The Last Defenders

[Darthphere]

No. There may be some comedic interludes or one-liners but I don't think so.

Yeah, Blazing Skull looks too cartoony and less spooky there too.

All the art looks cartoony, funny cartoony, not like awesome Ed McGuinness cartoony.

 

[Dread]

All the art looks cartoony, funny cartoony, not like awesome Ed McGuinness cartoony.

Yeah, the tone so far seems to be "light". Although hopefully it won't be an outright sitcom like the last Defenders mini.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Interview with Jim Muniz

Pretty interesting to note that he's working off of Giffen's layouts for the first issue. I'm looking forward to comparing and contrasting #1 and #2 now.

 

[Dread]

Interview with Jim Muniz

Pretty interesting to note that he's working off of Giffen's layouts for the first issue. I'm looking forward to comparing and contrasting #1 and #2 now.

Yeah, Casey said in prior interviews that Giffen had worked on that first issue before DC made him their exclusive offer and he left.

Y'know, I keep thinking that Muniz's pencils are great, and they look fine inked, but the colors sometimes have been hit or miss. I mean, the Brothers Grimm went from spooky to baby blue. Whoever is doing the colors for this book isn't helping things, so far. And that is a shame. I mean, look how dynamic and shiney Colossus looks in AXM, and compare that to how average he seemed in some of those Blazing Skull pics. But, when the first issue hits the stands, I'll be better able to tell.

It looks like Colossus has upgraded to short-shorts, not unlike the American Gladiators. And She-Hulk is in bell-buttoms. I wonder why Colossus seems to be realing backwards by gunshots, but at least he and Jen are smashin' stuff.

He does hint about a "magical" moment. The Defenders and magic are rarely seperated.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Depending on the kind of gun it was, the impact could've pushed Piotr back.

 

[Dread]

Depending on the kind of gun it was, the impact could've pushed Piotr back.

Bah, they looked like tiny shots to me. Weak.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Powerful bullets can be pretty small. Explosive rounds, for example.

 

[Dread]

Powerful bullets can be pretty small. Explosive rounds, for example.

Feh. No decent tanker is fazed by explosives.

We'll see what comes. Maybe he slipped on oil.

In one of Muniz's preview pages, it looks like Nighthawk busts through the Serpents' skylight HEAD-FIRST. That's pretty hardcore.

It hit me that Marvel likely should promote this mini while it can. I mean, Joe Casey has been on a lot of books, but he isn't A-List to the casual fan. She-Hulk's ongoing has not sold well in a while, and Colossus' last mini without the X-Men tanked. Blazing Skull hasn't been in a team book in 3 years and aside for CW and Initiative cameos, Nighthawk is hardly high profile, either. Muniz's last big Marvel work was a B-List FF title that didn't last long. Much like THE LONERS and THE ORDER, some new books need to be promoted like, say, HOWLING COMMANDOES was. Why not it be something that might be good?

I say include a 6 issue preview in comics shipping around middle/end of Feb. Especially New Avengers, Thor, and Mighty Avengers (because those sell), as well as some in She-Hulk, Avengers: The Initiative, Ultimate X-Men, and maybe UXM. They've done similar things with other launches. Newsarama articles & the occasional WIZARD scoop just ain't enough anymore.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Little-known fact: Nighthawk got a facial skin graft from Luke Cage.

Anyway, it looks like they're promoting the hell out of TLD to the comic-reading crowd already, what with all the interviews on Newsarama and CBR. I don't think a preview is necessary in the comics, but one of those 1- or 2-page spreads at the back of some of Marvel's higher-selling titles couldn't hurt. If New Exiles warranted that ****, TLD certainly does.

 

[Dread]

Little-known fact: Nighthawk got a facial skin graft from Luke Cage.

Anyway, it looks like they're promoting the hell out of TLD to the comic-reading crowd already, what with all the interviews on Newsarama and CBR. I don't think a preview is necessary in the comics, but one of those 1- or 2-page spreads at the back of some of Marvel's higher-selling titles couldn't hurt. If New Exiles warranted that ****, TLD certainly does.

Indeed.

You also need to understand that the majority of the "comic reading crowd" is not represented online. If it was, INVINCIBLE would be a Top 15 seller. It seems at least 51% of comic readers barely touch the Internet community much and they are the sales kingmakers. Yeah, page previews in actual top selling comics probably reach more hands that actually BUY BOOKS than a million Internet interviews. Not that they don't help. But when you see things like HOWLING COMMANDOES or NEW EXILES or ULTIMATE POWER get that sort of stuff and nothing for THE ORDER like that, it seems daft.

Still, as a 6 issue mini that has been planned as a mini since day one, so long as all the issues sell within the Top 90 or so, it should be a success.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't get why they're not advertising it more. It has a more recognizable cast than most of the "new" team books coming out. People know Colossus and She-Hulk, at least, on sight. Or, at least, they can figure out that She-Hulk is probably associated with the Hulk somehow.

 

[Dread]

I don't get why they're not advertising it more. It has a more recognizable cast than most of the "new" team books coming out. People know Colossus and She-Hulk, at least, on sight. Or, at least, they can figure out that She-Hulk is probably associated with the Hulk somehow.

Yeah, that is a problem. The creative team alone is not going to sell the book to many mainstreamers (Casey & Muniz are skilled in their craft, but what I mean is their names won't light up a casual non-Internet fan's eyes as brightly as your big stars like Bendis, Johns, Millar, Morrison, etc.) and half the characters are hardly big sellers. She-Hulk has had over 100 issues of a solo over the years and has Peter David on her book now, and she is the FRONTRUNNER in terms of current popularity. Colossus has never supported a book outside of the X-Men and even there after his resurrection he has hardly been a massive draw. He sold a mini about 2 years ago that hit the bottom of the Top 100 real fast. And Nightwing & Blazing Skull may be cool characters, but they haven't been selling characters either. Basically, this is the definition of a book that needs a lot of buzz and heavy promotion to sell it (as THE ORDER did; instead Marvel allowed that to coast on The Initiative coattails, and while that worked for the first issue, it skidded downhill ever since).

I would like this book to both be good and succeed. THE LONERS and AGENTS OF ATLAS showed how painful it is to see a great mini that introduces a new team and has potential, but it doesn't sell so there is no follow up.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, the Agents of Atlas have shown up in a couple of other places since their mini ended. Not a proper follow-up, but better than nothing.

 

[Dread]

Well, the Agents of Atlas have shown up in a couple of other places since their mini ended. Not a proper follow-up, but better than nothing.

I only saw them in SPIDER-MAN FAMILY, which hardly burns up the charts. Hell, that one's lucky to sell in the Top 100.

OMEGA FLIGHT's demise was entirely internal, and at least they have a MCP arc, which is going nowhere because that book is selling in the basement, too.

The Marvel X-Mas Special for '07 sold better than the '06 one, but still not in the Top 100, which had another Loners story.

Anyway, it would be nice if THE LAST DEFENDERS does well, especially if it is good.

 

[Dread]

Newsarama gives a sneak-peek at the cover to THE LAST DEFENDERS #3:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=146738

The team is seemingly gaining 3 additional members, who are cloaked in shadow.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Thanks to Dread:

Guy at the top right looks like a strong guy, doesn't this team have enough muscle?

 

[RockSP]

doesn't this team have enough muscle?

Not if the other muscle members are no longer around...

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Interesting

 

[Dread]

Thanks to Dread:

Guy at the top right looks like a strong guy, doesn't this team have enough muscle?

No problemo.

Yeah, between She-Hulk and Colossus the team does have enough muscle. Then again, I've seen Avengers rosters with Hercules, Thor, and Wonder Man on them. Heck, the Mighty Avengers have Ares, Sentry, and Wonder Man (Ms. Marvel is a decent tanker herself). He could just a bulky guy.

I am thinking at least one may be Valkyrie. I mean, why not? She, Nighthawk, and Hellcat have been Defenders for the longest time, sometimes longer than the founders were.

They seem to be getting top talent on the covers, as this looks like Yu.

As for official hints:

: We're definitely adding three new members in this issue. In terms of hints, let's see... I can tell you that one of these characters has a long and sordid history in the Marvel U., plus he's worked with Nighthawk before. Another one was actually a Defender at an earlier point in his career (even if it was only for a day). But, the main thing for me is that each of these characters adds a new flavor to the series. For now, let the guessing games begin...!

He claims 2 out of 3 are male by "he". But, who knows. It could have been a slip.

The "Defender for a Day" hints to the story in DEFENDERS #62-64, when Defenders associate Dollar Bill exposed the team and their lax standards on TV and a slew of heroes tried to join, although most quit and never associated with the team again after one hectic mission.

The "Defenders for a Day" who are still alive are:

Captain Ultra
Nova (Richard Rider)
Captain Mar-Vell (sorta)
Falcon
Havok
Hercules
Iron Fist
Tagak the Leopard Lord
Paladin
Polaris
Prowler
Stingray

Now, Nova, Havok, & Polaris are off world right now. Mar-Vell's status is questionable given what is happening in his own mini now. Iron Fist is already on a team right now, and Hercules has his own title (for the moment). That narrows the list a bit.

(Oh, and the dead "Defenders for a Day" are White Tiger (Hector Ayla), Jack of Hearts, Torpedo, and Black Goliath.)

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Ooooh, please let the one who's worked with Nighthawk before be Speed Demon! That guy would add so much to the team. I've really missed him since New Thunderbolts.

 

[Dread]

Ooooh, please let the one who's worked with Nighthawk before be Speed Demon! That guy would add so much to the team. I've really missed him since New Thunderbolts.

Ah, you just want a speedster on the team.

Anyway, I hope Colossus stays on. This is probably his best and last chance to attain some increased rep and glory outside the X-Men's shadow.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

to speedsters and to Colossus

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Ah, you just want a speedster on the team.

Anyway, I hope Colossus stays on. This is probably his best and last chance to attain some increased rep and glory outside the X-Men's shadow.

With the X-Men disbanded, I don't see a reason why he wouldn't stay on.

And speedsters rule. But, really, Speed Demon's a really interesting, complex character in his own right. I'd love to see him back with Kyle, and I'd love to see how he works with Blazing Skull, since Casey's described the Skull as something of a loose cannon himself.

 

[Dread]

With the X-Men disbanded, I don't see a reason why he wouldn't stay on.

Yeah, it would be silly to make a big deal of him being a member and then to remove him by midway through the series.

And speedsters rule. But, really, Speed Demon's a really interesting, complex character in his own right. I'd love to see him back with Kyle, and I'd love to see how he works with Blazing Skull, since Casey's described the Skull as something of a loose cannon himself.

I've never read much with Speed-Demon in it, so I'm not a fan of the character, at least via ignorance. It is interesting how it seems at least half of Marvel's speedster characters started out as villains.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I knew him as a Spider-Man villain initially. I remember seeing him work alongside Boomerang. But he was pretty compelling in his own right on New Thunderbolts. In spite of Niceiza's total ****ing-over of Genis-Vell, he managed to do pretty well with Speed Demon and most of the other T-bolts.