First thing one of my fellow employees says to me this morning is, “So, Marvel going to issue an apology?”
Why he’s asking me, I don’t know. At this point the folks at the House of Ideas are just fine with their Brave New World and at this point, there’s nothing to do but wait and ride this out (Ike’s gearing up for a dozen roses I’m sure of it).
That is, until a kid comes in with his dad looking for an Iron Man comic. One of the other guys takes them under his wing and shows off our spiffy ‘kid friendly’ corner and notes that Iron Man happens to be in the most awesome book ever, Marvel Adventures: Avengers. The kid is not satisfied; he wants a book about Iron Man only. My fellow clerk gives me a look of helplessness and I nearly drop my stocking clipboard as my worst fear has been realized. The dad goes over to the new comics section as we have to explain that, no, his son might not be ready for the newer Iron Man books. The back issue bin is dived into as I look to the Trade Paperback shelves and see nothing but ‘Demon in a Bottle’, ‘House of M: Iron Man’, ‘Heroes Reborn: Iron Man’ and the recent trade wherein a kid is blatantly shot by SHIELD. While I hit the back and come out with an Essential Iron Man vol. 1, I find they’ve already left.
With the first couple issues of the Warren Ellis story.
Unsurprisingly, Dad comes back and asks if he can return them. No problem, says I, and begin guiding them back to the back issues. Color was important to the young man (maybe… 6?), so the Essentials was out. So was the reprint of Tales to Astonish #39 ( a Marvel Milestone edition) because he liked the red and yellow Iron Man. “Red and gold,” the little boy corrects and now it’s my solemn duty to make sure he leaves happy. I show them all the older annuals, thinking a done in one story from yesteryear might do the trick. Sent away as the little boy wanted his dad to show him the books (not some crummy girl, I mean the kid’s like 6), I sigh with relief as I hear the child exclaim, “Oh, that’s the one I want! Can we get it please?”
We sell them an annual (#15 I think) and an issue with Iron Man busting commie rockets in space at our sale discount and everyone goes home happy. This time.
Thank God Marvel Adventures: Iron Man comes out in May. I don’t think my heart could take another one of those.
4 Comments
Sounds like the exact sort of thing I went through when the Daredevil movie came out. And the Hulk movie.
Do not get me started on that piece of crap 25-cent issue they put out around the Hulk movie. Because promoting a movie with a book containing no basic conception of the character, sexual harassment and oh, what was it, like freakin’ shot of the Hulk’s ELBOW in it is really going to appeal to the masses?! Yikes.
Everything’s going according to plan at the House of Ideas…
I hadn’t read the Hulk in a couple of years when that 25 cent issue came out and so I picked it up. I remembered wondering why the Hulk wasn’t in his own comic.
Marvel AND DC make no bones about their mainstream books not being for kids. If a character is not part of the Johnny DC or Marvel Adventures line, tough.
Which is why I was so thankful for Jeff Smith’s Shazam. A new Captain Marvel book that my child can read - amazing!
Mr. Keeper, I had been wondering that very same question myself for quite some issues before and after. Let’s just say when Peter David made a cliffhanger out of everything after his first run on the book being a dream? There was a mighy happy Carla until reality kicked in.
Not only is the new Shazam fun and entertaining all around, it’s not pandering or ‘anime’ to catch kids’s attentions. Not everything has to be XTREME, you know. It can just be a good story
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[...] Little boy enters comics shop with Dad, wants to buy Iron Man comic; retailer nearly driven nuts trying to find one suitable for a younger reader. (Link via Dorian Wright.) [...]