The Dying And The Dead #2

[Ragdoll]

This and the new Manhattan Projects delays are killing me. I can't wait til Secret Wars ends. I like it, but I like these series much more and can't wait for him to get back to these types of projects. Especially since he has said he plans to take a long Marvel break after SW concludes. I bet he is feeling that Grant Morrison style ennui need of being sick to death of superhero comics and needing to get back to his trippy vanity projects for a couple years.

[Mjolnir]

Ugh. Just checked the latest shipping updates and issue #3 isn't scheduled now until August 5th! This is the like the 3rd date move in almost three weeks. Unbelievable that it'll be 4 months between issues if it doesn't move anymore. At this point I blame Hickman too on top of Bodenheim. Hickman should have learned his lesson with working with him in the past and should have gotten a promise of no more than 4 issues in the can before this thing was even solicited. I know Bodenheim has a Twitter account, but I don't. I've been wanting to sign up for one just to try and ask him when this series will pick up and see issues coming at a regular pace. He posts a lot about going to conventions and doing a lot of commissions. Maybe this is why it's taking him so long? The other part of me is maybe thinking that this thing was solicited as an ongoing, but Bodenheim's slow pace messed things up so maybe Hickman changed his scripts to finish the story much quicker than he intended and that of course messed with the Bodenheim's art pace even more? I don't know. Ultimately we don't know what is really going on, but I just find it really aggravating and almost unprofessional at this point. I really wish now that issues #1 and #2 never saw the light of day because we will never see all seven issues published. We won't. And if we do, it'll be when Bodenheim as no other distractions other than drawing this book, or Hickman says eff it and finds someone else to finish the story.

[InformationGeek]

The date has been changed again?! OH COME ON!!! This is frickin' embarrassing and insulting now. There's no more momentum for this book and it truly frustrates the hell out of me. I thought the second issue was an improvement over the first, so I've been curious to see how Hickman would follow it up. Now? I'm just tired and want the book out now.

[Ragdoll]

I had a feeling this was coming, with the Secret Wars delays and all.
Also, I'm more excited for more Manhattan Projects than this series.

[Joker]

Any Hickman Bodenheim project ever not fall drastically behind? Answer: no. It's about having realistic expectations.

[InformationGeek]

Any Hickman Bodenheim project ever not fall drastically behind? Answer: no. It's about having realistic expectations.

I don't know. This is the first book I ever read by this particular creative team being together.

If this is usual thing... shouldn't they not even bother putting out issues until they are almost near completion then? I rather they wait until they have a ton of issues ready to go instead of having such a terrible release schedule. Otherwise, how do you grow and keep an audience's interest in a book when an issue barely comes out every three to four months?

[Jackmando7]

I don't know. This is the first book I ever read by this particular creative team being together.

If this is usual thing... shouldn't they not even bother putting out issues until they are almost near completion then? I rather they wait until they have a ton of issues ready to go instead of having such a terrible release schedule. Otherwise, how do you grow and keep an audience's interest in a book when an issue barely comes out every three to four months?

This is how I feel too. At this point, I really don't remember who any of the characters are or why I should care about them.

[caramon]

Well that means I will wait untill all 7 issues have been released and read it in one go. I don't like this but I like the book enough to wait for it :-)

[hawkeyefan]

I don't know. This is the first book I ever read by this particular creative team being together.

If this is usual thing... shouldn't they not even bother putting out issues until they are almost near completion then? I rather they wait until they have a ton of issues ready to go instead of having such a terrible release schedule. Otherwise, how do you grow and keep an audience's interest in a book when an issue barely comes out every three to four months?

While I do understand how you feel, I don't think it's universal. I personally don't mind the delays. Of course I'd prefer a more timely shedule, but when delays happen, I just roll with it. Seems a lot of other readers feel the same if the book maintains its numbers.

With a delay like this, for me it's an acid test. If it's a book I like, then I'll usually find myself rereading the last issue or arc just before the new issue finally drops. Which is cool because I usually enjoy a second reading. If not, then it's a sign that the book isn't worth following, or at least that I'm better off waiting on the trade.

I like Hickman's work, so I find both this book and Manhattan Projects worth waiting on.

[InformationGeek]

While I do understand how you feel, I don't think it's universal. I personally don't mind the delays. Of course I'd prefer a more timely shedule, but when delays happen, I just roll with it. Seems a lot of other readers feel the same if the book maintains its numbers.

With a delay like this, for me it's an acid test. If it's a book I like, then I'll usually find myself rereading the last issue or arc just before the new issue finally drops. Which is cool because I usually enjoy a second reading. If not, then it's a sign that the book isn't worth following, or at least that I'm better off waiting on the trade.

I like Hickman's work, so I find both this book and Manhattan Projects worth waiting on.

Fair enough.


On a related note, according to Image's website, the third issue is now schedule for August 26.

[hawkeyefan]

Fair enough.


On a related note, according to Image's website, the third issue is now schedule for August 26.

Ha well I went into this with the expectation that the release schedule would be erratic at best, so that makes it easier to accept. Don't get me wrong, I can't blame anyone for being frustrated with the delays, I was just explaining my stance on delayed books. Most truly exceptional comics struggle at some point with a monthly schedule. The only exception that I can think of is Preacher...that book came out pretty much like clockwork, from what I can recall. So I think because of that, I'm more willing to look past lateness.

And it's way too early for me to classify this book as "truly exceptional", but I've found it intriguing enough to keep me interested despite the delays. I checked this thread specifically to find out if I'd missed an issue.

Hopefully, when Secret Wars is over, all of Hickman's creator owned books will get back to a more regular release schedule.

[Jackmando7]

Ha well I went into this with the expectation that the release schedule would be erratic at best, so that makes it easier to accept. Don't get me wrong, I can't blame anyone for being frustrated with the delays, I was just explaining my stance on delayed books. Most truly exceptional comics struggle at some point with a monthly schedule. The only exception that I can think of is Preacher...that book came out pretty much like clockwork, from what I can recall. So I think because of that, I'm more willing to look past lateness.

And it's way too early for me to classify this book as "truly exceptional", but I've found it intriguing enough to keep me interested despite the delays. I checked this thread specifically to find out if I'd missed an issue.

Hopefully, when Secret Wars is over, all of Hickman's creator owned books will get back to a more regular release schedule.

I can understand if an ongoing monthly book has problems hitting their release date month in and month out. But this is a 7 issue mini (I think) and we are only 2 issues in. If it would have kept to a monthly schedule this story would have finished this month.

[Mjolnir]

Well that means I will wait untill all 7 issues have been released and read it in one go. I don't like this but I like the book enough to wait for it :-)

That's what I'm doing now. I read issues 1 and 2 and loved them. However, from here on out, since there as been such a huge gap between April 1 and supposedly August 26, I'm waiting for all 7 issues to be out, and then re-read issue 1 and 2 and read the rest in one sitting. I just can't read a book with this kind of erratic scheduling.

Hickman acknowledged the delays with both Dying and the Dead and East of West and said at the time of Comic Con they would be going to press in a couple of weeks. Which I don't think happened considering the updated release dates for both books (East of West #20 now scheduled for August 19. Issue #19 came out May 13). With his workload at Marvel winding down, he was hoping for a more regular schedule for both books. When he said that it got me thinking as to how much of the delays on East of West and more so Dying and the Dead is more on him than the artists. That Hickman might not have been getting scripts to Ryan Bodenheim and Nick Dragotta in a timely enough matter. Which hurt DatD more than EoW because of Bodenheim's slower pace.

Hickman and Dragotta had originally wanted to put out 10 issues a year for a 5 year 50 issue run for the series. But so far they're not on their way to achieving that. East of West's shipping has been inconsistent since it came back from it's 4 month hiatus in December.

[InformationGeek]

Okay, update time. The Dying and the Dead #3 has been pushed back again to September 2nd. On the plus side, it seems like the comic is not getting pushed back as far as usual...

[Evan Meadow]

Issues 4 through 7 of Dying and Dead have been cancelled to be resolicited.