CBR: Cup O' Joe - Apr 22, 2011

[CBR News]

Tom Brevoort opens up on Marvel's blockbuster Avengers franchise from the Bendis effect to the heroes that can never leave, featuring loads of [em]exclusive[/em] art from "Avengers," "Secret Avengers," "Avengers Academy" and more.


Full article here.

[I-Ching]

I still have to give Marvel credit for taking Avengers and making it such a successful franchise. When X-Men was dominating the entire comic book landscape a title with a great legacy like Avengers was just not a great book and then came things like the cringe worthy Force Works, The Crossing and that awful cartoon on FOX.

Now Avengers is a highly successful but also diverse franchise. The comparison of the Justice League is inevitable but he's right in that the current line-up doesn't feel like JL. Even if it were titled New Justice League it's stil a title lacking great art and writing. Heck they haven't even done anything like "new costumes!". Compared to Avengers which has the New group, the Academy, the Secret line-up, etc. etc.

X-Men is now in their shadow and needs to learn from their example and add more diversity to their line-up. X-Men, Uncanny, Legacy...not a huge difference between them imho.

Personally I have zero interest in Avengers Academy because of characters and character designs and feel it pales in comparison to Avengers The Initiative and I personally hold out hope the original New Warriors could return under the New Avengers title.

[ian33407]

WHAT ?

an all-Avengers-topic-related and nobody picked-up my GLA/I question ?

CBR I feel betrayed..

[Songbird/Diamondback]

Man, next month will be PACKED with Avengers Academy stuff!

[theXfactor]

X-Men is now in their shadow and needs to learn from their example and add more diversity to their line-up. X-Men, Uncanny, Legacy...not a huge difference between them imho.

While I have to agree with your statement, the same can be said about the Avengers. The only big difference between NA and the main team is that one is lead by Luke Cage and the other by classic Avengers, but that's it. They don't have different enough mission statements (I still don't know what NA's actually is) and they share characters just like the X-books.
If you're talking about AA or Secret Avengers, then you're right, but the X-line also has unique books like Gen Hope, X-factor and X-force.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

While I have to agree with your statement, the same can be said about the Avengers. The only big difference between NA and the main team is that one is lead by Luke Cage and the other by classic Avengers, but that's it. They don't have different enough mission statements (I still don't know what NA's actually is) and they share characters just like the X-books.
If you're talking about AA or Secret Avengers, then you're right, but the X-line also has unique books like Gen Hope, X-factor and X-force.

Also, Legacy tends to be Rogue centric.

[XPac]

While I have to agree with your statement, the same can be said about the Avengers. The only big difference between NA and the main team is that one is lead by Luke Cage and the other by classic Avengers, but that's it. They don't have different enough mission statements (I still don't know what NA's actually is) and they share characters just like the X-books.
If you're talking about AA or Secret Avengers, then you're right, but the X-line also has unique books like Gen Hope, X-factor and X-force.

The thing about NA is that it really doesn't NEED to justify it's existance. That team basically already existed. They were the ones carrying on the Avengers since Civil War. Granted Stark and Pym both created other teams, but those teams came and went.

It's the adjectiveless Avengers team that just appeared out of thin air after Siege. They're the ones that needed a justification to be created, not the guys that were already there.

I think the basic issue is that one is that the adjectiveless Avengers team falls under Steve's banner while NA does it's own thing... in theory. Though Steve still pays most of the NA, and they did show up to help when they were needed.

[rauj13]

X-Men is now in their shadow and needs to learn from their example and add more diversity to their line-up. X-Men, Uncanny, Legacy...not a huge difference between them imho.

You can't really lump X-Men: Legacy in with the others. It has done plenty to separate itself from the rest of the line. With the Professor X stories and then the Rogue stories, it's quite different from Uncanny and X-Men.

[SomeBodyAtCBR]

So, did we get any real news out of this? I skimmed through the article and it seems to be nothing but the same ole same ole

[motteditor]

If you look at those earliest issues of "New Avengers," it felt like the Avengers because Cap and Iron Man were there. And sure they're standing next to Spider-Man, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Spider-Woman and so forth, but if you put that group together in one image, it feels like the Avengers.

No. It didn't.

If you have a team that has Cap and Wolverine or Cap and Spider-Man and three other guys who aren't total left-fielders, it can feel like Avengers. So on that level, I think it's changed.

No, it doesn't. Wolverine especially does NOT feel like an Avenger. I'd argue his presence on the team effectively counteracts one or two other classic Avengers' presence in making it NOT feel like the Avengers.

Once you accept these characters -- particularly Luke, who I think has been embraced as an actual, no fooling around Avenger -- then that aspect of his personal life and its impact on the book feels

And again, I disagree. This is one of those things where it just feels like he's toeing the company line. Because Bendis won't write a comic book without Luke Cage in it, thus suddenly it has to feel like Luke Cage is an Avenger and people are invested in and happy for him to be the focus of every effing issue.

First off, while Wolverine isn’t averse to killing people, I don’t think he typically does so while in the company of the other Avengers.

Tell that to Wanda.

[ComicsAreForFun]

Hawkeye and Spider Woman were eyeing each other pretty good there. But I really dont want to see that. Jessica is one of my fave characters and I really dont think Hawkeye matches with her. Its always "what avenger can we get to have sex with all the female avengers? Hawkeye!" Kinda old.

Im really excited for Avengers and NA comin up!!!

[rwe1138]

In essence, today we're kind of victims of our own success because Avengers is monstrously popular. It's now the biggest franchise in the industry...

I believe Batman & Superman would like to have a word with you.

[DaUltimateSheild]

I believe Batman & Superman would like to have a word with you.

Batman maybe [id argue GL is their Biggest Franchise now]

Superman thogh its not even close

[Maestro]

I wish JLA would be as important to DC as the Avengers are to Marvel. JLA needs to be DC's flagship book where all the important events happens. Make sure Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern are on the team and get Geoff Johns to write it. Easy recipe for an instant best seller

[babybro]

I wish JLA would be as important to DC as the Avengers are to Marvel. JLA needs to be DC's flagship book where all the important events happens. Make sure Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern are on the team and get Geoff Johns to write it. Easy recipe for a instant best seller

Haha best seller at what 90,000 copies? 60,000 until the next event hits?
I hate to say it but no one can talk about sells anymore, comics in general is dying, and a return to the original 7 is going to do nothing to bring in an influx of new readers.