Super Folk: Marvel’s Digital Comics Line, DC’s New Website and Creator Changes, Sales Surge in February

This week in Super Folk, Publishers Weekly’s superhero news rundown, Marvel makes good on its promises of major announcements at SXSW, DC’s new website debuts amidst creator changes and new Watchmen details, Valiant adds two new titles, February comic sales put up big numbers, and the 2012 Glyph Awards nominees.

Modern Marvel Launches Original Webcomics Line

For the past few weeks, Marvel Comics had been promising to make a big announcement at the South By Southwest Interactive/film/music festival (SXSW, for short), drumming up interest in what the publisher was describing as “a revolution.” With nothing to go on except a name (Infinite Comics), fans and critics were left to imagine what potential game changers the House of Ideas had up its sleeve, with most settling on a new digital comics initiative. The plans came to light Sunday at the “Marvel: House of Ideas” panel, where some of Marvel’s top execs (including Publisher Axel Alonso and Senior Vice President of Marvel Digital Media Peter Phillips) unveiled Marvel Infinite Comics, a new all-digital imprint, as well as “ReEvolution,” a new publishing initiative incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology into print books.

Marvel Infinite Comics, launching in April, is a new digital-only imprint that will offer accompanying issues to print counterparts, beginning with Avengers Vs. X-Men Infinite #1, a tie in to the publisher’s debut issue of Avengers Vs. X-Men. The issue, written by Mark Waid (Daredevil) and illustrated by Stuart Immonen (Fear Itself, New Avengers) and starring the galactic hero Nova, will be available on the Marvel Comics App for 99¢ or free with the purchase of AvX #1 (Marvel also recently announced that all issues priced at $3.99 will include a free download of a digital copy). While digital comics are nothing new, the offerings from the Infinite imprint will utilize techniques only available when viewing comics on a screen such as integrated panel transitions that can be controlled by the reader. The result, as Alonso puts it, is something brand new that falls between print comics and animation.

The panel also introduced its new Marvel AR initiative, which takes advantage of augmented reality technology to offer readers extra material with their print comics, as well as a new way of reading. The free Marvel AR app, which was developed by Aurasma, allows readers to use their smartphone or other mobile device to scan specific Marvel QR codes and receive exclusive content including behind-the-scenes videos, images and interviews. The app also has to potential to allow the inclusion of animation and sound into the comics reading experience.

Other Marvel Happenings

Aside from the high profile unveilings at SXSW, Marvel continued to roll out teasers for its upcoming titles, starting with a “Save the Date” teaser image for issue #51 of Astonishing X-Men, out in June. The wedding issue will come from new creative team of writer Marjorie Liu and artist Mike Perkins, who begin on issue #48 out this month. It was also revealed that the secret project that the Ultimate Spider-Man team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli are working on turned out to be none other than Spider-Men, the supposed team-up title starring main Marvel Universe Spider-Man, Peter Parker, and Ultimate Marvel Universe Spider-Man, Miles Morales, that Marvel teased a few weeks ago. Spider-Men #1 kicks off in June. Finally, Marvel teased a new Captain Marvel ongoing, beginning in July. As was previously revealed, Captain Marvel will be making a triumphant return within the pages of Avengers Vs. X-Men.

Last week, DC Entertainment’s new website went live, featuring redesigned pages for the publisher’s three imprints: DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD. The new site, adorned with DC’s new “peel” logo and large scrolling marquee, has been streamlined and simplified, and urges fans to “Interact, React [and] Respond” by integrating social media such as Facebook comments and Twitter feeds. The new site will also regularly feature exclusive content (presumably on its blog), and offer a convenient way for fans to follow and research their favorite characters and titles.

DC Comics released new solicitation information for the much-anticipated “Before Watchmen” line of comics coming out this summer, including release dates for four of its #1 issues beginning with Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #1 on June 6, followed by Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1 on the 13^th, and the Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre and Before Watchmen: Comedian for the two weeks after that. DC also revealed that each issue will have a number of variant by big name artists such as Jim Lee (one of DC’s Co-Publishers) and Dave Johnson.

Artist Changes on Batwoman, Detective Comics

In what has been a trend since the New 52 began last fall, DC Comics announced artist changes, this time for two of its Bat-books. Beginning in Detective Comics #10, Ed Benes (current artist of Red Lanterns) will fill in for three issues for Tony Daniel, who has been writing and drawing the title since issue #1. Daniel will still provide the scripts for said issues and is set to return with issue #13. Then, for Batwoman #9-11, Trevor McCarthy will fulfill artist duties in lieu of Amy Reeder, who had just recently taken over for J.H. Williams III (who is also the series writer). Reeder left the title, citing creative differences and a working situation she described as “untenable.” Batwoman is one of the New 52’s most popular books, but possesses its share of ups and downs, most notably being delayed and resolicited a number of times leading up to its release. Williams is set to return to artist duties on issue #12.

Recently reborn publisher Valiant Comics beefed up its upcoming roster of titles with the announcement of two new series. This July comes Bloodshot, by writer Duane Swierczynski (The Immortal Iron Fist) and artists Manuel Garcia (Checkmate) and Arturo Lozzi, follows a literal everyman soldier with enhanced military capabilities as he escapes enemy clutches. Then in August there’s Archer and Armstrong, by writer Fed Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man, The Hulk) and artist Clayton Henry (Uncanny X-Men), about a young assassin trained by the mysterious organization The Sect, who goes rogue after joining forces with his first target. The two titles will join Valiant’s previously announced series, X-O Manowar (out in May) and Harbinger (June).

Comics Sales Surge in February

Things are looking up in 2012 for the comic book industry, with February following January’s lead and showing significant increases over the same time a year ago. According to industry news site ICv2, February’s combined comic book and graphic novel sales are up 20.11% over that of 2011. DC Comics nabbed the top ten selling comic books (as well as the top selling graphic novel, Batman: Gates of Gotham), while Marvel boasted a greater dollar share (35.92% to DC’s 29.47%). Surprisingly, IDW grabbed the third spot with 6.66%, a high point for the publisher which can be attributed in part to the release of the first volume of its new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle series.

The East Coast Black Age of Comics Con officially announced the nominees for its annual Glyph Comics awards, celebrating the best comics “made by, for, and about people of color.” Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli are up for Best Writer and Best Artist, respectively, for their work on Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1, which is up for Story of the Year. Other notable superhero entries are Jeff Parker for his work in Marvel’s Thunderbolts, Brandon Thomas for his work on Archaia’s The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury (also up for Story of the Year), and Thunderbolts’ Luke Cage, Ultimate Spider-Man’s Miles Morales, and DC’s Mr. Terrific up for Best Male Character.