Biggest surprise of 2010?

[Desaad]

Positive and/or Negative!

What book, or initiative, most surprised you in 2010? Either a book you were sure was going to be terrible and turned out to be wonderful, or a book you thought couldn't fail that turned out to be miserable?

I think "Chaos War" or "Shadowland" might be on a few people's lists as a negative surprise, but I'm curious as to what might be a positive. For me, Red Hulk was a big one that I was sure would be horrible, but has actually been a whole lot of fun. I like Jeff Parker, but his previous Hulk work was pretty bad,e specially by his standards.

[SinisterKat]

The fact that Bullseye was actually going to be killed by Daredevil! Before the story and the internet rumours started, I would never have guessed that would happen.

But it's time to bring him back already :(

[TonyStark1012]

The fact that Bullseye was actually going to be killed by Daredevil! Before the story and the internet rumours started, I would never have guessed that would happen.

But it's time to bring him back already :(

We could not agree more SinisterKat about Bullseye. Not just a great villain, but a great character! Bring him back NOW Marvel!

[andybmcd]

Hey, I like Chaos War.

Positive surprises:
-Parker's Hulk, for reasons stated
-Seeing Druid's excellent transformation as a character in Secret Warriors
-She-Hulks and Ant-Man and Wasp both kicking copious amounts of ass
-Taskmaster providing an awesome story and genuine laughs (backstory messing aside)
-While I hated the event, Shadowland: Power Man was a pleasant read and a nice introduction of a new character to the MU


Negative surprises:
-Shadowland being a heaping pile of suck
- Not getting more GOTG or Nova after Thanos Imperative
-Brubaker's writing taking a downward turn

[SinisterKat]

We could not agree more SinisterKat about Bullseye. Not just a great villain, but a great character! Bring him back NOW Marvel!

I know. They really develop him as a character in Dark Reign, which I loved, then they kill him right after! :eek:

[jackolover]

That Steve Rogers, Top Cop, did so poorly. Not that it's all his fault because he didn't have a Galactus to deal with, but he was diustracted with Bucky and nearly threw the whole thing in, and, that he is so disheartened that the villains are winning. This isn't Civil War where the whole thing is out of control, or the Skrulls are hidden in all the corners and manipulating who knows what. The Skrulls are gone!!!!! It should be a cake walk out there, but Steve Rogers has this nagging feeling that he can't keep security controlled, and this disappoints me about the character. Has he lost his confidence?

[RolandJP]

That Doom for all pretense and purposes actually won Doomwar.

That Watchmen and Scott Pilgrim did so poorly at the Box Office.

Disney buying Marvel.

[Hulk_Is]

Thor - The Mighty Avenger was a suprisingly great reading experience.

I was dead certain I was going to hate Chaos War from the get go. Turns out to be my favorite book at the moment!

The biggest negative for me was the announcement of a Bendis/Maleev collabo on Moon Knight.

Siege turned out to be one of my favorite works despite my usual discomfort I encounter with it's writer.

And, even though Kieron Gillen started writing Thor in 2009, most issues were released to the public in 2010 and that series became my favorite series of 2010.

I'm glad Shadowland exsists although with certain tweaks it could be ace.

[Hulk_Is]

Disney buying Marvel.

Oh yeah. Stupid me. :biggrin:

[tigerkaya]

Nova and Starlord sacrificing themselves to Stop Thanos

Axel Alonso new Editor in Chief

Iron Lad's return

DNA writing Heroes for Hire

[LXDTS]

Peter Parker has a girlfriend and her name is NOT Mary Jane Watson.


EDIT: NOR is it Felicia Hardy, Ms. Marvel, Norah Winters, or Gwen Stacey

[sparticus]

Positive surprises:
-Parker's Hulk, for reasons stated
…
-Taskmaster providing an awesome story and genuine laughs (backstory messing aside)



Yeah, I'll go with those two. I'll also add another positive, Second Coming not being a let down. Let's face it, of all the events, this was one which could have gone wrong the most. And it was quite good fun.

[sparticus]

Oh, another couple of positives.

* It's early days, but so far, Rulk joining the Avengers seems pretty alright. That's a surprise.

* Tony Stark losing his memory of being a dick, hasn't been a massive cop-out, and is instead being used quite cleverly (where it's not being annoying ignored).

[Beast]

That Marvel would manage to destroy the X-Franchise and Characters enough over the years that I dropped every X-Book from my pull list. :wink:

[Professor Arkham]

Positive surprise: Parker's Rulk, despite all the hate for the character, this book is really good!

Negative surprise: Shadowland

[jackolover]

Disney buying Marvel.


This too. Big shock.




Axel Alonso new Editor in Chief



This also. Even bigger shock, and not on a good way.

[jackolover]

10 chararacters

[Choppa]

* Tony Stark losing his memory of being a dick, hasn't been a massive cop-out, and is instead being used quite cleverly (where it's not being annoying ignored).

Can you cite some examples of where it's been used cleverly?

[TC88]

The Taskmaster mini. He evolved from a joke of villain, to a credible threat, and finally into a tragic figure in one of the best written series in years. The only book that made me laugh, get choked up, and used nearly animated action scenes. I absolutely loved it.

Also: I know it's bimonthly, but I am shocked that Children's Crusade hasn't been delayed any longer

[The Black Guardian]

Annihilators!

[andybmcd]

Axel Alonso new Editor in Chief

Iron Lad's return



Going to nitpick here, but these were both 2011.

[finfangfool]

Obviously the Disney thing. Best surprise: Lord Mar-Vell and the reason he became the Avatar of Life. Having the closest character to a Barry Allen for the Marvel U in terms of a noble martyr that heroes and villains alike looked up to (pre-resurrection for Allen) be your major villain, and tying the Lovecraftian Cthulhuverse into it was like a double geekgasm for me. Worst surprise: cancelling of Nova's title with the promise he'd be a major part of the Secret Avengers, only to have him appear a couple of times being mind-controlled and then practically ignored in the title.

[sparticus]

Can you cite some examples of where it's been used cleverly?

In Fraction's run on Invincible? A man wrestling with what he might become because he's seen what he did become, but is that really his fault? That's good. And not a cop-out of him forgetting everything. Maybe Avengers Prime? I've heard good things but I haven't read it.

It's been used really badly in Avengers, in that in both the last arc where Tony states categorically that he hasn't invented stuff yet (HOW DO YOU KNOW TONY?) and the current arc where it hasn't been mentioned among his recollecting all this illuminati stuff and all that came after it, but in Fraction's arc, it's been used well.

[Moral Fibre]

The continuing rise of Image, IDW, Boom and Dark Horse. There's more to life than DC and Marvel.

[Hulk_Is]

The continuing rise of Image, IDW, Boom and Dark Horse. There's more to life than DC and Marvel.

No there isn't.

[andybmcd]

The continuing rise of Image, IDW, Boom and Dark Horse. There's more to life than DC and Marvel.

I just assumed this was only related to Marvel due to the forum it's in.

[Trey]

That Doom for all pretense and purposes actually won Doomwar.

That Watchmen and Scott Pilgrim did so poorly at the Box Office.

Disney buying Marvel.

Watchmen was the highest grossing film of March of all time. Maybe it did average returns by the end, but it did not do poorly. Also just checked its a 2009 movie.

[The Black Guardian]

Disney buying Marvel.
This happened in 2009.

[wolvie616]

I think the biggest surprise for me this year was the 180 of hulk. I was absolutely loathing the whole Fall of the Hulks, but now I see that we needed to go through that to get to the great Hulk Family moments we get now!

[Jason Abbadon]

Starlord and Nova doing their Butch and Sundance exit from existance was a suprise and very well done.
positive and negative there- it sucks that their series are over but it was a great read.

Negative: no more Guardians of the Galaxy- I really expected and hoped they would go on without Starlord and Drax- Rocket could have led the team of Gamora, Bug, Mantis (lotta green on this team) Major Victory and Moondragon.

Hell, maybe they're still together and we just havent seen them yet...here's to hoping!

Atlas getting cancelled was a supremely negative moment for me- such a great team....and the inclusion of 3-D man was very nicely handled.

Seige was both positive and negative. An amazing first few issues with a giant letdown ending- no giant fight invoving everybody, no real fight scenes between the gathered heroes against the Hood's gang and Osborn's super-army.
After Nick Fury's speach, I really expected some shocking moments with the Secret Warriors killing bad guys (and daisy is shown fighting Venom in one panel background)...but nothing happened like that.

Secret Warriors continues to impress- with major characters getting killed and Druid going from self-doubting screw-up to total badass when the pressure was on.