Open the camera on your phone. Aim it at the QR code. The phone will ask if you want to open the link. You say yes. It opens a webpage. If you don’t want to do that, you can probably find the pages with some light googling. They’re just webpages after all.
Let’s get confirmation that marvel is committed to hosting these images long after the initial QR code link expires. That’s one of my big concerns, since QR codes aren’t designed to function for years and years.
I just wanted to say how much I'm loving all the New Age X-Men from the Ashes titles. They're all wonderful. Thank you so much, Tom, for giving us such fun and unique stories. Kisses 🩷🩷🩷
Tom, for whatever it's worth, I actually really liked that Phil Urich never wanted to get involved in adventures and, when he got embroiled anyway, usually tried to leave as soon as possible. It felt really different, like a bizarre mirror of early Lee/Ditko Spider-Man. Obviously it wasn't sustainable, but I did feel it worked while it lasted. I guess by "worked", I mean "the storytelling choice was brave to the point of insanity and that in and of itself was entertaining".
Did you have any particular feelings about Phil's heel turn and death in later years? It felt quite out of character to me.
Yeah it was a little bit weird when Phil turned evil, but I did like the scene where he's standing in the middle of the Daily Bugle offices when someone on TV is suddenly like "Phil Urich is a supervillain!"
What part of seeing the work in progress of a comic gets you the most excited? Script? Pencils? Inks? Lettering? Colors? Final proofs? Or the reader reaction?
I'm surprised you had the same issue with the "reluctant hero" thing on Green Goblin with Bob with Tom writing it. Tom certainly had more clout as a writer (not to mention his being EIC unless he was writing that after he left staff) Strange. I honestly do not recall scripting any pages of this issue...maybe you just asked if I would and that was enough to get the last pages from Dwayne. If I DID...I likely just followed the dialogue Dwayne had in his script. It really was a shame Walter never worked out. Even as he got better, everything just looked like it was bulging out of every panel in a bad way. I can remember being surprised you just didn't have Kevin taking over...but now understand how messed up the schedule was and you just had zero choice in the matter. It's a shame the schedule made you use multiple letters and colorists, which doesn't help the issue. AH well. It was a surprise to me to learn Dwayne was leaving after this story arc. He hadn't really been talking to me very much...likely due to person issues and how much work they were doing to prep for Milestone...which he also never told me about. I was somewhat hurt by being out of this loop, but understood that they were keeping it a secret and telling me might have cause a leak. The news that Dwayne was leaving though, meant you and I had to have conversations about just where the book was going to go now that there would be one voice guiding it from the creative side. I had hoped this might mean we would finally get a stable art team...but there was still a couple months of you needing to contend with the schedule...
I love hearing about your time on New Warriors and appreciate your affection for and attempts to salvage the concept. Maybe after the Deathlok column has run its course we could get a similar NW diary? 😊
Sean again. On my Massive Marvel Read-through still. What do you recall of Marvel Now! And All-New Marvel Now!? There is a LOT going on in SO many books. It didn't feel overwhelming at the time since I read as they came out, but feels like a lot right now. Not a complaint. Great stuff. Was there just a sense that anything Avengers related at the time was flying off the shelves? There is so much content, and Infinity followed by Original Sin followed by Axis and so on. How did you keep it all in order and shipping out? Must have been exciting times.
I kinda find it funny people are whining about the QR codes. They should be in my shoes. I was hit by a car a week into July and only had a Kindle Fire and my phone in my hospital bed to buy the new X Books with. To make it worse, the QR scanning app I downloaded to my Kindle orients itself backwards so to scan I have to move the Kindle the wrong direction. Doesn't make me love the bonus material any less. Thank you for those fun pages!
I was really happy to read “From The Ashes-“What Charlie Did”. It was wonderful after Krakoa to see Xavier take a step toward good. It hasn’t been a fun time to be an Xavier fan, so thank you. If you don’t mind two questions, please?
First: Where can I continue to read about Xavier? In which book?
Second: As a lifelong enjoyer of Arthurian stories, I was over the moon at the mention of T.H.White’s “The Once And Future King.” Like every fan of two things ever made, I have tried to see parallels between the two. Is there indeed some cross-pollination or am I reaching too far?
I think that if DC is satisfied with this approach, then that’s all that matters. However, if they’re relaunching titles with new creative teams and new directions, then they’re probably leaving money on the table by not starting with a new #1. If it’s the same team, though, I can see why you would continue with the numbering.
And I don’t disagree but I feel that renumberings, with any significant rate of occurrence, do have diminishing returns. As do character deaths, new costumes, new characters assuming other’s code names, and maybe even new characters! All are ok in small infrequent quantities!
I suppose you feel different and it’s hard to know for sure (as many factors are involved in increasing or decreasing sales). But logic tells me frequent #1s must lead to comic shop owners picking which ones really matter. Similar to how events where the goal is introducing new characters seem to cause all of them to get lost in the glut.
No question I suppose, as I respect your stance, but I personally wish it was much less frequent and I’m glad DC is deciding to do less of it. (For now at least. They may change stances in the near future)
Tried to say hello at SDCC, but unless I got it wrong (I was on a mobility scooter and occasionally missed something due to the different perspective), the Marvel booth (which included the movies/tv/etc) was only open on one side, and was always packed with some sort of line or crowd. Tried asking a few folk on the edges wearing the Marvel t-shirts, but they all said they weren't actually Marvel but temps of some sort.
The question about editorial input on costumes has me wondering... how does Marvel editorial manage the "sexiness" of art in comics books?
I know tastes for sexual gratuity has fluctuated over time... I guess I'm curious to your thoughts about when to try to purposefully sell sex, when to allow it in small doses, and when to shut it down. Do your vision documents or a writer's series pitch have the sex-o-meter baked in from the outset? Does the desired sexiness (or lack thereof) influence what artists to pick? Do editors ever send pages back to an artist if the artist is making indecent clothing choices, or if a figure is being over-sexualized on a given page?
Deep editor question here; was wondering about the choice to go with a double hyphen (--) in "From the ashes -- a new beginning!" Can you talk about why you went with the double hyphen instead of an em dash (—), or a comma, or an ellipsis?
I know there were plenty to comments without swears or personal insults, that has questions about the QR codes. I understand reaction hasn’t been what you expected to it, but could you answer a few questions I have? 1. Will this officially end when “From The Ashes” ends with the Storm solo title launching? 2. Is Pyslocke’s upcoming solo part of “From The Ashes”? 3. Will Marvel take steps to ensure the QR codes links are permanently hosted, and years later we don’t lose the ability to view the final bonus page when we read the comic?
Have you used the code in the issue to get the digital copy of the comic? The bonus page is included digitally without the need to use a QR code at all.
I’m reading a physical issue, does that come with digital versions? If I wanted to read it digitally I would probably pay a much cheaper price for each comic.
Edit: Google is showing me articles from 2012 and 2022, information isn’t super clear.
Edit 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelcomics/comments/x5azcm/how_do_i_get_the_digital_copy_of_comics_i_already/ this discussion thread suggests multiple problems with this idea. The most important being the codes EXPIRE, which is my biggest concern about these new final pages not being printed. The second is that some people suggest Marvel has discontinued this practice. Do you have any sources that say otherwise?
The code to redeem the digital copy expires, but I haven’t had a problem with the digital copy expiring or disappearing from my library. However, I don’t know where you live or buy your comics. I’m in the US. No sources for anything - just my personal experience with their digital comics.
It should be "Weapon Alpha always get his man, eh?"
QR codes are fine if you know how to use them- but there are plenty of us that don't and there aren't enough people to explain how they work to us.
Open the camera on your phone. Aim it at the QR code. The phone will ask if you want to open the link. You say yes. It opens a webpage. If you don’t want to do that, you can probably find the pages with some light googling. They’re just webpages after all.
Let’s get confirmation that marvel is committed to hosting these images long after the initial QR code link expires. That’s one of my big concerns, since QR codes aren’t designed to function for years and years.
I just wanted to say how much I'm loving all the New Age X-Men from the Ashes titles. They're all wonderful. Thank you so much, Tom, for giving us such fun and unique stories. Kisses 🩷🩷🩷
Tom, for whatever it's worth, I actually really liked that Phil Urich never wanted to get involved in adventures and, when he got embroiled anyway, usually tried to leave as soon as possible. It felt really different, like a bizarre mirror of early Lee/Ditko Spider-Man. Obviously it wasn't sustainable, but I did feel it worked while it lasted. I guess by "worked", I mean "the storytelling choice was brave to the point of insanity and that in and of itself was entertaining".
Did you have any particular feelings about Phil's heel turn and death in later years? It felt quite out of character to me.
Yeah it was a little bit weird when Phil turned evil, but I did like the scene where he's standing in the middle of the Daily Bugle offices when someone on TV is suddenly like "Phil Urich is a supervillain!"
What part of seeing the work in progress of a comic gets you the most excited? Script? Pencils? Inks? Lettering? Colors? Final proofs? Or the reader reaction?
I'm surprised you had the same issue with the "reluctant hero" thing on Green Goblin with Bob with Tom writing it. Tom certainly had more clout as a writer (not to mention his being EIC unless he was writing that after he left staff) Strange. I honestly do not recall scripting any pages of this issue...maybe you just asked if I would and that was enough to get the last pages from Dwayne. If I DID...I likely just followed the dialogue Dwayne had in his script. It really was a shame Walter never worked out. Even as he got better, everything just looked like it was bulging out of every panel in a bad way. I can remember being surprised you just didn't have Kevin taking over...but now understand how messed up the schedule was and you just had zero choice in the matter. It's a shame the schedule made you use multiple letters and colorists, which doesn't help the issue. AH well. It was a surprise to me to learn Dwayne was leaving after this story arc. He hadn't really been talking to me very much...likely due to person issues and how much work they were doing to prep for Milestone...which he also never told me about. I was somewhat hurt by being out of this loop, but understood that they were keeping it a secret and telling me might have cause a leak. The news that Dwayne was leaving though, meant you and I had to have conversations about just where the book was going to go now that there would be one voice guiding it from the creative side. I had hoped this might mean we would finally get a stable art team...but there was still a couple months of you needing to contend with the schedule...
I love hearing about your time on New Warriors and appreciate your affection for and attempts to salvage the concept. Maybe after the Deathlok column has run its course we could get a similar NW diary? 😊
Hey Tom-
Sean again. On my Massive Marvel Read-through still. What do you recall of Marvel Now! And All-New Marvel Now!? There is a LOT going on in SO many books. It didn't feel overwhelming at the time since I read as they came out, but feels like a lot right now. Not a complaint. Great stuff. Was there just a sense that anything Avengers related at the time was flying off the shelves? There is so much content, and Infinity followed by Original Sin followed by Axis and so on. How did you keep it all in order and shipping out? Must have been exciting times.
Also, enjoying the new X books so far. Thanks!
I kinda find it funny people are whining about the QR codes. They should be in my shoes. I was hit by a car a week into July and only had a Kindle Fire and my phone in my hospital bed to buy the new X Books with. To make it worse, the QR scanning app I downloaded to my Kindle orients itself backwards so to scan I have to move the Kindle the wrong direction. Doesn't make me love the bonus material any less. Thank you for those fun pages!
I was really happy to read “From The Ashes-“What Charlie Did”. It was wonderful after Krakoa to see Xavier take a step toward good. It hasn’t been a fun time to be an Xavier fan, so thank you. If you don’t mind two questions, please?
First: Where can I continue to read about Xavier? In which book?
Second: As a lifelong enjoyer of Arthurian stories, I was over the moon at the mention of T.H.White’s “The Once And Future King.” Like every fan of two things ever made, I have tried to see parallels between the two. Is there indeed some cross-pollination or am I reaching too far?
Tom you said:
I think that if DC is satisfied with this approach, then that’s all that matters. However, if they’re relaunching titles with new creative teams and new directions, then they’re probably leaving money on the table by not starting with a new #1. If it’s the same team, though, I can see why you would continue with the numbering.
And I don’t disagree but I feel that renumberings, with any significant rate of occurrence, do have diminishing returns. As do character deaths, new costumes, new characters assuming other’s code names, and maybe even new characters! All are ok in small infrequent quantities!
I suppose you feel different and it’s hard to know for sure (as many factors are involved in increasing or decreasing sales). But logic tells me frequent #1s must lead to comic shop owners picking which ones really matter. Similar to how events where the goal is introducing new characters seem to cause all of them to get lost in the glut.
No question I suppose, as I respect your stance, but I personally wish it was much less frequent and I’m glad DC is deciding to do less of it. (For now at least. They may change stances in the near future)
Tried to say hello at SDCC, but unless I got it wrong (I was on a mobility scooter and occasionally missed something due to the different perspective), the Marvel booth (which included the movies/tv/etc) was only open on one side, and was always packed with some sort of line or crowd. Tried asking a few folk on the edges wearing the Marvel t-shirts, but they all said they weren't actually Marvel but temps of some sort.
Hi Tom,
The question about editorial input on costumes has me wondering... how does Marvel editorial manage the "sexiness" of art in comics books?
I know tastes for sexual gratuity has fluctuated over time... I guess I'm curious to your thoughts about when to try to purposefully sell sex, when to allow it in small doses, and when to shut it down. Do your vision documents or a writer's series pitch have the sex-o-meter baked in from the outset? Does the desired sexiness (or lack thereof) influence what artists to pick? Do editors ever send pages back to an artist if the artist is making indecent clothing choices, or if a figure is being over-sexualized on a given page?
Thanks,
Thom B
Thank you for answering my question! I did forget you were editor of Invincible Iron Man among others right before From the Ashes.
Definitely busiest and most exhausting SDCC I've ever attended. But experienced some great moments so can't complain!
Hi Tom,
Deep editor question here; was wondering about the choice to go with a double hyphen (--) in "From the ashes -- a new beginning!" Can you talk about why you went with the double hyphen instead of an em dash (—), or a comma, or an ellipsis?
Thanks, Tom!
I know there were plenty to comments without swears or personal insults, that has questions about the QR codes. I understand reaction hasn’t been what you expected to it, but could you answer a few questions I have? 1. Will this officially end when “From The Ashes” ends with the Storm solo title launching? 2. Is Pyslocke’s upcoming solo part of “From The Ashes”? 3. Will Marvel take steps to ensure the QR codes links are permanently hosted, and years later we don’t lose the ability to view the final bonus page when we read the comic?
Have you used the code in the issue to get the digital copy of the comic? The bonus page is included digitally without the need to use a QR code at all.
I’m reading a physical issue, does that come with digital versions? If I wanted to read it digitally I would probably pay a much cheaper price for each comic.
Edit: Google is showing me articles from 2012 and 2022, information isn’t super clear.
Edit 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelcomics/comments/x5azcm/how_do_i_get_the_digital_copy_of_comics_i_already/ this discussion thread suggests multiple problems with this idea. The most important being the codes EXPIRE, which is my biggest concern about these new final pages not being printed. The second is that some people suggest Marvel has discontinued this practice. Do you have any sources that say otherwise?
The code to redeem the digital copy expires, but I haven’t had a problem with the digital copy expiring or disappearing from my library. However, I don’t know where you live or buy your comics. I’m in the US. No sources for anything - just my personal experience with their digital comics.