Chapter 57: The Current State of Comics

Back in the early 1970s, Marvel was doing quite well. Even though there weren't any successful movie adaptations, its comic books were performing much better than those from DC. Without DC having strong backing, it would likely have been overshadowed by Marvel. Stan Lee's creativity was evident, as the Avengers seemed more logical than the Justice League.

The Marvel Universe was already taking shape, while DC was still fiddling with parallel universes. DC's universe seemed chaotic, and while the Avengers' IP could expand infinitely, the Justice League faced challenges. Marvel had a unique way of portraying villains; whether it was Hydra or Magneto, they all had distinct characteristics and complete backstories. Thanos and Loki had full personal traits.

On the flip side, DC's villains seemed weaker; the big boss gets defeated in a few moves, leaving Superman and Batman to tackle the problem. Justice League infighting? Not impossible, but it lacked the thrill for the audience.

It was hard to understand why, but it appeared Marvel had traces of copying DC. Even though it wasn't blatant, it was undeniable that the Avengers emerged after the Justice League.

Buying Marvel was something William White couldn't afford; Marvel was the industry leader. Although it wasn't the golden age for comics anymore, buying Marvel was still unlikely. While the movie adaptations weren't as successful as DC's, Marvel's comic books easily outmatched DC's. Acquiring DC was challenging too, unless Warner Bros. wanted to sell, which was improbable.

William White's target wasn't the American market. Ever since Fredric Wertham's theory about comics being harmful emerged, the U.S. comic market took a nosedive. This guy became the nemesis of comic enthusiasts worldwide, criticizing nearly every comic. It was baffling why he went after comics, what triggered him.

During this turmoil, DC suffered the most. Wonder Woman was categorized as, well, a lesbian, and Batman and Robin, something of a dynamic duo. In short, if you wore colored glasses to scrutinize, everything seemed unreasonable.

Batman and Robin seemed nothing unusual; how did they get labeled as gay? It was far-fetched. Didn't Wonder Woman have a boyfriend? How was she labeled like that? Nevertheless, the expert's influence was vast; the 1954 uproar decimated seventy percent of comic companies.

Back then, anything related to homosexuality was seen as heretical, something to be eradicated entirely. Since children read comics, and parents were the ones spending money, the comic companies' defense was feeble, and the parents' choices were a foregone conclusion.

The golden age of comics ended. It's hard to judge if this was good or bad; without the turmoil, many comic characters might not have emerged. There were downsides as well; many comic companies disappeared, and some good works were lost to history.

Comics needed strict review, although not as extreme as the 1950s, it still restricted development. The more popular a comic was, the stricter the review. Creating comics meant not only pleasing the readers but also meeting high standards. Anything deemed inappropriate was barred from sale.

The power of the Comics Code Authority (CCA) was immense, a result of many compromises made during the era of the "comics are harmful" theory. If not for people like Stan Lee, American comics might have been doomed.

William White had detailed plans for comics and absolutely wouldn't succumb to CCA control. In a world where capital influenced everything, he didn't trust the integrity of certain powers. If you failed, nobody cared. If your comics became wildly popular, all sorts of forces would pounce on you.

At that time, William White didn't have the credentials to compete. Without willingness to trade benefits, the DC Comics fiasco wasn't far in the past. 

William White aimed to acquire Marvel and DC, but this was not achievable in the short term. Marvel was doing well, and acquiring it wouldn't be a good deal. DC's valuation was low, and while he could manage a purchase, the company had strong backing, and movie adaptation rights would face hurdles.

Some suggested merging Marvel with DC, William White didn't think it was a good idea. The characters from both companies overlapped significantly. Sure, you could add a little bit here and there as an Easter egg, but merging them wasn't wise.

DC's universe was a mess, nowhere near as clear as the Marvel Universe. If given the chance to purchase both companies, White would plan a full comic universe.

Thinking about this was premature; Marvel hadn't yet started its self-destructive journey. It was baffling that when the company was sold, it wasn't even worth a hundred million dollars.

How did a company with thousands of comic characters look like it was being offloaded as junk? The one who took over was a nutcase too. A perfectly good Marvel was dismantled. If you told me he was a plant from DC, I wouldn't be surprised. It was an endless spiral of self-destruction.

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