In early 2024, Marvel Comics’ bold decision to change fans’ comic book experience for all X-Men “From The Ashes” tie-ins by hiding an additional comic page behind a QR code was met with unfavorable feedback. Comic series like Wolverine and Uncanny X-Men all had this new wave of QR content – yet now, Marvel Comics has since made the decision to forgo the practice, in light of fans’ pushback.

Writing on his Substack, Marvel Senior Editor Tom Brevoort clarified the publisher’s use of this next-gen technology in response to a fan question, explaining the reasoning for Marvel’s QR codes in a Q&A and why they were subsequently removed after a fan noticed the lack of QR code page in the freshly released Storm #1.

While many fans were not thrilled about the QR Codes, Brevoort notes that the secret additional page was meant to be bonus content, as opposed to an incomplete story.

Marvel Pauses Its Use Of QR Code “Bonus Material” After Comic Readers’ Poor Reception Of The Tactic

X-Men Senior Editor Tom Brevoort Explains The Decision To Nix QRs

In his explanation of the QR codes’ removal, Brevoort also noted that the current ongoing X-Men series, which no longer contains the QR codes will include fewer pages, since the additional content was not meant to be consequential to the story. Nevertheless, many readers were not fans of the multimedia marketing campaign, and so Marvel’s decision to discontinue it makes sense. Upon the release of Marvel’s new code system, there was an outcry from unsatisfied fans who were perplexed by the attempt at innovation and media mixing.

One major concern was that physical comic books were introducing a digital aspect, meaning people would have to use their phones to scan the code and read the final page on a small digital screen. Many noted the new format made reading the last page difficult, as it is not in its intended upscaled form. Marvel’s Tom Brevoort commented on the matter in response to a fan’s inquiry:

Question:
Does Storm #1 lack of a QR page mean the practice is done? Initially, it was said it would be for all From The Ashes books, but oh my god it made my day to have the last page printed instead of hidden away. I’m a bit confused about what does and doesn’t have one, it seems like Dazzler didn’t but Wolverine did? I ended up not picking up a few books because of missing pages, would’ve been nice to see this advertised better.

Tom Brevoort:
Well, first off, I know that you don’t want to believe me when I say this, Andrew, but none of those X-Books was missing a page. And what this meant for STORM is that you actually got a page fewer in that title than you did on the others—because those QR code pages were bonus content, not an actual necessary part of the stories at all. In the end, though, given all of the pushback that we saw from fans on the initial ones, I simply stopped doing them for the books launching in September and later. Why put in the extra effort just so that fans could be unhappy with us? It didn’t make sense at that point.

As Brevoort stated, it was his editorial decision to discontinue the practice, which “didn’t make sense” to double down on if that much of the fanbase disliked it.

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Will Marvel Comics Revisit The Concept Of Mixing Physical And Digital Media?

Another primary complaint from X-Men fans was the misconception that Marvel was selling incomplete products, deterring people from purchasing comic books that contained a QR Code. Brevoort clarifies this misinterpretation, informing readers that the last QR code was a form of bonus content but as of September 2024, the newly released X-Men comics will not include the extra page. Interestingly, the fan who posed the initial question suggested more marketing surrounding the QR codes would have helped to explain its objective – something Brevoort neither affirmed nor disputed.

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Ultimately, Marvel’s inclusion of the QR codes at the end of X-Men comics was a departure from its usual format, leaving a lot of readers confused about its intended purpose. The concept of mixing physical comic books with the constantly growing digital landscape was a novel concept to modernize the traditional art of comics, but ultimately, the pushback signified QR codes were not the right direction to go in at this time. Still, as the X-Men franchise returns to its roots, it begs the question of whether Marvel will revisit the notion of mixing physical and digital media in the future.

Source: Tom Brevoort Substack

X-Men

The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.