Why are new readers going for Manga?

[@doczok1990]

As someone who started reading manga in high school, for me it always came down to: 1. Characters (design and personality) 2. Self contained stories with a natural start / end point 3. Variety in stories 4. The art style

[@nnnnmhughuuhhjiijj9457]

Same.

[@jerr0.]

Manga and Anime have stakes, new characters, and actually tell stories that go somewhere. At Marvel and DC there's nothing like that. Like that character? Well too bad they're not getting used anymore. Like that relationship? Sorry it's gone with a magical continuity altering divorce. Like new characters? Nope there's too much contention over paying people, so here's the same shit. Like stories going somewhere? Too bad. This next run will completely undo any progress from the previous one. Like consequences? Na we'll just resurrect anyone from the dead at any time. The real question is why wouldn't they read it over Big 2 books?

[@Kooster69]

Here's one thing Japanese manga does that Marvel Comics and DC Comics currently cannot do: Each manga series allows the creators to work within their own universe. There are no crossover characters from another series, and then no need to work within a bigger universe. Also, many manga series are done by creators who love the characters and confined universe that they're working in. Do current Marvel Comics and DC Comics creators love the characters or teams that they're assigned to? Dan Slott during his FF run? Nope. Tom King on his Batman run? Nope. If Tom King did love Batman and the Bat-verse, he would have had Bruce Wayne/Batman and Selina Kyle/Catwoman get married instead of doing a Jim Lee stunt. Tom Taylor on his Jon Kent book? Nope. Tom Taylor constantly spouts on social media how great something LGBTQ+ is about his Jon Ken book, and that's why people are buying it. Bendis on any of his DC Comics series? Nope. Jason Aaron on Avengers? Nope. He doesn't get why long-time comic book fans hated his bulking up and dummy down of She-Hulk. He frequently seems not to care about Tony Stark/Iron Man. Marvel Comics and DC Comics are having significant problems right now, because most of their creators don't care about entertaining and are focused on writing Woke and ESG messages. What's a path forward to fix Marvel Comics and DC Comics? Two things: 1) Hire an EIC or Publisher that wants to be involved in the day-to-day of managing the creators, and also has the final say in what the creators do. Marvel Comics, I think, desperately needs a Jim Shooter. Yes, Jim Shooter changed the ending of the Claremont-Byrne Phoenix Saga. John Byrne was pissed about this, because Shooter's change was better. DC Comics needs someone like Jeanette Kahn again. 2) Next, take AWAY the power the editors and associate editors have. Comic book editors and associate editors should only be there to proofread, help make sure the deadlines are met, get resources to help meet the deadlines, and to help out with continuity. ALL problems or concerns an editor or associate editor has with a writer's script or an artist's page should be handled by the EIC or Publisher.

[@dannyekland956]

More manga fails than succeeds, well that's true for western comics as well, even when you look at the big two, it becomes clear that a few big titles (and their variant covers) prop up a ton of books that aren't making money. One major difference is the level of competition, the manga industry is extreme due to the sheer number of people wanting to become a mangaka. The result is that yes, a lot more people will fail, but a lot more people will also succeed. The huge number of successful manga is what has made the industry so big, big enough to actually sustain very niche genres like yuri, yaoi etc, meanwhile in the west they instead change the sexual preference of established characters in order to force this 'diversity' onto readers. There are really bad manga like the current X-Men Krakoa run, but they quickly die because they will not be artificially kept alive by the publisher in order to virtue signal.

[@dicenster]

Most Japanese people who desire to be manga artists start to submit their manga to whatever manga magazines they like while they are still in high schools or colleges, and if their manga haven't been accepted by the time when they are reaching to late twenties or thirties many of them quit thinking becoming manga artists and look for other jobs ( I think this is the most case). There are also many alternatives to become manga artists other than being on manga magazines though.

[@BowmansWorld]

The krakoan xmen was awesome and sold very well u idiot best xmen run in years

[@brace4impact258]

One of the things I like the most about Manga compared to comics is their fights. Manga specifically Shonen knows how to set up a good fight between characters. Baki, Jojo's, and Hunter x Hunters are all prime examples on how to craft a fight between a hero and villain. I've never really got that with comics it's mainly just a lot of talking mixed splash pages and the fight usually only lasts a few pages. Manga at least the ones I mentioned before puts you in the shoes of both the hero and villain to walk you through their thought process on how to outwit or overpower the other. It can get suspenseful to the point where you can't tell who'll actually win sometimes. Its like chess with superpowers and martial arts. that's my opinion though. I just feel like no one else really talks about that aspect especially when it comes to the shonen comparisons. Great vid BTW 👍

[@turtleanton6539]

yes

[@Son_Kar]

I agree and I would also like to add that I think that manga does a better job at showing the reader how both the villain and the hero throw their punches and attacks at each other in a way that is easy to follow and understand for example I was reading attack on titan and record of ragnorok and as I was watching the fights between Riner and Eren as well as Lu Bu vs Thor and Adam vs Zeus I was able to easily tell where the hits landed and from what angle the strike’s came from but in a few comics that I’ve read in my school library before I graduated the fight’s were nothing but panels of the hero’s and villains punching each other and shooting energy beams and fireballs at each other. Comparing the two to me is like watching a good and bad fight choreography in an action movie, the good fight since is clear and easy to see and the audience can tell what moves the actors are doing but in the bad fight since the camera is too close to the actors and there is a bunch of shaky cam and jump cuts to hide the fact that the actors don’t know how to throw a punch or to hide the fact that it’s two stunt doubles who look nothing the the actors have taken their place to do the fight.

[@quantgeekery6358]

US Big 2 Comics The writers are chosen by the editors. The editors are chosen through adverse selection. The US Direct Market is composed of collusion among oligopolists to prevent competition and maximize profit through minimizing costs Manga Hundreds of publishers Each mangaka is the owner of their ideas The market structure prevents collusion or monpolization. Editors must be highly attuned to the tastes and preferences of their audience when selecting new manga to publish. The reason for Manga's success is basic capitalist economics. I am talking *Wealth of Nations (1776)* level basic.

[@FOLIPE]

Manga, like much of the japanese economy, is dominated by a few gigantic corporations (closer to HarperCollins than to Marvel). The three market leaders (Shueisha, Shogakukan and Kodansha, the first two belonging to the same group) each have annual revenues more or less comparable to the totality of the US comic book market (they sell books other than manga too, of course).

[@glorioustigereye]

I recently found and fell in love with Otoyomegatari which is a romance manga about couples and marriage in Central Asia during the 19th century. It is literally set in the most out of the way place on earth, who’s largest contribution to world history in the last couple hundred years was an actual hell pit.

[@somekindofgoat3191]

For girls and young women especially, let's not overlook the "cute boys" factor. Manga is full of them, even in books that aren't explicitly shojo books. Every time I pick up my pulls and there's a Nightwing and/or Son of Kal-El issue in there, the owner of my shop nearly always mentions how well they do with girls. Something to consider in the wider area of "copying manga" and "new audience" perhaps

[@yeuuuiuup7714]

Manga readership is half female and half male

[@dicenster]

Cute boys are always an important factor to attract female readers and it's a common thing in manga. Shojo manga artists should be able to draw attractive male characters and the purpose of it is making female readers to fall in love with the male characters (seriously). I think most of the time female manga readers fall into a situation like I want a boyfriend like him while reading a manga.

[@quoththeravenlouisbright-raven]

1) The lead character(s) in many manga brought over to the U.S. are kids or early teenagers, so they relate on that level. 2) The characters GROW and EVOLVE as the story progresses and they become adults, assuming they survive their adventures. So the reader who is also growing and evolving as a person is doing so alongside the characters. Nobody gets rebooted. Nobody gets their achievements or their lives reversed at the whim of the creator for "reasons". (i.e. if characters get married, they stay married, they have kids, they have a life. When people die, they generally stay dead.) There is no "reversion" to a "default" state that "everybody loved" bullshit, as there constantly is with rebooted American superhero comics. 3) The story comes to a FINITE AND FINAL RESOLUTION, and the characters' stories end. There is no never-ending bullshit saga that spans generations back and will be something the publishers expect you to follow for the rest of your own life, no matter how stupid, recycled, or boring the stories get. So you can sort of relax and enjoy the books knowing that there will be a conclusion at some point, and that you'll be able to conclude your fandom and move on with your life to seek out something else to enjoy without the FOMO effect.

[@turtleanton6539]

good points. also easy to jump in at number 1 2 3 4 5.

[@jayreedart]

The Simpsons are a great metaphor for the American Comics Industry.

[@benevolentremnant2949]

Another way to put it: in Japan, manga is a part of the culture, whereas in the US comics is a subculture. It's hard for subcultures to flourish in the long run because they tend to get insular, weird, and indecipherable to outsiders. (The same thing has happened to poetry, and all sorts of other artforms.) We're at the point where the home-grown weirdness of American comics has become comparable enough to the culture shock of reading manga that the generally higher quality of imported manga allows it to win out for new readers.

[@HonduranHoneymoonhon]

The Downfall of Poetry was when they abandoned Rhyme and Alliterations.

[@dicenster]

When I was a child in Japan and among many manga, what attracted me the most was art styles. I think children are tend to be attracted by flashy cartoonish art styles (in the case of Japan), so if you see the art styles of manga magazines for younger readers, especially for young girls, all of them have cute flashy art styles, like big eyes, flowers, fringe of dresses and some kinds of twinkles like Card Captor Sakura. Young boys are mostly into comedy, sports or action manga but girls also like to read boy's manga while boys don't read girls manga as many as girls read boys manga (boys are not fond of girly art styles while girls like whatever cool art styles). I think children are attracted to read a manga by its art style first before the story line more than adults read a manga for its' story line first. Of course manga for children also need to keep attract them to have decent story lines but flashy cartoonish art styles get them more interested and easily recognized by them.

[@MrPonytron]

That's understandable. When I showed my niece Cardcaptor Sakura and Yu-gi-oh, she always commented on how cute or cool looking it was

[@minxili3317]

Back when I was a kid, yes art style was definitely what attracted me to manga in the first place and the storyline along with character's personalities kept my interest. DC and Marvel comic's art did not catch my eyes and I had no interest reading the story cuz I didn't like the art.

[@veggsbacon1891]

Maybe it's just me, but marvel and dc should really stop reusing the same old characters like Superman and Spiderman, and just move on. Let the merch, fan works, and others carry the legacy to beyond.

[@burstangel]

Grew up on manga and I'm in my mid 40's, and as a woman, I find american most superhero comics super boring, repetitive, and lacking artistic flair (I mean, superhero outfits are just plain UGLY). At least manga is unafraid to have different genres that target different demographics. Right now Witch Hat Atelier is just beautiful to look at with a simple story with fine lines, impeccable paneling, and beautiful storytelling flourishes.

[@raimundoespectro7514]

Past 10 years in Brazil manga have been dominating the sales too. Above superhero comics and brazilian comics as well.

[@FOLIPE]

Brazilian comics surely sell more, exclusively because of Monica. But manga definitely is more popular than american comics in Brazil and more popular than local comics as a genre, I think all over Latin America, in fact. It has been a while too, since at least mid-2000s but the real foundation comes from the 90s

[@gastongalilea8492]

What brazilian comic would you guys recommend? I don't think I have ever read something from over there and I'm argentinian lol.

[@raimundoespectro7514]

@@gastongalilea8492 my recomendation is to search for 'Mônica MSP collection'.

[@gastongalilea8492]

@@raimundoespectro7514 Will do, mate. Obrigado. By the way, here in Argentina manga is big too, far bigger than their american or european cousins. They are even bringing korean comics due to the success of japanese (people are demanding it of course).

[@ArielG5000]

The answer is boobs. Manga isn't afraid of boobs.

[@HonduranHoneymoonhon]

degenerate

[@58jharris]

You just hit the nail on the head!

[@chazbertino6102]

*Frank Cho has entered the chat*

[@miker5207]

It’s cheap, visually consistent, reliably entertaining, and readily available.

[@AL-ws5yi]

Yeah, my kids are only reading manga. When I offer them my comics even the new ones and they are not interested.

[@commentarytalk1446]

The last time I walked into my city's major and long established comic shop: I had no clue what to look for or what was ordered for what etc. It's been shut-down since the beginning of the New Year ending some decades of continuity. There's many interesting anime clips on youtube... Manga and Anime are finally diverse story-telling: Want to enjoy some female form? Want to enjoy Martial Arts or Samurai butchering someone's guts into confetti? Want some absurd slapstick or random premise? The art feels like a sort of sketch of a story. I think the art is more accessible too. It's inspiring to try to do art oneself. I actually find there's more diverse and creative story telling and better art in manga than a lot of big budget Hollywood films: It's an even better choice than a lot of the US Film Industry as well - not just better than US Comics. I think that itself is an enormous factor of the quality available. That said I prefer novels for depth of story and language but the manga/anime makes a nice alternative and as there's so much there's usually something good and new to be found too. There's one other reason I believe helps a lot but I won't reveal it. The above are good for starters.

[@P.T.S.E.]

I would say, the first reason is, that manga is fashionable, so they have one foot in the door, then they have a vast available options to grab the attention of many readers, and lastly, it's relatively cheap, so people are more inclined to buy.

[@artfire28]

Back when I was in Philippines, Friday night were US cartoons from comics like TMNT, X-men, Spider-man, and Batman. Then our network shifted slowly to anime and the ratings skyrocketed. But the mid 2010s started to decline because parents are complaining how anime is getting darker, raunchy, and occupied more primetime than local shows. We were so furious about the shaved sched and more cheesy local shows so we screw them by cutting cable and went to streaming sites. But the network are now trying to screw us over again by taxing heavily on streaming and not listening to us why their local shows sucks.

[@schlotzkovich6909]

The manga business is literally run like a leaderboard. If the shit ain’t popular and ranking, it’s out. That’s the secret sauce. Put this competitive aspect into our comic industry and watch the creativity flow.

[@biiyen8458]

It is extremely difficult for kids to keep up with DC and Marvel, put aside the blatant political agendas in current stories, the continuity alone would confuse even a 10-year old reader. The only way for a kid to have a proper introduction in mainstream comics is to watch abridged versions of critical story beats on KZbin.

[@MutantGenius]

"Manga : Superior ............. Western Comics : Inferior" -- Soundwave, Sept. 1984

[@TheLonelyLurker1995]

amen

[@ActionRobotPunch]

Maybe because the price of a single comic is so high? Comics were 75 cents in 85, so they should be around $2 today, but I see them going for $5 or $6 a book. The family and I go to B&N, browse the manga and DND section and usually pick up a few items. Getting a DC or Marvel comic doesn’t even really come up as an option except maybe a trade. No more cheap comics at 7/11 😟

[@artfire28]

Manga and anime are now dominating more in schools. It used to be shunned with bad stigma but now a lot of audience got sick with woke films and sports so Japan provides now with characters who are real enough to root for.

[@pandaman1331]

Here is why I prefer Manga over Comics. Comics only cover oen genre, action, true. But that means I only read comics when I want to read an action series. Yet I'd still rather read a Manga instead. Why? Because even though Comics are about action, most of the time the action isn't intense or exciting. We don't need to talk about the plot, the plot in comics is only a device to make the story going and a reason to create conflict. There wasn`t ever a single plot I'd generally care about in comics or that made me think. So all I'd care about in comics are the action. Yet they completely lose out on that aspect to Mangas too. Comic book fights rarely last more than one issue and don't even make up half of the issue itself. They feel like short brawls rather then actual battles, they are over as fast as they've started. And worst of all, they feel very static. You don't feel the weight and intensity behind every punch thrown like in Mangas. And worst of all, there is way too much talking during fights. Who the fuck holds a monologe during a fight? Most of the time it's just stupid braging anyway. It's not even interesting, it's just utterly destracting. Not saying there aren't any epic and intense battles in comics I didn't enjoy. WW Hulk or Thor vs Bor were very great. But even the best comic fights can't be compared to the best Manga fights.There is just too much comic books are doing wrong. And not just recently, it's been like that from the very beginning.

[@DarthBobCat]

Because you can start with Issue 1, know that you're getting a consistent creative vision and art style, and have some assurance that you'll get some sort of conclusion.

[@EastyyBlogspot]

I stopped reading western comics a long time ago and one of the reasons was continuity, so many plot lines spread over so many different issues and along with the amount of reboots it got tiring, with Manga for the most part I start at issue 1 and just go from there ...so much simpler lol

[@codybrinson3520]

Even when a manga series has reached its 100th or 200th chapter, they still do the courtesy of explaining what happened in previous chapters and how they impact the present chapter in a very clarified (and non-muddled) manner - an art and etiquette that’s almost gone at the Big Two.

[@legumeduprix7419]

There’s a ton of variety for everyone and it’s pretty accessible. The manga section is three times the size as the graphic novel section at my local Barnes and Noble. Plus the amount of anime adaptions makes it easy to get into new properties.

[@InfamyOrDeath-__-]

It’s mind boggling how much insanely good, inventive manga there is, the stories are far more fun, interesting and entertaining than comics. It’s not even close, I’m just angry it took me so long to get into it.

[@andreas8488]

Because most Manga has a beginning and end. Better price per paper. Easier to tell which volume you need. Also most do not lecture the audience or disrespects the characters or fans. And the manga and anime are for the most part, the same story.

[@philipburnette7315]

Here's the thing, manga by and large has better stories, better characterization, and more consistency issue to issue and episode episode. This is something that is completely lacking in Western Comics. You can get into things like compositional elements and print quality and all of that, but at the end of the day most Western Comics don't draw the reader in, there is way too much being squeezed onto individual pages while simultaneously not enough into any given issue, and no real reason to follow a story arc long-term since the creative teams keep changing on you. Manga has a lot to offer anyone who is interested in reading comics, and Western manufacturers need to look beyond the stylization and look into he storytelling techniques being used. The last time Western Comics were most like manga we're in the early to mid-90s, which was subsequently when Western Comics were also seeing their best overall sales.

[@gmcmullins3251]

That's a good question. I'm a middle school teacher. I see kids doodling all the time, and they doodle in the manga style. I think it's the faces, and the casual clothes manga wears. It's not elaborate customs or big city scapes. It's just a kid sitting there in front of dime store. And that's it, that's manga.

[@HistoriaenCeluloide]

Not to mention it was a woman who wrote and drawn the manga on the thumbnail🧐

[@Grim2]

Trouble with western comics: Constant resetting and reinvention of the wheel. What sense does it make to get invested into something that's gonna be radically altered in few years or even worse - just a year? Hell, this also goes for movies/TV shows/cartoons. All sense in being a fan gets obliterated on a regular basis. Even for the new fans who will inevitably find themselves in same exact position as old fans, getting a message that they're no longer desired by powers that be because this thing is no longer for them but for new NEW fans... Then lo and behold people migrate to anime and manga.

[@janjoubert3225]

Manga also has plans in place for digital distribution that marvel and dc seriously lacks. They also make sure digital prices are generally cheaper than print, which opens it up for potential new readers.

[@Farza2005]

This is mainly becasue comics are extremely niche superhero to be specific they are only popular in America they have zero fnabses outside meanwhile manga runs outside markets including my reigon were its mainstream and kids to people age of 40. Heck the largest bookstore in the reigon is 90 precent manga and it is most sold and highest thing that bookstore advertise and goverment even ask the local publishers to realsese dub in my reigon

[@6pathuser344]

Where are you from?

[@calvinbethea3369]

Why are readers going for manga. Active anime advertises books and franchises. Diversity in types of story genres. Trade paper backs are uniform in size and appear in chronological order. Manga is the secondary sale of the product, the first is in the anthology books we usually don’t get. The secondary market is designed to entice, include and transition new readers into an IP. For the US market to adapt they would have to do some things similar.

[@jonathan3264]

I’ve been having a really big burnout from comics since 2016, and i’ve only read a few here and there. Secret Wars was the end of the stick for me, felt like proper end for Marvel imho. Still I managed to survive up till Inhumans vs X-Men, halfway through Zdarsky’s DD, a bit more of that Marvel stuff. For DC’s part it was Three Jokers, Batman/Catwoman’s wedding in Tom King’s run, Doomsday Clock, halfway through Suicide Squad’s 2021 run and Heroes in Crisis. That’s it. I really have had no interest since Rebirth or it just went down so low compared to New 52 and pre N52 stuff, like ANAD Marvel was my favourite era as well. Or maybe it’s just a mixture of getting busy, life, growing up like that. Am I missing out a lot, or just wanting to give myself a long ass break? Because I find manga to be a bit less exhausting and I prefer going back into my book phase which is therapeutic.

[@Big_Tex]

I remember when my Dad would give me a buck and drop me off at the drugstore. He’d drive around a bit while I would scrounge up a few 25c comics.

[@undecidedtoystore3003]

I agree with the barrier to entry aspect with Marvel and DC. It's difficult to know where to just begin with legacy characters like Spiderman or Batman. They have so many stories, series, cross-overs, spinoffs, reboots, etc. It's so much easier to just jump into a manga series with a single mangaka that has a clean final ending volume.

[@willy_b_coyote]

Simple: because Manga is more accessible in terms of both price and how easy it is to get into a story. (In manga you ALWAYS start at Chapter 1.)

[@JasonColby]

Promised Neverland has one of the grabbing-est first chapters/episodes ever. (It does end up wandering in circles for a bit later on, but that's a separate issue.)

[@jerr0.]

Manga and Anime have stakes, new characters, and actually tell stories that go somewhere. At Marvel and DC there's nothing like that. Like that character? Well too bad they're not getting used anymore. Like that relationship? Sorry it's gone with a magical continuity altering divorce. Like new characters? Nope there's too much contention over paying people. Like stories going somewhere? Na, this next run completely undoes the last one. Why wouldn't they like manga better?

[@OnionSavoya-jf5hz]

I've been reading comics since 1989. The comics business has attempted to branch out the manga style in the states that entire time. Manga and anime have always had an audience in the states. Akira , DBZ was around back in 97-98. It's like young people try to act like they invented the wheel.

[@bradfrederick1135]

I still maintain that western comics wont be able to poach into the manga consumer market because to those readers Manga and American comics are two different things. The best DC or Marvel can do is to license their IP out to Viz, Kodansha, Yen Press, Tokyo Pop etc and let them produce tankobons in the manga format. 180-200 page volumes 2-3 times a year. Start publishing them in with Asian creators and go from there.

[@jeremyj5498]

I was thinking the same thing but would it work? Would Viz go through the effort to reformat old comics to tankobons that might/might not appeal to younger readers.

[@tbynlogan]

TOP 2 THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE MANGA COOLER: 1. Shonen Jump releases a super duper special comic in June for Pride month 2. Japan tells Americans to commit sudoku because they nuked them twice

[@lyrad4584]

my personal opinion is this. DC/Marvel Comics can be jarring for "New" readers because there are a lot of versions of a certain "Heroes" for example im new with Spiderman.. so where do i read first there are alot of Spiderman Storyline and versions? what is the best Spiderman comics there is? For Manga. there is a single Canon storyline you have to start in the very beginning like watching the pilot episode for you to onboard yourself in the story.

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

I'll go ahead and say it again. I think Marvel and DC's best strategy right now is a full-on hard reboot. Get the distribution set up, find a more consumer friendly format, and star over again at the very beginning. There is no reason why we should be married to the current floppy format outside of collectability. It doesn't have to be the same size as tankobans, but they definitely need to be priced more competitively. I think the major US publishers are working under the (false) assumption, that manga is "just a phase" and that, somehow, those readers will migrate over to their superhero comics once they've outgrown the manga/anime "trend." If they keep this up, they are going to lose all chances of competing in the future.

[@theuglyinsect4093]

I disagree with the notion that some have that the “floppy” format is antiquated. In fact I think it’s the perfect format - particularly when they were cheaply priced disposable pieces of entertainment. One of the things I remember about being a kid in the 80s collecting comic books was it became an addiction and with the type of storytelling we had in the 80s coupled with the 75 cent cover price, plus the monthly release schedule, it was so easy to become addicted to them. They had me hooked for several years in my youth and this was why. Add a few more titles and that monthly addiction became a weekly addiction. The format lent itself to that perfectly- it was cheap, easily attainable and the storytelling kept me coming back for more. Decompressed storytelling and a $4.99 cover price is the problem not the floppy/monthly format. Once they stop writing for the trades- Cheap, monthly and easily attainable is still the best recipe for turning Marvel and DC around.

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

@@theuglyinsect4093 I love the floppy format. I love the feeling of it in my hands, I like flipping through them in my long boxes. It sucks that the prices are so high on them because, at this point, they're an American institution. I'd rather not see the format die but it seems to be losing people rather than gaining because of those prices. If the economy doesn't change soon, though, I think it will die. But at least one is cheaper than a gallon of gas!

[@zufalllx]

If you lose the physical book, you'll lose the industry entirely.

[@zirconiumdiamond1416]

Personally, I think the reboot will come in the form of Disney+ doing comics in the MCU universe. Waiting for your drink at Starbucks? You aren't going to start an episode of Moon Knight. But would you pull out your phone for a 5 minute story of Ironman (who looks like RDJ) arguing with Rocket about engineering weapons before rushing off to stop a bank heist? It at least seems possible if the average quality is decent enough. And then, when there isn't some MCU show coming out, there is still a reason to subscribe. The thing is...it would be so cheap relative to what they are spending on TV shows. If the all-in page rate was $1000, they could do an issue every day for a year, on less than the budget of a single episode of their MCU TV shows.

[@adriancojocaru7096]

Manga is more attractive because it's cheaper and it provides more content per individual item. If you take volume 5 of any manga it provides a more consistent part of an overall narative than issue 5 of a regular comic. Another reason is that the manga is more self contained than superhero comics. You don't need to worry about events, tie-ins, and so on. Those may be fun for experienced collectors but they make it very difficult for some new reader to jump in. And there is also the distribution - manga seems to be more easy to come by...

[@Gak237]

I think a big factor in manga's success is good effective anime is as a marketing tool. You watch a 12 episode anime and want more of the story, usually volume 3 of the manga will pick up right where the anime ended. Meanwhile as somebody from the outside looking in I look at what marvel is doing and it seems like the movies and TV shows have very little to do with the comics outside the basic premise.

[@BitingComics]

There used to be some decent comics for younger kids. PS238 was an indie that both my kids and I enjoyed. Marvel had some good Avengers and Spiderman comics geared for all ages that they released in pocket sized editions. That all stopped around 10 years ago - probably around when Disney took over and also got rid of the really good Spectacular Spiderman and Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoons.

[@TheManFromWaco]

I can't help but wonder if the core concept of the Big 2's superhero universes has reached its last legs. Having a gigantic, interconnected story with rigid continuity and large numbers of long-established characters can be absolutely amazing for a while, but eventually it seems to either jump the shark, reach the point of "continuity lockout", or both. Look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it certainly had its duds in Phase 1,2,&3, but overall I stayed very much engaged in it from the original "Iron Man" all the way to "Endgame". Now I've largely checked out except for the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, because I just don't think they can top The Infinity Saga and practically every character I was invested in had completed his or her story arc. Even manga has this problem. As much of a juggernaut as "One Piece" is, recent sales numbers are suggesting that while the series is doing an excellent job retaining the large fanbase it already has, it's simply not attracting many new customers (probably an excellent time for Oda to announce the story will soon be entering its final arc). The difference is the manga industry as a whole is structured to allow for regular shake-ups and new content. It certainly has its clearly established long-running "top dogs" and plenty of very well-worn formulas, but manga publishers aren't tied to individual IP's in the same way the Big 2 are. A manga which has reached the end of its story or popularity can be ended, the superhero universes MUST keep chugging along.

[@MrRilarios]

I think there is also about variety... It is not just about superheroes, there is hundreds of stories in manga, and very weird ones such as dorohedoro ... There is great worldbuilding and it allows the writers to be wild and entertaining... In dorohedoro for example there is a scene where you can see the characters play a Game of baseball with a Giant talking roach while the girl mascot from the other team tried to kill it with insecticide. And it was funny but also worked within that world.

[@nmj1937]

The big advantage that manga has over American superhero comics is that there is a through line, progress is made and there are lasting consequences. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy superheroes but very few superhero stories can compete with the best manga (or independent Western comics) that I’ve read. The entire run of BPRD puts any superhero story to shame imo, so it’s not like American comics can’t do it just as well as manga, I would just argue that DC and Marvel can’t because they can never fully commit to the bit.

[@gastongalilea8492]

If BPRD is so good, why isn't it selling well? As a Hellboy reader I agree by the way, BPRD has some amazing stories and it still continues to deliver after 18 years or so. Anyways, you raised a great point, a topic that is barely talked about besides 'sjw' and 'alt-right nazis'. Let's see; tomorrow a Dark Horse writer makes the second coming of Watchmen on a Hellboy book. On the the other side, Marvel announces Hickman returning to X-Men to continue his tedious, aimless and boring run which has around 100 issues of worthless adjacent titles -- What do you think readers are going to care for, and more importantly, BUY? Between the number 1# , the relaunch of several spin offs and the 30 variant covers on each, the answer is pretty obvious. So, maybe Marvel and DC don't commit because the readers have very low standards and will readily consume whatever they put out. In that case, why bother?

[@nmj1937]

@@gastongalilea8492 I should clarify that when I was referring to BPRD I meant like the run from Plague of Frogs up through The Devil You Know. I don’t really care for the Hellboy and the BPRD prequel stuff, as it doesn’t really hold a candle to the stories set in the present. Not saying they’re bad, it’s just that they can’t really get to that “epic” level that the present day stuff did. That being said I can’t argue with what you said about the DC/Marvel readers having low standards and being ready and willing to consume whatever they put out. This would seem to be borne out by things like the fact that people love to complain about events but those books still end up selling the best. I myself, as soon as I’ve realized that I’m not enjoying a DC or Marvel book, will immediately drop it. This is usually after having read the first 4-5 issues, as I like to try to give things a chance and I don’t think a first issue is always the best indicator of quality. Maybe I’m different than a lot of other DC/Marvel readers in that I haven’t been collecting stuff for decades and don’t have what I would consider to be the compulsion to buy stuff forever (even stuff I hate) just so I don’t “break my run.” This is honestly weird behavior to me and something that I will never understand. To say nothing of the issue of needing space to store all of that stuff, if I’m not going to read it or actively dislike it then why do I have it? If I won’t read it again I don’t keep it, that’s my rule and it’s helped me cater my collection to only have what I consider the best stuff. Which doesn’t include as much Marvel or DC as it used to 😆

[@demon2441]

Manga and to a lesser extent light novels tell a variety of weird stories while having a much lower entry price compared to comics. I can buy volume 1 and start from there without fear that I need to read a bunch of other books or be worried that a character is going in an entirely random direction due to a new author. Plus while manga certainly has weird subgenres that get homogenous in their content, but even with them you have authors/mangaka who will come along and put a spin on it.

[@stephennootens916]

I think that ot also help that kids and teenagers can often find manga that catch their own interested , not everyone wanta to read about superheroes and there is an easy way to fallow the series. I was at Barnes and Noble not that long ago and their were two teenage girls who had lists on thier phones of the manga they were looking for and the volume. While none of the American books were not simple marked like that.

[@diamondinthesky4771]

People will have you believe that the only way to be successful in modern day is to basically create a Japanese pseudonym and trick people into believing your work is a manga. I want to believe that's not actually true and you can still be a successful creator without resorting to that but the discussion about manga superiority has really gotten that extreme.

[@purcellworthman3199]

I think a lot of it's strengths comes from the format. you get around 100+ pages for like $12, and you'd only need to buy one series to get a full story. Contrast to their American counterparts, where you get 20ish pages of story with page after page of advertisements, for $4. Oh, and you need to buy books a dozen other series in order to get the context to understand whatever the hell is going on.

[@Kane429]

Some of my fondest memories were of my dad dropping me off at the comic shop while he went shopping down the street. Great times.

[@rlohn2352]

I was a fan of both Marvel and DC for many years, but recently the creators from from both these companies have shown very poor writing and care in their comics, they seem more interested in pushing a political agenda down the throats of their readers rather than tell a good story (which only puts a liberal and progressive point of view and demonizes right wingers) so because of this and some of the disdain and disrespect these writers and comic book creators have shown their fans, I no longer give them my money, instead I purchase manga and it has become such a phenomenal replacement. I do not miss DC or Marvel one bit, if they were to declare bankruptcy or not produce any more comics I would not shed a tear, I do respect the great comic book writers who came before such as Bob Kane ,Neil Adams ,Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby, but these new writers are awful. Manga can appeal to everyone, and they don't take this preachy moral superiority attitude either, the big 2 can learn alot from manga, if they want to improve their sales

[@MrPonytron]

My 10 year old niece has been getting more into anime and manga like Cardcaptor Sakura and Yu-gi-oh. Again, very simple concepts. She's also been reading the graphic novel versions of the Babysitter's Club. She likes Spider-Man, but, isn't interested in the comics. She wants to get into Demon Slayer, but, scary stuff happens in it, and she's not into scary stuff.

[@pheunithpsychic-watertype9881]

I'm all in on it and cold turkey towards western comics (save for sonic idw and the classic funnies) because they actually provide an escape. Heck it took me two or three years of reading manga to actually see any correlation to their contemporary politics and all they did was mention how some part of the government works.

[@CoreyAdolfi]

Honestly I think it comes down to these four things: Price Commitment Accessibility Availability

[@andrewmagracia2088]

Simplicity, often, is elegant.. Thank 😊 you for your video.

[@gabrielpapi1]

Manga is just better

[@BowmansWorld]

I dont like simple adventure storytelling. I read comics because of how deep and adult they can be. Otherwise we just get back to a time when people made fun of comics for being kiddy and lame.

[@MayanFrighter100000]

Manga is better as a result of many reasons. It’s easy to follow and simple to understand, it’s easy to purchase as a result of this prices and location of selling, it’s easy to adapt and the best anime follow the manga, this a industry where quality and appeal is highly improvement, and Manga will stay forces on the topic what the story is about without any stupid stunts and forces on what the audience is looking for, also you have the creator who forces on the manga from the beginning to the end and will not force on something until he/she believes they need a break from that manga and wanted to clear their mind, or want to write another story if they believe it will help to bring back their creativity skill again. Also, Manga never character the main character and will only replace the main hero with a new one who is completely different from the original hero (look at Jojo to see example of a long running story of a heroes who takes the mantel from another while embracing what makes them different from the original hero.) As a person who read both manga and comics, I prefer manga as a result of all the things I mention above.

[@stephanc6138]

manga usually have endings. a definite goal. western comics don't have that. its all over the place. and you KNOW it'd keep on going as long as they can flog it. - hence manga.

[@jamalisujang2712]

Well just boot out activists and put professionals, easy. Just dig a mass grave.

[@emaldon7]

Even kids today know what DC and Marvel are and thus not interested. While anime and manga are completely new.

[@CinemaKingTheaters]

Hey Durarara! That was a good anime growing up. I made so many memories watching that.

[@ExplodingPrinny]

I mean, manga has the story about the world's smartest cat. High School Family. Comics can't compete.

[@gmcmullins3251]

I think it's also east to replicate. Youth like it cause it's simple black and white vs expensive colored paper

[@arsonalx1918]

Comics by Preach, keep up the good work sir, thanks.

[@gmcmullins3251]

Kids can draw a character and have the character look how it looks on the page without the pro inker and pro color on expensive paper.

[@colonyofcellsiamamachine6175]

american comics caters more to collectors whereas manga caters more to readers.

[@InfamyOrDeath-__-]

I’ve no idea how people can even compare the 2, manga is so far beyond American comics that’s it’s actually funny.

[@tednolan]

Didn't DC kind of try this a few years ago? They had a whole line of books that were straight-forward, straight-ahead done-in-one adventure stories with their classic characters, pitched young. I think it started with BTAS based books and branched out from there. (Also Looney Tunes & Scooby Doo books as well). Did it not work? I don't think I've seen them lately.

[@terryl1194]

Top 5 reasons comics don't sell like manga to me.1. reboots, 2.remakes,3.stupid tie ins. 4. Not branching to other genres. 5. Too many long running stories.

[@conradojavier7547]

I wish Western Comic get a Diffenitive Ending to their Story, instead of the Endless Reboots their stuck with.

[@commonsense5199]

Perch, Using Promised Neverland is a bad example. Their Season 2 anime was horrible and wasn't faithful to the manga. Mostly when anime comes out it gets audience for the manga. Jeremy Adams' Flash should hook with audience since It Wally West is being a Family Man, He, his wife, kids and Cousin Wallace are having Adventures. Same Family adventure story like Spy x Family. There's Strange Academy with a new cast of Characters going to a school of magic that's simple to follow. I said this before they didn't involve themselves with Marvel dumb events exception of Death of Doctor Strange, as it was mandatory. Still I don't think kids are talking about it. Strange Academy should win An Eisner. Teen Titans Academy didn't because it sucks and it relies too much on mystery of Red X. New Age of DC heroes like Sideways and Silencer could be that Hook to audience because they're new and original heroes with simple stories to follow, but as we all saw in Thinking Critical it was destined to fail, and I still remember that A lot of people call New Age of DC heroes are Marvel Rip-offs. Silencer is nothing like the Punisher, she has powers and a family to protect. Image and Indies comics have Many, many original characters and their simple stories to Follow as I Said before *The Book Of Gogor Kickstarter is live 10 days left.* There Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters comic

[@kissadev.]

Manga's strongest characteristic is that it ends. It... just ends. Death Note is a very popular story until today. It began in 2003, ended the story in 2006 and never came back. Well it did two times but take both together and it is like, what? 60 pages? So it doesn't count. The thing is, it is just one story, beggining, middle, end and when it ends it just ends, like a normal story. Batman began in the 40s and it is still up today... Look at the MCU, everyone loved it, but it is going to the EXACT SAME PATH comics did. EVERYTHING have to be in the same universe, everything is connected, everything that have ever happened before COUNTS for the world of the next flim... People are getting tired of the MCU also just because of that. By being just "simpler" manga is more inviting.

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

It's more widely available, they've seen episodes and the covers are colorful and look cartoonish. Parent find them affordable and they don't have to go out of their way to find them.

[@invisibleBDK]

IMO there are only two things American comics need to do to gain success in this culture. The Japanese are already doing them. #1 focus on graphic novels with a clear start and end, and abandon all “mega-multiverses,” spinoffs, tie-ins, etc. DC/Marvel superheroes don’t have 80+ years of story… they have 80+ years of baggage. #2 make quality, faithful ANIMATED adaptations for them. That’s it. Do that enough and the market will swing back. Manga didn’t capture our culture, Anime did. And not weighed down by the term “cartoon” or a need for inaccessible multiverses filled with capes/spandex. If Walking Dead had a faithful animation, it would CRUSH it. Same with many other titles, I’m confident.

[@loke6664]

First of all, I think manga is easier to start with. You buy book number 1 and just read. That seems a bit easier to get into then Detective Comics 1084. The Mangas have stories that works better for the new readers. Frankly, a lot of Marvel and DC comics have been pretty bad lately as well. Manga have anime that is a good commercial for it. Want to know where the story goes when the anime ended? Just pick up the manga. Also, I think the manga writers are better at giving the readers what they want. Particularly DC and Marvel do really need to actually ask people what they want to read and do more like that.

[@glorioustigereye]

The image he used in the video was from Durarara a fantastic anime

[@tomjones4921]

Escape from sanity?! ahaha..ha..ha you're no Zack.

[@johndurham2459]

But you didn't say if your daughters liked the MS. Marvel comics. Just wondering if there's a disconnect between the two.

[@ComicsPerch]

They don’t care for the comics.

[@rodneysandersii6997]

The age old question.

[@calixtobrilliantes4435]

This is funny as hell i just got an ad for american comics called marvelous life.

[@DionysiosC]

While mangaka are mostly broke, they at least have a higher money celling. The top mangaka make buck but the top American comic creators do not. Who in America can compete with Eichiiro Oda with creator owned works? And how many of those are there? Japan has had many manga that can compete with One Piece in terms of sales and popularity but the US has had barely a handful.

[@NicofTime...]

The vast majority of comics crash and burn, just like the mangas you haven't heard of. That's not a point for either side.

[@Icanonlycountto4]

Comics will break your heart, kid

[@conradojavier7547]

We get to the Point where The Kids are Weed & Proud of it.

[@zufalllx]

Because it's trendy.

[@HTMangaka]

Manga is better and it's made by passionate creators who care about their story more than clever marketing and buyer manipulation. That's all.

[@HonduranHoneymoonhon]

30k Face Reveal when?

[@anguishedcarpet]

Easy, the average manga is better than the average comic. Hate to admit it but its true

[@jordynfranciscojaramilloju2969]

Manga and Anime domined in Asia and Europe