From THE CHAMPIONS to THE ORDER

[Dread]

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=115267

Basically, because Heroic Publishing has owned and used the right for the title THE CHAMPIONS since Marvel abandoned it in the 70's-80's for their tabletop RPG's and sporatically published indie comics, and Marvel has for years been unable to strip that from them (because, whole HP has actively used that name, Marvel just wanted the rights to sit on them). Plus, this comic, about those test-tube grown heroes for the 50 State Initiative, had absolutely NOTHING to do with the classic Champions anyway.

I am glad Marvel, which has been a bully when it came to threatening legal action against, oh, the CITY OF HEROES video game, knowtowed to a smaller company here and rather than get into a gritty legal battle, just changed the comic name to THE ORDER. It fits. And by "caving", they avoided some bad PR going after a smaller fish when this isn't even the "real" Champions anyway. For once, Joe Q at least picked a high road (rather than going with "New Champions" or "Amazing Champions" for the legal loophole). I bashed Marvel for pooching the H4H cover-gate. This time I think this was the best move.

One wonders, though, if Marvel's line is being oversaturated with new teams these days, but that was technically the point of the 50 state thing, so I'll judge the book on the merits. Plus, it is from Fraction, whose work I have enjoyed in P:WJ and IRON FIST.

 

[Red]

I feel sorry for the guy that's gonna have to go through the scripts and edit out every mention of The Champions.

On another note, this is kinda a stupid name for a superhero team. Maybe it's me but "The Order" has a whole mystic /villain-equse vibe.

 

[PhotoJones]

I'm excited to read more of Fraction's work, and it's Barry Kitson. His work is always good.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Aw, the Champions are getting the Defenders' leftovers?

 

[PhotoJones]

Wasn't that the last workl Pacheco did for Marvel? I miss that guy.

 

[Not Jake]

Maybe you should start reading Mexican Superman, then.

 

[PhotoJones]

Mexican? I knew he was doing a Superman book....

 

[Not Jake]

Yeah, Mexican Superman.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

this whole initiative thing is gettin ****in stupid.

 

[PhotoJones]

Yeah, Mexican Superman.

The joke has flown over my head....

 

[Not Jake]

Just like Mexican Superman! Ha, ha.


(One of Superman's powers is flight.)

 

[Dread]

Perhaps the only way THE ORDER makes sense is the fact that the creation of this team was from an official "order" to create heroes for the 50 state thing. But, realistically, creating team names is a bummer of a thing to figure (Omega Flight literally took the name of a villain team; how is that for bad PR) so they probably just opened up a Handbook and threw a dart.

There are a slew of new team books out now as mini's or ongoings: Omega Flight, Loners, New Warriors, Avengers: Initiative, plus a new Mighty Avengers, so I can understand some feeling of team fatique.

However, the entire point of the 50 state thing was that the nation wants to launch 50 teams for 50 states. While hopefully Marvel won't do that literally, they do seek to at least have something different about all of them, even minor ones.

Avengers: Initiative is about old & new heroes being swept into boot camp via the draft into a gov't sponsored team. Omega Flight is also about characters drafted to join a gov't sponsored team, but, uh, in Canada (and as an aftermath of the CW). The Loners are unofficial and are trying to break their hero habits via self-help, and usually fail. The New Warriors are rebelling against the SHRA, even though the war is over (sort of like New Avengers). The Order are folks who was essentially made in labs and whatnot, at least that is my understanding. They're new characters, and it will remain to be seen if they are more interesting, or just cheap attempts, at some of the ones Slott created for Initiative.

But, really, premise is overrated. Some creators have taken a unique premise and totally botched it. Others have used one as old as water and made it work with effective pacing, dialogue, and art. So long as a book is good I am not picky. Fraction has some strengths and if this can be his hit book, I'd like to see it.

 

[Not Jake]

My joke was that Pacheco is on Superman and he draws Superman like a Mexican Superman. FYI.

 

[PhotoJones]

My joke was that Pacheco is on Superman and he draws Superman like a Mexican Superman. FYI.

I guess I never looked close enough to Pacheco's Superman to notice.

 

[Not Jake]

Oh, so you're going to pull the superiority card. I'm photojones and I can only tell the difference between races if I squint.




No, seriously though, it might just be a colorist thing.

 

[PhotoJones]

Oh, so you're going to pull the superiority card. I'm photojones and I can only tell the difference between races if I squint.


No, seriously though, it might just be a colorist thing.

Hey, I'm race-blind. I don't see color, I just see people.

 

[Not Jake]

I don't see color either, but I can still see big mustaches and stuff. Those earrings that fill up the whole earlobe, big lips. Squinty eyes. Taxi cabs.

 

[Not Jake]

Forgive me.

 

[PhotoJones]

Forgiven.

 

[Not Jake]

I like you.

 

[PhotoJones]

Can we play Legos, now?

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Aw, the Champions are getting the Defenders' leftovers?

Took the words right out of my mouth. And if I catch your hands in there again, I'm taking them off.

 

[Kitsune]

Is that the Grey Hulk?

 

[Ahura Mazda]

Yes

 

[Doc Destruction]

Ugh, I hated masked Dr. Strange and Gray Hulk so much.