One More Day/Brand New Day

If you believe that the voices on the Internet represents the majority of comic book readers, then the new Amazing Spider-Man run is going to sell around 20,000 copies an issue which would make it one of Marvel's lowest selling titles. I'm basing this on the fact that the book currently sells around 100,000 copies and Internet polling shows about an 80% unfavorable rating.

I'm very anxious to see the actual sales numbers in a couple months. I also believe that the book is still going to be selling around 100,000 copies an issue. Since the book is shipping three times a month, you're looking at around 300,000 copies of Spider-Man being sold a month, which will be a lot more than the combined sales of Amazing, Sensational and Friendly a few months back.

I don't have a problem with people bitching about the story. It's certainly their right to complain about a comic book that they bought, although there are a few people out there ranting about what they've heard and haven't bothered to actually read the book itself.

What's really unsettling is the over the top reaction by a lot of people out there. A majority of the fans seem unable to make their case for why the books are bad without resorting to profanity or name calling. The people that have destroyed their copies of 'One More Day' amuse me the most, since their way of sticking it to Marvel seems to be to pay for the book (and generate sales) but then mutilate it, leaving them with nothing. Still others just don't get the idea that Spider-Man, like Batman, Superman and every other Marvel and DC book are corporate properties.

Sigh.

Here's an entertaining sampling of some of the 'edgy' critiques of the book:

Tough guy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u0S3HuCMrg&feature=related

His rear end must be sore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtjGKDKCMPE

Not a good idea to use a child proof lighter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IcsW3ftreY

The creme of the crop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ud2CmVXx48

Those were only a few of the more popular ones making the rounds, and it's only a small sample of what's out there regarding the current Spider-Man storyline.

As a comic book reader and fan, I feel guilty by association with these people. The media in general seems to have stopped using the whole 'BAM'/'POW' crap when discussing comic books but thanks to outlets like Youtube and Message Boards, there is a whole new way to feel shame about comics.