Return of classic Defenders in Dec

[Thor-El]

Doctor Strange has an ongoing. And honestly if I'm asking for more characters, is because I don't give a huge damn about this roster. Why should I buy a series that features characters I'm not interested at all? Is there any reason I should be excited or happy for these characters having an ongoing together?
Also I'm not very fond of the art, it's not a style I like, if there were characters that I cared for, I could give it a chance (like with the last run of the Thunderbolts whose art was fugly because of Malin).

I'll never understand the reasoning for people posting in threads featuring characters that they don't like. It is a waste of your time and a waste of everyone's else time. We all have characters we don't like but the Defenders are Namor, Hulk, Dr. Strange and Silver Surfer first and foremost, just like the Avengers are Thor, Cap and Iron Man first and then the plethora of other heroes that at one point belonged to the group. If after a big hiatus of Avengers publication I want a group made of Sersi, Century, Black Knight and Crystal and it is going to relaunch with the core members I'm going to sound really negative complaining because the group doesn't includes that particular lineup I like.

[Thor-El]

I love Greg Smallwood's art, Doc Strange is getting all the great artists rn + Al Ewing might be dealing with the horrible misfire of Surfer's status quo with Galactus.

Wish Bunn was on Namor so we could get Loa, but I guess this will be yet another sausage fest with no POC.

Where else do you have a "sausage fest" right now in the marvel universe? If indeed this was an all male group, which I doubt, it will be a first. And for POC is not like Namor and Surfer belong to any singular race.

[The tall man]

Meanwhile there is a thread where people are overjoyed at the prospect of Gail Simone possibly writing a all female book. Though its probably the Domino book. All female team book (good/awesome/wonderful). All male team book (bad/sexist/sausage fest). Funny how people view things and the double standard that's at play. I look forward to this book.

[Mike_Murdock]

I honestly don't think that it is about that at all. I'm also fairly certain no one at a Marvel said "Let's not add any female characters because they don't sell" or anything close to that when creating these books. It's clearly a harkening to something that was familiar to give it a push.

Anyone who is familiar with the Defenders would expect to see her on the team. She joined the team in issue #4 and stayed with it for a long time. And before anyone tries to argue that she wasn't there in issue #1, neither was the Silver Surfer. If you were to ask me what the iconic, classic, or even original lineup of the Defenders was, I'd probably think of Doctor Strange, Namor, the Hulk, and Valkyrie.

Essh, why does everything on this forum have to be coated with evil intent.

Something can be done lazily and ignorantly without being done with evil intent, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be criticized.

[Digifiend]

Surfer joined in issue 8 - and split not long after. If he's a founder, Val definitely is. I can only imagine that Asgardians of the Galaxy locked her out.

[Thor-El]

Anyone who is familiar with the Defenders would expect to see her on the team. She joined the team in issue #4 and stayed with it for a long time. And before anyone tries to argue that she wasn't there in issue #1, neither was the Silver Surfer. If you were to ask me what the iconic, classic, or even original lineup of the Defenders was, I'd probably think of Doctor Strange, Namor, the Hulk, and Valkyrie.
Something can be done lazily and ignorantly without being done with evil intent, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be criticized.

It makes perfect sense to me. Just like Ant-Man and the Wasp were there before Captain America but they don't get to be part of "the big three". It comes down to popularity. Its much bigger a deal to have a group made of Hulk, Namor, Dr. Strange and Silver Surfer than one that replaces Surfer with Valkyrie.

[Frontier]

I thought this would perhaps explain why they didn't bother to relaunch or continue Bendis' Defenders under a different writer, but it doesn't seem like they're putting that much effort into bringing the original Defenders brand back either, 'cause they didn't even bother to name the mini ''Defenders'' for the most part. LOL Unless this is leading to an actual new book, it seems like a weird, random move that I'm not particularly crazy about, as nostalgia for the main 4 alone doesn't really appeal to me. The Defenders were at their best when other characters joined in.

Well, I think throwing in "defense" in the title for each one-shot serves that role somewhat admirably .

It also probably helps that they want to market these one-shots as character-specific first and team-specific second.

This book is 3/4 antagonistic characters. Silver surfer is the herald of galactus again, Hulk is off the reservation, and will be fighting the avengers as will namor. Strange is parting ways with the avengers after the first arc: maybe this team will be a counterpoint to the avengers

I wonder if Strange will be re-powered by the time of this one-shot (until he is inevitably de-powered again).

And yeah, this team is the absolute heaviest hitters. They really should be regarded as the last line of defense in the MU.

Pretty much every Marvel team becomes "the last line of defense in the MU" at some point ,

Not going to lie....I really liked the Street Level Team with Luke, DD, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist and I wish they could have gotten more of a shot. However, I can't say that I am disappointed that it looks like the band is back together.

I kinda do have to wrap my head around Marvel going back to the original Defenders instead of promoting the Netflix brand, especially when the last volume didn't sell that badly.

I guess the writers (and probably Ewing chiefly) had a really good pitch.

[Prof. Warren]

Pretty much every Marvel team becomes "the last line of defense in the MU" at some point ,

Yes, even Power Pack!

But any team that has Hulk, Namor, Surfer, and Strange on it is definitely more equipped than most to throw down with the biggest threats the MU has.

If anything, the fact that it's such a powerhouse group makes it difficult to give them actual challenge.

[Grapeweasel]

Everyone know the real Defenders are Hulk, Dumb Magician, Girl, and Bird-Nose.

[Digifiend]

I kinda do have to wrap my head around Marvel going back to the original Defenders instead of promoting the Netflix brand, especially when the last volume didn't sell that badly.

I guess the writers (and probably Ewing chiefly) had a really good pitch.

They can still use the Netflix team. Rename them New Avengers. The four were all on the Heroic Age version of that team.

[responsarbre]

I LOVE that Smallwood is drawing Strange (hopefully leading to more work in the future?) and I love that Ewing is the one handling the actual Defenders issue where they all team up. It would be cool if this leads to an ongoing, but this looks like more of the same sort of 2018 Marvel stuff where they announce a bunch of one-shots and minis as stopgaps in the schedule.

Thing is, the Netflix Defenders should really be called either Heroes for Hire or New/Mighty Avengers.

Yeah Netflix Defenders are way closer in concept to the original Marvel Knights teams from the 90s or Heroes for Hire. I think a few people were scared that the Defenders brand was going to be lost forever to synergy, so this is kind of nice to see.

Surfer joined in issue 8 - and split not long after. If he's a founder, Val definitely is. I can only imagine that Asgardians of the Galaxy locked her out.

Though, of course, Strange having his own ongoing and being on the Avengers and in Infinity Wars doesn't lock him out ... nor does Hulk's ongoing I understand the logic of certain characters being barred from certain other appearances, but it almost always seems to apply to the less prominent ones first.

[Digifiend]

It's because AOTG is set in space, you can't be in two places at once. If she was in Avengers or something, there'd be no problem with double duty.

[The Negative Zone]

This is pretty surprising. Though I sort of question why Hulk gets a one shot, and how Hulk is going to be on a team. Immortal Hulk doesn't seem like a team player.

[DrNewGod]

This suggests one thing to me: Netflix has no where near the pull with Marvel editorial that Feige's office enjoys.

[Frontier]

This suggests one thing to me: Netflix has no where near the pull with Marvel editorial that Feige's office enjoys.

Well, the TV side is definitely not as prolific as the movie side, granted I don't think Feige and his people have any involvement in the comics aside from drawing from the source material.