Creative changes? Relaunch? What's next for the the Avengers?

[Desaad]

Thrilled to hear this. May start picking up the Avengers regularly!

For me, what this represents is an opportunity for a diversification of voice, more than anything. I don't care about the makeup of the individual teams, I just want to see writers putting together teams they think are pregnant with dramatic potential.

The most lamentable aspect of Bendis' tenure on the Avengers wasn't that I didn't like Bendis' Avengers -- it was that Bendis dominated the line, often writing multiple Avengers books while simultaneously running the Avengers-centric event that was happening at the time. It was that he got to set the direction for the other books, as well. It was that, since I didn't like Bendis' Avengers, I didn't get to like the Avengers PERIOD.

With Bendis leaving, his strangehold will be gone. I do believe strongly that a franchise tends to prosper when there is an obvious Marquee book that sets a status quo here and there, but when it does so unobtrustively. Examples at DC would be, say, Morrison's tenure on Batman...his story was his story, but there were ripples that affected the other books, and those books were self contained despite those ripples. He shook up their status quo in a way that made sense within the context of their status quo. Counterpointedly, the Green Lantern books with Johns at the helm of the main title are little more than fill in the gap and support titles. That's a bad way of running things.

Anyway, so I want to see the same number of Avengers books. Avengers Academy, Secret Avengers, New Avengers, Avengers, Avengers Assemble...fine. But make it such that each of those books has a different writer who is trying to do a different thing. Keep Academy and Secret with Gage and Remender. Make "New" an edgier book, give it to someone like Spencer or Hickman. Make "Avengers" for the more traditional fans, and give it to Jeff Parker. And give "Assemble" to Fraction, since he loves to do real worldly movie type stuff.

[Will.S]

I can see the book(s) either going to Loeb since he tends to be an almost equal draw to Bendis sales wise or Mark Waid since he's never written the Avengers. The main reason why I would doubt Waid is that he might not be as big of a draw sales wise so Loeb seems like a good contender, especially since he was initially going to do a Cap/Iron Man/Thor book with Ed McG.

Looking outside of that? I think Remender and Nick Spencer have the potential to scoop up New Avengers or even the main book but Rick has a pretty hefty workload already. Writers I doubt? Aaron because he's already heavily involved in the X-Books, Fraction because he already has Defenders, Thor and Iron Man, and Hickman because he also has his load of books (FF, Fantastic Four, Ultimates + indy/image stuff).

[XPac]

I can see the book(s) either going to Loeb since he tends to be an almost equal draw to Bendis sales wise or Mark Waid since he's never written the Avengers. The main reason why I would doubt Waid is that he might not be as big of a draw sales wise so Loeb seems like a good contender, especially since he was initially going to do a Cap/Iron Man/Thor book with Ed McG.

Looking outside of that? I think Remender and Nick Spencer have the potential to scoop up New Avengers or even the main book but Rick has a pretty hefty workload already. Writers I doubt? Aaron because he's already heavily involved in the X-Books, Fraction because he already has Defenders, Thor and Iron Man, and Hickman because he also has his load of books (FF, Fantastic Four, Ultimates + indy/image stuff).

I could see Loeb taking over Avengers. Perhaps Avengers X-Sanction is sort of a taste of things to come.

Loeb isn't a guy that typically sticks around... but in the short term at least he's an A list guy that can handle the transition sales wise.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

BTW, is Avengers not going to tie into Avengers vs. X-Men? That Ultron story is hyped up to high heaven.

[Valeria Kementari]

I could see Loeb taking over Avengers. Perhaps Avengers X-Sanction is sort of a taste of things to come.

Loeb isn't a guy that typically sticks around... but in the short term at least he's an A list guy that can handle the transition sales wise.

still be thy tongue!!!! the only worse thing than Bendis would be Loeb

[Will.S]

BTW, is Avengers not going to tie into Avengers vs. X-Men? That Ultron story is hyped up to high heaven.

Hard to say but I think Avengers vs X-Men will be it's own thing while running concurrently with Brian's Avengers books which may be into it's Ultron War story or whatever story Bendis is doing at that time.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

Hard to say but I think Avengers vs X-Men will be it's own thing while running concurrently with Brian's Avengers books which may be into it's Ultron War story or whatever story Bendis is doing at that time.

I'm guessing the Avengers book won't tie in.
Hear me out, Avengers vs. X-Men probably will show the Avengers side of things. New Avengers would probably be the series to tie in. Avengers probably will fight Ultron instead.

[XPac]

I'm guessing the Avengers book won't tie in.
Hear me out, Avengers vs. X-Men probably will show the Avengers side of things. New Avengers would probably be the series to tie in. Avengers probably will fight Ultron instead.

I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, at least to a large degree.

If this is indeed Bendis final year they probably want to give him as much time as possible to finish up his run rather than having the end of it hijacked by the upcoming event.

[marvell2100]

Hard to say but I think Avengers vs X-Men will be it's own thing while running concurrently with Brian's Avengers books which may be into it's Ultron War story or whatever story Bendis is doing at that time.

I hope not. The Ultron War is too big of an event. This whole Avengers vs X-Men thing is just a piddling affair, not even noteworthy.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

I hope not. The Ultron War is too big of an event. This whole Avengers vs X-Men thing is just a piddling affair, not even noteworthy.

To be honest, Ultron is only built up in the Avengers book. Not any other series.

[marvell2100]

To be honest, Ultron is only built up in the Avengers book. Not any other series.

I have to work on my sarcasm skills.

[theXfactor]

What I hope will happen:

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE - canceled after Bendis leaves. This series has no reason to exist beyond the movie. Maybe this could continue as a new Avengers Solo or something.
NEW AVENGERS - get rid of Wolverine and Thing, add more females. Written by Jeff Parker.
THE AVENGERS - add Miss Marvel, Black Panther and She-Hulk. No more Red Hulk and Protector (he could join NA). Make Mark Waid the writer.
SECRET AVENGERS - I have high hopes for this series because of Rick Remender, so I wouldn't change too much beyond the cast.
AVENGERS ACADEMY - keep it as it is. Oh, and get a higher profile artist.

This news made me very happy :)

[Will.S]

I'm guessing the Avengers book won't tie in.
Hear me out, Avengers vs. X-Men probably will show the Avengers side of things. New Avengers would probably be the series to tie in. Avengers probably will fight Ultron instead.

I hope not. The Ultron War is too big of an event. This whole Avengers vs X-Men thing is just a piddling affair, not even noteworthy.

Well Bryan Hitch seems like he might be the main artist illustrating Ultron War so either he draws the whole thing in a mini event style or he does it within both Avengers books.

[Joe Franklin]

Maybe they bring in someone from DC. Maybe someone is preparing to leave.

Giffen/DeMatteis please.

[marvell2100]

Well Bryan Hitch seems like he might be the main artist illustrating Ultron War so either he draws the whole thing in a mini event style or he does it within both Avengers books.

I really hope they don't do these two concurrently because it takes away from the other. If I had to choose, I'm going to go with the Ultron War. I think it will have greater ramifications and impact upon the Avengers than the Avengers vs X-Men soiree.