New Heroes for Hire?

[TheCorpulent1]

Marvel's got a new set of teaser-a-day images for this week, it seems:

Elektra

Falcon

 

[Dread]

Elektra makes sense, as she's usually been willing to kill or fight for a paycheck, but Falcon?

It does seem odd to once again do a HEROES FOR HIRE series that has nothing to do with the original. Even if, to be fair, the last one at least included the Daughters of the Dragon. It's like, "let's do a New Warriors series, only make it about a bunch of spare X-Men!"

I wonder if Paladin will be attached to fill out the roster. Between THUNDERBOLTS and BLOOD ON THE STREETS, he's actually gotten a bit of play lately.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

I'd rather they try new things with a series than the same thing over and over to be honest.

 

[Dread]

My issue, though, is sometimes Marvel just wants to do a new thing entirely, but doesn't have the balls to call it something new and sell it as something new, so they slap on an old franchise name even when it has little to do with it. The New Warriors have suffered that fate in two of their last three relaunches, and it's become a vicious cycle. The new thing turns off the old fans, and the newer fans aren't as stupid as Marvel assumes and can smell the gimmick coming.

Of course, Iron Fist is busy on the new POWER MAN & IRON FIST mini that will spawn out of SHADOWLAND: POWER MAN, and Luke Cage is busy with NEW AVENGERS and THUNDERBOLTS. So you could argue the Heroes For Hire title is more flexible than New Warriors. But, still. When was the last time an old franchise that used to sell was relaunched to cater to the strengths that used to be loved? Not often. Instead it's relaunched as almost an "in name only".

If you want to launch a new team book, then have some balls and give it a new title, try to launch a new franchise. And if you can't, because the direct market you've helped create for the last six years makes it impossible, than you'd better try to fix it NOW, when you have the chance. But what do I know, right?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, neither the Falcon nor Elektra are too far away from the core concept of the Heroes for Hire. I doubt this'll be as drastic a departure from the core concept as the most recent New Warriors series. It's probably just some kind of post-Shadowland group that's dealing with the fallout after that crossover.

 

[Dread]

Possibly, although Falcon has had NOTHING to do with SHADOWLAND. Elektra just showed up in issue three to back up Shredder-Devil (that's what I call him now), but Falcon's still been in CAPTAIN AMERICA. Paladin, at least, is involved in one of the SHADOWLAND spin off mini's, as is Silver Sable, who both often work for a paycheck. Has the Falcon ever done so? It does seem odd that he'd be teaming up with Elektra, who at this point is a proud assassin who doesn't usually care who she is being paid to ice. I mean, Wolverine's a killer, but he's not a contract killer and, aside for brainwashings or misunderstandings, tries to limit it to bad people.

I'll concede that the HEROES FOR HIRE concept, if this is what they're going for, is more flexible than NEW WARRIORS. All you really need are heroes (or fighters, or assassins, or mercenaries) who do what they do for a paycheck, not pure morality.

Fred Van Lente's TASKMASTER series will be ending in December. Wonder if he'd be part of the roster?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Whatever, Falcon's a street-level dude. The Heroes for Hire have generally been street-level heroes making a buck now and then off their exploits (if they actually bother to require payment in the first place, which they tend to skip a lot). Only significant exception was the post-Onslaught version, which was effectively just a replacement Avengers.

Taskmaster's not a hero, so I doubt he'd fit on the team. I could see him offering to train them if they pay him, or maybe opening his own Heroes for Hire but being the "bad" kind of mercenary--i.e. the kind that demands payment every time.

 

[Iron Man]

Apparently this has been confirmed as a new Heroes For Hire series. Diamond had a new #1 in its listings for December. It'll depend on the rest of the book's cast as to whether I'll give it a shot...Elektra and Falcon aren't strong enough sells alone for me.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Kind of meh on Eletrka, but I like Falcon. It'll depend on the rest of the cast for me, too. I hope the Fist will be on the roster.

 

[Dread]

Iron Fist might still be busy with his POWER MAN & IRON FIST mini series in December, as well as in NEW AVENGERS. Luke Cage is in NEW AVENGERS and THUNDERBOLTS. I doubt either will appear in this series. Besides, they were hardly in the last one; the Daughters of the Dragon were the duo to connect from that era.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, and that series flopped spectacularly. Marvel doesn't usually try the exact same thing twice, so I'm guessing either Danny and/or Luke will be in this one for that "authentic" feel, or they'll forget everyone from earlier Heroes for Hire series and try a totally new team from scratch. Elektra and the Falcon seem to point toward the latter...

 

[Tron Bonne]

Didn't you say that mini of IF & PM takes place before Shadowland or during it or some ****? If this is post-Shadowland, that shouldn't matter. I don't know, I don't think him being NA would matter much.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Clearly, other team memberships don't matter at Marvel. Tons of people are pulling double- or triple-duty at this point.

 

[Dread]

SHADOWLAND: POWER MAN takes place at various points between issues of SHADOWLAND. SL:PM#1 & #2 took place mostly before issues #2-#3 of SHADOWLAND. I expect the next two issues to exist between other SL issues, much as SL: BLOOD ON THE STREETS does. The SHADOWLAND mini's seem to be telling their own stories that only tie into SL by obligation, not sequential serial chapters like SECOND COMING. POWER MAN & IRON FIST, which will star the new Victor Alvarez character alongside Danny Rand, will pick up after SHADOWLAND and after SL:PM wraps in November. Only Wolverine & Spider-Man are allowed to appear in more than 2 team books at once.

I might add that the last HEROES FOR HIRE lasted at least a year and if not more, launched during the height of CIVIL WAR. When was the last ongoing title from Marvel that lasted beyond 12 issues? Take your time.

Frankly, I don't think HEROES FOR HIRE is a sustainable series at this time. Elektra hasn't carried a book in about 8 years, at best. Falcon's always been a hanger on. And unless the rest of the cast as a Spider-Man or Wolverine in it, I doubt the rest will attract readers. I'll be more interested once I find out who the writer will be.

 

[Tron Bonne]

SHADOWLAND: POWER MAN takes place at various points between issues of SHADOWLAND. SL:PM#1 & #2 took place mostly before issues #2-#3 of SHADOWLAND. I expect the next two issues to exist between other SL issues, much as SL: BLOOD ON THE STREETS does. The SHADOWLAND mini's seem to be telling their own stories that only tie into SL by obligation, not sequential serial chapters like SECOND COMING. POWER MAN & IRON FIST, which will star the new Victor Alvarez character alongside Danny Rand, will pick up after SHADOWLAND and after SL:PM wraps in November. Only Wolverine & Spider-Man are allowed to appear in more than 2 team books at once.

You could have just said no :/

I still hope Iron Fist is in it.

 

[Dread]

You could have just said no :/

I still hope Iron Fist is in it.

You think I'd let the opportunity to use 500 words instead of one pass? You haven't been paying attention to my posts the last five years, have you?

The problem is both Luke Cage and Iron Fist have moved on past the point where they were chasing villains for paychecks - that is precisely the void the new Power Man sought to fill. Cage is an Avenger or a Thunderbolt leader now, he isn't trolling in Harlem on $200 a day beating on scabs. And Iron Fist was always rich - he usually tagged along on the business because Cage was his best friend, and Misty Knight was his lover. Even with Danny Rand shifting his finances towards opening martial arts schools and soup kitchens, he's still well off enough to be able to buy and sell apartments within Manhattan with ease. So it comes down to less of a "how many books are they in" point and more of a "is this in character for them anymore" point.

Of course, I never imagined Falcon being a hero for a paycheck either (hell, his alter ego used to be a social worker), or teaming up with Elektra, a proud contract assassin - who, unlike Paladin or Silver Sable or even Wolverine, doesn't seem to care about who she whacks.

I suppose a mercenary squad of Marvel heroes is a decent enough concept; except that it misses the point that "THE A-TEAM" tanked, so Marvel is chasing a trend that fizzled.

 

[Sebastos]

This could be interesting, I think Danny will be apart of it, maybe Misty even.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Didn't Danny and Misty, like, just break up?

 

[Dread]

Danny and Misty decided to not live together anymore or order the china now that Misty isn't actually preggers. They didn't part ways for good and acknowledged they'd likely have some sort of future together. Just not the immediate present.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, so Danny and Misty, like, just broke up. Thank you for confirming that, Dreadsterface.

 

[Dread]

They agreed not to co-habitate or get engaged. That doesn't mean they're seeing other people or not, um, "channeling the iron fist" together in-between killing ninja. They've been on and off for the longest time. Dating but never really serious, never making long term marriage plans. The pregnancy was moving them slowly towards it, but with that gone, they've gone back to usual.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

Did this set of teasers just die? Are they really on teasing us with Elektra and Falcon?

 

[Sebastos]

Plus Van Lente stated Misty will play a significant role in the Power Man and Iron Fist mini in January, so we'll have to wait and see.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Eh, seems like a Ross/Rachel "break" to me. When you think you're pregnant and then it turns out you're not, you don't usually just return to being f***-buddies with no ramifications. There's a serious emotional toll associated with that, and I imagine it's probably hard for Danny and Misty to even look at each other because of all the stuff it reminds them of right now.

 

[Dread]

Still, until one of them is seeing someone else, who knows. It isn't like they haven't been hot and cold since the Carter administration.