Fans who think information travels too fast these days, this one is for you. Marvel is taking a decidedly old school approach to giving everyone a sneak peek at how the Marvel Universe is going to look after Secret Wars wraps up, one that will benefit folks who frequent comic shops.
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It’s coming in the form of All-New, All-Different Marvel Previews, a 64-page full color magazine announced this week that will be in stores on July 1. Not only will it contain “explosively striking images of Marvel’s new lineup coming in the latter half of 2015 from the industry’s top creators” (emphasis Marvel’s), it’s also going to be given away for free.
Marvel took some pains to point out that the magazine will be instead of and not in addition to announcements on the internet, essentially giving people who go to their LCS the first crack at info that is usually disseminated these days in other ways.
“This is a great way to reward fans who visit their local comic shops,” Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing, David Gabriel, said in a press release. “The comic industry has undergone a renaissance this past year, starting with the launch of the new Thor #1 last fall. Comic shops have reported increased traffic, new customers, and higher sales. Free Comic Book Day 2015 was the biggest and best it’s ever been! We’re thrilled to say thank you by officially revealing the All New, All Different Marvel directly to those customers found in comic shops.”
Since comic announcements mostly interest people who buy comics, it makes sense, even if it’s a little bit of a different strategy than we’ve seen from the company leading into its last initiative (which I think was Avengers NOW!, though it’s hard to keep track) when the idea was to hit TV and try to cast the biggest net possible to grab some new readers.
Not that Marvel is ignoring all the other methods it has to spread the word, because All-New, All-Different Marvel Previews will be released digitally after July 1, and the company is promising “an extensive press and marketing rollout extending throughout the rest of the year.” But this is a good reason to get to your shop of choice the first Wednesday of next month, because you’ll be as in the know as anyone about what’s coming after Secret Wars — including me, I guess, though I’m planning on grabbing one of these magazines too.
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