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Breaking In, Breaking Out
2009-06-26 20:03:55
One of the questions that anybody in comics hears again and again from folks on the outside is "How do you break into the business? What's the secret?" And the truth is that there is no secret, no special handshake that'll get you through the door, no magic word that'll make people take you and your work seriously. This makes sense if you think about it. Practically everybody who reads comics regularly harbors some desire to write them, whether they possess the talent and the drive to do so professionally or not. It looks so easy from afar. And new people are coming into the field all the time, so clearly there's an entry point. If only I knew what it was! As I've said many times before, the reality is that you need Talent, Perseverence and Luck in order to make it as a comics pro. And you can't necessarily control all of these factors. But you can do things to improve your chances. First off, realize the cold, hard fact that nobody starts out playing for a Major League team. Everybody goes through boot camp of one kind or another. So never turn your nose up at the opportunity to hone your craft in any venue that might be available to you. All writing can help to improve your comic book writing, all artwork can help you to improve your comic book artwork. And if your only ambition is to write or draw Spider-Man, unless you're some kind of super child prodigy, make other plans. Nobody starts out playing in the Major Leagues. Very important: get a legitimate grasp on just how good you are. In order to work in this business, you do need to have a bit of an ego--you need to feel like the material you're generating is worthy of being seen and read. But so often would-be creators so fall in love with their own work (and the enthusiasm shown to it by their parents, spouses, significant others or friends) that they lose all perspective in terms of how they stack up against the professionals already working in the field. Be realistic about how good you are, and be open to feedback from people with the experience to know what they're talking about that will point you in a direction to get better. Along the way you're sure to encounter some advice that's off the mark, and some critiques that are more brutal than they may need to be. Grow a think skin, and figure out what you can take away from any criticism that you get. Network with people who are in a position to provide opportunities for you, but be careful not to become a pest, or worse, a stalker. There's all sorts of information available on the internet that can help guide you on your way, everything from archives of professional scripts to tutorials about how to start a webcomic. I would particularly pay attention to the Twitter feeds of people like CB Cebulski and Joe Quesada, who often dispense invaluable insider information about the artform and breaking into the business. Above everything else, work your ass off. This is a fun job, but it's a hard job, and it's for serious people. And you're competing with each and every other person around the globe who is also reading these words, and more. You need to be better than 99.999999999 44/100% of all the potential creators out there, and diligent enough to improve your work and strike when an opportunity comes your way. Good luck! Tom B
Cry For Me
2009-06-22 16:53:10
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Since I'm never above stealing when I'm scavenging for material, an entry over at Comic Book Resources' Robot 6 blog inspired today's audience-participation question: What comic book story has ever moved you? For myself, I can't say that I've ever cried while reading a comic book (well, not for the reasons you'd want to--some of those books I cried over because they'd turned out so badly). But play The Iron Giant or Arrivederci Yamato, and I'll feel it every time. I think that's because film has certain advantages over the static medium of comics, not the least of which is a music track to really set the mood. So I've read plenty of sad and touching comic book stories, but none that have ever truly moved me. But you're all much more empathetic than I am. So let's hear about it. Tom B
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Man In The Mummy Case
2009-06-22 09:33:17
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Ran into a snag with a blog post from last week, which kept this feature off-line. But hopefully now we're back. As a stopgap until we can provide you with more actual content, here's another story from AMAZING FANTASY #15, the comic in which Spider-Man debuted, scanned from the original artwork that's now in the possession of the Library of Congress. Story and artwork are by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. More later. Tom B
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Art Avalanche
2009-06-12 19:15:31
Afraid I can't yet show you all the cool Tomm Coker cover that CB Cebulski twittered about earlier today, but here's some other preview artwork to make up for it. More later. Tom B
Trading Update #15
2009-06-08 17:03:01
It's been a while since I've posted one of these, and unfortunately the great Trading quest hasn't been going smoothly these past few weeks. In fact, I reached a point that I hadn't previously gotten to where I was forced to void a few Trades because teh Tradee in question never sent me along the books he offered. This had a cascade effect onto other Tradees, who had offered their items in good faith. It seems like it's all more-or-less been worked out at this point, but my humble request to everybody out there would be: Don't offer to Trade if you're not serious about following through and sending in yoru stuff. Appreciate it! But getting back around to some stuff that did work, I made the following trades since last we spoke: I traded UNCANNY X-MEN #121 for a complete run of the original OFFICIAL HANDBOOK TO THE MARVEL UNIVERS #1-15, I swapped the complete X-FORCE/X-STATIX run for four Trade Paperbacks: LIFE AND DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, AVENGERS: CELESTIAL MADONA, IRON MAN: DEMON IN A BOTTLE and AVENGERS: KREE-SKRULL WAR. I made a large exchange of ASTONISHING TALES #1, SECRET INVASION #6, MS MARVEL #20, NOVA v4 #1 and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #260-261 for UNCANNY X-MEN #281-289, #291, WHAT IF v1 #35 and ANNIHILATION CONQUEST: QUASAR #1-2. For UNCANNY X-MEN #117 & #118 i got the complete EARTH X, UNIVERSE X and PARADISE X including all of the one-shot issues. I traded FANTASTIC FOUR 2099 #1, SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1 and X-FORCE #1 (signed) for the original SILVER SURFER #1 and #2. I gave the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 Hardcover up in exchange for ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN TPB vol 1, THOR: THE BALLAD OF BETA RAY BILL TPB, The three ULTIMATE GALACTUS TPBs (NIGHTMARE, SECRET, EXTINCTION) and EARTH X #1/2. Finally, I traded CAPTAIN AMERICA #110 for IRON MAN #15 and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #350 and #400. Additionally, generous Tradees also donated the following books to the cause: INFINITY GAUNTLET #2, WOLVERINE ORIGINS #2, CAPTAIN AMERICA #325, #327, #330, #372, #373, #374, #395, #396, #397, #447, #452, #453, CIVIL WAR #1, NEW AVENGERS ILLUMINATI #1 and AVENGERS KREE-SKRULL WAR #2 Finally, because of a Voided Trade the CYCLOPS TWIN PACK MINI-STATUES are back in the active Trading Stack and available for a Trade. So this leaves the present Trading Stack of available books looking like this: SUB-MARINER COMICS #6 HULK #2 & #4 TALES TO ASTONISH #44, #77 AVENGERS #20, #38, #42, FANTASTIC FOUR #64, #70, #90, #91, #100, #228, #229, #270, #271, #272, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #78, #150, #265, #274, #305, #361, #400, v2 #36 STRANGE TALES #137, #139, #146, #150, #155 FANTASY MASTERPIECES #1 SPIDER-GIRL #3, 26, 43 SPIDER-MAN #60 SECRET WARS #8, #10 MARVEL TALES #17, #19, #31 MARVEL COLLECTORS ITEM CLASSICS #15 MONSTERS ON THE PROWL #29 MACHINE MAN #18 STAR WARS #1, #3, #23, ANNUAL #1 &2 UNCANNY X-MEN #115, #124, #125, #130, #131, #134, #134, #135, #138, #140, #143, #186,#187,#210, #223,#226,#228,#230,#233,#234, #281, #282, #283, #284, #285, #286, #287, #288, #289, #291, #300 NEW MUTANTS #1 HOWARD THE DUCK ANNUAL #1 KITTY PRYDE & WOLVERINE #1 QUASAR #1 DAREDEVIL 185, #186, 191, 196, 238 GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #2 WOLVERINE LS #4 X-MEN #1 (1 regular edition, 1 deluxe edition), EXILES #20 HUMAN FLY #1 MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #79, #80 HEROES REBORN THE RETURN #1 (poor) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN COLLECTORS' EDITION PAPERBACK (coverless) CHAMPIONS # 4, #7, #9, #10 HULK #108, #115, #333 ETERNALS #1-7 CONAN #25, #27 THOR #139, #160, #161, #162, #168, #169 MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #12 JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #124 TALES OF SUSPENSE #75 TANGLED WEB #1 SILVER SURFER #1, #2, #5, v2 #1, v3 #50 TOMB OF DRACULA (Swedish) #1, #2, #5, #6 CONAN (Swedish) #5 X-FACTOR #12 ALIAS #1, #10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN CHAOS IN CALGARY DAREDEVIL YELLOW #1 MK SPIDER-MAN #21 SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #2, #14 NAMOR #1 WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #50 WAR COMICS #12, #44 INFINITY GAUNTLET #2 WOLVERINE ORIGINS #2 CAPTAIN AMERICA #325, #327, #330, #372, #373, #374, #395, #396, #397, #447, #452, #453 CIVIL WAR #1 NEW AVENGERS ILLUMINATI #1 AVENGERS KREE-SKRULL WAR #2 CYCLOPS TWO-PACK MINI-STATUES OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1-15 LIFE & DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL TPB AVENGERS: CELESTIAL MADONNA TPB IRON MAN: DEMON IN A BOTTLE TPB AVENGERS: KREE-SKRULL WAR TPB WHAT IF vol1 #35 ANNIHILATION CONQUEST QUASAR #1, #2 EARTH X #0-12,X, #1/2 UNIVERSE X #0-12,X,preview, FF, Spidey, Cap, Beasts, Omnibus, Iron Men Heralds #1-3 PARADISE X #0-12, Xen, Devils, Ragnarok #1-2,A,X ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN TPB Vol 1 THOR BALLAD OF BETA RAY BILL TPB ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE TPB ULTIMATE SECRET TPB ULTIMATE EXTINCTION TPB IRON MAN #15 As always, if you'd like to propose a Trade for one or more of these comics, simply drop me a line at tbrevoort@marvel.com and make me an offer. (Just be ready to send out your books if you do so!) No reasonable Trade refused, although the goal remains to make it all the way to FANTASTIC FOUR #1 by the time the year is done. I've done pretty well so far, but the race isn't over until it's over. More later. Keep trading! Tom B
Twenty
2009-06-05 16:15:35
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Today marks the twentieth anniversary of my first day as a Marvel intern. So it's not quite my actualy twnetieth anniversary, but close enough. On the one hand, it feels like no time at all has gone by, on the other, it feels like it's been forever. In that time, I've been fortunate enough to work alongside a lot of talented people, and to produce my share of memorable quality comic books (and a stack of stinkers as well, despite my best efforts.) Almost every aspect of the business has changed in that time. When I first arrived at Marvel, there was only one small computer in the place, and I was more knowledgable about how to use it than virtually everybody else. Lettering was still done on the actual art boards, and the boards themselves were sent both between the various contributing artists and eventually out to the printer as well. Coloring was done using color guides, xerox copies of the artwork that would be colored using a variety of dyes. Old ladies working at a separations house for peanuts would then create the individual film for each page using the guides as a basis. There were only 64 color possibilities, maximum. I've lived through the boom years of the early '90s, the rise of the Image creators, the explosion of new companies, the advancements in digital coloring and digital lettering, Marvelution and the fragmenting of editorial into five fiefdoms, the reunification of editorial under Bob Harras, the Marvel Bankruptcy and the waves of mass-firings that laid off two-thirds of the staff, the outsourcing of titles and characters to Extreme and Wildstorm, Heroes Return, the beginnings of Marvel Knights, the turnaround of Marvel's fortunes, the creation of the Ultimate line and the restoration of Marvel as a creative force. I've been around for something like a dozen Marvel movies and twice that many animated cartoons. I've worked with the greats of yesteryear, and helped to find, foster and develop the greats of today. And hopefully tomorrow. I've worked for four Editor in Chiefs, and alongside four more. I've had twelve assistant editors, some of whom got promoted along the way, as well as thre subordinate editors. I've not yet been at Marvel for half of my lifetime, but it's getting close--a few more years will do it. I've been editing AVENGERS for more than half of my professional life, longer than anyone else. There is nobody else from my generation left in editorial (though Ralph Macchio, who precedes me by more than a decade, is still on staff.) The next most tenured person after me is Joe Q, who's only been attached to Marvel since the start of Marvel Knights in 1998. I am the last man standing from a generation. And I still love doing this. This weekend a big crowd of people who worked at the Marvel of the '80s and '90s are getting together for a big reunion. And while I wish them all the best, I won't be attending myself. I've got no need for a Marvel reunion--I haven't left yet. More later. Tom B
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Reader Questions 7
2009-06-04 17:38:33
Forced to skip a day due to the pressures of geting books out the door, but now I'm back with more answers to your questions. Might even be able to finish this up today. > what is planned about the Eternals..I'd like to know if we will see them in their own title or incorporating in the MU someway ? > The regular ETERNALS series has ended, but you'll likely see them turn up around the Marvel Universe from time to time.
>What can you tell us about Rom the Space Knight ?
Posted by wildasparagus on 2009-05-25 13:06:09>
I can tell you that Rom was a licensed property, based on an action figure, and so we no longer have the rights to use him.
>I'd like to know more about an ongoing HOWARD THE DUCK written by Ed Brubaker...
or is that only rumors ?
Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2009-05-25 14:58:02> I'm not even sure it qualifies as rumors. More like somebody's fever-dream. No plans for this at all--Ed's got much more important projects to be working on right now.
>As editors, how do you determine what new monthly titles you will develop, especially with the overall market seeming to be shrinking? For example, I love the Avengers the reunion limited series and would love to see that turn into a monthly. For that to happen would the limited had to have sold so many copies or do you launch new titles if there is a compelling story to be told for the characters regardless of projected sales. I hope that makes sense. Thanks!
Posted by jlanhammd on 2009-05-25 15:09:24> In terms of launching an ongoing rather than a limited series, it really does depend on the factors you cite, such as interest in the marketplace, what the creative team is and what story we're trying to tell. There's also an element of gut-feeling that goes into making these decisions as well--sometimes you just get a vibe that the time is right to launch this character or that character in a big way.In terms of NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION, that whole series was predicted around the idea of telling that specific story of Clint and Bobbi. And while there's certainly other stories that could be done with the two of them, and a perfect set-up in place at the end of REUNION, it's more likely that we'll do some manner of follow-up limited series rather than springboard the characters into an ongoing. Sales on the REUNION limited were good, but that has a number of extra factors going for it (use of the NEW AVENGERS name and logo, and the direct spin-out from SECRET INVASION) that wouldn't be present in a Clint/Bobbi ongoing series. >After watching the Star Trek movie, I got to thinking about how timeline changing events can and should be handled with great care and still be pulled off successfully. I think the new Star Trek movie surprisingly did it well, but I am having a harder time defining what exactly was done right.
So when Marvel does a timeline changing event, how do you feel it should be handled just right? What kind of things must be done in order to make such a transition?
Posted by DRock1 on 2009-05-25 23:39:10> We haven't really done any timeline-changing events, have we? The only one that comes to mind is "One More Day", and I think I've exhausted every available syllable on that subject. But talking about STAR TREK for a moment, I don't think the reason that movie worked was because of the timeline-changing, I think the reason it worked was because the characters (and the actors playing them) were so engaging and fun. I genuinely believe that, if you'd just done the same movie and the same basic threat without the time-travel element, and just assumed that it was a new reboot of the franchise, it would have done just as well.
> Are there any plans to complete the collection of John Byrne's Alpha Flight run? A second volume was solicited last year but never arrived. (I'd love to see the Claremont/Byrne Marvel Team-Ups collected too, but I guess the latest MTU Essentials volume might rule that out.) > I think there's a desire to do more John Byrne ALPHA FLIGHT collections, yes, but the first one didn't perform all that well (which is no great surprise, seeing as how we don't have a successful ALPHA FLIGHT project of any sort at the moment, so interest in the property is at a bit of a low point out in the world). We may get around to more volumes eventually, but it doesn't seem to be high on the to-do list right this moment. And there are no plans that I'm aware of to collect the Claremont/Byrne MARVEL TEAM-UP stories, though a few of them have turned up in other places such as the zero volume of John Byrne FF Visionaries.
>Likewise, any plans for more Roger Stern Spider-Man Visionaries... particularly as by volume 3, we'd be onto the classic Amazing run with JRJR?
Posted by rolhirst on 2009-05-26 06:43:10>
This is the same sort of deal, I'm afraid. The first Stern Visionaries volume wasn't a huge success, so we're putting our more immediate efforts elsewhere right this second. I think if we wanted to reprint Roger's AMAZING run with JRJR, we'd do that under another title at this point. >When is the Young Avengers (proper) title going to resume, i am assuming that when and if it does it will still have the same creative team as before
Posted by tsull2121 on 2009-05-26 10:23:12> I answered the first part of this question a day or two ago--there won't be an ongoing YOUNG AVENGERS series until after Allan and Jim's AVENGERS project concludes. And that's far enough away that nobody can make any promises as to what the creative team might be. In the meantime, we'll continue to do YOUNG AVENGERS limited series whenever the mood strikes us. >I hope to ask this politely, and don?t intend to offend. Why is so much effort and talent being used to tell previous Marvel classic stories within the Ultimate Universe? Why aren?t the original stories, original plot twists, and original versions of the characters good enough for new readers? I understand the intent was to help new readers avoid 40 years of back story. What happens when there are enough, in other words too many, back stories for the Ultimate Universe? I ask only because Bagley and Immonen should always be telling first run stories, not re-hashing what someone else has done before. On the one hand, we?ve got digital comics, Omnibus collections and trade paperbacks, so the source material for any reader is out there and exists. Conversely, we?ve got the Ultimate Universe, the Heroes Reborn Universe, The New Universe, The Future Past Universe, The Zombie Universe, Age of Apocalypse Universe, House of M Universe, Deathlok Universe, Peter Porker Universe, What If Universe(s) ? and I suspect I?ve missed a few universes. Perhaps the problem for new readers isn?t back story, perhaps its outright confusion between what character, what time line and what universe. Maybe it?s time for Marvel to have a DC Comics Crisis of its own for new readers, instead of an Ultimate Universe? > I hardly think the Ultimate Universe is doing nothing more than retelling previous Marvel stories--there's a bit more to that universe than that. Starting that universe from scratch allowed those creators both to world-build with a foreknowledge of many of the ideas and concepts to come, and therefore tie elements of the Marvel canon together in interesting ways that weren't possible in teh organically-grown Marvel U. It also allowed them to view these characters, stories and situations with a 21st Century eye. As much as I love all of those early Marvel books, they're very much of their time, not only in terms of their sometimes-goofy story content, but in the way those stories are told. And that can be off-putting to the readers of today. It's like expecting them to be enthralled by the television programs of 45 years ago. Some people will ome to those stories and love them just fine, but the vast majority of potential new readers find those tales dated and quaint and stodgy. So I don't think there's anything wrong with reworking those concepts in an attempt to make them work for the younger readers of today--especially since it's not like we're doing away with either the importance of the original stories in the Marvel U, nor not reprinting those old stories again and again. And I don't think Marvel needs any sort of a Crisis--all that would do is to limit the possibilities for stories that don't fit inside a very narrow box. There's a way to tell any story and make it accessable to a novice reader (the STAR TREK film we talked about a few questions back is a good example of that), but we folks working on these storeis often become so familiar with our own storylines and our own history that we shortcut the information to one another and to the hardcore fans, because we all know what we're talking about already. That's the kind of stuff that turns a new reader off, when he can't even understand what a story is about, and he's given no way to hook into and care about the characters involved. Plus, at this point the Ultimate Universe is years old, and it isn't hurting anybody.
>Is there any chance of Marvel getting back in touch with the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate, and doing another series? The 70s books are a must read for any Merry Marvel Marching Membership B?Wana, and I?d appreciate any back story you might have on those books, why discontinued, ill feelings, etc.
Posted by mouthbreather on 2009-05-26 11:36:38>
No plans to pursue more ERB material at this point, mouth. We've mostly moved away from doing a lot of licensed series in teh past decade, with the exception of situations that hold a dramatic potential to expand the audience and draw in new readers (the Stephen King books, Ender's Game, Halo, etc.) And I wasn't around when the previous ERB titles were being done, but I would guess that the reason they were discontinued is that they were no longer profitable enough to justify continuing with, and I don't believe that there's any animosity on anybody's part on either side of the equation about them. > I understand that Marvel is not accepting unsolicited submissions at the moment, and that you guys are constantly looking for new talent anyway, but is there any way that Marvel could start a monthly "New Talent Showcase" or something so that a larger group of lesser experienced writers/artists get a one-time shot to give their best to the world? I understand that the indie labels and the internet are a great way to get started, but I would love to see Marvel getting more involved in getting young talent started as opposed to swooping in after the fact. > Honestly, no. And the reason is very simple: while every prospective creator in the world would love to contribute to such a project, nobody in the world really wants to buy it. And these days, with the opportunities for digital publishin on teh web as well as the indie market, there really isn't the same kind of a need for that training ground as there might have been twenty years ago. The name Marvel stands for the highest level of professional quality when it comes to making comic books, and that's a reputation we guard thoroughly. We put out or stinkers just like everybody else, but our standards are very high. You need to prove that you're ready to meet those standards before you're going to have a shot at working on a Marvel book. We hire a ton of young talent all the time--you just need to look at the books to see a whole slew of new faces popping up in them--but only from those folks who've proven that they have what it takes. >2) Can Yost/Kyle go back to writing the New X-Men? Please? I promise I'll buy three of each issue if you take the newer, younger characters currently being butchered by Fraction and Guggenheim and gave them back to Yost/Kyle. I have yet to find anything either of them has ever put in print that is not completely amazing.
Posted by bpmcgackin on 2009-05-26 12:52:46> No plans for Craig and Kyle to return to NEW X-MEN any time soon, but they seem to be keeping their plates full with X-FORCE and assorted other mutant-related projects. (Though when it comes to butchery, weren't Kyle and Yost the guys who mowed down a dozen or so characters in the course of their run? Talk about butchers--!)
>Whats the most common way that writers and artists join certain books? I'm talking about guys who already work at Marvel. Do the writers/artists tell you they want to work on certain books and from there you try to make that happen, or do you decide that certain creators would "fit" with certain books, or is it more "Millar and Hitch are pretty popular, lets see what they can do to Fantastic Four's sales." > It's a little bit of everything you list, really. As we work with people, and carry on conversations with them, we begin to learn which creators have a real love for which characters. From there, though, when a particular series opens up, the editor in question along with Joe Q will cast around for the best available person to take over that series, based on their own opinion as much as anything else. Since you mentioned Millar and Hitch, let me do a walkthrough on FF to quickly break down how the last few creative teams came about. When Waid and Ringo finished up their time on the series, having an FF film on the horizon, we knew we wanted to get one of our bigger creators on board, so we approached JMS and cajoled him into taking on the series, pairing him up with Mike McKone. But after a year or so, JMS got busy enough during the CIVIL WAR tie-in issues that something had to give, and that something was FF. So, needing somebody who could step in and pick up the baton halfway through, I thought of Dwayne McDuffie. Having worked with Dwayne, I knew that he was a huge FF fan (and I had promised him more than a decade earlier that if I ever got the series I would hire him to write it.) So I called him up and enlisted him to write up through the end of CIVIL WAR. Hearing that JMS was leaving FF, and having concluded their time on ULTIMATES, Mark and Bryan reached out to me about the possibility of them taking over the book at some point, which sounded good to me. Knowing that they'd need lead time, we planned a starting point, and then I asked Dwayne if he'd stay on through that point to bridge the gap. (And Dwayne ended up doing three additional issues right at the end to help buy us more time.) As Mark and Bryan began to approach the end of their run, I began to think about who could replace them, and it dawned on me that the previous teams had all been veterans. I thought it might be a good idea to bring a younger writer with a fresh voice in, to mix things up and hopefully approach the characters with new eyes. Jonathan Hickman ended up being that person, and I put him together with the more-established Dale Eaglesham to help balance out the pedigree and experience level of the title. What happens from here is anybody's guess.
>What, do you think, is regarded at Marvel as the best story arc of the last 10 years? There must be stories that you, as a company, have put out that have made you think, "we nailled every bit of that."
Posted by dugdale24 on 2009-05-26 13:32:58>
This is such a subjective question that it's hard to answer for certain. I think that most people around here would probably point towards CIVIL WAR as the best recent benchmark of both commercial and quality success. But there are plenty of others as well. ASTONISHING X-MEN by Joss and Cass, for example, was very strong, as was ULTIMATES by Mark and Bryan, DAREDEVIL by Bendis and Maleev, X-FORCE/X-STATIX by Milligan and Allred, CAPTAIN AMERICA by Brubaker and Epting, and ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN by Bendis and Bagley. For me personally, the best run I've ever been associated with was the Mark Waid/Mike Wieringo FANTASTIC FOUR. And that's a wrap, people! Thanks for playing! A special post tomorrow, and then back to business as usual on Monday (hopefully with a long-delayed Trading Update.) Tom B
Reader Questions 6
2009-06-02 17:48:32
Seems like it never ends--and I' not sure how interesting any of this really is to people. But here now are some moer answers to your questions! > Awhile back (so long ago I forget when exactly) we were told there would be some news about Alpha Flight. When will this come to pass? > As soon as we have some actual news to impart.>2. Why is there such negativity towards Alpha Flight at Marvel?
Posted by Legerd on 2009-05-24 21:55:23> I don't think there is any negativity towards Alpha Flight at Marvel really, Legerd. It's simply a property that we haven't been able to crack how to sell to a wide audience. And that's really been the case almost from the start. When Alpha first appeared in UNCANNY X-MEN, they were these really cool new characters, but somehow once they got their own series, their mystique quickly vanished, and they became just another team of costumed do-gooders running around slightly north of all the others. Even Alpha mastermind John Byrne has admitted that there wasn't much to them when he came up with them to fight the X-Men, and that he was sort of making it up as he went along during his tenure on the series. But all that aside, there is something cool and interesting to Alpha Flight, we just haven't found the right team and the right approach to tap into it yet.
>Who actually writes the Spider-Man newspaper strip? (I presume it's only ghosted to Stan Lee, just like all the other newspaper comics are ghosted...)
Posted by Fetsur on 2009-05-25 04:53:29> No, as I understand it, Stan does the newspaper strip himself. I think he may have had other hands kibitzing on story plots from time to time over the years, but all of the dialogue and most of the stories come from him.
>Two of the big story arcs JMS seemed to be building towards in his ASM run were the Ezekiel story, which he pretty much rounded off, and a story with a number of oblique references to Peter's future. Will this second story arc ever pop up again or is it forever consigned to history? > Honestly, it depends on whether JMS ever comes back to Spidey to touch on it again, or whether one of the newer Spidey writers decides to pick up the ball with it. But like any future story of Marvel's characters, I don't consider anything we saw in the days-to-come to necessarily be binding.
>2) Without revealing specifics, has Marvel got anything else in mind for Paul Cornell (or vica versa), now that MI13 is wrapping up?
Posted by cjmcaree on 2009-05-25 05:36:50>
No, we're never going to speak to Paul Cornell again, that cad, that bounder! Seriously, Paul's already writing some other stuff for us (including DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS, on sale now) and we're continuing to bounce ideas back and forth with him for some other projects. In fact, I've got a pitch for him here on my desk that I should be reading rather than answering these questions for you. But what are you gonna do?
> Could you please get the ball rolling on "Spider Man : the end" by Lee & Ditko ? You know we're running out of time!! > In all honesty, I don't think this is something you're ever going to see, Baxtos. Ditko's made his feelings about not wanting to return to Spidey very clear over the years, so I have to respect his wishes. So I think SPIDER-MAN: THE END by Stan and Steve was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #38. (On a separate note, I got to look at an entire issue of Ditko's breakdowns from the '60s yesterday that had been unearthed--very cool.)
>How would you compare and rate Marvel's editorial VS. DC's editorial today?
Posted by baxtos on 2009-05-25 07:01:12>
Putting the typical chest-thumping aside for one second, I don't know that I can answer this objectively. For one thing, I only really know a small handful of the guys working uptown at this point. And it seems that, as a company, DC has a different set of goals and objectives than Marvel does in terms of their expectations for their publishing line. I'm often astounded by some of the decisions those folks make, but I'm sure that if I walked the halls of their offices, I'd find that they were equally astounded by some of ours. I will say that I think we have an extremely strong editorial crew over here at this point in time. And judging by our overall sales and the reaction in the marketplace, I think our crew is sharper than their crew overall. They do have some folks on their team such as Mark Chiarello who have buckets of genuine talent and ability and are completely terrific at making comics. But at least from my outsider's point of view, their goals and directives are often way out of whack with what I want to read. (And, of course, people say that same thing about DARK REIGN or SECRET INVASION or whatever too, so your mileage may vary.) It goes without saying that our editors are better looking... >After the end of Captain Britain comics, will Paul Cornell be involved in any ongoing series? > Answered above, more or less.
>Will Young Avengers ongoing return, as well as Loners? > The Young Avengers are currently appearing in DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS (written by reader questions column favorite Paul Cornell!) as well as MIGHTY AVENGERS, and you'll continue to see them moving forwards. But we don't want to put them in an ongoing series until we've got everything set just right in terms of the creative team and the landscape of the Marvel U. And as you've no doubt figured out, they play a major role in Allan Heinberg's upcoming AVENGERS project with Jim Cheung, so until that series is over and done with, the best you're likely to see are limited series and specials. And there aern't any specific LONERS plans right now, though we did see most of them over in the DARKHAWK two-issue series leading up to WAR OF KINGS.
>Astonishing X-men will get a regular schedule any time soon?
Posted by claudio pahl on 2009-05-25 10:21:03>
Hey--that's THREE questions! And after four years, hasn't an irregular schedule become the regular schedule for ASTONISHING X-MEN? > will we ever see Silver Surfer in a solo title? I loved the series in the 80s/90s. Any chance Jim Starlin has anything else for the character?
Posted by steelcable97 on 2009-05-25 12:08:07> I think it's likely you'll see more Surfer projects in the relatively near future, but I don't think Jim Starlin will be involved in any of them.
>With the constant delays on certain titles, in this case I'm talking specifically about Thor, are there steps being taken to address the issue? The current run of Thor is one of my favourites, but it would be nice the book came out according to some kind of schedule. I'd even be okay with the book becoming bi-monthly, ala Astonishing X-Men under Joss Whedon, because I'm then not expecting the book each month. Doesn't it eat into Marvel's revenue when a book is only published 6-8 times a year instead of the scheduled 12? > This is all territory I've cover numerous times in the past, but let's dance the dance one more time since you asked. The reason that the current run on THOR is one of your favorites right now is because of the work being done by JMS and Olivier and Marko. And for a variety of reasons, that work takes the time it takes. Now, editor Warren Simons has been running himself ragged producing other Thor-related specials and one-shots to fill the gaps, so that we haven't had a Thorless month in a good long while. But those books sell only a fraction of what the main THOR series does, and aren't received as warmly--and for exactly that same reason: they aren't being done by the guys whose work you readers as a whole are responding to. So, sure, it would be wonderful if we could suddenly have twelve issues of THOR by these guys every year, but it'd also be wonderful if I woke up this morning withthe power to fly (and only slightly less likely.) And just throwing bodies at the book is going to turn off as many if not more readers than the delays in shipping, and that doesn't help anyone except for those relatively few readers who just love THOR and don't care who's working on it. And in terms of the revenue, a THOR book that comes out 6 times a year and sells let's say 100,000 copies for the sake of argument is more profitable than a THOR book that comes out 12 times and sells 50,000 copies--it looks the same at first glance, but in the first example, you don't have as many printing or shipping costs, nor the A & E of producing the story and the artwork. And if you're filling the off-months with THOR projects that themselves sell 50,000 copies, you're actually ahead of the game for the year. I know this isn't remotely the answer you were hoping to hear, Arachkid, but this is the reality that we grapple with every single month in terms of achieving our sales goals. The short-term gain looks like it'd be substantial, but that isn't really the case anymore--and hasn't been since the days when it was the character that was selling the comics and the creators remained anonymous. >And I have to echo Legerd's questions about Alpha Flight, when is the Flight going to be shown some love?
Posted by Arachkid on 2009-05-25 12:28:21> Asked and answered above.
Reader Questions 5
2009-06-01 16:29:26
It's a new week, but still we've got more of the same old questions. So let's get started: > Why does it seem so difficult to get the Hulk to work as a character for any extended period of time or in new media, like the films? I feel that Marvel have drifted away from the core concept of the Hulk, that being that it's constantly a battle of control for Bruce Banner. Instead, what we see at the moment more often than not is a super-strong character simply fighting. Similarly, the movies focussing on the Hulk seem to ever-so-softly just miss the mark as well. Is it that the Hulk is a difficult character to get right or relevant anymore? > I think we've been able to get the HULK to work for more that 45 years at this point, more or less. but part of what's allowed the character to work is the fact that he's been condusive to change--change in the set-up, change in the structure of the series, change even in how the HULK persona has functioned. But the core of the series has always revolved around Bruce Banner struggling to cope with the raging beast that dwells within him. In terms of film, the Hulk doesn't have that poor of a track record either--he's had two big-budget films, which is more than any number of other characters can say. But drilling down towards the heart of your question, yes, I think there is something somewhat limited about the Hulk's application in film. The basic dumb-green-Hulk paradigm, while it drove that series for a few decades, doesn't lend itself to a whole lot of variety. In the comics, that variety tended to come from where the Hulk's travels took him, and what other fantastical characters he encountered from around the Marvel Universe. But that's a lot more difficult to deal with and make plausible in a two-hour-movie scenario.>I used to enjoy the Spider-Man stories when there were 4 Spidey books, each focussing on a different aspect of Spidey's rogues (just before Norman Osborn returned). Amazing had the more classic villains, Web of had the more low level crime and Maggia involvement, Sensational was more light-hearted, and Spectacular threw up some different kinds of stories. How do you feel that worked as a Spidey publishing strategy (and no, it's not a "cancel OMD" question).
Posted by keense on 2009-05-23 22:51:29> Honestly, I think you're making an arbitrary distinction between four series all of which seemed to me to cover more-or-less the same ground. Sure, a particular writer may have been more at home writing about the Maggia, or may have had a more light-hearted approach to the material, but that was all about the creators, not the marching orders for the titles. And I think it worked fine enough, except that a lot of the "thrust" of Peter Parker's life was simply lost, I felt. I've covered this elsewhere before, but to me, Spider-Man is the continuing story of Peter Parker's life--and with that many titles and overlapping adventures, I found it was difficult to synch up with the character, despite the best efforts of all involved. So on that level, regardless of all teh difficulties, I find that I prefer the Thrice-Monthly approach to Spidey at this point. >T, I'm just kinda curious, but do you know the secrets of the MU or have they just not been thought up yet? Do you know things that we as an audience won't find out for months, if not years ahead? You just had a big editorial retreat, we saw the twitter posts, so for example, do you know twelve, fifteen issues away, a solid year and a half, who lives, who dies, who has Skrull children pop-up, etc. in the titles that you edit. Do you also know things that we as an audience may never know, like Gambit's parents and birth, or why Logan looked like the Grounds-keeper instead of his father? (I know what was implied, but do you actually have a notepad with the proper story at least in your head?) > It depends, because things are evolving all the time. For example, among many other things I did today I wrote a long e-mail to a creator concerning a direction we're thinking about taking one of our characters in. This sea change would hit around April or May of next year--but that's if it happens at all, since the discussion is still ongoing. The creator in question could come back loving every word, hating every thought or coming up with an entirely new option totally on his own. In teh broad strokes, yes, I know a lot about the next few months, and in broader strokes teh next year or two, but the further ahead you look, the less certain the future is, because somebody culd come up with a better idea, or conditions could change. I find that it's this combination of advanced planning coupled with our ability to change direction on a dime when the need arises that makes us as formidable in the marketplace as we are. But the "proper story" is what happens in the pages of the books--every thing else exists solely in the world of the writer's what if.
>When I get my Wednesday fix it's a surprise each time, apart from the previews I haven't read the book before, it's a new experience each week. You on the other hand have probably seen drafts, artwork, edits, etc... for weeks, if not months before the actual book is released to the public, so my second question is this; How does the guy who makes the comic books get his weekly Wednesday fix? Do you just read things you've never read before? Series you aren't involved with? (Even though it would still seem like you'd know endings, especially big crossovers, even if you didn't have anything to do with the title.) Or, does the fact that you helped put together New Avengers and other titles each month not impact your reading decisions at all? I, personally, can't wait to see how JMS Thor wraps up the first big arc, look forward to the eventual ass-kickery that Dark Reign should produce, and irritatingly count the the days until I can get another 20 page add-on to Bru's Captain America epic.
Posted by thomas more on 2009-05-24 12:31:44>
This is one of the things that Geoff Johns and I talked about that evening when we had dinner. And as you'd expect, being so plugged into what's going on at our respective companies, he gets his biggest and best reader's bang from the Marvel books, and I get the same from following his DC titles. But I read a small stack of new titles every week that I buy off the racks from a wide assortment of companies--my tastes are diverse enough that it's a rare week that I walk out of the shop empty handed. And atop that, I also get a bundle of new Marvel and DC titles every week as part of my job, which I'll cherry-pick for titles I haven't read as part of the gig. So it's a very different experience that what you're dealing with--but all it means is that I get to experience this stuff a litle bit earlier, and in its formative stages as scripts and pencils and inks and so forth. > Is there any chance of the rest of the Weir/DeFillipis run on New Mutants being collected? I wicked loved the first trade, and really want to read the 2nd. > There's always a chance, but I don't know how much demand there is at this point for such a collection.
>Is there any chance of David Mack's 2nd run on Daredevil being reprinted? Because I love, love, love his art and Echo to death, but I can't find a trade for less then 50$ :/
Posted by ScottyQuick on 2009-05-24 15:36:45>
Same sort of deal. Given enough time, most everything tends to come back into print, especially if it's material that was well-received or featured a given character prominently. In the case of this Echo story, my guess would be that the best chance you'd have to see this in print again would come whenever there was a big new storyline spotlighting Echo in teh works.
>you said before that peter parker's recent unmasking was something that was heavily coordinated between the avengers and spider editorial offices. i can't see any reason why the new avengers didn't remember that they knew peter's secret identity like FF did in ASM? did i miss something? sorry, about the annoying contunity question, but it was bothering me. i
Posted by tusbat on 2009-05-24 16:12:17>
Two reasons for this from where I'm sitting, tusbat. The first is simple logistics: the NEW AVENGERS story beat the AMAZING story to the stands big two or three weeks. Secondly, and more importantly, covering the specifics of how the process works when Spidey unmasks in front of people who've already known his ID is much more a bookkeeping element of AMAZING's world, rather than NEW AVENGERS. It wouldn't have been great to ask Brian Bendis to stop his story short and explain to everybody in the audience how all of thsi works (and if we had done that, some folks on the internet would have insisted that Brian just decided it all himself, and railroaded the Spidey web-heads with his decision!) >In the Punisher comic by Rick Remeder, we were promised in interviews that the Hood would resurrect dead villains that had a personal vendetta against Frank. I would've thought this would've been a great oppurtunity to resurrect the Jackal. Instead we got the likes of Basilisk and the Fly who, to my knowledge, never actually fought Frank. So my question is, are there any plans to bring back the Jackal into the Marvel Universe? It seems that Marvel is forgetting all about this gem of a character.
Posted by Miles_Warren on 2009-05-24 16:51:00> If we do use the Jackal anywhere, it'll probbaly be in the Spidey books rather than PUNISHER, as he's a much more important component of Spidey's world and series than he is Frank's. So no immediate plans right this second, but I like the character, and if we found the right way to dust him off and make him relevant again (without opening up the pandora's box of the Clone Saga again) then we'll bring him back.
>I picked up a magazine sized book about the 70th anniversary, and it was awesome reading the chronology of Marvel Comics, from Timely to a teen aged Stan Lee as editor and Stan's time in WWII. Also, got me more interested in the Invaders. I dug them before, but this reading experience cemented it. So I guess I'm looking for any info on projects coming down the road about these characters, comic books or otherwise. A Marvel Animated Invaders DVD project, even rushed out to coincide with the 70th anniversary could rock the house. I know that's not your department, but see what you can make happen. Also, I think the story telling the rise of Marvel during the 40's and beyond has the potential for Oscar winning film, embellished a little sure, but could be a very cool look at a uniquely American industry during an awesome time in our countries history, produced and released by Marvel Studios.
Posted by TConway on 2009-05-24 19:21:46> I think any animated project rushed out to hit a 70th Anniversary that's almost half over right now is going to look like ass. So if the Marvel Studios team had a hankerin' to do an INVADERS cartoon of any stripe, I'd like to hope they'd take their time and do it right. (And how many people remember that a sextet of Marvel's cheesiest 40s characters turned up for a five-part storyline in the '90s SPIDER-MAN cartoon?) On the other hand, a film about the rise of Marvel could be cool, but I'm not sure that it would be the best idea to limit such a picture to Timely/Marvel exclusively--without understanding the larger landscape of the burgeoning comic book field, you'd only be seeing half the story. So something closer to a KAVALIER AND CLAY film would be right up my alley. (And if you haven't yet read Michael Chabon's fictional account of the early days of the comic book business, it's well worth seeking out!) More tomorrow. Tom B
Reader Questions 4
2009-05-29 18:01:42
For some strange reason, the Blog server seems to have eaten the answer to yesterday's last question. So we'll start with that one again today, and then forge ahead into new question-answering territory! >when are we going to see a follow up to the marvel mystic arcana series? and, though I doubt I'll get a real answer, when will we see the real scarlet witch again in more than just a cameo?
Posted by piperdg on 2009-05-23 11:44:41> Depends on what you mean by a follow-up to MYSTIC ARCANNA, piper. There's currently some very crucial mystic stuff going on in the pages of NEW AVENGERS that'll be of consequence to the mystic portion of the Marvel Universe in the months to come. As for Wanda, as I believe we've mentioned in the past, she plays a central role in the AVENGERS project that Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung have been working on these long months, and which you should hopefully see in 2010.
>I am very excited about the Spider-man: Mary Jane You Just Hit the Jackpot solicits in the August catalog. I was especially excited, and a bit surprised, to see the excellent Parallel Lives graphic novel included in this collection. I was not expecting to see a book that celebrates the Peter/MJ relationship and marriage released in the current Spider-man environment. You can consider at least one copy of this TPB already SOLD!!
The obvious question becomes... is this an indication that Marvel is softening on their stated position that 'the marriage never happened'?
Posted by tomek97 on 2009-05-23 15:38:34>
No. Seriously, no. We're not going to hesitate to reprint stuff from those years as the opportunity strikes, but we're not going to be going back to a married Spider-Man either. >1. You said a while ago that if Avengers were renumbering, it would pick up with New Avengers. Considering much of the Mighty Avengers press is how it's going back to Avengers-y stories (spotlighting how New Avengers has a very, very different style than the classic Avengers), do you still feel that way? Even when Bendis was launching Mighty Avengers, it was pitched as a book intended to have more of a classic Avengers feel. > Numbering isn't about the feel of a series, it's about successive monthly issues. NEW AVENGERS was the successor title to AVENGERS--it's what replaced AVENGERS on the publishing roster. So that's the book that carries forward with the aggregate numbering. MIGHTY came three years later, so despite the flavor or the tone of the title, it's not a direct continuation of AVENGERS. It's a spin-off title. As is DARK.
>2. Can you explain some of the reasoning behind the concept of New Warriors v.4 (which IIRC, writer Kevin Grevioux was told to use). Why did a book spinning out of Civil War feature a bunch of depowered mutants (seemingly fallout from House of M) and next to no connection to the original New Warriors? While at the same time, those characters were being used in a very CW-relevant manner in Avengers Initiative. Seems like NW was really set up to fail. I know Marvel obviously wanted it to succeed, but linking depowered mutants with a property that wasn't ever an X-franchise just seemed awfully bizarre to me. Does the failure of v.4 mean it's going to be that much harder to get a Counter-Force (now back to New Warriors) series anytime?
Posted by motteditor on 2009-05-23 17:13:34>
Nobody around here loves the New Warriors more than I do, Mott. I was the last editor of the original series, and I've used the individual characters in many of my titles over the years. So let me tell you, straight up, that linking a new NEW WARRIORS series to the X-MEN corner of the Universe could only have been a benefit--while there's a certain amount of NEW WARRIORS nostalgia, it was never a property that was a top-seller. Revivals of one sort or another have been tried on multiple occasions (there's a reason why Kevin's run was v.4 after all) and none of them ever worked out. So trying something new with the concept seemed like a feasible idea, especially since it was an idea that grew directly out of the conclusion of HOUSE OF M and DECIMATION, and so was rooted firmly within the larger Marvel U. Kevin's NEW WARRIORS was hardly set up to fail, but the way this business works, you take your best shot, and some things stick and some things don't. As for Counter-Force, while we might have used the New Warriors name for them had it not been in play elsewhere, that hasn't stopped them from becoming a prominent element in AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE--one that's only going to grow to greater prominence in the next few months. I honestly don't know that I see a real need right this second for a COUNTER-FORCE series, but if there were one, the fact that a totally-unrelated NEW WARRIORS book had ended wouldn't have much bearing on that. >I have one question, and one question only: When will MDCU finally contain every last Marvel comic (Hopefully in complete chronological and/or publication) order?
Posted by Soul Fire on 2009-05-23 17:43:57> Given that we release somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 titles every month, and we've got a 70 year backlog, I'd say that it's going to take a relatively long time for absolutely everything to be available. But we are constantly adding to the MDCU library month after month, so it should continue to grow in size and depth steadily.
>1.) I have to ask about the classic guys. It seems to me that writers like Stern and Michelinie have written some well received stuff recently when Marvel finally gave them a chance again. Besides Stern's upcoming 3 parter with the Juggernaut in Amazing Spider-Man (with the great Lee Weeks!), what other projects are these guys working on? > I'm not sure that David is writing anything for us at present, but Roger's got the lead story in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #7, the YOUNG ALLIES COMICS #1 70th Anniversary one-shot and a story in CAPTAIN AMERICA #600 coming out in just a few weeks. In fact, we sent all three of them to the printer earlier today.
>2.) Any chance of a She-Hulk and Her Lady Liberators series or a new season for Captain Brittain and MI:13? Both could work with Peter David and Paul Cornell writing and bigger name artists.
Posted by Dusty. on 2009-05-23 20:32:41>
There aren't any plans for a Lady Liberators series at the moment, Dusty, and as I'm sure you've heard, CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI:13 is ending as well. And I don't think the secret here is as simple as "bigger name artists". For one thing, you'd need to find bigger name artists who'd really want to work on these titles in the first place. And then, you've got the fact that bigger name artists also tend to be higher paid artists, and so a title circulating at the level of a CAPTAIN BRITAIN may not be easily able to cover the additional A & E costs against its budget. Finally, there's also a question of the best use of resources. If I've got a Big Name Artist who's available (and for some reason will do anything I tell him to, no questions asked), and his presence on a title will increase sales by let's say 25%, then it really makes better sense to place him on a more popular series. Not only is the amount of benefit immediately higher, but having top talent on those books is what keeps them top titles in the first place. >I'm well aware of the fact that you know how good a book Captain Britain and the MI 13 is, so, keeping it simple...
Where sales THAT bad that you couldn't afford to publish a series this great? Isn't sometimes quality enough to mantain the hope for a title to someday, somehow (promoting it, perhaps) boost sales? I mean, doesnt three regular Wolverine titles enogh money to keep less commercial projects on the market?
Posted by tanwer on 2009-05-23 20:50:18>
Boy, you CAPTAIN BRITAIN fans are really out in force this week. Tanwer, it all comes down to a return on investment--and that investment includes time and energy as well as just money. We publish a lot of titles, and we're constantly trying new things. And the reality of the marketplace is that some of those things are going to click, and some of them aren't. And some will click for a little while, and then taper off. There's no sin in that--it's an entirely democratic process in which you fans vote with your wallets and your feet. Now, any one book being unprofitable isn't enough to break Marvel, but the question is, where do you draw the line? If we keep CAPTAIN BRITAIN going, then shouldn't we also keep RUNAWAYS going? Or IRON FIST? Or SPIDER-GIRL? Or any of a number of other titles that have hit this level despite a dedicated and loyal core audience. At the end of the day, Marvel is a business--if we don't make money, they come around and turn all the lights out. Every series in our publishing line needs to earn its keep in one way or another. If it's a property we really believe in, we may run a given series into the red for awhile to see if we can't find a way to turn it around, but we simply cannot do that on every title that garners critical acclaim. It stinks, but the reality of the quirky, off-to-the-side series is that the very reason they appeal to so many dedicated reader is because they provide some stylistic hit that you just can't quite get from the rest of the line--but often that very style is what's off-putting to the broader audience in general. And that isn't a problem that can be solved simply by promoting it (and CAPTAIN BRITAIN got a heck of a lot of promotion around its Dracula storyline). Nor is it the responsibility of a WOLVERINE title to underwrite another series. Every title in our publishing line needs to carry its own weight, and that means that sometimes we have to make sad, tough choices. More on Monday! Tom B
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About this blog:
Ramblings and musings from the mind of Tom Brevoort. "It won’t be clean. It won’t be fun. It mostly won’t be coherent."
 | About the author:
Tom Brevoort is Executive Editor for Marvel Comics, and oversees such titles as New Avengers, Civil War, and Fantastic Four. |
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