The Ultimate 2006 Marvel Year in Review Poll!

[Darthphere]

What are you surprised about?

Well considering the *****ing and complaining in this forum, I expected a lot more lower votes.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Annihilation is still probably one of the best things out of Marvel this year.

I am really hoping for a Silver Surfer ongoing after it's over.
With FF2 coming out, I hope it's a safe bet.

 

[gildea]

Well considering the *****ing and complaining in this forum, I expected a lot more lower votes.

People tend to talk far far far more when they're whining than when they are happy.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

I thought this was a very strong year for Marvel, one of the best in over a decade.


ANNIHILATION – I’m not usually too interested in Marvel’s cosmic characters, despite my love of Fantastic Four…(the Inclusion of FF alumni such as Super-Skrull, Ronan, Galactus, Surfer, and Annihilus is what initially caught my interest), but this storyline quickly drew me in and held my interest. Reads like a big screen sci-fi epic, and has been a welcome surprise.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - Cap was one of my first “favorites” at Marvel, but I’ve lost touch with the character over the past few years since Mark Gruenwald’s run…when I heard Brubaker was bringing Bucky Barnes back, I scoffed. I dismissed it as another of Marvel’s “shock treatments”, and a rip off of DC’s Jason Todd storyline…Fan buzz had me finally give in and tentatively check it out, and I was floored! Mainly because the book is VERY reminiscent of the feel it had back in the late sixties/early seventies, with a touch of late seventies/early eighties, which were two of my favorite eras for the character, but also because what is being done with Bucky (now known as The Winter Soldier) has been pure gold. Looking forward to what the new year has in store for these characters.

CIVIL WAR/FRONTLINE –I love it. My earliest memories of Marvel were of “hero vs hero” battles…Spider-Man vs Daredevil, Thing vs Hulk, Avengers vs X-Men, etc.,…I’ve heard the complaints regarding characterizations of established heroes, and agree to some extent (although I’m waiting until all is said and done before I pass final judgement)…Still; this book is dark, twisted, tragic, and exciting, all at the same time. I literally sneak out of work early to run down to the comic shop and pick up each issue…haven’t done that for ANY comic book in DECADES. I’m extremely entertained so far. Frontline has been equally entertaining. Love the Atlantean subplot…the ongoing Speedball Saga, and the real-world comparisons at the back of the book by Jenkins, particularly the most recent one, which was obviously very heart-rendering and personal to him. Great job so far.

DAREDEVIL - Wasn’t going to continue when Bendis left…mainly because I really didn’t think lightning could strike twice. Perhaps one day I’ll learn to stop underestimating Ed Brubaker. Not only did Ed pick the ball up from Bendis, he ran it 99 yards down the sideline and scored a touchdown! The intensity, if anything, has actually strengthened. Ed even manages to pull of a “death” of yet another Silver Age DD character in such a manner that it actually adds to the storyline. DD was top notch, all year round.

HEROES FOR HIRE – Another pleasant surprise. I know many were disappointed over the absence of Luke and Danny…I was too…but the inclusion of B listers such as Black Cat, Shang-Chi, Orca, etc., caught my interest, and held it. The artwork has been great, and all the plot twists have kept me on my toes (Cap/Paladin). Looking forward to more.

INCREDIBLE HULK - Greg Pak and company give something back to The Hulk that has been missing for a long time; A supporting cast. From the stoic and stern Korg, to the comic relief of Miek, I actually care about the secondary characters. All that amid the backdrop of an alien landscape (which I find very reminiscent of the old Heavy Metal Magazine of my youth) make for a very exciting, interesting, and intense read month after month. Looking forward to next year’s World War Hulk.


SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN - There’s a NEW sheriff in town, and his name is Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa! This guy is returning Spider-Man to his glory days, despite having to write the character within the confines of Civil War. Whether it’s returning B list villains and making them dangerous again (Scarecrow, Stegron, Molten Man), or solidifying the current supporting cast (Aunt May completely out-witting Chameleon), this book has been delivering month after month. I strongly encourage any and all who have strayed away from the character to give this book a chance.

UNION JACK - If I wasn’t completely in love with the incredible artwork, non-stop action, and revamping of B list heroes (Arabian Knight, Sabra) from the FIRST issue, then the “It’s Captain Britain!” from the SECOND issue would have certainly done it! Just a surprisingly fun, exciting, and kick ass superhero comic. Highly recommended.


Honorable Mentions Of 2006: Beyond, Claws, Dr. Strange:The Oath,
Fantastic Four, New Avengers, X-Men: First Class.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Annihilation is leagues better than that Rann-Thannagar mess DC did.

 

[Max J Power]

Good-Above Average, but not penis pumping worthy.

 

[Dread]

Despite the fact that there is technically one more comic book week of 2006, now seems about as good a time as any to judge Marvel in '06 for this sort of thing.

All of this is naturally heavilly subjective. It should be noted that I got a lot more Marvel books this year than last, despite my income not increasing. That has to say something.

Marvel 2006 was a GOOD year for:

YOUNG AVENGERS: They wrapped up their own 12 issue first volume in good fashion and then dove headfirst into Marvel's event with key appearences in the core CIVIL WAR book as well as tie-in's, as well as their own mini, YA/RUNAWAYS, written FAR better than expected by Zeb Wells with art by Stefano, and selling just as well as Heinberg's solo series was. Hopefully 2007 sees a continance of greatness to this, Marvel's first really successful superhero team of the 21st century (that isn't an X-Men, and the Runaways alas are not successful in sales nor are they as superhero-ish).

RUNAWAYS: An appearence in FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, an appearence in a CW mini that sells maybe three times as well as their core book, and BKV writing a helluva ride on that core book (which, while selling at the bottom of the Top 100 monthly, just released a sold-out hardcover). Plus, A-Lister Whedon is set to take over in 2007, giving the book the best chance to climb the sales charts and survive in ages (especially with Vaughan leaving in two issues).

NEW CHARACTERS: Besides the aforementioned teams, X-23, Scorpion II, Gravity, Arana, and whatever New X-Men who aren't dead all stuck around this year. True, Gravity bit it in BEYOND!, but with McDuffie alluding to more and promising to follow up in FF, his story is far from over. It does seem that Marvel is figuring out that it is far easier to cement in new characters with repeat appearences vs. solo-series that they underpromote.

B & C-LISTERS: Marvel has successfully relaunched MOON KNIGHT, IRON-FIST, GHOST RIDER many of their space characters in ANNIHILATION (Nova, Surfer, Drax), and even ANT-MAN. Plus, while CIVIL WAR has caused many A-Listers to be written appallingly, many B & C Listers have gotten a shot at glory, from Speedball to Hercules, with even Prodigy (a Slingers leftover) having a signature moment and the remaining New Warriors franchise having the best shot of all for a revival. Cry at what CW has done to Mr. Fantastic, Spider-Man, Cap, etc, but praise what it has done to countless characters below them, who if they didn't die, usually got some moment in the sun. Even HULK and CAPT. AMERICA are hotter than they were last year. And AGENTS OF ATLAS is kicking rear with 50's castoffs. Even DR. STRANGE has finally gotten a good book, if only for 5 issues, and ETERNALS has been a decent read.

SPACE HEROES: ANNIHILATION, despite Marvel's EIC claiming to "not get space heroes", is kicking it into high gear for all of Marvel's space characters. Revamping Drax, Thanos, making Nova into a man, even fleshing out Super-Skrull and Ronan beyond FF punching bags. It also propelled Annihilus from B-List FF annoyance to A-List cosmic powerhouse able to stand beside Thanos. Giffen & DiVito are creating a mini-event that makes old school fans go, "Civil What!?"

DEMOCRATS: CW brings all loyal and overzealous Dem's plenty of Right Wing, Money-Is-Evil, American Under Bush is Bad stuff to read about that matches the current political and media element. Like it or hate it (I am the latter), it makes the story VERY timely and "real" to a wide fanbase, which probably explains why Marvel has really dominated DC this year.

CYNICAL DARKNESS: People who enjoy comic books where characters die, characters backstab each other, where there are no real good or bad people, just people who exploit the situation, where there are no happy endings, and where misery leaks from every single page....and you know who you are...are happy as clams that "realism" rues the day right now.

NEW MARVEL MARRIAGES: Any couple Joe Q wants thrown together, whether it makes sense (Cage & Jones) or not (T'Challa & Ororo), it got full barrels this year.

EVENTS: CIVIL WAR is leagues better than HOM in every single way imaginable that despite the flaws, you can't ignore that. Annihilation also rocks arse.

616 MARVEL: It obviously got more focus this year from Earth to space, even if some of it may have bad results. But seriously, when was the last time the New Warriors, Atlantis, Inhumans, etc. were involved in major pushes? Usually Marvel just piggybacked the X-Men (like HOM basically did).

Marvel 2006 was a BAD year for:

A-LIST CHARACTERS: CIVIL WAR may have pulled up the B & C Listers and touched upon countless 616 folks, but it also has butchered longstanding A-List character relationships. From Iron Man almost making Dr. Doom look like Mr. Rogers (and siding with Maria Hill, who rarely is written as someone who isn't a merciless, fascist ***** who trusts villians far more than she does heroes), to Mr. Fantastic chucking 25 years of characterization to become a cold-hearted scientist incapable and unwilling to stand by his family, to Spider-Man abandoning EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF WHAT MADE HIM RELATEABLE AND BECOMING MR. GENERIC SUPERHERO, to even Cap sometimes acting like the thug he is in Ultimate, the A-Listers have been thrown through the mud here. In order to "move ahead", Joe Q is reviving the hostility of the 60's between heroes, and that is kind of like a dog chasing one's tail.

VILLIANS: With cynical darkness meaning that only successful CEO's, politicians, or superheroes are evil, outright supervillians are the odd people out. DC's masses assembled in IC, whereas Marvel's villians all have either been converted into government stormtroopers/anti-heroes, killed off, or omitted and ignored. I can't think of one good supervillian scheme or so on outside of ANNIHILATION. Marvel thinks this stuff is outdated, and I guess the sales back them, but it's not. If you can't believe there are any real villians, then you can't believe in heroes, either. The most they could do was try to organize behind Hammerhead, and get jollyspanked by Iron Man and nameless SHIELD drones.

SPIDER-MAN: Mentioned above, Spidey has been involved in 3 crossover events this year, THE OTHER, PRELUDE, and CW. He's donned a suit of nanobot armor that looks so generic, it makes the animation designers of SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED, circa 1999, look like F'ing geniuses. Joe Q has vowed to make it his life's mission to find some way of ruining Spidey's marriage without a death or divorce (funny how when over 50% of marriages realistically do end in divorce, Marvel's still seeing that as an ixnay compared to clones or death). Rather than pony up to Mr. Fanatastic to get suckered into the pro-SHRA side, Peter is thrown alongside Iron Man and spends half a year as his slave boy. He gets silly new powers that no one uses, not even the writers who invent them. He unmasks himself, a shark-jumping moment that is annoying to reverse. Add his placement on the Avengers, and 2006 has seen Spider-Man become a rather generic superhero who has ZERO connection to the common man nor ANY civilian supporting cast or life beyond the mask, which are the very elements that MADE Spider-Man, and WITHOUT that, he IS no different than a dozen DC capes. And he will begin 2007 shamelessly gimping up to the 3rd movie. Ghastly.

OLD MARVEL MARRIAGES: If you were a couple before Joe's EIC tenure, then he will do everything in his power to end your marriage or relationship, just for a cheap thrill. Oh, to be a fly on Joe Q's marriage counselor's walls, because I am convinced the man must have some serious demons to have such a vendetta against ANY AND ALL married characters before his watch. Joe vows daily to break up the Parkers. He's breaking up the Richards. Even Justice & Firestar split on his watch and they were only engaged.

ULTIMATE MARVEL: Every single core Ultimate book is worse now than it was in Dec. 2005. USM has went from hit-or-miss arcs and setting up Kitty Pryde/Peter to revisiting the Clone Saga and doing it one better in terms of suckitude. Kirkman's takeover from Vaughan on UXM has been spotty and worse at best, although after 9 months is improving. Carey's takeover from Millar's underrated run has produced an ambitious and pretty looking story that is a chore to read. And ULTIMATES 2 shipped 2 issues this year. GAL AK TUS stank and the only pleasant surprise has been ULTIMATE POWER, if only because expectations were terribly low. 2006 perhaps proved to fans who hate Ultimate on principle, which I don't, that the line can't sustain long term stuff or shifts in creators. Bendis is out of steam after under 100 issues and USM/UFF rise and fall depending on who writes them. The line is exposed as the silver bullet it WASN'T this year, as Marvel shamelessly didn't mind shoving their sales aside for CW, which at least boosts 616.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: Mentioned above, but worth saying again because the last few months of CLONE SAGA have provided me the worst comic book reading experiences since I started collecting again circa 2000-2001. It took a book that once got Spidey's fundamentals right and had it's own quirky charm into a conveluted, overblown, overrated piece of gorilla dung. I'd leave 'cept the next arc, Bagley's last, looks interesting in 2007. Bendis needs a co-writer, or he needs to leave, kicking and screaming if need be. At least Vaughan had the guts to leave RUNAWAYS before he ran his well completely dry and fell into *****. Bendis doesn't have that kind of brains or cajones on USM.

THE THING: His solo book canned, his relationship with Alicia ignored, and now he's in France.

EARTH-BASED X-MEN STORIES THAT HAVE ANY SOCIAL IMPORTANCE: All of the X-Books ignored DECIMATION, which basically reverted mutant status quo's back to Vietnam levels, and are all merrily in space more or less. Except for X-MEN, which has Bachelo art so no one cares (and is retredding THE NEO along with the most random X-team in human history; seriously, I'm surprised Eye-Scream isn't there). ASTONISHING has slowly plodded along and been mediocre all year to boot. ENDSONG was given a worse and utterly pointless sequal. The only X-Book that isn't stinking right now is X-MEN FIRST CLASS.

So I voted...Good-Above Average, but a bit begrudgingly. I can't ignore that 2006 beat out 2005 by far. I just an concerned with an EIC who needs to go one step forward, two back with almost everything.

 

[Darthphere]

 

[SpideyInATree]

Good to Above Average, but not penis pumping worthy. Heh.

2006 for Marvel started off pretty shaky with The Other over in Spider-Man, yeah that was just a really bad storyline. Then Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark took over Daredevil from Bendis and Maleev, and SOMEHOW, made it just as good, if not better, than their run. Moon Knight debuted this year with Charlie Huston and David Finch, and it's quite an awesome book and brought the Moonster back. Brubaker's Captain America continued to kick ass. Millar and Land's Ultimate Fantastic Four run was damn good.

And, of course, Civil War has been pretty good. However, Frontline seems better than the actual miniseries. The only thing that the Civil War mini holds over Frontline is the awesome McNiven artwork. And, lets not forget, the unmasking of Spider-Man. To some it wasn't a great moment but for a Spider-Man fan who has been waiting for that to happen since being a fan, it was definitely a geekasm moment for me.

And, of course, Sacasa taking the reigns on Sensational Spider-Man. He's been a diamond in the rough in the Marvel stable and has consistently put out great Spider-Man stories.

It was a really good year for Marvel but it could always have been better.

2006 definitely was Ed Brubaker's year, in my opinion. Hopefully he keeps it up with Cap and Daredevil.

 

[gildea]

Dread the parkers didn't split in 2006. So its unfair to include that. Whatever soundbites JoeQ feels the need to make are not continuity. So far there is only the suggestion that the richards will take time out not break up.

Criticise for what actually happens.

 

[Dread]

Dread the parkers didn't split in 2006. So its unfair to include that. Whatever soundbites JoeQ feels the need to make are not continuity. So far there is only the suggestion that the richards will take time out not break up.

Criticise for what actually happens.

I felt I did, voting overall for Good-Above Average.

Turner covers reveal all. Why is Sue in Atlantis if the marriage ain't in trouble? The Richards have been in trouble all year, while the retconned-into-being Panther marriage is all sunshine and lollipops. My point stands. Joe Q has a vendetta against old marriages and a delusion about new ones. Only McNiven's delays may prevent some of these from happening in 2006 anyway for all we know.

What's awesome is how you ignored my criticisms, and praise, for what "did" actually happen.

 

[GNR]

I think I voted good or average.

Civil War has done it's job getting people talking and selling huge numbers.Also CW has attracted lots of new readers which is always a good thing.I hope the effects are long lasting and that the crapload of books launching from CW are actually good.I would look out for Ellis' Thunderbolts,McDuffie's all new all different Fantastic Four,Punisher War Journal,and Slott's Avengers Initiative book.

Marvel's done the gritty street shuffle and so far,it looks to be paying off.Punisher,Iron Fist and Moon Knight all got relaunches this year with lots of praise from fans new and old.Daredevil continues to be a fan fav and for good reason.With Bru at the helm, this book hasn't missed a beat and continues to carry momentum even carrying plot threads from years ago.With a Cage ongoing being rumored,I only hope Marvel keeps injecting the goodness that these books deserve.

Planet Hulk is the silent beast waiting to be unleashed in 07.We're about 9 or 10 issues in,and this story hasn't dragged one beat.Everything feels so goddamn epic in this book and the supporting cast has been used to great effect.Pak crams so much into each issue and the art by Pagulayan does a great job of laying it all out.I really look forward to Pak topping Planet Hulk with World War Hulk next year.Definitely looking forward to it and the third act which is yet to be revealed.

Even books which suffered lateness like Young Avengers and Ultimates 2 have been worth the wait.Ultimates 2 #12 was Millar doing what he does best with an ounce of crack and 5 shots of whiskey.Say what you will about his stories and their political undertones,but no other writer does action like this Scot.The action is #12 was just effing insanity.Zeppelins crashing down,Robots getting blown to bits in mid-air,it was just mayhem and chaos unlike anything else.#13 has yet to be released and it really sucks that Ultimates is over.Looking forward to their next project.


Books I dropped this year included Iron Man,ASM,Ms Marvel,New Avengers,Black Panther and Fantastic Four.

I found alot of the tie-ins really crappy.Either that or I just got sick of how much CW crap was out there.

Bendis handling 2 Avengers books.For Pete's sake Joe,come on!Get Bendis back on a street level book like Luke Cage and leave the Avengers to Slott and whoever else could do a better job *ahem* Millar.

Overall,I'd give them a 7/10 for the year.I came back into comics near the end of HOM so I had a pretty good idea of where fans stood and what they were expecting.I'm reading more DC than Marvel at this point,but still enjoy the Marvel books I still read.

 

[Dread]

So I flipped through an issue of HEROES FOR HIRE today, and did they seriously kill off

Spoiler

Paladin?

? I mean, he was never a big shot, but then it hit me how many characters have died in 2006 at Marvel. Has anyone made a list, like they did in 2005? Lord knows between CIVIL WAR and the far superior ANNIHILATION (and New X-Men), many have seen the wood-chipper this year.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

So I flipped through an issue of HEROES FOR HIRE today, and did they seriously kill off

Spoiler

Paladin?

? I mean, he was never a big shot, but then it hit me how many characters have died in 2006 at Marvel. Has anyone made a list, like they did in 2005? Lord knows between CIVIL WAR and the far superior ANNIHILATION (and New X-Men), many have seen the wood-chipper this year.

I was very surprised to see that Hammerhead got killed off in last weeks War Crimes one shot.

He's been a staple of the Spider-Man books since the very beginning of the Bronze Age.

 

[Darthphere]

He was dead before anyway, everyone seemed to forget that.

 

[Dread]

I was very surprised to see that Hammerhead got killed off in last weeks War Crimes one shot.

He's been a staple of the Spider-Man books since the very beginning of the Bronze Age.

To be fair, Hammerhead's been killed off before. During the 70's I think after a fight with Doc Ock, he floated around as a disembodied "ghost" for a time.

But, yes, a messload of characters have seemed to die in 2006. I figured this was as good a place as any to mention it.

On a semi-related tangent, The NEW YORK POST's PULSE section today made a list of "75 THINGS WE LOVED ABOUT 2006"; as this is the PULSE section, that meant Hollywood and Pop Culture. My point is that SPIDER-MAN UNMASKING in CIVIL WAR ranked at #22. The POST was also one of many papers who had an article about the unmasking hours before the issue hit stands. I guess the point is that if this is what Joe Q wanted, more media attention to Marvel, then he succeeded this year. But then again, he should know this by now; large shifts in a character's status quo will make the news rounds; I mean DC did this during the 90's with the Death of Superman, breaking Batman's back, Az-Bats and especially "Electro-Superman". All got big media coverage, all part of year-long-plus crossover "events", and all garbage. All of them reversed shortly thereafter and standing as unpleasant footnotes in character history. I don't see any future in the unmasking of Spider-Man past 2008 and it's an annoying tidbit to "undo". Calling in favors to Dr. Strange or Loki is just cheesy. It takes the character too far from his roots and into more realms of generic heroism, which was what Spider-Man avoided with his innovative supporting cast and civilian life challenges, which have become so mainstreamed that they've unfortunately lost luster. Hey, after 40+ years, that tends to happen.

If any superhero made the most sense to "unmask", it'd maybe be Superman. He doesn't even have a mask and gloves. Lois was a walking hostage/target long before they got married anyway. Half of his hero allies know anyway. But I suppose in way this shows that DC thinks differently than Marvel only sometimes. Firstly, they had a movie to pimp this year and so much as "Back in Black" is due for Spidey in 2007 (along with Sandman stories), Superman had to relate to the movieverse. But then you have something else. The DC fan might say, DC realizes that Superman's mythos and status quo is timeless, outdating everyone who works there and will still be there when they've all retired; no need to dramatically muck with it, especially after the hard lessons learned in the 90's. There is more of a sense of history with characters in the DC universe. But a Marvel Fan could say, that may be what held DC back in 2006 in terms of sales this year, especially after IC ended. In many ways Marvel is more willing to throw tradition or fan satisfaction to the wind to make a stink, do something new. DC is a batter that always plays safe, bunts, makes a "sac-fly" and so on, the team player. Marvel is the selfish "all star" who always swings for the fences. This may mean more strikeouts...but also more home run's and even grand slams on occasion. True, the team player is great and essential...but the selfish all-stars are the ones who get attention, fame, and even win games. DC did a lot this year, but in some ways Marvel was ballsier...for better or worse.

Marvel also did what they usually did; tap into current social trends and feelings for currently revelvent comics that will age HORRIBLY in 5 years and only remind us how old we are. But they sell well now. And when you count on those month-to-month figures, that may be what does it. Ask Marvel to plan something beyond a few months or a year and they usually are clueless. But they usually stick to thinking small, every month, which may mean more hot-iron-strikes in sales. DC, meanwhile, is great at thinking long but sometimes misses that edge in current times, sometimes. But maybe I don't read enough DC to say all this.

 

[Darthphere]

Marvel also did what they usually did; tap into current social trends and feelings for currently revelvent comics that will age HORRIBLY in 5 years and only remind us how old we are. But they sell well now. And when you count on those month-to-month figures, that may be what does it. Ask Marvel to plan something beyond a few months or a year and they usually are clueless. But they usually stick to thinking small, every month, which may mean more hot-iron-strikes in sales. DC, meanwhile, is great at thinking long but sometimes misses that edge in current times, sometimes. But maybe I don't read enough DC to say all this.

Gotta disagree, the whole big brother/government control stuff has been popular since Orwell wrote 1984, V for Vendetta is still popular, so the point behind Civil War will still resonate with future generations.

 

[Dread]

Gotta disagree, the whole big brother/government control stuff has been popular since Orwell wrote 1984, V for Vendetta is still popular, so the point behind Civil War will still resonate with future generations.

In 5 years I'll still lump it into the "Bush Paranoia" file, along with their 80's "Reagan-icide" stories that had simular themes. Or even older 70's stories were Cap quits whenever a Republican is in office and an alternate universe version of Gerald Ford is literally made into a supervillian (the Black Lama). Again, Marvel has always relied on currently relevent stories to strike while the iron is hot, but these stories just seem dated shortly thereafter because of it. But that currency may spike sales, and when you need hot sales in the NOW, that may be what is workin' for them.

Your point is technically true, but you rarely see these types of stories in such heavy concentrations from Marvel unless either a Republican is President and/or the Nation is at War, which is usually seen as a nasty Republican endeavor. Tapping into the social pulse. Marvel's gov't wasn't nearly as evil during 8 years of Clinton vs. 6 of Bush so far. But, like I said, not getting political. It is a current social times thing. DC usually likes telling more timeless stories, Marvel relies on current relevency. DC has improved in suit, but Marvel has always used that as their bread and butter, especially in the 21st century. The last time I recall DC really tapping into that in an equal way was during the 70's and 80's with GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW and TEEN TITANS (to an extent).

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Actually, Hammerhead wasnt "dead" per se after his gang war with Doc Ock....he just happened to be "phased out of reality" due to a nuclear explosion, leaving him in a "ghost-like" state.

Big difference from getting an adamantium bullet shot into his skull at point blank range.

 

[gildea]

Turner covers reveal all. Why is Sue in Atlantis if the marriage ain't in trouble? The Richards have been in trouble all year, while the retconned-into-being Panther marriage is all sunshine and lollipops. My point stands. Joe Q has a vendetta against old marriages and a delusion about new ones. Only McNiven's delays may prevent some of these from happening in 2006 anyway for all we know.

What's awesome is how you ignored my criticisms, and praise, for what "did" actually happen.

Not at all I merely picked up on the thing I had an issue with.


I'm not trying to hack you off or anything sir I just think its unfair to criticise people based on stuff that hasn't happened yet.


Having said that I did mis-read the thread title and thought it was about developments in the universe not the company but a quick glance reveals I simply can't read.

So frankly you can ignore my initial post.

 

[Dread]

Actually, Hammerhead wasnt "dead" per se after his gang war with Doc Ock....he just happened to be "phased out of reality" due to a nuclear explosion, leaving him in a "ghost-like" state.

Big difference from getting an adamantium bullet shot into his skull at point blank range.

Plus, in the late 70's there still was a comic code and different expectations for comic stories than in 2006. Y'know, like how Morbius had to be a Living Vampire (aside for the whole science angle of Spider-Man).

I'd count it as death.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Plus, in the late 70's there still was a comic code and different expectations for comic stories than in 2006. Y'know, like how Morbius had to be a Living Vampire (aside for the whole science angle of Spider-Man).

I'd count it as death.

That was true in Morbius' case, but by 1972 the comic code had apparently lifted that ban with the debut of Marvel's Tomb Of Dracula...

The Doc Ock/Hammerhead storyline was done in 1976, four years after TOD's first issue.

Besides; in Amazing Spider-Man #159, Hammerhead himself explains that he was never truly dead...just "phased out".