Headlines gone wild!

Every so often I come across some hype or some marketing that (in my opinion) humorously gets it all wrong. Either it markets a story that's not what is being told, it promises things it can't deliver, or best of all, it just sounds confused.

Take this blurb for X-Men: Worlds Apart for instance.

Point 1: Storm has in fact returned to the X-Men in Ellis's Astonishing X-Men. How long-lasting, who knows, but given the recent interviews suggesting a more fluid X-team structure (thus allowing Emma Frost to be in every X-story. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing) there's no reason to believe Storm can't continue being an X-Man who only pops up for occasional stories.

Point 2: Headline for that blurb for X-Men: Worlds Apart - "Storm returns to the X-Men"

Point 3: Marketing hype trying to explain why this story "matters" (and presumably why it was named X-Men: Worlds Apart rather than Storm (vol. __) or something less distinctly marketed because presumably the average reader is more likely to pick up an X-title focusing exclusively on one character, than a solo mini, and for the eventual bookstore placement it's presumably better to have it placed with the other X-books, rather than next to the Spider-man and Squadron Supreme trades) - blah blah blah "What she discovers, though, may force her into a position where she must decide: Will she remain a queen or return to her mutant teammates, the X-Men?"

Come on now. Calling it X-Men: Worlds Apart seems like a cheap attempt to game the alphanumeric organization, a little like aaa____username profiles. Marvel has gotten a little shameless with this recently, for example, in tying up both it's Excalibur and Exiles titles, Marvel threw them into a mini-series called X-Men Die by the Sword. Magneto, despite having already carried a few mini-series, gets his origin re-told in X-Men: Magneto Testament. But it's an unfortunate fact of editorial mandate that the events of a solo-character mini-series are unlikely to over-rule the developments of two ongoing series (Astonishing and Black Panther), and if you want us to at least pretend there's a chance something, anything, is actually going to happen, how about using a headline that plays along?

And we now return you to your every day programming.

Marvel's December Solicitations

Still no sign of the fabled Super Hero Squad comic series in the December solicitations but what do we have?

Spider-Man Brand New Day Yearbook - apparently has OHOTMU style profiles that (many would hope) explains some of the post-OMB storyline craziness.

Venom Dark Origin 5 - so far the story has just made Eddie more of a creepy loser but who knows how the story will turn out.

Lots of solicitations are classified until after Secret Invasion 8, so there's many, many gaping holes for titles like Initiative, Ms. Marvel and Iron Man. The Fantastic Four Cosmic special is equally classified, but Marvel seems to be insisting that Sue is due to die. If she is, that would explain why they're pumping out appearances of the Lady Liberators in Hulk, She-Hulk and the She-Hulk one-shot.

Immortal Iron Fist 21 gives us yet another possible glimpse into yet another possible future. Some day I expect Marvel to do a Countdown Arena type story where various characters from various futures fight to the death. My bet for favorite battle? The Moon Knight of 2099 will team up with the Iron Fist of 3099 to battle Killraven (the first one) whose brain has been placed in a Deathlok unit.

The Marvel Apes series has had a few surprises but it seems like December's 0 issue, chock full of reprint goodness, is just a test to see how padded the eventual hardcover needs to be.

New Warriors, the title (issue 19 that is) features more of Thrasher's visit to yet another possible future, while New Warriors, the group (the originals that is) visit Nova in Nova 19. Between Avengers The Initiative, appearances in New Warriors and now Nova, the original New Warriors (or Counter Force or whatever Marvel's trying to bill them as now) are getting as much as, if not more, exposure than the group that has their name.

Marvel has fallen in love with one shots recently and this month is no different, with one shots for She-Hulk, Moon Knight (a Christmas special at that), Thor, Wolverine and Punisher receiving one-shots, and Dark Reign following up on Secret Invasion's aftermath.

Thunderbolts 127 is apparently setting the stage for a board clearing, game changing new line-up and things don't look good for Songbird. Poor Songbird.

What If is back with another set of one-shots, and Marvel's Noir series of mini-series kick off with Spider-Man and X-Men.

Marvel's Adventures line only offers up Spider-Man, Avengers, Fantastic Four and Super heroes this month, but Wolverine and Power Pack continues.

And wrapping things up, Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men Kingbreaker are leading into the War of Kings.

News Clips 8/19/08

It's been a while since we've done a News Clips, so here we go.

While we discussed family friendly books earlier in the November Solicitations, Marvel's Free Mondays put up a Marvel Adventure Hulk issue for free reading this week.

Comics Continuum continues coverage of Marvel's animation, discussing how Steve Blum is voicing Wolverine in both the new X-Men cartoon and the upcoming Hulk Vs. direct to DVD title, how Spectacular Spider-Man is still likely homeless, etc, etc.

Marvel Animation Age has a news piece on how Wolverine and the X-Men will be premiering on Canada's YTV in September.

Marvel's November Solicitations

As long-term readers know, we've been diligently looking at Marvel's fall solicitations for a possible Super Hero Squad comic book. It started in May when MSNreported on the upcoming video game and we noticed some problems in the reporting. Don't get us wrong, we think a Super Hero Squad comic sounds great, but Marvel's Marvel Adventures Line seems to be the closest we've got for now.

So while there is no Super Hero Squad comic listed in November's solicitations so far, there are a few interesting items.

First up, for family friendly fair, Franklin Richards new one-shot is Sons of Geniuses, the new Power Pack series will feature Wolverine, Amazing Spider-Girl continues with issue 26, MA: Spider-Man 45 features Doc Ock, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane 4 comes out, MA: Avengers 30 guest star's Tigra and promises a new team member, MA: Fantastic Four 42 features an election in Latveria, and MA Super Heroes 5 features Doctor Strange and Spider-Man fighting mystical creatures. Marvel Adventures Hulk and Iron Man both appear to be missing. Hulk's solicitations last months didn't indicate it was over, but the last time MA: Iron Man was solicited was for September, and then it was as Iron Man Golden Avenger 1.

Other than that, there's additional one-shots for Thor and Wolverine and the usual assortment of Secret Invasion books.

With the launch of a second Wolverine-related First Class that, like Wolverine Origins before it promises to be an exploration of Wolverine's history before joining the X-Men, The solicitation for Power Pack and Wolverine best sums up all the Wolverine issues this month.

"All right, bub. Gimme my appearance schedule for October..."
"Sure, Mr. Logan! There's your regular solo title, of course. Plus, the usual line-up of team books."
"So that's just UNCANNY, ASTONISHING, NEW AVENGERS and X-FORCE. No prob."
"There's also your side projects. ORIGINS, FIRST CLASS, MANIFEST DESTINY, another FIRST CLASS..."
"Uh huh. Anythin' else?"
"Don't forget cameos! Possibly AVENGERS/INVADERS... maybe a SECRET INVASION appearance..."
"Hmph. Sounds like a light month to me. Think I got room for one more book. You got anythin' FUN?"
"Actually..."

Of course, that ignores his Ultimate appearances in Ultimatum (with 1 and 2 shipping that month), a probably appearance in Ultimate X-Men, appearance in Marvel's Director's Cut of the Free Comic Book Day 2008 X-Men title, his Marvel Adventures Avengers appearance, Secret Invasion: X-Men 4, and of course his appearance in X-Men Legacy, which is tying up the crossover from Wolverine Origins and one of October's one-shots, which brings the total up to about 20 appearances, if all those cameos come through of course. Maybe he'll start making cameos in the Marvel Illustrated titles (Three Musketeers or Odyssey would both be good choices).

News Clips 8/8/08

First off, happy Olympics for those that enjoy them.

Second off, Iron Man on DVD and Blu-Ray September 30? No word yet on when Incredible Hulk might be coming, although people on IMDB are speculating about cut scenes, scenes from the script and novelization that weren't included in the movie, and the possibilities of adding 70 minutes (70? The entire film was only 114!) back to the film, including the possible Captain America cameo.

And speaking of DVDs, TV Shows on DVD has volume 1 from Spectacular Spider-Man coming on September 9. Over on the Marvel Animation Forum there's been discussion about a revelation at Gathering of the Gargoyles that the individual releases are apparently cut differently (scenes that were cut from broadcast put back in, episodes spliced to form a "movie"), and apparently at some conventions details about a spring-break related movie were discussed

Marvel Animation Age talks about the upcoming slate of direct-to-DVD animation releases. Nothing new is announced, but the fact that there were 4 movies in 2 years, followed by 1 in 2008 (Next Avengers in September), 1 in early 2009 (Hulk Vs), and then another 2 all the way in 2010 (Planet Hulk and Thor: Tales of Asgard) is kind of a let down. Imagine if, instead of extended breaks between some movies, Lions Gate could have produced another movie or two? 10 movies over 5 years, instead of 8. A new Marvel title every six months. Possibilities.

And speaking of movies: The Iron Fist Fan Film. Featuring Elektra. Well, it's no Marvel Zombies, but it'll have to do.

Finally, the all-ages story everyone wants to read: Wolverine Babysitter. Shadowcat, Illyana, Siryn and new character Amp have a slumber party filled with secrets and robot-Magnetos.

News Clips 8/4/08

Just a few quick news pieces for today:

1) Iron Man Wave 2 (the repaint-heavy wave) has been hitting stores recently but doesn't appear to have hit eBay yet.

2) Marvel's Free Monday is bringing classics like Defenders 1, and modern favorites like Marvel Adventures Avengers 17 to your computer screen for your reading pleasure (although to be honest, the interface/reader does need a little work)

3) Mutant X is going to be arriving in a complete series set according to TV Shows on DVD. For those that don't know/don't remember, Marvel's first X-Factor comic series ended with a cliffhanger explosion that seemingly killed Havok. Naturally, this being comics, he was shunted to an alternate reality where particular events turned out differently resulting in big changes for major heroes. Storm remained a vampire after Dracula's attack, Beast's self-experimentation continued and resulted in a more reptilian body, Elektra became a nanny. You know, little things.

A few years pass and readers are told the title is canceled (last issue: June 2001) but that a new television series entirely unrelated to the comics would be arriving (first episode: October 2001). Mutant X, the TV series, ended up the subject of many years of litigation over how similar the concept was to Marvel's X-Men movie franchise.

One can't help but wonder if the lawsuits over rights issues involved with the X-Men movie, related issues with the ownership of Spider-Man, and the current tangle of rights for characters like Doctor Doom, Venom, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Silver Surfer hasn't made Marvel rethink the agreements they enter into in the future.

Eventually Havok returned to the 616 dimension to be stuck in the infamous Chuck Austen era of X-Men (he returned to the X-Men and quickly agreed to marry Polaris who subsequently went insane at the wedding. Meanwhile, Nightcrawler's father was a mutant devil from another dimension and Angel, armed with a stolen Soulsword, became the first of many winged healers...), Marvel published a few Mutant X comics featuring the television series characters, and the series itself went the way of The Night Man series.