Comics Spider-Man News/Previews Thread

[Upset Spideyfan]

Slott for Amazing and Jeff Parker for Friendly Neighborhood!

 

[CrimeMaster!]

Spider-Man "One More Day" preview art


http://images.comicbookresources.com/litg/2007/0521/OneMoreDay_SKETCH.jpg




Spider-Man "Fallen Son" preview art

http://comics.ign.com/articles/788/788611p1.html

http://comics.ign.com/articles/789/789715p1.html

 

[CrimeMaster!]

Preview for Avengers the Initiative #3 featuring Spider-Man,Shocker,Hydro Man and Boomerang.

http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=231&itemid=9831

 

[CrimeMaster!]

So – what comes after One More Day?

Sting knows: “Brand New Day.”

Answering a lot of questions about what’s to come with Spider-Man, Marvel has announced that “One More Day” will be the overarching title for the storyline following the upcoming One More Day storyline, and – on top of that, Amazing Spider-Man will move to shipping three times a month, starting later this year.

But – if you follow Amazing editor Steve Wacker’s comments on Newsarama, you already knew that, didn’t you?

We spoke with Wacker.

Newsarama: Let's start at the start Steve - basically, just define this for us - when we've talked to you in the recent months about what your future looks like at Marvel, your usual refrain was "Amazing, Amazing, Amazing." You were chuckling to yourself about how witty you were when you'd write that, weren't you?

Steve Wacker: Matt, you have long been the dog to my Pavlov. Nothing makes me happier at the end of a long day “editing” then to sit with my children and invent new ways to lead you and your internet-ian lackeys through my mental hula hoops.

So yes, "Amazing. Amazing. Amazing." was my big clue to the 3-times per month shipping.

Here’s a clue to my next big project: Heart attack. Heart attack. Heart attack.

NRAMA: Health concerns aside for a moment - let's talk about the larger picture here - the viability of increasing the frequency of a series. Obviously, there's a lesson from 52 here, what is it? Just simply, that the audience will support a weekly, or "increased frequency" series?

SW: This idea of upping the frequency on Spidey predates me or 52 (and as most everyone knows, it’s pretty much how the Superman books were run from the late ‘80s to mid ‘90s). From what I understand, implementing this plan on Spidey began getting talked about a few years back. Apparently it didn’t get too far beyond a suggestion since people were so happy with JMS on the main book. So the idea sort of simmered for awhile.

With the creative change on Amazing, I suppose it just seemed like the right time to give it a shot.

NRAMA: What do you think is key in the appeal of increasing the frequency? The pace of the storytelling can't be the same as a monthly series, can it?

SW: No way. It’s a weird conundrum (and thank you to comic books for adding that word to my vocabulary in 1981!): you have more pages than you can reasonably fill in time allowed and you still end up with not enough pages! Plus you’re never as far ahead as it seems because every solicitation cycle eats up three more issues in your drawer. From an editorial standpoint, I hate these things!

Pacing wise, it allows you to deal with subplots differently because while you may not see a supporting character for 5 issues, it’s really only a little over a month of actual time.

NRAMA: Let’s hit the basics of what this entails - what does this entail? Amazing Spider-Man is moving to three times a month shipping?

SW: Yes. We already have three Spider-Man monthlies, so the page amount is the same if you’re reading all the Spidey books already - and if you’re not, we’re going to work our Axels off to make it worth your while.

NRAMA: Who are/how are the creative teams organized?

SW: The new creators have laid out about a year’s worth of story arcs for Peter Parker and the cast. Over that, they’re coming up with stories that will move the uber-plot along, so that each story has the same writing and art team and no one is left writing Part 3 of some else’s story.

In other words, if I gather where you’re headed, (which believe me ain’t too tough, Bob Woodward!), it’s not the same way 52 was set up with everyone essentially working on every issue.

NRAMA: Got it. But what happens during that four, or sometimes fifth week in the month?

SW: I edit She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, World War Hulk: Frontline, Iron Man: Mandarin, Captain Marvel, several Spider-Man specials, and a another still-secret Spider-Man book. Plus several not-announced projects and trying to take credit for any other good stuff coming out at Marvel I may not be aware of.

Oh, and then I read Newsarama to get a quick overview of everything I’m doing wrong.

NRAMA: Are Friendly Neighborhod Spider-Man and Spectacular going to continue with this change?

SW: Nope. Like Shogun Warriors, like Defenders, like Camp Candy before them…all good comics must end.

I was skeptical, but the numbers bear it out that Amazing is the “main” book to most readers and the feeling is that the important Spider-man stuff happens between its covers. Certainly history backs that up too, from Peter Parker to Team-Up to Web of…… No matter how good the creators and stories might be on the supporting books, when forced to choose, most readers lean towards Amazing.

NRAMA: You've always contended that you didn't come to Marvel to start up a weekly comic after being involved with 52 at DC - but was this something that was mentioned as a carrot of sorts (if producing weekly comics are a carrot to anyone, that is...) when you were in early discussions with Marvel?

SW: I knew it was Spider-Man that I’d get, but I don’t believe I knew about the publishing plan. I may be wrong though, at the time I was caught up in a great Newsarama thread about what a tool I am!

This is such a different creative set-up and Marvel makes books so differently, that I’m not sure if my prior experience helps or not.

NRAMA: Production and scheduling-wise...is this similar to how you ran 52? What's different? What's the same?

SW: Here’s one difference: the 52 gang pretty much already knew each other by time I got involved. The new Spider-Man writers were all pretty much strangers, I believe. Not sure if one s better than the other, but it’s different.

How I run my desk is pretty similar. I have my three ring binders and 3-hole punch at the ready to put any script or art that comes in so I can look at stuff at a quick glance. My assistant Tom Brennan just started, but he’s learning how to traffic stuff around the office electronically which was (and is still) a huge learning curve for me.

The writers and I (with Brevoort) have a phone call every few weeks to see where we are.

Ahh who we kiddin’, Brady. No one cares about the nuts and bolts! They want to hear about the sexy stuff like why Andy Schmidt really left or Peter David’s 4th nipple. (S’true)

NRAMA: Okay – some of that sounds truly disturbing…but pulling you back to production…in terms of a mechanism and "machine," once this is started, there's no...stopping it, really, is there? That is, to do this, you're committed all or nothing, right?

SW: I sure as hell am. Marvel is already setup to work close to the bone, so I don’t know that anyone’ll notice we’re doing a book three times a month. The efficiency of the in-house production crew here can’t be overstated. They’re already set up for war, so this hasn’t fazed anyone yet.

Will it end? Who knows? We’re going to do our part to make sure no one wants it to end.

NRAMA: In your view, why now for this? Is there something going on with Spider-Man that makes this time work best for this change in frequency than another?

SW: There’s nothing inherent to One More Day that makes this a necessity, if that’s what you mean. In other words, Peter doesn’t come out at the end swearing to only appear in Amazing or anything like that.

I think, given what the Joes are doing in their story coupled with the fact Joe S. is leaving, it probably just smelled like the right time to try something big. The spotlight moves around the different families of books a lot at Marvel, and since the unmasking Spidey’s gotten a good share of it. Before the spotligh moves to other areas, we think it’s a good idea to take a chance.

I guess you could just go back to the regular books, but it feels to me like it would have been a missed opportunity.

Oh and plus after OMD, with a newly de-aged Aunt May rooming with Pete and Weapon MJ being tracked by Tigertooth…oops I’ve said too much.

NRAMA: Perhaps you have…

Obviously, for readers and fans, they're getting the biggest upside here, in terms of more Spider-Man. What's the upside for you/Marvel? Obviously, and ideally, increased sales, but from an editorial point of view – what’s the benefit of more stories?

Speaking for me, the best part is more room for Peter Parker. Everyone involved in the new stuff feels that this is really Peter’s story, not Spider-Man. Seems like a crazy distinction, but it’s really the secret to the character. We could go an entire issue without seeing Spider-Man and I’m not sure anyone would notice.

With the increased frequency, we’ll get to see more of him and still get plenty of Spider-Man vs. Weapon MJ action.

NRAMA: Stop that.

SW: Never. Additionally, I’m getting to work with a slew of Marvel’s best artists (who we’ll announce later, impatient ones). Like Batman, Spider-Man is such a great character to interpret and the creation lends itself to a vast variety of styles. I like comics for the constant variations in flavors I can get in any one month. This is going to scratch that itch for me a lot.

NRAMA: What are the pitfalls? From your experience, where are the places that you already know need to be watched for signs of weakness/scheduling, etc?

SW: It all starts falling apart if the scripts fall behind. Those 22 pages of idea-mortar are your first line of defense and if it goes away, staying on schedule is like climbing Jacob’s Ladder (if Jacob’s Ladder is what I think it is: one of those annoying wooden things where the top keeps flipping down…I could look it up , but wow, look at the cool ad for 40% off my comics! I need that! Plus look at that Mary Jane statue!! Don’t worry, Newsarama, I’m stayin’!)

NRAMA: Okay. So - what do the storylines look like for the first few weeks? Will the FCBD issue's story be followed up upon in Amazing?

SW: Mums the word for now, but look for a lot of new challenges for Pete and his family.

And, yes, some elements of the FCBD story will be followed up on in Amazing.

 

[CrimeMaster!]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Marvel just kicked off the last major panel of the day focusing on Spider-Man and the upcoming One More Day storyline. We're there with live! updates. Where else would be be..? [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Until the panel gets kicking, check out some preview cover goodness... [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The panel will be getting started in full force in a few moments, until then, check out the Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane news by checking out our front page... [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One More Day - it’s been hyped as a life-changing event in the life of Spider-Man, although only a scant few details about the story have been released. We’ve seen the preview, but what else is it about other than Spidey webbing up Iron Man? Marvel’s One More Day panel Friday afternoon at Wizardworld: Philadelphia poses to fill in at least some of these blanks, although with the release of the books is still months away, probably not too many. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Leading the panel was Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief and One More Day artist Joe Quesada, who was delayed due to a signing at the Marvel booth. He was joined by editor Tom Brevoort and marketing maven Jim McCann. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The first slides showed the previously seen promotional image of Mary Jane and Spider-Man being separated by the "One More Day" letters. Quesada said the secret of the story is that it's about giant letters that fall from the sky and crush Spider-Man. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Quesada then showed the first two OMD covers, right below… [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Some black and white preview pages, showing Spidey visiting Dr. Strange's home, was next. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The announcement that Strangers in Paradise creator Terry Moore is taking over Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane followed. Check Newsarama's article for more details. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The panel quickly loved to the Q&A portion… [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fan: "How many issues of Mary Jane will Moore do?" Quesada: "I think he's in for a nice long run." Quesada further discussed that this is his Moore's first Marvel work, other than an issue he drew of Ultimate Team-Up a few years ago. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Is "OMD" (One More Day, not the '80s new wave band) a real capper for JMS' run? Quesada: "It's a real nice sign off. An incredible exclamation point." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What's the deal with Jackpot, from the Free Comic Book Day story? Quesada and the rest of the panel played dumb, denying the apparent connections between that character and Mary Jane. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Will 'One More Day' make Peter Parker's identity a secret again? Quesada said that there was always a plan for Spidey's unmasking since the original decision was made, but wouldn't say if "One More Day" was a part of it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"That does not mean we're taking back the unmasking. It may mean we have five, six years of unmasking stories left," said Quesada. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Spidey villains in "OMD"? Quesada: "Ever so briefly, but it's not that kind of story. It's really a Peter-MJ story." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Are Peter David and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa done with Spider-Man, or just their titles?" Quesada: "They're done for the time being," with Spidey. The same fan also asked about Quesada's take on the Peter/MJ marriage, which Quesada repeating his feelings that a married Spider-Man takes away a big part of the soap opera, and the problems inherent with having them divorced or Spider-Man becoming a widower. He also said undoing it with a "continuity punch" is a problem. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Will Spidey's darker, "Back in Black" attitude continue given that he's back in his classic costume in "One More Day"? Quesada said there's a lot of attitude in "One More Day," but hinted that after the story, probably not. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] A fan asked if Spider-Man being back in the black costume was inspired by the third film, and Quesada said it was a fortunate coincidence but the "Black in Back" story had already been planned before they knew about the movie's plans. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Talk diverted again to the Spider-Man marriage, given that it was done in the comic books because it was happening in the newspaper comic strip. Quesada said he believed that decision did some damage to the character, although it was impossible to ascertain how much. They then digressed into how sometimes they make an effort to tie-in their comics to the movies (Sandman appearing in the comics while the movie's out) and sometimes they don't worry about it (Storm and Black Panther being in Fantastic Four currently as the second movie is hitting theaters). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Brevoort then informed the crowd about the history behind Spider-Man being married in the comics, and how the comic strip prompted the decision. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A fan asked about Quesada's perceived aversion to aging Peter Parker, and who would be taking over Amazing (now three times a months) after JMS' departure. Quesada answered the latter question by saying the decision has been made and an announcement will be made soon. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As far as aging, Quesada said it's good for characters to grow if not necessarily age, and that marriage works for some characters - like Reed Richards and Sue Storm, since the FF is a family - but perhaps not others. "I think Spider-Man is definitely a character, when you look at the golden era and what made that character great, it was less about the super-heroics and more about the soap opera." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]

 

[CrimeMaster!]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"In my perfect world, I'd love to bring the soap opera back. And that's what Ultimate Spider-Man does, too. You know that Peter and MJ are destined to be with each other, but here comes Kitty Pryde." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]He also said that he likes how Ultimate Peter Parker has grown, but not aged. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fan: "When you first saw this storyline, did you say 'I want to do this'?" Quesada: "I was in the collaboration process, and yeah, I did want to draw this. I wanted to put my money where my mouth is." Quesada said that his friends have always told him he should draw Spider-Man, but he never thought of himself as a Spider-Man artist. He's glad he did it, since he said this is the most fun he's had drawing a character since he worked on The Ray for DC. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Is this going to resolve the Aunt May subplot?" Quesada ominously said "Tragically, yes." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A fan asked about how Marvel could reconcile going back to classic-type Spider-Man stories while also making radically different changes like unmasking Spider-Man. Brevoort answered that there's a difference between establishing a certain dynamic and just doing old stories. He also said writing a married Spider-Man is like working with a "club foot." Quesada said this perception is nothing new, and every Editor-in-Chief (namechecking Tom DeFalco and Bob Harras) also dealt with the same problem. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The next question was about how far ahead Marvel plans their storylines. Quesada said, in broad strokes, they're about a year-and-a-half in advance. Brevoort said they're well into 2008 with Spider-Man planning, and in some ideas, up to 2009. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Digressing a bit from the "One More Day" theme, someone asked why there was an Ultimate clone saga given how infamous the original one is in many circles. Quesada said Bendis has the "nads" to do it, and that people still request collections of that story (and added that the main problem with collecting it is how long it is). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]When a fan asked in response, “Couldn't you just release a 'Best of'?" to which Brevoort suggested that finding material for a Clone Saga Best-of could be a challenge. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Brevoort then officially announced that the books will now be under his control (so that's why he's there), and that Amazing Spider-Man will soon be the only monthly Spider-Man title and it will start shipping three times a month. See the related Newsarama interview with Steve Wacker for more. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Will One More Day have ties in New Avengers or any other comics?" Quesada: "It will not." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A fan asked the familiar question of is Marvel is doing too many crossovers and events currently? To which Quesada answered that the individual sections are separate and make sense on their own, but if you read more, that option is there. Updating... [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][continued]... [/FONT]