Tag: marvel now

All-New Marvel NOW – I Like the Idea

Sep. 09 Comics, News no comments

Marvel is launching Marvel NOW 2 under the title of All-New Marvel NOW. If you want to read more into it, you can check out the story in USA Today. One aspect you should note in the article where it states “That “Marvel NOW” initiative was such a success that they’re doing it again.” This is key to what you are about to read.

MarvelLogo.svgWhat is the All-New Marvel NOW

Yes, Marvel NOW was very successful for the publisher. It gave new readers a great place to start reading about their favorite superheroes without completely rebooting titles or characters. Instead of going through a reboot, Marvel NOW gave us a reorganization. We should expect nothing less than the same with All-New Marvel NOW. I could go through a listing of what titles will be changing, but that is not the point of the article.

Been Done Before

Marvel was able to calm the naysayers with Marvel NOW. I have already heard various naysayers come out against the newly-named All-New Marvel NOW. These naysayers believe the company should not follow track in something which has worked. Instead, they should try something different. To them, I ask why?

Seen Them Try Over Without Success

We have seen Marvel try something multiple times which did work either time such as giving Gambit his own series. In this case, though, Marvel NOW was one of the best ideas in recent years with comics. Why not work it again with more titles? Anyways, who ever said that Marvel NOW was simply a one-shot deal? I simply see All-New Marvel NOW as the next step in a successful move by the publisher. Even at worst, All-New Marvel NOW will still be better than anything DC Comics is currently trying 9cover shortages, driving creators away in droves, insensitivity towards those touched by suicide etc.).

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My Wishlist for Marvel NOW Two

Jul. 25 Comics, News no comments

During SDCC, Marvel announced Marvel NOW Two which will relaunch comics just like the original Marvel NOW. While I have yet to see anything official as to which comics will be relaunched, there are some which I hope will be. This is my wish list for Marvel NOW Two. Don’t take this as law or as a preview, only my wish list.

MarvelLogo.svgMarvel NOW Two: Doctor Strange #1

Doctor Strange #1 makes sense since it is no secret that Marvel is working on a new movie for the character. Marvel needs to make sure modern comic book readers and collectors know him as much as possible before his movie comes out. One of my favorite characters of all time needs to spread out from the current storylines he is in and into his own title.

Marvel NOW Two: Ant-Man #1

Along with Doctor Strange, Ant-Man also has a movie on the horizon (even though the House of Ideas obviously forgot this idea during SDCC. Why wasn’t the movie mentioned on a regular basis?). Pym was just a main character in the Age of Ultron storyline so it is time to bring him out on his own since modern readers know who he is.

Marvel NOW Two: Power Man and Iron Fist #1

Both characters are highlighted in Ultimate Spider-Man, so why can’t there be a new Power Man and Iron Fist #1? Marvel needs another strong African-American headliner, and can find one in Luke Cage. Sweet Christmas Marvel – Sweet Christmas!

Marvel NOW Two: Werewolf by Night #1

A new Werewolf by Night series would have me popping as this under-appreciated horror comic was one of the best Marvel ever put out. In fact, it is one of my favorite horror comics of all time. If DC Comics can make money with the Dark Universe, Marvel should be able to cash in with Jack Russell.

Marvel NOW Two: Tales of the Zombie #1

Since I am in “Marvel Horror” mode, how about Tales of the Zombie #1? Bringing back the original zombie comic would be a direct slap to The Walking Dead. Tales of the Zombie bridges into DC Dark Universe territory and into battling Image’s biggest seller. This list was not created in any order, but if it was, Tales of the Zombie would be very high.

Marvel NOW Two: Excalibur #1

With Nightcrawler coming back real soon to the Marvel Universe, let’s bring back Excalibur. That gives Marvel the ability to use many of the currently-untapped secondary characters from the series and can help build Captain Britain up once again.

Marvel NOW Two: Alpha Flight #1

I am sure I am starting to lose a few of you, but what is wrong with giving the big Canadian team some love? Sasquatch needs to be brought into the modern day. Simple as that.

Marvel NOW Two: Silver Surfer #1

With Guardians of the Galaxy and the rest of the cosmic storytelling push right now at Marvel, it would make sense to bring in Silver Surfer and give him his own title once again. Just look at how much buzz there was when Dennis sold the Silver Surfer statue to the people at Hardcore Pawn. Push aside the fact that Marvel cannot use the character in a movie and just bring us Silver Surfer #1 in Marvel NOW Two.

Marvel NOW Two: Punisher #1

Don’t worry about making Punisher a Max title; just give him his own regular title once again. I was surprised that Punisher was not part of the initial Marvel NOW launch. Marvel NOW Two is the perfect time to bring him out again.

Marvel NOW Two: Marvel Fanfare #1

Why Marvel Fanfare? It gave the publishing company the chance to highlight a character which has been overlooked or try out a new character which might be introduced in the normal comics in the near future. It was a proving ground for both characters and creators and should be back with the same force it once had.

Marvel NOW Two: Moon Knight #1

Moon Knight is one of the most interesting, and downright coolest of the Marvel characters. Make him hunt the streets once again. Bring him back to win a new generation of fans. You know it will do better than Gambit did.

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March Madness Final Four is Set!

Mar. 22 Detroit Area Comic Book Store no comments

The Elite 8 Round of the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has come to a close and three of the matches appeared one-sided. All of the winners will receive a 20% discount in the store on 3/22/2013. The Final Four Round will commence in the wee hours on Tuesday, so be ready to vote for your favorites.

March Madness Final Four!

March Madness Final Four!

Match 1: Savage Wolverine vs. Young Avengers

Young Avengers 52% Winner: Marvel Comics Division Champion!

Savage Wolverine 48% Loser

With a 4% difference in the voting, this was our closest matchup of the day. At times, Savage Wolverine was taking it to Young Avengers while other times of the day saw Young Avengers giving it right back. In the final half hour, Young Avengers fans came out in droves and left their favored title standing tall.

Young Avengers was considered one of the underdogs in the Marvel bracket. Mind the fact that top Marvel Comics titles such as Superior-Spider-Man, All New X-Men, and The Avengers have all fallen in the tournament. Young Avengers has pulled off a major coup. Even if the title does not make it past the Final Four, it should be commended for surprising everyone to become the Marvel Comics Division Champion.

Match 2: The Walking Dead vs. Star Wars

The Walking Dead 79% Winner: 5%ers Division Champion!

Star Wars 21% Loser

Star Wars fans came out early and padded their title in the early goings. By the evening, The Walking Dead fans came out and continued to vote for their title even with a huge lead determined. In the final minutes, Star Wars fans tried to battle back, but there was nothing they could do.

The Walking Dead is a title which many people believe will go all the way. Nobody should be surprised by the success of the tile in the March Madness Contest. It has made way into the Final Four and is ready to take the game to the next level. Will fans whose titles lost vote against The Walking Dead simply to eliminate it?

Match 3: Batman vs. Batgirl

Batman 89% Winner: DC Comics Division Champion!

Batgirl 11% Loser

I was fully expecting this matchup to be close. In the early goings, Batman was only winning by a slight margin. Batgirl was not able to keep up with the pace in the last half of the day when Batman fans wanted to make sure Batgirl fans could not have a chance to come back.

Batman is another title which most people have going all the way. The Prince of the New 52 has left all other DC titles in his dust and is ready to take on his next opponent. Will his fans strike early, or will they wait for the final hours?

Match 4: The Legend of OZ: Wicked West vs. Neonomicon

The Legend of OZ: Wicked West 99% Winner: Independent Publishers’ Division Champion!

Neonomicon 1% Loser

In all of Neonomicon’s previous matchups, the title was able to come back at some point. It was not surprising to see the title come back from a 30% deficit. That never happened here. Legend of OZ fans came out in the early hours of voting and did everything they could to build up the title from Big Dog Ink. Neonomicon only received 10 votes in this matchup, and my inside sources tell me that at least 6 of those votes were simply pity votes.

If you look over the records for margin of win in this tournament, The Legend of OZ: Wicked West holds them all! It keeps setting records, and breaking them the next round. Fans of Big Dog Ink have catapulted The Legend of OZ to the top spot in the division. Is there any doubting the chance of the title walking away with the championship?

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Marvel NOW 52 #1 Poster Inside Out

Feb. 27 Comics no comments

One of the biggest points of speculation right now in the comic book world would have to be about the Marvel NOW posters being released which are being referred to as Marvel NOW 52. Let’s take a quick look at the Marvel Now 52 #1 poster and go over what is known and take a look at what is missing.

Marvel NOW 52

Marvel NOW 52

Marvel NOW 52 #1 Poster

The Marvel NOW 52 poster shows the names of superheroes with varying sizes shaped into the number “1” next to the pound sign. It would appear that this is a signifier that there might be more rounds of #1 issues coming out involving these characters. It could also mean that these characters are going to be part of the first major crossover of the Marvel NOW Universe.

The Names on Marvel NOW #1 Poster

When the word “52” came into play due to the Wolverine scratch poster, many fans and sites began to speculate about 52 names being in the #1 poster. That is incorrect. I took the time and counted (multiple times to make sure), and there are only 50 names present.

Marvel NOW 52?

Marvel NOW 52?

Marvel NOW #1 Poster Sizing

Note that the names are of different sizes on the poster. Since most of the popular characters are larger than lesser-followed characters (Such as the difference in size between Thor and Iron Fist), the easy assumption could be made that the larger names will have a larger place in the Marvel Universe than the smaller ones.

Disturbing Differences

Ant-Man has a movie coming out during Phase 3 of the Marvel movies. Note his name is small on the poster. I would hope he would play a large role in the Marvel Universe in the next few years to get more people ready for his movie. Cable’s name is fairly small. Should we expect that the X-Force team he is leading will not have a large impact? Why doesn’t anyone love Namor?

Some Interesting Characters Missing from Marvel NOW 52 #1 Poster

Guardians of the Galaxy is launching and Rocket Raccoon is the only member of the team featured on the poster. Where are members of the Uncanny X-Force such as Spiral and Puck? Most of the original X-Men portrayed in All New X-Men and team members from the other major X-titles are not named. Red Hulk, She-Hulk, and Red She-Hulk are also missing along with Black Bolt and most of the Fearless Defenders. Magik and Scarlett Witch are major players right now but not named. I could spend all day going through names not on the poster, but you get the point.

What We Know NOW?

Pretty much nothing. All we can make is assumptions off of what we see and what we don’t see. As long as Marvel does not drop the ball (as they have in the past), we should be in for an interesting ride. Then again, this could be a perfect setup for an elaborate Marvel NOW 52 April Fool’s joke or the countdown to the anniversary of the first issue of the Fantastic Four.

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Marvel in the 1970s and Marvel NOW

Feb. 17 Comics no comments

Thinking about Marvel in the 1970s brings up memories of the company beginning to push the envelope with stronger female characters and mixing in characters that non-Caucasians could relate to. It was also a time in which Marvel resurrected the horror comics genre and had a strong expansion into the universe at-large with the inclusion of galactic storytelling. Has anyone else noticed how Marvel in the 1970s is being revisited through Marvel NOW?

Nova

Nova

Galactic Storytelling

Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova both bring Marvel back to one of their featured storytelling styles from the 1970s. Galactic storytelling was one of the major cornerstones for Marvel in the 1970s and is going to make a major impact in the Marvel NOW version of the Marvel Universe. Both Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy first saw the light of the Marvel cosmos in the 1970s and are back now. Marvel in the 1970s would have been quite different without cosmic stories, and Marvel NOW will be quite different with it.

Defenders and Valkyrie

Valkyrie is back on a Defenders team with Fearless Defenders. Both the character and the team were original to Marvel in the 1970s. Valkyrie is one of the strongest female characters in any Marvel Universe and has been overlooked for too long. Hopefully she can grow with her new title and gain the renown which she should have gained in her initial run. Hopefully this Defenders title will not be held back with kitschy storytelling and an overly-rotated cast of characters.

Read more about by problems with the Defenders here.

Marvel Horror

Another cornerstone of Marvel in the 1970s was the resurrection of horror when the Comics Code was loosened to allow scary creatures in the printed pages once again. Morbius: The Living Vampire might be the best example you could think of today, but Man-Thing will begin to play a role in Savage Wolverine in issue #4. Both of these horror characters were created in the 1970s and are making an impact early into the Marvel Now run. Marvel in the 1970s is being reflected by Marvel NOW and there are few things which would make fans of my generation happier.

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Essential Marvel Crossover Events Leading to Marvel NOW

Feb. 15 Comics Comments Off on Essential Marvel Crossover Events Leading to Marvel NOW

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Doctor Strange Needs His Own Title NOW

Feb. 15 Characters no comments

The market is ripe for a stand-alone Doctor Strange title. It is time for fans of the Sorcerer Supreme to speak up so the powers at Marvel can hear our pleas. We need more of the Master of the Mystic Arts and it is time for Marvel to comply. Where is Doctor Strange for the Dark Market? Comics are taking a darker turn right now with DC pushing its Dark line with titles such as Justice League Dark, Phantom Stranger, Swamp Thing, and the soon-to-launch Constantine. The Walking Dead is one of the essential comics on the market today with Hoax Hunters and other dark and horror titles gaining stronger followings each month. Doctor Strange would fit right in with this reemerging market and I am sure Marvel is not going to want to miss this boat.

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange

TV Appearances

Doctor Strange has been important enough in the Marvel Universe to make multiple appearances on recent animated shows so the company should launch a new title with him to reinforce his importance. Episodes of “The Super Hero Squad Show” and “Ultimate Spider-Man” have both guest starred the Sorcerer Supreme, so it would make sense that if he was written into the shows, he could be written into his own title.

The 1970s

In recent history, characters that gained popularity in the 1970s but waned in the 1980s have gained popularity again. Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Valkyrie are just three examples of characters which have been “resurrected” or dusted off for the modern audiences. Why can’t Doctor Strange fit into this category?

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange Movie

Marvel is having the script worked on for a Doctor Strange movie. It would make sense for the publishing company to reacquaint fans with the character as much as possible before the opening of the movie is scheduled. While his presence in New Avengers is good, it is not strong enough. Marvel needs to allow new fans to learn about the Sanctum Sanctorum and all of Doctor Strange’s allies and enemies. Hey Marvel – Get on that NOW!

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DC’s WTF: Concerns About a Dismal Tomorrow

Feb. 13 Comics Comments Off on DC’s WTF: Concerns About a Dismal Tomorrow

DC’s WTF is sure to be one of the major talking points over the next few months in comic book stores across the country and is sure to bring the company at least a slight uptick in market share. There are aspects of DC’s WTF which concern me and fear for negative potentials for the comic book industry over the next year.

DC's WTF

DC’s WTF

Importance of Change

The New 52 and Marvel NOW have proven how a massive revamp of a comic book universe can cause a major shift in the industry. We could argue, though, about how crossover events such as Civil War and Death of the Family can also cause for a major shift in the market without having to change or reboot nearly every title at a company. Occasionally, the comic book companies need to shake things up a little bit in order to keep the product fresh and reassert themselves into the market. How much, though, is too much?

Macro vs. Micro Crossovers

I am not personally a fan of having a major crossover event every single year. I am of the belief that if Marvel continues to have one “universe changing” event after another, fans will eventually become burned out by having to purchase massive amount of titles ever six months. Just as we were winding down from the Chaos War, we were hit with Fear Itself. When we were winding down from Fear Itself, we were hit with AvX which turned into Marvel NOW. Too much action within a short amount of time.

DC, on the other hand, had been playing the cards correctly by having smaller crossover events since the dawn of the New 52. While Death of the Family has major impacts on the members of The Family, the event is leaving Superman and Green Lantern titles alone for their own definitive crossover stories. Don’t worry, I have not forgotten about DC’sWTF.

Change for the Sake of Change

On the surface, DC’s WTF appears as change for the sake of change. Soon after Gail Simone was ousted from DC, word made rounds about DC execs making statements about more major changes coming soon and about shakeups on the surface of DC and in the background. The goal is apparently to take as much market share back from Marvel as possible. I see the idea of having major shakeups a way to infuse a company stronger into the market as flawed as they are only temporary fixes to companies which pay closer attention to market share than what fans actually ask for (more on this in a moment).

The Near Future

If DC’s WTF does well, Marvel will have to respond with another shakeup as soon as possible (Marvel NOWer?). The two will be stuck in an odd chess match of back-and-forthing which could alienate fans who had been away from comics for even a short time as they try to figure out what in the hell is going on with their favorite characters.

Worst Case Scenario

The worst case I could foresee is that DC’s WTF starts a chain reaction where Marvel and DC can’t even keep up with their own “universe changing” events and begin having crossovers within crossovers. How many issues of Chaos Infinity Secret Initiative War would you want to buy? In the worst case – fans will burn out.

Best Case Scenario

In the best case, DC’s WTF will make both DC and Marvel open their eyes to how the smaller publishing companies are upticking their own market shares. Many of the smaller companies know comic book fans want solid stories with characters they can relate to in some way. A little changeup here and there to keep things fresh is one thing. When you leave the fans who have missed one or two issues out to dry, we should all ask WTF?

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