Like a human centipede...of business

"It's like your 'ol pal Mickey
always says: resistance is futile!"

I'm not, as I may have mentioned before, a business person. I'd like to think I'm reasonably intelligent, but when it comes to the vagaries of the world of mergers and takeovers and acquisitions, I tend to shut down. The how's and the why's and the who cares? of one massive, faceless company absorbing another massive, faceless company just don't interest me. Usually. But this time, I actually kind of want to know, so could someone please explain to me why Marvel Comics acquiring the comic book publishing rights to Alien and Predator is news and not a foregone consequence of the corporate grey goo that is Disney assimilating our pop cultural landscape.

It's not that I care so much as it is I want to understand. Well, ok, I care a little. One gigantic corporation has sucked up virtually every intellectual property in America and like any stranglehold, that's bound to have an impact on creativity sooner or later.

Above: sooner it is.

Pictured: Marvel comics.

Anyway, like I mentioned, Marvel Comics, one of the companies Disney seized and then cocooned like some unfortunate resident of LV-426, bought the rights to publish new-and by new I mean by definition derivative works set in the shared Aliens/Predator universe owned by 20th Century Studios-huh? Yeah, they used to be called 20th Century Fox, but I think they wanted to distance themselves from Fox news and, you know, all the white supremacy that comes with the name.

"You'll be hearing from our mutual lawyers."

-20th Century Studios

But if Disney owns Marvel and 20th Century Studios, why then did one have to buy anything from the other? Aren't they kind of the same thing? Like, can't Marvel's writers just hop the fence and knock on 20th Century Studio's door and ask to borrow a cup of Space Marine? Or better yet, can't they just keep writing stories about the Giger-esque, extra-terrestrial. insectoid Brood-Marvel's similar to, yet legally distinct from Alien's aliens? Hey, you don't suppose they only announced the merger to soak up some free media attention?

Pictured: that time
DC did this exact thing.

Nah, I'm sure it's about getting fans stoked for all the creative avenues sequels and crossovers set in two well-trod narrative universes opens up. Let's hear from someone who uses the word "franchise" without irony:

"The incredible legacies of both franchises offer some of the most compelling and exciting world building in all of science fiction. It is a thrill and an honor to be able to add to that mythology and continuity with all-new stories set within those universes."

-Marvel Editor Jake Thomas,

clearly struggling against a natural

inclination to use the word "iconic" 

Or they could kill off
Captain America again.

Hey, sorry if I went down a super negative rabbit hole about something that hasn't even been written yet. Maybe it'll be great. Maybe it's just the thing Marvel comics needs to shake itself out of its rut of doing massive, confusing, status-quo shaking multi-series crossovers that are completely undone a few months later. And really I just wanted to understand why Marvel felt they needed to throw themselves a press release over what probably could have been an inter-office memo.

But it does bring up again the larger question of whether or not all these movies, comics, or whatevers being held in the same white-gloved rodent hand is a good thing. Sure, it means Iron Man can get his helmet ripped off by outerspace Ted Nugent, but is that creativity or fan service or worse, marketing decisions writing comic books?

What? He's basically one of those assholes
who flies to Namibia to shoot a white rhino.