Tagged: Spider-Man

X-Men Forever: What was the Marvel Universe like in 1991?

In light of the annoucement of X-Men Forever and Chris Claremont‘s intention to continue exactly where X-Men #3 left off in 1991, we thought it would be a good idea to remind ourselves what the state of the Marvel Universe was in 1991– before Stamford, the Super-Hero Registration Act, and Skrulls. Here’s all you need to know:

 

X-MEN:

Charles Xavier is adjusting to having lost the use of his legs again recently. The X-Men have recently reformed into two teams, with Cyclops leading the blue strike force and Storm leading the gold strike force. Gambit has just joined and is still a mystery to the others.

During the gold strike force’s latest mission, they investigated the recent death of the Hellions and have recruited the time-traveling Bishop. At this time, Bishop is still unaware who the “X-traitor” will turn out to be. Much of the world still thinks the X-Men are dead and it’s possible they are still invisible to technology (due to a spell cast by Roma).

During their latest mission, the blue strike force met the newly formed Acolytes and witnessed the apparent death of Magneto (at the hands of his Acolyte Cortez) on Asteroid M, which has just been destroyed.

X-FORCE:

Cable is still leading this team, which has only recently formed, and at this point in time all we know about the white-haired mutant is that he and Stryfe are identical to each other and that he apparently did some military missions in ‘Nam where he met Chord of the New Warriors. He also has an unclear history with Wolverine. G.W. Bridge of SHIELD is investigating Cable since he believes that Cable is also running Stryfe’s organization the Mutant Liberation Front.

As of yet, there has  been no revelations about Cannonball being an “Ex-Ternal” and there has been no revelation that Domino is actually Copycat while the real Domino is a captive of Mr. Tolliver.

X-FACTOR:

X-Factor has just replaced “Freedom Force” as the government’s mutant counter-terrorist team. Havok is in charge and is very green as a leader, still concerned about living up to his brother’s example. Wolfsbane cannot really turn to human form at this point, stuck between her half-lupine form and full lupine form.

EXCALIBUR:

The London based team still includes Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde in its ranks. At this point, half the team’s adventures seem to involve parallel realities and alternate timelines. Lockheed the Dragon has recently been revealed to be a sentient member of a telepathic race (though only we readers know that) and is recovering from injuries. At this point in time, Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde have not seen their X-Men teammates since the events of the team’s apparent death.

WOLVERINE:

Wolverine is still wearing the brown and tan uniform. In his own series, as 1991 closes, Wolverine has only just discovered the Weapon X facility and realized that some of his memories are false implants based loosely on real memories. He also now has the first inkling that he and Sabretooth are not related but perhaps used to work together for some kind of government unit. He has not yet learned about Team X, the group he was part of with John Wraith and Maverick.

AND NOW, THE REST OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE…
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On fan battles, audience interaction, what’s real, and who’s stronger, the Thing or the Hulk?

Patrick Nielsen Hayden makes a comment on Tor.com that really deserves wider dissemination:

"SF fans in general tend to be discursive sorts…"

Which is another way of saying that SF readers tend to get invested in not just the story, but the argument.

And once you care about the argument, you care about the people pursuing it.

There are dozens of ways to make this dynamic seem trivial or pathetic, but really, it’s just people caring about what’s real.

Speaking just as a reader, forget about as a professional, the plain fact is that in a world of limited time and options-that-exclude, given the choice between a new Charles Stross novel and a new Greg Egan novel, I’m going to read the Stross, because I know that if I want to talk about it afterwards, Stross is available for conversation and Egan isn’t.

There are dozens of ways to frame this as evidence of Egan being a hero of artistic independence, but you know something, I don’t care. I’m just a reader trying to have an non-boring life. Stross goes out of his way, via extra levels of interaction and availability, to make the whole business of novels and art non-boring. Egan doesn’t. Life is short.

It’s true. And in a field where the arguments are even more passionate (see above picture) the fan base can be even more intense, and it carries over to the field.

And the Internet makes it even more intense. Think about it: who constantly tops the lists of favorite comics writers? Neil Gaiman, Brain Bendis, Peter David, Mark Evanier, Warren Ellis, JMS… even if they don’t have a series running at the moment, they have a dedicated fan base because they immerse themselves in the arguments, in the culture. And yes, every one of the people listed have a blog. That’s where fans are nowadays. You’re here, aren’t you?

Mark Waid, the pre-eminent fanboy-turned-pro-turned-recent-blogger, has a great example this week where he talks about the six traits that a hero should possess, and then provokes a fight by asking people to try and convince him why Indiana Jones should be considered a hero– which makes a few readers ask him why, by his criteria, Spider-Man should be considered a hero. (And since he wrote what’s going to be the best selling issue of Spider-Man this year, if not this decade, he should probably have an answer.) The argument was compelling enough that I took an hour to formulate an argument and contribute when I should have been finishing this blog post. And that’s the point.

What about you? Do you think there’s such a thing as an anti-social comics fan, even if his social interaction is limited to arguing who’s stronger, Benjy or Bruce? And would you enjoy comics as much if you couldn’t argue them with somebody else, or is the solitary enjoyment of pleasure enough for you?

Oh, and that image reminds me of this neat Hulk vs. Thing art gallery I found. Enjoy.

ComicMix QuickPicks – January 15, 2009

Today’s installment of comic-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest…

* From, of all places, New Jersey Jewish News: "I’ve come to the realization recently that Israel and Batman have a lot in common. And in order to make sense of one, we can look to the other." Yes, I can just imagine Israel quoting Frank MIller dialogue with regards to Gaza. "Sure we’re criminals. We’ve always been criminals. We have to be criminals."

* ICV2: "Marvel has filed suit against MGA Entertainment for alleged violations of its licensing agreement with the company, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. The suit asks for $1.88 million, alleging unpaid licensing fees and that MGA made toys based on Spider-Man and Ghost Rider, which were not included in the companies’ licensing agreement." Gee, MGA isn’t having a good year, between this and getting Bratz shut down…

* Want to buy yourself the Hugo Award for your work? It might be cheaper than you think. It’s certainly within any movie company’s marketing budget.

* Like that Coraline poster over there? Order it here and help the American Library Association.

Anything else? Consider this an open thread.

The top ten influences for ‘Lone Justice: Crash!’

Lone Justice: Crash! is the new graphic novel from the Harvey award nominated team of Robert Tinnell and Mark Wheatley. This two-fisted pulp adventure began yesterday on ComicMix, but the roots of the creation of Lone Justice: Crash! started long ago.

Creating a new graphic novel doesn’t happen in a vacuum. And people like Robert Tinnell and Mark Wheatley are easily influenced. So readers would be well advised to take a look at what other creative efforts have had a hand in shaping the look and feel.

First – we start with what has warped the mind of Robert Tinnell, in his own words:

1.) MARTIN – First and foremost I have to acknowledge George Romero’s film, MARTIN. Much of what I write is inspired by this brilliant little deconstructionist vampire story and the way it so grounded fantasy in reality, in banality, actually. I often say, quite sincerely, I consider the film an American classic. So if you’re reading LONE JUSTICE: CRASH! and detect a deconstructionist approach to the superhero genre, bear in mind that in addition to the obvious comic book influences, Romero’s flick continues to linger in the background of my mind.

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‘Ultimatum’ #1 #1 in November

ultimatum1-2-3640885The November numbers are in and ICv2 notes that sales of the top 300 titles fell 11% compared with a year ago.  They note that with DC Comics and Marvel Comics skipping issues of Secret Invasion, Final Crisis, New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Astonishing X-Men, and Justice League of America, there’s little wonder.

Only two titles — Marvel’s Ultimatum #1 and DC’s Batman #681 – cracked the 100,000 unit marks based on numbers provided by Diamond Comics Distributors, the fewest since March.

Marvel had 14 of the top 25 titles, DC 10, and Dark Horse one. 

Looking over the list, it’s interesting to note that beyond events and new titles, several mainline books continue to bring in readers because the content seems to be consistently entertaining month after month as exemplified by Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America being in the Top 10. The most popular creators do seem to translate to best sales making it all the more important for creative team consistency month to month.

Here are ICv2’s estimates of the sales by Diamond Comic Distributors to comic stores on the top 25 comic titles in November:

114,230           Ultimatum #1
103,151           Batman #681 (RIP)
  90,776           Hulk #8
  88,910           Wolverine #69
  77,773           Uncanny X-Men #504
  76,625           Amazing Spider-Man #577
  75,493           Captain America #44
  74,202           Buffy the Vampire Slayer #19
  72,862           JSA: Kingdom Come Special Superman #1
  71,355           Justice Society of America #20
  69,522           Batman: Cacophony #1
  68,956           Amazing Spider-Man #576
  66,564           Amazing Spider-Man #578
  64,196           Detective Comics #850 (RIP)
  63,512           X-Men Legacy #218
  61,331           Fantastic Four #561
  58,547           Action Comics #871
  58,279           Dark Tower: Treachery #3
  57,241           X-Force #9
  57,205           JSA: Kingdom Come Special Kingdom #1
  56,931           Final Crisis: Resist #1
  56,224           Avengers / Invaders #6
  55,560           JSA: Kingdom Come Special Magog #1

Marvel Teases January ‘Avengers’ Releases

Marvel released the following teasers:

Who is the Iron Patriot? And just why has he assembled the Dark Avengers? Enter Dark Avengers #1, kicking off an explosive new era for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, from acclaimed scribe Brian Bendis and superstar artist Mike Deodato!  This star studded creative team presents an all new ongoing series spinning out of Dark Reign, but just who are the Dark Avengers?  Featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hawkeye, Ms Marvel and more like you’ve never seen them before, this is the series that’ll have everyone buzzing in 2009! This issue features variant covers by the red-hot Adi Granov and Marko Djurdjevic, one of the acclaimed Young Guns ‘09 artists! Plus, don’t miss the Blank Cover Variant that you can take to events all year for your favorite writers, artists, or even editors, to illustrate!

Dark Avengers #1. Accept Change.

DARK AVENGERS #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils & Cover by Mike Deodato
Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant Cover by ADI GRANOV

Rated T+ …$3.99 On-Sale—1/21/09

 

As dark times lie ahead for the Marvel U, a new age of all out Avengers action begins this December in the giant-sized Mighty Avengers #21!  Join the superstar creative team of Dan Slott and Khoi Pham for the next exciting chapter in the lives of Earth’s mightiest heroes!  After the events of Secret Invasion, the landscape of the Marvel U has forever changed – and with that, so comes a new team of Avengers!  And one of the most popular Avengers of all time, makes her long awaited return! Get ready for all of the chaos and action you can handle in this special giant-sized issue! Guest starring: the New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Young Avengers and Classic Avengers!
 
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by KHOI PHAM
Rated A …$3.99, On-Sale—01/14/09

‘The Flintstones’ goes from Bedrock to Broadway

Marco Pennette (Samantha Who?) is at work on the book for a stage musical based on Hanna-Barbera’s classic Flintstones. According to Variety, the musical has been conceived by Warner Bros. Theater Ventures.  Jeff Marx (Avenue Q) is writing the music and lyrics with Jake Anthony. Gary Griffin (The Color Purple) will direct with no casting as yet.

“Pennette’s script will rely on contemporary issues,” the trade says. “Wilma, for example, mulls leaving Fred because he still acts too much like a caveman and hasn’t adapted to more modern ways. Barney and Betty tackle fertility issues before deciding to adopt. Musical will also tackle global warming — but in this case, as The Flintstones takes place before the ice age, the characters will confront ‘global cooling’."

The Flintstones is not the first television series headed for Broadway. We recently reported about The Addams Family coming next year. And then there’s Julie Taymor’s Spider-Man which continues to develop.

Pannette has also teamed with Brad Meltzer, with whom he worked on the WB’s charming Jack and Bobby, and Steve Cohen to create sThe Romeos, a series not dissimilar to the film That Thing You Do, tracing the careers of a 1960s rock quartet that suddenly hits it big. Marx will pen original songs for the proposed network series.

The trade says the show is set in Ypsilanti, Mich., in 1965, as the “four 22-year-olds at the heart of the show first pick up their instruments. Drama will be told from the modern day, looking back at the band members before they became famous. The plotline will be advanced via documentary-style interviews with characters looking back on the band’s early days.”
 

October Comics Sales Soften

secret-invasion-7-2-6303333As the economy went into free fall, ICv2 notes that October sales have shown some slippage. From their just released list of the top 25 titles, just two showed signs of improvement over September sales. One was Amazing Spider-Man #573 which featured the faux-Stephen Colbert for President cover while the other was Batman #680, the penultimate chapter to Batman RIP.

Despite somewhat stagnant sales, the dollars sold in to comic stores were up a “robust” 9% compared with a year ago, according to the industry watchdog. September and October were the first positive months for comic sales since January.  Of course, more titles were retailing last month at $3.99, rapidly becoming a standard, as opposed to last October. ICv2 did note that the unit sales for the title charting in the 300th position was 4200 compared with 3000 just twelve months ago which they interpret as a sign of overall industry strength.

Graphic novel sales showed an increase of just 5% compared with last October.  Combined with comic book sales, that creates an 8% total increase.

The site notes that the company crossovers, Secret Invasion #7 (154,675 copies) and Final Crisis #4 (115,666 copies) took the first two spots on the list. Marvel had seven of the top 10 and 17 of the first 25 with DC taking the balance. IDW’s G.I. Joe relaunch  and Angel: After the Fall were the first non-Top Two titles to crack the top 100 list coming in at 65th and 66th place. This further cements IDW’s fourth place standing among comic book publishers, after Dark Horse and now ahead of Image.

In graphic novels, DC’s Joker by Brian Azzarello, took first place with an estimated 17,000 copies sold, also nabbing the top spot for dollars earned. Marvel’s best seller for the month was the Marvel Zombies trade paperback, which likely hit the top Marvel spot given its three variant covers. Wile Watchmen slipped from first place to sixth, its 6000 copies remains impressive given its age.
 

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‘Hancock 2’ Charged with Bringing Sony Profit

hancock-phoho-2-2887071The Los Angeles Times notes that Sony has profited handsomely from its investment in MGM, earning huge profits from Casino Royale and expects a similar payday for Quantum of Solace.  After that, MGM regains full control of Bond so the studio needs fresh cash cows.

Looking ahead, the Times counts off forthcoming films based on The Green Hornet, Flash Gordon, and Preacher are worthy candidates. Closer to home, they are preparing a sequel fro the original super-hero tale, Hancock, which brought in huge dollars and little buzz.

Among the films mentioned, The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen and Stephen Chow, and to be directed by Chow, will be arriving first, in summer 2010. They’ve pencilled in Spider-Man 4 for summer 2011 but the other projects are still in development so the studio can’t start counting on profits yet.

Flash Gordon will be the first feature film featuring Alex Raymond’s classic hero since the 1980 disaster and will be directed by Breck Eisner, known more for his schlock horror efforts. Preacher, though, will be directed by Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition) so comes with greater hopes.

Sony entered into a financing agreement with MGM when the studio was once again facing financial failure.  As a result, by investing in Casino, Sony actually earned more than MGM, netting as much as $100 million in profit. MGM and Sony parted ways after the latter failed to meet sales targets for DVDs from MGM’s library. The deal allowed Sony to participate in Quantum but that will be all.