So, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Marvel’s Civil War? Slightly delayed. And by slightly, I mean “two months” (at least, unless you think that somehow the book will resume a monthly schedule in November…). Reaction across the internet is pretty much what you’d expect.
The Bendis Board reacts:
“This makes me crazy. [Issue 4, due tomorrow is rescheduled for t]he end of September? What possible reason?!”
“The first delays were bad. This is absolutely fucking beyond pathetic and I hope Marvel loses a ton of sales for this.”
“Seriously, Marvel have pretty much screwed themselves. I’m happy, I’ll be able to spend more money on other things.”
“[I]t looks like they’re probably just going to delay everything. That’s what happens when your story is too interconnected. This may be the most shameful delay of a big crossover in years.”
Surprisingly, someone on the Bendis Board is even more cynical than me, when commenting on the timing of this announcement:
“Excellent job announcing this the week after con season ended, so no one would take them to task for this…”
Drawn by the anger and bloodlust, Marvel’s Jim McCann magically appeared to make with the explanations:
“Guys, it’s really only a 6-week delay from when Civil War 7 was suppsoed to hit (11/29) to where it is now, and we are telling you upfront about it rather than letting you guess. There was a lot more to what was posted, if any retailer who gets the Marvel Mailer can post you’ll see. Also, this is about the same amount of time as another big company crossover was delayed… and that had fill in artists… Yes, it sucks, but we DO care, and that’s why we are letting you know up front.”
The dig at Infinite Crisis was later edited out, but even distraction like that didn’t soothe the Bendis Beast:
“ONLY 6 weeks? You don’t think that’s a huge slip on an event of this magnitude which has brought so many new readers in? I think the ‘only a 6-week delay’ line sums up the problem here for me. I see a culture of ‘late is acceptable’, and as long as that exists, we’ll always be facing problems like this.”
“i have no problem with it taking a year to do this book, but solict it so it comes out on time. don’t solict it for feb and have it come out in april….thats just shows that either marvel can’t control it’s people or just doesn’t care…..it’s one or the other.”
Meanwhile, on Millarworld, the feeling is pretty much the same…
“The thing that amuses me most about this news is that, while Marvel’s entire editorial schedule now lies in ruins because it all revolves around this one monthly limited series, DC continues to move steadily forward with their long-term weekly series, which hasn’t slipped yet.”
“OK this SUCKS!!!! This is usually why crossovers can suck, because everything depends on one title, and everything gets pushed back because of this delay. This is why being a comic book fan can be really disappointing some times. Who wants to take bets that Civil War #7 will come out next April?”
Trust retailer and professional Millarworld skeptic Ryan Higgins to notice something else, though:
“Something that’s weird… Where’s New Avengers on that list? Where’s Iron Man? Where’s Captain America? Why do I have a feeling this is only the first part of the delayed list…”
This story will, of course, only grow in the next few days, as Joe Quesada’s regular Joe Fridays Q&A on the mothership will feature his take on the situation and, of course, Mark Millar will be accepting fan questions live on Fanboy Radio this weekend, promising a “Civil War extravaganza”…
Its simply bad form. You’re book shouldn’t be behind in the first place, but don’t give a speech trying to spin it as a play for artistic integrity when you announce that it is. I do think its better to delay a book than to rush it, but its a sign of bad organization within the company. This book is too important to Marvel for this kind of thing. They should have had plenty of buffer room to ensure that this didn’t happen. Two months is a lot, it must have taken some serious screwuperry to pull that off. By the way, wasn’t one of the reasons Ultimates has been delayed so that Millar could focus on getting all of his Civil War stuff done? So if Ultimates still isn’t out…and Civil War is now delayed…what has he been doing with his time?
Okay, maybe that’s a bit presumptuous to say that Millar is the source of the problem, but I do recall Bryan Hitch mentioning on the net that he was still waiting for a script to draw…
Comment by Kross — August 15, 2006 @ 8:21 pm
We’re not just talking about a six week delay - at this rate, the end of the series is going to slip by a whole quarter. And I don’t for a second believe that issue #6 will ship when Marvel are claiming; history shows that when a major Marvel title starts slipping, it keeps slipping. The first set of dates never turns out to be right.
Now, aside from the fact that they’ve had to reschedule fourteen other top-selling comics, a delay in finishing CIVIL WAR screws up the 2007 publishing plan. Until CIVIL WAR finishes, they can’t launch THOR. They can’t launch MIGHTY AVENGERS. They can’t launch any of the other post-CW projects they’ve been hinting at.
The point is, this is NOT just another late book. It’s not just ULTIMATES shipping late again. This is a big chunk of the 2007 schedule going out the window. It’s going to put a dent in the bank balance.
If I was working on this book, and I was potentially to blame for it being late… well, I’d be worried.
Comment by Paul O'Brien — August 15, 2006 @ 8:29 pm
This is what we get (and will continue to get) with increased creator leverage and business models wherein DC and Marvel place “monthly” comics at the forefront of their publishing operations. The highest profile books will continue to be the latest because the sales hit they’ll take from being late is much smaller than the sales hit they would take from changing creators mid-stream.
Now retailers get to guess just how much of a hit that will be for 2/3 of Marvel’s output (meanwhile Marvel simultaneously announces 1:75 variants on every issue of Civil War to offset their own losses).
Comment by Sam Hobart — August 15, 2006 @ 8:35 pm
I wonder how “Civil War” being delayed affects all the tie-ins. Will we bet reveals in other books because of this? Will they have to delay other books so there aren’t reveals?
Do we know a reason as to why?
Comment by Scott King — August 15, 2006 @ 8:43 pm
I wonder if the big two gave an “on-time” bonus on big projects (or maybe the opposite, a ding on trade royalties for late delivery), there’d be a whole lot less of this.
Comment by Jeff Lester — August 15, 2006 @ 9:21 pm
Continuing Paul O’Brien’s comments, this is probably the first serious (egregious, even) infraction against retailers. Unlike Ultimates or even the Civil War title, the schedule slip pushes mainline Marvel titles off by month(s).
Titles like FF and Amazing Spider-Man are implanted into store’s revenue streams, and likely relied on to cover store expenses. Losing a month of these titles for many stores is losing operating capital.
No matter how good a sales boon Civil War might have been, this is a blow to retailers right smack in their cash registers and wallets. Regardless of the spin Marvel or the creators on those titles want to try to make, this is irresponsible.
Comment by Bill Ritter — August 15, 2006 @ 9:47 pm
Paul (you’re the same Paul O’Brien from X-Axis, right?) is exactly right. For the reasons he cited, this is nothing like the delays on Infinite Crisis. Even though that book was delayed (though not as much as CW will be), DC had OYL, which kept its books from having to deal with the immediate ramifications of IC. Marvel doesn’t have that luxury, and this is going to seriously screw things up for them.
Comment by Barry Convex — August 15, 2006 @ 11:16 pm
“I wonder if the big two gave an “on-time” bonus on big projects (or maybe the opposite, a ding on trade royalties for late delivery), there’d be a whole lot less of this.”
I dunno, man. Do you really think people should get a bonus just for, y’know, doing their fucking job? Not doing it well, mind you: just DOING it.
Comment by Matt — August 15, 2006 @ 11:28 pm
An “on-time” bonus is really just a positive-thinking way of saying “We’ll fine you if you don’t get it done on time.” It all depends how you look at it.
Comment by Paul O'Brien — August 16, 2006 @ 4:34 am
Seems to me this is a by-product of these endless ‘exclusive’ deals signed by writers and artists - they can’t just be killfee-d and told to sod off.
In prose publishing, authors get hit HARD for not delivering on time. Amazing - nay, Astonishing - nay, Spectacular - how financial penalties can galvanise people into turning work round quickly.
Comment by Jamie — August 16, 2006 @ 4:37 am
I have two friends that I have talked into giving this series a try (they are both non comic readers), and they have both enjoyed it so far - and I am now dreading explaining to them that comic companies today don’t feel the need to put their monthly books out monthly. Monthly = when they feel like it.
I hearing somewhere that Julie Schwartz used to have a stable of fill-in artists and writers that would complete stories that his “problem children” couldn’t finish. Maybe the comics business needs the second coming of Julie Schwartz.
Maybe instead of “Nuff Said” Marvel’s theme in October will be “Not Done”
Comment by Jason — August 16, 2006 @ 5:47 am
Someone please tell me why at least 5 of these 7 issues could not have been completed before #1 hit the shelves? WHY?
I’m to the point where I say there should be penalties for lateness. Someone needs to pay and there’s no greater teacher than the loss of money from one’s wallet.
This is just blatant pissing on fans and retailers. Say “ah” to those golden showers, boys and girls…
Comment by Chris Hunter — August 16, 2006 @ 6:16 am
I’m to the point where I say there should be penalties for lateness. Someone needs to pay and there’s no greater teacher than the loss of money from one’s wallet.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
As long as not too many people jump ship after such a stunt, there’s really no incentive for Marvel to stop and change the way they do business, is there? As it is, retailers can’t hurt them, they’re too dependent on Marvel and Marvel in turn has no incentive to punish artists and writers when these people continue to sell way even if they’re late.
Unless and until _you_ are willing to drop Civil War right now and never look back you are enabling this system and make this possible.
Comment by markus — August 16, 2006 @ 6:40 am
Hopefully Civil Wardrobe will help spahn the gap…
Comment by Rich Johnston — August 16, 2006 @ 7:54 am
Only 6 weeks? If I walked into my boss’s office today and told him that something I was supposed to have done tomorrow wouldn’t be done for another 6 weeks someone would be fired. If not me than whoever caused the hold up.
Comment by Jesse — August 16, 2006 @ 8:19 am
Eh…it happens
Comment by justme — August 16, 2006 @ 8:26 am
Wasn’t it SOP as recently as 15 years ago to have these things in the can a good 6 months prior to publication? How hard could it honestly be? Also, how can we make Marvel notice our disappointment over this without also hosing our retailers?
Comment by Dan Jacobson — August 16, 2006 @ 8:55 am
This mini-series will be remembered a long time…if the artist needs some extra time, its worth it…(as long as Marvel double ships some of these books in the future, to help retailers out with a smaller month). The real tradegy here is, if they even guessed there might be scheduling issues, why have Mcniven do that random issue of New Avengers right before Civil War…or, ehy not wait an extra month to launch this? I’m guessing the originally “unintended” de-masking of Spiderman, caused for some rewrites and delays.
Comment by ejulp — August 16, 2006 @ 8:57 am
“Also, this is about the same amount of time as another big company crossover was delayed…”
Would that be last year’s “House of M”?
Who can blame Marvel? In a year, they’ll have a book they can sell to bookstores, and it will probably sell pretty well. The drirect market has been dead for a while, this is just the rior mortis.
Comment by Mike Nicolai — August 16, 2006 @ 9:36 am
This is entirely unacceptable. I put up with unGodly delays on Astonishing X-Men and Ultimates all the time, to the point where I never know when/if they’re ever coming out, and now I have to “suck it up and deal” with a six week delay on Civil War?
I can appreciate the fact that Marvel doesn’t want to switch to a fill-in artist, because McNiven’s work has been absolutely incredible so far. However, Millar’s on the record saying that McNiven had “no lead time”. Well why the hell not? If you’re building your entire line around ONE BOOK, why wouldn’t you have at LEAST 5 of the 7 issues in the hopper before going to press with number 1? We were getting Civil War teaser pictures in Wizard over a year ago, but apparently no one thought it would be prudent to use some of that advance time to get these books done? It’s infuriating.
I’m not reading any of the tie-ins, except for FrontLine, but if I were, I’d be even MORE pissed. When this inevitibly affects Captain America (one of the only Marvel books that’s consistently on time), I’m going to become livid. Thank God the newly rebooted X-books aren’t linked to this travesty.
The saddest thing is that Marvel has the biggest mainstream comics success in years on its hands, and they only message they’ve sent at this point is, “You can’t rely on us.” Thanks, guys.
Comment by apk — August 16, 2006 @ 9:44 am
With Millar’s recent diatribe about how much money he makes and how anyone working comics (for the big 2 at least) can make a living at it, I say it’s time to start holding back checks for this kind of BS.
“If you don’t deliver such and such pages/scripts by such and such a date before publication, you will forefit such and such a percentage of your final income from said project each day the agreed-upon amount of work isn’t turned in.” Or something like that - never did get my business degree.
And you’ve also got to put the publishers to task for soliciting these things as soon as the idea strikes them. “Bring back Alex Luthor and Superboy?!?! Solicit it!!!” “Split the Marvel Universe down the middle?!?! Solicit it!!!” “Deliver a project on time!?!?! Next idea.”
Comment by Dan G. — August 16, 2006 @ 10:51 am
Dan,
I’m pretty sure there are ways to show your displeasure without hosing your retailer.
Since this has been announced as being (at least, let’s be honest) 6 weeks late, retailers should be able to *adjust orders.* And they can adjust upwards or downwards - in the case of lateness, downwards is normal.
Tell your retailer that you won’t be buying Civil War. (This would show your displeasure.) Your retailer can then reduce the order by one less copy per customer who has said the same. That way, the retailer isn’t stuck with potentially unsold copies, if said retailer would be concerned by such a possibility.
Then, take that unspent money and try a new book. You might even like it.
This may be self-explanatory advice to savvy fans, but I reckon there are fans who aren’t aware of these steps. (And any retailers who find fault with these steps, feel free to stomp on them)
(Of course, this doesn’t totally solve the retailer’s dilemma. They budgeted for these next issues already, so there may be a revenue hole unable to be quickly filled…)
Comment by Jim Caldwell — August 16, 2006 @ 12:02 pm
It is sad to hear that the title is delayed, mainly because I have really been enjoying it. I thought a lot of the delays in the whole Civil War project were attributable to Mr. Millar’s illness. The way that Millar has been limited has hindered the cohesiveness of all the tie-ins and the main mini-series. This has been very public knowledge for the past few months. So maybe we should cut the guy a break and support Marvel for sticking by the writer, despite lateness and inconsistency, because it this whole project was his idea.
Comment by Frank Olivia — August 16, 2006 @ 12:20 pm
With all of the war, death and terrorism going on in the world, I love that sliver of the population that gets angry when their comic books dont ship on time.
Comment by justme — August 16, 2006 @ 12:51 pm
I will address this in my new mega cross over “Civil Crisis of Infinite Delays.” Issue #1 will be shipped in November. Issue #2 will be shipped in July.
Comment by Dave — August 16, 2006 @ 1:47 pm
If this is in fact due to Millar’s illness, then it is understandable for him to be running late, but a chronically ill writer seems like all the more reason for Marvel to get most of the issues ready to print before release rather than pushing their luck like this. Marvel still dropped the ball.
Comment by Kross — August 16, 2006 @ 5:25 pm