Is Marvel comics too splintered?

[Mister Mets]

In a different discussion, I realized I didn't know about recent developments to A-list Marvel villains, and that got me to realize how little I know about what's going on at Marvel. I'm wondering if it's just me, or if there's some larger trend.

I like the Spider-Man comics so I follow that. I know Hickman's involved in a relaunch of the Ultimate Universe and some book that involves a secret society within Marvel. Zdarsky is wrapping up Daredevil. There's some stuff in the X-Men comics involving Mr Sinister and Apocalypse. Jed MacKay is on the Avengers but I don't know if it's well-reviewed. I did like some of his Spider-Man comics but I don't have a sense of his style to the extent that I did with Bendis, Brubaker, Millar, Fraction or Hickman. I know there are occasional projects with classic creators, and that top-tier talent is working on various licenses like Star Wars and Aliens. I can't articulate much about what makes most Marvel artists special. I like Bagley, Romita Jr and McGuiness on the Spider-Man books but I've been fans of theirs for 25 years. There are plenty of titles where I couldn't tell you anything about what's going on.

Maybe it's me. Maybe it's my media consumption habits and I just stopped checking out Gamesradar (the former Newsarama) or even the front pages at CBR while I've been busy at work (I'm a teacher and the school year in New York City ended on Tuesday) and with some little more free time I'll be caught up.

But entertainment in general has become more niche-ified. There's a lot of content, but it reaches smaller audiences. I wonder if anyone else has noticed in changes in how comics are discussed. When I was in Middle School, I subscribed to Wizard and got a sense of what was going on in titles I wasn't reading. When I was in college, Newsarama and various message boards kept me updated. Something seems to have changed.

I know my question is personal and annoying because it is potentially unfalsifiable. But do you get a sense that it's harder to keep track of the major developments in Marvel comics?

[marhawkman]

I do kinda get the feeling editorial isn't cohesive that's for sure.

[Alex_Of_X]

Hmm, the krakoan stuff is a tight unit. Star Wars, too. I think the mutant books are to current Marvel what Lee\Kirby FF\Bendis's avengers\Hickman's avengers were to their time--the spine of the line. Fall of X promises to involve not just them, but Steve Rogers and his Uncanny Avengers as well as Tony Stark.

In general, tho, seems like marvel has rid itself of mid-2000s cross-over-itis. Titles are more lean, self-dependant. Stuff like Gillen's A.X.E. feels more and more the exception to the rule.

Jed's Avengers is about as well received as it can be two issues in. banger book imho, but we have to at least finish the arc to say it with our whole chest

[clonegeek]

Hmm, the krakoan stuff is a tight unit. Star Wars, too. I think the mutant books are to current Marvel what Lee\Kirby FF\Bendis's avengers\Hickman's avengers were to their time--the spine of the line. Fall of X promises to involve not just them, but Steve Rogers and his Uncanny Avengers as well as Tony Stark.

In general, tho, seems like marvel has rid itself of mid-2000s cross-over-itis. Titles are more lean, self-dependant. Stuff like Gillen's A.X.E. feels more and more the exception to the rule.

Jed's Avengers is about as well received as it can be two issues in. banger book imho, but we have to at least finish the arc to say it with our whole chest

I don't really think that the mutant books are the spine of the line though.

[clonegeek]

In a different discussion, I realized I didn't know about recent developments to A-list Marvel villains, and that got me to realize how little I know about what's going on at Marvel. I'm wondering if it's just me, or if there's some larger trend.

I like the Spider-Man comics so I follow that. I know Hickman's involved in a relaunch of the Ultimate Universe and some book that involves a secret society within Marvel. Zdarsky is wrapping up Daredevil. There's some stuff in the X-Men comics involving Mr Sinister and Apocalypse. Jed MacKay is on the Avengers but I don't know if it's well-reviewed. I did like some of his Spider-Man comics but I don't have a sense of his style to the extent that I did with Bendis, Brubaker, Millar, Fraction or Hickman. I know there are occasional projects with classic creators, and that top-tier talent is working on various licenses like Star Wars and Aliens. I can't articulate much about what makes most Marvel artists special. I like Bagley, Romita Jr and McGuiness on the Spider-Man books but I've been fans of theirs for 25 years. There are plenty of titles where I couldn't tell you anything about what's going on.

Maybe it's me. Maybe it's my media consumption habits and I just stopped checking out Gamesradar (the former Newsarama) or even the front pages at CBR while I've been busy at work (I'm a teacher and the school year in New York City ended on Tuesday) and with some little more free time I'll be caught up.

But entertainment in general has become more niche-ified. There's a lot of content, but it reaches smaller audiences. I wonder if anyone else has noticed in changes in how comics are discussed. When I was in Middle School, I subscribed to Wizard and got a sense of what was going on in titles I wasn't reading. When I was in college, Newsarama and various message boards kept me updated. Something seems to have changed.

I know my question is personal and annoying because it is potentially unfalsifiable. But do you get a sense that it's harder to keep track of the major developments in Marvel comics?

It feels like Venom is the main character right now considering all the symbiote related titles there are.

[scribbleMind]

Since it's personal, my conclusion is I don't care. I care about the characters I care about, and they have always been easy to keep up with (especially Pym since he's been in a state of semi-non-existence for a decade). I'm not going to read and keep up with every X-Men book. If Sunspot, Fantomex, or Legion are there, I'm there, and if they aren't, I'm not. I do get curious, but I never feel like I have to know, and my curiosity is sated by places where I can have and/or peak in on such discussions such as CBR, and this is how it has been for me since I started reading comics. The books I tend to read in Marvel or DC generally aren't so effected by the overall status quo that I NEED to keep up to know what's going on. Punisher is insular. Ghost Rider is insular. Captain America is usually pretty insular. Fantastic Four are generally pretty insular, whenever they play a major role in the marvel universe it's rarely in their book. I usually doesn't make a difference to me, usually. Sometimes it absolutely does, and has, for better and for worse, but I never found it hard to catch up. I do have the benefit of the fact that nothing I'm into is a line as big as Spider-Man or X-Men.

The one situation where that isn't the case, Superman, I tend to read segmented. I read Warworld, but I don't feel the need to keep going after that. I love Superman's minis and non-cannon work more than I like the stuff in continuity, so it's very easy for me to just not care.

[Chris0013]

I think too often writers are given too much leeway in their stories. Retcons to origins, contradiction in actions of decision characters have previously made, or even the same charter in 2 different books seemingly leading 2 different lives. Like when Cap was a fugitive in his own book but running around with the Avengers in that book.

[H-E-D]

I wonder if anyone else has noticed in changes in how comics are discussed. When I was in college, Newsarama and various message boards kept me updated. Something seems to have changed.

The answer is that most discussion of niche interests have shifted to Discord servers. Comics included. Forums like this one are a dying breed.

[clonegeek]

The answer is that most discussion of niche interests have shifted to Discord servers. Comics included. Forums like this one are a dying breed.

What the hell are the popular comic discord servers?

[HsssH]

There is 1962 June Omnibus that has first Avengers and X-Men issues and every other issue published that month. And well, it is 19 issues in total. These days Marvel might release more comics in one week.

My point being is that there is just too much content for anyone to really stay "informed" above meme level. And if you are intetested in stuff published by other companies? Full time job.

[Mister Mets]

The answer is that most discussion of niche interests have shifted to Discord servers. Comics included. Forums like this one are a dying breed.

Is the Discord conversation about comics in general, or are the servers splintered (IE- there may be popular X-Men Discords but they don't talk about the Avengers)?

[LAWtoyoto 432]

Anyone think the Avengers roster is getting repetitive and less diverse? So far, we have one ongoing run, along with the mini-run and Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comics. Despite have different writers in charge of the run. They always keep using Aaron's roster instead. Even in unlimited, those six Avengers keep getting more attention in story arcs than any other Avengers members. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther along with She-Hulk.

3 runs but yet the rosters they frequent used are these members above.

[HaveAtThee]

I do kinda get the feeling editorial isn't cohesive that's for sure.

Understatement of the century.

[Username taken]

I do kinda get the feeling editorial isn't cohesive that's for sure.

Understatement of the century.

Exactly this.

[scribbleMind]

Anyone think the Avengers roster is getting repetitive and less diverse? So far, we have one ongoing run, along with the mini-run and Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comics. Despite have different writers in charge of the run. They always keep using Aaron's roster instead. Even in unlimited, those six Avengers keep getting more attention in story arcs than any other Avengers members. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther along with She-Hulk.

3 runs but yet the rosters they frequent used are these members above.

The Trinity is the Trinity. They shouldn't be listed. That's the constant. Of course the Trinity is in every Avengers. I think they want Captain Marvel to have "Trinity" status. That would be the biggest win of their Captain Marvel push. If the Trinity gets thought of as a quaternity, they did it. Captain Marvel would really be their Wonder Woman for real for real.