It seems in the last decade there has been a steady increase of Superheroes in the mainstream. At first I thought it was going to die, but then Dark Knight and Iron Man kicked it back into high gear.
Now we have the new animated Megamind coming out, two new TV series about supers and plenty of superhero movies too boot!
I've wondered about that as well, and how does its prevalence in mass-media match up with either comic sales or the rise of trade paperback collections. I know I'm not buying much in the way of comics, haven't for 15+ years now, but I do pick up some trade paperbacks, etc. And you find those trade paperbacks in places that don't sell comics, so it gives them a wider distribution, but I'm not sure what their sales are like.
Lindharin wrote:I've wondered about that as well, and how does its prevalence in mass-media match up with either comic sales or the rise of trade paperback collections. I know I'm not buying much in the way of comics, haven't for 15+ years now, but I do pick up some trade paperbacks, etc. And you find those trade paperbacks in places that don't sell comics, so it gives them a wider distribution, but I'm not sure what their sales are like.
Comic sales aren't anywhere near what they were in the 90s, around the Image boom, when superheroes were far less mainstream. The companies (namely Marvel and DC) are making money, but it's not from a big number of comic sales.
Spider-Man #1, in 1990, sold more than 3 million copies. Siege, Marvel's newest big crossover, fell short of 200,000 copies when it launched.
Generally I avoid the networks, but the first show has Keith James (Goliath from Gargoyles), the second has the former Darla from Angel; these things sell me!
Wow! "The Cape" and "No Ordinary family" look great. I'll have to remember to set those up for recording. The fall season seems like a long wait though. I hope I don't forget about them over the summer.
Just watched NO ORDINARY FAMILY -- Loved it! There wasn't much in the way of super slugfests, but episode 1 was a great introduction to a disfunctional family dealing with extraordinary abilities. Can't wait for next week's episode (or to see what their filming budget will allow if this show really takes off).
Can't find any work on when THE CAPE will make its premiere, but NOF will tide me over until then...
I was pleasantly surprised with No Ordinary Family last night. It was much better than I expected and already has some interesting plot hooks going on.
I want to see the 2nd episode. I decided to skip the 1st because I'm not as interested in the origins of how they get their powers than I am of how they use them. If I end up really liking the show, then I'll go back & watch the first episode.
I tend to wait until they take the mid season break (or when it's a shorter run season, like cable shows, after it's whole run of episodes), then watch it in a marathon. I find shows more enjoyable that way.
BASHMAN wrote:I want to see the 2nd episode. I decided to skip the 1st because I'm not as interested in the origins of how they get their powers than I am of how they use them. If I end up really liking the show, then I'll go back & watch the first episode.
That's not a bad idea. 1st episode's origin story is nothing ground-breaking in the least.
*** ALERT: (minor)SPOILERS ***
It spends much of the time dealing with mom and dad coming to terms with just what their powers might mean for their lives and the family. Dad and best friend seem to be the only ones with super hero plans. I love the dad's friend. He's got my kind of attitude!
