Why the Comic Industry Needs Events

(Marvel Comics

Everyone complains about event comics these days.  It's natural.  The event barges into the universe and takes precedent over all the individual story lines.  Story lines that have been building naturally for months, maybe years, have to take a back seat so that a book that is barely involved can tie into the overall narrative.  Sometimes, if a writer is skilled enough, they can make the event work in their favor and keep the overall narrative working.  But why do we (yes, I include myself in this) bash events, when they do so much good for the comics industry?



Many comic fans will remember the big Civil War Event that Marvel did a few years ago, and Blackest Night, DC's big event from a couple of years ago.  They were big game changing events and encompassed almost every book in each publishers roster.  It brought attention and money, things the comic industry needs on a consistent basis.  The attention brings in new readers, and the money that the event makes gives smaller books a chance to keep going.

But the industry needs them for other reasons.  When looking at an event, we need people to not just be interested in the event book, but also the ongoing that act as tie ins.  Events are great times to launch new books, as it hooks new readers onto lesser characters.  Those books often enjoy a health run (not all of them, but some) because they hooked the readers initially.  Events also start threads that can last for years to come.  Brightest Day was a successful storyline that came out of Blackest Night, and Dark Reign was a well received storyline that came out of Marvel's Secret Invasion crossover.  Schism has brought us one of the best X-books to come along in a while, Wolverine & the X-Men.

But the biggest, and often the point that most fans miss, is that it keeps other books afloat.  Books like X-Factor and Thunderbolts, books that fans and critics alike adore, do not sell well.  For one reason or another, they just can't seem to find a mass audience.  Event books bring in cash.  When a book like Avengers vs X-Men #1 sells a ton, and don't think for a second it won't, it helps these smaller books stay afloat.  These are tentpole books.  They give our favorite books a chance to stay around a little longer.  They don't help those books completely but it helps lessen the blow of those books not selling as good.

A lot of complaints thrown at the companies also comes in the form of "not living up to the hype." What always gets me is that no one every thinks it does.  But whose fault is that now?  Hype is what you make of it.  You might see countless trailers for a movie, but if you don't let yourself give into the hype, you'll enjoy the film more.  The same can be said for events.  Many balked at Fear Itself, but I knew I going in it was going to be a self contained fun story.  And guess what I got.  Just that.  The companies should take it down a notch though.  Not every event is going to change everything as we know it, and yes we know someone will die.  Advertise it as a good storyline.  If the event has a good story, it will sell itself.  The media blitz always helps, but it helps lessen the complaints after each issue.  Think of each fan holding a check list of things the company said would happen in the event.  Did they all happen?  No?  Well that's all they are going to remember.  Not say that they won't remember the good things, but people remember the bad things more than the good things.

When it comes down to it, the industry needs event comics.  Complain all you want, but they do help the industry as a whole.  Now the big two just need to find a way to keep these books from not being a quick cash grab and an actual part of the universe.