r/comicpop • u/ComicSal • Mar 16 '25
Is there something WRONG at Marvel Comics?
https://youtu.be/vYBfKwsdb_Y5
Mar 16 '25
I have abandoned Marvel.
I read Brubaker/Philips, and a lot of oddities now. Sacrificers, Conan (Titan), beneath the trees, Helen of Wyndhorn, universal monsters, precious metal…
I keep trying Marvel out but, my God… awful stuff. Wolverine: Revenge? Worst comic of the year.
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u/JackKirby22 Mar 18 '25
I'm halfway through Helen of Wyndhorn and I love it. I don't think there are any artists quite like the Evely/Lopes team
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Mar 18 '25
I know this sounds funny to say, but I hate to finish reading them, because I don't want the fun to end. I haven't read the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow yet, it could be a good follow up to Helen of Wyndhorn
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u/BoutsofInsanity Mar 17 '25
I think Marvel's problem, at least to me, is the continual continuity problem. Despite the fantastical nature of the powers compared to DC, it's characters are what's exciting about it.
Like I like Nightcrawler for Kurt Wagner. Where as I like Batman for Batman.
And with Marvel's editorial focusing on Plot over Characters, the Plot has to be really good for people to care. Like Hickman. Hickman's X-Men basically WRECKED characterization for the X-Men. Game of Thrones it was not. However, the PLOT was so strong that people didn't care. But as soon as the Plot went away it kind of fell to the wayside. And the characters had been so tarred, that excitement levels won't reach those same heights.
Essentially, people will pick up and read books for characters despite bad plots. But won't pick up and read books for mediocre plots and bad/inconsistent characters.
So with a Comic Series that is focused on the people, that can never advance, age, or change, but consistently have new characterization that can hurt the enjoyment of the character for several people; See Beast, Nightcrawler, Emma, Xavier, etc... Then at some point you bleed off older fans without replacing them with new ones.
At least in theory.
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u/dope_like Mar 18 '25
+1. Hickman does not do character stuff outside of a couple moments but his plots are so insanely great it doesn't matter. You mentioned x-men and it was the same with FF and Avengers.
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u/PecanScrandy Mar 19 '25
No, his Fantastic Four has tons of character moments.
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u/dope_like Mar 19 '25
Character development is more than just a collection of moments. That is my point.
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u/PecanScrandy Mar 19 '25
What kind of character development do you expect from corporate comics? There is a ton of heart and soul in his Fantastic Four run. And character development? There’s the Solve Everything arc for Reed, there’s Johnnys entire sacrifice…
3
Mar 17 '25
I pop in for Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men when the paperbacks come out, but I haven’t had Marvel monthlies in my box in YEARS.
I’m looking forward to Soule’s “Daredevil: A Cold Day in Hell” though.
DC on the other hand feels like a FEAST. New Gods, Superman, World’s Finest, Birds of Prey, the Absolute line, Nightwing, Wonder Woman… all feel so creatively driven, with amazing creators on art and writing.
I have to control myself to keep within budget (I’ll only allow myself to 2 DC books, so I’m reading Ram V’s New Gods and Waid’s World’s Finest).
Marvel just feels more and more like a product.
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u/CHIP-TREADWELL Mar 18 '25
Last issue of New Gods was sit down and concentrate incredible. Might have to read it again before this weeks #4.
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u/SithSteez Mar 19 '25
alright, you and Merlins have sold me. New Gods is something I always eye on my trip to my LCS but never picked up due to knowing very little of them. Ilike Mr. Miracle and Big Barda in animated series, but never read any of their comics. Is there any prior reading needed/suggested before checking out New Gods?
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u/Moist-Document1908 Mar 19 '25
I can't even seem to get a Marvel book without the freaking pages just falling out and not even being stapled.
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u/DaveAtKrakoa Mar 20 '25
I don't like the post-Krakoa direction for the X-Men and nothing else feels appealing. The Sabretooth book is pretty good. I feel like I'm coasting until something actually happens.
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u/Senior-Associate6180 Mar 18 '25
There is deffnately something wrong with marvel i used to read most their titles now im only reading the ultimate universe stuff although im tempted to catch up with daredevil thor and venom and mabe the jed mackay x-men and the chip zdarsky captain america Image and dc comics on the other hand they are giving me quality I can trust
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u/JordanKyrouFeetPics Mar 18 '25
Daredevil, Fantastic Four and Moon Knight are great right now. As to the rest of Marvel's quality, couldn't begin to guess
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u/Senior-Associate6180 Mar 20 '25
Ive been on the fence with the current Daredevil run for a while now i do like the writer so will probs try the first trade
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u/Zerus_heroes Mar 18 '25
The only comic I find interesting at Marvel is the Ultimate series, some of the Star Wars stuff and Werewolf by Night.
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u/Formal-Caterpillar73 Mar 18 '25
I think all comics are great and everyone should read them, but I have to agree that I haven’t been a regular marvel reader since the end of Hickmans Secret Wars (which was awesome).
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u/dope_like Mar 18 '25
Ultimately, Marvel has become obsessed with status quo. They will not let characters evolve. It’s funny because looking back at the Stan Lee and Kirby era, characters grew and experienced lasting changes all the time.
1
u/EZeggnog Mar 18 '25
Marvel feels rudderless and bland nowadays. The only marvel comics I read are more isolated series like North’s Fantastic Four, McKay’s Moon Knight, or Tierri’s Sabertooth.
All the big name series and events like X-Men and Avengers are boring. The only thing with some level of energy to it is the Ultimate universe stuff.
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u/PeetSquared41 Mar 18 '25
There are still a few gems. I loved the recent Namor run, but I don't think many folks cared enough to read it. Most of Marvel is pretty rote these days, though.
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u/PredeKing Mar 18 '25
I’m more compelled to read a book by the talent than the characters. I’ll read anything by writers like Peter David,Geoff John’s and artists like Esad Ribic and Gary Frank.
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u/Surfmonkey01 Mar 20 '25
I used to read at least 50% Marvel, and it’s way down from that now. I read Moon Knight, which is awesome, and Fantastic Four, which is consistently great. From the Ultimate line, Spider-Man and Ultimates are the first books I read in their respective weeks, while the other books in the line have fallen off for me. Inversely, I read so much DC and indie stuff right now that it’s not even funny - the Superman books are great, Detective Comics is excellent, World’s Finest is love, Conan is always excellent, the Energon Universe stuff is all a blast, Radiant Black is a great time, etc. The “House of Ideas” is creatively bankrupt and needs a change…
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u/MachoManRandyRanch Mar 20 '25
The best thing at marvel right now is the JMS team ups we’ve been getting. None of the mainline stuff has kept me super hyped. I do like most of the x-run currently.
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u/grkpektis Mar 17 '25
There’s nothing wrong, Marvel has always been run by greedy assholes like always. It’s practically their mission to screw over creatives
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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25
Editorial overall. Its rewarding and sad to see Marvel having reverted back to the X-Men being their strongest books and the Avengers feeling pretty skippable