Hey CBR Community
Been a silent comic book reader for over 25 years albeit with a few breaks. Been there through the undeniably good (Sinestro Corps War) to the undeniably bad (One More Day) and most things in between.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a “fan”. Least not in the traditional sense. I’m not team DC or team Marvel; I’m not in the Bat-god camp nor in the “we don’t like change” society. I just like good comics and by good comics, I mean well written ones. Once upon a time I was an art snob and refused to read comics that had what I perceived as “bad art” but I guess with maturity came a new appreciation for art that was “different”. Another disclaimer- I’m by no means an expert on anything- just expressing my honest opinion.
So what’s the point of this thread? Apart from venting years of pent up frustration/thoughts 😄, it’s really just to see whether there are people who share my own views regarding comics generally and more importantly to converse with such people. Of course based on probabilities there’s bound to be at least one. Well... I would hope! If there is/are similar threads covering such topics I apologize. Also this will be my sixth or seventh post ever so I apologize in advance for any breaches of protocol that may occur.
Now to the matter. What’s the deal with Marvel Comics? While this is going to be the starting point for the discussion, don’t think I don’t have similar views with DC. The only thing is that DC, with Rebirth, seem to be getting things right for the most part. This opening question came as a result of the announcement of the Weapon H (think that’s what it’s called) ongoing series. Y’know, The Hulk/Wolverine hybrid. This is clearly an experiment as to how far they can go in the house of ideas but it begs the question why they bother with such ventures? I’m not psychic, but i don’t envision it lasting “long” (though what does long mean these days? 12 issues? 18? 24?).
This got me thinking as to the possible reasons Marvel does such things and I came up with the conclusion that it has the financial war chest to do so. Take Image/Top Cow/ independents. A high number of books they publish, be it mini/maxi series or ongoing are good. I genuinely believe that because they don’t have the financial luxury to “conduct experiments” (speculating), they make sure each series it “at its best”.
On the flip side of things, one would assume that because Marvel is raking in billions (courtesy of the MCU) it would allow them to distill the number of comics they publish and allow for tighter writing and more focused story telling. So all the re-launching, changing of things (for the sake of getting new readers) etc. just comes across as an insult to fans, many of which I understand their frustration.
Another thing I don’t get with Marvel is the lack of courage it often displays. What do I mean? Let’s use One More Day. I’m sure you already see where I’m headed. The dissolution of Spider-Man/MJ marriage can only be defined as the result of not wanting a character to grow. There was a glimmer of hope with the whole Horizon Labs angle which I thought was perfect and could have led to MJ/Pete getting back together but alas that took a nosedive to be replaced with the Parker Industries “debacle” which was a bit too much and too similar to Stark. Even that came tumbling down back to basics (according to Legacy). Why take the original Logan off the board only to replace him with alternatives (Laura,Old man, Gabby) before ultimately bringing him back? Again - “fear” of progression? Let’s hear your thoughts.
This is turning into a Marvel bashing session Lol. It’s not intended.
TBH there are a variety of things Marvel has done that boggles the mind - just going to touch on a couple. Apart from Original Sin and the whisper that toppled a god, the introduction of Fury Jr. I mean if you wanted the black Nick Fury, shoulda just brought in the Ultimate version. I mean half of the ultimate characters are kicking it in 616 so why not him? It just came across as bad story telling in my view. This is irrespective of the fact that I’ve actually enjoyed his series so far. Regarding OMD - involving Mephisto is just...smh. If you wanted the marriage dissolved, aunt May should have died following the events in civil war (nothing against her), Peter beaten Fisk to an inch of his life, MJ scared of him and said needed time apart...etc. This would have allowed for a separation of the two characters and still left a window for them to come back and carry on (which is what Renee Your Vows is essentially). If they wanted an unencumbered Parker - have a separate book say like “Sensational Spider-Man”. Why sacrifice progression?
Of course i share most of your views regarding “Events”. I honestly don’t see the point. Is it to increase sales and take in money? (See thoughts on MCU and billions of $ above). I mean what happened to the days of (to name a few):
- BMB/Brubaker/Diggle on Daredevil
- Brubaker on Cap
- Fraction on Immortal Iron Fist
- Aaron on god of thunder
- Rucka on Punisher
- Ennis on Punisher (Max I know)
- Hickman on New Avengers
- Huston on Moon Knight
The above are some of the most well crafted stories, IMO and I truly miss the days of these - where stories were “self-contained” and there are no distractions of events, forceful insertions of other characters and the need to tie 5 stories together...
Wow. Guess this is what happens when you keep things bottled up for many years...
Let’s discuss.