Comic Book Lessons in Analytics — Justice League vs Avengers
Even the best ideas can’t guarantee successful results
We’re going to take a slightly different path today. I’m not going to tell you about how comic book characters use analytics. I’m not even going to tell you a story.
We’re also not going to compare the artistic merits of the Avengers and Justice League movies. I don’t know about you, but I heard enough about that.
This time, I’m actually going to offer a business analysis.
I know, right?
Marvel’s Avengers
No sane person could claim that the 10 years (and 17 movies!) of Marvel’s Avengers connected universe has been anything but wildly successful.
When Avengers: Infinity War is released in May 2018, it’s going to be huge. Actually, it’s already huge. We just can’t watch it yet. I know I’ll be there, and I’m willing to bet I’m going to love it.
I’m actually not the typical Marvel movie fan. I’ve been reading these comics for decades. I knew who every character was before the first MCU movie was released, and I catch the in-jokes and “Easter Eggs” they add for the comic fans.
But Marvel doesn’t need me. Much of the Avenger’s audience was familiar with one or more of their characters, but they didn’t have a long history of reading the comics and studying the characters.
Marvel Studios (Disney) made good movies, and the audience reacted. Before Iron Man was released, most of the Avengers were considered “second-tier” characters. By the time Avengers was released, they were household names.
Justice League
On the other hand, we have the Justice League. Recognize anyone here?
Actually, let’s cut to the core of the matter.
This is the DC Trinity: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. They are arguably the most recognized comic book characters on Earth. Each has 70 years of history, unbelievably detailed life stories, and generations of fans.
They are iconic.
Yet the recent “connected” DCEU movies have been universally panned and shredded by the fans, with one exception: Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman has been acclaimed as good, not great, but it is widely accepted as an example that DC and Warner Brothers can make good movies.
So what’s the problem?
Some say that DC is rushing things, trying to catch up to Marvel. Others say the writing has been sloppy. They hired the wrong directors (or changed directors mid-stream). Each of these arguments has some merit.
It’s actually much simpler than that.
DC put together a solid story for the Justice League movie, but someone along the way missed a crucial step. They thought that having awesome source material, a talented crew, and a massive budget was enough. In many cases, with other stories and other characters, it might have been enough.
But this is the Justice League. They’re already great.
Expectations were high. And when the resulting product was only “good”, the audience was extremely disappointed. People were actually angry. We expected better. We deserved better (not my words, but I heard them a lot).
So let us analyze…
Marvel took a solid stable of well-developed characters and created a massively successful product on a scale that might never be replicated.
DC took some of the most valuable intellectual property in existence and created a decent, profitable product that disappointed many of its customers.
See where I’m going with this? I never said it would be a complex analysis.
When GIGO doesn’t apply
Everyone who works with data, especially in analytics, is familiar with GIGO: garbage in, garbage out. No matter how good your process / system / product might be, you cannot produce quality output without decent input.
Similar rules apply in business. You cannot create a truly valuable product or service unless you have good ideas, materials, or other source matter.
But GIGO is not absolute, in data or in business. You can easily start with the best data /product / idea and fail miserably. That “black box” in the middle represents your work, your time, your investment, and (hopefully) your devoted attention to what your intended consumer wants.
It’s that audience research that DC must have missed. Or disregarded.
Don’t rest on a good idea. Work on it.
A few notes…
I’m going to go ahead and ignore con artists and trash celebrities and other things that make money while having no discernible value. You understand.
And for one of my more business-focused articles, I realize that I ignored one of the oldest and most important rules for success…
In closing, let me also say that do not want to hear arguments concerning Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon. Let it go.
