Marvel’s Fresh Start; a Post-Mortem

[Alex_Of_X]

Kelly Thompson’s final issue of captain marvel dropping this week, drawing the curtain on the slate of titles that we can group together as the 2018-2019 fresh start relaunch, aka the first breath of the C.B.Cebulski EIC era of Marvel Comics.

I wanna look at the whole of the Fresh Start lineup; see what worked, what didn’t and why. What C.B. did different compared to Alonso and Quesada, and what he didn’t.

Now, a couple points. First, we’re still sort of in Fresh Start, as there hasn’t been any new relaunches since. I’m focusing on the first line up as it’s over and done with, and therefore easiest to access and most indicative of “the times”. (Also it’s pre-Covid, and thus we have sales numbers).

Second, where do we draw the line of what is Fresh Start and what isn’t? It’s tricky. I’ll say that anything that isn’t a yet ongoing story is fair play. Alonso-era titles that have carried over into 2018/2019 are off the table.

Here are the topics that I want to comment on in this thread, over time: (I got stuff to do, okay!)
*The OGs back in the saddle
*Old heads back at the table
*90s, baybe
*Everything is X
*Women writers climbing up the ranks
*LGBTQ+ inclusivity
*Marvel Unlimited-ification

And, of course, the Quality of titles and the line's general identity. And the reason that I want to do it here and not in my diary is that I want to hear from y'all: what Fresh Start titles you read, what you thought of them then and now. Sound off!

As for the titles I read, and what I thought of them...i made a helpful table. Feel free to copy and paste.

top class
Immortal Hulk
Thor(Aaron\Del Mundo)
Krakoan X-Men
Venom(Cates\Stegman)
Cosmic Ghost Rider
Black Widow (Thompson\Casagrande)
Daredevil (Zdarsky\Chechetto)
Silver Surfer: Black
Spider-Man: Life Story
Black Cat (Mackay\Foreman)
Moon Knight (MacKay\Cappuccio)
Eternals (Gillen\Ribic)

good
Tony Stark: Iron Man (Slott\Schiti)
Black Panther (Coates)
Fantastic Four (Slott\Pichelli)
Daughters of the Dragon: Deep Cuts
Jessica Jones: Blind Spot
Captain Marvel (Thompson)
Miles Morales (Ahmed\Garron)
GOTG (Ewing\Cabal)
Valkyrie: Jane Foster
Strange Academy
Shang-Chi

mid
Captain America(Coates\Yu)
Ms. Marvel (Ahmed\Jung)
Thor (Cates\Klein)

bad
Amazing Spider-Man(Spencer\Ottley)
Avengers (Aaron\McGuiness)

bleh
Uncanny X-Men(Rosenberg\Larocca)
Spider-Man by JJ Abrams

Unrated, but relevant to the point I want to make
Sword Master*
X-Men Legends*
Death of the Inhumans*
Marvel's Voices*
Peach Momoko's Demon Days*
Ravencroft*

more coming soon!

[Digifiend]

While no Fresh Start banner was ever used, you can tell when it starts as the previous Marvel Legacy banner with the headshots was removed, and replaced by the current trade dress.

[Alex_Of_X]

While no Fresh Start banner was ever used, you can tell when it starts as the previous Marvel Legacy banner with the headshots was removed, and replaced by the current trade dress.

Hey, I didn't know that! Handy!

1. *The OGs, back in the saddle

The first non-flashback scene of 2018's Avengers #1 by Jason Aaron & Ed McGuinness features Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Thor Odinson chatting over drinks. All three are potent, peak-of-their-powers, just waiting to get out there and save the world. Gone are tales of unworthiness, deaths and hologram replacements, out-of-whack super-serums.

Back to basics. Factory default, it you're feeling spiteful.

Alonso's age will go down in history as the time the stalwarts faltered and the new generation picked up their slack. Sam-Cap, Sam-Nova, Jane-Thor, Cho-Hulk, Nadia-Wasp, Riri Williams and Doom-Iron Man, Laura-Wolverine, Kate-Hawkeye. Kamala frigging Khan. Hell, Viv Vision and Superior Spider-Man, if we're being generous. Marvel editor-in-chief: 'Writing comics was a hobby for white guys,' screams the guardian article headline. Not anymore. The Old Order changeth.

That is, until it doesn't.

In an instant, the 60s breakouts are back and at the top of the mountain. The final page of the Prelude "Marvel Legacy" mega-issue is Logan-Wolverine, back from the dead with an infinity stone in his hand. The year is 2017; Infinity War premiers next year. Cue the music.

And where are the "next gen" heroes now? Depowered. Dead. Reduced to cameo queens. Krakoa has buoyed Laura, and the TV show has held up Fal-Cap. But that's about it.

Darn shame.

ref:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/...ivil-war-x-men

[your_name_here]

Amazing Spider-Man by Spencer, Ottley and Ramos certainly wasn’t bad.

Immortal Hulk and Venom were probably the high points for me. My interest in Fresh Start brought me back to reading monthly comics, and Spidey for the first time since JMS.

[charliehustle415]

would you consider Waid's Champions and Avengers part of this era because wasn't there a stop gap between Hickman and Aaron?

[Alex_Of_X]

would you consider Waid's Champions and Avengers part of this era because wasn't there a stop gap between Hickman and Aaron?

Not really! Those are Alonso's babies through and through.

For Champions, Zub's relaunch or Ewing's would qualify. Cold on the former, never finished the latter

[Digifiend]

I think Champions relaunched about three months before Fresh Start started. The new #1 it got midway through Zub's run counts even if his initial takeover of the book doesn't, though.

Alonso's age will go down in history as the time the stalwarts faltered and the new generation picked up their slack. Sam-Cap, Sam-Nova, Jane-Thor, Cho-Hulk, Nadia-Wasp, Riri Williams and Doom-Iron Man, Laura-Wolverine, Kate-Hawkeye. Kamala frigging Khan. Hell, Viv Vision and Superior Spider-Man, if we're being generous. Marvel editor-in-chief: 'Writing comics was a hobby for white guys,' screams the guardian article headline. Not anymore. The Old Order changeth.

That is, until it doesn't.

In an instant, the 60s breakouts are back and at the top of the mountain. The final page of the Prelude "Marvel Legacy" mega-issue is Logan-Wolverine, back from the dead with an infinity stone in his hand. The year is 2017; Infinity War premiers next year. Cue the music.

And where are the "next gen" heroes now? Depowered. Dead. Reduced to cameo queens. Krakoa has buoyed Laura, and the TV show has held up Fal-Cap. But that's about it.

Darn shame.

Krakoa definitely helped Laura. Before HOXPOX, she'd reverted back to X-23, despite her basically saying it was a deadname in All-New Wolverine. After Fallen Angels flopped, she was moved to the main X-Men book, where she got the Wolverine mantle back.

It's the same thing for Sam Wilson. He'd reverted back to Falcon, but thanks to becoming the new Captain America in the MCU, he became Cap in the comics again too.

They're not the only ones to stick around though. Jane didn't stick as Thor but has remained a superhero as Valkyrie. She also temporarily got the hammer back in a mini released to coincide with the last Thor movie in which she appeared as the Lady Thor. Riri has a mini coming up, and her own Disney+ show. Ms. Marvel had her own show too and is about to be in a movie, and you must've heard the recent controversy regarding her usage in Amazing Spider-Man. Nadia just co-starred in a mini to celebrate the anniversary of Wasp's first appearance. And then of course there's Miles Morales, star of his own movies (the Spider-Verse cartoons) and a video game.

[beewinged]

And where are the "next gen" heroes now? Depowered. Dead. Reduced to cameo queens. Krakoa has buoyed Laura, and the TV show has held up Fal-Cap. But that's about it.

Darn shame.

I truly haven't been paying any attention since Marvel NOW (I think it was three... no, FOUR jobs ago that a coworker was trying to explain Battleworld to me), so this is quite disappointing! I feel some of these characters are just now penetrating the general public consciousness (what bizarre timing for the ...decisions... with Ms. Marvel, a lot of kids have been asking about her since the Marvels trailer dropped). I don't know, as a children's librarian, this reverential attitude has always confused me-- kids will tell you what's hot, and it will be the thing they latched onto at the right age. Like, Dog Man is an icon to the upcoming generation in a way that Steve, Tony, and Thor could only dream of, MCU notwithstanding. The circulation numbers Raina Telgemeier pulls over any writer in the DC/Marvel section is buh-bonkers. Marvel simply does not produce the amount or age-appropriate range of books about Miles Morales that I get asked for every. Day.

But I love seeing these "relaunches" analyzed from a broader cultural perspective-- how did it work out as a marketing decision? As a creative decision? As a staff recruiting/restructuring decision? If you have posts on previous "relaunch" eras, I'd love to read them. Also super informative to see titles highlighted as part of a broader managerial effort/era.

[Alex_Of_X]

They're not the only ones to stick around though. Jane didn't stick as Thor but has remained a superhero as Valkyrie. She also temporarily got the hammer back in a mini released to coincide with the last Thor movie in which she appeared as the Lady Thor. Riri has a mini coming up, and her own Disney+ show. Ms. Marvel had her own show too and is about to be in a movie, and you must've heard the recent controversy regarding her usage in Amazing Spider-Man. Nadia just co-starred in a mini to celebrate the anniversary of Wasp's first appearance. And then of course there's Miles Morales, star of his own movies (the Spider-Verse cartoons) and a video game.

Well noted!

Kamala's situation is ongoing, so I struggle to comment on her usage. Jane has held on somewhat, mainly due to Jason Aaron's use of the character. Still, her last major role was in a timed-for-the-movie mini that gave her back the hammer--and mantle--just to rip it back away. As of August, with the Thor relaunch the character seems to be completely MIA

Nadia used to be the butt of "sales poorly" jokes, yet her TPBs were big in the younger reader market, I believe. Per the writer, the sales were SO GOOD, they relaunched her series after cancelling it at issue #8! She used to be on the avengers AND the champions. But, once again the girl is gone, save a mini (which honors the anniversary of the other wasp)

These are "Big" characters, well-selling characters chosen to be fit for the big screen! Yet the juice isn't there--they don't get the consistent push that, say, Miles is getting. Now there's a character who hasn't become just another face in Peter's supporting cast, but instead now stands shoulder to shoulder with him. Two Spider-Men.

Shame the others were less fortunate, partly due to luck, but partly thru disregard and disuse.

I truly haven't been paying any attention since Marvel NOW (I think it was three... no, FOUR jobs ago that a coworker was trying to explain Battleworld to me), so this is quite disappointing! I feel some of these characters are just now penetrating the general public consciousness (what bizarre timing for the ...decisions... with Ms. Marvel, a lot of kids have been asking about her since the Marvels trailer dropped). I don't know, as a children's librarian, this reverential attitude has always confused me-- kids will tell you what's hot, and it will be the thing they latched onto at the right age. Like, Dog Man is an icon to the upcoming generation in a way that Steve, Tony, and Thor could only dream of, MCU notwithstanding. The circulation numbers Raina Telgemeier pulls over any writer in the DC/Marvel section is buh-bonkers. Marvel simply does not produce the amount or age-appropriate range of books about Miles Morales that I get asked for every. Day.

But I love seeing these "relaunches" analyzed from a broader cultural perspective-- how did it work out as a marketing decision? As a creative decision? As a staff recruiting/restructuring decision? If you have posts on previous "relaunch" eras, I'd love to read them. Also super informative to see titles highlighted as part of a broader managerial effort/era.

First of all, thank you for the kind words! This is my first write-up of this kind, and I'm glad it's on your wavelength. I might do more, in fact, but first i have to finish off this beefy boy.

As for the kids market--hard agree, Marvel should step up. They do prose stuff, like the recent "Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow" prose novel, but there's clear room to expand here. And they do...on the Marvel Unlimited online service, which is a can of worms I WILL dig into soon c:

[Alex_Of_X]

2. Old heads back at the table

Did you know that Marvel published a brand-new X-men comic by Roy Thomas in 2022? It's true! At time of publishing, the man was 81, which must be some sort of record.

Since Fresh Start launched, we've had books by Chris "The Goat" Claremont, Fabian Nicieza, Whilce Portacio, David Michelinie, J.M.Dematteis, Howard Mackie, Ann Nocenti, Louise Simonson. A brand-new Captain America ongoing is set to launch with JMS at the helm; his first gig at Marvel since...either Thor or Supreme Power?

Nostalgia is very much in at the house of ideas.

Now, I don't mean to be reductive to the fine work these writers are putting out. They've proven their chops twice over. And the fact that they're gainfully employed is heart-warming. Rather, i worry that the line is over-reliant on "proven talent" and fails to cultivate new voices as a result. A Marvel editor tasked with launching a book, it seems, is more likely to call up a fan fave on the rolodex and offer them the gig, than search for exciting, new voices.

There's also a market factor at play: these nostalgia projects hit comic store shelves, while younger writers get funneled into writing vertical comics for the Marvel Unlimited app, which may never see ink and paper.

There's an argument to be made that unproven creatives don't bring in sales. To this I say--so did Al Ewing, until he wrote enough Avengers books to get to do Hulk and struck gold. Jed MacKay's path to Avengers started with a Daughters of the Dragon digital original book--a format that Unlimited killed it the crib. Donny Cates had 6 issues on Thanos, a pal from Art school in Geoff Shaw, and a dream.

The future is young. Young and hungry, like Kelly Thompson and Matt Rosenberg, who made bank for Marvel, but are now lost to the DC trenches. Ain't that a stinker?

[mreddie]

Agreed, the CB Era has been...bad. He fell into the Krakoa push and just got rewarded for it and since then, it's almost been all nostalgia trips. All the new stuff have been banished to Marvel Unlimited.

The New Hero Push is dead, Miles might be the only one and I am afraid with the Ultimate Line coming back into play, that might shrink the main line more.

[Tendrin]

Lemire's 'Sentry' was part of fresh start and was pretty good, if not without its flaws. Shame it seemed to peter out due to outside issues rather than the fairly decent sales it had commanded.

And par for the course for Sentry, the authors that followed it made short work of his status quo to go straight back to the same story rut Lemire had walked him out of.

[matt levin]

As for me, I'd tired of Marvel a good while prior these,(largely as 'everything began to become X'), and of these you've listed, read and enjoyed only Immortal Hulk and Thompson's Captain Marvel. IH surprised me, and while I disliked several issues in the run as unnecessarily 'over the top,' as a series, it definitely kept my attention. CM, a personal favorite character from the first days of Ms. Marvel way back when, was a good steady entertainment for me throughout. As for 'women writers rising through the ranks,' I'm from a time when Clair Noto was one of the very very few women gaining credit-box status, and I'd buy nearly anything written by a woman, just to encourage the corporations to continue hiring them. Nowadays, I'm pleased to find so many women writers (in comparison to them bad ol' times anyway) I no longer feel a need to buy a title 'just because'. That's progress of a sort! Also some progress, though it still seems "controversial" and kind of 'tokenist,' that we've now several non-cis characters, and I hope time will eventually merely find these, and other non-cis people, common enough that we no longer make much to-do over their inclusion.

[Anthony W]

Like, Dog Man is an icon to the upcoming generation in a way that Steve, Tony, and Thor could only dream of

Wow. What a lame generation. Just kidding! As for Dog Man, everything about that character is disposable. That generation will not carry that character forward with them. I also don't buy the kids telling us what's hot. We tell the kids what's hot because they no longer have a pop culture of their own. Almost all of their stuff is just our stuff with a slightly different paint job and the meager amount of stuff that is theirs is lame...well most of it.

[Alex_Of_X]

Agreed, the CB Era has been...bad. He fell into the Krakoa push and just got rewarded for it and since then, it's almost been all nostalgia trips. All the new stuff have been banished to Marvel Unlimited.

The New Hero Push is dead, Miles might be the only one and I am afraid with the Ultimate Line coming back into play, that might shrink the main line more.

Hmm, I wonder if it's fair to say he "fell into it." He certainly played a part--it happened a good 1.5 years into his EiC tenure. If there's any hard evidence he was not hands on on the Krakoa project, do let me know!

(generally co-signed on the Unlimited side, although I'm less pessimistic about it's trajectory. I'll get to it in time.

Lemire's 'Sentry' was part of fresh start and was pretty good, if not without its flaws. Shame it seemed to peter out due to outside issues rather than the fairly decent sales it had commanded.

And par for the course for Sentry, the authors that followed it made short work of his status quo to go straight back to the same story rut Lemire had walked him out of.

I liked that mini, and I'm generally cold on Lemire. Jacinto's art was outstanding. Was it meant to go past issue 5? The story felt pretty complete by then. If anything, it made for a terrific "Sentry: The End" tale.

Maybe too much so, in terms of 616. I'm not a fan of what Zub did with him, though that run was cut short as well, so it's difficult for me to judge. Maybe there was a long-term vision there that just fell through.

As for me, I'd tired of Marvel a good while prior these,(largely as 'everything began to become X'), and of these you've listed, read and enjoyed only Immortal Hulk and Thompson's Captain Marvel. IH surprised me, and while I disliked several issues in the run as unnecessarily 'over the top,' as a series, it definitely kept my attention. CM, a personal favorite character from the first days of Ms. Marvel way back when, was a good steady entertainment for me throughout. As for 'women writers rising through the ranks,' I'm from a time when Clair Noto was one of the very very few women gaining credit-box status, and I'd buy nearly anything written by a woman, just to encourage the corporations to continue hiring them. Nowadays, I'm pleased to find so many women writers (in comparison to them bad ol' times anyway) I no longer feel a need to buy a title 'just because'. That's progress of a sort! Also some progress, though it still seems "controversial" and kind of 'tokenist,' that we've now several non-cis characters, and I hope time will eventually merely find these, and other non-cis people, common enough that we no longer make much to-do over their inclusion.

Completely in agreement with you on the bolded, Matt. Any fan of Brubaker's Velvet is a friend of mine c:

I think there're issues with representation on page but creator diversity is on the upswing, and that's great.