Eulogizing Old Nu Marvel

[Jimski]

Hi.

So!

Comics kill me sometimes. A little bit. On the inside.

Since we're all forumizing now (Jesus, there's so much commenting going on I scarcely know where to look) I thought I'd add a bit.

Recently, I've been reading a lot here and elsewhere about everything that's wrong with comics, and it's got me thinking about why I got reacquainted with this frustrating, occasionally annoying hobby in the first place. The truth is, I don't remember the exact reasons why I started again, but I think I was doing Google searches on the show "Alias" that led me to Brian Bendis' comic of the same name and the rest is history.

When I think of those years-- the Jemas Years, I think many would call them-- I can't help but have a wistful pang of regret. I miss those days at Marvel. When I got back into comics, there was some really interesting s*** going on.

Who remembers The Brotherhood?
Who remembers Spider-Man's Tangled Web?
Who remembers Startling Stories?
Who remembers Unstable Molecules?
Who remembers Muties?
Who remembers The Craptacular B-Sides?
Who remembers X-Factor, the one that starred no mutants but was only called this because the X-Files was already taken?
Who remembers that weird-ass MAX Howard the Duck miniseries?
Who remembers X-statics?
Who remember when JMS and Morrison were working on Marvel books and it was frickin' groundbreaking?

I bought everything listed above. I was looking at all the books I buy this week when suddenly all these titles hit me and I found I literally wanted to cry. How did we get from there to here? I miss those days. Will they ever come back? Are we better off now? I lament!

[acomicbookgirl]

Who remembers Unstable Molecules?

Who remember when JMS and Morrison were working on Marvel books and it was frickin' groundbreaking?


I loved Unstable Molecules. Do you remember Deadline and Mechanix? Or even Emma Frost? Come to think of it, I think that was the time I had more Marvel than DC. I so missed the Morrison days.. I was crushed when I found out he was going to DC but in the end it was for the best..

[Jimski]

I loved Unstable Molecules. Do you remember Deadline and Mechanix? Or even Emma Frost? Deadline?! Oh my effing God, are you trying to make me cry??

To say nothing of Alias!

So many books indicative of a Nu Marvel that is soooo long gone now... It almost literally breaks my heart. Those days are responsible for bringing me back to comics, but they will never be back again. What can you do?... How did I get here from there?? I don't mean to bring the thread down, but I have suddenly been confronted by then v. now and I find myself inconsolably depressed. Crossovers! Tie-ins! Kill me now!

[JAFlanagan]

Yeah, I don't think people bought most of those. It was like this flowery artsy time where folks were trying to prove their artsy cred. It was a great renaissance for comics. It comes out of the same era that bore ifanboy.

The industry seems to run in cycles. Now it feels kinda like we're repeating the bad parts, but even with the complaints, the quality of work is still 100x better than it was in the 90's boom.

I think Marvel briefly got out of the business of superhero action, but people missed it, so they got back to it. Mostly. Luckily we got Bendis and Brubaker around to steer the ship.

[Jimski]

I agree that, although things seem to have regressed from that renaissance period, the variant-covered crossover comics are nonetheless much better now than they were when I bowed out of the hobby.

(Which I guess I did several times. I came back to read X-Men #1; I bought a few issues of Peter David's original run on X-Factor; I bought Marvels... and then I heard this thing about Spider-Man having a clone, and that pretty much did me in for seven or eight years.)

Random flashback! U Decide! Mark Millar's Trouble!

[fred]

I think that there are always periods that you can point to as good or bad. I try to look at the positives of now though so that I can actually enjoy what is actually enjoyable.




or at least that's what I tell myself

[JAFlanagan]

Random flashback! U Decide! Mark Millar's Trouble!

That was officially the end of my Mark Millar fandom. That was the last time he got an automatic buy, which is a choice that has served me rather well in the ensuing years.

God, I'm still embarrassed for having bought that.

As far as the crossovers and variant covers, a part of me understands that, for marvel, there's money in that. But it doesn't usually affect me as a reader. I don't think Civil War is inherently bad. Rather, it was just bungled somewhere towards the middle. I don't begrudge them for trying. And perhaps afterwards, we'll enjoy the aftermath. I hope.

[marcushill73]

Joe Quesada referred to this era as Marvel Freakin' Comics. It truly was a remarkable time for the company. The reading audience REALLY did not know what to expect.

Some of my favorites was Peter Bagge's Starting Stories: Spider-Man. He was also slated to produce The Incorrigible Hulk, which unfortunately was canceled, signifying of the end of this era for Marvel. James Kochalka even contributed to Ultimate Spider-Man Team-Up Special!

Will we ever so those heady days again? I hope so, but I am not holding my breath.

Cheers,
Marcus