The current industry is in a bit of a resurgence.  The Big Two, DC and Marvel, have major universe changing events finishing up, and the smaller publishers, such as Dark Horse and IDW have strong titles and licenses in their line ups.  In my opinion, this is the best time for comics since the mid 1980's.

 

DC is currently the industry leader from my perspective.  What it has done with Inifinite Crisis, the follow on 52 series, and the revamp/relaucnhes of ongoing series such as JLA, JSA, and Green Lantern, is simply superb.  DC currently has the best writers, the best artists, and the best editorial vision.  With the likes of Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Scriver working at DC, they should maintain a significant lead over rival Marvel.

 

DC Comics has its formula for reinventing and revamping its line ups.  Yes, it looks a bit hackneyed and simplistic, but it works for the DC universe.  They established it over 20 ears ago, and have continually refined the formula since then.  It works for DC, it is their gimmick to keep everything fresh and topical.

 

Marvel on the other hand is in trouble.  The Civil War concept and implementation has been good.  It has been a great read, and takes the Marvel universe into a whole new realm.  However, it is fraught with problems, and I feel that it ultimately will hamstring the Marvel universe. 

 

To use a popular phrase, Marvel I don't feel has a good "exit strategy" for Civil War.  I resere final judgement untill the Initiative series has played out, but I just don't see a way out of the end scenes of Civil War that will prove to be satisfying and "logical" in the context of the Marvel Universe.  Too much has happened to to many characters, some changes altering the fundamental nature and perception of long established characters.

 

Marvel would have been better served by using Civil War as a universe ending event.  Razing everything to the ground, allowing for a new start.  Marvel has been facing a problem that DC first encountered back in the early 1980's, in that all the history, all the lore has burdened the universe, and limited the writers in too many ways.  DC developed its "alternate earths" and "crisis" formula to correct this, and effectively relaunch all the main titles and characters. While this formula works for DC, it wouldn't be appropriate to Marvel.

 

Marvel needs to begin a new (see other column for how I'd do it).  It needs to effectively start with a new slate, and bring everything up to the 21st century.  There are many pitfalls with this sort of plan, but with some careful editorial control and vision (Joe Quesada will probably have to go for this to work), it could begin a new revival of Marvel, rivaling the period of the late 1960's to early 1980's.  Doubt it will happen though.  Not enough courage and vision at Marvel to do it, nor do they have the right writing talent to pull it off.

 

Marvel has a problem in that for writers, it's relying too much on names.  It's not about the quality of the writing, but in trying to garner more sales by hiring wirters with names recognizable outside the industry.  People like Joss Whedon (a good writer, just not all that great on X-titles), and J.Michael Strazynski (Can this man ever properly finish a story line??), get top billings and "elite" titles.  Marvel also tries too hard to be "edgy."  They think they're pushing the envelope, and in some ways they are, but for the most part, it's just shock for the sake of shock.  Marvel needs to get back to its "core," and should learn more from the efforts of the "Golden Age of Marvel" writers, artists, and editors.

 

The rest of the publishers are going strong, if in limited markets.  Dark Horse has certainly put itself firmly into the top tier of publishers.  The new Conan series, revived under the direction of Kurt Busiek, is simply amazing.  The scripting of the stories, in conjunction with the art work, is among the best Conan work, if not the best.  Their revamped Star Wars line is also incredible. Following up on the incredibly writen Clone Wars story lines, DH is taking Star Wars in new and exciting directions. Between Knights of the Old Republic (set during the Mandalorian War), and the short series Dark Times (set between Episode III and A New Hope), Star Wars is proven to be in very capable hands.

 

There are the small press publishers as well.  IDW has had good short series runs, such as an adaptation of The Keep, and the current series Impaler from Image also ranks up there.  Other publishers are making their pressence known, such as Dynamite, who are putting out Red Sonja and the excellent Lone Ranger.  Others are out there as well, such as Top Cow and Avalon, which rely on established titles (Lady Death, Witchblade), and secondary licenses (GI Joe, Trabsformers). 

 

In the end, the over all quality level industry wide is at its highest point.  Sales may fluctuate all over, but the state of the product is great, from the smallest publishers, to the big two.