Super Robot Quest

The Comics Industry in the 2070s

The comics industry of the '70s is vastly different than it was half a century ago. While the "Big Two" continue to have a large market share (hovering around 50% give or take, between the two of them, though with a lot of customer crossover), a multitude of other publishers now sit comfortably in the top tiers with them. There are still plenty of "indie" publishers, but with the transition to the subscription-based digital content model, that label tends to be reserved for those who publish only one or two titles, or who put out short-run series (lasting less than two years), as well as ones with very niche products.

-Boom! Comics has become a major rival to DC and Marvel, carrying multiple licenses for franchise and series on the big and small screen. Their Power Rangers line has waxed and waned in popularity, but currently is enjoying a miniature renaissance. That they have become the go-to publisher for comics featuring Disney's classic characters (rather than, necessarily, characters from sub-companies such as Marvel) has only boosted their strength.
-Dark Horse has found new life as the "edgier, but not too edgy" branding. Successes 50 years ago with lines such as Black Hammer spurred them to produce works that sought to embody quality and genuinely thoughtful stories, while still being entirely willing to include more "mature" content and languages. Many were surprised when Star Trek landed at Dark Horse for the last several decades, but the writers and artists have managed to strike a fan-pleasing balance of "respectful to the source material" and "adventurous enough to try new things".
-IDW's ownership of licenses such as Transformers and GI Joe, as well as lesser-known "tie in franchises" from the 1980s and 1990s, has given them a secure baseline to branch out from. Several original lines continue to be produced, while the company's commitment to both long-term storytelling, and refusal to frequently "reset" things, has made them a favorite of many fans who prefer longer, slower-paced stories. Their willingness to produce beautiful hard and soft bound collections of their storylines is a fan favorite among collectors and those who simply like a good book, as well.
-Archie Comics continued use of brands such as Archie, Josie and the Pussycats, Happy Days, and others to explore what it means to live in the world of the day mean that their fanbase is loyal and continuous. While they do certainly produce "wacky" crossovers with other publishers and more action-oriented franchises, their storytelling is typically much more subdued and character-driven.
-Dynamite Entertainment has not only held on to classic multi-decade brands (such as James Bond, Stargate, and other long-running multi-movie or multi-series brands), they've continually worked with and updated their stable of "low power" heroes such as the Phantom, Shadow, Spider, and others, not only telling stories set in the 1920s-40s, but also giving us stories with newer generations of those same heroes, embodying the same concept of "legacy" that the Big Two embraced in the 2030s and beyond. They also continue to publish a large number of "high fantasy" comics, most famously the various ongoing Pathfinder series.
-Valiant Comics has continued to grow, albeit in a "slow but steady" manner, with their increasingly-diverse lines giving them a wide foundation so that even if one line falters, the company continues to succeed. Many of their "superhero" works tend to blend scientific and fantastical origins, as well as leaning on character archetypes that are more like exaggerated real-world skillsets ("super-soldier", "super-ninja", and the like).
-Lucasfilm has its own comic book publisher, to unite its various brands (though primarily Star Wars) under one roof. This is part of the never-ending work the content creators and managers of the company undertake to keep the stories and sub-stories of these brands from becoming too burdensome.

DC Comics is nearing its 135th anniversary, and while the 2030s were a lean decade, the birthplace of some of the earliest superheroes remains strong.
DC has adopted an approach that is both cyclical and legacy-centric. Recognizing that even with stories that intentionally pass on mantles, the total history of the whole setting can become too large a burden to bear, DC has instead utilized the Multiverse/Hypertime concept for all it's worth. Counting backwards to 2010 from 2035, the company decided that every 30 years or so, they would explicitly "wind down" storylines and set the universe aside from regular storytelling. This freed writers from worrying about keeping everything always the same forever, and also from having to remember too much back-history. As well, the much more gentle approach meant that Elseworlds, Side-Stories, and other various "special books" could easily return to those classic histories, perhaps bringing together multiple Bat-Clans, Super-Families, and Lantern-Corps.

Marvel Comics have taken a slightly different track. In 2029, they undertook an effort to, effectively, re-launch their entire brand. Rather than trying to somehow retcon Earth-616's history, they chose to explicitly move to a new Earth, and left 616 open for special occasions or secondary books. Since that point (which served as a fresh start for all characters, though some were tied to days gone by) they have simply advanced the timeline, and tried to emphasize passing on mantles, the progression of time, and trying to avoid complaints of heroes (such as Reed Richards) being useless. The world of Marvel isn't perfect, but it is more visibly advanced in technology than our own, and bears a hopeful air.