Marvel is arguably the most popular brand in comic books around, but even they know they're not the be-all and end-all in comics. At a recent closed-door industry event for retailers, Marvel Comics' publisher and president Dan Buckley spoke frankly about the areas the company isn't strong in, and how it - and comic book stores - should be looking beyond just its own superhero comics for the future of the industry, the medium, and their stores.

At the ComicsPRO Comic Industry Conference earlier this year, Buckley pointed to where most of comics' new readers are: in the areas of manga, and original graphic novels (OGNs). While Marvel has experimented in both areas by partnering with expert publishers in those areas (such as Shogakukan-Shueisha/VIZ Media and Scholastic), the Marvel boss says comic book shops are missing out if they're not looking at these areas - even