Look What's Happening (Marvel) NOW!

[CBR News]

Marvel enthusiast Brett White is having a hard time figuring out which voice to listen to regarding Marvel NOW! with his inner fanboy and adult comics fan debating the new initiative's pros and cons.


Full article here.

[Ravin' Ray]

I was overjoyed to read Alonso's take on the X-Men and their segregation since the '90s. I think having them off in their own corner of the Marvel Universe has been a detriment to the unified feel that Marvel was built in the '60s and capitalized on successfully in the '80s. The X-Men have felt isolated and cut off from the Avengers-driven new millennium of Marvel Comics, only appearing in the main events to play the victim or give lip-service to the latest crossover (did the X-Men really do anything important during "Secret Invasion"?). I love the idea of them finally getting some recognition and respect from the citizens of the Marvel Universe and I'm excited to see that play out.

Agreed 100%. "Mr. Alonso, tear down this wall!"

Anybody miss Havok's goofy headgear back then?

[Legion_Quest]

Really good read that sums up some of what I'm feeling as well.

On saying that, I disagree about bringing the X-Men in to things more, I like when people have specific 'spheres of influence' so to speak. It mean we can see certain heroes in certain places, rather than having the same faces everywhere.

Loving the news about Cosmic being promoted and brought in to things a bit more, although I do hope we can avoid the idea that all that means is going to Earth. A cosmic hero on Earth is just another hero; if they're on Earth they aren't being very cosmic. Just look at Silver Surfer in Defenders, devoid of anything that makes him a premier cosmic hero to explore the idea of Surfer wanting to be more human or whatever - the exact idea that's killed most of his previous series'

[Prof. Warren]

Agree with all the positives noted. As for the negatives, not so much. To wonder why there can't just be one, singular Avengers title...well, that's like asking why there isn't just one Justice League title, one Spider-Man title, or one Batman title. Companies like Marvel and DC put out the titles that the market supports and the audience for a franchise like The Avengers isn't going to be properly served by just one title. And if someone is looking for an Avengers title that mirrors the movie - Marvel has that in the form of Avengers Assemble. Of course, that's probably the least exciting Avengers title at the moment just because it feels like it's shoehorning elements from the movie into a book rather than representing the organic flow of the Marvel U. It's not a bad book, it just feels like it's in its own bubble.

As for the consernation over Uncanny Avengers, I absolutely don't get it. If Marvel's going to break down the walls that have segregated the X-books from the rest of the Marvel U over the years, what better way to do it then to have a team that explicitly brings them together? Is is also a blatant way to goose sales? Well, yeah. The great irony about those who want to complain about that is that team books have always been a way to goose sales. The Avengers themselves is, at heart, a sales gimmick. There was no reason in 1963 for Marvel to put characters like Thor, Iron Man, Hulk together in a book other than to seperate kids from an extra $0.12.

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is "are the books good?" And given the talent lined up for these initial titles, the prospects of that look excellent.

[Dog]

And if someone is looking for an Avengers title that mirrors the movie - Marvel has that in the form of Avengers Assemble.

The point he's making, if I may be so bold, is that it must be incredibly difficult for someone "new" to find that tree in the forest of everything else.

[Prof. Warren]

The point he's making, if I may be so bold, is that it must be incredibly difficult for someone "new" to find that tree in the forest of everything else.

I guess. And I do agree it may be semi-daunting for new or lapsed readers to figure out the "right" Avengers book to buy but I don't think it's that severe an obstacle.

[Vic Vega]

It seems to me that Marvel NOW! is just another name for the every three years or so reorganization of the Marvel Line that we are getting used to.

Books like Mighty Avengers, Thunderbolts and X-Force get relaunched and renumbered depending on what goes on in the Marvel's main Uber story.

The only dfference now is that before the Marvel universe had one Uber Storyline the Xbook had thier own seperate one and now it looks like they will be sharing the same Uber story.

I'm not hearing too much about seperate sb lines being launched or anything like that.

Without going into its effectiveness, having stuff like a Teen line and DC Dark and an action line is a cornerstone of DC New52 approach.

[WeaponX7373]

Well as far as having a title for new readers to easily access that looks like the movies marvel already had that in the Ultimate line. Unfortunately they let some donk destroy it with an event. Now marvel has two universes that look nothing like the movies and are horribly unaccessable. And while l know new readers arent brain dead why if you liked the avengers movie would you bother to do all that catching up work to follow a team of characters that werent in the movie anyway. If marvel wants new readers they need to reboot the ultimate line. Then after getting there movie fix maybe these new readers will decide to see whats the fuss is about the orginal avengers book with 40 years if continuity.

[thc-1138]

Too bad the Avengers and x-men aren't totally wiping each other out in AvX, then maybe we'd finally get some good marvel stories!

[birdsinboxes]

great article... sums up exactly how i feel.

and hey maybe one book isnt enough... but im talking like 3 tops. the main avengers book, a sister book and an offshoot like young avengers or secret... but thats it!! if you cant cram ALL the avengers into 2 or 3 books then it builds anticipation to see those hero's. that to me was always the best part about avengers...they had a team that fit a task. and then it would change. but you could always jump on and know what was going on. 6 or 8 books is dumb.... and maybe if it was just 2 0r 3 those books would sell alot more then the 6 or 8 that sell what...like 50k or something?

streamline....make marvel simple!

and yeah.... simple is exactly why the movie was sooooo good. simple is why comics up until about 1993 were sooooo good. the days of cherished issues of a long running series are over. i know that the new number one is the place holder for the next event.

[Green Griffin]

so Rogue and Wanda new costumes are pants suits?

[WarmMachine]

so Rogue and Wanda new costumes are pants suits?

Who doesn't love the pants suit? Just Kidding

But seriously, I am all for Marvel riding the coatails of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but you know what, you need to find better transitions from one to the other then just flattening the main 616 universe, "There are people here already you know". For those of us that love 616, changes that impact little things (Hawkeye's costume for example) while annoying are tolerable, but an Iron Man that doesn't have a drinking problem...that is one of the defining characteristics of the character! Basically, people don't want you to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There needs to be a balance between influence because ultimately, the comics will always be the testing ground for the Cinematic Universe. The more you kill 616, the less you will have to work with in future movies as far as new ideas/directions.

[nojarama]

So, basically Marvel wants it's fanbase to eat sh*t is what I take from this upcoming change. Mmmmmm. And don't get me started on the writers and artists. Both need to go back to school & relearn how to write stories & illustrate.

[CyberHubbs]

So, basically Marvel wants it's fanbase to eat sh*t is what I take from this upcoming change. Mmmmmm. And don't get me started on the writers and artists. Both need to go back to school & relearn how to write stories & illustrate.

Who in the world has bad things to say about Jerome Opena?

[CyberHubbs]

Who doesn't love the pants suit? Just Kidding

But seriously, I am all for Marvel riding the coatails of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but you know what, you need to find better transitions from one to the other then just flattening the main 616 universe, "There are people here already you know". For those of us that love 616, changes that impact little things (Hawkeye's costume for example) while annoying are tolerable, but an Iron Man that doesn't have a drinking problem...that is one of the defining characteristics of the character! Basically, people don't want you to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There needs to be a balance between influence because ultimately, the comics will always be the testing ground for the Cinematic Universe. The more you kill 616, the less you will have to work with in future movies as far as new ideas/directions.

Stark hasn't had a drinking problem in something like over twenty years.

He's still an alcoholic, though. It's been brought up in The Order and as recently as Fear Itself. I'm sure his own title has also touched upon it.