Joe Q says that Dan Slott has pitched his "breakout title." What is it?

[Bervda]

Spill the beans Dan!

[Dan Slott]

Well...

Just like EVERYTHING ELSE that came out at the Editorial Retreat...
...I am SUPER-SWORN to SUPER-SECRECY, no IFS-ANDS-OR-BUTS about it!

Not kidding here.

The lips stay shut.

Just like Vegas-- what happens at the Editorial Retreat STAYS at the Editorial Retreat!

BIG TIME!

I can, however, confirm what Joe Q. HIMSELF said today in his Newsarama column:

JQ: Whoa, hang on, Dan Slott just pitched an amazing idea, looks like this is going to be a new title either for year’s end or early 2007. From the sounds of it, this could be Dan’s big breakout title, everyone in the room is digging it. I love when stuff like this happens!

So... Yes. It should be out "either year's end or early 2007."

I hope it'll be my "big breakout" project. (This is NOT something light, fun, or retro. Closer to my ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL work than anything I've recently done for Marvel.)

And, yeah, everyone was REALLY supportive about it. Bendis was a HUGE booster for the project. And a number of guys from Carey to Pak took me aside to say that it sounded pretty cool. (And on Day 3 of the retreat, Bendis told me that he called up Millar and ran it past him, and he thought it had some legs too). So that's got me pretty darn buzzed about this thing!

JQ: Well, Dan Slott is off to a good start, his idea for a post CIVIL WAR title is something we weren’t planning on.

And, if you guys want to speculate, that's probably the biggest clue out there. But I don't know if it will help you or not. CIVIL WAR is huge! CIVIL WAR is going to have a BIG effect on the Marvel U! In SO many ways! If you're reading MCW and the MCW titles, you know that NOT ONLY is it one HELLUVA RIDE-- but BIG, BIG, BIG THINGS are happening! So keep reading! Keep guessing! But, honestly, that's ALL I can tell ya. ;)

Swear to God!
SUPER-SWORN to SUPER-SECRECY!
I can say no more!
Not kidding around here.
Honest.

ttyl
Dan

[noble]

HMMMM...the green font makes me think of HULK :D

[tom daylight]

I'm sure you can tell us something about the retreat, Bendis told us about the fisting stuff.

Actually on second thoughts, if it's along those lines, maybe it'd be better if you kept it to yourself :)

[John Drake]

Interesting..

[killerbass]

Having just read Arkham Assylum for the first time this week, I am extremely excited for you Dan!

As soon as it's announced, I will add it to my pull list!

Now, let's play some poker!

--Tom

[amlah6]

Congratulations Dan! Sounds like you had a great retreat :D

[Dingo]

Ok, so what happens next?

You have thrown your idea out there and it has been met with universal acclaim, except we don't know how T-voort feels and I guess he will be the one chasing you for scripts. (Can you at least tell us his feelings?)

Now what happens?

Do you have to write up a formal proposal or is it just a case of getting started on scripts and finding an artist?

Oh, and Dan, take your time on knocking the first issue out of the park. I would rather see it early 2007 and have it last forever than late 2006 and only get 8 issues. But I am sure you already knew that, I am just saying it for emphasis.

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Tom and I vehemently disagree on the quality of Dan's writing, but there is one thing we are in agreement on. As far as I am concerned, She-Hulk already IS his breakout title.

Eddie Cunningham

[John Drake]

Tom and I vehemently disagree on the quality of Dan's writing, but there is one thing we are in agreement on. As far as I am concerned, She-Hulk already IS his breakout title.

Eddie Cunningham

Wait, I think Tom thinks highly of Dan..so, you?

[Dingo]

Tom and I vehemently disagree on the quality of Dan's writing

Tom who?

[Dermie]

Dan, can you tell us if the subject of the Reckoning War came up at all? Are plans still on track for that storyline? A while back you mentioned that one or two other writers you had talked to about the story had expressed interest in participating--is that still true, or has Civil War adjusted things?

[Dermie]

Tom who?

Tom Burgos, who posted earlier in the thread.

[John Drake]

Tom Burgos, who posted earlier in the thread.

I thought he was talking about Breevort :Oops:

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

Hmm... post-CW, suggesting, perhaps (depending on how CW turns out) a setting in which non-government heroes are less well-regarded and more thought of as vigilantes than pre-CW... big breakout title, bringing a subject (in this case, Dan) already loved by his fans into the wider public eye... not 'light, fun, or retro', so serious, tongue firmly nowhere near cheek... Arkham was mentioned (simply as an example of storytelling style? or something more?)... oh my god it's She-Bat Begins!

Or, that could be a slightly inaccurate prediction. In the sense of being completely wrong.

Well in any case, I'm loving CW, even if it does for the most part fall outside my usual 'heroine addiction' buying pattern (Iron Man's thigh boots notwithstanding). So even if this Mystery New Title features a grand total of no heroines, the fact that it's being mentioned in the same breath as CW, and following up on CW's events, and being written by Dan... well, it may not count for much in the grand scale of things, but you can definitely tally up one reader in Sydney.

(In fact, assuming the to-be-premiered Heroes For Hire, with Misty and Colleen (*sigh*), is my kind of thing, this book could be the one that makes me qualify to have a pull list at my store. I get a 10% discount on everything, which comes in handy seeing as they carry a lot of merchandise and I lurve action figures, but they won't do standing lists for anything less than four ongoing titles. She-Hulk, Ms Marvel, Heroes For Hire (I hope)... Mystery Dan Book.)

[Elijya]

the word is being spread. Whatever it is, I have the upmost faith in you, D, and unlike the last two books where we were REACTIVE to trying to get the books to survive, I'm gonna do everything I can to make whatever this series is a hit right off the bat

[Dingo]

the word is being spread. Whatever it is, I have the upmost faith in you, D, and unlike the last two books where we were REACTIVE to trying to get the books to survive, I'm gonna do everything I can to make whatever this series is a hit right off the bat

Damn right. And I should be a retailer by then, so I should be in a pretty good place to help in that respect.

[Melike]

I heard rumblings of a Speedball series (yeah! i did. honest!) but given that i'd probably be the only person who'd buy it , maybe not.

[Dingo]

I agree.
I doubt that Speedball would be the kind of character that would make any creator a star,plus...Speedball doesn't seem (to me) the kind of character to fit a dark, Arkham-Asylum-type story.

Then again, who knows...maybe this will be a speed-junkie, hallucinating, murderous, Dark Speedball?


It is not the character that makes someone a star, it is how they handle them.

And after Civil War Frontline #2 I would not put any kind of dark series past Speedball. Having said that, I doubt it still.

[John Drake]

Well, according to most reviewers, She-hulk and Thing have been handled superbly by Slott, but neither book has turned him into a star. And Thing was in fact cancelled.
We all know that some characters will invariably have a higher chance of helping a creator's career.
Imagine if Dan Slott had written Spider-man or Uncanny X-Men or even Fantastic Four from the get-go...
You don't think he would already be in Wizard's Top Ten creators every month?
I think he would...
Higher-profile characters usually mean higher profiles for the writers, artists etc.

Who thought Spider-Woman would be such a hot character nowadays? I think sometimes it is about the writer.

[mrorangesoda]

Hmm... dark and post civil war...

I think it's about the riot at the super human Guantanamo that gets set up post CW. That or something with Namor. yeah, that guy's cool...


In all seriousness, I was very excited about this announcement. Most of the time when a new book is hinted at in Joe Friday's I feel very apathetic to more information. A new Dan Slott book though, now that's news.

[Ed Brubaker]

I was there, and Dan dazzled the room like it was a mutant power. He's got a gripping story that may even outshine Civil War.

Though how he's going to get out 112 issues in one year, I don't know. Whoops, was that a secret? ;)

[killerbass]

I was there, and Dan dazzled the room like it was a mutant power. He's got a gripping story that may even outshine Civil War.

Though how he's going to get out 112 issues in one year, I don't know. Whoops, was that a secret? ;)

And I bet he never forgets what you look like Ed... :D

[Dingo]

Though how he's going to get out 112 issues in one year, I don't know. Whoops, was that a secret? ;)


112 or 12?

Stan Lee would have been the last to pen 112 issues a year I would say

[Edward J. Cunningham]

I was there, and Dan dazzled the room like it was a mutant power. He's got a gripping story that may even outshine Civil War.

Though how he's going to get out 112 issues in one year, I don't know. Whoops, was that a secret? ;)

Damn, Dan Slott is going to write TEN She-Hulk books! I am SO there!!!! :)

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Well, according to most reviewers, She-hulk and Thing have been handled superbly by Slott, but neither book has turned him into a star. And Thing was in fact cancelled.
We all know that some characters will invariably have a higher chance of helping a creator's career.
Imagine if Dan Slott had written Spider-man or Uncanny X-Men or even Fantastic Four from the get-go...
You don't think he would already be in Wizard's Top Ten creators every month?
I think he would...
Higher-profile characters usually mean higher profiles for the writers, artists etc.

Exactly. As well regarded as Bendis! is among fans, The Pulse was not enough to make him a star, although it did get him attention from fans and Marvel. It took Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil, and New Avengers to put him over the top.

[John Drake]

Me too!!!
We'll get the regular book for fans of the comedy She-hulk, Spectacular She-hulk for fans of non-stop block-decimating action as seen in the Titania arc of She-Hulk Vol 3, season 1; She-Hulk:A Darker Green for fans of grim n gritty, Arkham Asylum-style books; Great Lakes She-Hulk, for fans of the blacker-than-black comedy of GLA; Marvel Team Up, featuring Thing and She-Hulk (and a different superhero every month), for fans of the retro-fun vibe of The Thing and She-Hulk:Calamity Jen, for fans of the recent Two-Gun Kid book.

:eek:

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Who thought Spider-Woman would be such a hot character nowadays? I think sometimes it is about the writer.

But that is still "hot" for a Marvel female character, and within the context of New Avengers, which is a popular TEAM book. I wish Bendis! success, but even Tom will admit that it will be much more tougher for Spider-Woman to reach 100 consecutive issues than Ultimate Spider-Man, even if both books were written and drawn equally well. Sometimes it IS about the character.

Eddie Cunningham

[John Drake]

But that is still "hot" for a Marvel female character, and within the context of New Avengers, which is a popular TEAM book. I wish Bendis! success, but even Tom will admit that it will be much more tougher for Spider-Woman to reach 100 consecutive issues than Ultimate Spider-Man, even if both books were written and drawn equally well. Sometimes it IS about the character.

Eddie Cunningham

also true.

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

We'll get the regular book for fans of the comedy She-hulk, Spectacular She-hulk for fans of non-stop block-decimating action as seen in the Titania arc of She-Hulk Vol 3, season 1; She-Hulk:A Darker Green for fans of grim n gritty, Arkham Asylum-style books; Great Lakes She-Hulk, for fans of the blacker-than-black comedy of GLA; Marvel Team Up, featuring Thing and She-Hulk (and a different superhero every month), for fans of the retro-fun vibe of The Thing and She-Hulk:Calamity Jen, for fans of the recent Two-Gun Kid book.
Sonofa... there goes my monthly luxury budget :scared:

I'm curious though, that's only six of the ten books in the World of She-Hulk - what are the other four going to be? Naturally one would be Dan's 'Secret Project Awesome', which no doubt will be She-Hulk: Commander of SHIELD, in which the government realises that the whole Registration mess is unteneble and just hands control of superbeings to Jen as the only person who can be trusted not to screw it up. Personally, having seen the publicity that DC's got for the new Batwoman, I'd like to see a Sapphic She-Hulk title, in the vein of What-If. Law & Order: Orange and Green would be a neat idea (if a hideous colour clash), concentrating on policework and prosecution, with GLK&H loaning Shulkie to the prosecutor's office to put away the superhuman-related felons that Tigra brings into custody.

And that just leaves space for... I dunno, a monthly swimsuit issue? She-Hulk: Baywatch? ;)

[Elijya]

Exactly. As well regarded as Bendis! is among fans, The Pulse was not enough to make him a star, although it did get him attention from fans and Marvel. It took Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil, and New Avengers to put him over the top.
:scared: uh... those books all came BEFORE The Pulse

[Dermie]

:scared: uh... those books all came BEFORE The Pulse

Almost all. PULSE came before NEW AVENGERS.

[Bearpod91]

I'm hoping for something along the lines of the Fantastic Four change but bigger is better.

Good for you Dan on getting such a cool idea...even though we don't know what it is. Can't wait to hear more in the future!

[Dingo]

Hey, does anyone else think that "breakout title" might be a thinly veiled reference to the prison that Reed is building (something to do with 42)?

Maybe it was a little clue as to what Dan's new title will be about.

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

Hey, does anyone else think that "breakout title" might be a thinly veiled reference to the prison that Reed is building (something to do with 42)?
Huh, there's a thought... Prison Break, Marvel-style. Or even better, Oz with superpowers!

[Dingo]

Huh, there's a thought... Prison Break, Marvel-style. Or even better, Oz with superpowers!

I love that idea. Then Dan saying that it would be more like Arkham Asylum would have been a big hint.

[Joe Henderson]

I can't wait to hear more! Congrats Dan!

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Definitely true.
I love SW, but I still wouldn't say she is hot...I think she has become visible, relevant, and maybe a little popular thanks to Bendis and New Avengers actually being hot.

I hope with all my heart she becomes a hot character that sells solidly and becomes a fixture in the MU, appearing in many titles across the board, regardless of who writes them, but I understand that nowadays female characters rarely break-out like that. (Whatever the true reasons are, it just doesn't happen...back in the day, Spider-Woman was hot, so was Dazzler and She-hulk...but the times they have a changed)

But maybe, just maybe, Spider-Woman could do a Spider-Girl or a Witchblade...100 uninterrupted issues that I will undoubtedly get...I'll keep my fingers crossed but I won't hold my breath.

Hopefully, even if Spider-Woman were to get cancelled after 35 issues (which would be a VERY respectable run), she will still be a regular member of the Avengers and OTHER writers will want to use her. I do not want to get too much off-topic, but I can't understand why Marvel decided to kill off Jessica after a successful run of 50 issues. Neither Jennifer nor Carol's books lasted as long as Jessica's, and they became semi-regular Avengers while Jessica Drew went into limbo. Hopefully, that will not happen again for quite a while.

Oh, since she is getting people like Frank Cho to draw her, you can definitely say Jessica is "hot" in the OTHER sense of the word! :)

[beta-ray]

I was there, and Dan dazzled the room like it was a mutant power. He's got a gripping story that may even outshine Civil War.

Though how he's going to get out 112 issues in one year, I don't know. Whoops, was that a secret? ;)

Well, I was going to guess MAX Ren & Stimpy but now I have to guess its Marvel's answer to 52... 112!

[Dingo]

“Loners”, “Silent War”, and “Marvel Comics Presents”

So Dan, can you tell us which one is yours?

Can you even tell us if one is yours?

Go on Dan, Joe has half let the cat out of the bag. Be humane, let it out the rest of the way. :)

[SpideyInATree]

Whatever title that Dan does I'm definitely going to get behind. So far everything I've read by you so far has been spot on, fun, and down to earth.

Even though this is going to be different, more dark, I'm all for it.

Can't wait to officially find out what it is. :)

[Dan Slott]

“Loners”, “Silent War”, and “Marvel Comics Presents”

So Dan, can you tell us which one is yours?

None of the above.

Can you even tell us if one is yours?

Just did. And that's all yer gettin. ;)

Go on Dan, Joe has half let the cat out of the bag. Be humane, let it out the rest of the way. :)

Nope. :P

[Dingo]

Oh well, thanks anyhow.

Can't blame a guy for trying. :surrend:

[Dermie]

“Loners”, “Silent War”, and “Marvel Comics Presents”

So Dan, can you tell us which one is yours?

Can you even tell us if one is yours?

I was pretty sure none of those were Dan's. I think 'Loners' is going to be the project dealing with the Excelsior team from RUNAWAYS. I heard Marvel wasn't going to be calling them 'Excelsior' anymore (since that term belongs to Stan Lee), and that 'Loners' was what they were going to be called now.

Dan's new series is also supposedly spinning out of Civil War...so that doesn't sound like a 'Marvel Comics Presents' book to me. If this new MCP is anything like the original, I am very surprised that Marvel is reviving it. Series with rotating characters and rotating creative teams aren't generally the best sellers.

[Bedlam66]

BlackCat Mary Jane: Where The Boys Aren't Coming this fall.

[Michael Painter]

probably wrong, but from the clues I have from Bendis' podcast and his comments about Toronto and Dan, I say the all-new, all different Alpha Flight.

[Edward J. Cunningham]

probably wrong, but from the clues I have from Bendis' podcast and his comments about Toronto and Dan, I say the all-new, all different Alpha Flight.

If that is the case, then I bet he's trying to suck up to my co-moderator, Dermie! :lol:

[killerbass]

OK, I may as well add my guess to the mix.

My friend Alec and I hypothesize that Dan will be writing about the anti-registration heroes who are in the Iron Man/Mr. Fantastic jail after Civil War...

Probably wrong, but...

--Tom

[SeaGhostBliss]

Dan-

I, for one, applaud your secrecy. Secrets before a projects is let loose on the public make the project even more facinating. Take Hitchcock's high secrecy for Psycho for instance. His lack of information, and misdirection as to the "actress who played Mrs. Bates", and his refusal to let poeple in the theater after the movie started (so nothing is given away, and the story isn't ruined... It certainly helped make Psycho a sensation.

I can only imagine what it would have been like to be a moviegoer at that time, with such an aura of uncertainty surrounding the film, then to actually SEE it, man.

SO! Keep a lid on it. But keep teasing, if you can. Especially now that we're practially salivating for this title! It'll only make the reveal better.

[EdNEMO]

My guess is a concept like the "Bighouse". A custom fantasti-prison and what happens within. Like someone else said, Oz with superpowers. With all the fun with DD, Punisher, Owl, and Kingpin fighting in Daredevil, I think this could be a good idea. Of course a prison book wouldn't exactly change the Marvel U. So it must be something else. Or a hook that I missed. Whatever it is, I will buy it and give it a chance. Dan hasn't steered me wrong yet.

[CyberCoyote]

Even in his interview with Bendis Dan came right out and said you need a top tier book to really make your mark. I guess that means sales mark, since as Eddie said She-Hulk leaves aheck of an impression.

I was thinking this would be something totally new. Maybe it will be. Maybe the big green letters mean something else :) Maybe the others would slap him with a fish if he left a clue like that, though, too. But after that interview I'm more inclined to believe he's taking OVER a series. It won't be an X-Book because, well, it just won't. The FF is out because that's never gonna be dark. Sentry? Nah. Not even Dan could make him compelling. (well, maybe)

Not DareDevil. Not Cap. Not MoonKnight the book he always wanted (or is it? Nah) Mighty Mouse saves the MU? Nope.

Crap. I've no idea.

Of course now we've got an extra month to wait for the book to come out due to the CW holdups, but that just gives Dan more time to do his 101 rewrites of the first issues 8-)

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Even in his interview with Bendis Dan came right out and said you need a top tier book to really make your mark. I guess that means sales mark, since as Eddie said She-Hulk leaves aheck of an impression.

True. Bendis! himself is proud of his work on The Pulse, but there was no way that was going to be a top ten book. It was Daredevil that cemented Bendis!' reputation as a hot writer for Marvel.

I'll make a guess. If Dan is not writing a Spider-Man book, he is going to write Fantastic Four or an FF spin-off book.

[RatCat]

I wish it was Alpha Flight.


I know it won't be... but I still wish it.

[CyberCoyote]

I wish it was Alpha Flight.


I know it won't be... but I still wish it.

But Alpha Flight's never been a 'Top Shelf' book. Now if the anti-reg folk decide to take up shop in Canada and form a new Alpha Flight with an all-star cast a-la NA..hmm..

[RatCat]

It's never been a top shelf book because it's never been written by Dan Slott...


ooohhh hows that for sucking up?

[RatCat]

And yikes I really don't like that 'New Alpha Flight' suggestion that's been floating around.

Having a team based in Canada by people hiding from registration is cool... I just really dislike the idea of calling them Alpha Flight. Northern Avengers or something similar? That works.


On that subject… When the heroes start heading up here to Canada I wonder if they are going to address the fact that there is (or at least was) a similar registration act already in place? (At least according to the pages of Alpha Flight years ago)

[Dingo]

But Alpha Flight's never been a 'Top Shelf' book. Now if the anti-reg folk decide to take up shop in Canada and form a new Alpha Flight with an all-star cast a-la NA..hmm..

It was top shelf at the very beginning when Byrne was on it.

[CyberCoyote]

It was top shelf at the very beginning when Byrne was on it.

At that time so was She-Hulk :) I know I sound like an OLD fan-boy, but Alpha-Flight was just so cool when they were introduced in the Claremont/Byrne X-Men. Then Byrne gave them a book and BAM! His magic touch in the 80's was infectious. Byrne's name could make Patsy Walker: Crippled Architect a top tier book.

Now I WANT this to be Alpha Flight. Dang you RatCat and Dingo ;-)

[Dingo]

Now I WANT this to be Alpha Flight. Dang you RatCat and Dingo ;-)

Unfortunately that is very unlikely. Quesada has been saying his combination "there will be no Alpha Flight/Canadians will still be happy" since well before Dan pitched this book. Hell, even Millar's contradictory comments that there would be an Alpha Flight book predate the pitching of this book.

If I had to put money on it, I would say that it will be a team book with a dynamic/premise different to all the existing team books. Perhaps it will be a mish-mash team thrown together by SHIELD.

[RatCat]

As I say, I know it won't be...

But I can still dream can't I?

[Dan Slott]

For those of you who haven't been scouring the net, here's a few reminders:

Joe Quesada has gone on record saying that he couldn't talk about it, because doing so would ruin the ending of CIVIL WAR.

And I've gone on record saying that it's neither cute, funny, or retro.

And here are some more hints:

It's not a relaunch of THE THING.
The letters "Q" and "Z" do not appear in the title.
And... um... it doesn't take place in the Microverse.

And that's all I'm saying. Period. ;)

[RatCat]

So we now know it won’t be that long awaited Quasar mini series where he travels back to the 70’s and gets in a car accident with Baron Zemo, who has no insurance so the judge decrees that he must become his butler.



I just used the word ‘decree’ for like the first time ever…

no wait… maybe like the 4th time ever.

[CyberCoyote]

For those of you who haven't been scouring the net, here's a few reminders:

Joe Quesada has gone on record saying that he couldn't talk about it, because doing so would ruin the ending of CIVIL WAR.

And I've gone on record saying that it's neither cute, funny, or retro.

And here are some more hints:

It's not a relaunch of THE THING.
The letters "Q" and "Z" do not appear in the title.
And... um... it doesn't take place in the Microverse.

And that's all I'm saying. Period. ;)

Hehe, there's a period after the word period. I think that's a clue (not)

No Q or Z, eh? JQ won't talk about it. Well, that it's a book about Queseda is now off the radar. We can still hope, RatCat, those letters aren't in Alpha Flight. That and just because JQ said that about Canada means little, he tosses a herring here and there. The whole Dead thing comes to mind :)

Sucks to wait, but we'll wait. :scared:

[bennymatthewtaylor]

There's also another period before the word Period which makes an ellipsis.

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Could it possibly be a new GROUP book with the Thing as one of the members? (No, Dan I do NOT expect you to answer.)

[SCOURGE]

How about a What If book? What If...She-Hulk and Thing Got Married and Had Kids!!!

[SCOURGE]

Dan:

It is a Squirrel Girl on-going, right? Or maybe a Great Lakes on-going.

[Crimson]

A book that takes place in 42 and looks at all the inmates etc.

[mrorangesoda]

I think it's going to be a SHIELD focused book. Possibly following a cape killer squad.

[SCOURGE]

A Nick Fury on-going? How about Civil War 2: The battle of SHIELD vs SWORD?

[Edward J. Cunningham]

If this is going to be a "breakout" title, then I'm pretty sure it is going to star one or more established "big" characters at Marvel, probably male. Call me cynical, but I think in today's marketplace it is now impossible for a new character to do what Wolverine did 30 years ago---come out of nowhere to become Marvel's most (or almost) popular character. Remember, it wasn't The Pulse that made Bendis! a star---it was Daredevil...

Eddie Cunningham

[SCOURGE]

If this is going to be a "breakout" title, then I'm pretty sure it is going to star one or more established "big" characters at Marvel, probably male. Call me cynical, but I think in today's marketplace it is now impossible for a new character to do what Wolverine did 30 years ago---come out of nowhere to become Marvel's most (or almost) popular character. Remember, it wasn't The Pulse that made Bendis! a star---it was Daredevil...

Eddie Cunningham


Wrong, Alias made him a star, the Ultimate line confirmed it, and Daredevil cemented it.

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Wrong, Alias made him a star, the Ultimate line confirmed it, and Daredevil cemented it.

Alias may have gotten him the attention of Marvel editors and fans, but unless it outsold major comic books with established male heroes, that book alone could not make Bendis! a star.

[SCOURGE]

Alias may have gotten him the attention of Marvel editors and fans, but unless it outsold major comic books with established male heroes, that book alone could not make Bendis! a star.


I don't think that numbers necessarily make one a star. A star (in my opinion) is some one who tells good stories, isn't afraid to take risks, and keeps his/her readers coming back for more. There have been plenty of examples of people being "stars" without having the number one selling book. For example, Will Eisner and Alan Moore, both of these men were/are "stars", but they have for the most part taken the road less traveled. Has Alan Moore had more success that Will Eisner? Yes, but they are both "stars" and legends in their own rights.

[tom daylight]

Huh, I thought it was Powers and Ultimate Spider-Man that made Bendis a household name.

[John Drake]

Alias may have gotten him the attention of Marvel editors and fans, but unless it outsold major comic books with established male heroes, that book alone could not make Bendis! a star.

Ultimate Spider-Man came first.

[SCOURGE]

Huh, I thought it was Powers and Ultimate Spider-Man that made Bendis a household name.


Powers is what got him noticed by Marvel and Ulimate Spider-Man gave him the wide exposure.

[Edward J. Cunningham]

I don't think that numbers necessarily make one a star. A star (in my opinion) is some one who tells good stories, isn't afraid to take risks, and keeps his/her readers coming back for more. There have been plenty of examples of people being "stars" without having the number one selling book. For example, Will Eisner and Alan Moore, both of these men were/are "stars", but they have for the most part taken the road less traveled. Has Alan Moore had more success that Will Eisner? Yes, but they are both "stars" and legends in their own rights.

But numbers play a big role. Bendis! did not get the best-selling numbers to back up his reputation until he was writing books that starred A-list male characters. Jessica Jones in Alias is not enough to make Bendis! the number one Marvel writer. Ultimate Spider-Man and Daredevil are.

[Edward J. Cunningham]

One more thing---since Bendis! always signs his name with an exclamation point, I always include an exclamation point when I write his name, like Yahoo!

[Dingo]

I can't believe how much I am looking forward to this book given how far away it is and how little I know about it.

It's official. I am an unquestioning Slott fanboy.

Please keep us updated Dan :)

[CyberCoyote]

Okay, Alpha Flight is out as Oeming and Kollins are on the new 'Omega Flight' (Which I'm oddly looking forward to. Odd cast, but Oeming's got a 100% solid track record and I love Kollins' work)

So we can be a wee bit happy that some of Alpha are back, and it knocks that far stretching theory out of the park.

Of course the only lousy idea I had is now gone :(

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Who thought Spider-Woman would be such a hot character nowadays? I think sometimes it is about the writer.

But unless Marvel has a cancellation rate as low as DC's, or Bendis! acquires a fan following as devoted as Spider-Girl's, not even he can keep a solo Marvel book about a female character going for a hundred issues. But he can probably give her a good run and he HAS elevated Jessica Drew from being a very popular 70's character who rarely appeared in Marvel Comics in recent years to an A-list female character who is one of the most popular New Avengers. But Bendis! would not have been able to give Jessica this boost if his reputation had not been burnished by titles with established male heroes like Daredevil or Ultimate Spider-Man. If he only wrote The Pulse and then got the green light to write a Spider-Woman book, he would not be able to carry it as far as he can now, and even NOW it will be difficult to get his book past 36 issues. (Then again, we are talking about the guy who is about to write Ultimate Spider-Man longer than Stan Lee wrote Fantastic Four. Even with a popular male character or team, that record is nearly unheard of today. So don't be surprised if Spider-Woman lasts 200 issues... :) )

Eddie Cunningham

[SCOURGE]

But unless Marvel has a cancellation rate as low as DC's, or Bendis! acquires a fan following as devoted as Spider-Girl's, not even he can keep a solo Marvel book about a female character going for a hundred issues. But he can probably give her a good run and he HAS elevated Jessica Drew from being a very popular 70's character who rarely appeared in Marvel Comics in recent years to an A-list female character who is one of the most popular New Avengers. But Bendis! would not have been able to give Jessica this boost if his reputation had not been burnished by titles with established male heroes like Daredevil or Ultimate Spider-Man. If he only wrote The Pulse and then got the green light to write a Spider-Woman book, he would not be able to carry it as far as he can now, and even NOW it will be difficult to get his book past 36 issues. (Then again, we are talking about the guy who is about to write Ultimate Spider-Man longer than Stan Lee wrote Fantastic Four. Even with a popular male character or team, that record is nearly unheard of today. So don't be surprised if Spider-Woman lasts 200 issues... :) )

Eddie Cunningham


Which is sad, becuase Marvel has some great female characters.

[Michael Painter]

I think it would be cool if Dan was taking over Thunderbolts after Fabian departs the book. I heard the book is taking a different direction, and it would fit well for Dan, who had one of his first jobs with Fabian, to take over the book.

[SCOURGE]

I think it would be cool if Dan was taking over Thunderbolts after Fabian departs the book. I heard the book is taking a different direction, and it would fit well for Dan, who had one of his first jobs with Fabian, to take over the book.


Why are they changing direction again? Did they learn nothing from their Fight Club knock-off nightmare from awhile ago?

[Edward J. Cunningham]

Two quick things. First I asked Dan Slott a question about Runaways. My question wasn't whether he would be the new writer, but if the same thing that happened to Brian K. Vaughn might happen to him. Runaways is not in any imminent danger of cancellation and Vaughn hasn't been pegged to write a higher-profile Marvel book, yet he is leaving the book anyway. Dan said that Vaughn simply felt that he told all the stories he wanted to tell about the Runaway so he is leaving now. However, Slott said this will NOT happen to him. The book may eventually get cancelled, but he isn't going to quit.

(I also told Tom B. that while I know that She-Hulk won't run forever, I wanted to thank him for Marvel's support of the book and that Dan is telling great stories of my favorite Marvel character.)

As for Dan's new project, we are going to have to wait until Appamattox Courthouse. Dan said his book would be coming as a direct result of something happening in Civil War. The book will be coming out in March, so hopefully we will all find out what this is in December...

[tom daylight]

I think Nicieza's run is coming to a natural end... the Thunderbolts team has had exactly two writers on it for its entire life so far, and by the time his run winds up, he'll have written seventy or eighty issues. Very few runs at Marvel have lasted anywhere near that long, broken or not.

[CyberCoyote]

As for Dan's new project, we are going to have to wait until Appamattox Courthouse. Dan said his book would be coming as a direct result of something happening in Civil War. The book will be coming out in March, so hopefully we will all find out what this is in December...

Maaaarch? :( I want it NOW Daddy! That's a half a year away..

Anyone know if Marvel plans on making Dan's new book (or any of the new ones on the horizon like Oeming's Omega Flight) avaialable via direct subscriptions prior to release so you can collect them all that way (from numero uno)? I've got a $$bug in me lately and I'm considering going mail only (not MALE only, although there's nothing wrong with that) to save on my sick little habit. It's nice to throw down the cash and have your Shulkies paid for ahead of time..

[bennymatthewtaylor]

Edward? If Black Widow got married, would she change her Superhero codename?

[Mister Mets]

I have a guess as to Dan Slott's big book, which was supposed to have a brilliant pitch.

The Marvels- Ths US government forms its own superhero team. It's the Marvel Universe version of the Ultimates, which has been darker than most of Slott's work.
And with Loeb going in a different direction w/ his Ultimates, the Marvels could be heavily influenced by the atmosphere of Millar's Ultimates.