Jared DuBach
Daily Egyptian
Chas Vale, store manager at Atom Comics, reached behind the many copies of Spiderman and X-Men and lifted up the very last copy of one of Marvel Comics' hottest new titles.
"Yeah, this is the last one," Vale said, waving the last copy of the first issue of "The Call of Duty" serial. The comic pits people such as firefighters and police officers against true-to-life situations.
The media frenzy surrounding Sept. 11 was not exclusive to television. The events had great effect on all forms of media, including the comic book industry. In the aftermath, both Marvel and D.C. Comics produced tribute issues in memory of the attack on the World Trade Center. According to Vale, Marvel jumped on the idea by publishing a poster book immediately, whereas D.C. waited several weeks, giving Marvel a small victory.
So when a time came that Marvel decided to launch three serials at six issues each, questions of the company's motives came to rise. "The Call of Duty: The Brotherhood," the first of the series which was released earlier this month, places firefighters, police officers and paramedics as the real-life heroes. The serials are going to be titled "The Brotherhood," "The Precinct" and "The Wagon."
It would seem as though the storyline was meant to help Americans identify who the real heroes are in society, but there are some people who feel this move by Marvel is just a marketing strategy.
According to Matt Martin at Campus Comics, 821 S. Illinois Ave., part of the need to cash in on such things as patriotism stem from the fact that people just aren't buying comics like they used to.
"Cheap video games killed comic books," Martin said. His reasoning is that the average comic book costs almost $3, and takes about ten minutes to read. Most of the video games being produced are rather affordable, and can provide hours and hours of entertainment.
According to Vale, even though comic books are nowhere near as popular as they once were, the first installation of the "Call of Duty" serial has nearly sold out in local stores, and a second printing is currently underway by Marvel Comics.
The first issue of "Call of Duty: The Brotherhood," depicts scenes through a firefighter's viewpoint of what actually goes on inside of a house when it's burning, and even describes what it's like to have to fight a blaze in a crack house that is saturated with fire accelerates.
According to local comic shop clerks, the original target audience of comic book companies, children and teenagers, is getting harder to find in shops. The target audience has gone from children to adults who have money to spend on the ever-increasing price of comic books.
"In fact, a lot of people buying them are picking them up for their kids," Martin says. A lot of parents look at these books as a souvenir or documentation of the time, says Martin.
On a slightly different level, there are some people who think that comic books are making a comeback in story quality, as opposed to a lot of the flashy foil covers and massive story crossovers that the comic book industry was immersed in just a few years ago.
Ronnie Mays Jr., a regular customer of Atom Comics, 214 W. Freeman, said, "It's a good time for comics. In the '90s there was a big market blitz. Now there's some well-written stuff."
But Vale thinks that without proper advertising, "The Call of Duty" serials may face a more extended shelf life than expected. Lack of advertising for new books is a problem Marvel has encountered in the past.
Marvel Comics released another mini series, "Deadline," earlier this month. The serial features a woman reporter named Kat as its main character. Kat's beat is to cover superheroes, and write a story every time one of them does something heroic. In some cases, she prefers to write stories about when the superheroes aren't so super.
The introduction of a headstrong, modern woman is not new to comic books. Even the concept of a woman reporter is not new, as there were Lois Lane comics. The difference with Kat is that she expresses genuine concern about current events. She also wears pants.
What Marvel Comics' true business motives are is still uncertain. But whether it is for patriotism, political views or a surefire way to make some cash, Marvel has no intention of pulling any punches.
Matt Martin says that in a way, Marvel Comics was obligated to follow up on its initial poster book.
"All of their characters are set in New York," Martin says. "Their New York is set up the same as our reality. If you look at the books now, there's no more twin towers. They had to do something."
Reporter Jared DuBach can be reached at jdubach@dailyegyptian.com.
For more information on any of the comics mentioned, go to www.marvel.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
