VEI Success?

Cyberstrike · Post by **Cyberstrike** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:01 pm

BruceReville wrote:Knock either IDW or Dark Horse out of the top 5

Dark Horse=MAYBE

IDW=NO WAY.

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 4:48 pm

I thought Image was the weakest of the top 5.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 5:16 pm

Chiclo wrote:I thought Image was the weakest of the top 5.

They are, closely followed by IDW, Dynamite and then Boom Studios.

VEI will not get close to any of the top 5 inside 3 to 5 years, the industry is just too small to grow that fast.

icefan13 · Post by **icefan13** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:00 pm

Be among the Top 3 in Digital Comic sales. That is the future of the industry and would lead to success for VEI.

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:04 pm

icefan13 wrote:Be among the Top 3 in Digital Comic sales. That is the future of the industry and would lead to success for VEI.

That's just crazy. You can't bind digital comics!

BloodShot · Post by **BloodShot** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:17 pm

Chiclo wrote:I thought Image was the weakest of the top 5.

They're still in the Top 5? Then "weakest" would be an understatement.

dhudson1 · Post by **dhudson1** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:32 pm

Chiclo wrote:
icefan13 wrote:Be among the Top 3 in Digital Comic sales. That is the future of the industry and would lead to success for VEI.
That's just crazy. You can't bind digital comics!

You can, but it ruins an iPad.

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:33 pm

icefan13 wrote:Be among the Top 3 in Digital Comic sales. That is the future of the industry and would lead to success for VEI.

Nice first post, welcome to the board!

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:39 pm

wrunow wrote:
icefan13 wrote:Be among the Top 3 in Digital Comic sales. That is the future of the industry and would lead to success for VEI.
Nice first post, welcome to the board!

Indeed, and likewise.

leonmallett · Post by **leonmallett** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:37 am

Elveen wrote:IMO, success = sustainability.

The only way to view success is what Elveen says.

Success will be (in my view) if VEI are still publishing comic books (printed or digital) with new material in 2017, meaning 5 years of sustained success which would hopefully see them right. I guess the original 5-year business plan went askew, but I may well be wrong.

Second_Death · Post by **Second_Death** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:08 am

Daniel Jackson wrote:I sure don't envy the task of trying to launch a new comic book company in today's climate. I just hope they are paying attention to the way Dark Horse has been handling the GK books and know that you cannot expect a line to survive that way.

Amen, brother.

Second_Death · Post by **Second_Death** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:12 am

cplsimon wrote:
Daniel Jackson wrote:
xodacia81 wrote:
My real hope is they can become the best written line of superhero books in the business.
Amen.
Yep yep.

x3.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:48 am

There are ways to make them the best written. For starters:

# 1. Yes, it can still be the world outside your window, but that doesn't mean making it deathly dull. Realism, if done right, can exist alongside fantasy.

# 2. It's the world outside our window, right? Let's take advantage of what that means.

# 3. Dialogue that doesn't sound like something from an 1893 stage play or a 1965 comic book.

# 4. Characters that might not always be likeable, but are at least compelling and, more often than not, understandable.

# 5. Stories that do not drag, yet do not pass along so quickly that they are over before you realize they've begun.

David_Cody · Post by **David_Cody** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:21 pm

Seems obvious, but I'd keep the portfolio small. One of the problems with V1 is that they had far too many books and the writing suffered, big time.

Heck, if they could put out:

- A&A (with BWS...I know a man can dream)
- X-O
- Harbinger (with Shooter writing)
- Shadowman

And make them turn a profit, they could then think about adding a few more.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:46 pm

david_albuq wrote:Seems obvious, but I'd keep the portfolio small. One of the problems with V1 is that they had far too many books and the writing suffered, big time.

Heck, if they could put out:

- A&A (with BWS...I know a man can dream)
- X-O
- Harbinger (with Shooter writing)
- Shadowman

And make them turn a profit, they could then think about adding a few more.

I'd add something like Rai, Bloodshot or a flipbook featuring both. Keep it to 5 books for the first 18 months or so. That would be good. As to Shooter...I'd rather Bob Hall on Shadowman than Shooter on Harbinger and I do not see Shooter coming back to VEI unless there is a major reconciliation.

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 1:13 pm

xodacia81 wrote:
david_albuq wrote:Seems obvious, but I'd keep the portfolio small. One of the problems with V1 is that they had far too many books and the writing suffered, big time.

Heck, if they could put out:

- A&A (with BWS...I know a man can dream)
- X-O
- Harbinger (with Shooter writing)
- Shadowman

And make them turn a profit, they could then think about adding a few more.
I'd add something like Rai, Bloodshot or a flipbook featuring both. Keep it to 5 books for the first 18 months or so. That would be good. As to Shooter...I'd rather Bob Hall on Shadowman than Shooter on Harbinger and I do not see Shooter coming back to VEI unless there is a major reconciliation.

Stranger things have happened than Shooter working for VEI again, but I would think it's rather doubtful as I would think Warren Simons would like to put his own "stamp" on the new Valiant books. As much as I like and respect the "VALIANT Old Guard", I would rather see new current talent working on these characters with the perspective of today's readers without alienating the readers from the 90's who are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's now.

I think some of the "Old Guard" would be perfect for fill in issues, and it's something they could make a big deal about. Also, as I've said before, some BWS covers would be awesome and would appeal to everyone I would think.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 1:40 pm

wrunow wrote:
xodacia81 wrote:
david_albuq wrote:Seems obvious, but I'd keep the portfolio small. One of the problems with V1 is that they had far too many books and the writing suffered, big time.

Heck, if they could put out:

- A&A (with BWS...I know a man can dream)
- X-O
- Harbinger (with Shooter writing)
- Shadowman

And make them turn a profit, they could then think about adding a few more.
I'd add something like Rai, Bloodshot or a flipbook featuring both. Keep it to 5 books for the first 18 months or so. That would be good. As to Shooter...I'd rather Bob Hall on Shadowman than Shooter on Harbinger and I do not see Shooter coming back to VEI unless there is a major reconciliation.
Stranger things have happened than Shooter working for VEI again, but I would think it's rather doubtful as I would think Warren Simons would like to put his own "stamp" on the new Valiant books. As much as I like and respect the "VALIANT Old Guard", I would rather see new current talent working on these characters with the perspective of today's readers without alienating the readers from the 90's who are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's now.

I think some of the "Old Guard" would be perfect for fill in issues, and it's something they could make a big deal about. Also, as I've said before, some BWS covers would be awesome and would appeal to everyone I would think.

I think having KVH do, say, a Bloodshot miniseries, would be perfect. I'm actually of the opinion that they should go for NEW writers, truly new blood. People with a passion for the books who can write the hell out of the material. This is a chance to create a new VALIANT and it is truly exciting. That said, I want Bob Hall to handle all things Shadowman related.

StarBrand · Post by **StarBrand** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:05 pm

Elveen wrote:IMO, success = sustainability.

Good answer. After that, add quality product and making their release dates.

dave · Post by **dave** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:57 pm

StarBrand wrote:
Elveen wrote:IMO, success = sustainability.
Good answer. After that, add quality product and making their release dates.

Add another ditto.

Veen may have slowed down as noted in another thread, but look at the quality!

leonmallett · Post by **leonmallett** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 12:21 pm

xodacia81 wrote:I think having KVH do, say, a Bloodshot miniseries, would be perfect. I'm actually of the opinion that they should go for NEW writers, truly new blood. People with a passion for the books who can write the hell out of the material. This is a chance to create a new VALIANT and it is truly exciting. That said, I want Bob Hall to handle all things Shadowman related.

Quoted for agreement re: Bob Hall and Shadowman; one of my favourite comic book runs of all time. Great work, and great is a word I don't use lightly in this instance.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:31 pm

leonmallett wrote:
xodacia81 wrote:I think having KVH do, say, a Bloodshot miniseries, would be perfect. I'm actually of the opinion that they should go for NEW writers, truly new blood. People with a passion for the books who can write the hell out of the material. This is a chance to create a new VALIANT and it is truly exciting. That said, I want Bob Hall to handle all things Shadowman related.
Quoted for agreement re: Bob Hall and Shadowman; one of my favourite comic book runs of all time. Great work, and great is a word I don't use lightly in this instance.

Personally, I think his work on Shadowman is probably the best stuff Valiant ever released and yes, that includes the Shooter stuff on Magnus Solar and Harbinger. Only the early XO issues by Layton & Shooter give it a run for the money. XO is my favorite character, but no book was as solid from start to finish as was Shadowman, and I give Bob Hall full credit for that.