Marvel NOW "relaunch"

[E]

I've enjoyed everything I've read by him. But I never his Hulk issues and I have not gotten to Scalp, though I want to give it a shot.

His Hulk was so, so bad.

I try to give him the benefit of the doubt, like maybe Hulk is just a character that he can't write (since most people haven't been able to write him) but truthfully I haven't cared for much else I've read by him.

I have no interest in Wolverine and the X-Men.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

I was enjoying Wolverine and the XMen until the events of Avengers vs Xmen, and now it's subpar. I hope it goes back up.

 

[Ice]

The quality of the series hasn't dropped for me. But Aaron did say that the type of stories he was doing before the AvX tie-ins is what he's going to be doing again now.

 

[Ice]

Thanos: Rising is the first Marvel NOW! mini series. 5 issues.

 

[E]

What the heck is going on with Captain America? This book is bizarre, and not in an intriguing way.

#3 spoilers:

Spoiler

Captain America (his name sort of suggests that he defends and represents America) has been stuck in Dimension Z for a year, sent there by Zola. A native there slashes his body and it is revealed that Zola is somehow inhabiting Rogers's body.

This is kind of stupid.

 

[Ice]

What the heck is going on with Captain America? This book is bizarre, and not in an intriguing way.

#3 spoilers:

* SPOILER *

This is kind of stupid.

I feel the complete opposite. I find it bizarre, but definitely in an intriguing way.

 

[Friday]

What the heck is going on with Captain America? This book is bizarre, and not in an intriguing way.

#3 spoilers:

Spoiler

Captain America (his name sort of suggests that he defends and represents America) has been stuck in Dimension Z for a year, sent there by Zola. A native there slashes his body and it is revealed that Zola is somehow inhabiting Rogers's body.

This is kind of stupid.

Zola's been a disembodied consiousness for decades. He was trying to prep him as a host in issue 1 when he escaped. I'm surprised that him "infecting" people hasn't been done before this.

 

[Zombipanda]

Remender's Cap is boss.

 

[E]

Zola's been a disembodied consiousness for decades. He was trying to prep him as a host in issue 1 when he escaped. I'm surprised that him "infecting" people hasn't been done before this.

Was he in Reborn? I don't remember that.

And even so, why would his face be appearing in Cap's stomach?

 

[Friday]

Was he in Reborn? I don't remember that.

And even so, why would his face be appearing in Cap's stomach?

I never read reborn but I've never seen Zola not be an intelligence driving a robot with a camera head.

And its more in his chest where the probe was drilling in issue 1. As for why is his TV face appearing? Because Rick Remender is gloriously insane.

 

[Ice]

They decided that an all-female group would be best off called "X-Men"?

Apparently this has been a "hot topic" online. Wood talks about it in an interview with Newsarama:

"Nrama: I really like the idea that though it's an all-female cast, it's still called X-Men, and not something like "X-Women." But given that, it does seem to at least leave open the potential for a male to join the cast at some point. Is that at all a possibility if the story calls for it, or is "all-female main cast" an intrinsic part of the book's DNA?

Wood: It's impossible to say what's going to happen way down the road, but there has been zero talk of changing the lineup to include a male character, not from my editor on up the chain of command to [Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso]. But while the core cast of the book is these six women, this is not a title designed to be devoid of all men. I'm sure they'll be some appearing as guests in arcs as needed... it would be sort of boring without it, and sort of a waste of chances for good character moments.

And the title... I've been talking about this quite a bit online, because there are fans who can't wrap their mind around the fact this book is called X-Men. I sorta can't wrap my mind around that, that the absence of some alpha male somehow invalidates these six women's identities as X-Men, identities that go back decades through continuity. As my editor told me early on, these women are X-Men. They just are, period, always have been. So we sometimes get accused of "segregation," a truly ugly word, or whatever, but I truly feel that to call this book X-Women or something like that, only suggests that these characters are a subset, or a spinoff, or even just off to one side, when I think any X-Men reader would admit that these women have more than earned the honor of being called X-Men.

I'll defend this all day long."

 

[Captain Canuck]

And the title... I've been talking about this quite a bit online, because there are fans who can't wrap their mind around the fact this book is called X-Men. I sorta can't wrap my mind around that, that the absence of some alpha male somehow invalidates these six women's identities as X-Men, identities that go back decades through continuity. As my editor told me early on, these women are X-Men. They just are, period, always have been. So we sometimes get accused of "segregation," a truly ugly word, or whatever, but I truly feel that to call this book X-Women or something like that, only suggests that these characters are a subset, or a spinoff, or even just off to one side, when I think any X-Men reader would admit that these women have more than earned the honor of being called X-Men.

I'll defend this all day long.

I suppose that argument could go both ways though. Someone could just as easily argue that feeling the need to call them X-Men, when they aren't men betrays a point of view that putting the word women in the title would make them an inferior team.

Although, my own personal opinion is that when people insert female pronouns/nouns into phrases that wouldn't normally have them (Woman's "herstory" month) it sounds like they're trying to hard to make a point.

But I'm not a woman so I should probably just keep my mouth shut.

EDIT: that last line originally said, "But I'm a woman so I should probably just keep my mouth shut." Oh boy, that would have been bad.

 

[E]

Wood: It's impossible to say what's going to happen way down the road

Uh, well, it shouldn't be. It's your book, dude. You should have some sort of long term plan for it, and since a major plot point of the book is that it's all women you should have an idea whether or not that will be changed.

And that's the "issue" I have with this (and it's barely an issue as I don't care a single bit either way from an ideological standpoint). HE'S the one making it a gender equality issue. If that's the case, call it "X-People" or "X-Humans." Obviously calling it "X-Women" or "X-Babes" or "X-Chicks" or something is sexist and they wouldn't do that, but in that line of thinking, calling it "X-Men" is almost as bad.

 

[Ice]

Uh, well, it shouldn't be. It's your book, dude. You should have some sort of long term plan for it, and since a major plot point of the book is that it's all women you should have an idea whether or not that will be changed.

And that's the "issue" I have with this (and it's barely an issue as I don't care a single bit either way from an ideological standpoint). HE'S the one making it a gender equality issue. If that's the case, call it "X-People" or "X-Humans." Obviously calling it "X-Women" or "X-Babes" or "X-Chicks" or something is sexist and they wouldn't do that, but in that line of thinking, calling it "X-Men" is almost as bad.

They do have plans for longer terms, but those plans only go so far. I'm guessing what he means is further than what he already has planned. Especially when plans can and do change.

Also, X-People/human are terrible titles. "X-Men" was always meant to be for both men and women, a "general" group name.

I don't see how he's the one making any gender issues when it's the fans complaining and making a big deal out of it?

What he says does make sense, though. Regardless that the book's cast is female-centric, they are still X-Men still.

 

[E]

Also, X-People/human are terrible titles.

Agreed. I didn't mean they should actually do it.

"X-Men" was always meant to be for both men and women, a "general" group name...Regardless that the book's cast is female-centric, they are still X-Men still.

Right, no doubt. But when you make it a point to create a team of all women in order to demonstrate that the women are equal to the men, calling it "X-Men" doesn't make much sense.

 

[Zombipanda]

Right, no doubt. But when you make it a point to create a team of all women in order to demonstrate that the women are equal to the men, calling it "X-Men" doesn't make much sense.

I think that is the point. "X-Men" are a team of mutants who protect a world that hates and fears them. As long as that's the premise of the book, it's a fit for the title.It emphasizes that it's not a book created to support some pandering "grrl power" sensibility. It's a book that just happens to feature an all-female cast. It's saying, "We're comfortable casting one of our marquis titles with an all-girl group."

But I don't think it's demonstrating anything. Or at least, it shouldn't be. The train of thought should be this. "Brian has a cool idea for an X-Men book." "Cool. Does it fit the brand?" "Sure does." "Go for it."

 

[E]

I think that is the point. "X-Men" are a team of mutants who protect a world that hates and fears them. As long as that's the premise of the book, it's a fit for the title.It emphasizes that it's not a book created to support some pandering "grrl power" sensibility. It's a book that just happens to feature an all-female cast. It's saying, "We're comfortable casting one of our marquis titles with an all-girl group."

But I don't think it's demonstrating anything. Or at least, it shouldn't be. The train of thought should be this. "Brian has a cool idea for an X-Men book." "Cool. Does it fit the brand?" "Sure does." "Go for it."

"Cool idea" as in a team of only females? What's cool or innovative about that? How is feeling that they need to prove something by excluding characters based on their gender any different than either not including other genders or only using them in a minor role?

And I don't have any problem at all with an all-female book. Actually I think it's great! But the premise of the book as we know it so far is not that women can also be used effectively in a book. The premise is just that they are women. So what? What is that accomplishing?

It seems more effective to use females in major roles in a way similar to how, say, Warren Ellis does it. He just includes them and doesn't reduce them to stereotypes. That's it.

 

[Ice]

"Cool idea" as in a team of only females? What's cool or innovative about that? How is feeling that they need to prove something by excluding characters based on their gender any different than either not including other genders or only using them in a minor role?

I think you're taking that part from Zombipanda too literal now. It was just an example, not something actually said.

And I don't have any problem at all with an all-female book. Actually I think it's great! But the premise of the book as we know it so far is not that women can also be used effectively in a book. The premise is just that they are women. So what? What is that accomplishing?

You're assuming the premise is "just women". Have you read anything about the book itself besides what's been mentioned by anyone here? There's a story going on that Wood feels these are the characters best for the tale. And it's not like the book is just women, either. It's only that the core cast, this specific team is only these specific characters.

It seems more effective to use females in major roles in a way similar to how, say, Warren Ellis does it. He just includes them and doesn't reduce them to stereotypes. That's it.

I'm pretty sure Warren Ellis isn't the only writer to have done that/do that. And it sounds like you're saying that Wood is doing that here? It wouldn't be fair to say Wood's doing that without even knowing what's the point of having this book and team.

 

[Zombipanda]

"Cool idea" as in a team of only females?

"Cool idea" being Wood's pitch for the series, the details of which we don't know yet because the book isn't out yet.

What's cool or innovative about that? How is feeling that they need to prove something by excluding characters based on their gender any different than either not including other genders or only using them in a minor role?

Who says characters are being excluded based on gender? We've seen plenty of all-male teams before. Why does an all-female team need a special designation? It's not a "NO BOYS ALLOWED CLUB". It just happens to be a team made up of women and Wood says there isn't any intention of changing the team makeup at this point.

And I don't have any problem at all with an all-female book. Actually I think it's great! But the premise of the book as we know it so far is not that women can also be used effectively in a book. The premise is just that they are women. So what? What is that accomplishing?

No, the premise we know is that they're protecting a child who may hold the key to the universe's future and trying to stop a potential alien invasion. The premise isn't, say, Marvel Divas. "Haha! We like drinking martinis and talking about men!"

It seems more effective to use females in major roles in a way similar to how, say, Warren Ellis does it. He just includes them and doesn't reduce them to stereotypes. That's it.

Right. Because clearly the fact that the team is all-women means they're all stereotypes. And we all know about Brian Wood's predilection for cheesecake over strong characterization. Man, remember how DMZ was all ass and titties?

:roll: We could always talk about how Ellis' "strong women" have a tendency to sleep with Warren Ellis' author insertion characters....

 

[ProjectX2]

I tried X-Men when Brian Wood first took over and didn't really care but I'm going to try it again now because I think a team made up of female characters is an interesting approach.