Advertise on Eye on ComicsGetting Even By Getting Mad
Posted by Don MacPherson on June 13th, 2011
It’s been a rather intense week or two when it comes to announcements about super-hero comics, but obviously, DC Comics dominated the discussion with its rollout of details of its September line-wide relaunch. Over the weekend, Marvel Comics entered the fray with one of those announcements that it’ll announce something. It put the word out that it would deliver some big news Monday afternoon. The move seemed pretty clearly sparked by DC’s week-long PR campaign revealing the titles and creative teams that will serve as Marvel’s main competition in the marketplace in the fall. And even if it wasn’t a direct response to DC’s successful and well co-ordinated publicity moves, the perception certainly is that there’s a connection between the two.
When Marvel’s news finally arrived, it was word of a new ongoing Spider-Man title — Avenging Spider-Man — set to begin in November. Written by Zeb Wells and illustrated by Joe Madureira, the series will focus more on the title character’s super-heroic life (especially as a member of the Avengers, duh) rather than his personal life. Furthermore, it will feature repeated team-ups with other heroes.
Now here’s where Marvel went wrong.
Countering DC’s tsunami of upcoming new titles with news of a single title serves only to spotlight the imbalance between the two publishers. One is making a big daring move with its entire line (not to mention the same-date digital distribution), while the other is simply adding another title to its line featuring one of its most marketable properties.
Furthermore, Marvel seems to be ignoring a previous move it made that brought strength to its Spider-Man brand. A few years ago, it cancelled extraneous Spidey titles (set in its “mainstream” continuity) and consolidated its Spidey stories to one title, the original title, Amazing Spider-Man. That decision, along with the move to a thrice-monthly schedule (now twice), bolstered sales on Amazing and helped to make the book one of the publishers top and most consistent performers on the sales charts.
Now, Marvel is touting its decision to dilute its Spider-Man brand once again as a bold, exciting move.
I suppose the “big” part of Marvel’s “big news” isn’t that it’s adding a new Spidey title but rather who’s drawing it. Joe Madureira was one of the most popular artists working in comics in the mid- to late-1990s, developing a major fanbase with his exaggerated artwork on Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men and Image’s Battle Chasers. But aside from a much-maligned run on Ultimates 3 for Marvel a couple of years ago, “Mad” has been largely absent from the comics landscape for the past decade. I can’t help but wonder if Marvel is overestimating his appeal. And since Avenging Spider-Man is meant to be a monthly title, Marvel is definitely overestimating the artist’s speed. Madureira is to late comics what Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is workers’ comp claims: a plentiful source.
It’s quite possible that this was an announcement that Marvel was holding onto for con season, perhaps even as one of its big reveals during Comic-Con International in San Diego next month. If that’s the case and Marvel accerlated its PR plans in response to DC’s buzz about its new 52 titles, it was a mistake. And even if it wasn’t a direct response, it was still a mistake because it looks like a response all the same. Like I said earlier, there’s really no comparing the two, and since it’s highly unlikely Madureira can pick up the pencilling pace to get the book out earlier — like, say, in September — it’s trying to compete (or it looks like it) only to fail.
Finally, Marvel’s choice for the actual title of the new series… well, it leaves a lot to be desired. Clearly, the comic is meant to be bombastic, action-oriented fun; it doesn’t look as though the reader’s meant to take it too seriously. But the awkward attempt to connect Spidey with his membership in the Avengers falls flat. It sounds as though the book will feature a driven man in a spider-mask, skulking in the night, looking to exact bloody revenge. I don’t want to read that comic book. Of course, I don’t want to read a Joe Madureira comic book either.
Follow Eye on Comics on Twitter.
June 13th, 2011 at 11:02 pm
While I don’t have any intent in buying this title, mostly because of Joe Mad’s art, it’s a rather pretty good if predictable move to release an ongoing, I imagine reader-friendly comic for one of their iconic characters, though the choice of artist if the only thing that’s questionable. I don’t see people dying for art in the 1990s, but we see Liefeld and Capullo have their own titles.
Marvel doesn’t have to do anything drastic in the news of DC’s relaunch. There are the leader comics publisher for many years now and they will just have to wait and see if this relaunch is successful in the long-term for DC. Comics written by Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison are always going to be up there in terms of sales, as it was prior to the relaunch, it’s the other titles that Marvel has to be more concerned about, if the likes of Wonder Woman, non-Geoff Johns The Flash, etc. are up there (and stay up there) along with the Avengers, X-Men, Batman titles that’s worrying for them indeed. Or it could very well blow up in DC’s faces, Heroes Reborn-style, at least back then Heroes Reborn were just limited to Avengers, FF, Iron Man and Captain America and not Marvel’s most popular titles at the time, which was the X-Men lineup. Speaking of Heroes Reborn, is it a coincidence that DC did a line-wide relaunch shortly after Bob Harras is their new editor-in-chief?
June 14th, 2011 at 1:19 am
This is a pretty paltry announcement relative to the MASSIVE goings-on at DC. And no offense to Zeb Wells, but is this really the kind of thing worth writing home about?
As you mentioned, the one thing people have to remember about Joe Mad it’s that he can’t meet a deadline and he will most likely be done after the first few issues, unless they have a year’s worth of comics in the can already. I would expect either a new art team to swoop in after the third issue or else All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder levels of lateness.
Really, his art isn’t that good unless you’re somehow a fan of that poorly-rendered, sensationalist-but-heinously-ugly circa 1992 style he’s so famous for. With Bob Harras over at DC hiring Rob Liefeld and Greg Capullo, the Big Two seem to think everyone loves it but it leaves a blah taste in my mouth.
Lame announcement, indeed.
June 14th, 2011 at 6:52 am
The worst thing is that Red Hulk. Is this how all artists draw him? He looks almost identical to Dr. Goot from Marc Hansen’s Ralph Snart series.
June 14th, 2011 at 11:56 am
I’ve actually really enjoyed the pencil art released thus far. Mad’s still got it! The problem is the hedious digital coloration that frequently accompanies his work. Of course, you’re right, Don, this news is not on par with the happenings at DC. I actually think that Marvel needn’t do anything in the wake of DC’s multiple announcements; Marvel has an abundance of acclaimed creators on their titles whereas I recognize hardly any of the artists on the upcoming DC titles. DC might be able to take the lead for two, maybe three months before it’s business-as-usual on the Diamond sales chart.
June 14th, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Unfortunately it always seemed like just a matter of time before Marvel started pumping out additional Spider-Man titles instead of just sticking with two issues of Amazing Spider-Man a month. I’m surprised it took them this long to pump out another ongoing.
I’ve been a huge Spider-Man fan for the last 20 years and I will not be buying this title. It seems like the hook is Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends fight the villain of the month. In general, I’m more interested in the character development that happens in Amazing Spider-Man.
June 15th, 2011 at 3:04 am
Why on earth Marvel needs to get even or do any major shakeup? The fact that they are leading in sales for god knows how long, DC is the one that needs to do something major to compete with Marvel, not the other way around. Also, they still got Fear Itself to finish, which is beating Flashpoint in sales and they already relaunching a number of titles like Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, Punisher, Daredevil, Incredible Hulk as well as this new Spider-man comic, but the difference is they are not rebooting any continuity in those titles like the DC relaunch, because DC’s continuity is more of a mess compared to Marvel, no thanks to the constant reboots in the past. Don’t mean to turn this into a DC vs. Marvel thing, but I doubt guys at Marvel are cowering in fear because of what’s happening with DC in September, as it all could backfire for DC. I hope not, as DC being more competitive instead of being content with second place, is good for the comics industry.
June 15th, 2011 at 10:52 am
Dr. Goot wrote:
The worst thing is that Red Hulk. Is this how all artists draw him?
Generally, yes, artists draw the Red Hulk like that — like the Hulk, you know, only red.
June 16th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
Frankly, I’m still ticked about the way “Mad” left Battle Chasers just hanging. Until he returns to complete that work, I’ve zero interest in anything else with which he’s affiliated.