March Solicitations

[Specter313]

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Mar07/solicitations.html

 

[Dread]

I love how Marvel finally gets it with keeping CW related solicts vague and spoiler-free, but are incapable of doing the same for "lessor" books like ULTIMATE X-MEN and so on. One step foward, two steps back.

Good to see things like DR. STRANGE: OATH and ANT-MAN on the racks.

As for the RUNAWAYS thing (a recap of the series by Molly, and a bonus story from their old editor/future writer of spin-off THE LONERS)? The optimist in me goes, "what a great way to recap the series in time for Whedon & Ryan to take over". The cynic in me goes, "such a shame no one gave a shat about recapping for new fans when a non A list selling Marvel writer was on." The pessimist in me finishes, "this is a nice filler issue because Whedon & Ryan need more lead in time".

And naturally due to latenesses and endless tie in's, CIVIL WAR continues to trug on and on and on...just make it an ongoing, Marvel, really.

What's annoying is that the arc AFTER the Ultimate Clone Saga looks sweet, but I have to finish out the craptastic Clone junk first. Man, what I wouldn't give for the Delorian for that book.

Spider-Man riding an ambulance? Ut oh...

Making Jack O'Lantern mystical for a GHOST RIDER issue? How cool that no one will know that the out-of-continuity mini SUPERNATURALS did that years ago. But I guess it's a rather basic idea, I mean look at Sleepy Hollow and the former Jack O'Lantern, Jason Macendale, becoming a demon himself during his Hobgoblin days.

 

[Brainiac 8]

I hope the back in black story doesn't mean that joe Q has finally decided to off MJ. How lame would that be? Oh and before anyone says "He said he wouldn't kill her", how many times has he done something that he earlier said he wouldn't.

X-Men and Uncanny sound great as per the usual since the new writers. I'm thinking Charles and/or Lilandra don't survive that story.

Spidey shameless plug/tie-in - Sandman having something to do with Uncle Ben's death.

If things stay steady, Ultimate Powers may be the first mini since Ultimate Six to stay on time for the Ultiminate line.

Annihilation: Heralds - give me a big woohoo! I am loving the re-introduction of Cosmic Marvel. Lets hope it isn't dropped right away after Annihilation is finished.

Astonishing: I just hope this last arc stays on time.

Ultimate Knights: Can't wait to read this. It's only a three issue arc, and I can't wait to find out who Daredevil recruited for it. Plus I'm curious to see why the change of heart for Daredevil to try and include Peter.

 

[Kevin]

it almost seems as if ms. marvel will lead the mighty avengers just by that cover.

 

[Darthphere]

LOL! The Hulk solicit is hilarious how they put heroes in quotation marks. Is Ms. Marvel leading the Mighty Avengers? Hmmm...

 

[Nasty-B]

If she's leading the team, then maybe that's not Stark behind the armor.

 

[Dread]

LOL! The Hulk solicit is hilarious how they put heroes in quotation marks. Is Ms. Marvel leading the Mighty Avengers? Hmmm...

Speaking of which, isn't it great that this "A-List Avengers villian" didn't choose to attack earlier, when, say, the chaotic New Avengers were about, and conviently waits when a more formidable, team-experienced Might Avengers is ready and waiting? I mean, that's almost as great as the Empire creating a Death Star that has a "HIT ME HERE" instant destruction mark. I mean, maybe half of a decent Masters of Evil could probably have picked apart the New Avengers. Fortunately, a lot of their villians were spread out (Kang, Mr. Hyde, on YOUNG AVENGERS, Ultron on RUNAWAYS, Loki's dead, Red Skull in CAPTAIN AMERICA, Baron Zemo and pretty much every decent Avenger villian known to creation in THUNDERBOLTS, etc).

 

[Darthphere]

I may have to gander at Mighty Avengers.


Oh and Scott lives. Thanks Marvel.

 

[Darthphere]

IRON MAN #16
Written by DANIEL & CHARLES KNAUF
Penciled by ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
Cover by GERALD PAREL
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

MS. MARVEL #13
Written by BRIAN REED
Penciled by AARON LOPRESTI
Cover by GREG HORN
“THE DEAL” Part 1 (of 2)
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99


I hope De La Torre comes back to Ms. marvel, he was half the reason I bought the book.

 

[Marcdachamp]

I wouldn't want Ramos on Runaways regularly, but that's a great cover.

I might pick up the Mary Jane hardcover. I've been reading the single issues at my school's Barnes and Noble and enjoying it.

Cap looks very interesting. Still no sign of Steve. I'd rather Brubaker left the incredibly silly looking Arnim Zola out of such a dark book, but I'm still pumped for that book. Nice to see Falcon sticking around, too.

That Mighty Avengers cover is pretty great.

Anyone think that maybe MJ is a red herring and this time Aunt May really does die?

 

[The_Mystery]

Wieringo should stay on Ms. Marvel. That title needs either an A-List writer or artist if it's gonna stay afloat. Maybe her appearance in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance game can help her popularity out. Who knows, a Ms. Marvel movie could be in the works as we speak. Rebecca Romaijn(sp) or the chick from "The Girl Next Door" starring maybe...

 

[deathshead2]

I said it once and im going to say it agian. Joe Q doesn't want to kill Mj or have Peter divorce her. Yet he still wants peter to see other people. So why not put MJ in a coma and have Peter cheat on her. Sounds like something Joe Q would do.

 

[The Punisher]

Badass cover. And did anyone read the solict? Bushwacker? Sounds awesome.

 

[deathshead2]

Bushwacker haven't seen him sense the punisher game.

 

[The Punisher]

It's going to be great to see him there. Haven't seen much of him for sure, so glad he's appearing in this series.

 

[CaptainCanada]

The cynic in me goes, "such a shame no one gave a shat about recapping for new fans when a non A list selling Marvel writer was on."

The cynic in me goes, "why would they be expecting any new fans to jump on such a low-selling title?" (obviously, some people did jump on, but not in the kind of numbers that Whedon's arrival will bring that would justify that kind of recap).

It looks like Ms. Marvel is the leader of the Avengers now, between her position on the cover, the scenes from the preview, and the fact that her title now has that "CLASSIFIED" banner on it (and a cover with her holding the Iron Man helmet).

Show of hands: do you believe that Astonishing X-Men #21 will be out when Marvel says it will?

Captain America looks good (no surprise), although putting the Red Skull off to the side like that initially seemed off (but then I realized that Zola wouldn't fit anywhere else but in the centre.

 

[Dread]

One reasonable cover from Ramos and everyone forgets his "Wolverine with torpedo neck" art? Psssh, Ryan is much better any day.

I said it once and im going to say it agian. Joe Q doesn't want to kill Mj or have Peter divorce her. Yet he still wants peter to see other people. So why not put MJ in a coma and have Peter cheat on her. Sounds like something Joe Q would do.

On this subject Joe Q typically sounds like someone who wants to have his cake and eat it too, just can't figure out how. He doesn't want to divorce MJ, because "divorce" just seems like a horribly unrealistic and unreasonable thing in a universe full of clones, resurrections, retcons, aliens, cyborgs, gods, demons, and unrippable pants. Yet he supposedly doesn't want her dead, at least not before the movie franchise kills her character off first; Marvel too slavishly follows the trends of their movies to risk offing her before a movie does (look at the Black Costume/Sandman with Ben aping; why not revive Harry Osborn and design him as "Male Elektra on a Rocket Racer board" while you're at it, guys. You know you can't help yourselves). So he's stuck in a real bind here. He'll eventually pick a choice, and it will probably be the wrong one because his Marvel always shoots to be loud, explosive, and to write itself into corners.

And naturally PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL is looking good. Considering I'm not a Punny fan, that's been a surprise launch to come out of CW, at least judging by it's debut issue.

Marcdachamp is reading MARY JANE? Cool, now iloveclones & Phaedrus45 will have someone else to back them when they try to get men to read that book. And that Firestar cover is still adorable.

The cynic in me goes, "why would they be expecting any new fans to jump on such a low-selling title?" (obviously, some people did jump on, but not in the kind of numbers that Whedon's arrival will bring that would justify that kind of recap).

RUNAWAYS gained some readers after the promise and delivery of a team death, but not in any huge numbers, like I think maybe 1,000-2,000 readers, which is almost nothing. Besides the digests & hardcover selling well, the only thing keeping it afloat beyond acclaim is the fact that while it has a small audience, that number has held steady for over a year. It's not bleeding readers; it is maintaining a readership of about 21,000-25,000 readers. Enough, in some months barely, to keep it in the Top 100 (usually within the Top 85-98).

Aside for worries about Whedon and lateness (albeit he's probably the best A-Lister to carry on for Vaughan due to style and claiming to be a major fan of the book), part of me does make me feel bitter that as good as that book has been, it's sales will double solely because Whedon is there. Imagine rooting for your home team for years and then all of a sudden when they acquire a "big league player" via a trade, all of a sudden "new fans" pop out of the woodwork and claim to have supported all along. It'll happen to RUNAWAYS and while I will be happy if Whedon actually delivers in story what the sales will bring to the book, it is irksome to a fan of BKV's run that he couldn't have boosted sales on his own. I mean, Whedon could write a shopping list and it would sell in the Top 65 (Bendis' shopping list would hit the Top 45).

 

[Kool-Aid]

Yeah, that Punisher cover looks bomb. So does that Spider-Man Reign cover.

 

[Dread]

Yeah, that Punisher cover looks bomb. So does that Spider-Man Reign cover.

Meh, not keen on REIGN and haven't bothered with it. With the art style and the premise, I expect Peter to don armor, fight the Sentry alongside a buxom teenage sidekick and grumble narration that sounds like, "This would be a stupid death. Lucky, lucky old man..."

As in, yes, Frank Miller could get a royalty check, it rips off DKR so badly. Of course I just flipped through it so maybe I am missing something. I just wasn't feeling a yearning for "DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, only with SPIDER-MAN" right now.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Imagine rooting for your home team for years and then all of a sudden when they acquire a "big league player" via a trade, all of a sudden "new fans" pop out of the woodwork and claim to have supported all along. It'll happen to RUNAWAYS and while I will be happy if Whedon actually delivers in story what the sales will bring to the book, it is irksome to a fan of BKV's run that he couldn't have boosted sales on his own.

If I ever decide to buy RUNAWAYS, I'll be sure to say I only started reading in the Whedon era.

 

[Dread]

If I ever decide to buy RUNAWAYS, I'll be sure to say I only started reading in the Whedon era.

Duely noted, grumble.

I mean I understand what Marvel is doing and to be fair, they could have simply attached a lessor name writer on the book and watched it sink to oblivion before canning it in a few issues. Instead they went for an A-Lister to replace Vaughan, a move I predicted Marvel would consider since the book is critically acclaimed and the folks in the biz seem to like it. In that way they inject sales into the book and that is better for the franchise in the long haul, even though it is a bitter pill to know that Whedon, by namepower alone, will sell better than Vaughan did in launching (and relaunching) the book.

Of course, I wouldn't want the "fanboy justice" outcome either; Whedon's name either fails to bring readers or only brings them in for a few issues before tanking, because then the book is sunk. I never said I was easy to please. No real fan is. Vaughan wants these characters to prosper so this is the best shot the franchise is probably ever going to get.

Granted, Vaughan's sales could be counted retroactively in terms of how many digests and hardcovers it is selling....but no one counts that.

 

[Specter313]

The pessimist in me finishes, "this is a nice filler issue because Whedon & Ryan need more lead in time".

Actually, I had someone point out to me that there was actually supposed to be a break in between the end of Vaughn's run and the beginning of Whedon's, with it set to start up again in April. So, if those solicits come about next month and then there's no Runaways solicit, then we have room to worry. But I doubt that will happen. I think that the lateness on Astonishing has more to do with Cassaday that anything else. His track record is more spotty, such as with the huge gaps in Planetary, and Whedon has gone on record saying that he never wanted the bi-monthly schedule and never turned in a script late, save for once.

 

[Dread]

Actually, I had someone point out to me that there was actually supposed to be a break in between the end of Vaughn's run and the beginning of Whedon's, with it set to start up again in April. So, if those solicits come about next month and then there's no Runaways solicit, then we have room to worry. But I doubt that will happen. I think that the lateness on Astonishing has more to do with Cassaday that anything else. His track record is more spotty, such as with the huge gaps in Planetary, and Whedon has gone on record saying that he never wanted the bi-monthly schedule and never turned in a script late, save for once.

Writers rarely admit to lateness as a rule. For the life of me I can't find one who did. And if they did, they said it as a joke, like Kevin Smith. "Haha, I'm so lazy, I'm 2 years late, ha ha."

But, that said, I do believe that assessment as Cassaday is notoriously known for not being able to do a monthly gig, I mean look at his style. It was true in other books but Marvel attached him to ASTONISHING and had to know he couldn't keep it monthly, and if they didn't, they're either incompetant or have short memories as his CAPT. AMERICA run had latenesses, too.

I'm sure the gap between has all sorts of "fill in the readers" or "to cement the end of an era" and all that optimistic baloney, but I'm sure an extra month of lead in time won't hurt Ryan & Whedon any.

 

[GNR]

Punisher is looking great,good to see compact stories and Ariel still onboard.

Very disappointed that Finch isn't going to draw the MK/Punisher issue.Switching artists halfway thru an arc?Haven't seen this at Marvel before,well recently that is.

Iron Fist and Cap are looking good,very curious as to which Iron Fist that is on the cover and why Cap isn't on the cover of his book.

Daredevil just keeps the momentum going.It's amazing how some of the plot threads Bendis and Maleev started are still being used well.Matt coming home to the US should prove for an interesting read.Still so many questions and unresolved issues,can't wait.

Planet Hulk looks to be staying on the track of awesomeness.The supporting cast in this book have really grown into their own,hopefully we see some of them in WWH.I also love the idea of Hulk having a warrior bride,Caiera (sp?).

I can say right now that Mighty Avengers doesn't interest me in the slightest.

 

[GNR]

I might actually pick up USM for the first time since Warriors.I enjoyed that arc and this looks to be a continuation of sorts.Plus it's a 3 parter!