Why wasn't the initiative a weekly or bi-weekly book

[bryanss3]

that would have made so much sense. they have 50 states a billion heroes need I say more. they could have done a different hero/ group each week it could introduce new heroes and villains.

 

[Dread]

It would have required more writers and artists and as DC has shown, weekly comics ultimately drag out basic storylines, peter out, and just seem to pile up. No, I don't mind that it wasn't weekly.

 

[bryanss3]

they could give new writers and artists a chance. it wouldn't have to be a big thing. just more of i wonder who the new hero is this week. and a weekly can work, it just takes effort. I'd really like to see more new heroes and maybe do something crazy like phase out some that have been around since the 60's. I know I'm going to comic hell, or something for saying that.

 

[Dread]

It might have helped, but I was satisfied with the A:TI we got. Especially since it allowed Dan Slott, for better or worse, to have more control over the characters he was creating.

 

[bryanss3]

I agree I like it and am looking forward to the future of the title with Christos Cage. I just thought it was a cool concept for the title

 

[Dread]

To be fair, there may have been some justification had Marvel gone that route, but I also think a weekly book is a test of reader patience for wallet and shelf space. After 52, DC has seen diminishing returns from it. For once, I am glad Marvel didn't decide to imitate a DC mistake.

 

[bryanss3]

I totally agree with you they don't ant to spend money on something that could fail and has for other companies, but I think it could make sense. even bi-weekly. I know they don't want to risk something like that, thats why they play the safe route and we get spider-man every week(i'm including USM)

 

[Kevin]

To be fair, there may have been some justification had Marvel gone that route, but I also think a weekly book is a test of reader patience for wallet and shelf space. After 52, DC has seen diminishing returns from it. For once, I am glad Marvel didn't decide to imitate a DC mistake.

New Avvy! it really is a new year, huh?

 

[fifthfiend]

they could give new writers and artists a chance. it wouldn't have to be a big thing. just more of i wonder who the new hero is this week. and a weekly can work, it just takes effort. I'd really like to see more new heroes and maybe do something crazy like phase out some that have been around since the 60's. I know I'm going to comic hell, or something for saying that.

This is a totally awesome and creative idea that like 5,000 people would have actually bought.

 

[Dan_Slott]

Because it would've killed me.
Dead.
My brain would've fried.
I would have had a cardiac infarction and died.
And... well... that's why.

 

[Kevin]

Happy new year, Dan.

 

[Dread]

New Avvy! it really is a new year, huh?

Yes, it is. I changed it to celebrate TMNT's 25th anniversary. That is how Casey Jones was originally drawn by Eastman & Laird in his first appearance.

This is a totally awesome and creative idea that like 5,000 people would have actually bought.

Hey, now, I dare say as many as triple that may have read that.

(Of course, triple that would be about what X-MEN FIRST CLASS sold).

I mean AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE has sold well; almost two years and still within the Top 30-40 is very good for a modern launch. A weekly would have tried everyone's will, I think.

Because it would've killed me.
Dead.
My brain would've fried.
I would have had a cardiac infarction and died.
And... well... that's why.

Yeah, that too. Even with a co-writer, a weekly book is almost a superhuman feat. DC needed four to make 52 work.

Don't worry, Dan, I'm happy with the monthly version.

Can't wait for MIGHTY AVENGERS!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I wish there were at least some kind of secondary A:TI title that could spotlight the teams for the other 45 or 46 states that aren't covered in major comics already. Maybe not weekly, since that might be too much of an overload if it's an ongoing series, but a secondary anthology title where different creators tell done-in-one stories about an Initiative team each month. That'd be cool. Heck, even a back-up in A:TI itself would be nice. I feel like we've barely gotten to know any of the Initiative teams besides the Avengers, and now it's looking like they're going to have even less of a presence since the status quo has de-emphasized the post-Civil War status quo a bit with Dark Reign.

 

[bryanss3]

I wish there were at least some kind of secondary A:TI title that could spotlight the teams for the other 45 or 46 states that aren't covered in major comics already. Maybe not weekly, since that might be too much of an overload if it's an ongoing series, but a secondary anthology title where different creators tell done-in-one stories about an Initiative team each month. That'd be cool. Heck, even a back-up in A:TI itself would be nice. I feel like we've barely gotten to know any of the Initiative teams besides the Avengers, and now it's looking like they're going to have even less of a presence since the status quo has de-emphasized the post-Civil War status quo a bit with Dark Reign.

to see the other 45 states weekly-biweekly would make more sense would or else you'd have to wait over 3 years to see them in a monthly. I just feel like whats the point of the 50 state initiative and we've seen 5 states?

I mean marvel can dish out 2 wolverine mini series, 3 one shots, 3 ongoings, have him in 3 x-books, plus new avengers, but a weekly is a ridiculous task? its not like if you told some of the writers at marvel we want to introduce more characters create something they're not gonna have ideas, I bet its something a lot of comic writers have been waiting for. and I'm not talking about a weekly big story. I'm talking about weekly stand alone issues about heroes/teams in each state. it doesn't have to be connected but thats the only way to know all the states lets say 46 issues to know the rest thats not that hard.

 

[Dread]

I wish there were at least some kind of secondary A:TI title that could spotlight the teams for the other 45 or 46 states that aren't covered in major comics already. Maybe not weekly, since that might be too much of an overload if it's an ongoing series, but a secondary anthology title where different creators tell done-in-one stories about an Initiative team each month. That'd be cool. Heck, even a back-up in A:TI itself would be nice. I feel like we've barely gotten to know any of the Initiative teams besides the Avengers, and now it's looking like they're going to have even less of a presence since the status quo has de-emphasized the post-Civil War status quo a bit with Dark Reign.

You have a point there, the question, though, would have been if AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE was selling well enough to have justified a spin off, since it itself was an Avengers spin off (some Avengers were in it, but the title really wasn't about them). Without crossovers to boost sales, the book averaged about 60k, which is fine but not always spin-off worthy. It usually is safe to assume a spin off of a title will sell, if one is lucky, half of what the parent title sold. Considering NEW AVENGERS often averages 90-100k, A:TI almost adheres to that rule. Of course, this sort of realism based number prediction usually isn't practiced by some editors, such as the ones who thought the below 35k selling GHOST RIDER title would support a side mini on Dan Ketch, which is selling terribly.

(Given that logic, the fact that THE LONERS, a spin off mini from the 25-27k selling RUNAWAYS series under Vaughan, sold about 12-15k as it ended really wasn't surprising to anyone but an unrealistic expectation.)

Plus, to be frank, anthology titles haven't done very well for a good, long while. MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS really only worked out for a bit by focusing the lead story on Wolverine during the peak of his popularity during the late 80's into the mid 90's. After that, anthologies have struggled. X-MEN UNLIMITED had two stabs within the Joe Q era that didn't work, and neither did SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED or the latest MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS. Even AMAZING FANTASY, which helped launch a few new characters, petered out within about two years. They usually come down to "why do we care?" type situations. Anthologies rarely have the top draw talent, nor the importance of the current company storyline, to make people care. Is it fair that too many readers, even some of us, have a "if it isn't directly important, it is filler and not worth my time" attitude? No, but both Marvel and DC have trained their readers to look at books this way for at least the past several years, and then both are mind boggled when books that have the impression of "not counting", surprise, tumble down the Top 100. Which is a shame because quite a few good books do die that way. Considering most of the industry relies on the "hardcore" fan who buys at least 5-20 books a week, one can't blame many for expecting the books they do buy to "matter". Marvel hasn't been able to accomplish that for an anthology, beyond the occasional annual/special one shot, for years now.

While it is true we barely got to meet a lot of the new teams before they were "disassembled", some could claim that is always the perennial price of the "yearly event athon" at Marvel. You barely have a chance to get used to any status quo before it begins to be torn apart to make way for the next. Given all that, I think Dan Slott and later alongside Christos Gage (who came in after issue #7 in the first annual) did a fine enough job with the one title they had.

'Course, in an age when it seems ANY excuse is given to justify yet another Wolverine mini/ongoing/one-shot (and not all of THOSE sell well, as in above the Top 70, believe it or not), I can understand some folks wondering about branching off A:TI a year or so ago. I don't quite agree, but I understand the point.

 

[CConn]

To be fair, there may have been some justification had Marvel gone that route, but I also think a weekly book is a test of reader patience for wallet and shelf space. After 52, DC has seen diminishing returns from it. For once, I am glad Marvel didn't decide to imitate a DC mistake.

There's been diminishing returns because the quality of the stories has gone down.

 

[Xofenroht]

I tried getting into "The Initiative", but I never much liked the concept in the first place. A super hero team for every state? Meh...it's not like I was joking when I chose the Anti-Reg side of Marvel.

My question is why they even made that a monthly.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Because it's really good? I mean, once you get past the fact that, yeah, they're essentially soldiers and not superheroes, the book is really pretty good. Not the best nor even Slott's best, but a good, solid read most months.