Earlier this week, I asked what Marvel was up to in May next year, to coincide with the Avengers movie. Rich Johnston thinks he knows: a brand new Avengers #1, by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. Which… I really hope isn’t the case, or at least, not the entire case, because, well, we’ve seen this before, in so many ways. We’re not even two years out from the last Avengers #1 by Bendis, which was his… what, fourth and fifth attempts (New Avengers volume 1, Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers, Avengers and New Avengers volume 2, for those wondering), and we’ve already seen Bendis and Bagley work on an Avengers title, back during the second story arc of Bendis’ Mighty Avengers. There’s just not enough there to really seem important, on the face of it.
It’s a weird problem; Bendis is clearly involved with the Avengers franchise long-term, and so any relaunch to tie in with the movie – and there will be one, following relaunches for Invincible Iron Man, Mighty Thor and Captain America for the months of their movies – will come with him on board. But because he’s done so many of these by now, it’s getting harder and harder for there to be enough reason for readers to care; this upcoming relaunch will have even more problem topping the previous one, which came with The Heroic Age and a relaunch of the entire Avengers line.
So, what is the hook for this new series? That’s still unknown at this point – although I suspect we’ll find out during this weekend’s New York Comic-Con – so I’m throwing it out for comments, with a twist: What, if anything, would get you excited about the prospect of a sixth Avengers #1 written by Brian Michael Bendis?
October 12th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Nothing. I don’t care for Bendis’ mainstream Marvel work.
What would excite me is an Avengers comics by Joss Whedon. Doesn’t have to be in the same universe as the movies. Just has to be by Joss.
October 12th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I’m excited only because one of the big wigs at Marvel said that with each relaunch of a title, it will also go day and date digital.
October 12th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Define excited. Bendis is an okay writer and his Avengers work has been okay. I like Bagley’s work a lot, so I might pick up this book. But I wouldn’t say I’m excited for it.
October 12th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I think the point’s been reached at which the renumbering of AVENGERS no longer serves a useful purpose. The renumbering is akin now to changing the packaging of a Hot Pockets sandwich or a Lean Cuisine entree. The new look might attract attention, but what’s inside is exactly the same as before.
SRS
October 12th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Another new #1? UGH!!!!!!! This stupid. I don’t care about Bendis fake avengers as long as Wolverine, Spider-Man, RHulk are around. They are not avengers.
October 12th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
@ Simon
I second that. Joss Whedon showed he can get to the core of a team book with his Astonishing X-Men run, so let’s have an Astonishing Avengers book. He certainly knows the material well enough.
October 12th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
It’s the “New Marvel 52″.
–J.
October 12th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
More on point: I’d be really excited if Geoff Johns & Jim Lee were the creative team.
Boom.
=)
–J.
October 12th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
A $2.99 price tag, that would make me excited.
October 12th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Joss Whedon writing it would be a huge boon for Marvel, having the director of the film writing a (presumably) relaunched comic at the same time. At the very least, they should get an Avengers mini out with Whedon doing it.
A new #1 by Bendis would not be enticing for me, even if they dropped the price to $2.99 (which they would need to do to get me to buy it at all). Not to hate on the guy at all, but what would be the big selling point there?
October 13th, 2011 at 8:32 am
“What would excite me is an Avengers comics by Joss Whedon. Doesn’t have to be in the same universe as the movies. Just has to be by Joss.”
This is brilliant. I don’t pick up the Bendis-verse version of the Avengers but Joss Whedon doing the movie version would be something that I’d even drop $3.99 for.
October 13th, 2011 at 8:35 am
Let me add that I’d still love to see Bagely do the artwork.
October 13th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Kill “Avengers” and “New Avengers”.
Make it bi-weekly.
And $2.99
*Then* I’d be excited…
October 13th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
I’d be excited if Graeme actually had a blog post that didn’t use a question as a title! Of course he hit the double whammy by also ending the post with a question. Ugh.
Anyway a bi-weekly Avengers for $2.99 would be great, but Marvel wouldn’t take a cut like that. In a sense we ‘are’ getting that with New Avengers/Avengers at the lovely $3.99 cover price.
October 13th, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Not a damn thing. Bendis has completely ruined the Avengers with his little “MTV Real World” dialogue sessions in each issue. It’s a stone cold bore to read. Also, another #1 AVENGERS? Wow – what a great idea – NOT. I’m out.
October 13th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
And watch this book have crap sales, no buzz, and generally be ignored by EVERYONE.
Best thing Marvel could do for the Avengers franchise would be to fire Bendis from all Avengers books, cancel Secret Avengers/New Avengers, abort the God-Awful return of HAMMER storyline, and ban Bendis from ever touching the franchise again. Then toss as much money as humanly possible to restore the REAL Avengers under the writing/artist team of Kurt Busiek and George Perez and basically watch as they beat Bendis in sales AND critical acclaim.
THAT would get people buzzing, talking great about the Avengers, and give Marvel the big ticket book to go head on with Geoff and Jim’s Justice Leage.
October 14th, 2011 at 12:04 am
Monica Rambeau.
October 14th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
John Byrne.
October 14th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
What would make me excited? James Asmus. Ann Nocenti. Dan Slott. Matt Fraction. Christos Gage. Hell, even Geoff Johns. ANYONE BUT BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS.
October 15th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
No, really, there’s nothing that I can like about a Bendis work at this point. I loved his original NA work, but now he’s so caught up in his own hype and just rehashing the same old stuff. Ugh.
Go play with Spider-Man, where you actually still write relevant and interesting stories, Bendis.
October 15th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
However, I can’t wait for the book to come out, sell a ridiculous amount like the Captain America #1 did, and then slump down and do terrible, just like Captain America #2 did.
Marvel treats new number ones like an old dude treats Viagra at this point, and it’s just as pathetic.