Friday 11 September 2015

Why I'm avoiding Marvel titles.

A few weeks ago, while talking about what I would like from the November solicits, I mentioned that Marvel had been completely cut out of my pull list for the foreseeable future. While I had said this with (what hopefully came across as) great conviction, I didn't specify the why, instead saying that I might elaborate later.

Well, here's me elaborating.

To be fair, I'm not saying that I'm boycotting Marvel or anything, because they still do have a lot of talented people making up great concepts as well as making some of the best comic book movies I've seen. However, at present (and most likely for the foreseeable future), there are certain reasons which really don't endear me to what they put on the stands and, not wanting to go back on myself over them, I thought I'd make them clear to myself and anyone else who is interested.

1. Increased cost - This seems as good a reason as any to avoid any comic, but it seems to apply more to Marvel these days. During my last scan through of the solicits, more and more Marvel comics were priced at $3.99 than there ever had been when I first started collecting. While I get this is inevitable (damn inflation) the fact my income hasn't increased with prices means I have to be picky about what books appeal to me. This, conveniently, leads to my second reason.....

2. Too much synergy - now, I get it. Marvel films are big, like REALLY big, and so altering their comics to better reflect the films which make them tonnes of cash makes sense. I, however, cannot stand it! I miss the original Fury and I'm annoyed by the appearance of the TV S.H.I.E.L.D. team but what really gets me are major character changes such as Star-Lord's appearance and party dude attitude (I preferred his grim ways in Annihilation) or Ant-Man reverting from a cool guy (as seen in FF) to someone a little less wholesome (in Ant-Man), both more in line with their big screen counterparts. Of course, this is all based on my perception of things so I could be totally off, but this is how I see things at present (though I'd love to be proven wrong).

3. Too much Iron Man - Of course, while my prior two reason made some rational sense, even if others could argue them, this is undoubtedly a more 'personal' reason, one devoid of rational thought. For me, Marvel has Iron Man everywhere!! I mean like the way Wolverine was before he died. Now, while this shouldn't bother me, I've failed to relate to the character since Civil War and the fact that, I think, the whole Marvel film universe seems to hinge on his existence only compounds the irritation to me. Maybe I'll get over it but for now I think that Tony Stark's alter ego is in too many books for me to be able to avoid.

4. - No Fantastic Four - that said, while irritating characters being everywhere, comics and movies merging together and prices increasing are big reasons, I think the biggest of them for me is the loss of the Fantastic Four comic. The FF is my most favourite book, I have more issues of that than any other, and so seeing it cancelled, for an obviously bullshit reason of not giving a Fox film advertising, was heartbreaking to put it mildly. This hasn't been helped by the characters being split in other books, Reed Richards seemingly dead (he's not mentioned for post Secret Wars) and the Baxter Building being handed over to Spider-man just adds salt to the wound. Maybe I need to let it go, they are unlikely to come back, but I'm not quite ready to just yet.

So, those are my reasons. Now, none of this deserve any book or creator on Marvel's roster to be burned at the stake or anything, these are all my personal views relating to my personal tastes. However, the one which sticks most is the missing FF and I'm highly unlikely (though it's not impossible) to come back to their fold until the first family get their book back (picking up from the numbering if that's not too much to ask).

Like I said though, I doubt it will happen (certainly not just to keep me quiet) so for now I will simply entertain myself with other comics and keep an eye on Marvel to see if they do release anything which picks my fancy.

I'm not holding my breath on it though.

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