Mark Millar used MySpace to promote Kick-Ass. He's the one who's stirring shit up right between Marvel and DC with his upcoming project with his "Civil War" partnern artist Steve McNiven. The upcoming project is "Nemesis." But you know all this stuff. It seems pretty clear to me that it Mark Millar is responsible for all of it...
Comic books have never been more popular than they are right now. History will show that we are in the midst of a new golden age of comic books. It's bigger than a golden age. This shit is platinum. Marvel comics just announced a promotional event where retailers and customers were asked to mail in unsold copies of DC Comic titles associated with their largest event of the year, "Blackest Night" by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.
The two companies have co-existed, albeit at a distance, for a long time and the relationship has been nothing short of neighborly. [need specifics, softball league?] So what's happened that caused Marvel to adopt a new promotions strategy?
Mark Millar is what happened. He was an orignal architect of Marvel's Ultimate Universe with the Ultimates and the introduction of the Ultimate Fantastic Four with Brian Michael Bendis. Due to health emergencies and other factors that i don't know about, led Millar to leave Marvel and venture into the world of independent comics. The result is nothing short extraordinary.
Millar wrote "Wanted" for Top Cow some time later. the comic book was an instant success and eventually got adapted into a feautre film and made buckets of money. And now his second comic book project, "Kick-Ass," is destined to set even higher totals.
"Nemesis" -- the cover art with Heath Ledger and Christian Bale from "Dark Knight" caused quite a stir a few weeks ago. And now Marvel announces this new trade-in promotion? Millar riled everyone up at Marvel.
