10 Arts [email protected] Maya Angelou Comic giants Marvel and DC’s sticks to familiar rivalry soars to new heights! territory in Letter to be getting the SIEGE variant. “Frankly, of the books that retailers can dismantle, Derek Roper our Blackest Night books sold very well,” has worked for Marvel in the past, and SENIOR STAFF WRITER McNeal said. “We have more Captain while some of the issues would sit there, My Daughter America [a Marvel title] sitting around there could be a chance that they would Marvel and DC Comic’s two super than the DC titles.” He feels that Marvel is sell (back issues of old comics are sold heroes, Spider-Man and Superman, odd for marketing like this. But he views every day to new fans). This kind of would be very disappointed in the it as “good old-fashioned Marvel vs. DC.” marketing strategy--if it took off--could unheroic acts of their publishing McNeal feels the cost of the comics being hurt the comic industry, because older companies. Late last year DC Comics destroyed would total more ($200) than print issues would be obsolete and could offered promotional rings that coincided the actual variant itself and “breaking lead to downloading the comic off of with their companywide crossover story, even doesn’t pay the rent.” illegal pirate sites. Blackest Night, which features the hero Geoff Johns (writer for Blackest Night) While DC doesn’t have as much Green Lantern and his comrades. So why took to his Twitter, saying, “A Deadpool going on with them as Marvel does, the rings? In the story, all the rings run variant is anything but rare. Trust me. I they decided that with their new series by emotion and a bad guy wants to wipe own a store.” starting up (proceeding Blackest Night), them all out. There, now that the story Tom Breevort (Marvel’s Editor) Brightest Day, they would do another is up to speed--little plastic rings were tweeted: “I see there’s a lot of chatter ring promotion. For every 10 copies of a included with other DC Comic books, about our Siege #3 offer, so I have to certain book ordered, the retailer would which, for comic collectors, was a must ask the question: how is this bad? receive a pack of Green Lantern rings, or, have. So retailers ordered the books and We’re making no money on the deal depending on the book, a set of Flash fans waiting to wear a ring flooded the (actually losing a little). We heard from rings (another item popular in the DC stores and the rings sold out. a number of retailers who got stuck with mythos). Since the ring saga is seemingly Marvel saw the marketing strategy books chasing rings and decided to do dying down, there have also been and how many issues were sold so something.” rumors of copying themes in the stories. they devised a plan to do something More recently, Marvel released the Geoff Johns’ Blackest Night is a story that groundbreaking. Earlier this month, cover for the variant, which sports dealt with death in the universe and was comic fans awoke to a Marvel Press Deadpool holding up one hand in the launched in June 2009. When it proved release that said for every 50 (6 certain form of a W. On the character’s pointer to be a blockbuster and Diamond Comics’ DC titles) stripped comic covers sent in to and ring finger are two rings (one blue (a magazine for retailers) number one Marvel, they would send retailers one free and one orange), which in the Blackest comic, in October 2009, Marvel in turn Siege issue 3 variant featuring the Marvel Night book represents avarice and hope. launched Necrosha, which also dealt with character Deadpool. Fans flooded the Is this some kind of message, perhaps? death in the universe. message boards and retailers sounded off Looking at Marvel and DC, the Marketing rivalry is a healthy companies have always had a friendly COURTESY AUDIOBOOKSONLINE.COM to this announcement. Responses were relationship between big named Maya Angelou’s Letter to my Daughter covers a lifetime of uncomfortable polarized, with some fans saying it was rivalry. In the past they used their companies, but should be done with situations, which is a big stretch for her. juvenile and other fans saying it would flagship titles Justice League of America some decorum — through sales, offers, actually help the retailers, who have been and Avengers to do a team up and now and promotions that do not destroy a stuck with multiple copies of issues that they are behaving like two siblings with writer’s work. normally wouldn’t sell well without the a strong marketing rivalry. The aspect of Liz Omberg It is that strength and perseverance help of the rings. writers has also gone unnoticed. Writers Comments may be sent to SENIOR STAFF WRITER that is captured in Letter to My Gerard McNeal, co-owner of Alliance on some of the DC books, such as Tony [email protected]. Daughter, her newest book of Comics in Federal Hill, said he will not Bedard, whose R.E.B.E.L.S. issue 10 is one Dr. Maya Angelou is a true collected vignettes and wisdom. renaissance woman. She has been Angelou begins the book with an nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, a essay entitled “Home,” in which Tony Award, has won three Grammy she discusses the idea of home in awards, and is a film director, to both the physical and spiritual name a few of her honors. sense. Throughout the book Angelou was born in 1928 in St. Angelou tells a story of a lesson Louis, but when she was three, and learned and ends each essay with a her brother only one year older, they meditation, some of which caused were sent alone on a train to live me to laugh, others to cry. “Home” with their grandmother in Stamps, ends with the thought that “we may Arkansas. According to Dr. Angelou’s act sophisticated and worldly but I official website, “in Stamps Dr. believe we feel safest when we go Angelou experienced the brutality inside ourselves and find home, a of racial discrimination, but she place where we belong and maybe also absorbed the unshakable faith the only place we really do.” and values of traditional African One of my favorite themes of American family, community, and Angelou’s work is her ability to make culture.” short yet profound statements that After being placed with her have staying power in both mind grandmother, Angelou moved back and heart. In Dr. Angelou’s journey to her mother, and after surviving through her both inspirational and abuse and rape she was able to > see ANGELOU [12] COURTESY THATSMYSKULL.BLOGSPOT.COM gain strength rather than self-pity. Marvel and DC face off in an epic battle to the death over some bad marketing..