Following DC Comics' television campaigns for the New 52, Before Watchmen and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Marvel announced this morning that it will take to the radio to promote its Marvel NOW! initiative.

Commercials spotlighting such titles as Uncanny Avengers, Deadpool, Fantastic Four, All-New X-Men, Indestructible Hulk, Thor: God of Thunder, Captain America will air nationwide on radio shows like Fox Sports, Jim Rome, Nikki Sixx, Petros & Money and Opie & Anthony.

“We’re excited to bring Marvel NOW! to millions of new readers nationwide through advertising during the biggest radio programs,” David Gabriel, Marvel's senior vice president of sales, said in a statement.  “We’re spending more money on comic book marketing than ever in Marvel’s history to make sure that, in addition to publicity with major media outlets and top comic sites, there’s a strong mass consumer awareness of all our great new launches, from Uncanny Avengers to All New X-Men to Superior Spider-Man.”

On the plus side, radio ads are comparatively inexpensive and require little time to produce, which would allow Marvel to be more flexible in highlighting individual titles (or, heck, even plot developments). On the negative side, comics is a visual medium while radio, quite obviously, is not.