fall will contain one short piece of a 16-part storyline. Now, referring back to the first question, I'm a crossover whore. I'm psyched to see where the X-Men are headed, and I typically buy those books anyway. But what if I'm a new fan who doesn't read any X-books? Now I need to pick up four different titles just to track the build up to an event in the fall? That had better be one damn good story. I certainly hope Marvel knows the box it's opening here.

Question #3: Clearly these events are drawing new levels of mainstream attention to modern comics. Whether that ultimately pays off in higher sales remains to be seen, but both DC and Marvel seem interested in pursuing this avenue. How frequent should these events be? Should publishers limit the number of events? Should that limit be just by brand? Should an event be created any time a storyline could support it?

Rich: I really think we're approaching the maximum of what fans can tolerate, and I'm focusing on each company independently and not on the industry as a whole. Clearly neither publisher is going to say, "Well, the boys down the street have two events, so that means we can only publish one to keep the readers sane." That's not realistic. But look at what's around or coming our way in 2007: Countdown. Endangered Species & The X-Event. World War Hulk. Annihilation: Conquest. Lightning Saga. Amazons Attack. One More Day. Sinestro Corps. I'm sure we'll see another one or two unveiled by DC (and maybe Marvel) for the fall as well. That is quite a bit. Granted, many of these vary in scope, and only Countdown, X-Men and World War Hulk have much heft to them, but we are talking about a lot of hype and a lot of affiliated titles.

What does give me some assurance is that these events are mostly isolated. Countdown does tie into the entire DCU, but I think the DC staff is smart enough to realize that, despite their best wishes, they can't integrate everything to the point where it's "All Or Nothing." I think Marvel realizes that as well as the Spidey event sounds very broken off from Hulk's war and the "X-Men Gonna Die" storyline.

I don't think we've seen a breaking point yet, but I would suggest we're close. As much as I love hype and big ticket storytelling, even I have a breaking point.

Question #4: Bottom line - Where do you see this industry going with events, and are you optimistic about that future?

In some ways I think this modern industry is still testing the waters with what works and what doesn't work. I doubt there will ever be a perfect layout, but I don't think either major publisher has found a formula it's entirely comfortable with either. DC found great success with 52, but is seeking to make that idea more integrated with Countdown and its entire line of books. It will be fascinating to see them balance title integration and story clarity with reader investment.

Likewise Marvel is still testing how it wants to deliver its events. The company seems to prefer a "pod" approach, with a core series surrounded by smaller, contained limited titles. Civil War really spread itself out, but was hurt when the core series created an avalanche of delays. I really think the publisher learned from that (I hope?). We now see something like World War Hulk being smaller and having a tighter focus.

So far, and I don't see how this would change, the publishers are being very cautious and, overall, considerate of the fans. Clearly the idea here is to make money, and I think that has to be taken into consideration. Events mean hype, hype means sales, and potential sales will naturally lead to more incorporated titles. However given those necessary conditions, I think DC and Marvel are constantly evolving the nature of their storytelling to tell good stories that generate a lot of excitement. Absolutely no event has been perfect so far, but I think we're seeing an upward trend in terms of execution. As of yet, I don't sense any blatant exploitation, only a focus on content. Until that time all I can say is: "Bring on whatever's next!"

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