CBR: Cup O' Joe - Jul 29, 2011

[CBR News]

In the wake of San Diego, Tom Brevoort unpacks Marvel's plans for original graphic novels, shares how "Fear Itself" will push the Marvel U to its next phase and invites Matt Fraction in for a "Mighty Thor" sneak peek!


Full article here.

[Sabrewulf]

OKay first off in response to Tom

Matt and Terry Dodson, which is an A-list creative team

No they really arent. The fans have both voted with their dollar and online yet you choose to ignore it. Well done.

As for CBR and this column in genral. Shame on you!

The one question that should have been asked this week is about the comics for comics/DC thing.

I don't know whether Marvel refuese to answer certain questions or whether you just don't want to rock the boat. But do not call yourselves comic journalists.

You are now in my eyes offiicialy what Wizard became. I'm embarresed for fans everyhwere that you, as the biggest comics news site feels the need to pander to the big two. They need you as much as you need them and hence should be willing to respect you as journalists not just as a way of hyping up their product which is obviously what is happening here.

Its all good and well doing what Newsarama don't do anymore and letting the fans have their say but seriously shouldn't you as journalists be asking the questions that are on the fans minds.

Very disapointed. Stop being a free advertisement for the big comic companies and start having some integrity.

[Pixie_Solanas]

They are A-List (for Marvel). Just because the typical contrarians on the interwebs say otherwise doesn't mean it's not so.

[Sabrewulf]

They are A-List (for Marvel). Just because the typical contrarians on the interwebs say otherwise doesn't mean it's not so.

Just because MArvel call someone and architect doesnt mean they are Alist.

Fraction has seen sales dropm on all his titles even with the help of events and renumbering. His X-Men was pretty much critically panned by fans and criitcs alike and the sales reflected that. So what do you do with someone who has failed to set sales alight.

You put them in charge of the next big event. How does that pan out. Well it sells the same as Siege pretty much for the first issue and then drops 25% of readers whilst being criticised for being boring and going nowhere.

Now someone is going to say comics sell less now than last year. Maybe, but there are many comics that have stayed steady in this climate. Peter Davids X-Factor for one. X-Force another.

Comics arent shedding readers. Bad comics are.

[theXfactor]

If new readers are having trouble knowing where to start, wouldn't it be smarter to focus on core titles instead of launching new ones very year? If a new reader walks into a store and sees a dozen different X-men titles, wouldn't he just be confused?
Titles like Astonishing X-men and X-men vol. 3 are nothing more than redundant. Marvel needs to cut the fat or it will die of obesity. ;/

[Nite-Wing]

Peter David could be A-list too if he was writing Uncanny X-men and Iron Man I imagine.

[poneley]

I'm really not interested in the comics for comics DC thing because the answer we'll get is going to be along the lines of "its a promotion to get people excited about our product and put our name out there." I don't know what else you'd expect to hear-- there's no controversy hear to uncover. You could ask, "some fans are upset about this, how do you feel about that?" What answer do you expect them to give? What hardcore investigative reporting are you expecting from that issue?!??!

Kudos to Marvel for putting out the Season One books. I like OGNs and collected material and I like getting non-superhero creative teams on the books too.

I also like the idea behind the Point One book. I like anthology books. My hope is that it goes on sale day-and-date digital too.

[Rheged]

I'm really not interested in the comics for comics DC thing because the answer we'll get is going to be along the lines of "its a promotion to get people excited about our product and put our name out there." I don't know what else you'd expect to hear-- there's no controversy hear to uncover. You could ask, "some fans are upset about this, how do you feel about that?" What answer do you expect them to give? What hardcore investigative reporting are you expecting from that issue?!??!

Kudos to Marvel for putting out the Season One books. I like OGNs and collected material and I like getting non-superhero creative teams on the books too.

I also like the idea behind the Point One book. I like anthology books. My hope is that it goes on sale day-and-date digital too.

Ditto, except on the Season One books. Not terribly interested in yet ANOTHER retelling of books that have reprints and reprints of the original stories. And while I love Roberto A-S ... he's already done something very like this MK4.

The Point One book sounds tons better than reported. Definitely will be buying that.

[Marveluted]

Why were the teasers for Fear Itself so much more interesting than the actual event?

Cyclops Magneto. Captain America's patriotism shattered. Iron Man realizing he's responsible for weaponizing the future.Spider-Man apparently being afraid of the mortgage crisis for some reason.

Instead we get a bunch of big dude smashing buildings and a generic Norse cypher. Boring.

[Sabrewulf]

Ditto, except on the Season One books. Not terribly interested in yet ANOTHER retelling of books that have reprints and reprints of the original stories. And while I love Roberto A-S ... he's already done something very like this MK4.

The Point One book sounds tons better than reported. Definitely will be buying that.

It does doesn't it. BUt this is Marvel so Im willing to bet that like the rst of the 0.1 books it's all empty hype. They dont actually do anything else these days.

[Dog]

Ditto, except on the Season One books. Not terribly interested in yet ANOTHER retelling of books that have reprints and reprints of the original stories.

You're not the intended audience.

[DownInAHole]

If new readers are having trouble knowing where to start, wouldn't it be smarter to focus on core titles instead of launching new ones very year? If a new reader walks into a store and sees a dozen different X-men titles, wouldn't he just be confused?
Titles like Astonishing X-men and X-men vol. 3 are nothing more than redundant. Marvel needs to cut the fat or it will die of obesity. ;/

Very true. I am willing to give Marvel the benefit of the doubt but I really do not see how/why those titles can continue in a post Schism world. I mean no offence to the creators but Daniel Way, Jason Pearson, Christos Gage and Juan Bobillo are well short of being A-list creative teams that can command $3.99. The only thing keeping those books going is blind greed on the part of Marvel. Maybe when the current arcs wrap there will be a shakeup that will give them a reason to exist but that seems unlikely.

[d00gZ]

The funny part is that Marvel writer Mark Waid was on that panel.

http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci11_prog_sat.php

[Kiel Phegley!]

OKay first off in response to Tom

Matt and Terry Dodson, which is an A-list creative team

No they really arent. The fans have both voted with their dollar and online yet you choose to ignore it. Well done.

As for CBR and this column in genral. Shame on you!

The one question that should have been asked this week is about the comics for comics/DC thing.

I don't know whether Marvel refuese to answer certain questions or whether you just don't want to rock the boat. But do not call yourselves comic journalists.

You are now in my eyes offiicialy what Wizard became. I'm embarresed for fans everyhwere that you, as the biggest comics news site feels the need to pander to the big two. They need you as much as you need them and hence should be willing to respect you as journalists not just as a way of hyping up their product which is obviously what is happening here.

Its all good and well doing what Newsarama don't do anymore and letting the fans have their say but seriously shouldn't you as journalists be asking the questions that are on the fans minds.

Very disapointed. Stop being a free advertisement for the big comic companies and start having some integrity.

Dude, get over yourself. Not only is poneley extremely right that Marvel's opinion on this exact kind of promo is well known (because in case you weren't reading, we covered it extensively in this very column the first time they did it), but the idea that me passing along your guff about this issue or not deciding whether or not I'm a "real journalist" or whatever is laughable.

Yeah, we talk about Marvel's products a lot in this column, but that's what most people from retailers to fans come here to get a clearer idea of, AND keeping people who pay for this stuff informed of what it is in an honest fashion is what any news source SHOULD be doing. Plus, it's not like we don't cover all sorts of other wide ranging comic issues in this space or on CBR in general. I can guarantee you that when there are important issues in both the business and culture of comics that warrant comment from a Marvel exec, we'll ask the best questions and get the most thorough, thoughtful responses of any site on the web.

As for the rant about how I'm shameful or "offiicialy" like Wizard or any other kind of chump change, entitled fanboy B.S. you're trying to flex on me, take a walk with it. There are plenty of people here who would rather have civil, normal exchange about comics.

[Dog]

Plus, I'm pretty sure Brevoort answered a bunch of questions about it when they did the Blackest Night promotion. I'm sure the answers haven't changed.