Marvel.com Blogs - Blah Blah Blog by Tom Brevoort

web marvel.com

BLOGS HOME|COMIC BLOGS|VIDEO GAME BLOGS|OTHER BLOGS|MARVEL NEWS

Viewer Mail
2007-05-29 17:04:59

The Champions

Got a short week going on, as I'm due to fly out to the west coast for Wizard World Los Angeles on Thursday. So I thought I'd do something easy today and answer a bit of viewer mail.

>Tom, I really hate that attitude of every comic having to be someone's first.

The first comics I had tossed me right in and if they had stopped and explained more, I probably wouldn't have been so interested in reading more to find out just what was going on. That's a real draw to me, and it is to a lot of kids too, I bet, the sense that you're figuring out something HUGE, like the MU.

Posted by MattDiCarlo on 2007-03-07 16:12:49>

Sorry that you hate it, Matt, but if we want the industry to be able to grow and thrive and reach new people, then we have to be as inviting as we possibly can. If you watched a television show, read a novel or paid 10 bucks to see a movie, and at the end you couldn't even name the characters or understand what their relationships are, you'd feel like you wasted your time. Comics is the only place where discussions like this take place--we're so used to talking to the converted, to the long-time reader who understands all of these things before they even crack the latest cover, that we sometimes fail to look beyond our own navel and out into the larger world. As you can tell, I feel pretty strongly about this--it's what Bill Jemas used to call "talking to ourselves," and it's an easy trap to fall into. Every comic book could be somebody's first, so that's an important fact to remember when you're making them. Virtually nobody likes to be frustrated by their entertainment.

>post CW- the champions
Reading the pitch for the new upcoming title " the Champions," seems very intersting, close (very close) from some Tv-reality-shows concept;the next step for social analysis of the super-heros mythos (gods among us -please don't flag this as offensive), nobody don't become a legend like that ( hope to read what Keith Giffen could do on a pitch like this but I 'm not sure that Marvel want to take a MARSHALL LAW direction ), question is : is there enough vilains to fight in the MU now ?

Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-03-05 05:26:57>

We can always use more quality villains, potatoe--that's something I've spoken about herein in the past, and it's something we're working on. And hopefylly CHAMPIONS will not disappoint.

>Avengers
Tom, I'm curious. At one point when MA was just being discussed, you said you'd still see NA as the successor to the Avengers title (for whenever Marvel restores the proper numbering to the book). Do you still feel that way, because MA certainly would seem to have more in common with the previous title than NA does (based on solicits and interviews).

Posted by motteditor on 2007-02-28 20:47:33>

It's pretty simple: AVENGERS became NEW AVENGERS, was followed up the very next month by NEW AVENGERS. So NEW is the successor title--it's the book that took AVENGERS' place on the publishing schedule. MIGHTY AVENGERS may feel to you more like the classic AVENGERS, and that's somewhat intended, but it's not the direct continuation of that series.

>Question for Tom
Did I miss something from the last issue of Ironman and this one? I seem to recall Happy being on his death bed in the hospital and now we're right in the middle of things but at the same time, the Mandarin sub-plot appears to be continuing.

Was this a result of trying to establish a starting point to reflect the 'new' title?

Posted by IanZL on 2007-03-01 22:44:51>

Maybe we were too subtle in IRON MAN #14, Ian. But Happy died in that issue, his vital signs tapering off at the end of the issue. He's gone, that story is over. And yes, the subplots pick up from what happened previously, because it's the same title (as they would if Happy's fate hadn't been determined, if he were still fighting for life in a hospital bed. But he isn't.)

>If it's worth anything, I gave it some internet coverage.

http://www.4thletter.net/?p=368

It's under Day 3, natch. Truly my story is a heart-wrenching triumph that rivals even Rocky Balboa.

Posted by Gavok on 2007-03-01 04:21:18>

Some very nice coverage, Gavok. And congrats on winning.

>You Killed Cap?
The inexplicable character behavior of the irresponsible Civil War mess was one thing but killing off Captain America? I hope somebody has something up their sleeve to explain that one with an ingenius comeback because right now from a fan that looks like the mother of all really bad ideas from the "House"

Posted by JJonahJameson on 2007-03-07 16:18:16>

Cap is dead, miss him, miss him, miss him.

More later.

Tom B

Daredevil Wallpaper
Sorry, I know this is the wrong place, but me emails to the right place don't seem help.

The Daredevil 95 wallpaper on the site is not working correctly. Only the small size is downloading the right way. Click on either the medium or large size results in a big blank page.

We now return to our regular program, already in progress...

Posted by killerbass on 2007-03-12 13:29:26

Tom,
Where can a reader go that simply wants to read good stories that don't hinge upon the Civil War fallout and the "New America" that is going on? I tried MA and I gotta tell you that I am just not connecting emotionally with them. They are too...corporate, cold, calculated, contrived, whatever, for me.

Posted by bigdaddyhub2 on 2007-03-12 15:30:06

captain america
are they gonna bring the cap back

Posted by carcise on 2007-03-12 21:21:42

I'm sticking to my guns here, Tom.

I don't think you should try to exclude the new reader by any means. But in the day and age of wikipedia(with the idea that most new readers will be at the very least under the age of 25), it's pretty easy to learn more about any character that interests you.

Now, I think a better question is: How are these new people getting exposed to the medium?

If they're reading a single issue, I really think it's more important to have a dynamic issue that draws people in (and in that case, all of the 6 issue, written for the trade, style arcs aren't helping, especially if they pick up part 4 of six). If they're reading it in a book store, well, then you've got 6 issues of story to learn about the characters and what would really be important would be making that first issue of the arc easy to understand.

If we're talking, let's say a Free Comic Book Day issue, then absolutely, you want to think that it'll be someone's first comic.

Otherwise, I'm not all that sure how single issues get into the hands of new readers anyway.

Past mass media coverage, mind you.

Thanks for responding,

Matt

Posted by MattDiCarlo on 2007-03-13 09:04:56

I guess I just expected some fallout from Happy's death. A reference or a mention of it at the very least.

It didn't just seem over, it seemed forgotten.

Posted by IanZL on 2007-03-13 12:09:55

god whatarun
- and now Cap is dead....: you know nobody likes when you're alive, and there are some symbols that no one remembers what for there are here, what they mean; now the shield is for some one else, it's always finish like that when you decide to fight ,respecting the rules but you have to do it you know:::the new Cap seems to have a gun, and I'm still talking about AMERICAN EAGLE whot got a knife.
-about the Champions :staying on the top, especially the Tony Stark top side, addict to powers, all you have to do is really dare to listen to yourself actually....
-about comic-sharing: ( for Matt DiCarlo ) reading comic-book begins by taking more and more place in your life, I say it like that because I wanted to write some without knowing really why, just got the feeling that some things could happen; this, or learn...
- to Fetsur : still loving you

Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-03-14 09:54:11

Problem with Dr. Strange on NA #28
I was reading New Avengers #28 and loved the idea of Doc Strange being an Avenger until he did that reconnaissance at The Raft to determine if it was a trap or not and just blew it.

It bothers me that Bendis put Dr. Strange in the Avengers and does not know anything about him and his powers.

Seriously, any Doc Strange fan knows that Strange in determining if The Raft as a trap could have easily used the Eye of Agamatto amulet to examine Captain America and know it was a fake and bait; even in astral form, Strange can use the astral representation of the Eye around his throat - it was done in Strange's series in the 70's and 80's.

It's disappointing to see how Bendis, who wrote Ultimate Spider-Man, not properly use Dr. Strange and I have to question what is the point of making Dr. Strange an Avenger; it's scary to think of Doc Strange as a Scarlet Witch replacement.

I hope he will fix this deficiency or eventually have Dr. Strange leave the group before any more damage is done to the character.
Maybe Bendis should get Bother Voodoo to replace Strange - then I could have enjoyed New Avangers #28.

Posted by techpuppy on 2007-03-16 23:04:35

Question about "Variant" HC and Omnibuses (Om
I would like to know, are the "variant" Marvel Omnibus more "limited" in printing? I know Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol.1 Alex Ross Variant was printed in smaller numbers (1500 copies or so), and I know the Masterworks variants are indeed printed in small numbers; heck, even the Premiere HC have a variant with smaller printed copies.

But what about the newer Omnibuses, like Uncanny X-Men, Daredevil by Miller, Spiderman and Silver Surfer Omnibuses... ?

For example, on the Spiderman and Silver Surfer Omnibuses I love the classic, iconic Ditko and Buscema covers, but are the variant going to be limited in print run? If yes I'd rather have those, for the kick of it.

Posted by BobRaz on 2007-03-18 21:53:08

Seriously.
I really need to know whether or not if THEY are going to bring Captain America back. Seriously. I do.

Let me know.

--Deadpool--

Posted by All4Deadpool on 2007-05-29 20:04:00

Iron Man question:
I believe I found a flaw in one of the Marvel Official Handbooks Guides. The one in question is Ironman's profile in the Initiative Handbook issue. these are where my questions stem from.

"'Is this Ironman who is currently in the comics the original Tony Stark that died during the Crossing?'

I know that Marvel officially stated that Teen Tony upon returning to the 616 Marvel universe retained the memories of the original Tony Stark that died from the mainstream Marvel universe. But just retaining the memories does not nessacarily mean that this 'new Ironman' is the original merged with the Teen Tony and Heroes Reborn Ironman. All that it means is that this is a Tony Stark who remembers and has the memories of the original 616 Ironman. So, follow up questions to my original question that need to be answered too are these

'Upon returning to the regular Marvel Universe (616), did Franklin Richards resurrect the 616 Marvel Universe Tony Stark that died and merged him with Teen Tony? Does that mean that this Ironman possesses not only the original Ironman's personality and mind but also his soul too? Is his soul off somewhere enjoying an afterlife or is it back in this Ironman's body?'

I know I am asking semantics but please be as precise as possible answering all these questions. Thank you so much for your time and I wish you well."

Posted by hulk2482 on 2007-06-27 00:57:26

Array

Enter a response to this blog post: