Marvel NOW ... relaunches

[HassanT]

Honestly, I find the whole Marvel Now Initiative to be interesting.

I am very excited about Hickman and Remender taking over the Avengers books (along w/ Cassaday and Opena). Both of those writers write my favorite Marvel books and Hickman writes my favorite Image books.

I am curious about the other titles that Marvel will relaunch. I am sure that Iron Man, Captain America and Thor will get new number ones again.

The new X-men title by Bendis doesn't sound like a good concept for an ongoing series to me. Besides, the X-men books already have characters from alternate futures and earths. Now they are introducing characters from the past (perhaps alternate past). It doesn't sound like a good idea.

[BobBretall]

"Bendis commented on Jean Grey's return to the Marvel U via time travel, explaining, "It’s the one thing X-Men fans have always asked for is: They want Jean Grey back. But they want Jean Grey. Not reincarnated Jean, or the ghost of Jean. Well, you’re getting Jean back. And Jean is gonna be looking at a world that rattles her."

This is what marvel fans have always asked for? The return of Jean Grey? I'm not sensing this at all. Most fans I know want dead characters to stay dead. I know I do.
I'm finding that I'm am getting less and less interested in events and re-launches as I get older. I don't see myself getting any of these.

I agree. I guess that means we're not "X-Men fans" by the Bendis definition.

Well, I know I'm not an X-Men fan, but that's because of the overly convoluted plots & continuity with characters dying, coming back, and having alternate versions of everyone flying in from other dimensions, etc. It's certainly not because Jean Grey is dead.

[Paul Nolan]

Also, anyone see any Brubaker news? Will he still be around? Getting scared when I don't see 'leaked' info on him.

In his interview with Tom Spurgeon, Brubakers burned out on work for hire, he's concentrating on creator owned.

[BobBretall]

Also, anyone see any Brubaker news? Will he still be around? Getting scared when I don't see 'leaked' info on him.

In his interview with Tom Spurgeon, Brubakers burned out on work for hire, he's concentrating on creator owned.

That said, he does plan to stay on Winter Soldier for a long time. But that will be his only super-hero book.

[yensid4disney]

One of the biggest items in the article is this:

Marvel will launch a number of brand new series -- often more than one a week -- with additional new series and relaunches for some classic books rolling out through February of next year.

Marvel will be launching at least one new number 1 every week between September and February! That means at least 24 new or relaunched titles over the course of 6 months. While some of these will be good (or at least better than what they currently have), I hope that these are not just being done as "Oh, our sales are under 30,000, let's relaunch the book with a new number 1!"

Unfortunately, that is more than likely what this is.

[yensid4disney]

As I give this more thought, I can think of why this might be a huge failure.

When DC relaunched their line, they did it all at once. 52 new books in one month. Same day date and digital. 3 months of story and art finished before the 1st issue came out (at least that's what I heard). DC has, for the most part, kept the titles coming out on time, which I think should be a bigger selling point for their marketing department.

Marvel will be relaunching their books over the next 6 months, but I doubt that they will cancel any titles as of September and wait until the new creative team has 3 issues in the can and are ready to launch. As an example, I can't see Marvel cancelling Amazing Spider-Man at the end of September and not having an issue of Amazing Spider-Man on the stands until February. That just doesn't make sense to me. So more than likely, they will be publishing Amazing Spider-Man through an arc, then "cancel" the book and re-launch it with the new #1, and the new creative team.

When DC launched the new 52, they cancelled all of their books at one time, then released the new books the next month. A VERY risky move, but one that absolutely paid off for them. Will Marvel's attempt at relaunching their books pay off as well if they have some books happening in the newer universe, while some are still in the old universe? Or are they even re-creating their universe (which IS essentially what DC did), or just saying "Hey, this event changed EVERYTHING! AGAIN!!!

Just my thoughts on the matter.

[HipHopHead]

Not impressed at all. How many 'Avengers' books will there be...that I don't read?

As I move more towards digital comics, I prefer to have the option of either purchasing a floppy OR digital OR as DC does it by a combo pack if I want both.

Does Marvel have 3 different access to their digital comics? Comixology Marvel app, Marvel Didigtal Library and Marvel AR? Way to keep it simple, stupid!

[HassanT]

As I give this more thought, I can think of why this might be a huge failure.

When DC relaunched their line, they did it all at once. 52 new books in one month. Same day date and digital. 3 months of story and art finished before the 1st issue came out (at least that's what I heard). DC has, for the most part, kept the titles coming out on time, which I think should be a bigger selling point for their marketing department.

Marvel will be relaunching their books over the next 6 months, but I doubt that they will cancel any titles as of September and wait until the new creative team has 3 issues in the can and are ready to launch. As an example, I can't see Marvel cancelling Amazing Spider-Man at the end of September and not having an issue of Amazing Spider-Man on the stands until February. That just doesn't make sense to me. So more than likely, they will be publishing Amazing Spider-Man through an arc, then "cancel" the book and re-launch it with the new #1, and the new creative team.

When DC launched the new 52, they cancelled all of their books at one time, then released the new books the next month. A VERY risky move, but one that absolutely paid off for them. Will Marvel's attempt at relaunching their books pay off as well if they have some books happening in the newer universe, while some are still in the old universe? Or are they even re-creating their universe (which IS essentially what DC did), or just saying "Hey, this event changed EVERYTHING! AGAIN!!!

Just my thoughts on the matter.

You bring up a good point. Retailers complained that the sales of DC books between the announcement and launch of the new 52 because readers thought the books didn't matter anymore. And except for the Batman and GL books, they didn't. By Marvel prolonging the relaunch over a few months, the sales on the non-relaunch titles might take a hit.

[abysslord]

As I give this more thought, I can think of why this might be a huge failure.

When DC relaunched their line, they did it all at once. 52 new books in one month. Same day date and digital. 3 months of story and art finished before the 1st issue came out (at least that's what I heard). DC has, for the most part, kept the titles coming out on time, which I think should be a bigger selling point for their marketing department.

Marvel will be relaunching their books over the next 6 months, but I doubt that they will cancel any titles as of September and wait until the new creative team has 3 issues in the can and are ready to launch. As an example, I can't see Marvel cancelling Amazing Spider-Man at the end of September and not having an issue of Amazing Spider-Man on the stands until February. That just doesn't make sense to me. So more than likely, they will be publishing Amazing Spider-Man through an arc, then "cancel" the book and re-launch it with the new #1, and the new creative team.

When DC launched the new 52, they cancelled all of their books at one time, then released the new books the next month. A VERY risky move, but one that absolutely paid off for them. Will Marvel's attempt at relaunching their books pay off as well if they have some books happening in the newer universe, while some are still in the old universe? Or are they even re-creating their universe (which IS essentially what DC did), or just saying "Hey, this event changed EVERYTHING! AGAIN!!!

Just my thoughts on the matter.

You bring up a good point. Retailers complained that the sales of DC books between the announcement and launch of the new 52 because readers thought the books didn't matter anymore. And except for the Batman and GL books, they didn't. By Marvel prolonging the relaunch over a few months, the sales on the non-relaunch titles might take a hit.

Except the reason DC titles didn't matter is because we knew they were rewriting the history. Marvel has said there is no continuity changes, just renumbering. So those last few issues of [whatever title] will still be relevant, as opposed to the last few issues of Batman before the reboot.

[spid]

I am not a Bendis fan so I will not be picking up the X-men, but everything sound interesting so I will be picking them up.

[spid]

Man, this topic exploded and nobody seems excited. Everyone seems lukewarm at best. Do they ever ask us, the buyers (and those who've lapsed), what we ACTUALLY want? Or do they just think they know what we want?

Comments on a message board are not a 1 to 1 ratio of interest in a book/storyline. Message board comments represent a minority of users who maybe loud, but are often disconnected from what the general comic book audience is looking for.

[JohnMayo]

Comments on a message board are not a 1 to 1 ratio of interest in a book/storyline. Message board comments represent a minority of users who maybe loud, but are often disconnected from what the general comic book audience is looking for.

I'm not saying this statement is wrong but I do question how accurate it is. Back when comics routinely sold over 100,000 and far fewer people were on the internet, this was certainly true. But with sales on most comics closer to the 20,000 to 30,000 range and there being hundreds of comic book podcasts, blogs and YouTube channels, I question how much or even if the internet community is still a minority of the comic book readers.

Regardless of that, I agree there is a disconnect with what is offered and what the general comic book audience is looking for.

[abysslord]

Regardless of that, I agree there is a disconnect with what is offered and what the general comic book audience is looking for.

I think it's also a factor of people saying one thing but doing another. Lots of people will say "Oh no, don't renumber .... that's so stupid" yet they'll buy it and that's all Marvel cares about.

[spid]

Comments on a message board are not a 1 to 1 ratio of interest in a book/storyline. Message board comments represent a minority of users who maybe loud, but are often disconnected from what the general comic book audience is looking for.

I'm not saying this statement is wrong but I do question how accurate it is. Back when comics routinely sold over 100,000 and far fewer people were on the internet, this was certainly true. But with sales on most comics closer to the 20,000 to 30,000 range and there being hundreds of comic book podcasts, blogs and YouTube channels, I question how much or even if the internet community is still a minority of the comic book readers.

Regardless of that, I agree there is a disconnect with what is offered and what the general comic book audience is looking for.

I was only referring to message board people may want, and what the general comic audience is looking for. I do not think there is that large a gap between what is offered, and the interest in those products.

On the flip side, your argument assumes the amount of people going to message boards has not also seen a similar decline.

[JohnMayo]

Regardless of that, I agree there is a disconnect with what is offered and what the general comic book audience is looking for.

I think it's also a factor of people saying one thing but doing another. Lots of people will say "Oh no, don't renumber .... that's so stupid" yet they'll buy it and that's all Marvel cares about.

I'm one of those people. But if I weren't I'd be getting very few, if any, comics these days...