It looks like the Paul Tobin-written, David Baldeon-illustrated Avengers Academy/Spider-Girl/Young Allies vs. Arcade story will finally see print this May, now in the form of an 80-page one-shot titled Avengers Academy Giant-Size #1, complete with a new Ed McGuinness cover and a cover price of $7.99. The comic was originally announced in late September of last year for release in January 2011 as the Avengers Academy, Spider-Girl and Young Allies annuals, and later was solicited for February and March as a three-issue miniseries titled Arcade: Death Game.
News of that plan being scrapped surfaced via February’s Diamond cancellations, with Marvel senior vice president of publishing Tom Brevoort indicating on his Formspring account that the publisher was “simply retooling the package to make it more likely to do well.” No word yet on if the Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel (Captain America: Theater of War) co-written back-ups originally announced as part of the annuals will be included in Avengers Academy Giant-Size #1.
Marvel’s official press release dubs the comic an “80-page extravaganza,” referencing DC Comics by stating the story is “the size of FOUR of our competitor’s books.” Our interview with Tobin on the story is here, Marvel’s press release and a full look at the McGuinness cover follow after the jump.
Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man have saved the Marvel Universe time and time again, but now it’s up to their protégés to step up and leap into their BIGGEST adventure yet! This May, critically acclaimed writer Paul Tobin and artist David Baldeon are throwing Earth’s Mightiest heroes-in-training headlong into Avengers Academy Giant Size #1 – an 80-page extravaganza of ALL NEW story spotlighting the next generation of Marvel heroes for just $7.99! That’s the size of FOUR of our competitor’s books!
“This story brings together our most popular teen heroes and fan favorite creators for a truly giant-size story set right in the thick of the Marvel Universe at an incredibly affordable price.” said David Gabriel, Marvel’s SVP of Sales & Circulation. “There’s simply no publisher today putting out this amount of all-new material for such a great value.”
With the Marvel Universe at stake and Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers unavailable to help – it’s up to the students of Avengers Academy to team up with Spider-Girl and the Young Allies to save the day! Can this triple threat pull together or will they break apart as they’re forced through a circus of sadism by the one and only ringmaster of Murderworld? Find out as Marvel’s heroes of tomorrow get put to their toughest test yet this May, only in Avengers Academy Giant-Size #1!
AVENGERS ACADEMY GIANT-SIZE #1
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Pencils by DAVID BALDEON
Covers by ED McGUINNESS & CHRIS SAMNEE
Rated A …$7.99
ON SALE THIS MAY!
February 9th, 2011 at 11:30 am
Oh, that sounds like a good solution.
Spidey’s head makes me laugh.
February 9th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
I hope Justice plays a big part in this!
February 9th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
…and Speedball too
February 9th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Well, buying the whole shebang in one BIG package IS cheaper. Do the math yourself, you’re more or less getting one issue for something like 30 cents.
Isn’t this format, bigger, thicker books that contains lots of stuff, cheaper than buying the whole thing for 2.99 per issue, something that a LOT of fans have been wanting for some time??
Now they’re getting it…
February 9th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
I can’t imagine it will do well at all. At least with a $3.99 price point per issue, the reader would have the advantage of sampling it & having the option to continue/discontinue with the rest of the series. Conversely, the drop off in sales across a mini-series’ short life these days can make the production costs for a mini-series very cost-prohibitive.
Since the material had already been commissioned, this was probably the best way (out of a myriad of bad options) to make sure that all the material saw print one day, though I don’t anticipate that we’ll see new projects in this format.
I shouldn’t speak too loud though, in case Marvel repackages the Annihilators mini into this format as well.
February 9th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Yes! I am a big fan of these collected editions. Marvel, please know that some of your fans are on a tight budget these days. I am no longer buying any 32 page $3.99 comic. Enough is enough.
February 9th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
I will never purchase an 8 dollar comic book.
February 9th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Steven – even at least a dollar less then the individual issues would have been?
February 9th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
@Albert
Leave your mathematically proven facts out of this.
It’s a matter of principle.
February 10th, 2011 at 6:34 am
I think what some people have missed is that DC has released several (and will release a few more) 80-page issues of all new material (most recently a Superman one just last week) that cost TWO DOLLARS less than this, so the whole “only $7.99″ for an 80-page issue of all new material really isn’t anything to brag about.