Marvel Characters image found on Google with my caption

I’m sure you heard the news by now. That Disney plans to buy Marvel and all their characters.

My reaction? Utter Surprise!

For all the comic news gossip / journalism sites, I never saw or read about this coming. Yet, wouldn’t their be news of this happening for at least a few weeks? Things like this just do not happen out of nowhere. The information had to be out there in the business circles.

Yet I heard nothing on the comic book news sites. At least until like everyone else, it was after the fact.

I think this shows that the comics news people, may know a lot about comic creators and about books. But when it comes to actual business issues, most comic journalists know nothing. Or at least very little.

My further reaction?

THIS IS TERRIBLE!

I think this really ruins Marvel for the reasons I’ll list:

1. I’m not a big Disney fan, and for all the talk of ‘Well this will help get more exposure for the Marvel brand. And no one brands better then Disney?’

News item: Marvel is already a popular brand and has exposure. Look at all the movies, animation and merchandise. They have been a POPULAR brand for DECADES.

This really is not needed. You need a brand, if you are something like an Independent or Small publisher.

If they bought say: Dark Horse or maybe IDW, then the branding idea would have a point. It doesn’t in this case.

2. I fear since Disney DOES NOT understand how comic books work. It will only be a matter of time before some executive is put in place and at some point Marvel characters will be watered down.

I fear an overall watering down process will happen. It’s just a gut reaction and feeling I have.

Remember Disney bought CrossGen comics, and did nothing with the property. Why did they buy them and not use it? I feel characters and items that are not seen as immediate money makers will be pushed to the side.

If a corporate suit does not understand the product. Or really care to understand the product. Then they will only stick to the money makers. And push others aside. And demand changes to other characters to make them more friendly. Even if these changes go against what that character is all about.

3. Marvel always seemed a place that had an edgy appeal to it. Marvel was not a stuffy shirt, like corporate DC Comics. Now like DC Comics, it will only be a matter of time before Marvel seems like a stuffed shirt and corporate puppet.

4. I hear a bunch of talk about ‘This is great. Now Pixar can make Marvel movies!’ Well, I guess I’m too old but Pixar movies do not appeal to me. And not everyone is a fan of CG movies.

Besides, is it not the goal to get Live Action movies with actors? And not animated movies?

And if you look at what Pixar makes, any Marvel movie would be watered down. I have yet to hear of a Pixar movie that deals with serious themes. The Pixar movie company works in only one movie genre, and that not a genre that is really compatible with Marvel.

5. Joe Quesada you can kiss your job goodbye! Prepare for it. When big corporations buy out smaller companies. It is only a matter of time before the buyer, REPLACES the top staff of the company they bought.

They do this for a general clearing out, and fresh start. Also the people buying a smaller company, want to put their own people in place. They do not want the old people in place.

You can be sure, within two years you are out as EIC and you are done. Well it’s either that or at the very least being demoted. And do you really want to be demoted? Most people would rather quit then suffer that humiliation.

So if you have book ideas, stories and things you really want to do Joe. I think you had better plan on doing them soon. While you can still call the shots.

6. Marvel will become a property FOREVER owned by Disney. It will be game, set and match. Marvel is done.

By this I mean, Disney once they own it, will never sell Marvel Comics. This will be a Disney property and then forever remain a Disney property.

Just like Time Warner will make sure their DC property will never be sold.

Disney will make sure they never sell their Marvel property.

First off, with what Disney is paying. You can be sure they plan to use the Marvel property for decades, and have absolute zero interest in selling the property.

This is not one of those, buy and then you flip it for a better price, short term thinking ventures.

This is a very long term property they plan to use. In the end, Disney will benefit more then Marvel. The main reason is Disney will eventually at some point make their money back on this purchase. And then, they will be profiting from that point on.

Also the Marvel brand is firmly established. You know these icons are reliable properties. And that means you know it will sell for you.

Their really is no risk on Disney making this purchase. They know Marvel is a money property. And it will keep making them money regularly. All they have to do is wait long term, and eventually they will make their money back.

As I mentioned, Disney will have no plans to sell this property to anyone. And if their were an exception, it would only have to be a Bill Gates type of guy or company. And that just won’t happen.

I think Disney would rather fail and go into bankruptcy, then to give up any of their reliable purchases. And with that said, they will never give up Marvel. They would rather go out of business, then let that happen.

That’s kind of sad when you think about. Forever to be bound and never free to move around or be purchased by anyone else ever again.

7. 70 Years of Marvel, has led to this? ‘Nuff said.

I mean why really knew or thought this would ever happen? Back when Marvel and all these heroes were being made. Whoever thought it would eventually lead to this?

I always saw Marvel as the cool place to hangout. It always seemed to have an edge to it. And I ALWAYS appreciated the fact that it was it’s own company.

That it never really was just a branch of a corporation.

Now Marvel will be nothing more then a cog in a corporation. Marvel will just be a branch on a tree. It will not be a tree itself anymore.

That’s my point and I hope you can understand what I am trying to say.

Overall

I couldn’t come up with more reasons and I didn’t want to drag on a list and fill it with needless points. What I said so far sums up my feeling on the situation.

Basically as I mentioned, my gut reaction and feeling is that this is bad news for Marvel. I’m talking about the big picture here, and projecting way into the future.

I’m not talking about the short term, but the long term.

I think in the overall view that this is really bad. And quite frankly sucks. I’m not happy about the idea.

Marvel will become nothing but a branch in a tree, or a cog in the machine. Not the machine itself, or tree itself anymore.

Also as I mentioned, I just don’t see Disney ever giving this property up. Like Time Warner will never sell DC Comics. Disney will never sell Marvel Comics. Disney would rather crash and burn as a corporation, then to give up their properties. Especially one like this.

If a corporation were to buy Marvel, I’d rather it be Time Warner so both universes could be together.

And in particular, I think the news blindsided me. It literally dropped out of nowhere. As I mentioned at the start of this article. I didn’t see this coming. I go to comic book news / journalist sites to get the inside word so that something like this does not happen.

News this big HAD TO be circling the business news wires in rumors for weeks, if not months.

Yet where were the comic news journalists to cover this story before the fact? I think this demonstrates, as I mentioned, that comic news sites only are good with dealing with the creator end of things. But when it comes to the real world, business end of the industry. Most of these comic news sites know nothing about real business news.

Finally, even though the news was announced.

I’d like to know the technical details and business aspects.

It was announced, but when does the legal paperwork get signed? When does it become real and official.

I’m talking about the official takeover.

What we have here is a plan to purchase, but correct me if I am wrong here: But the purchase has not happened yet? At least technically and legally right?

I’d like to know the details and when the transaction officially takes place and Marvel Comics as we know it becomes no more.

And Marvel then changes and becomes nothing but a Disney owned property.

If you have or know the details, shoot me an email at: comicbookblogger@gmail.com If I use the news, and unless you tell me otherwise, I’ll give you full credit for the news provided and whatever link you want to promote.

Thanks