Are you happy with Marvel Comics, right now?

[PhotoJones]

I beg to differ.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Aw, you old charmer. :heart:

 

[Doc Destruction]

Wow, it's so weird having Darth be mad at someone other than me. I'm not sure how to handle this!

 

[kguillou]

I'm very happy with Marvel right now. Even though i think they're relying on shock value a little too much, the quality of the books coming out have been the best they've ever been. Back when i was younger in the 90's I used to only buy Spider-man books, because i could care less about everything else going on in the marvel universe, but now, there's soo much going on all over the place i find myself buying titles like IronFist, Cap, Ironman, Hulk, X-Men, and the avengers books along with amazing spider-man. I know alotta people hate bendis here, but I think a big reason why marvel is so interesting now is because of him. Let's face it, love him or hate him, Bendis lit a fire under marvel's butt and helped recreate it. What he did to the avengers line was best thing that happened to marvel in a loooong time. So... yea I'm very pleased with Marvel, but my wallet's not.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Im very pleased with Marvel right now. The Marvel Universe hasnt felt so connected in YEARS, imo...

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Spoons generic answer of the day

I'm pretty happy with the state of Marvel comics right now. There's **** I love, like, tolerate, dislike, and hate.

 

[Darthphere]

Wow, it's so weird having Darth be mad at someone other than me. I'm not sure how to handle this!

I was mad?

 

[PhotoJones]

I was just confused as to why Dusty was continuing to post here.

 

[Darthphere]

Because he can't post anywhere else.

 

[PhotoJones]

That should be a clue to just stop posting period.

 

[Joker]

Let's put it this way. I'm happier with Marvel right now than I am with DC. But, to put some context on this, a year ago I was spending $50-$75 a week on comics, on average. Now, on a large week, I'll spend $35-$40.

I dont read any Spider-Man titles but Ultimate anymore, I dropped quite a few books after Civil War and World War Hulk (although I do now pick up The Order and The Initiative).

But then again, I dropped Batman, all the Superman titles except Confidential and All Star, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Justice League too.

So while I'm not exactly thrilled with the direction being taken by either company at the moment, Marvel is still ahead of DC by a long shot. At least (other than Spider-Man) there big solution to all there "problems" wasnt "hey! let's regress everything to the silver age and suck!"

 

[antonydelfini]

Well I'm enjoying everything I'm buying from Marvel these days. Very happy with the company.

What I'm reading right now:
IMMORTAL IRON FIST- it's my fave book. It's got everything I want from a comic book. It's very exciting to see a character I thought was stupid and boring turn into one of my favorite Marvel heroes.
THE PUNISHER- The testosterone this book has is unbelievable. I can't stop buying this foul thing!
CAPTAIN AMERICA- the realism and complexity Bru is layering this book with is just great, I'm proud of being able to read ths.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN- Back to basics. Going back to the roots. Finding that light-heartedness. This is what I've been waiting for in this book. You can argue that OMD wasn't needed to tell this type of stories, but Im enjoying everything in this new chapter and I can't complain anymore.
X-FACTOR- GREAT Madrox stuff! GREAT team stuff!
NEW AVENGERS- i can't help buying this. It's the team that has Spidey and Iron Fist. And Bendis makes this book seem important to the universe, so i keep buying.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN- the only ultimate book worth buying. I miss bagley though.
ULTIMATES 3- craptastic.
DAREDEVIL- I'm not liking it as much as i liked the 1st 2 arcs, but it's still a quality book.
HULK- i liked the 1st issue is all i can say so far.
ASTONISHING X-MEN- sometimes it's good, sometimes it's boring. But when it's good, which is actually very frequent, it knocks my socks off.
MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK- very fun and entertaining.
THOR- it's got that usual JMS boring and slow stuff, but it's also grand, majestic, and epic.

Things that I will surely buy in the future:
WOLVERINE by Aaron
FANTASTIC FOUR by Millar
UNCANNY X-MEN by Brubaker

 

[Sugarculted]

Well, slap me if you may...but I've only just started to read Runaways. Read the first volume of the series...and sweet jebus, every page is gold. I've been hearing Whedon's run on the series isn't as great...but concerning the fact that stuff like this is bought to us by Marvel, I can say I'm very, very happy.

But, concerning the comics which are out right now...

I'm a bit bothered by the big events, you know? Enough of it Marvel. It hurts my brain. We don't need so many damn crossover events EACH year, it's freaking ridiculous. You can tell me that I don't need to buy them, and that's right, I do have control over my wallet...but when this event crosses over to most of the 616 books, it gets on my nerves a lil.

The crossover events always seem to end on a low note, also. Civil War had beautiful art and a few lovely moments, but Cap surrendering like that, and the reintroduction of Marv sucked, big time. It's like the story was handed over to a six year old.
Oh, and the same goes for Pak's WWH. Everything seemed rushed. Marvel were awful with the continuity of their issues around then. I could tell who was going to survive WWH, even when we were only onto the 3rd issue...
...also, one of my favourite artists seemed to be a bit off key, here. WWH was so disappointing, that it went on eBay on the second I read the fifth issue.
The most recent event, seemed really, really promising. MC was awesome, and Cable rocked throughout...everything was running smoothly, until the uncharacteristic behaviour of Bishop appeared in the last issue. You shot Xavier? Seriously? I know he'll be back, but didn't Cable kill baldy in the Ult.Universe? So much for using two different universes to tell such different stories, Marvel.
So please, ease up on the crossover events, pretty please?

Moving on from the huge events, and onto the other comics I love to purchase...
I've always been interested in Danny Rand, and to have the IIF on my LCS's shelves is a right treat. It is one of the best which is out there right now. So, I gotta congratulate Marvel on getting that out.
Same goes with Annihilation...although Conquest isn't clicking the same buttons as the original did. Maybe I need more Star-Lord throughout, and less Ronan. I love the story of the phalanx...but this shorter event seems forced onto me. I didn't need Conquest so soon, you know?
Also, they're doing a very, very good job with Nova. I freakin' love that book. Nova and IIF, the best comics to look forward too.
I know of the love for X-Factor here...and yes, I'll purchase those TPB's sometime, I promise. Same goes with Daredevil. I'm just too fussy to get straight into the single issues without having read the TPB's.
Captain America seems to be a comic that shines with every issue released. Maybe I don't adore this as much as others...but hey, it's still great

Now, onto the handling of certain characters...where certain 'WTF?!' moments have appeared.
Exiles. My main problem with Marvel right now. Why the hell did they f*** that right up? I love Morph, I love Mimic. I do not love any generic Claremont character. Get out, Claremont. I'll be honest, I've never liked your way of telling stories, at all. I'll excuse the Dark Phoenix saga though...I just didn't like many others. I feel there's no need to describe every character's emotions in every single panel. I got the pictures to look at, Claremont.
Moving swiftly onto the other sore subject...Peter Parker. I don't have much to say, apart from the fact I reckon it'll take Marvel a long while to sort this crap out. I've liked most of Quesada's decisions, but OMD was awful, there's so many inconsistencies with BND...I just dropped the 2nd issue of OMD when I even heard the rumours of Mephisto messing with a marriage. Everything about it is laughable...what would Mephisto want with a MARRIAGE? How is Harry back? How am I supposed to love a character who has always believed in responsibility...yet he still relies on his frail, old aunt. I've not been as miffed as others...but yeah, I'm just going to read MA Spider-man from now, thanks. Oh, and maybe Ult.Spidey...Immonen's work is orgasmic to the eyes.
Oh, as I know...not many of you will be bothered by the handling of Deadpool...but come on, Way and Dillon? Way and Dillon? I downloaded Wolverine Origins for DP's appearance...I didn't finish it. That's not Wade, damn it. Way to get a new series, with such awful 'talent'.
At least Cable is getting handled okay...

I suppose something good comes out from those events...but I wonder, how long can Marvel rely on huge events to bring out a brand new status quo? Thor is brilliant, Cable looks great...but I can't imagine New Warriors surviving for much longer.

So...before I ramble on about nonsense for much longer, I'll put it simply. I'm happy with Marvel. They can do better, much better. But at least they still got me buying comics. Oh, and if not...I always got Image.

 

[Red]

Yo why's PhotoJones been banned?

 

[Xofenroht]

Yo why's PhotoJones been banned?

Probably for mouthing off so much to the mods.

I know...sucks, doesn't it?

 

[fifthfiend]

It's time for I, Darthphere to challenge your minds once again. I proved all your asses wrong with your supposed "continuity mistakes" in Civil War and now it's time for me to reach into your brains, and your hearts to ask what should be a simple question:

Are you happy with the state of Marvel comics?

Now, before this becomes another *****fest of epic proportions, this question speaks to content ONLY.

I don't care about what you think about Joe Quesada or Bendis, or what they said, and how they said it, and how they sounded when they said it. This is about the comics. Are you happy with their comics right now?

Overall, what do you think Marvel is doing right?

What do you think Marvel is doing wrong?

And where does that leave you in regards to your opinion of the quality of work?

Answer the question, challenge your minds, and thank me later for making you finally use that brain of yours. And remember, if you agree with GAH, your opinions suck, so don't do that.

*Note: A poll was to be added, but I thought it would be unfair to sum up your opinions in a couple of words or phrases.

I enjoy Iron Fist, Incredible Hercules, Daredevil, and Thor. I can't really read the more SHRA/Initiative-geared books, as I loathe their premise and find they all more or less fall into a sort of Uncanny Valley of political realism. Amazing Spider Man is, well, ghastly, and jarring, and kind of depressing to look at. I'm generally wary of jumping on with any particular storyline, as even if I enjoy it, in all probability it'll have maybe twelve issues before it gets thrown under the tank treads of whichever Event Comic. Ultimate anything is roundly disappointing. So overall I can't say I'm too enamored of them. That said, they do produce four of what I find to be extremely readable comic books.

 

[Red]

General rule of Hype... the more awesome you are, the more bans you earn.

Which leads me to ask again whys PhotoJones been banned?

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Probably for mouthing off so much to the mods.

I know...sucks, doesn't it?

Damn sucks. They killed my friend!

 

[Sloth7d]

Damn. Perma-banned?! What'd he do to deserve permanent banning?

 

[Colossal Spoons]

PJ did like to get lippy with the mods

 

[Spade]

Overall, what do you think Marvel is doing right?

I like that their events are feeling less like a gimmick. I wasn't hot about WWH as a whole, but they managed to handle the aftermath well enough that I'm interested both in the Hulk and the fates of his companions/enemies well after it's over. Hopefully, that'll lead to their other titles being a bit more ecapsualted. Seeing some of the unsung characters coming to the fore works for me, and the pace in their comics as of late is easier to digest when I'm not expected to buy a boatload of tie-ins to be up to speed.

What do you think Marvel is doing wrong?

The regression of their flagship character makes me wonder if the Reboot Button is as forsaken as they've claimed it to be; I can deal with retcons on a small scale, but part of the reason I don't pick up many DC books is because of that issue. You never really know if this continuity is going to stick, so it feels a little like a gamble to start enjoying what's being offered. It also annoys me that it's taken so long for them to realize the flaws in the "big event to end all events" approach which almost always becomes unsatisfying. I'm not against big events, but some more thought and pace wouldn't hurt.

And where does that leave you in regards to your opinion of the quality of work?

I'm fairly satisfied with where Marvel's going, but what really annoys me when it comes to quality is how continuity seems to be usurped by what's popular in their films or what might draw in new readers. I'm not idealistic; this is a business. You need to market a business well, and sometimes that deals with disposing of the old ways. But the truth is that comic fans aren't getting younger. Marvel has geared these books more towards the older crowd in tone and material, and if they're going to do that and try to put this mature edge around their characters then they're less liable to draw in those younger readers. I feel like they're trying to have a large yet young fanbase by attracting them with something that's "not your dad's" and reflects the times, which comes at the expense of the characters involved from time to time.

That might be a minor gripe, but I'm left wondering how long this approach can work before the folks primarily buying these books have liver spots. Are they going to reboot when they feel it necessary and deal with alienating a few of the older fans, or continue walking the thin line between the established fanbase and those fabled "new readers" they want through things like the Ultimate Universe or another equivalent?

 

[Max J Power]

Are you happy with the state of Marvel comics?
Yes.

Overall, what do you think Marvel is doing right?
Daredevil and Captain America are great. I haven't' read Messiah Complex yet, but I've liked the direction the X-books have been going. I really like Runaways and Young Avengers, which both have shown that books about teenage superheroes can be something special. I enjoy the Marvel Zombies stuff too. And I haven't read them, but I've heard many good things Iron Fist, Annihilation, Thunderbolts, Criminal, Thor, Punisher War Journal, and some other series.

What do you think Marvel is doing wrong?
They've been overdoing the big events for two or three years, and there seems to be no end in sight. Also, the lateness of some of their books has been very annoying.

And where does that leave you in regards to your opinion of the quality of work?
I like all the things from Marvel that I read. But I probably wouldn't like everything if I read everything.

 

[fifthfiend]

Damn. Perma-banned?! What'd he do to deserve permanent banning?

F'real? Weird.

Dunno that I've ever heard of someone getting permabanned.

 

[Varient]

Are you happy with the state of Marvel comics?

Now, before this becomes another *****fest of epic proportions, this question speaks to content ONLY.

No I'm not.

I don't care about what you think about Joe Quesada or Bendis, or what they said, and how they said it, and how they sounded when they said it. This is about the comics. Are you happy with their comics right now?

No I'm Not.

Overall, what do you think Marvel is doing right?

Well,.. They seem to be getting a handle on putting the correct writers on books they can sink their teeth into. They also have glimmers of what could've been great stories if they'd only went there or took that final step. Thor for example - I think it would've been nice if he came across someone who he reverted,.. but who CHOSE to stay among the mortals in mortal guise. Didn't happen,.. regulating all Asgardians to cookie-cutter/spear carrier status. All the Books are full of such things,.. but they are ignored for whatever the main thrust of the series is.

What do you think Marvel is doing wrong?

Generally I think they are trying too hard on the Shock and Awe part - with too much drama.

And where does that leave you in regards to your opinion of the quality of work?

I enjoy good stories that tie up nicely or make sense in ref to characters, powers and abilities, and what came before. I have mild issue with character or power changes to "make a story".
The last few cross-title arcs had too many people acting outside of how they have been before WITHOUT explanation.

What? Half the Marvel Heroes Are Skrulls?

Answer the question, challenge your minds, and thank me later for making you finally use that brain of yours. And remember, if you agree with GAH, your opinions suck, so don't do that.

*Note: A poll was to be added, but I thought it would be unfair to sum up your opinions in a couple of words or phrases.

Too bad - GAH has a documented two in twenty accuracy rating.

V.

 

[kguillou]

I pretty confident that Secret Invasion will be the last big crossover-event for a while. Bendis has said himself that everything since Avengers: Disassembled has been leading up to this. I think this event will be the final transformation of the marvel universe status quo that has been changing for the past 4 years. I hope i'm right at least, if there's yet another event after this then its just ridiculous.