|
|
Watching Out for “Watchmen” Top Names and Talent Spike Comic Book Sales
A NOVEL TO KEEP AN EYE ON  “The big thing we're gearing up for now is ‘Watchmen,’” Dale Lutz, manager of Steve's Comic Relief in Lawrenceville, N.J., told TDmonthly Magazine. The graphic novel “Watchmen,” first published in 1987, is scheduled for release on the big screen March 6 by Warner Bros.Sales increase when a movie is made from a comic, such as when Top Cow’s “Wanted,” was loosely adapted into a Universal Pictures film by the same name earlier this year, Lutz said. “Watchmen,” he added, “is just blowing the others away.” He estimates the store has sold more than 20 graphic novels since the “Watchmen” trailer premiered before the Batman movie “The Dark Knight.” “Sales on these have definitely skyrocketed since the Batman movie came out,” seconded Pete Pereira, owner of Conquest Comics in Berkeley Township, N.J. “[Readers] think it looks interesting, but want to find out more about who these characters are.” “That buzz is going to keep increasing as March approaches,” predicted Brent Frankenhoff, editor of Comic Buyer's Guide. Robert Kirkpatrick, co-owner of DK's Sierra Mountain Comics in Carson City, Nev., has noticed people who are not regular customers coming in off the street to pick up “Watchmen,” which he’s been selling at a rate of two per month. FALLING WITH THE LEAVES “In the summer, we did really well,” Kirkpatrick said. Then in the fall, sales fell — “a 42 percent decline over the last two and a half months,” he told TDmonthly in December. Lutz noticed the same autumn decline at his store. There were, however, a few high points: college kids coming home for Thanksgiving and customers holding off on buying their books for a few weeks at a time, he said. Pereira noted that “things have been on an upswing.” A-LIST WRITERS MAINTAIN GOOD READS  Name recognition in comics stretches past the Big Two (Marvel and DC). “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” for example, enjoyed seven seasons on television before “Season Eight” was crafted into comic book form by Dark Horse Comics. “There's a built-in fan base already,” Lutz told TDmonthly about these adaptations. But there's something else on the cover that inspires a reader: the names of the authors and artists. Superstar writers, such as Geoff Johns, Judd Winick, Jeph Loeb, Grant Morrison and Brad Meltzer, have fans that follow them from book to book, said avid comic book reader and “Star Wars” fan Frank Farrant of Toms River, N.J. “The A-listers have the good storylines that keep the readers interested,” said Farrant, who’s looking forward to DC Comics' “Flash: The Rebirth,” in which Johns will bring back the original Flash, Barry Allen, and update Wally West, who currently wears the costume. Farrant is also reading Johns' “New Krypton” storyline starring Superman, where an entire Kryptonian city finds its home on Earth, filled with thousands of people as powerful as Superman, but without his morals. Stories drive sales these days, said Kirkpatrick, who contrasted this with a 1990s comics trend in which art was paramount. “Now, the art's really good and the writing's caught up,” he told TDmonthly.  Top talent is often married with the best characters, Lutz noted. “The big companies put a little better writers and artists on those books,” he said. Titles such as DC's “Justice League,” and “X-Men” and “Amazing Spider-Man” from Marvel, sell at least 70 issues a month at Lutz’s store, he said. But the recognizable characters don't have to be wearing spandex. There's excitement growing around Phil Sheldon, a photographer who captured images of early super heroes in “Marvels,” a landmark title published in 1994 by Marvel, Lutz pointed out. “Marvels: Eye of the Camera” continues Sheldon's story of the effects of extraordinary events on the ordinary person. “The flashy story isn't the top story,” Frankenhoff said. “It's the one that makes you think.” See new and popular comics and graphic novels below. (No manufacturer paid to be included in this article. All products listed were chosen by editorial staff without regard to the company's relationship with ToyDirectory.com/TDmonthly Magazine.)
 Writer's Bio: Chris Lundy is a freelance writer and game designer who covered municipal news for several New Jersey newspapers. He's also written comic books and short screenplays. Read more articles by this author |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disclaimer Privacy Policy Career Opportunities
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use.
© Copyright 2024 PlayZak®, a division of ToyDirectory.com®, Inc.