The Classic Marvel Universe is No More! Marvel NOW! Relaunches Marvel Comics!
Ok I am sorry but i have to rant at this!
What in the good grief are Marvel doing? Anyone like to comment on this image and the related story here
Lets just destroy the characters and turn them into the movie versions ! i mean seriously why have the decided that cap has to look like the film version and why is Nick Fury now Black !
Press Release:
For months, Marvel Comics executives have been promising a major shake-up for their stories in the wake of the current "Avengers Vs. X-Men" event, though they've also promised the moves won't be a reboot of the Marvel U's long-running stories a la DC's New 52 initiative. Today, the scope of Marvel's plans came into light with the announcement of October's "Marvel NOW" initiative via Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con themed issue.
In what will surely be seen as the publisher's response to DC Comics' New 52 which set it sights on new and lapsed readers with issue #1 jumping on points, Marvel NOW is being promised as an easy entry point into the classic Marvel U. Throughout October, Marvel will launch a number of brand new series -- often more than one a week -- with additional new series and relaunches for some classic books rolling out through February of next year. Expanding on CBR's coverage from earlier this morning,these will include the following, announced in EW:
<LI itxtHarvested="0" itxtNodeId="31">"Uncanny Avengers" by Rick Remender and John Cassaday starring a team composed of Captain America, Wolverine and others from the company's two powerhouse franchises battling the mutant-hating Red Skull.
<LI itxtHarvested="0" itxtNodeId="30">"All New X-Men" by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen realigning the mutant team in the wake of "AvX" as the original five X-Men are mysteriously brought to the present day. This title will launch in November.
"Avengers" by Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena, which is light on specific details aside from a roster of 18 heroes in a bi-weekly comic that seems to be Hickman-esque rethinking of the Avengers core mission in the vein of the writer's "Fantastic Four" run.
Aside from the core creative changes, all books branded with the Marvel NOW banner will feature a full slate of digital bells and whistles as part of the "Marvel ReEvolution" products that have played a part in "AvX's" launch. For example, every Marvel NOW first issue will feature AR enhanced recaps on their covers, and the books will all carry a code for a free digital download of the issue through the Marvel App.
In addition, the publisher is promising other creative shakeups outside the shuffling of their big name talent on their big name franchises. Marvel NOW books will feature new "cinematic" cover designs, and their characters will sport redesigned costumes, many shown off in a new piece by Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, a scan of which appeared on the CBR forums in the early hours of this morning.
"It's a bridge book...something that can delve into both worlds," Remender told the magazine of how "Uncanny Avengers" bridges the pre and post-AvX Marvel U.
Of "All-New X-Men," Bendis explained, "It's not a time-travel story like 'Back To The Future.' It's a time-travel story like 'Pleasantville,'" adding "Here's the big question that they original X-Men are gonna be faced with: 'We're gonna grow up, and this is what we're going to get? That is not acceptable.'" UPDATED: Entertainment Weekly has posted a much longer exploration of the relaunch online with quotes from both the creators of the new series and Marvel executives.
"It’s not hype when we say that 'AvX' is the culmination of a lot of stories we’ve done over the last several years,” Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso told the magazine. "Characters are redeemed or not. Characters are changed. The X-Men and the Avengers are both repositioned for the future. What better time to shake things up?" Alonso went on to draw a line between Marvel NOW and DC's New 52, saying the titles would roll out over several months rather than in one month as, "I feel that it’s a much more humane approach for retailers and fans to tell them: 'Look. In the months of October through February, every week you can go into a comic book store and find a few new jumping-on points for the Marvel Universe, a place you’re going to like visiting. Or revisiting.'"
Quesada commented on his image featuring the redesigned Marvel heroes, saying, "There’s a reason Sue Storm is there. And why there’s a floating robot near Hulk. We’re trying a lot of fun and new different things, we’re exposing characters who we’ve had in our toy chest for a long time."
Bendis commented on Jean Grey's return to the Marvel U via time travel, explaining, "It’s the one thing X-Men fans have always asked for is: They want Jean Grey back. But they want Jean Grey. Not reincarnated Jean, or the ghost of Jean. Well, you’re getting Jean back. And Jean is gonna be looking at a world that rattles her."
Remender noted that his Red Skull will be a throwback version of the Nazi villain. "In 1943, Arnim Zola, who was this bio-fanatic engineer, recorded the Red Skull’s consciousness, and set it to wake up 70 years later. So the Red Skull [in 'Uncanny'] is right out of 1943-44. Prime Nazi scumbag. In his mind, he’s taking that vitriol and hate and Nazi horror and methodology, and pointing it at the mutant species."
What really greats me about this is that both Marvel and DC seem to believe in a policy of quantity over quality !
I pick up 6 titles in the new 52 and all but one of those titles is is written by scott snyder or jeff lemire.
They are producing strongly written stories, and i must be in the minority in that all i want from a comic is good storytelling and good art.
It does not have to be an event book ! It does not need to be revamped every 6 months, just produce good comic books. that is what will get people coming back on a monthly basis.
Looks like i will be cutting back on my marvel titles
I'm sooo pumped for this. It will keep my money in my wallet as I can get ready to cancel subscriptions at home and at my LCS. First DC helped me save my money and now Marvel (even though they tried to distinguish themselves from New 52) have followed in their foot steps.
Who knew they would be such good retirement planners for me.
I'm gonna check out the books and see what's happening before I judge. I'm not gonna judge from one picture alone. I love the creative teams that are going to be on some of the new books. You never know, they might turn out to be pretty awesome.
The one thing they mentioned in the interview that I thought had potential is the Red Skull's hate-on for mutants now.
Anyway, I'm in the minority of the people here. But I'll give it a shot and see where they go with this before I decide.
For you folks not getting or cancelling Marvel stuff, support the indy books, there's some really amazing indy comics out there.
Yes...... This is so GREAT. I've wanted to try more independents, but I've been buying Marvel for decades. Hulk, good and bad, has kept me with Marvel. Once that book is officially changed/cancelled I am out.
I do enjoy that they retold the lie that surfaced during Secret Invasion. You know, the whole "we've been building towards this blah blah blah blah blah stories have shown blah blah blah years blah blah blah."
I'm gonna check out the books and see what's happening before I judge. I'm not gonna judge from one picture alone. I love the creative teams that are going to be on some of the new books. You never know, they might turn out to be pretty awesome.
The one thing they mentioned in the interview that I thought had potential is the Red Skull's hate-on for mutants now.
Anyway, I'm in the minority of the people here. But I'll give it a shot and see where they go with this before I decide.
For you folks not getting or cancelling Marvel stuff, support the indy books, there's some really amazing indy comics out there.
Just my 2 cents
Agreed on the indie books that are being put out at the moment. There is some truly great stuff that is on the shelf.
The worst thing about it is that i was really looking forward to some of the changes in the creative teams and was considering picking up some of the books but this overhaul of the costumes and changes for the characters is a step to far for me.
No, but he's got two swords strapped to his back. Why?
In case Mjolnir doesn't come back?
Okay I'm kidding, but really what's going on here has been eloquently summed up in a post by one of our own. I quote the indefatigable Citizen Alpha:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Citizen Alpha
Purely as a sideline observer (jumped the new comic ship two decades ago), maybe it's time to admit it's just a different world of comics. All of us old farts can strap on our sandwich boards and shout, "The end is near!", but they keep rolling off the presses.
I feel your pain, Al. I really do. My whole "geek" room is basically a memorial to the "good ol' days" of comics, but these guys are doing what they're doing because it's moving books. Look at all the hoopla over the DC reset...torches and pitchforks turned into wallets and credit cards. Those dudes are raking it in.
Plus - we grew up in a different world, just like our parents before us. Things are different. The younger collectors are different - raised in a "right now"/"bigger is better" world. Not saying that in a bad way - it is what it is. They aren't writing for us anymore. They are writing for the next generation of Als and Alphas. While I don't agree with 99% of things the industry has done over the past 20 years, I'm glad to see them keeping the medium alive and that young people are still enjoying them.
Take that monthly comic allotment and start picking up all those back issues you always wanted, but couldn't fit into the budget because of your monthly pulls (NM ASM 135 anyone?) or go out and get that grail Bowen if you don't have it. Quite frankly - that's about the only way you're gonna recapture that old Marvelmania magic these days.
What I find funny is how many press releases did Marvel publish that ridiculed DC's 52 relaunch? Now, what are they doing, a year later, even if they keep the history intact? The same thing. It sounds like a "What if?" reboot that keeps their hand over the reset button.
No doubt. Image is still producing solid comics and Dark Horse too!!
Image is putting out great books. For me I think the best superhero book on the shelves is Invincible.
Also, don't forget IDW, IDW has Locke & Key, and if you haven't read it you really should, and Valiant has just launches, and I'm trying out a couple Valiant books, gonna give Harbinger a shot cos I saw preview pages and it looked awesome!
I've actually just started reading BPRD and am loving it. Nice thing is, I'm on vol 2 so I know I have a lot of fun reading ahead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phil167
Agreed on the indie books that are being put out at the moment. There is some truly great stuff that is on the shelf.
The worst thing about it is that i was really looking forward to some of the changes in the creative teams and was considering picking up some of the books but this overhaul of the costumes and changes for the characters is a step to far for me.
I don't mind the costume changes so much. Sure some suck, but if we never had any costume changes then we wouldn't have had lots of the costumes we enjoyed over the years. I'm sure not all the characters you liked had the original costumes and everyone has their favourites. For me costume changes are all just temporary, they'll change a few months down the line or even a couple years, but they'll change. As long as they're still the characters I enjoy reading about and aren't completely out of character or have real bad stories, I'll still keep reading. But that's just me.
Till then, speak with your wallets and buy indy. There's lotsa creators out there that are making comics for the love of their characters and the stories they want to tell, and are also jaded by the big corporates. You can give these guys the chance to compete and show the big guys how it's done.
(I'm totally saying this cos I want everyone to buy my comics when I'm done - hey, an artists gotta eat or eat and buy Bowen statues. )
Last edited by Nightwing_78; July 3rd, 2012 at 06:17:26 PM..
I understand his point, but disagree. They KEEP trying to draw in the younger crowd, but it hasn't worked. If you check surveys the age continues creeping up as they price out the younger kids.
Totally agree with Citizen Alpha's quote. It's not a bad thing, it's just a different thing.
Are you sure? Because you seem to be implying "it's just different... give them a chance," whereas Citizen Alpha's comments seem to imply "it's over for us... move on." I tend to agree with the latter sentiment... the halcyon days were only halcyon to us, but those are gone now. I'm sure DC fans felt this way when Crisis rolled out. Sure, the post Crisis continuity led to some great stories, but they weren't their stories.
52 wasn't as big of a deal... DC had rebooted twice before in my lifetime (Crisis and Zero Hour), and they had tried mini-reboots and continuity corrections in between (Hypertime, anybody?).
Marvel's a little different... they're scrapping several decades of continuity if they do a reboot. Marvel's toyed with alternate continuity before (Ultimate universe, Heroes Reborn, etc), but they've always kept their main universe a constant. I think it's a mistake to scrap it.
The Classic Marvel Universe is No More! Marvel NOW! Relaunches Marvel Comics!
- hey, an artists gotta eat 
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