Thank you for answering my Sam Alexander question last week. After seeing the new Imperial details on Friday and the tease of an interconnected cosmic line of books, I have more hope now that Sam will be more involved in big stories sooner than I thought.
From what I gather from your answer it's clear that Phoenix and the Phoenix book are not involved in the upcoming "reshaping" of the Marvel cosmos, which is extremely unfortunate, considering that's how the book was marketed initially. Safe to say I will not be picking any of the Imperial comics or whatever comes afterwards and I might as well stop picking up Phoenix, given how unimpressive it is and has been for months with no change of direction on the horizon. This could have been a chance to turn the book around and make it into what it was promised to be - a COSMIC centerpiece - but alas seems like that is not happening. Thank you for your answer regardless.
I'm not too interested in Imperial either, but from the sounds of it and the length of it, I gathered it's more like it will be setting the table for the cosmic sphere, leaving writers for Phoenix and other books to plate the meal as they please after.
Frankly I doubt Stephanie Phillips is going to use whatever Imperial does as she seems to only be pulling ideas from obscure 70s Thor comics, no offense. Hopefully this book gets better handling in the future, but from where I'm standing it's not worth the money right now.
"That said, history is littered with the bodies of people who thought that I was going to be out of Marvel in another few weeks or months, and I seem to keep on just chugging along."
No question that you have natural editorial/management skills that have contributed to your longevity. But of course there have been many great editors at Marvel over the years with much shorter tenures. You yourself once said that during Marvelcution, it was a tossup whether you or another editor would be laid off, and you speculated you survived because it was thought you would be more of a "team player". In more recent years, colleagues have described you as "a sharp political player" whom it is unwise to go against in office politics. How much of your longevity would you attribute to those political skills?
Tom, I’m aware that this is a tough question and probably one you’ve seen more variations on than any other since 2007 or so, so I understand completely if you choose to skip it, given that it’s about Peter and MJ.
In your opinion, is there a threshold that a book like Ultimate Spider-Man (or Renew Your Vows, or Spider-Girl, or any of the other “Peter and MJ are a married couple” projects through the decades) could reach that would cause editorial to say “okay, Amazing is losing to this other book, clearly the thing the audience is responding to is married Spider-Man, we should bring that back into main continuity”? The marriage seems, from an outsider’s perspective, to be one of the exceptions to the rule of “do what sells as long as we can tell a good story”. OMD seems to be considered pretty sacred among editorial given how Nick Spencer’s run got interfered with for trying to undo it. Basically, is there any world in which the fans send a strong enough (polite) message that the marriage could be back on the table or is it something editorial considers too big a betrayal of Peter’s character?
What would the need be to make ASM the same as USM when Marvel Comics is profiting off of both? Wouldn't the success of USM mean that they are free to do different things with ASM, rather than trying to make it more like USM and creatively stifling themselves?
Respectfully, I don’t buy the idea that the marriage is creatively stifling, nor the idea that one similarity between USM and ASM would make the books feel homogenous, considering all the different character backstories, relationships and designs in USM compared to main continuity. I can only speak for myself, but I’d be following both books instead of USM if it felt like mainline Peter was allowed to live up to the “Man” in his name again.
I’m sure there is. I guess part of it is that growing up in the late 90s and early aughts, I tend to associate the marriage with a period in Peter’s life where he felt like an adult and the stories still had the sense of stakes, tension and adventure that made them feel like classic Spider-Man. And don’t get me wrong, several of the post OMD stories have been excellent! But it does feel like as far as Peter’s personal life goes, we’ve crossed a line from “struggle” to “torture” and he’s not allowed to progress in *any* real sense, not just romantically. Even apart from being married, Pete being a teacher felt like a great new step for him. He felt like an adult. Now it seems like editorial is terrified of him being seen that way.
On the topic of “best Marvel story out there that could be handed to anyone to read” I genuinely think a solid answer, which has been many readers’ jumping on point in the last couple decades, is Young Avengers (2005).
And I’m not even saying that as a huge fan of that series, if you look at omnibus collector forums or peoples “best comics of all time” lists or “runs to jump into comics” recommendations online, Young Avengers (2005) consistently makes these lists time and time again.
It’s a bit odd because it’s a book that references so much continuity inherently, but I think the way it’s done makes it so easy to read even if you’ve never read a Marvel comic.
Speaking of Young Avengers, I still desperately hope they reunite. With June solicits coming out next weekish maybe I’ll get my wish soon. But I want them to be more than the team that often gets a story during Pride month these days.
I very much like David Pepose's writing in Cable (and Space Ghost, a series I never thought I'd ever read). I would love to see him write more for the X-Men, whether it's a yearly Cable or writing something for Phoenix, since he's so good with all things cosmic. I love the different tone he takes with approaching Cable, and I like the optimism in his writing even when things are bleak and unsparing.
I also found that Alex Segura write-up to be really interesting. He is a very good writer, I hope the X-Men can benefit from his writing in the near future!
Thank you for the answer on editors during events and the org chart, that's very helpful.
On the subject of what Alex Segura was talking about, I wanted to ask about Jim Shooter. He was someone who made it a rule to write each issue as if it were someone's first, which at the time seemed to lead to a lot of issues where characters would summarize previous issues a lot. Maybe some people find it unwieldy today, but I thought every issue was so full of dialogue and meaningful discussion that you could learn about characters in just 1-2 pages. That frankness, the direct nature of the dialogue, it really helped build this vast cast of X-Men characters.
Anyway, all that rambling aside, did you ever get to work alongside Jim Shooter? Was anything about his style of editing and mandates to writers something that influenced you (or the office you were working in) at all?
I’m also reading LORNE and glad to hear you’re also enjoying it. That made me wonder, have you had any interaction with SNL over the years in your role (or outside it)?
Tom! Thanks for reading the newsletter and for the kind words. I think we're definitely saying the same thing, if using different words. My point with the issue of Uncanny was that it went against what people might assume are the rules for writing an issue as if it were someone's first, but still managed to reel me in. So, basically, it boils down to telling story well - which we agree on.
5YL is certainly divisive. My point with using Giffen's run as an example was more to show that some arcs/runs can succeed in reeling you in without answering every question upfront, and even obfuscating key plot points until later. But it's a big YMMV. At the end of the day, if you tell the story well, the "rules" are fluid, was my point.
The Wolfman/Perez Titans had that effect on me - just the covers got me curious and fascinated about the DCU at the time (I did not understand all the references but I wanted to know more).
Donny Cates recently said he’d be returning to the world of comics soon, can we expect him to be writing for Marvel in the near future? You all seemed to take a decent amount of stock in him, but of course there was the slew of unfortunate circumstances that prevented him from finishing off his current series.
A question for you, and sorry if this sounds stupid, coming from a non-professional: Can you explain the great Frank D’Armata’s coloring style on Captain America and Avengers? It’s kind of like a glossy style that I’ve never seen another colorist use. I don’t know if I’m right or not, but I’m struck when I read those books (and others he’s colored) how singular his approach seems.
Also, if you tried Downfall, may I recommend Tokyo These Days by Taiyo Matsumoto? Three volume Manga about the industry, but one that’s sweet, heartfelt and ultimately uplifting (though definitely has some downbeat moments too).
If Hope Summers is in that egg, my soul is yours, Mr Brevoort.
EDIT: Never mind. You almost had me convinced that Xavier was capable of doing something selfless for a change. That he was going to use the last Krakoan egg for something that benefits all mutants. More fool me.
I'm looking forward to the recently announced Emma Frost series.
I saw an article on the 400th issue of wolverine. It said "the biggest reveal in all 400 issues of wolverine."
I'm wondering just how big this is.. Do you think Ahmed has crafted up something bigger than what has come before by legends like Hama, Claremont, Millar, etc?
While I suppose 5YL Legion fails some of your sensible rules, it gets many things right that superhero comics very seldom get right, especially in the Terra Mosaic phase.
Particular to the superhero codenames, so much of the point is that these are adults who mostly believe this is something from their youth they've left behind/outgrown. The arc of the story is how they reconnect with their youthful idealism and belief they have the power to change the universe by doing the right thing. But you have to see them discard their past selves first!
My response to "Writing every comic book as though it might be some reader’s first issue' has always been "Remember it is also might be somebody's last." IMHO Constant recapping drives away long term readers more than it helps new ones. I am glad that what I used to call "the 3 pages of gratuitous Marvel recap" as story pages has gone away as it is completely unnecessary in today's world of easily available back issues. Also, in Ye Goode Olde Day of the 70s and 80s, we were all used to being dropped "In Medias Res" for most pop culture things. It was rare for most people to be in on the ground floor of most things and somehow we all dealt with it. BTW The most irritating question I was asked when I was working at a comic store was always "Where do I start?" My answer was always "Start with the latest issue. If you like you can always go forwards and backwards."
Thank you for answering my Sam Alexander question last week. After seeing the new Imperial details on Friday and the tease of an interconnected cosmic line of books, I have more hope now that Sam will be more involved in big stories sooner than I thought.
From what I gather from your answer it's clear that Phoenix and the Phoenix book are not involved in the upcoming "reshaping" of the Marvel cosmos, which is extremely unfortunate, considering that's how the book was marketed initially. Safe to say I will not be picking any of the Imperial comics or whatever comes afterwards and I might as well stop picking up Phoenix, given how unimpressive it is and has been for months with no change of direction on the horizon. This could have been a chance to turn the book around and make it into what it was promised to be - a COSMIC centerpiece - but alas seems like that is not happening. Thank you for your answer regardless.
I'm not too interested in Imperial either, but from the sounds of it and the length of it, I gathered it's more like it will be setting the table for the cosmic sphere, leaving writers for Phoenix and other books to plate the meal as they please after.
Frankly I doubt Stephanie Phillips is going to use whatever Imperial does as she seems to only be pulling ideas from obscure 70s Thor comics, no offense. Hopefully this book gets better handling in the future, but from where I'm standing it's not worth the money right now.
Huh, as obscure 70s Thor issues are my bag, I may have to check this out, despite not normally finding Phoenix to be super interesting
"That said, history is littered with the bodies of people who thought that I was going to be out of Marvel in another few weeks or months, and I seem to keep on just chugging along."
No question that you have natural editorial/management skills that have contributed to your longevity. But of course there have been many great editors at Marvel over the years with much shorter tenures. You yourself once said that during Marvelcution, it was a tossup whether you or another editor would be laid off, and you speculated you survived because it was thought you would be more of a "team player". In more recent years, colleagues have described you as "a sharp political player" whom it is unwise to go against in office politics. How much of your longevity would you attribute to those political skills?
Tom, I’m aware that this is a tough question and probably one you’ve seen more variations on than any other since 2007 or so, so I understand completely if you choose to skip it, given that it’s about Peter and MJ.
In your opinion, is there a threshold that a book like Ultimate Spider-Man (or Renew Your Vows, or Spider-Girl, or any of the other “Peter and MJ are a married couple” projects through the decades) could reach that would cause editorial to say “okay, Amazing is losing to this other book, clearly the thing the audience is responding to is married Spider-Man, we should bring that back into main continuity”? The marriage seems, from an outsider’s perspective, to be one of the exceptions to the rule of “do what sells as long as we can tell a good story”. OMD seems to be considered pretty sacred among editorial given how Nick Spencer’s run got interfered with for trying to undo it. Basically, is there any world in which the fans send a strong enough (polite) message that the marriage could be back on the table or is it something editorial considers too big a betrayal of Peter’s character?
What would the need be to make ASM the same as USM when Marvel Comics is profiting off of both? Wouldn't the success of USM mean that they are free to do different things with ASM, rather than trying to make it more like USM and creatively stifling themselves?
Respectfully, I don’t buy the idea that the marriage is creatively stifling, nor the idea that one similarity between USM and ASM would make the books feel homogenous, considering all the different character backstories, relationships and designs in USM compared to main continuity. I can only speak for myself, but I’d be following both books instead of USM if it felt like mainline Peter was allowed to live up to the “Man” in his name again.
Genuine question: is there a way for him to live up to the man in his title without involving MJ?
I’m sure there is. I guess part of it is that growing up in the late 90s and early aughts, I tend to associate the marriage with a period in Peter’s life where he felt like an adult and the stories still had the sense of stakes, tension and adventure that made them feel like classic Spider-Man. And don’t get me wrong, several of the post OMD stories have been excellent! But it does feel like as far as Peter’s personal life goes, we’ve crossed a line from “struggle” to “torture” and he’s not allowed to progress in *any* real sense, not just romantically. Even apart from being married, Pete being a teacher felt like a great new step for him. He felt like an adult. Now it seems like editorial is terrified of him being seen that way.
Perhaps there are other ways to be a "man" than marriage and kids though. Certainly, for many adults, that's becoming increasingly normal.
I don't have a horse in the race though, as I don't read Spider-Man in any form.
On the topic of “best Marvel story out there that could be handed to anyone to read” I genuinely think a solid answer, which has been many readers’ jumping on point in the last couple decades, is Young Avengers (2005).
And I’m not even saying that as a huge fan of that series, if you look at omnibus collector forums or peoples “best comics of all time” lists or “runs to jump into comics” recommendations online, Young Avengers (2005) consistently makes these lists time and time again.
It’s a bit odd because it’s a book that references so much continuity inherently, but I think the way it’s done makes it so easy to read even if you’ve never read a Marvel comic.
Speaking of Young Avengers, I still desperately hope they reunite. With June solicits coming out next weekish maybe I’ll get my wish soon. But I want them to be more than the team that often gets a story during Pride month these days.
I very much like David Pepose's writing in Cable (and Space Ghost, a series I never thought I'd ever read). I would love to see him write more for the X-Men, whether it's a yearly Cable or writing something for Phoenix, since he's so good with all things cosmic. I love the different tone he takes with approaching Cable, and I like the optimism in his writing even when things are bleak and unsparing.
I also found that Alex Segura write-up to be really interesting. He is a very good writer, I hope the X-Men can benefit from his writing in the near future!
Thank you for the answer on editors during events and the org chart, that's very helpful.
On the subject of what Alex Segura was talking about, I wanted to ask about Jim Shooter. He was someone who made it a rule to write each issue as if it were someone's first, which at the time seemed to lead to a lot of issues where characters would summarize previous issues a lot. Maybe some people find it unwieldy today, but I thought every issue was so full of dialogue and meaningful discussion that you could learn about characters in just 1-2 pages. That frankness, the direct nature of the dialogue, it really helped build this vast cast of X-Men characters.
Anyway, all that rambling aside, did you ever get to work alongside Jim Shooter? Was anything about his style of editing and mandates to writers something that influenced you (or the office you were working in) at all?
Speaking of, what were your thoughts on Gundam: The Witch From Mercury? I really wanted to like it more than I actually did.
I’m also reading LORNE and glad to hear you’re also enjoying it. That made me wonder, have you had any interaction with SNL over the years in your role (or outside it)?
Tom! Thanks for reading the newsletter and for the kind words. I think we're definitely saying the same thing, if using different words. My point with the issue of Uncanny was that it went against what people might assume are the rules for writing an issue as if it were someone's first, but still managed to reel me in. So, basically, it boils down to telling story well - which we agree on.
5YL is certainly divisive. My point with using Giffen's run as an example was more to show that some arcs/runs can succeed in reeling you in without answering every question upfront, and even obfuscating key plot points until later. But it's a big YMMV. At the end of the day, if you tell the story well, the "rules" are fluid, was my point.
The Wolfman/Perez Titans had that effect on me - just the covers got me curious and fascinated about the DCU at the time (I did not understand all the references but I wanted to know more).
Donny Cates recently said he’d be returning to the world of comics soon, can we expect him to be writing for Marvel in the near future? You all seemed to take a decent amount of stock in him, but of course there was the slew of unfortunate circumstances that prevented him from finishing off his current series.
A question for you, and sorry if this sounds stupid, coming from a non-professional: Can you explain the great Frank D’Armata’s coloring style on Captain America and Avengers? It’s kind of like a glossy style that I’ve never seen another colorist use. I don’t know if I’m right or not, but I’m struck when I read those books (and others he’s colored) how singular his approach seems.
Also, if you tried Downfall, may I recommend Tokyo These Days by Taiyo Matsumoto? Three volume Manga about the industry, but one that’s sweet, heartfelt and ultimately uplifting (though definitely has some downbeat moments too).
Why does the ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #2 cover image in Pimp My Wednesday have “1” in its number box?
If Hope Summers is in that egg, my soul is yours, Mr Brevoort.
EDIT: Never mind. You almost had me convinced that Xavier was capable of doing something selfless for a change. That he was going to use the last Krakoan egg for something that benefits all mutants. More fool me.
I'm looking forward to the recently announced Emma Frost series.
I saw an article on the 400th issue of wolverine. It said "the biggest reveal in all 400 issues of wolverine."
I'm wondering just how big this is.. Do you think Ahmed has crafted up something bigger than what has come before by legends like Hama, Claremont, Millar, etc?
It's huge. Wolverine learns he's only the third best there is at what he does.
While I suppose 5YL Legion fails some of your sensible rules, it gets many things right that superhero comics very seldom get right, especially in the Terra Mosaic phase.
Particular to the superhero codenames, so much of the point is that these are adults who mostly believe this is something from their youth they've left behind/outgrown. The arc of the story is how they reconnect with their youthful idealism and belief they have the power to change the universe by doing the right thing. But you have to see them discard their past selves first!
Another run that was confusing (to my young self) but really drew you in and wanted the reader to learn more. Very cool and fondly remembered.
This guy gets it!
My response to "Writing every comic book as though it might be some reader’s first issue' has always been "Remember it is also might be somebody's last." IMHO Constant recapping drives away long term readers more than it helps new ones. I am glad that what I used to call "the 3 pages of gratuitous Marvel recap" as story pages has gone away as it is completely unnecessary in today's world of easily available back issues. Also, in Ye Goode Olde Day of the 70s and 80s, we were all used to being dropped "In Medias Res" for most pop culture things. It was rare for most people to be in on the ground floor of most things and somehow we all dealt with it. BTW The most irritating question I was asked when I was working at a comic store was always "Where do I start?" My answer was always "Start with the latest issue. If you like you can always go forwards and backwards."