yeah, i heard abut it too..hopefully marvel won’t turn into a kid centered brand..i know they already have kid friendly stuff but hopefully they won’t focus on that..what do you think?

Saw this at Sky News halg an hour ago.

Prepare for a Daredevil/Darkwing Duck Crossover!

X P

howard the duck can finally go and meet his long lost brother..donald duck.

All I can say is that this better not fuck up the quality of the stories.

Disney Zombies.

Think about it.

PS. Jafar is a mutant.

The Incredibles vs Fantastic Four!

Yay!

NNNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY IS EVERYONE AGAINST ME ON THIS!?

It’s understandable to have a negative gut reaction, but let’s think about this reasonably:

Disney and Marvel have separate brand identities. Disney-owned studios have no doubt generated plenty of income for the conglomerate by making quality fare for adult audiences, possibly with R-ratings. (I’d have to research this, but i’m certain Buena Vista Pictures, at least, is a Disney subsidiary.)

All this buyout means, for now, is that Disney will be reaping the profits off Marvel’s ideas. Nothing more.

I’m more worried about peripheral imprints like ICON that specifically cater to Mature Readers audiences. Although some titles, like Powers, can simply head back to their old publisher, Image. Heck, even Brubaker’s excellent Criminal would probably get better promotion at Image or even Dynamite.

Likewise, I can’t imagine The Mouse being pleased about the upcoming film based on Millar’s Kick-Ass.

But anything that’s proven to be a cash cow for the mainstream characters (like Punisher MAX, for example) ought to be relatively safe from censure, as long as it remains profitable.

@Paolo Cruz

So once Daredevil or Iron Fist starts underperforming, Disney has the power to turn Daredevil into the lovable DareAngel?

NNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Bim

I know you’re being facetious now, but there’s still a hint of unease in your tone. So here’s my bold prediction:

Sanitizing Marvel’s content would defeat the purpose of Disney paying so much for the brand. They didn’t spend a fortune just to mangle the properties they’ve acquired.

I honestly think it’s gonna be “live and let live”, at least as far as the comics go. If anything, it’s the movies that might stand to be watered down, since they’re aimed at a more “general” audience.

The only comics that might face serious censure would probably be fringe stuff like Marvel Zombies, or Marvel Apes. (Which I’ve always regarded as superfluous, to begin with.)

If you’re legitimately worried about censure, the best test cases to observe, I think, will be Runaways and Spiderman Loves Mary Jane. Those are titles that could be marketed as “transition” series for audiences that were weaned on Disney material (HSM, Hannah Montana, etc.)… well, superficially, anyway.

However, Runaways (in particular) has plenty of elements that are decidedly anathema to the Disney approach: casual teen sex, implied weed use, etc. If those aspects get toned down appreciably over the coming months, i’d worry about the influence of The Mouse on “The House of Ideas”.

But I’m positive that established heavyweights like DD and Iron Fist aren’t going to be toned down. The most profitable AND critically acclaimed runes on those titles have also been those by writers who had a solid background in noir/crime material (Bendis on Jinx and Goldfish; Brubaker on Sleeper and Scene of the Crime, etc.) Even if sales drop after Diggle’s run begins, it would be a smart business decision to just replace him with a writer who has a similarly gritty repertoire, like Jason Aaron (Scalped) or even Brian Azzarello (assuming he’s not DC exclusive).

@Paolo Cruz

Yeah, I’m hoping to high heaven that your prediction comes true, but I still wouldn’t want any of the fringe stuff to be touched. I don’t want any watered down comics or movies.

You’ve seen Hulk VS, right? Fucking kick ass animation right there. If The Mouse disapproves of such violent content, and makes a G rated version of Wolverine and Hulk, I’d have to send them a strongly worded letter.

To say I’m uneasy is actually an understatement. I am frightened. I am honestly scared for the characters I’ve grown to love over the years. I know, yeah, Warner Brothers’ got DC and that’s why they have Looney Tunes/ Superman crossovers, which is, without much exaggeration, a cause for concern.

Well, I guess we’ll all have to wait and see. But I’ll be goddamned if Marvel gets gimped because of Disney.

Also, you know what makes me even more scared? You mentioned “Hannah Montanah.”

Being the nice guy that he always is, Stan Lee is optimistic about this and was even quoted that combining “the best with the best” assures us that “everybody wins.”..

Hhmm. I’m still suspicious about the whole thing. Marvel’s in good shape. Why did they have to sell it.. and of all companies, why Disney?

@Markus

Well, I think Marvel didn’t necessarily have to sell their shares, unless it was for a good price. It all boils down to money, basically. Every share got $30 and each shareholders got .70 something shares in Disney for every share they owned at Marvel. That’s a huge thing.

Disney has deep pockets and it’s something from which Marvel can capitalize. I do hope the comics don’t get touched and the movies get bigger budgets but never dumbed down. I do hope they continue with pushing-the-limit PG13 direct-to-DVD movies such as Hulk VS.

i just read something on the net which i really agreed with..who would not want to see a Marvel/Pixar movie? i hated this at the start too bim..but think about it..Hulk Vs…but in 3d.

Dude, Pixar isn’t the only company that can do fantastic 3D. Have you seen this shit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–hxC-fpX9k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qUUHbC1aZg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5HJogYwVNo

yup, i’ve seen it..it’s the only one they came out with right? that one is so good..but what i’m saying is that now that marvel and pixar are both parts of disney maybe we can possibly get a full length movie or a series like that..just try to see a little good in this, try not to focus on the spider-man/hannah montana crossover..or zac efron playing matt murdock..i’m guessing you’ll go on a killing spree if the second one happens..am i right?

The Pixar thing doesn’t excite me all that much. There are other edgier 3D animation companies out there. What does give me hope is that Marvel has the money now, just like how WB is DC’s sugar daddy.

Once Zac Efron gets tagged to play Matt Murdock, I will use up my savings to buy a first class ticket to New York, walk up to the Marvel Entertainment AND TAKE A SHIT ON THEIR DOORSTEP!!!!

maybe marvel is losing money.i hope there wont be ‘crossovers’like the ones written here in the comment.

@Idspinay

They were not, in fact, losing money. I read their financial report somewhere. The smallest net profits came from the publishing business, while the biggest ones came from the movies and licensing.

There probably will be crossovers, much like there are crossovers between Looney Tunes and DC, as both are WB properties.

Their selling off their shares is just a way to ensure longevity of Marvel, as well as a way to make grossly large sums of money.