For the first time, this edition of this Newsletter is coming to you late; Sunday afternoon rather than at noon as has been our pattern up to this point.
I’m genuinely going to miss the Ten Masterworks game. Not so much because I was looking for a definitive list, but because it allowed us to share why we loved and didn’t love certain stories. I’m really disappointed in those of us who wanted to ruin it to prove a point.
I’d go further and say if someone has shared why they love a story, you should at least have to justify your veto with a reason. Makes it so you’d at least have to read the book being suggested
I think all of these are good suggestions. I would point out though that Tom said he heard those concerns and the rules were staying as he wanted (and the outcome was as he expected). So Brandon deciding that other people ruined the game is a bit puzzling.
Is it hard finding a balance between letting individual books tell their own stories and setting up crossovers? I can only speak as a reader, but it feels like FtA is getting overwhelmed by crossovers and events happening with very little space between them. How do you know when to let the books breathe?
I’d second this. I think these books are at their best in their own stories. It’s almost whiplash to go from raid or manhunt back to the story focused issues for each book
Tom, I have been reading a lot of the DC Finest Golden Age collections. They’ve never been shy about cranking out the old Superman and Batman stories, but I’m glad they now have an affordable outlet for things like the JSA and Plastic Man.
My question is this: are golden age comics any harder to digitize and spiffying up for collections like these? They don’t get printed very often. Is that because they just don’t sell well or because it’s more expensive to restore them?
There's a speakeasy in Denver (not sure if it's still around), where you make a reservation before hand. The address is a small used bookstore.
The person behind the desk, after verifying your reservation, goes to one of the bookshelves, which swings outward, allowing you to go down a long, dark hallway to a club, also done up in 1920's style decor.
These watering holes always remind me that cocktail culture started back ~ 100 years ago because the quality of the liquor was so bad back then, that you had to 'zazz' it up.
"I get that you have issues with Tom, I do too, but at a certain point you’re just preventing the rest of us from doing something we find enjoyable. You’re a genuinely erudite dude based on the exchanges we’ve had here, do you really want to be known as the guy who’s constantly stepping on other people’s toes to try and back Tom into an intellectual corner?"
You can't be serious. Have you been following the comments? Let me recap: Almost everyone originally completely misunderstood the point of the game, leading Tom to set people straight in the next week's column: The object, as he framed it, was to narrow the list down to 10 comics, meaning he wanted people to start vetoing. The problem is that there weren't any restrictions on the vetoes, meaning that once people understood what Tom was proposing, it was inevitable somebody would come in and say "I veto everything". Which, sure enough, happened TWICE.
Not to mention, virtually everyone eventually got frustrated and gave up on making nominations. So there never could have been a "winner". And **I** prevented you from "enjoying the game" because I made a couple of joke nominations at the very end?
I think Tom is a very smart editor with a lot of integrity. What irritates me is people who can't understand when a game isn't meant for them to "win" but to make a broader point.
I don’t want to have a long exchange on this, but I feel like you’re assigning nefarious intent where there is none. The game was more a reminder that everyone has different tastes and enjoys different things. If something is not for a particular reader they have the choice to move along. Instead a vocal group pushes their viewpoint as what every reader wants, which obviously isn’t the case.
I don't think it's nefarious. You're basically saying the same thing I said; that Tom staged the game to make a point. Like I said, I think he's entitled to do so, but it is a little vexing to see people acting like there was a chance of it turning out otherwise under those rules, and that me making a few joke nominations at the very end is what caused it to fail ;)
I picked up immediately what the game was about (I think I wrote it several times in the comments sections these past few weeks)…Tom had no ill intent. And as for those who thought that there would be a consensus, I’m not sure what they were thinking. No harm done either way.
Tom, I am now reading the latest Thunderbolts Epic ‘Targeted For Death’. I have the original issues in a long box sequestered away, but loving it all over again. You were Editor, so is the Ogre still in suspended animation and also can you talk us through the decision in issue 37 to make Abner Jenkins, Mach 1/2 into a black man?
Uncanny X-men 17 was good one of my favorite issues of the series. Magik and Laura Kinney were also great reads. Magik is one of the best Comics coming out right now!
I heard your podcast with x-men horoscope and I loved hearing how you went from an intern to one of marvel's best editors ever. Also, introducing a new long term love interest for wolverine is the next best step for him as a character. As long as she's badass in her own right
In the recent interview you made with AIPT you mention, the following, "It speaks to sort of the ineffable connection between those characters. It also sort of starts to inform, at least for me, all of their interactions with their other paramours and would-be paramours over the years and why, ultimately, it always kind of resets back to the two of them. Because, ever since that issue of Uncanny X-Men, they’re literally inseparable — not just figuratively inseparable." You also answer a question from Seastar that Jean Grey likely involved with this answer, "Who says Jean Grey isn't involved in it at all, Seastar?"
Question: I have two, questions.
1) You mention Scott Summers and Jean Grey are inseparable but to date, they are apart. Without spoiling and giving too much information. How much longer do we have to keep Cyclops and Phoenix apart (Phoenix with her cosmic journey, and Cyclops running Alaska X-Mean Team). Will they be team again, or team duo series, and I don't mean a miniseries?
2) Note without spoiling or giving to much. You mention that Jean Grey is in Age of Revelation but doesn't specify which line up? Is she in the Binary issue? A yes or no answer would be good enough.
After last week’s blog links, I ended up reading through the whole Editorial Simulation from 2020. Do you think you’ll do another one of those on here some time?
I noticed that Psylocke is back in the Hand costume (or technically a black version of the old Elektra style one) on the cover of Age of Revelation. Please tell me you guys aren’t reverting her back to that tired costume? As much as I love the nostalgia for it, it needs to retire for good. I really love her current costume.
I would keep GI Joe #60-66, Earth X, Avengers Forever, Dark Phoenix, the Fantastic Four Mark Waid issue where Ben comforts Franklin, Weapon X, Galactus Trilogy, Spider-Man Life Story, God Loves, Man Kills, and Ultron Unlimited.
Hi Tom! Do you know which office Marvel occupied back in 91 for that Halloween party? I used to work at 387 Park back in 2008 so it kind of looks like it but it doesn’t?
I’m genuinely going to miss the Ten Masterworks game. Not so much because I was looking for a definitive list, but because it allowed us to share why we loved and didn’t love certain stories. I’m really disappointed in those of us who wanted to ruin it to prove a point.
I do feel like the thought experiment is a good one but you should have to veto a story by name. Ah well.
I’d go further and say if someone has shared why they love a story, you should at least have to justify your veto with a reason. Makes it so you’d at least have to read the book being suggested
I think all of these are good suggestions. I would point out though that Tom said he heard those concerns and the rules were staying as he wanted (and the outcome was as he expected). So Brandon deciding that other people ruined the game is a bit puzzling.
Is it hard finding a balance between letting individual books tell their own stories and setting up crossovers? I can only speak as a reader, but it feels like FtA is getting overwhelmed by crossovers and events happening with very little space between them. How do you know when to let the books breathe?
I’d second this. I think these books are at their best in their own stories. It’s almost whiplash to go from raid or manhunt back to the story focused issues for each book
Tom, I have been reading a lot of the DC Finest Golden Age collections. They’ve never been shy about cranking out the old Superman and Batman stories, but I’m glad they now have an affordable outlet for things like the JSA and Plastic Man.
My question is this: are golden age comics any harder to digitize and spiffying up for collections like these? They don’t get printed very often. Is that because they just don’t sell well or because it’s more expensive to restore them?
There's a speakeasy in Denver (not sure if it's still around), where you make a reservation before hand. The address is a small used bookstore.
The person behind the desk, after verifying your reservation, goes to one of the bookshelves, which swings outward, allowing you to go down a long, dark hallway to a club, also done up in 1920's style decor.
These watering holes always remind me that cocktail culture started back ~ 100 years ago because the quality of the liquor was so bad back then, that you had to 'zazz' it up.
Brandon Giles wrote:
"I get that you have issues with Tom, I do too, but at a certain point you’re just preventing the rest of us from doing something we find enjoyable. You’re a genuinely erudite dude based on the exchanges we’ve had here, do you really want to be known as the guy who’s constantly stepping on other people’s toes to try and back Tom into an intellectual corner?"
You can't be serious. Have you been following the comments? Let me recap: Almost everyone originally completely misunderstood the point of the game, leading Tom to set people straight in the next week's column: The object, as he framed it, was to narrow the list down to 10 comics, meaning he wanted people to start vetoing. The problem is that there weren't any restrictions on the vetoes, meaning that once people understood what Tom was proposing, it was inevitable somebody would come in and say "I veto everything". Which, sure enough, happened TWICE.
Not to mention, virtually everyone eventually got frustrated and gave up on making nominations. So there never could have been a "winner". And **I** prevented you from "enjoying the game" because I made a couple of joke nominations at the very end?
I think Tom is a very smart editor with a lot of integrity. What irritates me is people who can't understand when a game isn't meant for them to "win" but to make a broader point.
I don’t want to have a long exchange on this, but I feel like you’re assigning nefarious intent where there is none. The game was more a reminder that everyone has different tastes and enjoys different things. If something is not for a particular reader they have the choice to move along. Instead a vocal group pushes their viewpoint as what every reader wants, which obviously isn’t the case.
I don't think it's nefarious. You're basically saying the same thing I said; that Tom staged the game to make a point. Like I said, I think he's entitled to do so, but it is a little vexing to see people acting like there was a chance of it turning out otherwise under those rules, and that me making a few joke nominations at the very end is what caused it to fail ;)
I picked up immediately what the game was about (I think I wrote it several times in the comments sections these past few weeks)…Tom had no ill intent. And as for those who thought that there would be a consensus, I’m not sure what they were thinking. No harm done either way.
I would agree, I don't think there was any harm done... but there sure do seem to be some who feel the game was "ruined" ;)
Tom, I am now reading the latest Thunderbolts Epic ‘Targeted For Death’. I have the original issues in a long box sequestered away, but loving it all over again. You were Editor, so is the Ogre still in suspended animation and also can you talk us through the decision in issue 37 to make Abner Jenkins, Mach 1/2 into a black man?
Uncanny X-men 17 was good one of my favorite issues of the series. Magik and Laura Kinney were also great reads. Magik is one of the best Comics coming out right now!
I heard your podcast with x-men horoscope and I loved hearing how you went from an intern to one of marvel's best editors ever. Also, introducing a new long term love interest for wolverine is the next best step for him as a character. As long as she's badass in her own right
Always happy to be an accomplice to your tardiness Tom!
Tom;
Taking Mom to see “Superman” is an excellent reason for the delay this week.
Having to go to SDCC, I dunno, man.
Dear Tom,
In the recent interview you made with AIPT you mention, the following, "It speaks to sort of the ineffable connection between those characters. It also sort of starts to inform, at least for me, all of their interactions with their other paramours and would-be paramours over the years and why, ultimately, it always kind of resets back to the two of them. Because, ever since that issue of Uncanny X-Men, they’re literally inseparable — not just figuratively inseparable." You also answer a question from Seastar that Jean Grey likely involved with this answer, "Who says Jean Grey isn't involved in it at all, Seastar?"
Question: I have two, questions.
1) You mention Scott Summers and Jean Grey are inseparable but to date, they are apart. Without spoiling and giving too much information. How much longer do we have to keep Cyclops and Phoenix apart (Phoenix with her cosmic journey, and Cyclops running Alaska X-Mean Team). Will they be team again, or team duo series, and I don't mean a miniseries?
2) Note without spoiling or giving to much. You mention that Jean Grey is in Age of Revelation but doesn't specify which line up? Is she in the Binary issue? A yes or no answer would be good enough.
After last week’s blog links, I ended up reading through the whole Editorial Simulation from 2020. Do you think you’ll do another one of those on here some time?
Hope you’re well Tom! Which would you think is more damaging Cyclops/Maddie or Hank Pym/Wasp?
Cyclops stayed a hero and remained prominent in books. Hank was destroyed by that and now a sighting of him is rare.
I noticed that Psylocke is back in the Hand costume (or technically a black version of the old Elektra style one) on the cover of Age of Revelation. Please tell me you guys aren’t reverting her back to that tired costume? As much as I love the nostalgia for it, it needs to retire for good. I really love her current costume.
Let's finish the game. All previous nominations back on the table (full list below). What are your final 10?
Fantastic Four #5 by Lee and Kirby
Fantastic Four: The Galactus Trilogy by Lee and Kirby
Fantastic Four 51 - This Man, This Monster by Lee and Kirby
Fantastic Four Annual 6 - Let There Be...Life! by Lee and Kirby
"Within This Troubled Land" from Fantastic Four #84-87 by Lee and Kirby
Fantastic Four #350 & 352 by Walt Simonson
Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules by James Sturm and Guy Davis
"Terror in a Tiny Town” (Fantastic Four #236 by John Byrne)
Fantastic Four - Unthinkable to Affirmative Action to Hereafter
"Into The Timestream" by Walt Simonson
FF 19 by North
Fantastic Four #587 (death of Johnny Storm)
“Inside Out” (Fantastic Four #60, by Waid and Wieringo)
Fantastic Four: 1 2 3 4
“Solve Everything” (Fantastic Four #570-572, by Hickman and Dale Eaglesham)
Daredevil: The Elektra saga
Daredevil 227-233 Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli
DD 208/209: "The deadliest night of my life" by Harlan Ellison and Dave Mazzuchelli
DD: 253: Ann Nocenti and JRJR
Daredevil 47 - Brother take my hand
Elektra: Assassin by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills OGN by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson
X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga by Claremont and Byrne
X-Men: Days Of Future Past by Claremont and Byrne
X-Men 256-268: Claremont and Jim Lee: Acts of Vengeance
New X-Men: E is for Extinction by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
The first Wolverine miniseries by Claremont and Miller
Wolverine: Weapon X (BWS)
X-Men: Asgardian Wars
House of X/Powers of X
The Wedding of Cyclops and Phoenix
X-Men Longshot: Annual 10/New Mutants Special 2
X-Men: Inferno
All-New X-Men: Yesterday's X-Men
X-Men 205: Wounded Wolf: by Claremont and Barry Windsor Smith
X-Men Red #4 “Three Short Stories About Death” by Al Ewing
X-Men Legacy #1 - 6
Marvel and DC Present The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1 by Chris Claremont and Walt Simonson
Living Monolith/Sentinels (the ones Neal Adams drew) in the X-Men
New Mutants: the Demon Bear Saga
Sabretooth: The Adversary by Victor Lavalle
Amazing Fantasy #15 by Lee and Ditko
Amazing Spider-Man vol.1 issues #31-33, The Master Planner Saga by Lee and Ditko
Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died'
Amazing Spider-Man 39-40 Green Goblin’s Last Stand by Lee and Romita
Amazing Spider-Man 66 and 67 by Lee and Romita
Amazing Spider-Man 229-230- Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut by Stern and Romita Jr
"The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" from Amazing Spider-Man #248
“The Death of Jean DeWolff”(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man 107-110 by Peter David and Rich Buckler)
Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt by DeMatteis and Zeck
Ultimate Spider man: Power and Responsibility by Bendis and Bagley
Spider-Island by Slott, Ramos, Caselli, et al
Spectacular Spider-Man #310 by Chip Zdarsky
Venom: Rex by Cates, Stegman, et al
Flowers for Rhino
Foolkiller (the Gerber/JJ Birch miniseries)
Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank by Ennis and Dillon
Punisher: Born by Ennis and Robertson
Punisher Max 1-6: In The Beginning by Ennis and Larosa
Punisher MAX #13-18 - Mother Russia
Alias Investigations: B Level
Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon by Fraction and Aja
Mockingbird Limited Series by Kelly Thompson
The Incredible Hulk v1 #312 “Monster”
Hulk 340 by Peter David and Todd McFarlane
Hulk: Future Imperfect by Peter David and George Perez
Planet Hulk by Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan
Immortal Hulk by Ewing, Bennett, et al
Charles Soule and Javier Pulido's She-Hulk
Captain America #109 by Lee and Kirby
Captain America - The Strange Death of Captain America by Jim Steranko (#110, 111, 113)
Captain America The Impostor By Steve Englehart & Sal Buscema (#153-156)
Captain America: The Secret Empire by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema (CAP #169-176)
Captain America the Winter Soldier 1-14: Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting
Captain America and Batroc #1
What If v1 #44 “What If Captain America Were Revived Today?”
Avengers 274-277 Under Siege by Roger Stern and John Buscema
Avengers 256-257 by Roger Stern and John Buscema
Avengers Annual #10 by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden
Avengers Forever by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco
“Ultron Unlimited” (Avengers# 19-22, Kurt Busiek and George Pérez)
Avengers 56 - Death be not proud
Avengers 65 - Mightier than the sword
Avengers: Disassembled
JLA/Avengers
New Avengers - Breakout
Siege by Kieron Gillen and Filipe Andrade
Young Avengers (2005) "Kang" story (Issues #1 - #6)
Young Avengers by Gillen, McKelvie, et al
Thor #340-353 The Surtur Saga by Walt Simonson
The Mighty Thor v1 #136 “To Become an Immortal”
The Simonson issues where Thor is a Frog.
Death of The Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron
Thor: God of Thunder--The God Butcher / Godbomb by Aaron, Ribic, et al
Iron Man - Extremis
Invincible Iron Man: SHIELD's Most Wanted by Fraction, Larocca, et al
Iron Man v1 #178-182 “Struggle to Deliverance”
Black Panther: Panther's Rage by Don McGregor, Billy Graham, et. al. (Jungle Action #6-18)
Black Panther: Enemy of the State
Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster, More by DeConnick, Soy, Rios, et al
Ms Marvel: Kamala Khan
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol 2 #1-6
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (vol. 2) #8-10
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe
The Vision by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Doctor Strange: The Oath by Vaughan, Martin, et al
Doctor Strange/Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment
Doctor Strange v6 #3 “A Day with Dormammu”
Scarlet Witch by Robinson
Hellstorm Prince of Lies 12-21
Squadron Supreme by Mark Gruenwald, Bob Hall, and Paul Ryan
The "Fury Saga" from Captain Britain by Alan Moore and Alan Davis
Runaways by BKV and Adrian Alphona
Marvel Knights: Inhumans
Black Bolt by Saladin Ahmed
Thunderbolts - Faith In Monsters
Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.
ROM Spaceknight #25
Howard the Duck: Zen and the Art of Comic-Book Writing by Steve Gerber and various (HTD #16)
Howard the Duck #17-18
Adventure into Fear #18
Tomb of Dracula #7-15
Annihilation by Giffen, Abnett, Lanning, DiVito, et al
Silver Surfer 5 - And who shall mourn for him? by Lee and Buscema
Warlock vs. the Magus by Jim Starlin (Strange Tales #178-181, Warlock #9-11)
Warlock and The Avengers vs. Thanos (Avengers Annual 7, Marvel Two In One Annual 2)
Infinity Gauntlet
The original Thanos War, from Captain Marvel (and one issue of Avengers)
Silver Surfer by Slott, Allred, et al
Silver Surfer: Black
Secret Wars by Hickman, Ribic, et al
Secret Invasion
Kree-Skrull War
Marvels
Earth X (by Jim Krueger, John Paul Leon, and Alex Ross)
GI Joe #21: Silent Interlude
GI Joe #60-66: Larry Hama and Ron Wagner
Larry Hama's 'Nth Man'
Immortal Iron Fist #16
Master Of Kung Fu 45-50
Dude you don't run the blog
Really dude? You don't say dude! Tell me more dude!
I would keep GI Joe #60-66, Earth X, Avengers Forever, Dark Phoenix, the Fantastic Four Mark Waid issue where Ben comforts Franklin, Weapon X, Galactus Trilogy, Spider-Man Life Story, God Loves, Man Kills, and Ultron Unlimited.
Hi Tom! Do you know which office Marvel occupied back in 91 for that Halloween party? I used to work at 387 Park back in 2008 so it kind of looks like it but it doesn’t?
That would have been 387. Yeah
How accurate are ICv2 sale stats? A good general idea of sales or not even close?