Hello Marvel,
I am a lifelong fan of comics and I have been reading them for well over twenty years now. While I have great love and respect for both of the “Big Two” and enjoy comics from each, deep down in my heart of hearts you’ll find the words “Make Mine Marvel.” I only point this out so that you know that the following is coming from a deep and loving fan.
You are kicking all kinds of ass right now. You have the successful movies, the whole “Marvel NOW” thing has went over very well, you have exciting new characters like the new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, and hell, you’ve actually made me interested in Moon Knight! Aside from your continual mangling of a beloved wall-crawler I have almost no beef with you…
Almost.
You see, back when the Mouse bought you up we all knew it was only a matter of time before BOOM! would no longer have the right to make comics of the various Disney properties. I was sad to see BOOM! loose these rights considering what a good job they were doing. They really seemed to care about the characters and they had even answered my boyhood prayers and brought back Darkwing Duck.
I was sad, but I was also highly optimistic. I was super excited to see what the “House of Ideas” would do with these fantastic properties. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered the answer was “jack squat.”
Some YEARS later it was announced that they were making an HD version of the NES classic Ducktales. Ducktales Remastered had the internet explode in nostalgia not only for the game, but for the show that it was based on, which was in fact based on the Disney Duck comics of Carl Barks and others. People were once again excited about Uncle Scrooge, and I thought being the clever publisher that you are, Marvel, you would announce some new line of Disney Ducks comics. All I got from you was resounding silence yet again.
Right now the only comics company out there doing anything with the Disney Ducks is Fantagraphics, who have been putting out very nice collections of Carl Barks’ books and also Don Rosa’s classic works. I am super happy that Disney is letting this happen and I pick up each new collection as they are released, but they alone are not good enough. A collection is solely a look into the past. What I want is something to build the Disney Ducks’ comic future. That future is your business, Marvel, and you have been slacking.
Now I understand that perhaps the sales projections for giving the Ducks each their own monthly book is below what both you and Disney would accept, but who says it had to be a monthly? You could put out the books quarterly. That way it wouldn’t have to be a major investment on your part. Let me take this on step further. You are starting to put out 100+ page hardcover one shots for some characters and teams. How about doing one of these a year for Uncle Scrooge, Donald, Darkwing, and throw in Mickey Mouse as well so you have something for all four quarters? You would have an entire year to collect stories to fill out each, pulling from the entire Marvel Bullpen and perhaps some indie creators as well to create some of the best stories in these characters’ histories.
Marvel, you have been sitting on your hands instead of doing something with these internationally known and beloved characters. These are characters whose role in comics is one of the most celebrated and legendary in the entire medium. You not only owe it to us, the fans, to do something with these properties, you owe it to yourself. You owe it to the integrity and prestige of the name, Marvel Comics. So get with it Marvel, we’re waiting on you.
Excelsior!
John