Thread Drift: Is Marvel pushing Anya aside for Silk?

[Alastor]

I may be overreacting but this is what the sequence read like to me:

[Probalus]

I may be overreacting but this is what the sequence read like to me:

I think you are, considering Anya would likely be in limbo had the Spider Verse Secret War series not exist. At least this gives her a chance to shine, and be in a role that's not just the typical teenage sidekick that she's used to.

[Dan Slott]

I may be overreacting but this is what the sequence read like to me:

Anya is a character that had 2 attempts at an ongoing. Plus a mini during the successful SPIDER-ISLAND event (that could have re-jump started her). Plus a role in an Avengers satellite book. This character has had MANY bites at the apple. THIS, right here, is another shot. Something that plays off her totem-connection AND has a strong tie to one of Marvel's better selling events, SPIDER-VERSE.

SILK has featured heavily in some of Spider-Man's best-selling issues in years. Has strong tie-ins to both ORIGINAL SIN and SPIDER-VERSE. Marvel did NOT intend to launch a series based on her-- but as the issues teasing her origin both sold out and went back to press-- AND a lot of positive reaction was coming in from the readers-- it was decided to give the character her first bite at the apple.

Since then, her book has sold out, gone back to press, and been dominating the reorders. While she might not have the (well-deserved) fan-frenzy of Spider-Gwen behind her, if the creative team and editorial team on SILK continues to deliver the high level of quality art and stories that I've seen, her book could have a long and healthy run.

There's plenty of room on the racks for Spider-Woman, Spider-Gwen, Anya's adventures, and Silk.

[oldschool]

Anya is a character that had 2 attempts at an ongoing. Plus a mini during the successful SPIDER-ISLAND event (that could have re-jump started her). Plus a role in an Avengers satellite book. This character has had MANY bites at the apple. THIS, right here, is another shot. Something that plays off her totem-connection AND has a strong tie to one of Marvel's better selling events, SPIDER-VERSE.

SILK has featured heavily in some of Spider-Man's best-selling issues in years. Has strong tie-ins to both ORIGINAL SIN and SPIDER-VERSE. Marvel did NOT intend to launch a series based on her-- but as the issues teasing her origin both sold out and went back to press-- AND a lot of positive reaction was coming in from the readers-- it was decided to give the character her first bite at the apple.

Since then, her book has sold out, gone back to press, and been dominating the reorders. While she might not have the (well-deserved) fan-frenzy of Spider-Gwen behind her, if the creative team and editorial team on SILK continues to deliver the high level of quality art and stories that I've seen, her book could have a long and healthy run.

There's plenty of room on the racks for Spider-Woman, Spider-Gwen, Anya's adventures, and Silk.

Well said----for a "newbie member".

[Sardorim]

Anya is a character that had 2 attempts at an ongoing. Plus a mini during the successful SPIDER-ISLAND event (that could have re-jump started her). Plus a role in an Avengers satellite book. This character has had MANY bites at the apple. THIS, right here, is another shot. Something that plays off her totem-connection AND has a strong tie to one of Marvel's better selling events, SPIDER-VERSE.

SILK has featured heavily in some of Spider-Man's best-selling issues in years. Has strong tie-ins to both ORIGINAL SIN and SPIDER-VERSE. Marvel did NOT intend to launch a series based on her-- but as the issues teasing her origin both sold out and went back to press-- AND a lot of positive reaction was coming in from the readers-- it was decided to give the character her first bite at the apple.

Since then, her book has sold out, gone back to press, and been dominating the reorders. While she might not have the (well-deserved) fan-frenzy of Spider-Gwen behind her, if the creative team and editorial team on SILK continues to deliver the high level of quality art and stories that I've seen, her book could have a long and healthy run.

There's plenty of room on the racks for Spider-Woman, Spider-Gwen, Anya's adventures, and Silk.

Yet she was never allowed on an Avenger team after Avengers Assemble... Why was that exactly? Anya always seemed like she would be best in a team book (And Spiderverse seems to be putting her in one that hopefully survives and sells well), which Avengers Assembled showed her shine in, but she wasn't ever put on an Avenger team book after. Seems like such a waste to make her Avenger than not let her be an Avenger in my opinion.

That's not really fair to attribute Silk from being in a mainline Spider-Man book, and initially tied heavily to Spider-Man, as being in books with amazing sales as Spider-Man typically does pretty well - at least the satellite title. I'm sure, Mr. Slott if you are really him, that your books would have sold just fine without Silk in them. The real test is to see if Silk can hold a solo, after the initial issues/hype has passed, as many characters initially had the potential but for whatever reasons ended up failing down the line. Obviously I don't want any book to fail, even those I don't like or don't buy or read as the team's around them make a living doing this stuff, but the market can be a harsh place.

If Silk's solo can survive without Spider-Man there than more power to Silk fans. Personally she's not my cup of tea, even if her costume looks great, but I don't really hate her just not feeling her character at the moment. Course that, like many things, can change if her solo survives and she has amazing stories all about herself and not needing Spider-Man to stand strong.

Course if Silk's first bite does fails she can always be relaunched at a later date to try again if the potential and demand is still there. After all, MC2 Spider-Girl got relaunched a number of times, I believe, and even non-comic readers know who she is. At the very least a lot of non-comic book readers know who Silk and Spider-Gwen are while, sadly, not many really know Anya which is a shame as I'm an Anya fan but that's how the cookie crumbles or whatever I guess.

[Shinglepants]

Yet she was never allowed on an Avenger team after Avengers Assemble... Why was that exactly? Anya always seemed like she would be best in a team book, which Avengers Assembled showed her shine in, but she wasn't ever put on an Avenger team book after. Seems like such a waste to make her Avenger than not let her be an Avenger in my opinion.

Well, Avengers Assemble did end right after. Can't expect the likes of Hickman to shoehorn her into his books just because KSD gave her a good showing in AA. I like Anya, and would like to see her in an Avengers team, but not so she can be wallpaper for the duration.

[Sardorim]

Well, Avengers Assemble did end right after. Can't expect the likes of Hickman to shoehorn her into his books just because KSD gave her a good showing in AA. I like Anya, and would like to see her in an Avengers team, but not so she can be wallpaper for the duration.

There have been quite a few Avenger books, it's odd that none wanted to pick up Anya. She would, in my opinion, have been right at home in Mighty Avengers for example. However I'm not in the industry so I cannot say how characters are really picked for things and I wouldn't want a character forced into story if the team doesn't want to utilize them which seems to be the case, from what I've seen, with Rachel, who keeps getting jobbed, in Amazing X-Men. It honestly feels like she was only included on that team because she's one of the bigger characters (Thus can attract some readership) at the JGS whether the team wanted her on the team or not.

[Shinglepants]

Slingers sounds like a win to me, with The Cluster coming in as a close second lol.

There have been quite a few Avenger books, it's odd that none wanted to pick up Anya. She would, in my opinion, have been right at home in Mighty Avengers for example. However I'm not in the industry so I cannot say how characters are really picked for things and I wouldn't want a character forced into story if the team doesn't want to utilize them which seems to be the case, from what I've seen, with Rachel, who keeps getting jobbed, in Amazing X-Men. It honestly feels like she was only included on that team because she's one of the bigger characters (Thus can attract some readership) at the JGS whether the team wanted her on the team or not.

It's odd to me, because I think she is great and I'd love to see her on a team. Avengers, New Avengers, Avengers World and Secret Avengers were obviously not going to happen though. Like you said, Mighty would have been a good fit but I thing Ewing had a nice balanced team and I'm sure he even said something about struggling to use everybody and wanting to cut down.

I'm pretty optimistic going forward though. She has a role to play during SW and after that it looks like everything is up in the air.

[Probalus]

Yet she was never allowed on an Avenger team after Avengers Assemble... Why was that exactly? Anya always seemed like she would be best in a team book (And Spiderverse seems to be putting her in one that hopefully survives and sells well), which Avengers Assembled showed her shine in, but she wasn't ever put on an Avenger team book after. Seems like such a waste to make her Avenger than not let her be an Avenger in my opinion.

That's not really fair to attribute Silk from being in a mainline Spider-Man book, and initially tied heavily to Spider-Man, as being in books with amazing sales as Spider-Man typically does pretty well - at least the satellite title. I'm sure, Mr. Slott if you are really him, that your books would have sold just fine without Silk in them. The real test is to see if Silk can hold a solo, after the initial issues/hype has passed, as many characters initially had the potential but for whatever reasons ended up failing down the line. Obviously I don't want any book to fail, even those I don't like or don't buy or read as the team's around them make a living doing this stuff, but the market can be a harsh place.

If Silk's solo can survive without Spider-Man there than more power to Silk fans. Personally she's not my cup of tea, even if her costume looks great, but I don't really hate her just not feeling her character at the moment. Course that, like many things, can change if her solo survives and she has amazing stories all about herself and not needing Spider-Man to stand strong.

Course if Silk's first bite does fails she can always be relaunched at a later date to try again if the potential and demand is still there. After all, MC2 Spider-Girl got relaunched a number of times, I believe, and even non-comic readers know who she is. At the very least a lot of non-comic book readers know who Silk and Spider-Gwen are while, sadly, not many really know Anya which is a shame as I'm an Anya fan but that's how the cookie crumbles or whatever I guess.

Like Slott said Anya had her shots in the past. She started off in her own ongoing more than a decade ago, was a major character in Ms Marvel, and her debut as Spider-Girl and the ongoing coming out of that was heavily tied in with The Grim Hunt event in ASM and part of the Big Time cross promotion.

Both her ongoings didn't survive for long. Her appearance in Avengers Assemble didn't exactly light up the charts either. The fact that she's still getting so much panel time in Spider-Verse after all that is a testament to how much Marvel still wants her to succeed.

[Sardorim]

Like Slott said Anya had her shots in the past. She started off in her own ongoing more than a decade ago, was a major character in Ms Marvel, and her debut as Spider-Girl and the ongoing coming out of that was heavily tied in with The Grim Hunt event in ASM and part of the Big Time cross promotion.

Both her ongoings didn't survive for long. Her appearance in Avengers Assemble didn't exactly light up the charts either. The fact that she's still getting so much panel time in Spider-Verse after all that is a testament to how much Marvel still wants her to succeed.

Anya's ongoing started with bad will as many felt she stole the SG title at the time because of what was happening with Mayday's ongoing stuff and that bad will took a very long time to cook. Not to mention that unlike characters like Spider-Gwen and Silk she wasn't closely tied to Peter from the get go thus she was literally on her own against a tide of bad will because of the angry Mayday fans.

[Probalus]

Anya's ongoing started with bad will as many felt she stole the SG title at the time because of what was happening with Mayday's ongoing stuff and that bad will took a very long time to cook. Not to mention that unlike characters like Spider-Gwen and Silk she wasn't closely tied to Peter from the get go thus she was literally on her own against a tide of bad will because of the angry Mayday fans.

That's true. But Mayday fans were a small minority of both the Marvel and Spider fanbases. The rest shouldn't have cared. And you can't say that Silk for example didn't get ill will from a sizable portion of the fanbase either, yet she's doing ok. Fact is, she got her profile raised by Grim Hunt, and got it again with the Spider-Island tie-in and neither did anything to improve her prospects. And still Marvel is going back to her again to try to bring attention to her. It's not a time to be complaining.

[cyberhubbs]

I don't know why anyone would think Anya stole the Spider-Girl title. They're not even in the same universe. Mayday's title and universe had it's chance, couldn't keep up, and sadly finally got cancelled. Anya got her own chance instead.

[R.K.Z]

Mayday's title and universe had it's chance, couldn't keep up, and sadly finally got cancelled.

Twelve years is a pretty good run. Quality over quantity.

[cyberhubbs]

Twelve years is a pretty good run. Quality over quantity.

From the sound of things, it dodged cancellation several times during the course of those 12 years.

Glad it got to stick around for its fans, though.

[R.K.Z]

From the sound of things, it dodged cancellation several times during the course of those 12 years.

Glad it got to stick around for its fans, though.

Well, Quesada was one of those big fans. Another reason why I don't think he should quite as vilified as he's made out to be when it comes to the marriage. There was only ever really one year-and-a-half he spent as Editor-In-Cheif without it in the regular market before he got the promotion (2011), and even then it was still kicking about somewhere