Yesterday we saw what DC had to say, so let’s go back to Comic Book Resources and check their reports from the Marvel panel.
This should hurt.
I guess we’ll start with the X-Men panel, even though I’m not a huge X-Fan under good staff.
(X-Writer Keron) Gillen spoke on the plans for “Uncanny X-Men” saying that if “Second Coming” was a monument to destroying mutants, the incoming arc will focus on other ways the mutant race can be attacked.
My first thoughts tend towards, “why?”, but then I remember that this is actually the point of the X-series, that mutants are “hated and feared” and the X-Men have to both protect humans from evil mutants and protect their fellow good mutants from racism.
The panel announced a “Wolverine & Jubilee” mini series by Kathyrn Immonen and Phil Noto. Schaefer spoke on the series, saying, “Jubilee is going to be coming out of the vampire invasion a little changed, and her relationship with Wolverine will be changed as well.” She called the series “The ‘Batman & Robin’ of the X-Men.”
Because Uatu knows there aren’t enough Wolverine comics on the shelf. I think his name appears more times now than Quesada’s. And please tell me Jubilee isn’t going to be a vampire. Please? Somebody? Not kidding here.
“Wolverine & The Incredible Hercules” by Frank Tieri and Juan Santacruz is on its way in March of 2011, featuring the two scrappers on a bar-brawling tour of the Marvel U.
Oh, just rename the company Wolverine & Deadpool comics already! Granted, I hate Wolverine with a passion David Willis reserves for Pat Lee, but enough is enough!
An upcoming “X-Factor” storyline will answer the question of how the mutant detective agency can survive in a New York City where J. Jonah Jameson is mayor. David said the story will flash back to a time when the mayor allowed Jamie Maddrox to start his agency saying “Some day, and this day may never come…I may ask you to perform a service for me.” The story will follow what happens when Jameson calls in the favor.
Anybody else think that favor has something to do with a certain wall-crawler?
Fan questions started with a rather flippant fan giving (Rick) Remener guff for the hook of “FrankenCastle” which the writer defended as as unique story which got to the heart of the character.
I don’t know about “heart of the character”, but some fans thought it was a lot of fun, which should be enough provided the characters act like that character in that situation. Then again, I’ve luckily never been in that situation or plan to be in the future.
Most of it involves stuff I don’t care enough to really get into, but then there’s this:
When a reader asked if Marvel could drop the prices on $3.99 titles like DC Comics is (to some audience applause), (Peter) David asked if fans who want to see titles drop to $2.00 would also like to see their local comic shops go out of business. As costs rise for retailers in terms of rent and operational expenses, he argued, books must also rise sometimes.
Wait, Peter David is shifting the blame to the COMIC STORES? I have to remember to bring this up when I go for my comics this week. I think if titles dropped to $2.00, you see more people going in to buy comics, since they wouldn’t be hurting the consumer’s wallets enough. Then again, they would still be expecting stories worth reading with art that looked like a comic book instead of crap or some kind of art piece.
“We totally understand as people your concern,” added Alono, noting Marvel’s announcement of some cheaper books shipping. “The DC announcement is not without controversy” which included the drop of two editorial pages, which is a move which may have its own effects on the market and concerns for creators and fans. “It’s not quite as simple as ‘Drop your books to $2.99, and everything will be okay.” Singh said that many new books debuting in 2011 will ship at $2.99 and that comparing Marvel’s new moves to DC’s isn’t fair to either company.
I’m not sure what the “controversy” is, although losing two pages of STORY (not “editorial pages”, whatever that means) is disappointing. While I agree that it isn’t right to compare the moves in a general sense, since each company has to do what they feel is best for them, but since we’ve all be questioning the pricing situation lately, it is understandable to bring it up. Nobody expects them to drop it nownownow unless their stupid, but why not ask what their response is?
This is a long article, so I’m dropping pages in to keep this from being the text wall yesterday’s article was.
BW Media Spotlight 