Finally get a chance to comment on these, at least in chunks. Rants ahoy!
- Marvel claimed that as of Jan. 2011, no new launches would be more than $2.99. In Jan. 2011, there are ZERO new launches. Make Mine Greed, Suckers! Marvel also claimed that they'd trim some of their line down and publish fewer comics, and while there is less in Jan. 2011 than in, say, August 2010, but we still have a glut.
- AGE OF X? My immediate reaction is, ENOUGH OF X. The X-Line is barely healthy enough for 4 main titles, much less more right now.
- Via mini's and ongoings, there are 5 Ultimate titles this month. I didn't know the line was that healthy. Oh, wait, it isn't. Ultimate is a clear example of a zombie line; it has no creative reason to exist, but it sells well enough to justify it, and it strokes the egos of the creators who founded it (Bendis and Mark Millar, the most humble writer in the universe).
- It seems Bendis is bringing back the Hood again. That didn't take long. It's very silly that Rulk is in AVENGERS, the squeaky clean team, but I don't read that, and Bendis never let stuff like sense or other stories stop him. What does annoy me is that it means that AVENGERS ACADEMY can only go so far with Hood. That's a problem because Tigra is in that book and if any Avenger has the right to beat the piss out of Hood, it's her. Last some, she was cheated out of that so Hood could appear in SIEGE and NEW AVENGERS FINALE. Now, Christos Gage is a good writer, and has worked around that to give Tigra a lot of closure and definition as a character since then. But it still should be her book that deals with Hood. But, of course, it isn't as "important" as AVENGERS, so Gage has to work around the sides. And that's wrong to me. Especially when AVENGERS ACADEMY is the best Avengers book on the stands.
- ANT-MAN AND THE WASP looks fun, even if it is poorly timed with Pym's big "for now I am Giant-Man" proclamation in AVENGERS ACADEMY. Left hand, what is the right doing?
- Nine Avengers books, not counting Ultimate.
- AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE chugs along. Kind of sad by Jan. 2011, we'll only be on issue four, but them's the breaks with the schedule. Hopefully it gets Scarlet Witch back to a usable position, although I remain convinced Heinberg wasn't the only writer in all of creation to have done so.
- I read something like "kung fu espionage" for SECRET AVENGERS and I think, "why the hell are War Machine and Valkyrie even being considered for the roster?" Brubaker is clearly more comfortable with lower powered characters, and I am curious how much of his roster is or was editorially mandated. Given IRON MAN 2, I wouldn't doubt War Machine was "encouraged". Give us some ACTUAL VILLAINS, Brubaker!
- CAPTAIN AMERICA #614 looks good; Trial of Bucky and Sin becomes the next Red Skull. Brubaker seems to be saving his best stuff for Cap solo work.
- Four Cap books, not including Ultimate. You'd think he has a movie out.
- Six Thor books, not including Ultimate or Thunderstrike, but including his team-up mini with Iron Man. Does he have a movie that comes out before Cap?
- Four Iron Man titles, including his team-up mini with Thor. Although it is interesting that Marvel thinks fans enjoy it when a title goes to triple digits. What does the fan get for IRON MAN #500? A $5 cover price, and a $4 price for most issues after. What? Marvel has hiked the price of THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and HULK once they moved to triple digits. It's like when the home team makes the playoffs and "rewards" their local fans with higher ticket prices and later games. Who is rooting for that, suckers? At any rate, I will give THUNDERSTRIKE a try, but by Jan. I could be gone from THOR if Fraction doesn't improve. Ferry's art isn't enough.
- IRON MAN/THOR by "DnA" looks good. Given how they used High Evolutionary in ANNIHILATION CONQUEST and then never again, it will be good to see them handle him again, as well as other villains like Ulik and Diablo.
- IRON MAN LEGACY has been more of an entertaining book than Fraction's INVINCIBLE IRON MAN for a while, but it isn't "important" and the sales are low, so I will be stunned if it lasts past issue #11 (unless they give Van Lente a solo issue so they cap it at 12 and sell a HC).
- Amazingly, while ASM has shifted into twice a month under Dan Slott, it has two spin-off's now, an OSBORN mini about two years too late, and the new SPIDER-GIRL series. I may try the latter, because what I've seen of Paul Tobin is good.
- WIDOWMAKER does look like a condensed version of the planned crossover between BLACK WIDOW and HAWKEYE & MOCKINGBIRD. Of course, both books aren't canceled due to low sales. Marvel never admits the obvious. They're "on hiatus". Right. So is KNOT'S LANDING.
- CHAOS WAR wraps up, as do all the mini's. I will be amazed if everyone who is supposedly being resurrected actually remains. Like, is the original Thunderbird coming back? Or Mar-Vell? Unlikely. But maybe Banshee or the Rita Demara Yellowjacket have more of a shot.
- HEROES FOR HIRE looks interesting. It does remind me more of MARVEL KNIGHTS about 8-9 years ago in that it'll be a team with a rotating cast of street level heroes. Still, it's "DnA", so it'll be worth checking out.
- Daredevil is being reborn already. Well, that was fast. I guess Black Panther's just "THE TEMP WITHOUT FEAR". I still think Marvel missed an opportunity to promote Moon Knight by having him take that role, especially with Bendis about to relaunch him.
- FANTASTIC FOUR #387 is the "death" issue, complete with a "Death Bag" wrapping it akin to SUPERMAN #75 from the 90's. Regardless of how one feels about this, the "Countdown to Casualty" promotion has boosted sales on FF, and the book did need it.
- THUNDERBOLTS is now a book that shifts from crossover to crossover. Jeff Parker hopped on and before long it tied into SIEGE. Then HEROIC AGE, and now SHADOWLAND, and soon to be a HULKS story. That's a sign that editorial is aware that sales are kind of low, while not yet cancellation range. A "new member" is joining, and I would be stunned if it isn't "Troll". It's a good book, and Parker has handled the crossovers well, to be fair.
- INVADERS NOW! wraps up, and it will be interesting seeing how the Invaders handle a major league magical threat like Shuma-Gorath.
- THANOS IMPERATIVE has an epilogue issue, but beyond that and a ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT mini, is this the end of the space line as we know it?
- Still five Deadpool books, not including his team appearance in UNCANNY X-FORCE. Cutting back, eh?
- Five Wolverine books, including two for his kids and not including team appearances. The fact that WOLVERINE #1 was the top book of Sept 2010 won't discourage Marvel from Wolvie spam, but we'll see how well issue two does. X-MEN #2 saw a 50% drop from the first issue in August.
