Designated Sidekick

Source: WikipediaMarvel has a problem.

The symptom of the problem is the blog/Live Space  called Marvel_B0y.

Further symptoms of the problem are present in Graeme McMillan ’s post and the responses over at Newarama.

Assume for  a moment that Marvel B0y is not spin.  Assume the blog genuinely is written by a disgruntled employee seeking to expose the inner core of Marvel.  The response from the comic book reading, blogging and bb posting public has been cynical, dismissive and regarding it as a Marvel stunt.

How bad is Marvel’s stock with their fanbase if the immediate reaction to  the MarvelBoy blog was to assume viral marketing spin?

I think the answer is: Right now, it’s very bad.

From the current Skrull-a-moment “Who do you trust? (NOT YOU BENDIS!)” campaign, which followed on from One More Day (of Bad Ideas made print), and a host of other niggling behaviours by Marvel’s heirarchy, they seem to be burning the faith of the paying fan base. Even little things like having Tony Stark win in the Civil War (ps, my Skrull tip for the season: the dead Captain America was really a skrull), or producing a bad interface to hobble the online distribution of comics thus negating what should have become the iTunes of comics all add up.

The assumption that  Marvel Boy is skrull guerrilla marketing campaign shows that passionate fans on the internet are distrusting Marvel to the extent that they’re assuming that this ‘expose’ of Marvel is a cynical promotional pitch for the Skrull Crossover.  That people are assuming Marvel suck that much to sink that low is a bad sign for the company, and for its possible future.  The company needs to earn back trust to the point that people don’t assume a blog slagging off the company is done to boost sales figures.

Also, if Marvel B0y is the real deal, how much would it bite to be constantly assumed to be a sock puppet of the organisatio you’re trying to slam?

Cheryl Lynn, you are a genuis.

This awesome is awesomely awesome. Inspiredly awesome. Lynn’s post over at Digital Femme  brings true awesome with the maths of…

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Dear DC Comics

Vixen is not white.  You may defend yourself with one of the following free options

a) Incompetence. Not our fault, our colourists can’t colour different skin tones.

b) Inaction: Vixen who?

c) Intent: yeah, we’re doing it on purpose. Why could you possibly have an issue with us lightening the skin tone of one of the few darker skin toned characters in comics?

d) the current white!Vixen is actually a skrull, and the real Vixen is elsewhere.

For the bonus points, your fan contingent may defend itself by accusing the Designated Sidekick of racism and/or reverse racism for noticing, and pointing out that screwing up the skin tone of Vixen is an issue. Either it’s inept work, and Editorial needs to be ashamed, or it’s intentional work, and Editorial needs to be ashamed.

No love

Designated Sidekick
(I’d just fracking started fracking enjoying spending fracking money on fracking comics afrackinggain, and you frack this up big fracking time. FRACK YOU)

It’s been quiet going at the Designated Sidekick cave on the comics front. For one thing, I’ve been spending more money on comics in the aftermath of the Batman dream sequence, which has led to me spending more time reading comics than reading about comics.

There’s also been a few things rise up in the comics sphere where I pointedly don’t have a point to add, comment to make, or contribution that’s worth pixel space, so I’m content to sit back, read, learn, watch and try to catch some XP along the way.

Finally, I do want to make passing comment to Fortuner’s post over at Newsrama. I’m fascinated by the way that a bunch of the DC fandom are visibly upset that Stephanie Brown has returned*

Fascinated for many many reasons, not least of which seem to be centred around the relative absence of fan-hate for the revival of Blue Beetle in Booster Gold. I mean, seriously, it’s a positive year for me - I have Boostle back, Steph got a case (however briefly, but she got that damn case), and potential Steph/Tim angsty gloriously teenage awkwardly written angst.

It’ll be up there with Thor’s great line of why he wasn’t around to save Marvelverse New Orleans - “I was dead”

Come to mention it, when was the last call for Thor’s death?

But, being as I am indeed most curious, if you’re a Steph hater, feel free to open up in the comments on why you’re so unhappy with her return. I’d like to know.

DS

*Me, I wanted the case. I’ll settle for a good story line that resolves the following:

• a) If Batman knew, why Tim shouldn’t hate on Batman for an extensive and extended period of angsty brooding hate since Bruce knew Tim’s pain over the death of his girlfriend, but didn’t think to trust him to say “Tim, need to know basis. Stephanie is alive, that’s all you need to know right now”
• b) If Batman didn’t know, how the hell they pulled that one off past the artist formerly recognised as the World’s Greatest Detective. Did they smuggle her out whilst he was distracted by not recognising a lesbian relationship in the Outsiders? Or maybe it was when he was trying to upgrade the OMAC to Windows Vista?
• c) Which monastery Steph was in whilst she recovered and retrained, and whether she was babysitting Sin at the same location at any point. Whilst I suspect DC has an unlimited array of monastery locations, given the entire Green Arrow franchise goes off to them for vacations, along with Bruce’s original training, and any martial arts trained hero… what’s wrong with the YMCA? I ask ya, where’s the love for the local gym?

1. Ragnell.  Icon, role model, and hero to this shadowy blogging type.  Now with added envy that she’s has the anniversary set of My Little Pony.  Oh my comic store better be stocking some Anniversary My Little Pony or it’s another round of MLP envy*

2. Stephanie Brown CosPlay costume  (via Project Rooftop)

*I miss the My Little Pony Justice League.  The Boostle was awesome.