Wednesday What If…? Relaunch Edition

Welcome to another week of Wednesday What If…? This week I will be talking about the power of the comic book fan and how much they mean to the world of comic book publishers. We know they love us because of all we do for them. We are loyal. We buy all the cool variant covers. And we continue to buy boring comics long after they should have been cancelled because Wolverine or Batman might guest star next issue.

Sorry. Got a little cynical there. No worries, though. I can fix this.

Brand new #1! Welcome to another week of Wednesday What If…? This week I will take you on a journey into the wonderful world of comic book publishers and how much they love their fans. Why else would they relaunch all of their books every couple of months? It’s because everyone loves a #1 issue and they are much more valuable, right? It is like printing money for the fans… or taking money from the fans. Will we never see another comic book from the major publishers that actually reaches an issue number higher than 99? Maybe they have to pay by the digit and triple digits cost more? Well, they are not passing that savings on to us.

Dang it. There I went again… ok, one more try.

All New Brand New Even More Better #1!!!!! (See there are many exclamation marks, this makes it good.)

Welcome to another week of Wednesday What If…? This week we will ask an important question.

What If real life relaunched just like  all the large comic publishers’ comic books?

So, you go to school and flunk a test. No worries, just relaunch the next day, a new #1, glossy cover, and retake the test. Bad day at work? This relaunch is for you. Just be the boss the next time. Gained a lot of weight over the holidays? Relaunch a year in the future and be fit and trim after “working out” in the lost time. Girl/guy troubles? Relaunch with a new one. Have the old one die tragically giving you an awesomely pitiful back-story.

Wouldn’t it be so easy? Bored with your life, in too much debt, drank too much and came home and ate your kid’s favorite goldfish then threw up on the sofa and fell asleep on the kitchen floor? RELAUNCH! What a great thing. No mistake ever makes a difference. No action has to have consequences. And you would be showing everyone how much you love and cherish them, just like the comic book companies show us the love when they cancel and relaunch a book. Right? Right?!?

Think about his and vote with your wallet. If you don’t like a book, don’t buy it just because it says #1. Sometimes the stories are good, but sometimes it is just a sales tactic. This is a business, and that is the first thing to remember, but also keep in mind that a business thrives off of the customer. If the customers want to control the quality and quantity of content, they need to speak up. Sometimes you just have to channel Nancy Reagan and “Just say NO!”

Just remember that we at Comic Booked love all of you, readers, creators, and publishers. We are here to bring you the news of the industry and show you what is great, and sometimes not so great, about comic books and the entertainment industry. Do we want every comic book relaunched? Are there some that just need to end and never come back? Do comic books need to start mirroring Hollywood and remaking old comics? Maybe now that there will be a new Fantastic Four movie they should relaunch the Fantastic Four with a whole new origin issue and new characters that better mirror the new actors… Please don’t.

Come back next week for an All New Amazing Double-Sized (not really) alternate cover with chromium and lenticular technology built in issue of Wednesday What If…?, but until then, think about things, discuss in the comments, and check out some stuff from previous weeks. Thanks for not voting me off the island. Yet.