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What a Difference 53 Days Make

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 3:45 pm
by Paul Nolan
August 28th 2011: Pak & Van Lente Upgrade "ALPHA FLIGHT" to an Ongoing (cbr link)

October 20th 2011: Alpha Flight Cancelled at Issue #8 (ifanboy link)


Sorry, but this is just head scratchingly strange. Did they not calculate the numbers properly in August?

looking at Septembers' top 300 comics. Issue 4 of Alpha Flight sold at a similar level to Avengers Academy, X-23, Thunderbolts and X-Factor. With Herc & Iron Man 2.0 finishing, is a further cull on the cards?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:30 pm
by HassanT
Marvel's plan is to have every book be called Avengers Something written by Bendis and drawn by TBA :)

Seriously, this doesn't look Marvel is really organized. Also looking at the solicitations, Incredible Hulk, Uncanny X-Men, and Wolverine and the X-Men all have new art teams just after 3 issues. I am sure that was planned, but people should think about that relative to the analysis that is done on the new DC 52 solicits.

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 9:01 pm
by JohnMayo
HassanT wrote:Marvel's plan is to have every book be called Avengers Something written by Bendis and drawn by TBA :)
No doubt the next round of solicitations will include Avengers: Canada starting Wolverine, Vindicator, Wolverine, Guardian, Wolverine, Northstar, Wolverine, Aurora, Wolverine, Puck and Spider-Man. The special guest star in the #0.0.1 will be Patch. :lol:

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:49 pm
by BobBretall
HassanT wrote: Also looking at the solicitations, Incredible Hulk, Uncanny X-Men, and Wolverine and the X-Men all have new art teams just after 3 issues.
Hmmm. I wasn't really expecting Silvestri to stick around on Incredible Hulk, but after the big deal Marvel made about him, I was expecting more than 3 issues. I'm not a fan of his replacement, Whilce Portacio, so I'm thinking of just skipping the Hulk relaunch after the 1st issue that I've already ordered.

Marvel does seem to have a lack of focus lately. The 15 person layoff they had today are certainly not going to help things, I'd guess.

http://www.comicsbeat.com/2011/10/21/ma ... -of-ideas/

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 5:54 am
by HassanT
BobBretall wrote:
HassanT wrote: Also looking at the solicitations, Incredible Hulk, Uncanny X-Men, and Wolverine and the X-Men all have new art teams just after 3 issues.
Hmmm. I wasn't really expecting Silvestri to stick around on Incredible Hulk, but after the big deal Marvel made about him, I was expecting more than 3 issues. I'm not a fan of his replacement, Whilce Portacio, so I'm thinking of just skipping the Hulk relaunch after the 1st issue that I've already ordered.
I agree on Silverstri but I thought he would be on for at least for 5 issues.

My point is that people are pointing out issues with the new 52 (artist changes, creative team changes), Marvel is doing it in spades. They never have a consistent art team on a book anymore (with the exception of Iron Man).

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 5:56 am
by HassanT
JohnMayo wrote:
HassanT wrote:Marvel's plan is to have every book be called Avengers Something written by Bendis and drawn by TBA :)
No doubt the next round of solicitations will include Avengers: Canada starting Wolverine, Vindicator, Wolverine, Guardian, Wolverine, Northstar, Wolverine, Aurora, Wolverine, Puck and Spider-Man. The special guest star in the #0.0.1 will be Patch. :lol:
I am waiting for Marvel to bring back the minus issues as part of their publishing strategy.

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:32 am
by spid
This probably has everything to do with recent layoffs. What would have been a safe book last quarter may not be safe this quarter. If customers are not buying something different then I do not blame Marvel for cancelling the book. At the end of the day Marvel has to service the market.

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:44 pm
by GABE!
BobBretall wrote: I'm not a fan of his replacement, Whilce Portacio
I hope this takes place during a different story line. These two artist styles to not complement each other at all.

Re: What a Difference 53 Days Make

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:27 am
by IanG
Paul Nolan wrote:August 28th 2011: Pak & Van Lente Upgrade "ALPHA FLIGHT" to an Ongoing (cbr link)

October 20th 2011: Alpha Flight Cancelled at Issue #8 (ifanboy link)


Sorry, but this is just head scratchingly strange. Did they not calculate the numbers properly in August?

looking at Septembers' top 300 comics. Issue 4 of Alpha Flight sold at a similar level to Avengers Academy, X-23, Thunderbolts and X-Factor. With Herc & Iron Man 2.0 finishing, is a further cull on the cards?

[WebWiz19] I don't think opening this series into Fear Itself was the best idea. Although I've been enjoying Alpha Flight because it has one of my favorite artists, Dale Eaglesham. They could've done the first issue or two in Fear Itself, but then it went on for 4 issues. It's not like Fear Itself has been blowing people's doors off with excitement. Marvel probably wants to take this book off the shelves and use the resources to launch another Avengers title. :roll:

Re: What a Difference 53 Days Make

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 8:33 am
by BobBretall
IanG wrote: I don't think opening this series into Fear Itself was the best idea.
Good point. I know that's why I dropped the series almost immediately (even after liking the 0.1 issue). Fear Itself has left me cold in general and starting the series off on an FI crossover/tie-in made it seem like a FI series even if that was not the main point.

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:16 pm
by deeplots
JohnMayo wrote:No doubt the next round of solicitations will include Avengers: Canada starting Wolverine, Vindicator, Wolverine, Guardian, Wolverine, Northstar, Wolverine, Aurora, Wolverine, Puck and Spider-Man. The special guest star in the #0.0.1 will be Patch. :lol:
I just wanted to say thank you. This made me laugh for a couple of minutes.

I'm starting to think that I'm going to have to wait for the .1.1 issues to jump onto a title, maybe those will be the good jumping on points originally promised of the .1 issues.

As to Alpha Flight, I thought the same thing, so very odd that they were canceling it so soon after saying it's going to be extended. Or maybe they will just relaunch it in the New Year after Shattered Heroes is done.