According to Axel Alonso, Marvel editorial retreats can get mighty violent… Well, in the metaphorical sense, at least:
On Wednesday, a major creator who will remain nameless [Laughs] tossed out a couple of big grenades, and I wanted to run across the room and punch him. But by the time Friday rolled around, and we’d addressed his questions, I wanted to hug him. That’s the dynamic I’m talking about. We’re like boxers that beat the hell out of each other for fifteen rounds then embrace when the final bell rings. A witness might say, “What in the Hell? They just tried to knock each other’s blocks off!” But the reason is, those boxers really challenged each other, they put on a great show, they brought out the best in each other. That’s what happens with us — except there are 30 boxers in the ring. [Laughs]
Alonso doesn’t tease more about the storyline that was being worked out at this most recent retreat, but he does find time to remind everyone that – despite the success of DC’s New 52 – a reboot is nowhere near the future for the Marvel Universe:
DC is doing what they felt they needed to do — it’s not what we need to do. Any success that DC has with their line-wide reboot might inspire us to up our game, but it doesn’t inspire us to rethink our publishing plan. We have a plan and we’re sticking to it. “Fear Itself” and “Schism” set up big things in the Marvel Universe, all of which will come to a head in the event we’ve planned for 2012. A reboot is not on the menu.
Hopefully, this will end the still-recurring rumors that Marvel will “have” to consider a reboot in order to compete with how well DC is doing right now. Still, it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the December chart looks, considering the Avengers: X-Sanction launch and the probably fourth month sales of the New 52…
September 16th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
I’m guessing that’s like two soap opera writers arguing about how to handle a character. One wants to make her crazier than she already is.
If someone took the TCJ approach — or mine, for that matter — and shredded a story idea someone came up with — he might not be assaulted, but probably no one would talk to him for the rest of the retreat.
SRS
September 16th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
“Fear Itself” and “Schism” set up big things in the Marvel Universe, all of which will come to a head in the event we’ve planned for 2012
That one statement summarizes why I stopped collecting Marvel comics. DC did something interesting and different and readers seem to be responding. Marvel is forever building to the next “bigger” event. Blah.
September 16th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
Another crossover embiggens the smallest selling title. At least in Disney thinking land.
September 16th, 2011 at 9:11 pm
woulden’t it be nice if the next big thing was telling good story’s,not event’s.
September 17th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Now I understand why comic book superheroes often punch each other even when there’s no real reason. For the writers, it must be normal.
September 17th, 2011 at 10:04 am
“We have a plan and we’re sticking to it.”
And the plan? First, have a line-wide event every few months. Second, cancel a long running comic and relaunch it with a whole lot of fanfare. Third, kill off a major character once a year and “leak” the news to USA Today. Forth: Have Wolverine appear in nearly every comic.
September 17th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
After Fear Itself, I’m off the event rollercoaster. Don’t care anymore. They’ve all desensitized me.
September 17th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
D Grant Says:
“…cancel a long running comic and relaunch it with a whole lot of fanfare.”
Look on the bright side. At least they haven’t yet gotten so desperately greedy that they’ve simultaneously relaunched every title in their entire line with a new speculator-friendly #1 issue.
September 17th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
marvel roozzzz I say marvel better because dc is nozzzz,so muszzz be truzzz!
September 17th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
“Look on the bright side. At least they haven’t yet gotten so desperately greedy that they’ve simultaneously relaunched every title in their entire line with a new speculator-friendly #1 issue.”"
No kidding, they just do it for the bump in sales and adding more titles to the line rather than trying to make it speculator-friendly.
As for the number of times it’s been done…eh…I think it’s a push.
September 17th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Marvel does not need a reboot. It should give Alonso, Brevoort and Quesada the boot.
September 17th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
me lovzzz marvel reboozzz evry boozzz be reboozzzed!marvel beszzz amzing spider-mazzz 1 avengerzzz 1! oh waizzz they did that’s 15-20 timezzz already marvel roozzz!
September 17th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
You ever wonder who’s idea it is to push all of the’s crossover’s?I mean sale’s keep droping they keep doing them I mean wtf???
September 18th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
What a clever parody of me. He even noticed how I end every other word with a string of “Z”s
September 18th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
we will spread the word like brothezzz,marvel roozzz!dc droozzz!
September 19th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
@Coming curse: Stop crying because it’s true you neck beard Marvel Zombie
September 19th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
4 issue mini. Marvel is saving their x-fireworks for the Schism crap or the Messiah conclusion. Only people buying it are the usual 400 fools that browse the x-morons board on CBR and troll the DC boards.
September 19th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
i hope both companies burn. they all deserve to die, the pain needs to end.
September 20th, 2011 at 8:16 am
What are you talking about? The DCnU reboot is the biggest event of all! I love how you put the reboot as an example of DC trying something “different” from events, when that’s all it basically is: the biggest event yet.
September 20th, 2011 at 8:42 am
I just love that a comic company that just went from Blackest Night and Return of Bruce Wayne to Brightest Day to Flashpoint to DCnU back to back is somehow the company that is so different than Marvel and is supposedly using things other than events and gimmicks to move units. Hahaha….