Dan Slott on Sharing the Mighty Avengers & Changes to Come

[alf_to_the_rescue]

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090715-mighty-slott.html

I started off not really a fan of the book, the twist with Loki was cool, but overall not really enjoying it, but hearing of the Young Avengers coming up has me interested and he sells it well the epic scope of the book well.

Also, more Jocasta!!

[Green Griffin]

It might just be me but i think Mighty is the best Avengers book out now.

[alf_to_the_rescue]

It might just be me but i think Mighty is the best Avengers book out now.

I wasn't enjoying the setting up of the team, felt it was trying too hard, but now I think this could become my favourite Avengery team.

[XPac]

I wasn't enjoying the setting up of the team, felt it was trying too hard, but now I think this could become my favourite Avengery team.

Yeah... I agree. The set up felt a bit forced.

But beyond that, the book is a lot of fun. It's not necessariy my fave Avengers book. But I do like how it has more of an old school feel.

[daveageallen]

best book marvel has right now. if anything best avengers.
i wantthis guy writing thor

[Avenger08]

I originally was interestedd in the book but it just is not getting me at all.

I much prefer NA to the MA currently. There is much more group dynamic and more story to it. MA just doesnt seem to have anything going on right now.

It was like, the first arc was just bland, not much to it, loki surprise was interesting, and issue 24 was pretty good, but since then it has just been awful. Its like even when there is stuff going on in the book nothing is happening or it is just focusing on Pym being a crazy person still or how he is SOOOO smart still. Just boring.

NA and A:I i feel are much better books compared to it. NA is just great, A:I is very interesting in like every issue. Terrible art recently, but hopefully that'll change

[Expletive Deleted]

DS: Brand new bad guy, and you're going to meet him at the top of the issue. And he's going to have a big effect on the Mighty Avengers, if not the world. This is an all-new bad guy who is part of Inhumans history. He has a strong [tie] to the Inhumans. The same way you see stories about Hercules, and when Fred and Greg are writing Hercules, he'll relate myths and the myths don't quite sync up with historical fact, you're going to see the Inhumans version of that. This is someone who's a previous Inhumans king, and why isn't he a king anymore?I kind of get what he's going for, here, but I don't think it works. With Herc, the nebulous and mythic events are taking place in pre-history, and everyone who's not a god is long dead. With the Inhumans, this stuff happened at most a hundred years ago (given the average Inhuman lifespan) and essentially everyone involved is still alive and kicking. And, more fundamentally, I'm not sure if that kind of mythic approach works as well for the sci-fi tinged Inhumans as it does for the fantasy tinged Hercules.

Ah, well. At least now we know he did it on purpose.

[Guest_1001]

It might just be me but i think Mighty is the best Avengers book out now.

I agree with you. With the exception of Pham's art, I'm loving Mighty Avengers. As well as having the only team I actually care about reading about, it has the only stories worth reading too (in my opinion). Slott should really hold up his work to Bendis and say "look Brian, no pointless bitching".

[Talisman]

They had me at more Jocasta. I just wish she wasn't relegated to at home status.

[Absolut_Fresh]

I am really on the fence with this book....

i think MA needs a woman's touch other than teen drama queen Cassie, im stuck in this machine Jocasta, and whoops just kidding im not really Scarlet Wich Loki.

its a total sausage fest...Pym, Herc, Agent, Pietro, Vision, the smart kid whose name escapes me.

how about some....oh i dont know, TIGRA!!

could be fun seeing her interact with the real Pym after she boinked the Skrull Pym in SI.

haha!

[Talisman]

I am really on the fence with this book....

i think MA needs a woman's touch other than teen drama queen Cassie, im stuck in this machine Jocasta, and whoops just kidding im not really Scarlet Wich Loki.

its a total sausage fest...Pym, Herc, Agent, Pietro, Vision, the smart kid whose name escapes me.

how about some....oh i dont know, TIGRA!!

could be fun seeing her interact with the real Pym after she boinked the Skrull Pym in SI.

haha!
Yeah, I'd totally be down for some more females. I'd like to see Firebird or add Thena to the roster. You have Herc, why not add another Olympian. And Shulkie is a must. It's Slott. Why hasn't he added her already. I'd rather read about her scandalousness with shagging Jarvis than have Cassie there.

[strathcona]

I am glad to hear Slott and Gage will be co-writing this book... I think they work well together and it might help bring it up to the usual standards I expect from Dan Slott.

[SmashDown]

I dropped this book halfway through the first arc and I'm surprised to hear it's getting better.

Are the characterizations improving or are the plots just a lot more interesting?

[CyberHubbs]

I kind of get what he's going for, here, but I don't think it works. With Herc, the nebulous and mythic events are taking place in pre-history, and everyone who's not a god is long dead. With the Inhumans, this stuff happened at most a hundred years ago (given the average Inhuman lifespan) and essentially everyone involved is still alive and kicking. And, more fundamentally, I'm not sure if that kind of mythic approach works as well for the sci-fi tinged Inhumans as it does for the fantasy tinged Hercules.

Ah, well. At least now we know he did it on purpose.

I figured this was what Slott was going for in his story.

[RunningWithJuanPablo]

Sounds good. He says the mini or arc, one of the two, leads into the next big event....I hope the said event is Avengers related and not everything related. I'm a sucker for a $3.99 mini.

[XPac]

Sounds good. He says the mini or arc, one of the two, leads into the next big event....I hope the said event is Avengers related and not everything related. I'm a sucker for a $3.99 mini.

The idea of an Avengers event does sound fun. With 3 teams of Avengers (5 if you count the Young Avengers and the Resistance team), that a LOT of people even if it's not an everything related kind of thing.

I wonder if there would be any conflict between the MA and the NA about whether one or the other is THE Avengers. We know that there's some with the Dark Avengers.

[Babylon23]

Absolutely loving Mighty Avengers since Slott took over. My only problem with this interview is the idea that there may be more interaction with the other Avengers books. I can't stand New Avengers and didn't think much of the first couple of issues of Dark, so I was hoping this book would stand alone for a lot longer.

[daveageallen]

Absolutely loving Mighty Avengers since Slott took over. My only problem with this interview is the idea that there may be more interaction with the other Avengers books. I can't stand New Avengers and didn't think much of the first couple of issues of Dark, so I was hoping this book would stand alone for a lot longer.

yeah i am hoping its a small cameo and not a mega team. all fighting with 4 diffrent leaders fighting for control. i think slott is better at being unpredictable at that.( sorry for my irony, predicting his unpredictable ness)

[Babylon23]

yeah i am hoping its a small cameo and not a mega team. all fighting with 4 diffrent leaders fighting for control. i think slott is better at being unpredictable at that.( sorry for my irony, predicting his unpredictable ness)

According to Joe Quesada, Marvel's response to reader's event fatigue is to have a whole series of events running through group titles rather than one big company-wide event. So I expect that this will unfortunately be an Avengers-wide event incorporating New, Mighty, Dark, Young and Initiative.

[LungerTony]

I am really on the fence with this book....

i think MA needs a woman's touch other than teen drama queen Cassie, im stuck in this machine Jocasta, and whoops just kidding im not really Scarlet Wich Loki.

its a total sausage fest...Pym, Herc, Agent, Pietro, Vision, the smart kid whose name escapes me.

how about some....oh i dont know, TIGRA!!

could be fun seeing her interact with the real Pym after she boinked the Skrull Pym in SI.

haha!

I'll defintely back that. Getting Tigra on the roster sounds great. I didn't really notice the sausage vibe, but now I do after reading this. I don't like Cassie or the YA, and it does suck to have 'her' as the only woman field operating Avenger.
Shulkie isn't a bad call either, and I am surprised too that Slott hasn't tried to add her to the team.

[EmmettHULK]

Horrible book, in fact the worst Avengers book on the shelves. Slott's fastidiously dull writing and his "It's Funny, ReallY!!" jokes are just contrived and anti-climactic...no wonder this book isn't a top ten seller anymore.

Lame characters, mediocre stories and a tone that just doesn't work.

I wish Slott simply wrote Spider-man or She-Hulk, he really seems to get those "funny" characters.

Straight superheroics, he fails miserably at.

[Elijah Dexan]

Since I am not much of a fan of the New Avengers, the Mighty Avengers were a welcomed change. Though Slott faltered somewhat I think he writes a solid book. There should just be more of a team dynamic with the characters.

[Methalius]

Horrible book, in fact the worst Avengers book on the shelves. Slott's fastidiously dull writing and his "It's Funny, ReallY!!" jokes are just contrived and anti-climactic...no wonder this book isn't a top ten seller anymore.


Agents of Atlas isn't a top 10 seller, in fact it's not even top 50 but it's arguably the best book out right now. Captain Britain was one of the best books as well and it is canceled. Sales doesn't equal a good book or a bad book in every case.

I've liked MA all along. The most recent issues have been the best as far as I am concerned.

[EmmettHULK]

Agents of Atlas isn't a top 10 seller, in fact it's not even top 50 but it's arguably the best book out right now. Captain Britain was one of the best books as well and it is canceled. Sales doesn't equal a good book or a bad book in every case.

I've liked MA all along. The most recent issues have been the best as far as I am concerned.

To a lot of people it does, and therefore they drop the books they consider crap.
Clearly a whole lot of people have dropped the book after Bendis left...look at how long NA has been a top ten hit, MA used to be a top ten hit, mostly top five, and now with the horrible new creative team, it's out of the top ten...


I know I gave the book a chance, but Slott's horribly outdated approach to writing turned me off...

[Capt USA]

I love the Loki twist and think this is one of the best Avengers books and teams out there right now. And it's great seeing that this team actually accomplishes something inside of a couple of issues. I still think I'm waiting for the new avengers to actually accomplish a successful mission, aren't they still hunting the lamest villain in history the hood?

[EmmettHULK]

I love the Loki twist and think this is one of the best Avengers books and teams out there right now. And it's great seeing that this team actually accomplishes something inside of a couple of issues. I still think I'm waiting for the new avengers to actually accomplish a successful mission, aren't they still hunting the lamest villain in history the hood?


Maybe, but they clearly are the team that matters. Even Dark Avengers, who just started, has ousold the dull MA.

MA used to be a vital book, relevant, current, as important to the tapestry of the MU as NA and DA, now it went back to the same ole well of Supervillain Of The Week and Megalomaniac's Evil Plot Of The Month...and with uninspired jokes, to boot!


Plus heaping doses of clunky expository dialogue which becomes more noticeable on a second reading.
There are several examples of characters speaking their thoughts out loud, talking to themselves, or over-explaining elements of the plot to each other for the benefit of the audience.
It's contrived, and distracting and lazy...ugh

And that line up....woohoo, exciting as can be right? Jocasta?
Male Wasp? Usagent?


Gimme a break...were Deathcry and Doctor Druid busy?

Seriously, this book is terrible, but I can understand why marvel wanted to throw a bone to the vocal segment that kept crying "THESE ARE NOT THE REAL AVENGERS!!! BOOHOO!!!" "WHY DID MARVEL RAPE MY CHILDHOOD, GIMME MY AVENGERS BACK!!!"
In the end, after all the ruckus, you can see that those who wanted "real" Avengers are a vocal minority and I can see this book being canceled sooner than later, and thank God for that.

[Capt USA]

what is wrong with fighting villain of the week? this is a superhero comic, that is what they are supposed to do, not spend 10 pages arguing with their spouse about absolutely nothing, and crappy forced characterizations of well established heroes and of course the dues ex machina nature of having the worse character created in comics history (yes I'm talking to you Sentry) (and I actually do like the New Avengers, just think the Mighty Avengers takes up a slot that has been voided by the fact that Marvel now had zero real super hero teams in their entire universe)


I like all the avengers titles out there, just think it's funny that Mighty is already on it's third story arc since it's reforming in 5 issues, which took 19 issues to get that many done before.

There are plenty of flaws with it, just like many comic books, I despise Quicksilver and his addition to the team and his behavior just annoys me, and they really do need to finish up the Scarlett Witch storyline (I mean sure since it's not Bendis it will probably be finished in a few issues instead of a 20 or more) I love the rest of the cast, and am glad that Pym is being handled well.

[Sighphi]

I kind of get what he's going for, here, but I don't think it works. With Herc, the nebulous and mythic events are taking place in pre-history, and everyone who's not a god is long dead. With the Inhumans, this stuff happened at most a hundred years ago (given the average Inhuman lifespan) and essentially everyone involved is still alive and kicking. And, more fundamentally, I'm not sure if that kind of mythic approach works as well for the sci-fi tinged Inhumans as it does for the fantasy tinged Hercules.

Ah, well. At least now we know he did it on purpose.

It's a retcon, if this story told in MA 27 is complete truth he is rewriting Inhuman history soooo......he can pretty much do what he wants.

[Guest_1001]

MA used to be a vital book, relevant, current, as important to the tapestry of the MU as NA and DA, now it went back to the same ole well of Supervillain Of The Week and Megalomaniac's Evil Plot Of The Month...and with uninspired jokes, to boot!

One word; GOOD! I can't stand NA and DA and I'd sooner be entertained by a book that knows what it wants to be and is content with being a superhero book than be dragged along on whatever dull, unchanging plotline the NA and DA choose to drag me on -- books that won't kill off their main characters because they're too important to other titles -- and which promise that "nothing will ever be the same again" come the next event, so there's no point getting into them anyway.


And that line up....woohoo, exciting as can be right? Jocasta?
Male Wasp? Usagent?

Gimme a break...were Deathcry and Doctor Druid busy?

Out of those three that you mentioned, they could all be killed off. On the other hand, let's look at the New Avengers; Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America? Do you really think they're in any kind of peril? And, come to think of it, have you read the book? Pym's scientific explanations are far more interesting to read than Spider-Man's done-to-death quips.


Seriously, this book is terrible, but I can understand why marvel wanted to throw a bone to the vocal segment that kept crying "THESE ARE NOT THE REAL AVENGERS!!! BOOHOO!!!" "WHY DID MARVEL RAPE MY CHILDHOOD, GIMME MY AVENGERS BACK!!!"
In the end, after all the ruckus, you can see that those who wanted "real" Avengers are a vocal minority and I can see this book being canceled sooner than later, and thank God for that.

I came into comic books in the mid-2000s, towards the end of Disassembled. I can say with confidence that Mighty is the best Avengers book.

[nojarama]

The Mighty Avengers RULE!: I heart Dan Slott, can deal with US Agent (the ghetto Cap) & the dreadful Quiksilver (why hasn't HE died? Oh that's right, because no one likes him- so they keep him on to terrorize us) and as long there's plenty of Vision (keep him in both the books he's in & I'll be ecstatic) & Jocasta (I'd like to believe she'll be able to "escape" the "new mansion & go "off-world" with the team) then I'm happy (even IF Pham is illustrating).

[Dimoutzi]

Clearly a whole lot of people have dropped the book after Bendis left...look at how long NA has been a top ten hit, MA used to be a top ten hit, mostly top five, and now with the horrible new creative team, it's out of the top ten...

Dont forget that Bendis always has A-list artists working with him, that naturally also affects the sales figures a lot. The artwork of Pham in MA just doesnt appeal as many fans as the work of Cho and Bagley. I know a lot of people who dropped the title solely because of the art.

[Guest_1001]

Dont forget that Bendis always has A-list artists working with him, that naturally also affects the sales figures a lot. The artwork of Pham in MA just doesnt appeal as many fans as the work of Cho and Bagley. I know a lot of people who dropped the title solely because of the art.

I agree with this. I nearly did too but the brilliant work of Sandoval and Segovia kept me on board. And now we're back to Pham, which is frustrating, but he didn't do half bad in the latest issue.


To a lot of people it does, and therefore they drop the books they consider crap.
Clearly a whole lot of people have dropped the book after Bendis left...look at how long NA has been a top ten hit, MA used to be a top ten hit, mostly top five, and now with the horrible new creative team, it's out of the top ten...

I know I gave the book a chance, but Slott's horribly outdated approach to writing turned me off...

Slott a part of a horrible creative team? Are we talking about the same writer? And now Gage, which is even better (although I don't mean that as a knock to Dan Slott, if he happens to be reading).

And MA leaving the top ten wouldn't have anything to do with Iron Man no longer being on the team, would it? For that matter, Ms Marvel, the Wasp, the Sentry and Black Widow are more high-profile heroes than, for example, Stature, Jocasta or USAgent. You don't think that has more to do with it that the creative team changing?

[Will.S]

Absolutely loving Mighty Avengers since Slott took over. My only problem with this interview is the idea that there may be more interaction with the other Avengers books. I can't stand New Avengers and didn't think much of the first couple of issues of Dark, so I was hoping this book would stand alone for a lot longer.
Eh, I think its good that Dan get this out of the way since one of the first things I wanted to see was the New and Dark Avengers interact with the Mighty Avengers. I don't see a whole lot of downsides to this since even if you don't like those teams, at least they'll be written with Dan Slott's take on them.


Since I am not much of a fan of the New Avengers, the Mighty Avengers were a welcomed change. Though Slott faltered somewhat I think he writes a solid book. There should just be more of a team dynamic with the characters.
The book can be fun and is definitely readable but just because this is a non-Bendis written Avengers book that doesn't mean that it's automatically a better Avengers book. Dan and crew have to work a little harder than this for it to feel like a high quality Avengers book. To be frank, the roster kind of sucks (Dan could pick a MUCH better roster than this), the art tends be sloppy and under par, and Dan's writing style on the book just strikes me as above average fare. It never seems to rise to a significantly better level than even the Bendis stuff which also has a ton of flaws but at least it feels a little more edgy and manages to be engaging.

I love an old school Avengers book as much as anyone else but the book just seems to be trying a little too hard to try to get that "old school" feeling back. I think it needs to really step up big time both in the writing and certainly in the art. So just speaking purely as an Avengers fan, I just don't see what makes the book so great compared to the other stuff out there right now such as Dark, New, or even the Initiative which to me are higher quality books even if they aren't as steeped into Avengers tradition as Mighty.

Keep in mind folks that I'm not saying that Dan Slott is a crappy writer or anything of the sort. I think he's a great writer when he's on his A-game and he tends to have some neat ideas on top of a good handle on dialogue. But unfortunately his Avengers stuff just hasn't been as good as I expected it to be which is disappointing since I think he can do much better than this.

[Capt USA]

I love the roster, I mean sure it was contrived in that he couldn't get Thor so went with Hercules, no Cap, but USAgent, no Iron man so he gets Wasp/Pym. And the Cho/Pym interaction has been great, but you get the feeling that Slott really loves himself some Pym.

I don't think of these as low tiered heroes but just lower tiered heroes. And there seems to be some good interaction between the groups, (although Cassie looks like she will be underutilized)

I'll probably never like Pietro as I don't think I've ever thought of him as a good character after 1980. But there is no way to really get a perfect team anyway.

[Will.S]

I love the roster, I mean sure it was contrived in that he couldn't get Thor so went with Hercules, no Cap, but USAgent, no Iron man so he gets Wasp/Pym. And the Cho/Pym interaction has been great, but you get the feeling that Slott really loves himself some Pym.

I don't think of these as low tiered heroes but just lower tiered heroes. And there seems to be some good interaction between the groups, (although Cassie looks like she will be underutilized)

I'll probably never like Pietro as I don't think I've ever thought of him as a good character after 1980. But there is no way to really get a perfect team anyway.
I don't have any problems with the roster having Herc, Pym, Quicksilver, Jocasta or even Cho (who I've never been a big fan of due to some Gary Stu aspects of him) but Vision II and Stature as full fledged Avengers do nothing for me at all. All Stature does is complain, Vision is just sorta there, and US Agent hasn't done a whole lot for the book either but I also think that they should grown into becoming Avengers rather than being picked so quickly.

Sure the book is in it's 3rd arc but I still feel as if the book hasn't accomplished a whole lot within that time. The characters aren't as well managed as I would like for them to be and Dan has a host of other Avengers that he could use that are ripe for the picking like Falcon, Firebird, Monica Rambeau, Starfox, Arachne, She-Hulk, Jack of Hearts (who I don't think had a very definitive death IMO), Wonder Man who Dan can just bring in even with the last appearance in NA, the original Vision, and the list goes on.

Plus the team work doesn't quite feel as well gelled as I would like for it to be.

[Mark_S]

I do like the cast, but I still have a problem with the way Hank's (and now Jacosta) has been treating Stature. FOr that matter I'm still not sure why Cassie would want to be a superhero period given the futility of being a superhero in the mu right now. And I'm still not sure what purpose an Avenger team can serve in the mu right now where supervillains rule. After all don't the NA have the rebellious Avengers role?

Mark_S

[KMACthaKilla]

i wanted to join this but i dont understand anything you are all talking about

[Will.S]

i wanted to join this but i dont understand anything you are all talking about
What don't you understand?

[Babylon23]

Eh, I think its good that Dan get this out of the way since one of the first things I wanted to see was the New and Dark Avengers interact with the Mighty Avengers. I don't see a whole lot of downsides to this since even if you don't like those teams, at least they'll be written with Dan Slott's take on them.

My concern is more that this will be a crossover between the different Avengers books. I refuse to buy issues of New Avengers so I'm looking at missing issues of Mighty or reading the issues with no idea of what happening since I haven't read the other issues involved in the crossover. I'd rather Mighty just stand alone. If it's just guest appearances then I can accept that.

[Babylon23]

To be frank, the roster kind of sucks (Dan could pick a MUCH better roster than this), the art tends be sloppy and under par, and Dan's writing style on the book just strikes me as above average fare.

This actually sums up my feelings towards New Avengers; a mediocre lineup, poor art and bad writing.


Sure the book is in it's 3rd arc but I still feel as if the book hasn't accomplished a whole lot within that time.

This too actually. I don't feel like New has achieved much of anything in it's 50+ issues.


I don't think the point of an Avengers team should be that they're a non-team. Should it have a learning curve? Sure, but I don't think the MA have had a whole lot of a learning curve if at all.

Once again, I feel that New Avengers is a far worse non-team. Plus the roster seems to change so often and the stories are so decompressed that the New team has never gelled for me.


Its honestly not that pronounced, even if the dialogue sounds off and is the usual Bendis style it still manages to be engaging just based on the interaction itself such as Dr. Strange and Wiccan or the always fun Luke Cage and Spider-Man banter

Couldn't disagree more. The dialogue in New just sounds like inane 12-year old banter to me, with no characters having a distinct voice.


I don't see anything wrong with having two Visions. Since the first Vision is an android it's not as if he were a human and died so he can come back pretty easily. For the moment I prefer Vision II on the Young Avengers, he and Cassie feel a little too out of place for my tastes and contribute negatively towards the book.

I'd be more than happy for Vision II and Cassie to be in the Young Avengers if YA actually had their own series, but it's been years now and if Heinberg isn't coming back then I'm all for Slott using both characters.

[XPac]

I think MA is a fun book... but I also think that it at times almost has a cartoony look and feel.

I think it's lacking the depth that we're seeing in the other Avenger books (and not just Bendis books... I think Initiative is actually outshining MA in that regard so far).

Art is a part of the problem, too.

Everything about the book just screams B Team. That's not to say that the writer (and some of the characters) don't have A team potential... but it just doesn't feel that way. At least to me.

In wrestling terms, it's like NA are RAW or Smackdown, while MA are ECW.

[yadadaimhollaing]

This title is probably my least favorite title i read. I hate hank pym and quicksilver and i dont really like jocasta. Hercules and cho are ok, characters i could do with or without. I liked cassie and vision with the young avengers. When my two favorite characters on this team are just all right while the heavy hitters are not its hard to get into. I understand the way the marvel u is constructed right now its going to be hard to get iron man, cap, or thor onto this team. Despite my dislike of the characters on this team i can at least enjoy the quick story arcs. I enjoyed the way that hulk and iron man were whisked away with the other characters to fight a villian who was trying to take over the world. Then seeing an item get ripped from the fantastic four was cool.

Im also in the minority and i have liked phams art for the most part.

[Babylon23]

Everything about the book just screams B Team. That's not to say that the writer (and some of the characters) don't have A team potential... but it just doesn't feel that way. At least to me.

That's because they are the B team. It's nothing to do with the title, the characters or the creative team. It's just that Bendis is the man in charge of a lot of what happens in the Marvel U, including most of their 'events'. So the setup for those events occurs in New Avengers, making New Avengers the flagship title for the Marvel U and the book where all of the apparently important things seem to occur. All of the other Avengers books are B team by comparison.

[XPac]

That's because they are the B team. It's nothing to do with the title, the characters or the creative team. It's just that Bendis is the man in charge of a lot of what happens in the Marvel U, including most of their 'events'. So the setup for those events occurs in New Avengers, making New Avengers the flagship title for the Marvel U and the book where all of the apparently important things seem to occur. All of the other Avengers books are B team by comparison.

Maybe... but I don't get that feeling with Avengers Initiative, and I certainly didn't with Young Avengers when it first came out.

I think Initiative holds it's own quite well with NA. The quality of writing and art are on par, and the book feels relavent and tied into things even never really had any flagship charcter star power behind it.

And Young Avengers (the original series at least) was just on a whole other level of Avengers goodness.

I just feel like I'm waiting for MA to really rise up and stand out on it's own. And to me, while it's been a fun enough ride so far, it hasn't done that.

[Perfection/Emma 2]

Well whatever the changes are, I hope we get more good and throw back characters like Black Widow "Natasha". However if Cassie is no longer and Mighty Avenger, am dropping this book

[Will.S]

My concern is more that this will be a crossover between the different Avengers books. I refuse to buy issues of New Avengers so I'm looking at missing issues of Mighty or reading the issues with no idea of what happening since I haven't read the other issues involved in the crossover. I'd rather Mighty just stand alone. If it's just guest appearances then I can accept that.Nah, with Utopia going on they won't do multiple crossovers so I'm pretty sure it'll all be contained within Mighty Avengers.


I'd be more than happy for Vision II and Cassie to be in the Young Avengers if YA actually had their own series, but it's been years now and if Heinberg isn't coming back then I'm all for Slott using both characters.
I'm not going to argue with your opinion of the New/Dark Avengers books since I can respect that even if I feel the opposite way. I like both classic Avengers and New Avengers so my tastes run a wide gamut with the Avengers books, I just don't feel that the Mighty book lives up to its potential although I do recognize it as being a good book nonetheless.

Regarding the Young Avengers, not that I wouldn't prefer Heinberg and Cheung to come back and do the Young Avengers themselves but they've been at least sustained by several mini series and big events. I don't really see why they have to be on the Mighty Avengers when Paul Cornell's already writing them over in the Dark Reign stuff where they can play off better within their own element.


Maybe... but I don't get that feeling with Avengers Initiative, and I certainly didn't with Young Avengers when it first came out.

I think Initiative holds it's own quite well with NA. The quality of writing and art are on par, and the book feels relavent and tied into things even never really had any flagship charcter star power behind it.

And Young Avengers (the original series at least) was just on a whole other level of Avengers goodness.

I just feel like I'm waiting for MA to really rise up and stand out on it's own. And to me, while it's been a fun enough ride so far, it hasn't done that.I feel the same way.

I think Mighty needs to be more aggressive, improve the pacing, and improve in art.

[strathcona]

My concern is more that this will be a crossover between the different Avengers books. I refuse to buy issues of New Avengers so I'm looking at missing issues of Mighty or reading the issues with no idea of what happening since I haven't read the other issues involved in the crossover. I'd rather Mighty just stand alone. If it's just guest appearances then I can accept that.

I doubt that we'll see a cross over for this storyline, I am pretty sure it's just going to be contained in MA. However, Joe Q has stated that in the future we won't be getting company wide events, but instead just smaller line wide crossovers, like all the X-books, all the Avengers books... like it used to be. I will not be getting a Bendis written NA or DA in order to follow MA or A:I... I'll just have to get half the story I guess.

[EmmettHULK]

I think MA is a fun book... but I also think that it at times almost has a cartoony look and feel.

I think it's lacking the depth that we're seeing in the other Avenger books (and not just Bendis books... I think Initiative is actually outshining MA in that regard so far).

Art is a part of the problem, too.

Everything about the book just screams B Team.

That usually happens when you have a B-lister as writer. No surprises here.

[XPac]

That usually happens when you have a B-lister as writer. No surprises here.

I'd argue Slott floats somewhere between B and A list.

He's not QUITE on the same level as say a Bendis or a Morrison (obviously this is all subjective), but he's doing Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man. That's all relatively high profile stuff.

[Guest_1001]

That usually happens when you have a B-lister as writer. No surprises here.

Except for someone calling Dan Slott a B-List writer. That's a surprise.

And you're just ignoring the most important thing; the roster. Then again, not surprising given the earlier post you ignored too . . .

[SalazarSleaze2]

Since when is Slott an A-lister? Even his highly hyped Spider-Man run hasn't resulted in anything spectacular, ground-breaking or buzz-worthy. He is just another writer that can write so-so jokes and string them along while Spidey fights the latest baddie.

Spider-Man may still flourish because it's Spidey, but MA has tanked because clearly Slott isn't A-list or even B-list enough to sustain sales or generate any kind of "wow, look at his writing" buzz.

Admit it, his highly regarded stint on C-lister She-Hulk is as "A-list" as he gets...

[Guest_1001]

Spider-Man may still flourish because it's Spidey, but MA has tanked because clearly Slott isn't A-list or even B-list enough to sustain sales or generate any kind of "wow, look at his writing" buzz.

Okay, once again boys and girls . . .

"And MA leaving the top ten wouldn't have anything to do with Iron Man no longer being on the team, would it? For that matter, Ms Marvel, the Wasp, the Sentry and Black Widow are more high-profile heroes than, for example, Stature, Jocasta or USAgent. You don't think that has more to do with it that the creative team changing?"

That's something I wrote earlier in this thread and I'll now back it up with two words: Paul Cornell. There was someone who DID generate some "wow, look at his writing" buzz and yet Captain Britain & MI:13 tragically got cancelled.

[artiepants]

i thought the latest issue was a big step up over the previous, both the art and the writing. Slott and Gage just go together like PBJ, i like them writing together WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better then i like them writing individually.

[Sighphi]

Okay, once again boys and girls . . .

"And MA leaving the top ten wouldn't have anything to do with Iron Man no longer being on the team, would it? For that matter, Ms Marvel, the Wasp, the Sentry and Black Widow are more high-profile heroes than, for example, Stature, Jocasta or USAgent. You don't think that has more to do with it that the creative team changing?"

That's something I wrote earlier in this thread and I'll now back it up with two words: Paul Cornell. There was someone who DID generate some "wow, look at his writing" buzz and yet Captain Britain & MI:13 tragically got cancelled.

So wait......(before i make this statement i would like to state that i dont rate writers in degrees, I either like their job or dont. It's pretty simple) you are now blaming this on the characters?

[SalazarSleaze2]

"And MA leaving the top ten wouldn't have anything to do with Iron Man no longer being on the team, would it? For that matter, Ms Marvel, the Wasp, the Sentry and Black Widow are more high-profile heroes than, for example, Stature, Jocasta or USAgent.
.

Where'e the Top Ten Iron Man book? Where's the top ten Ms Marvel book?

Do the math...Bendis has had a whole bunch of top 30 books, all across the MU spectrum, from Daredevil to Avengers, to Illuminati to Elektra . Slott has only had one, and that is because it stars the company # 1 brand, Spider-man.

It's easy to see why once a mediocre B-lister took over, Mighty Avengers tanked in terms of quality AND sales...

[Joe Franklin]

Where'e the Top Ten Iron Man book? Where's the top ten Ms Marvel book?

Do the math...Bendis has had a whole bunch of top 30 books, all across the MU spectrum, from Daredevil to Avengers, to Illuminati to Elektra . Slott has only had one, and that is because it stars the company # 1 brand, Spider-man.

It's easy to see why once a mediocre B-lister took over, Mighty Avengers tanked in terms of quality AND sales...

Quoted for the truth on the name recognition part.

I'm a Dan Slott fan, but his name is nowhere near the draw Bendis name is when it comes to selling Marvel comic books.

[SalazarSleaze2]

Quoted for the truth on the name recognition part.

I'm a Dan Slott fan, but his name is nowhere near the draw Bendis name is when it comes to selling Marvel comic books.

Exactly, and even when using the company's # 1 brand, Slott isn't enough...is anyone forgetting the utter flop that was his Spider-man/Human Torch miniseries?

[Monty_Cristo]

Since when is Slott an A-lister? Even his highly hyped Spider-Man run hasn't resulted in anything spectacular, ground-breaking or buzz-worthy. He is just another writer that can write so-so jokes and string them along while Spidey fights the latest baddie.

Spider-Man may still flourish because it's Spidey, but MA has tanked because clearly Slott isn't A-list or even B-list enough to sustain sales or generate any kind of "wow, look at his writing" buzz.

Admit it, his highly regarded stint on C-lister She-Hulk is as "A-list" as he gets...



Where'e the Top Ten Iron Man book? Where's the top ten Ms Marvel book?

Do the math...Bendis has had a whole bunch of top 30 books, all across the MU spectrum, from Daredevil to Avengers, to Illuminati to Elektra . Slott has only had one, and that is because it stars the company # 1 brand, Spider-man.

It's easy to see why once a mediocre B-lister took over, Mighty Avengers tanked in terms of quality AND sales...



Admit it man, you are the epitome of trolling...only bitches, moans about and bashes comics (he hasn't even read or wont read)for the sheer "thrill" of it,and takes storylines about fictional characters way too seriously.


............................

[SalazarSleaze2]

LOL!!!!


The difference is this:

HAUNT/MC:- "I haven't read that/I will not read that, I hate Bendis (he killed my two favorite characters after all), but I know it sucks, it's Bendis after all!!"

ME- "I read MA and it's horrible, Slott can't write to save his life"

See Hanbty? I give an opinion based on actually being exposed to the writing of Slott, you bitch and moan ON EVERY SINGLE BENDIS-RELATED THREAD, motivated by your creepy obsession over two fictional characters that Bendis "killed"

[Joe Franklin]

Exactly, and even when using the company's # 1 brand, Slott isn't enough...is anyone forgetting the utter flop that was his Spider-man/Human Torch miniseries?

True.

My favorite current Marvel writer is Andy Diggle, but I know for a fact that Andy can swap places with Bendis on Mighty Avengers for example, and the sales figures will go down somewhat. In my opinion the quality of the stories would be better, but as a realist, Diggle's name does not sell as high as Bendis name will, when listed on the front of a Marvel comic.

[strathcona]

Exactly, and even when using the company's # 1 brand, Slott isn't enough...is anyone forgetting the utter flop that was his Spider-man/Human Torch miniseries?

The Spider-Man/Human Torch mini was great. I absolutely loved it... it is one of the reasons I fell in love with Slott's work and I still know he is the best writer Marvel has right now.

[LungerTony]

I like Dan Slott. He is solid.
His A:I was amazingly good. His She-Hulk was super badass. He also wrote the GLA Missassembled. I thought that was awesome - but I imagine GLA is simply hit or miss with people based on their tastes.

I don't recall reading anything else besides that - I'm sure I have.

[Fatguy]

Yeah, I like Slott alright. He was great on A:TI, and I like what he's doing on Spider-Man. But Mighty has been kind of terrible. I dont know what he's going for here. It doesnt help, I'm sure, that the roster is crap and the art has been pretty bad.

[EmmettHULK]

Yeah, I like Slott alright. He was great on A:TI, and I like what he's doing on Spider-Man. But Mighty has been kind of terrible. I dont know what he's going for here. It doesnt help, I'm sure, that the roster is crap and the art has been pretty bad.

He is going for the same stuff he always does, over the top silly, allegedly retro fun that actually comes off as pathetically outdated triteness. Even Bendis MA was actually more fun, because it merged the whole "old school" Avengers vibe with modern sensibilities. It made it current and retro at the same time.

Slott's precious, cutesy writing is just plain bad.

[Joe Franklin]

But Mighty has been kind of terrible. I dont know what he's going for here. It doesnt help, I'm sure, that the roster is crap and the art has been pretty bad.

The Khoi Pham art is just boring to look at, and the coloring and inking is still not helping it out either.

The roster sucks except for US Agent and Hercules, but I'll continue to buy it for 2 of my favorite all time Avengers. If US Agent or Herc go, the I go with them.

[Babylon23]

Nah, with Utopia going on they won't do multiple crossovers so I'm pretty sure it'll all be contained within Mighty Avengers.

Well, I'll hope for the best. We'll see what happens.


Regarding the Young Avengers, not that I wouldn't prefer Heinberg and Cheung to come back and do the Young Avengers themselves but they've been at least sustained by several mini series and big events. I don't really see why they have to be on the Mighty Avengers when Paul Cornell's already writing them over in the Dark Reign stuff where they can play off better within their own element.

For me, the miniseries aren't really doing much at all with the characters. It's like they're in the books just so Marvel can remind readers that the team still exists. I'd rather Marvel just move on and start using the characters properly. If Heinberg is too busy to write YA then find another writer who can. I'd be happy to see Cornell/Cheung on the series.


I will not be getting a Bendis written NA or DA in order to follow MA or A:I... I'll just have to get half the story I guess.

You and I both.


Maybe... but I don't get that feeling with Avengers Initiative, and I certainly didn't with Young Avengers when it first came out.

Well, Initiative spun out of Marvel's big event at the time and Young Avengers tied in directly with events in Disassembled. Not surprising really that they felt more relevant than Mighty.


I think Initiative holds it's own quite well with NA. The quality of writing and art are on par, and the book feels relavent and tied into things even never really had any flagship charcter star power behind it.

See, I feel that the writing on Mighty is on par with Initiative, and far above the writing in New. It's all subjective I guess.


And Young Avengers (the original series at least) was just on a whole other level of Avengers goodness.

I agree entirely. I loved the book at the time. It felt to me like the book that was actually carrying on the Avengers legacy, while New went off on it's own tangent.

[Babylon23]

The Khoi Pham art is just boring to look at, and the coloring and inking is still not helping it out either.

I don't mind Pham's art, but I agree with you on the colouring. But then, I see this problem in a lot of Marvel books, especially the Avengers titles.

[LungerTony]

I don't mind Pham's art, but I agree with you on the colouring. But then, I see this problem in a lot of Marvel books, especially the Avengers titles.

Yeah, I feel the same. I'v heard a lot of negativity concerning Pham, but I've always found his artwork solid and enjoyable.

[princesa]

I just don't care for the cast of this book.

[Guest_1001]

So wait......(before i make this statement i would like to state that i dont rate writers in degrees, I either like their job or dont. It's pretty simple) you are now blaming this on the characters?

What do you mean "now"? And I'm not blaming anyone for anything, since I don't care about sales. All I'm saying is that, even though I'd like to think comic book fans are intelligent people who care about Pym, USAgent, Jocasta and so forther, it's not being realistic; most want their Wolverine, Spider-Man and Captain America fix. Look at the people in this thread saying they don't care for the cast of MA.


Where'e the Top Ten Iron Man book? Where's the top ten Ms Marvel book?

Do the math...Bendis has had a whole bunch of top 30 books, all across the MU spectrum, from Daredevil to Avengers, to Illuminati to Elektra . Slott has only had one, and that is because it stars the company # 1 brand, Spider-man.

It's easy to see why once a mediocre B-lister took over, Mighty Avengers tanked in terms of quality AND sales...

No, you do the math ... Mighty Avengers under Bendis was a mainstream book that was as important to the Marvel U as New Avengers. It was centre-stage and, yes, it did help that it featured Iron Man, Ms Marvel and so on, as much as you don't care to admit it; a real "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" deal.

And yet it's not a mainstream book anymore. It's easy to see why once an outstanding A-Lister took over, Mighty Avengers skyrocketed in terms of quality. It's easy to see why, once the roster changed and Bendis wanted to focus on his pet characters, the sales dropped.

So I think I'll just be blunt and say it; anyone blaming the sales on Slott is an idiot. Pham? Maybe.

[SalazarSleaze2]

No, you do the math ... Mighty Avengers under Bendis was a mainstream book that was as important to the Marvel U as New Avengers. It was centre-stage and, yes, it did help that it featured Iron Man, Ms Marvel and so on, as much as you don't care to admit it; a real "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" deal.


It's not that I didn't want to "admit" anything. The actual sales numbers speak louder than any of your strawman arguments, neither Iron Man nor Ms Marvel have a top ten book, and Bendis does. You do the math...lol


And yet it's not a mainstream book anymore. It's easy to see why once an outstanding A-Lister took over, Mighty Avengers skyrocketed in terms of quality.

Who's that A-lister? Slott? A-lister? The guy whose books are routinely canceled and/or flopping/underperforming- Spidey/Human Torch:FLOP, The Thing: FLOP, GLA: Flop, She-Hulk: Low seller and canceled/relaunched, MA: Sales took a big hit once he took over, SPider-MAN: Hit, but clearly on the CHARACTER's NAME ALONE...? The guy whose name is never generating buzz on any major comic book outlet? The guy who's never got any major comic book awards? (Even his most critically acclaimed work- She-Hulk and GLA- failed to get a single Eisner) How is it that you define "A-lister"? As a "writer I like"??? :-)


And "quality" is also another unquantifiable thing. Scream it all you want, the reality is that numbers don't lie...Slott took over MA, sales tanked.

It's easy to see why, once the roster changed and Bendis wanted to focus on his pet characters, the sales dropped.

Now you are not making sense, lol. That;s when the sales INCREASED, not dropped. Again, actual numbers versus your own fantasies.


So I think I'll just be blunt and say it; anyone blaming the sales on Slott is an idiot. .

Oh yeah, that will help your argument...

[EmmettHULK]

Dan Slott's an "A-lister"?

When did that happen?

[Will.S]

What do you mean "now"? And I'm not blaming anyone for anything, since I don't care about sales. All I'm saying is that, even though I'd like to think comic book fans are intelligent people who care about Pym, USAgent, Jocasta and so forther, it's not being realistic; most want their Wolverine, Spider-Man and Captain America fix. Look at the people in this thread saying they don't care for the cast of MA.
I just think that the roster can use a lot of improvements, especially considering all the other past Avengers who are still out there and could be used to a much better effect than some of the current people like US Agent, Stature, and Vision II.

[Will.S]

To give credit to Slott, Avengers: The Initiative was doing very well after Civil War and maintained a good amount of sales, enough to be turned into an ongoing in fact. I think Slott has also become among the bigger draws when it comes to Amazing Spider-Man given that he gets a lot of the good events/creative teams as well as being handed the duty of explaining the OMD/BND explanations (even if I wished that he stopped doing them since the bring down his stories).

Also while Mighty's sales dropped, it hasn't been a very sharp decline from what I can tell so it's not like its hit rock bottom.

[by1968]

Mighty Avengers had dropped out of the top 10 before Secret Invasion and the numbers were in a steady decline. The only thing that returned it to top 10 status was Secret Invasion. So comparing sales numbers of Secret Invasion issues with anything else isn't exactly fair. This last month, June 09, MA was 15. Feb 08, issue 9 was 17 though it did creep back up to #9 with issue 11 even though the number of copies sold had declined.

If you look at the titles that beat out MA you also see why it dropped to #15. There's Batman and Robin 1, Cap 600, Utopia 1, 2 issues of DA, NA (which has always beaten MA except for possibly the first few issues of the series), Green Lantern with it's lead in to Blackest Night, the return of Batman and Detective, Thor, Ultimatum, and two issues of Wolverine.

There's no question the numbers have dropped, but it's more than just the creative team that is the issue and it certainly hasn't dropped like a rock.

[Monty_Cristo]

they should replace Pym with Eric O'Grady and let him lead for awhile.

[daveageallen]

Dan Slott's an "A-lister"?

When did that happen?

he does write for the number one book in marvel right now(one or two, not sure sorry.) also she-hulk which had a huge following

and did the initiative which was pretty big, and now mighty which is doing sweet.

[SalazarSleaze2]

he does write for the number one book in marvel right now(one or two, not sure sorry.) also she-hulk which had a huge following

and did the initiative which was pretty big, and now mighty which is doing sweet.

When did Slott start writing Captain America, Dark Avengers or New Avengers? Cuz as of last chart, those are the top 3 books from Marvel...
Amazing Spider-Man is # 21 and Mighty Avengers is # 22...does that sound like the # 1 or # 2 books from Marvel?
Sad, cuz Mighty Avengers used to be solidly entrenched in the top five while Bendis wrote it. But putting a B-list writer with Z-list artists will obviously take the wind out of your sales...

Another thing, Amazing Spider-man used to sell much better when JMS wrote it; When Slott cam onboard, the book got a spike due to the hype around JMS' exit and the whole OMD hoopla...

[by1968]

Sad, cuz Mighty Avengers used to be solidly entrenched in the top five while Bendis wrote it. ...

MA was not "solidly entrenched in the top five" with Bendis. The only time it was top 5 after issue 6 was during the Secret Invasion crossover and that only happened twice. It was in the top 10 throughout SI, but MA hasn't been "solidly entrenched" in the top 5 since possibly it's first few issues. Prior to SI though, MA had dropped out of the top 10 on a regular basis. NA, however, is regularly in the top 5 and very often the number 1 Marvel title.

[Babylon23]

I really couldn't care less who the supposed a and b list writers are for Marvel. I buy on the quality of the storytelling not on the sales numbers. IMO Slott is possibly Marvel's best writer, with PAD and Brubaker the otehr contenders.

Anyway, the solicitions seem to support what others were saying. NA, DA and YA seem to be guest-starring in Mighty, so it's not a crossover...and least not yet.

[AdamYJ]

I don't see anything wrong with having two Visions. Since the first Vision is an android it's not as if he were a human and died so he can come back pretty easily. For the moment I prefer Vision II on the Young Avengers, he and Cassie feel a little too out of place for my tastes and contribute negatively towards the book.

Actually, this is Vision III. Vision II is the one from the old Avengers. Vision I was a Timely character who could teleport through smoke. According to what I read, Roy Thomas wanted to bring Vision I into the Avengers originally, but Stan wanted him to create an android character. So, he created Vision II.


He is going for the same stuff he always does, over the top silly, allegedly retro fun that actually comes off as pathetically outdated triteness. Even Bendis MA was actually more fun, because it merged the whole "old school" Avengers vibe with modern sensibilities. It made it current and retro at the same time.

Slott's precious, cutesy writing is just plain bad.

"pathetically outdated triteness"? :rolleyes:

My goodness, do you understand how pretentious you sound? It's just a comic book. They don't matter enough to make a big intellectual fuss over. Either enjoy the book or stop reading it.

[strathcona]

I really couldn't care less who the supposed a and b list writers are for Marvel. I buy on the quality of the storytelling not on the sales numbers. IMO Slott is possibly Marvel's best writer, with PAD and Brubaker the otehr contenders.

I have to co-sign this. Almost every post I see of yours is exactly the same opinion as mine.

[XPac]

I really couldn't care less who the supposed a and b list writers are for Marvel. I buy on the quality of the storytelling not on the sales numbers. IMO Slott is possibly Marvel's best writer, with PAD and Brubaker the otehr contenders.

Anyway, the solicitions seem to support what others were saying. NA, DA and YA seem to be guest-starring in Mighty, so it's not a crossover...and least not yet.

I would agree that Slott is one of marvels stronger writers at least in terms of consistancy.

That said, I'm personally seeing that in MA. It's a fun book... but not as clever as She-Hulk, nor does it have the edge Initiative of GLA had. Of course, it's all subjective like you said. But so far, this is probably my least favorite thing Dan Slott has put out in a while... which is kind of suprising since it's arguably his highest profile book.

[strathcona]

I would agree that Slott is one of marvels stronger writers at least in terms of consistancy.

That said, I'm personally seeing that in MA. It's a fun book... but not as clever as She-Hulk, nor does it have the edge Initiative of GLA had. Of course, it's all subjective like you said. But so far, this is probably my least favorite thing Dan Slott has put out in a while... which is kind of suprising since it's arguably his highest profile book.

I have to agree with this as well. I have been saying since early in this run that, while I am still liking it, and I still think Slott is the best Marvel has, MA is his weakest work. Disappointing, because I was looking forward to it so much.

[Babylon23]

I have to co-sign this. Almost every post I see of yours is exactly the same opinion as mine.

Great minds think alike.


But so far, this is probably my least favorite thing Dan Slott has put out in a while... which is kind of suprising since it's arguably his highest profile book.

I'd say it's just below Initiative and about on par with She-Hulk. Of course, my favourite Slott series so far has been the Thing and I don't think MA has reached those lofty heights just yet.

For me, even a weaker Slott project is better than the output of most of Marvel's writers. Plus this is an Avengers book that I can really enjoy, something I haven't found with New or Dark.