Where's the Metal Men love?

[End of Time]

Metal Men by Duncan Rouleau, it's been going on for a while, calmly doing it's thing... but apparently it's not very popular... I barely hear people talking about it.

Why is it so quiet around this title? Where's the love? Where's the hate for that matter... isn't anybdy reading this, except me?

[Kid Kyoto]

Questions like this are not purely academic, there is an answer out there:

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/03/12/dc-mowoodnth-to-month-sales-january-2008/#more-4881

DC January sales:
128 - METAL MEN
08/2007: Metal Men #1 of 8 — 30,454
09/2007: Metal Men #2 of 8 — 23,658 (-22.3%)
10/2007: Metal Men #3 of 8 — 20,571 (-13.1%)
11/2007: Metal Men #4 of 8 — 18,707 (- 9.1%)
12/2007: –
01/2008: Metal Men #5 of 8 — 16,152 (-13.7%)

Outsold Infinity Inc and Blue Beetle but still, 16k and 10% drops each issue tells us, there ain't much Metal Man love out there.

The Metal Man are what, 40, 50 years old? And they weren't even a big hit in the 60s.
They've been 'revivied' a few times in my life.
Remember all those guest shots in Superman followed by a miniseries in the 80s?
Neither do I.
Remember when they met the 90s Legion of Super Heroes and Brainiac 5 used their responsometers to make C.O.M.P.U.T.O.?
Me neither.

Now the bits I've heard about it make me vaguely interested, and if I see good reviews and the TPB for $10 on Amazon I'll pick it up.
Maybe.

But neither the creators nor the characters grab my immediate interest so the Metal Men are a very, very tough sell.

[thehod]

There aint been much Metal Men love coming from DC in the last few years, so its little wonder why there should be any from the fans.

[DonC]

There was a rather heated discussion about the quality, or lack thereof, of the first issue. Beyond that, pretty much nothing. Of course I haven't been paying all that much attention as I thought the first issue was horrible and didn't pick up any of the rest.

[Kid Kyoto]

There aint been much Metal Men love coming from DC in the last few years, so its little wonder why there should be any from the fans.

Alternately, there ain't been much Metal Men love coming from the fans in the last few years, so it's little wonder why there should be any from DC.

I mean they put them in 52, moderately prominently, they gave them a miniseries, no one (well OK, 16k people and dropping fast) cared.

What more do you want?

[Jack Zodiac]

I'm reading it. It's fun. The art's fantastic. But I could've told you before it even came out that it wasn't gonna sell. No-name writer writing no-name heroes? Lack of buzz around the title from the company? Horrendous crossover into a horrendous title? Even for a 52 Aftermath series, bound to fail.

[Lex]

I'm waiting on the trade, so when that comes out I'll give the Metal Men some love.

[TROUBLEZ]

After seeing them in JUSTICE and Metlzer's Justice League of America run I was interested in reading more about the Metal Men. But the issue I picked up of this new series wasn't too appealing. It had very cartoony art (which I suppose is good for a light hearted series) but what made me pass on buying it was that they were barely in the issue!

The characters themselves are okay, but what I'm seeing on the comic store shelves isn't making me want to part with my 3 $$.

[Rattlehead]

I'm waiting on the trade, so when that comes out I'll give the Metal Men some love.

With the dismal numbers this book is pulling, there might not be a trade. DC isn't like Marvel and trade everything published. You might want to pick up the single issues.

[titanfan]

I believe the mini was ok'd when it looked like WB might be putting out a Metal Men movie. Once the movie news came out, it seemed like the Metal Men started to get a big push from DC. I don't know the status of the movie, but the lack of interest in the series can't be helping things.

(Personally I found the book boring and dropped after #2)

[End of Time]

I really don't get it.

I mean I like the Metal Men, this is my first proper DC series ever, and I picked it up for Duncan Rouleau's art in the first place. I love his zany hyperactive style.

It's sort of a cleaner, more focussed version of Bachalo, when people say "Remember when Bachalo was still a good artist?" I instantly think of Duncan Rouleau's current work. Energetic frantic, detailed, and excellent.

The story is a bit of a blur, very little is known to me about the metal men and some of the other characters, so I don't know if they're written "in character" but the overlapping story is one I'm enjoying. It moves at a fast pace, and there's a lot of story that's unfolding on the page.

If you hate decompressed storytelling Metal Men is the perfect title for you, because each issue is packed with story.

But there is no hate and no love.

Usually people either hate something or love it. I mean Claremont over at the X-board gets 23+ pages worth of discussion, or rather 23+ pages worth of people bitching and moaning and loving and giving praise...

Metal Men, not even that... I mean the last single issue topic was issue #3... and that lasted for 2 odd pages...

[Pixie_Solanas]

The art is sumptious, but the script is beyond-incomprehensible crap.

Sorry, it's way too disjointed to make for a good read.

[Jack Zodiac]

Really? I'm comprehending it just fine. Maybe it's just too much for you.

[KRAKABOOM!]

With the dismal numbers this book is pulling, there might not be a trade. DC isn't like Marvel and trade everything published. You might want to pick up the single issues.

actually...


METAL MEN HC
Written by Duncan Rouleau
Art and cover by Rouleau
DC’s metallic heroes return in this hardcover collecting the 8-issue miniseries! Gold, Platina, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin and Copper must face off the forces of Chemo, Doctor Yes, BOLTS, The Balloonatic and his Orphan Army, as well as the Robot Renegades in this action-packed volume!
Advance-solicited; on sale August 20 • 200 pg, FC, $24.99 US

[Rattlehead]

actually...


METAL MEN HC
Written by Duncan Rouleau
Art and cover by Rouleau
DC’s metallic heroes return in this hardcover collecting the 8-issue miniseries! Gold, Platina, Mercury, Iron, Lead, Tin and Copper must face off the forces of Chemo, Doctor Yes, BOLTS, The Balloonatic and his Orphan Army, as well as the Robot Renegades in this action-packed volume!
Advance-solicited; on sale August 20 • 200 pg, FC, $24.99 US

Wow. They went the HC route for this??? That department is out of their minds.

[Kid Kyoto]

Wow. They went the HC route for this??? That department is out of their minds.

Nah, not completely anyway. Margins on HCs are higher and they probably figure not too many people will pick up a metal men book on a whim. Either you like the characters and enjoyed the series and will pay $30 or you don't care and won't buy it at all.

[Pól Rua]

Metal Men by Duncan Rouleau, it's been going on for a while, calmly doing it's thing... but apparently it's not very popular... I barely hear people talking about it.

Why is it so quiet around this title? Where's the love? Where's the hate for that matter... isn't anybdy reading this, except me?

I love the Metal Men, but the new series just isn't doing it for me.