NEW JOE FRIDAYS: WEEK 49

[MattBrady]

<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NewJoeFridays49.html"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NJF49art/HULK_t.jpg" Border="0" align=right></a><i>This week, updates on a couple of Marvel anthologies in the works… Travis Charest drawing Cap..? Some more on that tentacle thing… and of course, reader questions…</i>

<b>Newsarama: First of all Joe, over last weekend <a href=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=114167>we ran a news item</a> about what is apparently the other, second anthology you are developing along with <b>Marvel Comics Presents</b>…

What can you tell readers about that? Would it be accurately described as an “indy anthology” as a creator involved has described it?

JQ</B>: You know, I can speak volumes about this, but why don’t I give the floor to Assistant Editor, Aubrey Sitterson, who is spearheading the project.

<b>Aubrey Sitterson</b>: Indy Anthology is definitely the most accurate term you could use to describe the book. It's going to be a five-issue limited series (we're still hammering out what its name will be), with an eye towards the imminent trade paperback collection. Each issue will contain a 10-page lead story done by a creator that you'll be familiar with (but not for their Marvel work) followed by three or four shorter stories by folks I'm hoping are new to our readers - but every bit as exciting, trust me. Due to the nature of the project, it's a difficult thing to schedule with any certainty this far out, but we're looking at a late-'07, early '08 release...

Click <a href=http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NewJoeFridays49.html>here</a> for the full Q&A...

[lisiecki2]

hmm WWH looks intresting
but i know ill never buy it :(

[si, rodrigo]

That is one sweet Yu cover.

[victor lanza]

At least someone (Clint) is wearing the costume on the cover of New Avengers #34!!!

[Potatoeguru]

Not too sure what to make of the "Spidey Corps" photo there. I'm hoping those are alternate universe Spider-Me... well, I don't guess "Men" would apply... Spider-Things?

re: Avengers 33

I wonder if the "game changer" from an earlier issue is why the the roster seems to be in alternate costumes (Iron Fist), different sexes (Daredevil) or no costumes at all (Spider-Man)

[si, rodrigo]

Not too sure what to make of the "Spidey Corps" photo there. I'm hoping those are alternate universe Spider-Me... well, I don't guess "Men" would apply... Spider-Things?

re: Avengers 33

I wonder if the "game changer" from an earlier issue is why the the roster seems to be in alternate costumes (Iron Fist), different sexes (Daredevil) or no costumes at all (Spider-Man)
I think female daredevil is supposed to be Echo. I'm confused as to why Jewel is in costume and why no spider-woman.

[protege]

I'm really not sure what to make of the fact that the YA- WWH one shot won't be happening, except that for a team that had a lot of potential, marvel sure blew it with them. Happy hogan is dead? Whatever will become of pepper potts?

[Beheader]

I think female daredevil is supposed to be Echo.

With implants.

[Somebody]

http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NJF49art/MCPV2001018s.jpg

Wasn't that an arc of the 90s Spidey cartoon?

[Fredy2k3]

The Spidey pages are from Olivier Coipel ?!

[Speedball93]

The one goddamn book out of this whole WWH mess that I was actually going to get was the Young Avengers oneshot. What the fu@# happened? Either Joey Q hates the YA, or they just aren't destined to have any exposure. If it wasn't for New Warriors and Nova I would be totally ready to drop Marvel all together. It feels like any books or characters that I want to read about get killed, radically changed to the point of non-recognition, or never see print for years at a time. Frustration would be an understatement.

[rwe1138]

http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NJF49art/MCPV2001018s.jpg

Wasn't that an arc of the 90s Spidey cartoon?
Yeah, but with a lot less Spideys. This looks interesting.

[Somebody]

All Clint has done ninja-like so far is wield a sword and look good in black, so nothing has happened that falls from the character. Look back to his years with swordsman, his time as giant man, his training as Hawkeye and the retraining he had as an Avenger under Cap and you'll find plenty that leads Clint up to this place. In fact, we'll be illustrating just that in issue #33.
Well, he's the character whose origin story involves someone trying to train him in swordsmanship and him flunking completely due to having no aptitude at all for bladework. *shrugs*

[Prometheus3]

Nothing new this week unfortunately.

[si, rodrigo]

Well, he's the character whose origin story involves someone trying to train him in swordsmanship and him flunking completely due to having no aptitude at all for bladework. *shrugs*
One would think he's learned something since that day. I mean he was pretty good with Cap's shield too so I'd assume he's good ( or better then he was) at picking up weapons and using them.

[Squeege63]

Is it just me or did Bendis inadvertently give a spoiler to the end of Avengers #31 when he said You will get more of Clint and his new identity and whether he keeps it or not in very recent upcoming issues. Unless he dies at the hand of Hydra leader Nick Fury at the end of #31, or Ultron might make him into a Japanese school girl, or really he's the Beyonder, or... wait, maybe Clint could be Master Chief.

Unless he is just saying stupid stuff, as FUry seems to be pretty tied up in Captain America at the moment.

[Somebody]

One would think he's learned something since that day. I mean he was pretty good with Cap's shield too so I'd assume he's good ( or better then he was) at picking up weapons and using them.
That was a projectile thing though - he's good with aiming and throwing (there's a couple of borderline ridiculous scenes in that line in the last Hawkeye series - which don't involve a bow or arrow), and he never actually uses the shield in anger as a shield. Swords/quarterstaffs/etc are very different to projectiles - and even to unarmed combat.

[Bevbos]

What the hell is up with that New Avengers cover? Jewel? Female DD? Captain America back from the dead? what what what?

And Potatoeguru... what is the "game changer" to which you refer?

oy, my head hurts...

And did he mention Loeb on Young Avengers there...?

[TedKordLives]

I seriously can't believe more people aren't exploding about the Nick Fury/Hydra thing!


Real??? Fake???

WHA??!?!?!

[GrimJack]

Brian Bendis: I'm writing too many books.

Anyone care to bet on the amount of time before the first post agreeing with this sentiment...?

[Omega Flyer]

Is it just me or did Bendis inadvertently give a spoiler to the end of Avengers #31 when he said

Unless he is just saying stupid stuff, as FUry seems to be pretty tied up in Captain America at the moment.

I think he was just saying stupid stuff in an attempt to make fun of all of the rumours and to allow a remark about how many titles he writes (we get it Bendis :rolleyes: :p )

[si, rodrigo]

I seriously can't believe more people aren't exploding about the Nick Fury/Hydra thing!


Real??? Fake???

WHA??!?!?!


He probably read it off Millarworld or heard about and is having some fun.

[Somebody]

What the hell is up with that New Avengers cover? Jewel? Female DD? Captain America back from the dead? what what what?
They're all in either old [not necessarily costumed] looks (Cage, Parker, Capkeye [nominally], Wolverine, Jewel, Strange from his Tempo period), looks of characters related to them [Echo, Capkeye] or just plain weird [Iron Fist].

Alternate New Avengers.

[TedKordLives]

Man, that would be a great reveal though. It would explain everything about Jessica Drew's behavior, AND it would be a pretty big impact on the state of affairs.

[astronato]

JQ: Also, now that we have a solid bookstore business, we feel that a project like this has legs beyond the traditional comics market and that’s good for everyone.

See that is the stuff I would love to see a follow up question on. How solid is the bookstore business? If it's true, and I have no reason to doubt it is, cool. Go Joe! But that side of the comic biz (and newstands and subscriptions) are interesting and deserve more attention.


And about Joe's comments on Iron Man. Spot on I thought. Iron Man is a) everywhere (yay!) and b) the most interesting and conflicted character in superhero comics. My only complaint about the whole Civil War thing is that now that the CW series itself is over, we don't see as much of the majority public support he has. We get a lot of mopey superheroes upset that they have to obey the law (which is fine) but I'd like to see more balance.

And please keep the Knaufs and De La Torre on the Iron Man book. I am really enjoying their run, especially as of late.

[khuxford]

You will get more of Clint and his new identity and whether he keeps it or not in very recent upcoming issues.

Ummmm...that phrase doesn't compute. :D

[protege]

I seriously can't believe more people aren't exploding about the Nick Fury/Hydra thing!


Real??? Fake???

WHA??!?!?!
Huh. i missed that one. maybe Fury's a double agent, like Spider Woman is, or was brainwashed.

[leahcim]

Cheese and crackers! Patsy looks amazing! Woo-woo!

[astronato]

oh yeah...i forgot Patsy Walker.

I love it!

http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NJF49art/MCP_HC01003.jpg

[TheMightyGeek]

What, now Hawkeye's a Master Chef? What the --?

[TheMightyGeek]

Ummmm...that phrase doesn't compute. :D

Dude, he's a writer. What did you expect?

[Joe Henderson]

Huh. i missed that one. maybe Fury's a double agent, like Spider Woman is, or was brainwashed.

It's been a favorite theory at Bendis Board and I assume many other places, but he's joking. Unless you think that he's also loaning Hawkeye out to the Halo world, it's his humorous way of debunking it.

[bebopeva88]

The NA cover seems to portray the members at earlier points in their lives, or is an idealization of how they wish things were, and Bendis was clearly joking about the much hyped NA #31 reveal -- let's all use our thinking caps here people.

The Spidey art looks like Land.

The Coipel Thor cover and the NA #34 covers are sweet, and Immonen's MCP stuff looks great as well.

[The Champion]

http://www.imagefilez.com/out.php/i110733_MarvelComicsPre.jpg (http://www.imagefilez.com)
It's the Spideyosity!



Only those who've read Alan Moore's Supreme will get that reference. :)

[artiepants]

man, Yu and Immonen pretty much rock.

[themanyouhat]

The Spidey pages are from Olivier Coipel ?!

Looks more like Clayton Henry to me.

The Hellcat is definitely Immonen.

[Wonder Boy]

League of Intergalactic Spider-Peoples?

[bebopeva88]

I wonder if the image is a representation of what each character would ideally like to be -- Jess as Jewel without any bad stuff, Pete as a young guy with powers and Uncle Ben still alive, Logan in Japan, Strange as a surgeon sorcerer supreme, Luke rockin the 70's, etc.

Anyone know the artist on the Hulk pic at the beginning of the column? It's nice.

Travis Charest on Cap (or anything from Marvel) literally made my heart skip a beat. He's simply incredible. His Captain America print from a while ago was gorgeous.

http://plaza.ufl.edu/markie/jpg/tc_cap.jpg

http://i8.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/a1/1a/8751_1.JPG

http://www.travischarestgallery.com/images/cap07.jpg

[Dream Boy]

Cheese and crackers! Patsy looks amazing! Woo-woo!

Yeah, those pages alone have me more excited than anything else he mentioned. HUGE Hellcat fan. So, I'm happy to see Patsy get some shine.

[Johnny Smith]

Brian Bendis: I'm writing too many books.

Please drop one of your Avengers titles :p

[Mike Thompson]

The Indy project sounds marvelous, but I'm very bummed that it is not a recurring project/ongoing/or series of mini-series. There are so many fresh young talents out there literally chomping at the bit to showcase their work to a larger mainstream audience. C'mon, Joe. Help new guys get some well-deserved publicity. PLEASE?

[themanyouhat]

Yeah, those pages alone have me more excited than anything else he mentioned. HUGE Hellcat fan. So, I'm happy to see Patsy get some shine.

Just wait til the new Hitch/Millar book starts.

[Bananaman]

looks like there rippin on th Cap Britain Corps
Arachnids Unite!

[wraith]

http://www.newsarama.com/NewJoeFridays/NJF49art/MCPV2001018s.jpg

Wasn't that an arc of the 90s Spidey cartoon?

Yes it was. Now the question is whether or not the creators involved in this upcoming story will admit that they were influenced by that story arc in the 90's Spider-Man cartoon.

[Potatoeguru]

And Potatoeguru... what is the "game changer" to which you refer?



From Lying in the Gutter over at Comic Book Resources:

Joe Quesada and Brian Bendis have dropped non-too-subtle hints that the last page of "New Avengers" #31 will have universe-changing implications for the Marvel Universe.

Now, I'd hate to drop spoilers for something Marvel have been building up for so long. But I'm told by a good source that this issue will be the start of the events that make up the 2008 mega-Marvel crossover thing.

As far as I can tell, there's no way certain retailers will have ordered enough copies. This isn't a "Captain America" #25 moment; it's more of a "Civil War" #1. So if you want a copy, either reserve it, camp out, or wait and see how much Wizard are selling them for on eBay.


There's a spoiler [last time I checked it was purely speculative] discussion going on at:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=114536

[Prometheus3]

Please drop one of your Avengers titles :p
That would be nice. :)

[motteditor]

Q: Oh, and not that I think you'll answer this part yet, but what's next for She-Hulk and for Slott?
JQ: For She-Hulk, issue #19. For Dan Slott, scripting She-Hulk #19.

Ouch. Walked into that one, didn't I ... ? Made me laugh, though.

When are the cons coming up? I want to know who's taking over She-Hulk post-Slott...

[motteditor]

What, now Hawkeye's a Master Chef? What the --?

He did do celebratory barbecues after successful West Coast Avengers missions...

[Kolimar]

Hm, every time I see Immonen's modern style I feel something's off. It's attractive but it's a bit too cartoony and his old style was simply perfect.

[cookepuss]

I'm glad that JoeQ mentioned the DeFalco/Frenz/Olliffe run on Spider-Girl. For those people say that lengthy runs don't exist anymore (outside of Bendis/Bagley) this trio has been bringing the heat for nearly a decade now.

(Lots of classic old school Marvel fun for those of you who haven't actually read it.)

With the exception of maybe 2 issues, DeFalco himself has been writing this book and its spinoffs/limiteds since 1998. It might not be an uninterrupted run, but its definite proof that such things still exist.

I think that part of the problem with high turnover rates is with writers who overextend themselves by being on too many books and artists who seemingly can't keep pace. For every Mark Bagley & Brian Bendis', you've got a dozen Bryan Hitch & Damon Lindoffs. (High profile talent isn't always what its cracked up to be. The trade off is usually extreme lateness or outright creator swaps.)

[nickmaynard]

Yes it was. Now the question is whether or not the creators involved in this upcoming story will admit that they were influenced by that story arc in the 90's Spider-Man cartoon.
newsflash - the cartoon didnt make it up.

[Rawle Austin]

I'm loving a lot of Marvel's current output at the moment. World War Hulk looks fantastic as was Civil War.

Would be interesting to see Blade join the New Avengers as I don't think he's ever been a member and his methods would fit in nicely.

Joe Q and the team are flying high, long may it continue!

Growler:cool:

[comicfanuk]

No World War Hulk Young Avengers one-shot? ARG!!! That and X-Men was the only WWH I was going to pick up.

I must say, I am getting a little tried of YA things being anouced, then dropped. I wish they'd let some one else write Vol2, because otherwise we'll never see it... *sighs*

[RedRonin]

I wonder if the image is a representation of what each character would ideally like to be -- Jess as Jewel without any bad stuff, Pete as a young guy with powers and Uncle Ben still alive, Logan in Japan, Strange as a surgeon sorcerer supreme, Luke rockin the 70's, etc. Yeah like Matt Murdock being a woman.;) BUt I think you're on to something. Also, Yu makes the 70's Cage work. He is awesome.

Anyone know the artist on the Hulk pic at the beginning of the column? It's nice. I almost thought it was Charest at first, I'm pretty sure it's McNiven.

Immomen is amazing. That's all lI have to say about that.

And those Iron Man pages are looking pretty good too.

[Devan]

The Hulk pic could be by Tom Raney (although he's currently working on Annihilation: Conquest).

Just a guess.

[JohnLynch]

Here are some non-exhaustive stats on how long people's runs lasted for on books outside of Stan Lee (who was a maniac) during the 60s and 70s:
* Roy Thomas on Amazing Spider-Man: 4 issues
* Gerry Conway on Amazing Spider-Man: 38 issues
* Len Wein on Amazing Spider-Man: 29 issues
* Marv Wolfman on Amazing Spider-Man: 24 issues
* Roy Thomas on Daredevil: 18 issues
* Gerry Conway on Daredevil: 26 issues
* Steve Gerber on Daredevil: 17 issues
* Tony Isabella on Daredevil: 4 issues
* Marv Wolfman on Daredevil: 19 issues
* Jim Shooter on Daredevil: 6 issues
* Roger McKenzie on Daredevil: 15 issues
* Gary Friedrich on Captain America: 7 issues
* Gerry Conway on Captain America: 4 issues
* Steve Englehart on Captain America: 33 issues
* Jack Kirby on Captain America as writer: 21 issues
* Roger McKenzie on Captain America: 9 issues
* Archie Goodwin on Iron Man: 28 issues
* Allyn Brodsky on Iron Man: 8 issues
* Gerry Conway on Iron Man: 8 issues
* Mike Friedrich on Iron Man: 33 issues (with lots of fill-ins)
* Bill Mantlo on Iron Man: 17 issues
* Bob Layton on Iron Man: 33 issues

So that non-scientific sampling to me says there were long runs and short runs. Much like now. Although I'm sure someone else could be more precise and exhaustive, that might alter the picture somewhat when compared with todays runs.

[Armoured Gideon]

<b>"I've really been wondering about Clint Barton being Ronin." </b>

Some of us don't buy our comics every week - I won't be getting mine til next Sunday - and this was a whopping great spoiler for me.

No telegraphing at all, which is very disappointing from Newsarama, which is normally conscientious about such things.

This means I have to effectively consider avoiding the site except for those days immediately following me picking up my monthly stack.

[si, rodrigo]

<b>"I've really been wondering about Clint Barton being Ronin." </b>

Some of us don't buy our comics every week - I won't be getting mine til next Sunday - and this was a whopping great spoiler for me.

No telegraphing at all, which is very disappointing from Newsarama, which is normally conscientious about such things.

This means I have to effectively consider avoiding the site except for those days immediately following me picking up my monthly stack.
Sorry dude that really sucks, but how long do they have to consider stuff spoilers? Most people get their comics faster than once a month so they aren't affected by that. If you have decided to wait a month to pick up your comics, then you have to be responsible and stay away from articles like these that will probably have spoilers.

[MichaelH]

If the indy anthology is only going to be five issues anyway and Marvel is not expecting the book to be a huge seller in comic book form, why don't they just release it as a book in the first place ? I will probably wait for the collected edition and place it next to the two Bizarro Comics books.

[IronWolf]

"Now here’s the way I see it. I’m Hispanic, and there is a serious lack of Hispanic representation in comics today, so I’d personally love to see more Hispanics as lead characters or heroes in the future. However, by me asking for and desiring that kind of inclusion into the world of mainstream comics, I have to accept all that comes with that. Heroes are placed into dangerous situations, sometimes heroes get killed, sometimes they get placed into torturous peril and yes, sometimes they get attacked by the Brood. For me to ask for inclusion and then to find exception to the things that come with that inclusion is then in effect me asking for special treatment and exclusion from the process"-Joe Q

Big Props to joe I respect this opinion and gree 100% , I've been reading comics for years and i love the fact that now more than ever we are getting more and more different takes on heroes and villans. I enjoy seing more black,hispanic,gay,asian ect ect..in comics its great it realy reflects the diversity of the fan base and it just makes sense. Fantastic point by joe must respect.

[MichaelH]

Ummmm...that phrase doesn't compute. :D

Maybe Bendis is applying quantum theory to his books now. They are both recent and upcoming at the same time. :D

[chard5000]

"I'm writing too many books. "

Couldn't agree more. How about we give some of those books to more deserving and appropriate writers.

[cookepuss]

[B]"Now here’s the way I see it. I’m Hispanic, and there is a serious lack of Hispanic representation in comics today, so I’d personally love to see more Hispanics as lead characters or heroes in the future. However, by me asking for and desiring that kind of inclusion into the world of mainstream comics, I have to accept all that comes with that. Heroes are placed into dangerous situations, sometimes heroes get killed, sometimes they get placed into torturous peril and yes, sometimes they get attacked by the Brood. For me to ask for inclusion and then to find exception to the things that come with that inclusion is then in effect me asking for special treatment and exclusion from the process"-Joe Q

Big Props to joe I respect this opinion and gree 100% , I've been reading comics for years and i love the fact that now more than ever we are getting more and more different takes on heroes and villans. I enjoy seing more black,hispanic,gay,asian ect ect..in comics its great it realy reflects the diversity of the fan base and it just makes sense. Fantastic point by joe must respect.
You're right he does make a point. If you want your group to be represented then you've got to take the lumps associated with the field.

The only exception I take with inclusion is in terms of characterization and the shallow stereotypes therein. I absolutely hate the way characters of color are portrayed in comics. As a male of Hispanic descent, I have never found myself speaking Spanglish, dealing with gang issues, or engaging in weird voodoo-like religious practices. Comics such as Arana & Blue Beetle have always seemed like pandering, inclusion for the sake of inclusion.

Do you want the truth about Hispanic people? We don't come from cookie cutters. The stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. They only represent a small cross-section of the population.

Not all of us were poor little kids, products of a bad public education. I come from an upper/middle class background and attended prep schools. Not all of us speak broken English or Spanglish. Heck, I don't even speak Spanish at all. I do speak Italian, Greek, & Latin though. My accent? New Yorker, born & bred. Even then, not so much. Prep school & college pretty much beat that out of me. Not all of us are super breeder pope worshipping Catholics or are into wacky Santeria. Honestly, I'm an atheist and and have been such for 17 or 18 years of my 33 year life. Heck, my aunt's a practicing Buddhist & my sister's a Wiccan. Not all of us are bus boys or maids. My dad's a financial consultant with his own business. My Mom's a published novelist. My brother's a director of photography for a MS owned photo house. I'm an CG animator for my own visual effects studio. My little sis is a programmer.

My point.... (There is one.) If comics want to truly be an inclusive representation of the "melting pot" then they should also acknowledge that minorities are largely more integrated than popular media would have us believe. TV shows, movies and comics largely show you the lower class, which is where these stereotypes are coming from. JoeQ is a perfect example integration. For him to have ever given the thumbs up to publish something as clearly stereotypical as Arana was pretty embarrassing.

Anyway, just addressing your point & his. Inclusion's great, but not at the expense of characterization.

[JohnLynch]

As a male of Hispanic descent, I have never found myself speaking Spanglish, dealing with gang issues, or engaging in weird voodoo-like religious practices.As an Australian with very little knowledge of America, it doesn't seem like Blue Beetle (as I've never read an Arana book) has too many of these stereotypes. Points #2 and 3 are dealt with the fact that its a superhero comic (although I might be wrong, I don't remember any voodoo or drugs, then again I might have missed the most recent issue or two), while with the first I only know 1 person from Blue Beetle who speaks Spanglish, Paco. And he isn't portrayed as the smartest person and was derided by his friends (including a hispanic) for how he speaks.

[cookepuss]

Blue Beetle was only one example. Look at a comic like Cross Bronx. Some of that stuff there too.

[JohnLynch]

Blue Beetle was only one example. Look at a comic like Cross Bronx. Some of that stuff there too.Well I don't really go looking for comics just to see if it has bad stereotypes, but fair enough, I'll take your word on it ;)

[khuxford]

Yeah like Matt Murdock being a woman.;) BUt I think you're on to something. Also, Yu makes the 70's Cage work. He is awesome.

That'd be Echo, who probably admires Matt that much that she'd want to be just like him...

[Darthphere]

That'd be Echo, who probably admires Matt that much that she'd want to be just like him...

when she grows up.

[Verminous]

The one goddamn book out of this whole WWH mess that I was actually going to get was the Young Avengers oneshot. What the fu@# happened? Either Joey Q hates the YA, or they just aren't destined to have any exposure. If it wasn't for New Warriors and Nova I would be totally ready to drop Marvel all together. It feels like any books or characters that I want to read about get killed, radically changed to the point of non-recognition, or never see print for years at a time. Frustration would be an understatement.

Joe Q, hates YOU!;)

[The Guvnor]

The art for Iron Man and the New Avengers cover are great. As is the Marvel Comics Presents stuff, but it's a shame they don't have a release date for it yet.

Not really a surprise that the Loeb/Finch WWH book has been cancelled given that the scheduling on Fallen Son has gone down the crapper.

Can we expect Ultimate Annuals this year?

JQ: Sorry to say, spiderwars that there won’t be any for this year

Well, doesn't that kind of defeat the point of these types of books?

[skl183]

Bendis' reaction to the question tells the whole story behind all the crap going on with Avengers and Civil War. He's freaking overworked..MARVEL GIVE THE GUY A BREAK!

Oh and issue 34 we get the usual Lenil "too much hairspray" on the female Avenger look. All of his women look like they don't comb their hair.

Samurai Wooberiiinnee...I bet Clint is now the new Cap either him or Arnie Schwarzenegger.

[RedRonin]

That'd be Echo, who probably admires Matt that much that she'd want to be just like him... You assume it's Echo. It could be Jessica Jones, Dakota North, Foggy, or Matt himself. The possibilities are endless. ;)

[RedRonin]

[QUOTE=skl183]Oh and issue 34 we get the usual Lenil "too much hairspray" on the female Avenger look. All of his women look like they don't comb their hair.QUOTE] Well, if you had to run out at the drop of a hat to fight ninjas or what-have-you you might not always look your best either. ;)

[skl183]

I think female daredevil is supposed to be Echo.

Man that bitch, sure gets around...

[Darthphere]

Well, doesn't that kind of defeat the point of these types of books?

Not really, you could go years without an annual.

[DonaldKasper]

All Clint has done ninja-like so far is wield a sword and look good in black, so nothing has happened that falls from the character. Look back to his years with swordsman, his time as giant man, his training as Hawkeye and the retraining he had as an Avenger under Cap and you'll find plenty that leads Clint up to this place. In fact, we'll be illustrating just that in issue #33.

You will get more of Clint and his new identity and whether he keeps it or not in very recent upcoming issues. Unless he dies at the hand of Hydra leader Nick Fury at the end of #31, or Ultron might make him into a Japanese school girl, or really he's the Beyonder, or... wait, maybe Clint could be Master Chief.


Alright now. I'm a Bendis Fan Boy but he is full of crap. Saying that just because he dressed him up like a ninja it doesn't mean anything. You don't put an eye patch and a parrot on someone and try to say that they weren't trying to be a pirate why on earth would you say that about someone with the name Ronin?

[deadmerc]

Even though this Hellcat looks like a Catwoman ripoff, that art is gorgeous and I want to see more.

[edit] After checking out Hellcat, she doesn't seem like a ripoff. Her archie-like comic origin amuses me.

[artiepants]

<b>"I've really been wondering about Clint Barton being Ronin." </b>

Some of us don't buy our comics every week - I won't be getting mine til next Sunday - and this was a whopping great spoiler for me.

No telegraphing at all, which is very disappointing from Newsarama, which is normally conscientious about such things.

This means I have to effectively consider avoiding the site except for those days immediately following me picking up my monthly stack.
yeah, i usually only pick up my books very 2-3 weeks, you gotta know you have to tread lightly around NJF and pretty mcu he rest of the site, because stuff is gonna get spoiled.

if anything big happens on a given week, they ARE going to talk about it in NJF, it's the natureof the article....

[artiepants]

If the indy anthology is only going to be five issues anyway and Marvel is not expecting the book to be a huge seller in comic book form, why don't they just release it as a book in the first place ?
'cuz people will buy the singles.

[motteditor]

Not really, you could go years without an annual.

Not really. By definition, annual means it's done yearly.

[HNutz]

Thing is, though, the second year's annuals weren't nearly as good as the first, IMO.

Kinda curious about the Legion of Spider-Men....

[Darthphere]

Not really. By definition, annual means it's done yearly.

Yeah, but again, there are many comics that have gone years without one. By definition, you're correct, but by practice no so much.

[Lex]

Ah, once again Joe completely dismisses the concerns of his female readership. Way to go!

[IronWolf]

[B]
You're right he does make a point. If you want your group to be represented then you've got to take the lumps associated with the field.

The only exception I take with inclusion is in terms of characterization and the shallow stereotypes therein..........


You know i have to agree with you. The thing that can't get lost is that yes it is apreciated that other races and groups where included but the execution was sometimes bad. i get your argument it makes sense to me. its like just 'cos a character is of a certain race or ethnic group it dosent mean the writer has to try and cram every thing he has ever herd that group dose into the character. i get it i understand that its also just a way of getting across to the reader that this character happends to be from a certian plase or whathave you but i think we can get it now with out a heavy handed approach. So i do understand why it would be done but i think now the writers have gotten better at presenting the characters.

[ejulp]

dang it...i wish there would have been a spoiler for Ronin...I hadn't got the issue yet.

[pez dispenser]

Ah, once again Joe completely dismisses the concerns of his female readership. Way to go!

He did what now?
I must have read the wrong article again.

Don't get your panties bunched up in a knot there, sweetheart.

[WildcardZ]

And about Joe's comments on Iron Man. Spot on I thought. Iron Man is a) everywhere (yay!) and b) the most interesting and conflicted character in superhero comics. My only complaint about the whole Civil War thing is that now that the CW series itself is over, we don't see as much of the majority public support he has. We get a lot of mopey superheroes upset that they have to obey the law (which is fine) but I'd like to see more balance.

And please keep the Knaufs and De La Torre on the Iron Man book. I am really enjoying their run, especially as of late.
I have been pleasantly suprised by the Iron Man title. He is definitely far more interesting now than he was before Civil War. I was very disgusted with him in the beginning, but as I read Civil War and his own series, I found myself drawn more to the character (and I was against the SHRA). Job well done to Millar, the Knaufs, and Marvel for this bold and interesting move.

[WildcardZ]

Ah, once again Joe completely dismisses the concerns of his female readership. Way to go!
How so? He clearly said that there was no offense meant by the cover and apologized if it did. Did you even read the article?

[Johnny Smith]

[QUOTE][Originally Posted by Darthphere
Not really, you could go years without an annual.
/QUOTE]

Sadly, nowadays you can go a year without a monthly :(

[LOKICEL]

Ah, once again Joe completely dismisses the concerns of his female readership. Way to go!

They should cater to the minority of readers at the expense of the majority!:rolleyes:

[PowerFist]

I don't think it would be "catering" to the minority to treat it with respect nor at the expense of the majority.

[Bloodmage]

I don't think it would be "catering" to the minority to treat it with respect nor at the expense of the majority.

He apologized, he specified that there was no harm intended, he explained how the cover came about. I really don't see how he's disrespecting anyone or failing to acknowledge the concerns.

[JohnLynch]

Well, doesn't that kind of defeat the point of these types of books?Annuals haven't been yearly since, ever have they? There has been stints where they've been yearly for certain books, but I'm pretty sure they never lasted more then a decade. And definitely were never yearly company-wide. They certainly haven't been yearly for years now.

How so? He clearly said that there was no offense meant by the cover and apologized if it did. Did you even read the article?Clearly he dismisses their opinions if he doesn't immediately pull the book and make a new cover for it. After all, that wouldn't be prohibitively expensive, right?

[Yaw]

[B]
You're right he does make a point. If you want your group to be represented then you've got to take the lumps associated with the field.

The only exception I take with inclusion is in terms of characterization and the shallow stereotypes therein. I absolutely hate the way characters of color are portrayed in comics. As a male of Hispanic descent, I have never found myself speaking Spanglish, dealing with gang issues, or engaging in weird voodoo-like religious practices. Comics such as Arana & Blue Beetle have always seemed like pandering, inclusion for the sake of inclusion.

Do you want the truth about Hispanic people? We don't come from cookie cutters. The stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. They only represent a small cross-section of the population.

Not all of us were poor little kids, products of a bad public education. I come from an upper/middle class background and attended prep schools. Not all of us speak broken English or Spanglish. Heck, I don't even speak Spanish at all. I do speak Italian, Greek, & Latin though. My accent? New Yorker, born & bred. Even then, not so much. Prep school & college pretty much beat that out of me. Not all of us are super breeder pope worshipping Catholics or are into wacky Santeria. Honestly, I'm an atheist and and have been such for 17 or 18 years of my 33 year life. Heck, my aunt's a practicing Buddhist & my sister's a Wiccan. Not all of us are bus boys or maids. My dad's a financial consultant with his own business. My Mom's a published novelist. My brother's a director of photography for a MS owned photo house. I'm an CG animator for my own visual effects studio. My little sis is a programmer.

Nice of you to belittle other people's religions. You sit here and say all of this as if it should matter but newsflash when looking at a distribution of a population, no group is ever one way. Every heard of a bell curve? Well it is representative of a statistical design that shows how the distribution of the aspect in question, spreads out across a population. People are generally bunched up in certain areas, ie there is always some form of majority aspect in a given population. For instance, religion. If you were to look at the distributions of religions across people who label themselves "Hispanics," the numbers would be highest around Christian/Catholicism. Wicca would be very low on the distribution. The point here is that yes while Hispanics are very diverse in every aspect of being ( in this example religion) there are still common trends that are more prevalent than others. So when you complain about characters that are "stereotypical" heed your own advice and realize that the Hispanic population is extremely diverse. I tire of people erroneously complaining about "stereotypical" depictions of characters when in fact the historical issues with stereotypes concerned characters that were depicted in unsophisticated and negative ways that added no depth to characterization. These characters simply existed to be the stereotype and were so poorly represented that the character could not have been a real person. These characters were essentially non-human and caricatures.

This should never be confused with the portrayal of a character who may simply possess traits or similarities to common trends and practices associated with any particular ethnic group. Example: If Joe Q. creates a Hispanic male who derives his power from the dieties associated to Santeria then this character should not be dismissed as being "stereotypical" by this alone. What you should ask is whether or not there is depth to the character and does this association to Santeria provide an added layer of characterization that goes beyond simply have superpowers, i.e. does Santeria inform his views on life and influence his actions with other people? Is Santeria itself actually depicted in an accurate manner (from a liturgical and philosophical perspective)?

Some Hispanics DO speak Spanglish. But does it all sound the same? Do South Americans or Caribbean Latinos use the same terms? When I see a non-Mexican Latino use the terms "chicano" or "ese" I cringe. These are not terms embraced by all Latinos. However if the character is Mexican American and they use these terms in teh appropriate contexts then what is the problem? SOme people actually speak like this. Just because you feel it doesn't represent you personally remember what you said about hispanics and diversity.


My point.... (There is one.) If comics want to truly be an inclusive representation of the "melting pot" then they should also acknowledge that minorities are largely more integrated than popular media would have us believe. TV shows, movies and comics largely show you the lower class, which is where these stereotypes are coming from. JoeQ is a perfect example integration. For him to have ever given the thumbs up to publish something as clearly stereotypical as Arana was pretty embarrassing.

How in the world was Arana stereotypical? No seriously. S

[PowerFist]

He apologized, he specified that there was no harm intended, he explained how the cover came about. I really don't see how he's disrespecting anyone or failing to acknowledge the concerns.

I was responding to LOKICEL, not Quesada. But I do agree with what you're saying.

[khuxford]

Yeah, but again, there are many comics that have gone years without one. By definition, you're correct, but by practice no so much.

There are monthlies that have gone a year without an issue. We pretty much have to recognize that any term that is related to timeliness in comics is pretty much a misnomer at this point. :D

[JohnLynch]

There are monthlies that have gone a year without an issue. We pretty much have to recognize that any term that is related to timeliness in comics is pretty much a misnomer at this point. :DSince its inception Annuals have never been Annual. Monthlies, once upon a time, were actually monthly with them not being so only on the very rare occassion. Nowadays having a monthly not publish monthly is a much more common occurence.

Nice try though ;)

[khuxford]

Since its inception Annuals have never been Annual. Monthlies, once upon a time, were actually monthly with them not being so only on the very rare occassion. Nowadays having a monthly not publish monthly is a much more common occurence.

Nice try though ;)

Annuals were annual during certain periods of time...at DC, you actually had a few successive years where you got them annually for titles like Batman, Action Comics, etc.

Nice try though ;)

[JohnLynch]

Annuals were annual during certain periods of time...Thus giving credence to my earlier assertion that they haven't been annual since its inception.

at DC, you actually had a few successive years where you got them annually for titles like Batman, Action Comics, etc.Which has nothing to do with my earlier assertion that they were never annual company-wide and were only annual for brief stints of time for particular titles (rarely more then a decade).

Nice try though ;)Your claims did not contradict any of my assertions. Nice try though ;)

[khuxford]

Since its inception Annuals have never been Annual.

You may want to phrase better. That statement says they've NEVER been annual...when they actually have been annual for stints (like in the 80s). Whether every book had an annual means absolutely nothing to whether annuals were ever actually annual. :p

[JohnLynch]

You may want to phrase better. That statement says they've NEVER been annual...Which I then clarified later :rolleyes:

when they actually have been annual for stints (like in the 80s).Whereas once it was the rare occasion when a monthly wasn't monthly.

Whether every book had an annual means absolutely nothing to whether annuals were ever actually annual. :pNo, but books that did have annuals that weren't annual (Daredevil comes to mind) is relevant.

[The Shadow]

Travis Charest on Cap (or anything from Marvel) literally made my heart skip a beat. He's simply incredible. His Captain America print from a while ago was gorgeous.

http://plaza.ufl.edu/markie/jpg/tc_cap.jpg

http://i8.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/a1/1a/8751_1.JPG

http://www.travischarestgallery.com/images/cap07.jpg
Agreed.

Nice pics

Thanks for posting them!!!!!!!!

[The Shadow]

If the indy anthology is only going to be five issues anyway and Marvel is not expecting the book to be a huge seller in comic book form, why don't they just release it as a book in the first place ? I will probably wait for the collected edition and place it next to the two Bizarro Comics books.
I don't know if this has been answered... but they can get extra revenue.

Plain and simple. Why not solicit it as a comic? You get people like me that only buy the issues and then you get the trade people too. Why exclude either group?

[TheToileteer]

Yaw brought up the issue of comic-book stereotypes and religions. Since I study religion (all kinds, really) this is something I've thought about a lot.

First the issue of stereotypes in general: The first major black Marvel characters were the Black Panther (Phantom/Tarzan-like jungle lord with a name that may or may not have predated the American political party by that name), Luke Cage (1970's blacksploitation character), Falcon (sidekick with a criminal past), and Storm (African princess modeled after Lt. Uhura). Throw on the Arabian Knight (actually an Egyptian, he had a scimitar and flying carpet), Shamrock, Batroc ze Leaper, and every German except Nightcrawler. I see all this as stemming not from maliciousness, but from the tendency of comic books to deal in stock characters, as a kind of shorthand. Later attempts improved with time, for the most part, though new characters have always had greater difficulty gaining a foothold.

So, on to religion. What religions do we find represented in Marvel? A lot of them are "weird" ones associated with exotic fantasy. Several decades ago, comic book writers could be fairly sure that none of their readers would know or be Tibetan Buddhists, Kali devotees, Voodoo practitioners, or Gypsies, so they felt free to make up details out of whole cloth, or portray some religions as wicked. Today this is no longer possible. Recall the Hindu reaction to Krishna's appearance on "Xena: Warrior Princess" (as a villain). So today, weird or evil religions are more likely to be entirely fictional, like the Triune Understanding (a Scientology pastiche) or the Ultimate Shi'ar (a cult not an alien race). The Greek and Norse pantheons appear to also be fair game.

Mainstream religions were generally unmentioned before the 1990's (though we do find Cap consulting the New Testament for inspiration during the 1970's, and of course Damien Hellstrom trained for the Roman Ritual). Then suddenly a number of characters were revealed as being of Roman Catholic background (Daredevil, Invisible Woman, Nightcrawler, Punisher), or occasionally Jewish (Thing, though he is predated by minor characters Doc Samson, Sabra, Kitty Pryde, and Justice). USAgent, in his stint as Cap, was hinted to be a conservative Protestant. What was the motivation for all this? In the case of Daredevil, his being Catholic became a kind of shorthand for guilt and so on. Nightcrawler was assumed to be Catholic because of his Bavarian origins, Punisher because of his mafia connections. Jack Kirby once drew the Thing with a prayer-shawl, and Jewish ethnicity seemed to reinforce the character's constant suffering and kvetching (and maybe his sense of humor too). I don't know what the story was with Invisible Woman, perhaps someone else will enlighten me.

In these cases, religions were still mainly used as shorthand. A number of non-heroic examples would fit the description of "religious leader turns out to be an evil-doer" (e.g."God Loves, Man Kills", or the Six-Fingered Hand or the cult of Joshua from Defenders). These too are fairly obvious targets (Protestant evangelists, cult leaders) from the point of view of the pop culture. Some positive (but highly "orientalized") images of Asian religions come to us via Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Karma from the X-Men (remember the appearance of the yin/yang emblem from her origin?) and even Wolverine (who adopted Japanese motifs in the wake of the TV miniseries "Shogun"). Note the different treatment with Western religions, which are more "ordinary" and generally lack magic powers.

I suggest that if real religions are going to be invoked, then they had better be done right. That means whoever writes Bro. Voodoo ought to take the trouble to find out what voodoo actually consists of in the real world, and find some way to fit the superhero within that (allowing for supernatural flourishes, of course). If Dr. Strange goes to Tibet, then the writer had better know something about the real Tibet, e.g. that it is under Chinese control. Marvel did actually try to make sense of the Cult of Kali awhile back (Shroud mini), but it became a kind of Hare Krishna pastiche (except presumably Shaiva rather than Vaishnava). It's okay to have villains who worship Kali (or whatever), but this shouldn't be presented as normal behavior for Kali-worshippers.

What about the other tendency? Suppose the writer for Wolverine wants to assign Wolvie a religion. Should Wolvie "just happen" to be revealed as having been a Quaker all these years (picking a religion out of the hat here)? And if that seems to have nothing to do with Wolvie as a character, isn't that the point--that not everybody fits the stereotypes? Or should his religion (once mentioned) be emphasized, so that Wolvie from now on must wrestle with his conscious according to his perception of the Inner Light, as taught by George Fox et. al.? But that risks making comics too didactic, which would be the kiss of death, wouldn't it?

[LOKICEL]

I don't think it would be "catering" to the minority to treat it with respect nor at the expense of the majority.

I'm responding to all the "offended" people who are offended at this and that, who see racism where it doesnt exist and see sexism where it doesnt exist, those people who make assumptions and condemn others for what is merely their own speculation. Everybody "talks" about hating political correctness but damn if they arent PC!

In this very messed up world where the evening news can show you how bad it could be, if you make it through the day and the worst thing that happened was you were "offended" by a freakin statue or the cover of a comic book, you're doing ok.

[MichaelH]

I don't know if this has been answered... but they can get extra revenue.

Plain and simple. Why not solicit it as a comic? You get people like me that only buy the issues and then you get the trade people too. Why exclude either group?

I'm usually buying the monthly issues and not waiting for the trade too. But if something interesting is solicited as an OGN in the first place, I don't refuse to buy it because it is not a 22 page comic book. I assume you would do the same.
In this case the editor made it clear that Marvel is not expecting the five single issues to sell well and they expect to make money later with the collected edition. I was just wondering why they wouldn't go straight to the book simply from a business perspective. Even though they don't expect a success in the direct market, they will have to pay for printing, shipping and four or five extra covers to get the singles out.

[jmp]

I'm responding to all the "offended" people who are offended at this and that, who see racism where it doesnt exist and see sexism where it doesnt exist, those people who make assumptions and condemn others for what is merely their own speculation. Everybody "talks" about hating political correctness but damn if they arent PC!

In this very messed up world where the evening news can show you how bad it could be, if you make it through the day and the worst thing that happened was you were "offended" by a freakin statue or the cover of a comic book, you're doing ok.

Why would you put offended in quotes? Isn't it clear from the reason and passion in the posts that there is genuine offense?

[WildcardZ]

Clearly he dismisses their opinions if he doesn't immediately pull the book and make a new cover for it. After all, that wouldn't be prohibitively expensive, right?
I don't know how expensive it would be, especially to a book that doesn't sell a lot of numbers. It may not be worth the cost to pull those issues and have to pay the artist for another cover. It isn't "clear" that he is dismissing any opinions because the cover stayed on the shelves. At this point it is probably too late anyway. I don't know how other stores do it, but for lower selling issues like HFH, the store only supplies enough for the people who have on their pull list and maybe 1 or 2 more to put on the shelf. I don't ever see it by the time I get into my shop.

[WildcardZ]

I don't think it would be "catering" to the minority to treat it with respect nor at the expense of the majority.
I don't think it would be either, but there is a difference in treating characters with respect, and avoiding doing anything drastic with them because they have to worry about the backlash from minority readership. Someone will always find a way to take offense to anything. Quesada knows this as well as most people whose work is available for the public. Quesada is a minority in his own right and he addressed this issue very well. If that is not good enough for anyone, then maybe you are reading the wrong books because it seems like some people here are never going to be happy no matter what is done.

[JohnLynch]

It isn't "clear" that he is dismissing any opinions because the cover stayed on the shelves.Looks like I needed to add sarcasm tags ;)

[WildcardZ]

Looks like I needed to add sarcasm tags ;)
Didn't pick that up, my bad.:)

[khuxford]

Which I then clarified later :rolleyes:

But you miss the point...you said I didn't have anything in my post that contradicted your post. Au contraire...I did have something that contradicted what you said...I just didn't contradict what you apparently MEANT TO SAY. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[PowerFist]

I don't think it would be either, but there is a difference in treating characters with respect, and avoiding doing anything drastic with them because they have to worry about the backlash from minority readership. Someone will always find a way to take offense to anything. Quesada knows this as well as most people whose work is available for the public. Quesada is a minority in his own right and he addressed this issue very well. If that is not good enough for anyone, then maybe you are reading the wrong books because it seems like some people here are never going to be happy no matter what is done.

I absolutely agreed with Quesada on what he said. He's right, you can't and shouldn't protect certain characters from bad things, but my response to LOKICEL was more about the fact that you're not cheating anyone by avoiding certain things. Of course, at the end of the day, a comic book isn't going to destroy any lives. Still, you're insulting people's intelligence if you can't go beyond a stereotype.

Honestly, I wasn't offended by the Adam Hughes statue or the Heroes For Hire cover. I've seen far worse and I'm not a woman or a feminist, so I'm not emotional about the subject. I don't exactly get the uproar over the statue, but I couldn't help but feel that the HFH cover was some kind of joke. It's absolutely hilarious that anyone could see that cover as anything BUT pornographic. Hell, I think the cover is hilarious anyway just by virtue of existing. It's just bizarre.

But, hey, I'd rather talk about the NA #31 cover being awesome.

[JohnLynch]

I just didn't contradict what you apparently MEANT TO SAY. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:What I meant to say was apparently clear if you're reading this thread and participating in it, rather then simply nitpicking people's posts for some perverse pleasure :rolleyes:

[Stephen Day]

I'm usually buying the monthly issues and not waiting for the trade too. But if something interesting is solicited as an OGN in the first place, I don't refuse to buy it because it is not a 22 page comic book. I assume you would do the same.
In this case the editor made it clear that Marvel is not expecting the five single issues to sell well and they expect to make money later with the collected edition. I was just wondering why they wouldn't go straight to the book simply from a business perspective. Even though they don't expect a success in the direct market, they will have to pay for printing, shipping and four or five extra covers to get the singles out.

Well let's see what was said exactly. :)

Variety for our readerships, a place for editorial to stretch its legs and thanks to the new economics in the comic’s industry, while it won’t be a huge seller, we feel that it will hold its own.

It sounds to me like he's saying that, while it won't sell in huge numbers, it's still expected to sell enough to make a small profit as a monthly.

[DynamiteKid]

It's nice to see Travis Charest mentioned. I really like this poster work he did for a con:

http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/t725208_HeroesMockUp20copy.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/i725208_HeroesMockUp20copy.jpg)

http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/t725192_HeroesProgramLineart.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/i725192_HeroesProgramLineart.jpg)

He's a good artist but I'm not so sure if he's a good comic artist due to his particular style. His use of hatching/cross hatching is wonderful for adding depth to form but it seems like it's so time consuming. I don't even know if he finished his Metabarons project. All I know that I've been waiting for a few years now for it to be finished. I think that if he changed his approach to better suit a monthly or bi-monthly schedule, I'd be happy to see him at Marvel on a title. The higher detail approach is great for commissions and cover work but not for interiors. It's just not practical.

I do like how he gives a lot of his commission work a Drew Struzan look with starting with midtone paper/background and then using darks and lights. I remember first seeing his work in Wildstorm where he was a typical Image artist but then as time went on, I could see his style evolve. It was really noticeable when he was given the pencil duties on Wildcats. I do hope to see him take up a gig on interiors but I also hope that he realizes that he has to make a compromise in his style in order to stay on schedule. Even without the hatching, his visual style is something unique in mainstream comic art.

[WildcardZ]

I absolutely agreed with Quesada on what he said. He's right, you can't and shouldn't protect certain characters from bad things, but my response to LOKICEL was more about the fact that you're not cheating anyone by avoiding certain things. Of course, at the end of the day, a comic book isn't going to destroy any lives. Still, you're insulting people's intelligence if you can't go beyond a stereotype.

Honestly, I wasn't offended by the Adam Hughes statue or the Heroes For Hire cover. I've seen far worse and I'm not a woman or a feminist, so I'm not emotional about the subject. I don't exactly get the uproar over the statue, but I couldn't help but feel that the HFH cover was some kind of joke. It's absolutely hilarious that anyone could see that cover as anything BUT pornographic. Hell, I think the cover is hilarious anyway just by virtue of existing. It's just bizarre.

But, hey, I'd rather talk about the NA #31 cover being awesome.
I love Yu. Cant wait to see the interiors and what this story is all about. Is it me, or does he draw the most badass Cage ever?

[PowerFist]

Yu definitely does the best Cage. If Cage ever got a solo monthly, that's who I'd want to draw it.

[WildcardZ]

Yu definitely does the best Cage. If Cage ever got a solo monthly, that's who I'd want to draw it.
I would want Bendis writing it as well. He was the one who got me interested in Cage to begin with. :)

[superhulkman]

This is a simple question that I'm sure a LOT of readers (including myself) are wondering about: where's the World War Hulk Young Avengers one-shot? It was initially on the WWH checklist but now it's not there and it's not appearing in Marvel's August Solicits, so what's the deal?

JQ: Sorry to say, JayCanuck that this title won’t be happening due to just incredible craziness in our publishing schedule but stay tuned because the team-up of Loeb and Finch will be coming atcha with some incredible stuff in the near future and we’ll hit you between the eyes with an announcement of what it is that they’ll be working on next!

For those who know a few of my posts, they know that I'm such a huge fan of Jeph Loeb and to hear that he won't be apart of the World War Hulk arc really saddens me. Something tells me that Loeb and Marvel will make up for this, because Loeb always delievers no matter what.

[The Holy Cow]

The Hulk pic could be by Tom Raney (although he's currently working on Annihilation: Conquest).

Just a guess.

Couldn't it be Arthur Adams ?

[DaVeO]

Marvel Comics Presents:Hellcat.
Daaaaamn. I have to get this now. 5 issues isn't that bad I guess. Argh.
I do wish they put her in that kick-ass costume from her mini-series though.

http://punisher.com/universe3zx/images/e/e9/HellCat.jpg

[NedPepper]

The Indy project sounds marvelous, but I'm very bummed that it is not a recurring project/ongoing/or series of mini-series. There are so many fresh young talents out there literally chomping at the bit to showcase their work to a larger mainstream audience. C'mon, Joe. Help new guys get some well-deserved publicity. PLEASE?


This may be a very lame idea...but I think Marvel should do a reality show/contest (although I hate that word, because it feels limiting.) A Search For The Next Great Comic Writer.

There are a lot of writers out there who probably have something to offer, and it would be interesting to see how many people would apply.

I'm thinking Project Greenlight style, with fans voting on the writer they like the best. Or why not throw artists in as well and the two who win could go on to do a project. It would probably recieve a good deal of attention, and it would give certain guys at Marvel a chance to breathe. Expanding the talent pool is a GOOD thing. Bringing in new voices is also a good thing.

The Brian Bendis/Ed Brubaker Marvel isn't bad, but how's about spreading it out a bit.

Bendis could use a break...hell, he said it himself. :)

Quesada claims they still look through blind submissions, but when was the last time a person who didn't come from TV or the indys get a chance on a one shot or mini? It's cool that Marvel actually accepts submissions from >ahem< "non-professionals", but are they actually being read?

Or being thrown into a slush pile or the garbage.

I still think a web show about a contest to find the next star writer or artist would be a pretty cool idea. Part of that whole new Marvel TV thing they got going. :)

[NedPepper]

[B]
You're right he does make a point. If you want your group to be represented then you've got to take the lumps associated with the field.

The only exception I take with inclusion is in terms of characterization and the shallow stereotypes therein. I absolutely hate the way characters of color are portrayed in comics. As a male of Hispanic descent, I have never found myself speaking Spanglish, dealing with gang issues, or engaging in weird voodoo-like religious practices. Comics such as Arana & Blue Beetle have always seemed like pandering, inclusion for the sake of inclusion.

Do you want the truth about Hispanic people? We don't come from cookie cutters. The stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. They only represent a small cross-section of the population.

Not all of us were poor little kids, products of a bad public education. I come from an upper/middle class background and attended prep schools. Not all of us speak broken English or Spanglish. Heck, I don't even speak Spanish at all. I do speak Italian, Greek, & Latin though. My accent? New Yorker, born & bred. Even then, not so much. Prep school & college pretty much beat that out of me. Not all of us are super breeder pope worshipping Catholics or are into wacky Santeria. Honestly, I'm an atheist and and have been such for 17 or 18 years of my 33 year life. Heck, my aunt's a practicing Buddhist & my sister's a Wiccan. Not all of us are bus boys or maids. My dad's a financial consultant with his own business. My Mom's a published novelist. My brother's a director of photography for a MS owned photo house. I'm an CG animator for my own visual effects studio. My little sis is a programmer.

My point.... (There is one.) If comics want to truly be an inclusive representation of the "melting pot" then they should also acknowledge that minorities are largely more integrated than popular media would have us believe. TV shows, movies and comics largely show you the lower class, which is where these stereotypes are coming from. JoeQ is a perfect example integration. For him to have ever given the thumbs up to publish something as clearly stereotypical as Arana was pretty embarrassing.

Anyway, just addressing your point & his. Inclusion's great, but not at the expense of characterization.


Agreed. I like to look at Dr. Cecila Reyes as a great example of a character. She was a Latino character who never uttered phrases like "Madre de Dios". She was a New York, no nonsene doctor. No stereotypes needed.

Why was she Latino? Actually, I remember Scott Lobdell and Carlos Pacheco mentioning they actually based her off of one Lobdell's friends. No pandering. They just created a character based off a friend in probaby a loving gesture.

Granted, she's languishing in obscurity, but she'll be back. My forecast says it'll probably be X-Factor. And PAD will do a good job.:)

[LOKICEL]

Why would you put offended in quotes? Isn't it clear from the reason and passion in the posts that there is genuine offense?

Cant you read? I have an utter contempt for whiny people who are "offended" by everything. Did the quotes offend you? Good.

[Alan Coil]

Did you even read the article?

What? Read the article? I'll have to try that some day. :p

[Alan Coil]

Cant you read? I have an utter contempt for whiny people who are "offended" by everything. Did the quotes offend you? Good.

:rolleyes:

[LOKICEL]

:rolleyes:


Im OFFENDED!

[Alan Coil]

Im OFFENDED!

:eek:

........