Chapter 9 Phenomenon and classic

People who live in our world will never know the feeling of longing that people of the Marvel world feels right now.

Ever since the first issue of Captain America official comics become popular among the common people, many cartoonists have imitated it and have caused an endless wave to form only creating copycats.

Up till today, the comic market has become deformed by this wave. Books follow a set routine are all written using the same template with similar plots. Any excellent comics are pitifully rare.

There were predecessors who had wanted to separate the line from superheroes but were only meet with death in the deserted market, swept away from the cusp of history.

Everyone has to look for money some how. Since the risk of being original was too great, of course, weaker cartoonists withdrawn their feet and would rather eat their money then try.

It was against this background that readers are vomiting in boredom when they look at traditional heroes. As long as they read more classical comics that were 'ok' in the past, then they might buy them. They truly wanted to see if any new comics would get an original idea as they urgently needed new comics to fill their annoying empty hearts.

But the result did not go as they wished. On the contrary, this dream helped led the drastic reduction in innovation. Some thick-skinned cartoonists had seized the fluke of the readers.

The only difference in some of the current comics in the marvel world was just the; Name, Superpower, or location name. These differences would matter as the plot would be exactly the same and it would be published as a 'new' comic, defrauding readers of their money.

For example of this: The following exchange comes from two characters from the same cartoonists of this earth.

Protagonist A: I think I had super-strength strong enough to penetrate walls while I was living in New Yolk.

Protagonist B: I got a fire ability while I was in Washington.

Protagonist A: My best friend had disappeared.

Protagonist B: My best friend also had disappeared.

Protagonist A: I was forced to embark on the road of heroism.

Protagonist B: Yo, me too.

Protagonist A: My girlfriend asked me to a dance, but I broke my promise go.

Protagonist B: Haha, Me too, but I had planned to watch a movie with her.

Protagonist A: I will never go low enough to kill when I fight criminals, even if they keep escaping prison.

Protagonist B: Me too, I'm a hero after all.

Protagonist A: Just when the earth was in danger of being destroyed, I stood in front and fought back, and finally I died as a hero.

Protagonist B: How relatable, I did too.

...

That's not to say everyone in the comic market are like this, it's just that comics based or even directly copying themes from Captain America are really plentiful, and people had become desperate for a new story. They had even started to give up the spirit of entertainment when it came to comics.

That was when 'One Punch Man' was born. It was not the work of some big-name cartoonist, nor did it stick to the overdone templates and routines everyone else did. The publishing company had even changed its name moments before it's release. The person in charge is rumoured to even be a young man.

With the three words title and painting style, The setting was reshaping the world view the world held for heroes and making fans fall into a craze.

Just like with drugs, the more the product, the more flavourful it is, the less people will put up with lesser products. Those unoriginal comics had become tasteless to the readers and it was not a pity for the readers to give them up.

The comic industry was like stagnant water. Devoid of any vitality, but this one afternoon had completely stirred up the pool. The entire industry was shocked.

-

Location change- Marvel Comics Publishing building.

"Hello, yes sir, this is Marvel, What?!?! You also want a thousand copies, I'm really sorry sir but we have gone out of stock ourselves too, We are stilling printing it. Don't worry, we will notify you as soon as it can be delivered."

At this current time, the office area in the company was very hot. The ringing of telephones became a consent sound and the only seven employees and editor-in-chief Andy had become busy answering them.

The new issue of 'Shōnen Jump' had been printed to only 50,000 copies. But in the end, Andy had to hire temporary workers just to answer the phones while he went to the printing factory to ask them to work overtime to continue printing the orders.

Everything had been normal when the comic was released in the morning, but at barely the start of the afternoon, the phones starting ringing nonstop.

Today was still only the first day of the release of the One Punch Man comic book, and the number of direct prints had already reached 55,000 copies in the afternoon. This was a number never seen in this company since it was founded.

Andy knows better that such a rate of bursting for the first twenty four hours is normally only 100,000 copies. Hell even 200,000 can be reached if the comic started strong.

So such a record was set by the strength of the phenomenon-level comic published and distributed by the "American Team", but this kind of crazy buying craze was never again erupted in the last few decades.

There is no doubt in anyones minds at this point that Lucien's comics can become the backbone of the whole comic industry and the "American Team" as long as the interest does not collapse after today.

Even the New Yolk Times and other media platforms have become invested in this once boring comic market, and have become keenly aware of the reshuffling of power.

. . . . . . .

Lucien didn't know that his comic has become so popular that it had even attract attention from different news media. After breakfast, Lucien and Gali continued to draw the next "One Punch Man" comic in the study room.

At the same time though, Lucien was also waiting for the fans' value in the system to increase.

With the passage of time, his fan value slowly increased from zero to a five, before it begin to explode upwards once the time of day entered the afternoon.

Looking at the now ever-changing number, Lucien smiled directly and became ecstatic.

Everyone able to read this should know that these fans created 'fan points' that are consumables for the lottery part of his system, and all the things drawn will be the basis for what his foothold is in the Marvel Universe.

Just as Lucien became happy, Gali looked at him as if caring for the idiot. When suddenly the phone rang. Lucien put down his paintbrush gently and picked up his phone, answering the call.

"Lucien, you are amazing. I would even say that your father is not as good as you. 'One Punch Man' has become completely popular, and the Twitter rating index says it in the top five trending right now. At present, the printing has reached over 55,000 copies, and accurate data of our earning are still being calculated. Are you aware of what your comic is being called? A pillar that stands side by side with the official Captain America comic published by the 'American Team'."

Lucien who had answered the phone heard his Uncle Andy's crackling shout come from the speaker, as he wanted to share the good news with him.

When Lucien heard the last sentence though, he raised his brow and blandly scolded: "Uncle Andy calm down, this is just a small feat. "

Even if "One Punch Man" was super fierce, it was a short-to-medium length comic, and even if Lucien is not the original author it won't be changed by much.

It is not really comparable with the official Captain America comic series, especially as he only has one comic at the moment. Perhaps after he enters more comics in the future, the popularity of 'One punch man' will reduce, and writers from this world might challenge him at this time.

He took many factors to become popular, but Lucien could not change the marvel worlds illogical and arbitrary setting.

Weaknesses will be exposed over time. Success in the one punch kill, but also defeat will be killed in a punch. The necessary 'passage' of classic comics is lost.

After all, "One Punch Man" can indeed be called a phenomenon-level comic that is the focus of many discussions for a period of time, but it will not become a classic comic that can be still called popular decades later.

There are many phenomenon-level comics, but there are very few that will always remain in people's minds as a classic.

To become a rival against the 'American Team' who can only be defeated based on classics, "One Punch Man" is only a pioneer.

"...You are right, I'm taking our luck for granted"-Andy was immediately awakened from his complacency by Lucien's reminder. Others did not know of the world after One punch man, but he had become aware thanks to Lucien early.

Today, 'One Punch Man' was starting a wave caused by it's uniqueness tiring the stagnant water of the current comic market. But in fact, once this wave is over, other comics may gain a chance to take over from 'One Punch Man' and the marvel company will have to regain its status.

Those who preach about 'One Punch Man' are mostly fans who have loss their minds and grasp over their life on the concept of superheroes in comics. When they wake up tomorrow after the wave, will they face this comic the same way?

Any way, at this moment...A new age of comics have began to roll a path over the entire world.