Many of you have commented about liking the new September War section on this site, but do you know why September is so important to the comic book industry? I had a long discussion about this topic last night and want to share some of the more important points with you.
The September War is coming!
The September War is Coming
Marvel will be pushing into September with the Age of A.I. and Infinity. DC Comics will wage war with Villain Month and Forever Evil. IDW will make a strong stand as well (more about that here). Image…well, let’s talk about them in a minute.
September from a Business Standpoint
The fourth quarter is possibly the most important quarter of the year for business. No matter how poorly a company is doing during the year, a strong fourth quarter makes investors happy and makes them optimistic about the future. Optimism brings more investor money and more investors. From a retailing perspective, September kicks off the holiday season push and determines if the year’s push was worth every penny or a waste of money. This, though, is not the main reason for the September War in comics.
Let’s Go Back to 2010
During the summer and early fall of 2010, there was only one major piece of comic book industry news which was not cornered by Marvel or DC Comics. Image was in the spotlight because The Walking Dead was going to be making its television debut on AMC at the end of October. Marvel and DC Comics did not like the idea of a “lower company on the totem pole” receiving so much attention. They knew the buzz would be too big during the month of October, so they chose September to steal some of the thunder away and hopefully continue stealing thunder well into October.
The First Shot of the September War
2011 saw the first full shot in the September War when DC Comics launched the New 52. It was one of the boldest moves ever in comics and was geared through the media to take some of the headlines away from Image and The Walking Dead. Most people thought that Marvel was the intended target of the New 52, but it was only a bystander caught in the crossfire with Image.
The September War Today
The Walking Dead reigns supreme on cable and is sure to grab every headline possible throughout the tenth month of the year. Image has grown and is flirting with the 10% mark in market share. DC Comics is scared because it is being threatened by an enemy from the rear. Marvel is afraid because it is better to battle with the enemy you know than the one you never paid attention to because you never felt it was a legitimate threat. IDW Publishing sees an opportunity to strike when the headlines will be on the comic book industry. Image needs to hold its own and wait for the month to pass. It simply needs to sit out the storm and then unleash its own fury.
The September War is the most important event in comics this year. Age of Ultron, Infinity, the deaths of Peter Parker and Damian Wayne, Guardians of the Galaxy, Villain Month, Forever Evil, every new release, every relaunch, Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, and every storyline is secondary to what will happen during September. This single month will make or break the year for each of the top four companies. A loss of market share during the September War will be a disaster for the losers and the greatest of victories for the winners.
