The current state of disarray at Marvel

[anarky]

So, something happens to Spider-Man and it's so bad that he has to change his methods? Worse than the mountains of shit that have been heaped on him over the years? It's got to be pretty fucking bad if stuff like the death of Gwen Stacy or Venom terrorizing Mary Jane didn't make him go dark and gritty.

It's funny in a way that Marvel keeps stressing this is not a reboot, but it looks like there's not a single book that will look anything like the book it's replacing. DCnU has more in common with DCU than Marvel NOW! does with the previous continuity, from the looks of things.

[RoIIo Tomassi]

It will be strange to not have an Amazing Spider-Man title on the racks. I get the feeling this will be a "FF" type situation where we get this impostor title for a year or so and then ASM comes back with a huge promotion next year.

I'm only marginally interested in this new book because I've been happy with what Slott's been doing for the past couple years and I'll give him the Benny of the Doubt.

Also excited about Gillen's Young Avengers relaunch. His Kid Loki in Journey has been, hands down, the best book Marvel's been putting out since Fear Itself. And the fact that all his story arcs wrapped back around and tied into this final story crossover with Thor is sheer genius.

The Wolverine series, however, can eat it. So thats 2 of 3 for the Third Wave of NOW! Titles I'll be checking out.

[Tom Foolery]

I was just looking over Diamond Sales Chart for January. It looks like many of the NOW titles have settled in at their old pre-relaunch numbers. Books like Thor, Captain America, FF, etc. didn't really benefit from the Hype-apalooza. And of the NOW relaunched titles (not counting Red She-Hulk and Journey into Mystery which weren't afforded First Issues) Avengers Arena is the lowest selling title. At issue 3 it's hovering around 24k (20k is usually Marvel's cutoff point). Thank God. Hopefully it will Die soon. And Marvel can print an apology in the final issue. "Were sorry. Clearly this was a wretched idea and you've all voted with your wallets. Those responsible for this abortion have been sacked and blacklisted from working at Marvel ever again."

[Tom Foolery]

Marvel announces an incredibly racist new Avengers team, Avengers A.I. that has the Vision and Hank Pym leading all Marvel's robot heroes on one team.

That's like throwing Northstar, Karma, Lightspeed, Hulking, Wiccan, Living Lightning, Striker, Anole, Graymalkin, Rictor, Shatterstar, and Jennifer Kale on a team and calling it Avengers "Gay.I."

Or putting Sunfire, Silver Samurai, Karma, Bengal, Psylocke, Jubilee, and Amadeus Cho on a team and calling it Avengers "Slant.I."



See? Racist.


(By the way. Are there any Asian Avengers? Wow...)

[anarky]

1) Is Aaron Stack going to be on the team, under whatever he's going by this week?

2) Wow, what an amazing opportunity to dust off Circuit Breaker that they'll let completely slide away.

(And, hey, Aaron Stack was created by a fucking monolith in 2001. Don't tell me it's because she was born of a licensed title.)

Was Rage half-Asian? Or Night Thrasher?

[Tom Foolery]

Was Night Thrasher an Avenger?

I seriously couldn't think of any Asian heroes who joined the Avengers. And let's face it, after about thirty ongoing Avenger teams, odds are there should be at least one recognizable one right?

Here's what I found.

Mantis. I never realized she was Asian. I always thought of her as an alien because of the stalks on her head. And the fact she was fucking an alien plant person.

Shang-Chi eventually joined the Secret Avengers. But that was only in the last couple years. And it was "Secret"

Bengal was briefly on the Avengers:Initiative's Black Ops team. But that was more a training team than an actual Team. And it was secret. And, as stated, brief.

Daken. Norman Osborn, of all people, put an Asian on his "Dark" Avengers team as Wolverine Jr. Say what you will about the Green Goblin, but at least he's progressive.

Hazmat. Part of Avengers Academy. But again, a training team and not an actual Avenger.


And that's all I could find. The X-Men are silly with Asian heroes. The Avengers? Not so much.

[RoIIo Tomassi]

An observation about Marvel NOWs "numbering" style on their new books. As some of you know, the 'look' of the new NOW branding is the red band at the bottom of the all Marvel's books. It has the UPC bar, the ReEvolution logo, occasionally the AR logo, sometimes the creator's credits if they aren't on the actual cover art, and finally the issue number in a three digit style. So if it's the first issue, it's '001'. If it's the 12th issue, it '012' etc.

I think it's quaint they presume ANY of their issues will ever require that third digit ever being anything other than a zero. That '0' on every issue is superfluous. Every book will get canceled and restarted with a new #1 long before it ever makes it to the century mark. Marvel, you're adorable.

[Tom Foolery]

Marvel has started their annual routine of teasing readers with one word phrases hinting at upcoming series. So far words like "Corporate" "Rad!" "Bubblemind" and "Trial" have piqued readers and started tizzy speculation.

So far, the one I'm most excited for is the potential Silver Surfer series by Dan Slott and Mike Allred.

[Tom Foolery]

Wow. Call it Shock and Awe. Call it Carpet Bombing the racks. Call it Neverending Cascade of new series. Call it Marvel NOW 2.0; All New Marvel Now!

Marvel is launching (or relaunching in a few cases) almost 20 new books early next year!

• Secret Avengers. Relaunched.
  Avengers World. Replaces one half of the currently bi-weekly Avengers book, which goes monthly.
  Avengers Undercover. Replaces Avengers Arena.
  Black Widow ongoing. Her second. (her ninth with minis)
  Captain Marvel. Relaunched. Carol's fourth ongoing. Capt. Marvel's fifth.
  Elektra ongoing. Her third. (seventh with minis)
  All New Ghost Rider. Featuring a teen Los Angelean Rider driving a car. GR's fifth ongoing. (tenth including minis)
  Inhumans. Spins out of Infinity. Their fourth ongoing.
  All New Invaders. The original WWII team in the present. And the Invaders third ongoing. (sixth with minis)
  Iron Patriot. Rhodey in his fourth ongoing.
  Loki: Agent of Asgard.
  Miracleman. Finally gets on the schedule.
  New Warriors ongoing. Their fourth. (fifth if you count the mini)
  Punisher ongoing. His hundredth.
  She Hulk ongoing. Her fifth.
  Silver Surfer ongoing. His fourth. (or eighth including minis)
  Amazing X-Men. Oh good. There were hardly any X-Men books on the stands.
  All New X-Factor. Gambit, Quicksilver, and Polaris working for a google-esque corporation.
  
  And both FF books are ending, rumored to be replaced by a solo book next year.

For some reason, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, Darkhawk, Deathlok, Moon Knight, Power Pack, and the Sub-Mariner didn't rate? Because I believe everybody else who's ever had an ongoing is getting one or has one right now. They are literally throwing EVERYTHING at the wall to see what sticks.

[anarky]

Ghost Rider (Blaze, because Marvel still doesn't recognize Danny's more awesome) on a team (Thunderbolts) is almost as wrong as Punisher on a team. Or Elektra on a team. Or Deadpool in a comic book.

[Tom Foolery]

If you go to the CBR forums, they're all about Dan Ketch in there. Eventually Marvel will figure it out.

Somebody humorously pointed out since the new guy is in a car now, he should be called Ghost Driver.

[jjreason]

Almost like they're trying to take a page from IDW's book and do series in "seasons", or whatever the comic fans at yojoe are calling the various runs of the 3 titles.

[anarky]

I've gotta be honest, I've been following G.I. Joe comics for over 25 years (I can't claim I got into the comic at the beginning), and I call it a confusing clusterfuck. I'm a frigging continuity nut, and can usually keep all sorts of alternate realities and series straight in my mind. And this is the first time G.I. Joe continuity has confused me. At least the ARAH continuity farts I can chalk up to brainfarts or forgetfulness on Hama's part, and they've actually led to new stories (aside from Snake Eyes being scarred again, which I assume means Cobra Commander fucked him up more than was obvious in #150). But the actual IDW continuity, with all the various side titles that contradict one another, and the reboots, it's just a mess. I'm still following it and mostly like it, but it's a fucking mess. No other publisher should emulate that model.

[Tom Foolery]

Almost like they're trying to take a page from IDW's book and do series in "seasons", or whatever the comic fans at yojoe are calling the various runs of the 3 titles.

I think it's less the "Season" mentality, and more the premise that 1st Issues get ordered by the Retailers more than the umpteenth issue. And as we all know the retailers are the real customers of the publishers and Diamond. The readers, and their obsession with continuity and numbering, mean fuckall.

If the Publishers could find a way to make every issue a first issue they would.

[anarky]

If the Publishers could find a way to make every issue a first issue they would.

Foolery, don't be a fucknut spider-abuser. You know they troll our forums. Don't give them ideas.