Bishop War College Issue 3 Recap/ Review

[Devaishwarya]

So...still no actual War College? If not, I'm glad I skipped this.

[Weather]

When Bishop finally gets his moment, they give him this book...

Later they will say they can't release solo books because they don't sell. If you're putting the character in this position, setting him to failure, of course it won't sell.

I'm glad at least him and Cable got a prominent position in CotV.

[dkrook]

When Bishop finally gets his moment, they give him this book...

Later they will say they can't release solo books because they don't sell. If you're putting the character in this position, setting him to failure, of course it won't sell.

I'm glad at least him and Cable got a prominent position in CotV.

It's f*ing ridiculous that this writer and story was even approved. Obviously this writer is uninformed, or uninterested in Bishop as a character. This is writing to a concept and even that isn't being executed well.

[Steroid]

It's f*ing ridiculous that this writer and story was even approved. Obviously this writer is uninformed, or uninterested in Bishop as a character. This is writing to a concept and even that isn't being executed well.

The crazy thing is that Bishop is actually inconsequential to the story. He could be replaced by any black male mutant and the story would pretty much play out the same. This series and writer gets no more money from me.

[Celestialbodies]

I'm more interested in the purpose of this book; the concept could have been interesting if anything was explored. But wouldn't a better premise have been exploring Bishop's duties as the Captain Commander? Since he's taken the role, he hasn't really been allowed to explore what it means.

[Kingdom X]

I'm more interested in the purpose of this book; the concept could have been interesting if anything was explored. But wouldn't a better premise have been exploring Bishop's duties as the Captain Commander? Since he's taken the role, he hasn't really been allowed to explore what it means.

Yeah I think this mini should have stuck with the War College (which should be more than 5 mutants tbh) and focused on how Bishop responds to the threat of Orchis as Captain Commander. The AU stuff should have definitely been reserved for a second run if this book sold really well. Bishop doesn’t *need* timey-wimey shenanigans.

[Devaishwarya]

The cynic in me thinks the War College angle wasn't even a thing. They just called it that because it sounded coolz.
Editorial would have had to know well in advance what this LS series was about before approval as J. Holtham would have had to pitch it or Editorial mandated it, before first scripts were finalised.

And the Bishop fans were baited and switched.

[Rift]

The crazy thing is that Bishop is actually inconsequential to the story. He could be replaced by any black male mutant and the story would pretty much play out the same. This series and writer gets no more money from me.

Nah. If Prodify was there, he wouldn't pull out a gun on people. He'd think logically, talk things through, and find a way home by issue 3.

[dkrook]

Nah. If Prodify was there, he wouldn't pull out a gun on people. He'd think logically, talk things through, and find a way home by issue 3.

Oddly, if the writer really knew Bishop. He quite possibly would have done the same. This book should have been a vehicle that examines how our Bishop would train raw recruits based on experience with the XSE, along with lessons learned up to this point in his life. Bishop is a soldier who has seen the best and the worst that war makes a person into. He's had the opportunity to fight such a large catalog of super powered beings in different times, and realities, there's no way he makes the decisions he made, and responds the way he does in this so far.

[anyajenkins]

When Bishop finally gets his moment, they give him this book...

Later they will say they can't release solo books because they don't sell. If you're putting the character in this position, setting him to failure, of course it won't sell.

I'm glad at least him and Cable got a prominent position in CotV.

It's f*ing ridiculous that this writer and story was even approved. Obviously this writer is uninformed, or uninterested in Bishop as a character. This is writing to a concept and even that isn't being executed well.

The cynic in me thinks the War College angle wasn't even a thing. They just called it that because it sounded coolz.
Editorial would have had to know well in advance what this LS series was about before approval as J. Holtham would have had to pitch it or Editorial mandated it, before first scripts were finalised.

And the Bishop fans were baited and switched.

Oddly, if the writer really knew Bishop. He quite possibly would have done the same. This book should have been a vehicle that examines how our Bishop would train raw recruits based on experience with the XSE, along with lessons learned up to this point in his life. Bishop is a soldier who has seen the best and the worst that war makes a person into. He's had the opportunity to fight such a large catalog of super powered beings in different times, and realities, there's no way he makes the decisions he made, and responds the way he does in this so far.

The gambit fans express sympathy and solidarity, lol.

It kinda sucks being fans of a legitimately popular character, who even has a ‘history’ of selling well, but the higher up irrationally hate them and like to dump on for no particular reason. Even weirder, from what we know, the sales of all the books haven’t been as good since Hickman left, so marvel putting a bunch of minis with ‘fan favorite’ characters looks like they trying for a few more sales before the next cross over event. But then they go and make them so bad, it practically has to be deliberate? Besides being petty and unprofessional, it makes absolutely no business sense whatsoever. ‘Look fans, here are some books with your favorite characters!’ ‘Ha,ha tricked you! They suck, because those characters suck and now you know they suck and go buy our favorites instead! What? Why don’t you want to rush out and get nightcrawler’s latest identity crisis? First he was a Not!priest, now. not! Cop now he’s not! Spider-Man!’ (Note: I actually like nightcrawler, but marvel’s already done two not great selling ‘minis’ of Kurt and legion forming a ‘not really religion’ and a group of ‘not really cops’ and now he going to be ‘not really Spider-Man.’ Just why, seriously? )

[Jackraow21]

I'm glad at least him and Cable got a prominent position in CotV.

I’m expecting great things for Lucas and Nathan in CotV. Just the two of them waging a war versus a threat of that magnitude!? It’s going to be awesome. Love that they’re teaming up too. After all the bull$#!t between them from that Swiercynski series. I’m looking forward to an action fueled buddy-cop… er, buddy-soldier series with these two doing what they do best. F@$&ing. $#!t. Up!

I downloaded the first 6 issues of 20th Century Men and read them the other day too. Pretty gnarly, cool stuff. I think they’re in good hands with this writer.

[JB]

They've really gone into overdrive with the constant relaunches, minis, and new #1's, so much so that it seems they're more concerned with churning them out than quality control. We're now three issues in and both of the stories have barely moved.

Another issue with the status quo of comics is that they approve books in 5-issue arcs. I don't blame some writers for not wanting to bother pitching for ongoings when there's no guarantee they'll be allowed to continue. Even the 3 current core books are only up to issues 22 and 11. So it's easier to write a self-contained mini story with a clear ending but character development is often sacrificed with that.

[skyvolt2000]

When Bishop finally gets his moment, they give him this book...

Later they will say they can't release solo books because they don't sell. If you're putting the character in this position, setting him to failure, of course it won't sell.

I'm glad at least him and Cable got a prominent position in CotV.

Generally the folks who love to say that only say that with POC especially black characters.

New 52 Static and the last 8 years of Black Panther saw folks blame the FANS for not buying those books.

Yet both were horrible and in Static's case the editor was hostile toward both writers.

so marvel putting a bunch of minis with ‘fan favorite’ characters looks like they trying for a few more sales before the next cross over event. But then they go and make them so bad, it practically has to be deliberate?

It's about getting stuff on the shelves and into trades as fast as you can.

When it's time for that movie or tv show to come out-Marvel already got stuff on the shelves or to reprint with said character.
Take Cap America 4 with Falcon by the time it comes out Sam Wilson should have about 20 trades.

Because Marvel will see returns once that movie comes out. How long did Coates's Black Panther universe (not counting vol 2) dominate trade sales on Amazon? A good 3-4 years once that movie came out.

We don't like it because many of us have followed these characters for years. However they are targeting the general public-who don't know a Bishop or Storm or Gambit or Spider Punk or Spider-Man 2099 that well.

[Steroid]

I’m expecting great things for Lucas and Nathan in CotV. Just the two of them waging a war versus a threat of that magnitude!? It’s going to be awesome. Love that they’re teaming up too. After all the bull$#!t between them from that Swiercynski series. I’m looking forward to an action fueled buddy-cop… er, buddy-soldier series with these two doing what they do best. F@$&ing. $#!t. Up!

I downloaded the first 6 issues of 20th Century Men and read them the other day too. Pretty gnarly, cool stuff. I think they’re in good hands with this writer.

I feel the same and hopefully we get to see them both being the badasses they were meant to me. I legit need COTV to be good because the X-Books are on very thin ice with me at the moment. Maybe I am just getting old but I really just want to see heroes kicking some ass in the comics I read. With a book starring Cable and Bishop that should be mandatory. There's a reason why all of my favorite episodes of X-Men: TAS featured Cable or Bishop.

[JB]

Agreed and that's why we're going deeper and deeper into the era of minis. I believe DC has a similar model. And it's not necessarily a bad model because I'm fine with 2-3 core books and rest rotating minis to give shine to different characters. It's just that quantity trumps quality at the moment and we feel the sting most because as skyvolt said, we've been following and have been invested in these characters for a long time.