Spider-Woman: Did Marvel Screw-Up With This Title?

[Prof. Warren]

I wasn't interested in the Spider-Verse tie-ins but I'm intrigued by the new costume and direction so I'll be picking up the book starting with #5. So, no, I don't think Marvel made a mistake.

[Darthfury78]

We'll see how it goes. I hope the series continues. I still don't like the current outfit. I hope that she is given a rogues gallery of substance. She needs to be placed outside of NYC.

Would you like the idea of some of Spider-Man's rogue galleries like Hammerhead, Tombstone, The Jackal, and Dr. Michael Morbius as part of Jessica's rogue galleries?

[Shinglepants]

I think they made the right call with tying into Spider-Verse. I'm sure it did put off a few potential buyers but I think they are far outweighed by people who picked it up just because it tied into Spider-Verse.

If they had started with a mini and then immediately started an ongoing then then it would have created a convenient jumping off point. People would probably complain about it not just being an ongoing in the first place.

[JGC]

I guess that's why the new Ms. Marvel is at #11 and they've already solicited issues #12 - 14?

http://marvel.com/comics/issue/52248/ms_marvel_2014_14

As always, there's a few that do make it (Superior Foes got to #17), but in the end, the shine wears off. Spider-Woman has had numerous series in the past and unless this new one can generate monthly sales of at least 25k, it's doomed.

[Heisennerd]

I actually really enjoyed all the Spider-Verse tie in issues, the art too

[lilyinblue]

As always, there's a few that do make it (Superior Foes got to #17), but in the end, the shine wears off. Spider-Woman has had numerous series in the past and unless this new one can generate monthly sales of at least 25k, it's doomed.

Jessica's kind of a funny character in that regard. She's only had a solo book twice before this. Her first solo series went for 75 issues... she was actually pretty popular in the 70s. Enough for there to be merchandising, etc.

... then she dropped out of use for about twenty years and was all but forgotten. So she dropped a few ranks in whatever nebulous stuff defines who gets to be A list or C list.

I often wonder two things:
1) What would have happened with her Bendis solo series if they hadn't launched it as a motion comic first. I think that all but doomed it from day one. (And I wish that continued. I think Bendis was going to give us a really interesting character study.)
2) What would have happened if Marvel continued using her throughout the 80s and 90s instead of bringing out a parade of other Spider-Women.

[Darthfury78]

As always, there's a few that do make it (Superior Foes got to #17), but in the end, the shine wears off. Spider-Woman has had numerous series in the past and unless this new one can generate monthly sales of at least 25k, it's doomed.

Marvel did tie the Spider-Woman series to the Spider-Verse. However, what might keep the series strong going forward is the use of some of Spider-Man's rogue galleries unto her own. Another thing that could support the series is her friendship with Peter Parker in a non Spider-Man cameo role. As long as the series occasionally connects Jessica to Spider-Man's world, the Spider-Man readers will keep the sales numbers going. If there is any heroine that would make for a good alternate to the Black Cat is Jessica Drew.

What I would love to see is Jessica confronting the Black Cat.

[SickAlice]

Oddly the motion comic had (does? haven't looked in awhile) carved out a niche on Netflix. I didn't really understand why it grabbed the attention it did. I came on that when friends asked me a few questions about the bits in the series. I think many books are always doomed, or more there's always an invariable time they'll last up to cancellation. It's the ones that push past it that are a surprise. Hardly an uncommon idea of course but due to that I'm hardly ever shocked when a series folds shut.

[MASTER-OF-SUPRISE]

I think they made the right call with tying into Spider-Verse. I'm sure it did put off a few potential buyers but I think they are far outweighed by people who picked it up just because it tied into Spider-Verse.

If they had started with a mini and then immediately started an ongoing then then it would have created a convenient jumping off point. People would probably complain about it not just being an ongoing in the first place.

I don't know tying it into an event seems like a doubleedged sword marketing wise. Sure you got readers on for the tie-in but what guarantee do you have they'll stay?

Marvel did tie the Spider-Woman series to the Spider-Verse. However, what might keep the series strong going forward is the use of some of Spider-Man's rogue galleries unto her own. Another thing that could support the series is her friendship with Peter Parker in a non Spider-Man cameo role. As long as the series occasionally connects Jessica to Spider-Man's world, the Spider-Man readers will keep the sales numbers going. If there is any heroine that would make for a good alternate to the Black Cat is Jessica Drew.

What I would love to see is Jessica confronting the Black Cat.

Why? I thought you hated villian Felicia along with what seems to be quite a lot of black Cat fans myself included.

[Shinglepants]

Marvel did tie the Spider-Woman series to the Spider-Verse. However, what might keep the series strong going forward is the use of some of Spider-Man's rogue galleries unto her own. Another thing that could support the series is her friendship with Peter Parker in a non Spider-Man cameo role. As long as the series occasionally connects Jessica to Spider-Man's world, the Spider-Man readers will keep the sales numbers going. If there is any heroine that would make for a good alternate to the Black Cat is Jessica Drew.

What I would love to see is Jessica confronting the Black Cat.

No no no! Spider-Woman has never really been a part of Spidey's world. I'd hate for her to lose her own identity and just become another Spider character.

I don't know tying it into an event seems like a doubleedged sword marketing wise. Sure you got readers on for the tie-in but what guarantee do you have they'll stay?

I'm sure it is a gamble, and potentially lots of people could drop the book at the conclusion of the tie in. I just think tying in to a big events gives an ongoing the best start possible in terms of numbers. I guess its up to the creative team to write a book that people want to continue reading?

[Shinglepants]

As always, there's a few that do make it (Superior Foes got to #17), but in the end, the shine wears off. Spider-Woman has had numerous series in the past and unless this new one can generate monthly sales of at least 25k, it's doomed.

I was under the impression that her past series did well? I don't recall the numbers the last book pulled I but I recall Bendis said it only ended because Maleev was burnt out?

Anyway, I kinda expect most books to struggle these days. I just enjoy whilst I can and look at a long run as a bonus.

[Blacksun]

a friend read the issues, without reading spider-verse, she didn't had problems.

tying with spider verse event gave more chances to spider woman, and I hope the new costume will give a little help

[hunter_peterson]

Quick question about the latest volume of Spider-Woman: by tying it so heavily into Spider-Verse right from the get-go, did Marvel make a mistake? If people were interested in the character of Spider-Woman but weren't following Spider-Verse, that first issue was so not-new-reader-friendly that it could have hurt future sales once Spider-Verse is finished. And issues #2 and #3 also seem like a waste in terms of letting people get a feel for what this title may be about in the future.

So, do you think Marvel did the right thing just starting the series as if it was just another Spider-Verse title, or should they maybe have made it a Spider-Verse mini-series and maybe called it Spider-Women or something, and then start Jessica's new solo title right after the Spider-Verse tie-ins were wrapped up?

I initially thought this, but then it occurred to me that getting people to buy what is essentially a tie-in mini that leads into the proper number one without breaking numbering probably will be better for maintaining readers overall. It helps that it wasn't confusing and sets up the changes well. If it were just a mini it would do crappy numbers and then Marvel would have to hype the new Spider-Woman ongoing a lot more. I'm curious to see how it works.

[Darthfury78]

No no no! Spider-Woman has never really been a part of Spidey's world. I'd hate for her to lose her own identity and just become another Spider character.

I would love nothing more than to see Jessica as part of Spider-Man's world. Otherwise, the Spider-readers might not support the book if we do not see her having a few moments with Peter(in his civilian guise) once in awhile. If Jessica can be close friends with Carol Danvers, why can't we see the same for Peter Parker, the guy who inspired her to be a detective in the first place long before she even met Carol Davners. Jessica will not become another Spider-Character as she has long proven that she's her own person. I have yet to see a developing friendship between Jessica and Peter. And this would be a whole lot better than Peter and Silk which adds nothing to the story.

[Darthfury78]

Why? I thought you hated villain Felicia along with what seems to be quite a lot of black Cat fans myself included.

I do. But Marvel is pushing the villain Felicia all over the MU. They might as well put The Black Cat in Jessica's world and see how she handles her. Besides that, the Black Cat was originally intended to be a Spider-Woman villain. They might as well play with it as I feel that it might be an interesting set of circumstance for Jessica. After all, Black Cat will be in the pages of Silk's on going series.

The more exposure Jessica is to Peter's world, the more she'll get to understand him as why he acts the way he does around certain people.

The key element for this series going forward is not so much Jessica's new direction, but also her evolving friendship with Peter Parker which could be the conner stone that might make the series successful without the need for Spider-Man; rather Jessica's need to develop a friendship with someone who understands her, aside from Carol Danvers. That should be Peter Parker in his civilian guise.