Mark Millar Gives DC and Marvel Some Advice

Veteran Superman writer Mark Millar shares his opinions on what Marvel and DC should be doing to revive the comic industry.

Comic book writer Mark Millar has shared his opinions on the current state of the comic book industry, and how Marvel and DC can tackle them.

In an interview with Thinking Critical, Millar, renowned for comics such as Superman: Red Son, Civil War, Wanted, and Kingsman, talked about his return to DC for a new Superman series. And, in the process, offered a few words of wisdom to the Big Two on ho to revive the struggling industry.

According to Millar, around 20 legendary comic book writers should stage a comeback at both DC and Marvel, for at least two-year runs. Millar emphasized, "We’ve got to man the stations. I think everybody’s got to come in and do a couple of projects and find an artist who’s as good as you can possibly get and just do some killer run on something." Sharing his personal interactions with comic book stores, he asserted, "The retailers, they’re struggling out there. They’re dying. All my friends and retailers are saying it's never been, they’ve never known it as hard as this." His proposal revolves around assembling authors such as Olivier Coipel and Pepe Larraz to execute captivating arcs, envisioning a rejuvenated era of comics.

Millar's vision extends beyond immediate revival as he underlined that Marvel and DC's successes are essential to nurture the growth of creator-owned works. He noted, "The real success comes from the industry. And I'm not talking about as individuals, as creators." He continued, "But the honest truth is that creator-owned growth comes from Marvel and DC doing well." The writer also did not shy away from critiquing the current output of major companies. He urged the two comic giants to raise their standards, “Obviously, there’s some great books. There’s two or three good books, I think, at DC right now. But you need 20 good books. There needs to be 20 great books.”

Millar also drew parallels with past eras of comic book excellence, recalling the 90s, 80s, and 60s when a bulk number of comic books used to make fans financially torn between options. "And nobody’s in that position anymore. Everybody’s like, ‘Yeah, there’s only two things worth checking out.'” Millar admitted that his ambition is to rekindle the quality of quantity on the levels of the industry's golden days, where fans can once again find themselves eagerly clutching a stack of must-read issues.

In the meantime, Mark Millar's latest comic, Big Game #2, a sequel to Wanted, is now available in stores.