Thanks Tom for answering my previous questions. It’s a real thrill to see my name. Dare I ask about - The Clone Saga, a story taht really divides fans. I loved it when it first came out and I am now re-reading it as the Epics are published. There’s so much I like, the character Kaine, the Jackal, the Grim Hunter, Stunner, etc. it’s rich with ideas. I wonder if you felt the same, or where you felt it eventually missed the mark. Was it just too long, too complex, was it the moment they made out dear Peter was the clone? Just really interested to here your take. Thanks David.
just reading it as well and there is so much good stuff. Im reading on MU which certainly makes it easier, can’t imagine what following that many crossovers must have been.
I’m not sure if you’ve answered this before, but how is it decided which characters get tie-ins for big events like Blood Hunt or Judgment Day? And why is it that the Guardians of the Galaxy are never included unless it’s a more cosmic threat and they have an ongoing series at the time?
Apologies if you've been asked this before, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on launching a new ongoing series as part of an event (as is happening next year as part of "One World Under Doom," which is why it's top of mind). I assume the logic is that an event will raise the profile of a new book, but as a reader I often feel like once past the event, the book stumbles a bit, since the initial concept was tied to the event comic/status/etc; versus having a distinct pitch of its own. But that's my interpretation, and I'd rather hear how you approach it from the editorial perspective!
I also wanted to say how much I am enjoying the new Uncanny Xmen, as an old time fan with a full back issue collection ( a nightmare when I recently moved house) it’s scratching my itch.
Hey, Tom. I would like to ask if you have ever consider about giving Jean a Cosmic Horror comic? It would be super cool to see Jean in a such different approach than we are used to, especially now that shes fully envolt in the marvel cosmic universe
Fair enough, Tom. It's your forum and you can cover anything you want. I still suggest that staying away from politics is advisable -- unless you have a great new insight. If part of your purpose with this blog is to engage with, entertain, and inform, unnecessarily injecting political comments is self-defeating. And, yes, I could unsubscribe. But I'm not that sensitive.
As someone who enjoyed most of the actual stories being told during the Inhumans era but hated the corporate-driven way the mutants were pushed to the side during that time, I have to ask: do you think it’s been long enough that we might start seeing the Inhumans (specifically some of the ones created during that time, like Reader, Flint or Inferno) appear more often again?
Today's things I agree with you include Irv Novick being one of the best and most consistent Flash artists ever (he was on board when I discovered the title and remains My Flash artist) and that the remade Agatha Harkness feels wrong to me too but I can't ignore it's a valid sales move. My questions are slightly Agatha adjacent too!
When Speed and Wiccan were created, was there even a vague explanation in mind that the creative team considered how the souls of Wanda's twins became actual souls and not pieces of Mephisto, traveled back in time, and became the souls of two children unrelated to each other and Wanda while reshaping their genetics? As much as I enjoy both characters there's always a little niggling thought none of it makes sense. On a separate note, it does bother me that the women that gave birth to both and the families that raised them are completely disregarded when they should be who the guys feel are family, not a woman they saw on TV and met only relatively recently.
You mentioned the great team-up of Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley, first on New Warriors and then Thunderbolts. When do you, as an editor, first get a glint that a writer and artist team may be the next Claremont/Byrne or Wolfman/Perez?
Blimey - I am writing a lot this week. Firstly I feel I must apologise as I am a Brit and I have never been to America, although my wife has. So I was interested in Emmanuel’s post, not least because we just had a friend staying who had been to America recently and attended a Trump Rally with her son (an ex pupil of mine) and they were very impressed. Which surprised me. I contrast this as after the election result most of my left wing friends were saying things like - ‘It’s still the Wild West’ in America. Anyway I may write something longer and more considered about this. I mean no offence to anyone in America and our politics here have been appalling of late! Brexit has been an objective disaster.
Hi Tom, thanks for taking our questions. I'm wondering if you know if the old Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man series will get put in the Epic format? I know some have been done as Masterworks, but very few issues are available in trade unless they're cross over issues. Would love to read the old stories that didn't cross over.
Excited to wade through Marvelution via the NW chronicles. Truly, a period like no other.
With Marvel characters often being licensed by outside entities to make video games, TV shows, etc., have you ever been called upon to consult to make sure the characters were well represented?
That memo is an interesting bit. I'm probably biased in that there are bright shining examples I can think of where the comic was nothing but characters talking and the result was great (Zot! #35, Ultimate Spider-Man #13...) but I probably forget all the mediocre comics that were bogged down by a visually-uninteresting script. I would say that the problem occurs more when the conversation is just exposition - talking ABOUT the plot - than when talking head scenes actually develop a character. In some ways, I think modern superhero comics could do with a few more scenes of developing characters through a conversation and a couple fewer scenes of impossibly high-stakes destruction, but maybe that's just me. (My big pecadillo with the visual storytelling of modern comics is actually that the proportion of covers that make you interested in the story inside is decreasing. There are a lot of really well-drawn covers of characters standing still that don't entice me to take a chance at all.)
On another note, I am a big fan of the Taschen books you mentioned. The colors look far better than a lot of reprints on paper stock the original comics were not originally intended to be printed on. There's a lot more nuance in those original colors that help tell the story than you see with recolored books. Although there are a couple of shortcomings (scans from Marvel Tales, e.g.), my only real gripe is that they are going chronologically and are thus missing some of the better material in the Marvel catalog (I think Spider-Man was great from the jump, but the first 20 issues of the FF or the X-Men are inferior to later heydays). What would your dream books in that format be? For myself, I'd absolutely double-dip on a deluxe reprint of Miller/Janson Daredevil that preserves Janson's unique original colors and on a volume collecting Steranko's Marvel work. (And though it's not a Marvel book, a Taschen edition of Moore/Bissette/Totleben Swamp Thing would be a must-buy. DC lost money from at least me by recoloring those tales when they put out their "Absolute" editions)
I can't remember if this was asked before, so apologies if I'm duplicating a question:
How do the Marvel Unlimited / digital team decide to prioritise additions to the digital back catalogue? And do areas like the X-office have any influence?
Sometimes the reasons seem pretty obvious - such as the full run of Ghost Rider 2099 recently appearing to accompany the omnibus - but some of the gaps elsewhere seem pretty odd from a reader's perspective. There are still missing issues midway through relatively high-profile books like the original X-Force and Generation X runs, and things like Bishop's solo books are also poorly represented.
I know your focus is on moving forward, but with such a rich back-catalogue and so many of those characters still appearing, it'd be great to see more of it on there.
For that matter... how does the decision to collect some long ago X-book arc or limited series in a trade paperback or omnibus work? Does the x-office start that conversation, or become part of it once someone else thinks it might be worth it commercially?
"To be honest, I haven’t commissioned a single cover image that has Rogue in that outfit." Right, except you're going forward with a five issue Savage Land Rogue mini series. And you haven't responded to or addressed any of the negative feedback and concerns Rogue fans have about this series. So many of us have contacted the X Office email and no one has said anything, but I guess that's expecting too much.
"And even internally, we’re aware that those covers tend to sell really well, and will sometimes have our sales team request them when they think they’ll do the project some good. As I want to get the books into as many hands as are possible, I don’t really have a problem with this." So you're okay with Rogue being objectified because it makes money? You really just admitted that? Cool.
I'm not saying that female comic book characters can't be sexy. I am absolutely here for women in comic books being sexy. But there is a huge difference between "sexy" and "blatant objectification" and Savage Land Rogue is most certainly the latter. If you're okay with female characters being objectified because it makes money, what else would you be willing to print as long as it makes money?
You listened to negative feedback about QR codes, but you won't listen to Rogue fans who are upset about her constantly being objectified in this outfit? QR codes made X-Men fans unhappy, so you get rid of them, but Rogue fans and should just get over it because Savage Land Rogue sells well?
I think you are in the minority about this one. Rogue fans fondly remember that story set in the savage land - probably some of the best selling Xmen issues (Jim Lee era) for that matter.
Rogue is a character in a comic book - not a real person who is being 'objectified' - retailers and fans are clearly responding to this mini/covers with sales demand. As with many things 'online outrage' is a tempest in a teapot in the real world.
Thanks Tom for answering my previous questions. It’s a real thrill to see my name. Dare I ask about - The Clone Saga, a story taht really divides fans. I loved it when it first came out and I am now re-reading it as the Epics are published. There’s so much I like, the character Kaine, the Jackal, the Grim Hunter, Stunner, etc. it’s rich with ideas. I wonder if you felt the same, or where you felt it eventually missed the mark. Was it just too long, too complex, was it the moment they made out dear Peter was the clone? Just really interested to here your take. Thanks David.
just reading it as well and there is so much good stuff. Im reading on MU which certainly makes it easier, can’t imagine what following that many crossovers must have been.
I’m not sure if you’ve answered this before, but how is it decided which characters get tie-ins for big events like Blood Hunt or Judgment Day? And why is it that the Guardians of the Galaxy are never included unless it’s a more cosmic threat and they have an ongoing series at the time?
But they were included on Civil War II. Not sure if many people liked that
Apologies if you've been asked this before, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on launching a new ongoing series as part of an event (as is happening next year as part of "One World Under Doom," which is why it's top of mind). I assume the logic is that an event will raise the profile of a new book, but as a reader I often feel like once past the event, the book stumbles a bit, since the initial concept was tied to the event comic/status/etc; versus having a distinct pitch of its own. But that's my interpretation, and I'd rather hear how you approach it from the editorial perspective!
I also wanted to say how much I am enjoying the new Uncanny Xmen, as an old time fan with a full back issue collection ( a nightmare when I recently moved house) it’s scratching my itch.
Hey, Tom. I would like to ask if you have ever consider about giving Jean a Cosmic Horror comic? It would be super cool to see Jean in a such different approach than we are used to, especially now that shes fully envolt in the marvel cosmic universe
Fair enough, Tom. It's your forum and you can cover anything you want. I still suggest that staying away from politics is advisable -- unless you have a great new insight. If part of your purpose with this blog is to engage with, entertain, and inform, unnecessarily injecting political comments is self-defeating. And, yes, I could unsubscribe. But I'm not that sensitive.
And yet... still talking about it.
As someone who enjoyed most of the actual stories being told during the Inhumans era but hated the corporate-driven way the mutants were pushed to the side during that time, I have to ask: do you think it’s been long enough that we might start seeing the Inhumans (specifically some of the ones created during that time, like Reader, Flint or Inferno) appear more often again?
Today's things I agree with you include Irv Novick being one of the best and most consistent Flash artists ever (he was on board when I discovered the title and remains My Flash artist) and that the remade Agatha Harkness feels wrong to me too but I can't ignore it's a valid sales move. My questions are slightly Agatha adjacent too!
When Speed and Wiccan were created, was there even a vague explanation in mind that the creative team considered how the souls of Wanda's twins became actual souls and not pieces of Mephisto, traveled back in time, and became the souls of two children unrelated to each other and Wanda while reshaping their genetics? As much as I enjoy both characters there's always a little niggling thought none of it makes sense. On a separate note, it does bother me that the women that gave birth to both and the families that raised them are completely disregarded when they should be who the guys feel are family, not a woman they saw on TV and met only relatively recently.
You mentioned the great team-up of Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley, first on New Warriors and then Thunderbolts. When do you, as an editor, first get a glint that a writer and artist team may be the next Claremont/Byrne or Wolfman/Perez?
Blimey - I am writing a lot this week. Firstly I feel I must apologise as I am a Brit and I have never been to America, although my wife has. So I was interested in Emmanuel’s post, not least because we just had a friend staying who had been to America recently and attended a Trump Rally with her son (an ex pupil of mine) and they were very impressed. Which surprised me. I contrast this as after the election result most of my left wing friends were saying things like - ‘It’s still the Wild West’ in America. Anyway I may write something longer and more considered about this. I mean no offence to anyone in America and our politics here have been appalling of late! Brexit has been an objective disaster.
I hadn't even realized that more Cobra Kai episodes had dropped. According to IMDb, though, it's only the middle of the sixth season. Five more episodes will debut in 2025: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7221388/episodes/?season=6&ref_=tt_eps_sn_6
Hi Tom, thanks for taking our questions. I'm wondering if you know if the old Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man series will get put in the Epic format? I know some have been done as Masterworks, but very few issues are available in trade unless they're cross over issues. Would love to read the old stories that didn't cross over.
Excited to wade through Marvelution via the NW chronicles. Truly, a period like no other.
With Marvel characters often being licensed by outside entities to make video games, TV shows, etc., have you ever been called upon to consult to make sure the characters were well represented?
That memo is an interesting bit. I'm probably biased in that there are bright shining examples I can think of where the comic was nothing but characters talking and the result was great (Zot! #35, Ultimate Spider-Man #13...) but I probably forget all the mediocre comics that were bogged down by a visually-uninteresting script. I would say that the problem occurs more when the conversation is just exposition - talking ABOUT the plot - than when talking head scenes actually develop a character. In some ways, I think modern superhero comics could do with a few more scenes of developing characters through a conversation and a couple fewer scenes of impossibly high-stakes destruction, but maybe that's just me. (My big pecadillo with the visual storytelling of modern comics is actually that the proportion of covers that make you interested in the story inside is decreasing. There are a lot of really well-drawn covers of characters standing still that don't entice me to take a chance at all.)
On another note, I am a big fan of the Taschen books you mentioned. The colors look far better than a lot of reprints on paper stock the original comics were not originally intended to be printed on. There's a lot more nuance in those original colors that help tell the story than you see with recolored books. Although there are a couple of shortcomings (scans from Marvel Tales, e.g.), my only real gripe is that they are going chronologically and are thus missing some of the better material in the Marvel catalog (I think Spider-Man was great from the jump, but the first 20 issues of the FF or the X-Men are inferior to later heydays). What would your dream books in that format be? For myself, I'd absolutely double-dip on a deluxe reprint of Miller/Janson Daredevil that preserves Janson's unique original colors and on a volume collecting Steranko's Marvel work. (And though it's not a Marvel book, a Taschen edition of Moore/Bissette/Totleben Swamp Thing would be a must-buy. DC lost money from at least me by recoloring those tales when they put out their "Absolute" editions)
I can't remember if this was asked before, so apologies if I'm duplicating a question:
How do the Marvel Unlimited / digital team decide to prioritise additions to the digital back catalogue? And do areas like the X-office have any influence?
Sometimes the reasons seem pretty obvious - such as the full run of Ghost Rider 2099 recently appearing to accompany the omnibus - but some of the gaps elsewhere seem pretty odd from a reader's perspective. There are still missing issues midway through relatively high-profile books like the original X-Force and Generation X runs, and things like Bishop's solo books are also poorly represented.
I know your focus is on moving forward, but with such a rich back-catalogue and so many of those characters still appearing, it'd be great to see more of it on there.
For that matter... how does the decision to collect some long ago X-book arc or limited series in a trade paperback or omnibus work? Does the x-office start that conversation, or become part of it once someone else thinks it might be worth it commercially?
"To be honest, I haven’t commissioned a single cover image that has Rogue in that outfit." Right, except you're going forward with a five issue Savage Land Rogue mini series. And you haven't responded to or addressed any of the negative feedback and concerns Rogue fans have about this series. So many of us have contacted the X Office email and no one has said anything, but I guess that's expecting too much.
"And even internally, we’re aware that those covers tend to sell really well, and will sometimes have our sales team request them when they think they’ll do the project some good. As I want to get the books into as many hands as are possible, I don’t really have a problem with this." So you're okay with Rogue being objectified because it makes money? You really just admitted that? Cool.
I'm not saying that female comic book characters can't be sexy. I am absolutely here for women in comic books being sexy. But there is a huge difference between "sexy" and "blatant objectification" and Savage Land Rogue is most certainly the latter. If you're okay with female characters being objectified because it makes money, what else would you be willing to print as long as it makes money?
You listened to negative feedback about QR codes, but you won't listen to Rogue fans who are upset about her constantly being objectified in this outfit? QR codes made X-Men fans unhappy, so you get rid of them, but Rogue fans and should just get over it because Savage Land Rogue sells well?
I think you are in the minority about this one. Rogue fans fondly remember that story set in the savage land - probably some of the best selling Xmen issues (Jim Lee era) for that matter.
Rogue is a character in a comic book - not a real person who is being 'objectified' - retailers and fans are clearly responding to this mini/covers with sales demand. As with many things 'online outrage' is a tempest in a teapot in the real world.