Is there too many core x-titles for the spin-offs and solo titles to succeed?

[Spork]

With the news that All-New X-Factor is being cancelled and the poor sales of X-Force, Storm, Cyclops etc. is it time to trim down the main x-books?. 5 is a lot, even for the X-Men. People can only afford so many titles, and when it comes to making tough choices, it looks like the spin-off teams and solo titles are always going to lose out to the core books that "matter".

So, should the core books be trimmed down? As much as I like all the core books at the moment, it seems like at least Wolverine and the X-Men and Amazing X-Men could be combined into one title. Although it would be difficult to really cut down on titles while the schism is still in place and the 05 are still in the present.

[cc008]

- Uncanny X-Men
- X-Men

- X-Force
- X-Factor
- Wolverine, Deadpool, Gambit, Storm, Nightcrawler, & other solos

That's how I see it. The O5 was fun at first... but they should go back now.

[AcesX1X]

x-factor could have been great and it could have had the support of the fanbase.

but, unfortunately, the creative team decided they didn't really care for the mutant sandbox and decided to have these characters run off to play low-rent security guards.

[Galerion]

I think it's important to not forget that poor sales are not 100% a result from too many books.
The quality of writing and the cast/characters are an important part too. X-Factor could have been the only X-book available but I still wouldn't have bought it for example.

[JackalsIII]

Do we know what the numbers are compared to the Avengers line of books and counting Cap, Iron Man and Thor as solo titles of Avengers. I imagine the Avengers title must outrank X-titles.

[NewMutant]

There are certainly too many Bendis titles. Wood leaving Adjectiveless has left the book a bit directionless, but not bad. Wolverine and the X-Men should have been cancelled when Aaron left. Amazing is what should really be the flagship book. There are too many books with similar members and not a unique direction. X-Factor was that but failed to grab attention and after a long run the critical acclaim and sales didn't matter anymore. And X-Force is unique, however sales are dropping.

[jawbreaker]

i wonder if for b/c list casts and solo books they should just switch to either online/digital only or limited series. Like make a book of a 6 b-lister team, give them a story and keep it to 4- 6 issues. Then a few months later get a new group of b mutants and release another storyline with them. Solos would be the same way. Most of these end up cancelled in the teens anyway when theyre ongoing.

[ariwl1]

For long term comic book buyers while they will certainly go where they're favorite characters are, for many it's important they follow the books they feel actually matter in the over-all context and continuity of the universe, especially if the featured characters are front-and-center Marvel movers and shakers. A book can have the best creative team in the world, but if it's a satellite book it will often still struggle to find its footing among the more relevant titles. Uncanny is where the big stuff happens so unless people having a compelling reason not to, if they drop books that one will be the last to go usually.

Same with solos. In the X-verse they're more for fun projects then essential storylines, and I think people tend to expect this. For example: if Jean Grey gets a solo like it's been rumored I definitely will be there, but I won't expect it to last long since anything that happens will likely be relevant to the character in question only and may not carry over much to the main titles.

[Factor]

I think there should be a max of 4 titles titled X-men and the other team books should all have their own name. The 4 "core books" should serve different, very specific purposes within the line. The way I'd have it:

Uncanny X-men: about Cyclops's Mutant Revolution
Astonishing X-men: superheroic X-team concerned with mutant PR
X-men: Legacy: school book
All-New X-men: about the O5 going back to their timeline and trying to avoid their 616 fates (yes, I'd say Beast created an alternate reality when he brought them to the 616)

Ancillary titles:
X-force: black-ops squad, same as usual
X-factor: Maria Hill blackmails Polaris into joining the new X-factor: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own mutant response unit.
New Mutants: formers NMs, Gen Xers and NXM unite to locate and help new mutants in need.

MU- related:
Exiles: Sage, Bishop and Blink recreate the team to fight threats to the multiverse.
Excalibur: back as Earth 616's first line of defense against threats from other dimensions.

[Spork]

Sales.jpg

Do we know what the numbers are compared to the Avengers line of books and counting Cap, Iron Man and Thor as solo titles of Avengers. I imagine the Avengers title must outrank X-titles.

Looks like a pretty similar situation for the Avengers titles. Marvel must be frustrated with how poor the sales for Iron Man are.

[JackalsIII]

Sales.jpg

Looks like a pretty similar situation for the Avengers titles. Marvel must be frustrated with how poor the sales for Iron Man are.

Thanks for the chart!

Probably explains why Iron Man is getting a big relaunch and being paired up with Daredevil.

Savage Hulk would have done better if it wasn't the Original Five back in the day. Alan Davis should have gone with Hulk and the 80s team!

[AJpyro]

Sales.jpg

Looks like a pretty similar situation for the Avengers titles. Marvel must be frustrated with how poor the sales for Iron Man are.

Huh. I'm surprised Ironman's not doing as well as Thor and Hawkeye. Isn't Gillen still writing that one?

[Spork]

Yes, Gillen was writing it until the last volume ended recently.

[butterflykyss]

Sales.jpg

Looks like a pretty similar situation for the Avengers titles. Marvel must be frustrated with how poor the sales for Iron Man are.

Yes this does put things in perspective. Things are pretty bad all around at Marvel. Thanks.

[OpticDreams]

Hmm, keep....
ANXM
UXM
AXM
XM
DP
Mags.