What is ANAD? I'm Confused.

[jackolover]

Does the 616 need Secret Wars dangerous elements to make it better? Is Doom right to want more danger?
Is ANAD like DC's 52, and Marvel just publish there books so fractured, that they just stand alone?
Or has Marvel recognized that there is such a broad readership taste out there it's better to just print a large diversity of content to capture everyone, and readers can pick or not pick what they want?

Because from what I have picked up so far, I am unable to remember what stories are in books like ANAD Avengers, New Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Uncanny Inhumans, ASM, Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Howard the Duck, Karnak, or Unbeatable Squirrel girl. I used to be able to anticipate where each of the books were going before Secret Wars. Today, ANAD is like nobody has any interest in a direction of the Marvel Universe.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Affronts Nearing Arthritis Damnation

R.i.p. Original 616

[Kusanagi]

It's 616 plus 8 months, plus a few characters like Squadron Supreme and Miles Morales. Most of the drastic changes happened before Secret Wars (Cap Falcon, Thor etc), the only big change that happened during Secret Wars the status of Reed (Missing? Dead?) everything else is pretty minor outside the 8 month mysteries.

Or has Marvel recognized that there is such a broad readership taste out there it's better to just print a large diversity of content to capture everyone, and readers can pick or not pick what they want?

This is also true, and this is a good thing.

Though I'm lost when you say you could determine the direction of the Marvel Universe in every book. I love Squirrel girl before and after Secret Wars and there's no way I could determine which way the Marvel Universe was going. The Marvel universe is really only fully connected (and even then not really) during huge events. Most of the time the connections happen in their own pockets. Avenger stuff, Spidey stuff, X stuff.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

A reboot that isn't a reboot because the head honchos at Marvel refuse to call it a reboot.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

A reboot that isn't a reboot because the head honchos at Marvel refuse to call it a reboot.

Good one WPP

[Abe]

Affronts Nearing Arthritis Damnation

R.i.p. Original 616

You're A Genius... (I'm talking to both of you, Jack and 616MarvelYear is LeapYear, of course)

[Panfoot]

It's a reboot, but not really, but kinda...but not. I've...got no idea.

[vitruvian]

Does the 616 need Secret Wars dangerous elements to make it better? Is Doom right to want more danger?
Is ANAD like DC's 52, and Marvel just publish there books so fractured, that they just stand alone?
Or has Marvel recognized that there is such a broad readership taste out there it's better to just print a large diversity of content to capture everyone, and readers can pick or not pick what they want?

Because from what I have picked up so far, I am unable to remember what stories are in books like ANAD Avengers, New Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Uncanny Inhumans, ASM, Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Howard the Duck, Karnak, or Unbeatable Squirrel girl. I used to be able to anticipate where each of the books were going before Secret Wars. Today, ANAD is like nobody has any interest in a direction of the Marvel Universe.

With the possible exception of the summoning of Moridun from the fifth cosmos, and the availability of Iso-8 as a power up for both good and bad guys, I'm not sure the ANAD Marvel Universe is significantly more dangerous than before. At least it's not under constant threat of Incursions.

And there may not be any overarching event or theme going on in the ANAD books so far, like a Civil War or a Dark Reign, other than the ongoing issues with an increased number of Inhumans and the effects of the T-mist on mutants (and that really only covered in the Inhumans and X-books), but that's not really such a new thing. Besides, I'm sure we'll get some big new event before long, in the meantime it's fine that each writer is able to go in their own direction. The Marvel Universe is big, there's plenty of room for different things to be going on in different corners of it, and not everything needs to interrelate or cross-reference all the time. Besides, it's not like there have been any noticeable contradictions between different titles as to what's going on, it's just that everybody's not crossing over constantly in a single event right now.

As for inability to remember what the stories are in various titles, I recommend reading for detail, and being unable to anticipate the next story twist should be a welcome novelty at this point. That you were able to before may be an indicator that the earlier plots were too stale and predictable.

[Prof. Warren]

Does the 616 need Secret Wars dangerous elements to make it better? Is Doom right to want more danger?
Is ANAD like DC's 52, and Marvel just publish there books so fractured, that they just stand alone?
Or has Marvel recognized that there is such a broad readership taste out there it's better to just print a large diversity of content to capture everyone, and readers can pick or not pick what they want?

Because from what I have picked up so far, I am unable to remember what stories are in books like ANAD Avengers, New Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Uncanny Inhumans, ASM, Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Howard the Duck, Karnak, or Unbeatable Squirrel girl. I used to be able to anticipate where each of the books were going before Secret Wars. Today, ANAD is like nobody has any interest in a direction of the Marvel Universe.

1) Printing a diverse line of books that appeals to a broad spectrum of readers seems like a sensible business approach, no?

2) This statement doesn't make any sense. If you used to be able to anticipate where every book was going, that seems like awfully boring, predictable storytelling - not the kind of reading experience I'd be chasing after. If you simply are saying you can't remember what was in the newest books that you read, I'd say that's just on you. I know exactly what's going on with the books I'm reading and am looking forward to what's next. If you're saying there's no "direction" to the MU, then it sounds like you're just wanting everything to be constantly moving to the next event without a moment's rest. The books are just coming off of SW and most ANAD titles have had only one or two issues at most with many more not even having debuted yet. Wanting to know what the "direction" is at this point is absurd. If the books I'm reading are engaging in and off themselves and I'm enjoying the characters and the art, then that's all I need. If I read Vision, or Captain America or Thor, I'm not judging them by the criteria of how heavily each book is tied into the direction of the larger MU, I'm judging based on the quality of the individual issue.

[RobinFan4880]

Secret Wars was not a reboot. The higher ups at Marvel have said so, Hickman has said so, Dan Slott has said so. It isn't a reboot.

It is the same timeline you were reading about a year ago just with 16 months added on (8 months leading to Secret Wars, 8 months since Secret Wars). There are more alternate reality characters now but that is nothing new or really noteworthy in and of itself. There are, potentially, fewer universes but that too isn't that noteworthy. The numbering of said universe has changed, so now Earth 616 is Universe 8.

. Besides, I'm sure we'll get some big new event before long, in the meantime it's fine that each writer is able to go in their own direction.

Avengers: Standoff is the first event and is set to begin in March.

[ImprobableQuestion]

It's a reboot of 616 the same way the 2012 Apocalypse was a reboot of our universe. Life goes on.

[Michael P]

A reboot that isn't a reboot because the head honchos at Marvel refuse to call it a reboot.

And also because they're not changing the fictional history in any way.

[Michael P]

Also, you could just as easily apply "nobody has any interest in a direction of the Marvel Universe" to Marvel's output in, say, 1966. Which, y'know, was just about the peak of the company's popularity and quality in that immensely fertile initial decade.

[Detox]

ANAD is Disney's attempt to piss off Fox News.

[jackolover]

You're A Genius... (I'm talking to both of you, Jack and 616MarvelYear is LeapYear, of course)

Yeah, there is not many of them left in that pic is there? The ones gone:
Reed
Namor
Bruce Hulk
Steve Cap
Don Thor
And the X-Men unrecognisable from their starts
Ben in space
Johnny in Inhumans
Doom is a handsome man