marvelcomics

I’m kinda freaking out here. My world was shaken to the core yesterday when I found out that Disney bought Marvel Comics. The initial reaction was shock, but now it’s time to try to decipher what this means for my awesome addiction to comic books and everything Marvel.

Let’s start by saying that I only read Marvel nowadays. DC lost me a few years ago with their whole Infinite Crisis gibberish and my brain melted from the convoluted and enormous storylines. But Marvel has been on a roll over the last few years with Bendis and Millar essentially taking over the creative reigns and launching their Avengers Disassembled, House of M, Civil War and Dark Reign storylines that told one logical and compelling story. With that being said, here are the possible pros and cons of this new deal.

Cons: Disney may run roughshod over Marvel, taking a hands-on approach to the product. Right now, Marvel is pretty dark and has geared itself increasingly towards the adult crowd. There are more “asses” and edited out curse words than ever. And the plots are lined with political jargon and parallels to our current government. The worst fears are that Disney will try to kiddie up Marvel, making it more accessible to the young market by having Peter Parker fall in love with Hannah Montana or something. But I’m optimistic because…

Pros: Disney already has the kiddie game on lock. It seems unnecessary to drop four billi on a product just to change it to an audience they already dominate. Disney has become irrelevant in the ever-important 18-34 demographic (unless your name is Common) and they want to tap into that market so it makes sense that Disney would steer clear of any infiltration. Just the sideways mention of a Jonas Brother would make a comic reader trash his whole collection.

If Disney plays its cards right, this could be a huge coup that could make comic books mainstream even moreso than it is now with the recent blockbuster comic movies. The amount of distribution and added mainstream appeal could really turn comics into a household and accepted institution. Not something that calls for wedgies and locker stuffings. And girls won’t pretend to like you then kick you in the sack before calling you David The Dingleberry.

Err…

I’m going to get a drink now.

Disney Buys Marvel Comics for $4 Billion [Yahoo News]

Sidebar: While looking for pictures for this post, I stumbled across this Michael Jackson cover. I honestly have no clue what the hell is going on but I may have nightmares about it.