The Initiative - Do You Care?

[fred]

The Initiative - Do You Care?

Personally, I do. I think this has the potential to be good. I'm interested to see what all of you think. Vote, post, however

[JAFlanagan]

I'm not sure that Dan Slott is capable of this particular thing. I hope the best for him, but he wouldn't be my choice for this book.

[fred]

I have some doubts about Dan Slott as well(you know, cuz I've read She-Hulk) but I'm going for The Initiative as the over-arching non-WWH Marvel storyline for the next few months

[jerome]

I've never read any of Dan Slott's work, but his Ifanboy interview certainly raised my interest on the book. I'll probably wait and see what the word is on this book.

[fred]

He wrote Arkham Asylum, I think, which I remember liking.

[conorkilpatrick]

He wrote Arkham Asylum, I think, which I remember liking.

He didn't write the famous Arkham Asylum, that was Grant Morrison. He wrote a mini-series called Arkham Asylum: Living Hell.

I didn't know which one you meant.

****

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is an original graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Dave McKean. It was published by DC Comics in 1989. The book sold over 500,000 and was for many years DC's best selling graphic novel.

The book was praised for its exploration of ideas and storytelling and also proved financially and artistically lucrative for Morrison.

How and if the book fits in to the main DC continuity or if it is meant as a standalone AU book is unclear. (Several characters seem to be killed in the book, but appear later in the main series. However, Batman: Shadow of The Bat makes references to the history of the asylum established in the novel.)

Arkham Asylum: Living Hell was written by Dan Slott, penciled by Ryan Sook, and inked by Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Jim Royal. The covers were designed by Eric Powell.

This six-issue miniseries and the subsequent trade paperback provided an intricate and multi-layered look at Arkham Asylum from several points of view: the director (Dr. Jeremiah Arkham), a psychiatrist (Dr. Anne Carver), the guards (particularly one Aaron Cash), and the inmates (with particular focus on heretofore unknown residents "Jane Doe", "Junkyard Dog", "Doodlebug", "Lunkhead", "Death Rattle", and, perhaps most memorably, "Humpty Dumpty"). The driving force is the recent incarceration of a ruthless investor, Warren "The Great White Shark" White, as well as the demonic element suggested by the title. White, facing charges of massive fraud, decided to cheat the system by pleading insanity, not realizing the horrors of Arkham. The most familiar characters, such as the Joker, Commissioner Gordon, Batgirl, and Batman himself, appear for comparatively few pages in this work.

[fred]

my bad, I meant Arkham Asylum: Living Hell

I've yet to read the other one.

[conorkilpatrick]

my bad, I meant Arkham Asylum: Living Hell

I've yet to read the other one.

I feel like I might have read Arkham Asylum: Living Hell... I can't remember. It seems very familiar, though.

I might be willing to give The Initiative a shot. But just one. It better knock my socks off in that premiere issue.

[iSteve]

I honestly don't know if I care or not. Still have a bad taste in my mouth about CW. I see the potential for the Initiative, but just wonder whether they can pull it off.

[fred]

I feel like I might have read Arkham Asylum: Living Hell... I can't remember. It seems very familiar, though.


I acquired, shall we say, someone's idea of the 57 greatest Batman stories of all time. It was in this context that I read it. I remember thinking that it was a fairly good story that really didn't feature Batman all that much. was odd in that way

[fred]

My yes is LONELY up there

[humphrey-lee]

I half care because Slott is writing it. But that half care is nullified by a deep uncaring of anything coming out of this CW debacle.

[kwok_talk]

Wait. Do we even know what this is about? I remember Dan talking about the line-up, but how do they differ from the non-New Avengers Avengers team? Or are they the same thing? I'm so confused. I'm sure I'm just groggy from lunch.

[humphrey-lee]

Wait. Do we even know what this is about? I remember Dan talking about the line-up, but how do they differ from the non-New Avengers Avengers team? Or are they the same thing? I'm so confused. I'm sure I'm just groggy from lunch.

It's new supes taking on the responsibility of protecting each state as part of the Registration Act. So really, it has nothing to do with the Avengers except that it'll be guys like Iron Man and Yellowjacket and them training them...

[conorkilpatrick]

Wait. Do we even know what this is about? I remember Dan talking about the line-up, but how do they differ from the non-New Avengers Avengers team? Or are they the same thing? I'm so confused. I'm sure I'm just groggy from lunch.

The Initiative, I assume, is a book about The Fifty State Initiative - putting a super team in every state in the US.

Mighty Avengers is the "official", sanctioned-by-the-government Avengers team, New Avengers is the underground, anti-government Avengers.

[iSteve]

It's new supes taking on the responsibility of protecting each state as part of the Registration Act. So really, it has nothing to do with the Avengers except that it'll be guys like Iron Man and Yellowjacket and them training them...

When you put it that way, my first thought is LAME.

[humphrey-lee]

New Avengers is the underground, anti-government Avengers.

Led by Malcolm X.

[alexg]

I'm excited to totally ignore the Initiative. I'm off Marvel crossover jizz fests for a while.

[kwok_talk]

If superheroes are in every state, that’s a crapload of characters to keep track of. (insert name here) – Protectorate of Rhode Island. Doesn’t quite sound too exciting so far. Granted I’m sure I’ll flip the book.

[alexg]

bring on World War Hulk I say...

[k33k3r]

I'm with Conor, The first issue better knock me on my ass because the whole CW thing has left me feeling used, abused and made a fool of.

[jimski]

I like She-Hulk a lot, I liked Thing enough, I like Dan Slott generally, and Dan Slott likes comics. I will definitely be giving it the benefit of the doubt.

"Care"...? Hmm.

I look forward to it when a writer I like has a new book coming out. When it isn't about the same characters that have been churned through the mill a hundred times, as I gather is the case here, I'm interested even more. I can't really care care, though, until I've seen the story I'll be reading. I suspect, for example, that even with all the criteria above met I will soon not care about Thunderbolts.

[fred]

I like She-Hulk a lot, I liked Thing enough, I like Dan Slott generally, and Dan Slott likes comics. I will definitely be giving it the benefit of the doubt.

"Care"...? Hmm.

I look forward to it when a writer I like has a new book coming out. When it isn't about the same characters that have been churned through the mill a hundred times, as I gather is the case here, I'm interested even more. I can't really care care, though, until I've seen the story I'll be reading. I suspect, for example, that even with all the criteria above met I will soon not care about Thunderbolts.

geez. I didn't mean care like you'd die if it ends wrong. I meant will you read it, are you excited? And I also meant the whole post-CW Initiative phase and not necessarily just the single slott-penned title

[jo-relrollins]

as long as they don't plan launching a bunch of new books for all these characters. Maybe the Mighty Avengers will rotate.


But you know what my question is: I know thanks to the O.N.E. all mutants are registered....so where does that leave them and the X-Men and their branch members in this whole Initiative thing?

[fred]

as long as they don't plan launching a bunch of new books for all these characters. Maybe the Mighty Avengers will rotate.


But you know what my question is: I know thanks to the O.N.E. all mutants are registered....so where does that leave them and the X-Men and their branch members in this whole Initiative thing?

I think the X-Men will be, as with the SHRA, in a weird gray area

[jo-relrollins]

Probably so especially with the top secret X event about to happen.

[hometeam790]

To be honest, no. But I never did get the Brubaker Cap issues, but I will be checking out those issues. It does have me curious as to where they're going with him.

[conorkilpatrick]

To be honest, no. But I never did get the Brubaker Cap issues, but I will be checking out those issues. It does have me curious as to where they're going with him.

The Brubaker Cap stories that are Civil War crossovers have very, very little to do with Civil War itself.

Get yourself to those books, though, they are tremendous.

[jimski]

geez. I didn't mean care like you'd die if it ends wrong. I meant will you read it, are you excited? And I also meant the whole post-CW Initiative phase and not necessarily just the single slott-penned title

Heh. I guess maybe I don't care, then, because I wasn't thinking of the Initiative as more than just a Dan Slott book. But now that you mention it...!

As for the question, "Do you care about the new Marvel status quo?" I totally do, in the sense that it is going to drive me crazy. Super heroes working as government stooges with their identities outed, on a leash held by Tony Stark and Maria Hill is just about everything I do not want in my caped fiction. It's like a variation on the "torture fiction" that all my favorite shows have been bugging me with this year. I have a very strong anti-authoritarian streak, and all these stories about good people being completely powerless and subject to the whims of S.O.B.s with all the cards is absolutely like nails on a blackboard to my soul.

But that tension can make for good drama. I keep watching and reading because I worship at the Church of the Holy Payoff, and I believe that one day a reckoning will come. Somebody's going to force feed Reed Richards his own Laffy Taffy ****, and I want to be there when it happens.

[JAFlanagan]

I keep watching and reading because I worship at the Church of the Holy Payoff, and I believe that one day a reckoning will come. Somebody's going to force feed Reed Richards his own Laffy Taffy ****, and I want to be there when it happens.

And I know that you're bright enough to know that the great illusion of the shared superhero universe is the undending sameness. So that makes your hope all the more laudable.

[fred]

I would pay good money to see Reed eat his own Laffy Taffy ****

[jimski]

And I know that you're bright enough to know that the great illusion of the shared superhero universe is the undending sameness. So that makes your hope all the more laudable.

Keep on reaching for that rainbow! Shine on!

(and then, alone in the quiet of his home, he began singing "The Impossible Dream")

[labor_days]

Ugh, Civil War left me fatigued with all this crossover stuff. If I have to read The Initiative just to follow continuity within another book...god, I'm a schmuck. I will probably end up buying this thing. Of course, I'll complain to the high heavens about it. Principles you see.

[paper]

As long as they rename it Civil War: Carpetbaggers....yes.

I trust that they will. I've sent them many, many carrier pigeons.

[jurassicalien]

I'm going to try and read the whole thing, with CW ending I have alot of room to strech out, so I might as well see the "Post" story line, why not? If it blows I can drop it like a hot piece. But for now I'm going to look forward to it, hope it comes out on time (Cause it should) and hope it's good.

[fred]

the poll results are getting interesting
7-7-7-1

[paper]

And...Paper makes an 8. For the Caring side.

The Bendis/Ellis special at least. And then, what, Slott's doing a mini? He seems like a nice guy. I'll give Slott a shot.

[fred]

THE INITIATIVE CHECKLIST

February
CIVIL WAR: FRONT LINE #11
CIVIL WAR POSTER BOOK
IRON MAN #15
NEW AVENGERS #27
THUNDERBOLTS #110 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
THUNDERBOLTS #111
March
CIVIL WAR: THE INITIATIVE
BLACK PANTHER #26
CAPTAIN AMERICA #25
CIVIL WAR: BATTLE DAMAGE REPORT
CIVIL WAR: THE CONFESSION
FANTASTIC FOUR #544
IRON MAN #16
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: CIVIL WAR AFTERMATH
MIGHTY AVENGERS #1
MS. MARVEL #13
NEW AVENGERS #28
THUNDERBOLTS #112
April
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #1
BLACK PANTHER #27
CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON – WOLVERINE
CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON - AVENGERS
FANTASTIC FOUR #545
IRON MAN #17
MIGHTY AVENGERS #2
MS. MARVEL #14
NEW AVENGERS #29
OMEGA FLIGHT #1
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6
THUNDERBOLTS #113
May
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #2
BLACK PANTHER #28
CAPTAIN AMERICA #26
CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON - CAPTAIN AMERICA
CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON - SPIDER-MAN
CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON - IRON MAN
FANTASTIC FOUR #546
IRON MAN #18
MIGHTY AVENGERS #3
MOON KNIGHT #11
MS. MARVEL #15
NEW AVENGERS #30
NOVA #2
OMEGA FLIGHT #2
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #7
THUNDERBOLTS #114
June
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #3
BLACK PANTHER #29
CAPTAIN AMERICA #27
CIVIL WAR AFTERMATH DAILY BUGLE SPECIAL
FANTASTIC FOUR #547
MIGHTY AVENGERS #4
MOON KNIGHT #12
MS. MARVEL #16
NEW AVENGERS #31
NEW WARRIORS #1
NOVA #3
OMEGA FLIGHT #3
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #8
SUB-MARINER #1
THUNDERBOLTS #115
July
CHAMPIONS #1

[acomicbookgirl]

Should I care? :confused:

[jerome]

The more I learn about this, the more i'm leaning towards no.

[paper]

PAPER'S INITIATIVE CHECKLIST

February
IRON MAN #15
NEW AVENGERS #27
THUNDERBOLTS #111

March
CIVIL WAR: THE INITIATIVE
CAPTAIN AMERICA #25
FANTASTIC FOUR #544
IRON MAN #16
MIGHTY AVENGERS #1
NEW AVENGERS #28
THUNDERBOLTS #112

April
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #1
BLACK PANTHER #27
FANTASTIC FOUR #545
IRON MAN #17
MIGHTY AVENGERS #2
NEW AVENGERS #29
THUNDERBOLTS #113

May
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #2
BLACK PANTHER #28
CAPTAIN AMERICA #26
FANTASTIC FOUR #546
IRON MAN #18
MIGHTY AVENGERS #3
NEW AVENGERS #30
THUNDERBOLTS #114

June
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #3
BLACK PANTHER #29
CAPTAIN AMERICA #27
FANTASTIC FOUR #547
MIGHTY AVENGERS #4
NEW AVENGERS #31
SUB-MARINER #1
THUNDERBOLTS #115


***


I'll do that. Titles in later months are subject to drop.

[jo-relrollins]

The Champions are returning!?! Oh god here we go.

[k33k3r]

My list is pretty much the same as Papers minus Iron Man and Black Panther. I dont' know why but I just don't like those books.

[paper]

My list is pretty much the same as Papers minus Iron Man and Black Panther. I dont' know why but I just don't like those books.

They're both on my tentative list. I've never read Black Panther, but I'm curious. And I'm slightly intrigued to see what they do with Tony in his new job.

[fred]

Black Panther is really good. You should try it. I like it

[pv_2]

Looking at the list, almost half the books are in titles already on my pull list, so I'll get my fill of the Initiative no matter what. My answer would be a more qualified, "No, don't care enough to buy any extra titles." But it's not like I'm gonna drop titles cuz of it. Way to be wishy-washy, I know.

[watsonglenn]

Black Panther is really good. You should try it. I like it


I like Black Panther, I just don't know why it had to be so anti-American. I can see why it would be anti European after what the Europeans did to Africa during the Age of Colonization but America did not do that.

[e-tagg]

Every new checklist I see makes me cringe after Civil War. Does it mean I have to buy all those books just to understand what happens??

I'm buying New Avengers and Mighty Avengers. Bendis is the man and my interests are piqued. The Initiative I will buy the first of, but if it sucks I drop it like a red-headed stepchild.
And I'll give the Champions a try. Because I miss California on this cold, unforgiving coast.

[iSteve]

Every new checklist I see makes me cringe after Civil War. Does it mean I have to buy all those books just to understand what happens??

I'm buying New Avengers and Mighty Avengers. Bendis is the man and my interests are piqued. The Initiative I will buy the first of, but if it sucks I drop it like a red-headed stepchild.
And I'll give the Champions a try. Because I miss California on this cold, unforgiving coast.

These lists that Marvel puts out are just an example of "bundling" certain titles together to get you to buy them all. Like with Civil War itself, you certainly don't need to read all the titles that are tied into it in order to follow the core story. Read what you like and enjoy it. Don't worry about having to buy them all.

[deezer]

I'm with Conor and the others who are giving it one issue to be totally friggin' amazing, if it's not, I'll drop it (or mooch off of a friend or something, I don't know). I like the concept, but can you cover 50 states in 7 issues? I mean, that's like 4 and a half pages per state (assuming a 32 page book). And who the heck's gonna be patrolling Hawaii and Alaska and those other random states where very little actually happens? that question alone will get me to buy the first issue, and the fact that War Machine is (supposedly) featured also contributes some.

[conorkilpatrick]

I'm with Conor and the others who are giving it one issue to be totally friggin' amazing, if it's not, I'll drop it (or mooch off of a friend or something, I don't know).

I have downgraded my rating of this book to: will flip through it at the store to see if the art strikes me, but will probably not buy it.

[mikegraham6]

I have downgraded my rating of this book to: will flip through it at the store to see if the art strikes me, but will probably not buy it.

its marc silvestri.... i dont know if thats a good thing or a bad thing (i liked the last book i read of his --new x-men)

[conorkilpatrick]

its marc silvestri.... i dont know if thats a good thing or a bad thing (i liked the last book i read of his --new x-men)

Oh, god - it is? Whew, that's one less book to worry about it.

[conorkilpatrick]

Oh, god - it is? Whew, that's one less book to worry about it.

Although it is written by Bendis... I thought this was the Dan Slott book... I'm so confused.

It's five bucks???

[mikegraham6]

Although it is written by Bendis... I thought this was the Dan Slott book... I'm so confused.

It's five bucks???

i think this is the one shot that is written by bendis, the dan slott 5 issue mini is coming next month. and this book is five bucks!?!?!? my head hurts.....:(

[fred]

i think this is the one shot that is written by bendis, the dan slott 5 issue mini is coming next month. and this book is five bucks!?!?!? my head hurts.....:(

it's no longer just a mini

[jerome]

My understanding is that The Initiative coming out tomorrow is like a springboard/introduction to the Marvel Universe post Civil War, meaning it's sort of like a teaser for all the new titles coming out, sort of like what "House of M Day After" was if you remember that.

[acomicbookgirl]

it's no longer just a mini

And its in this instance I want to drop it like a bad habit..

[fred]

My understanding is that The Initiative coming out tomorrow is like a springboard/introduction to the Marvel Universe post Civil War, meaning it's sort of like a teaser for all the new titles coming out, sort of like what "House of M Day After" was if you remember that.

I got that impression too. That it would answer questions and set things up

[iSteve]

I thought there was still the Initiative mini - but at the conclusion, it would launch the third Avengers title - Avengers: The Initiative.

[fred]

That may logisitically be how it happens but in either event The Initiative is an ongoing

[iSteve]

That may logisitically be how it happens but in either event The Initiative is an ongoing

Which cannot be a good thing.

[fred]

I'm annoyed but reserving judgement

mostly I'm annoyed by the 'by popular demand' exclamation they used to do it

[davegraham]

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/aveng_initiative/Initit_01_pre.html

Newsarama has a preview of the first issue. I like it. The art looks better than it did in Runaways/Young Avengers. It looks cleaners some how, but that could be the coloring. I like someone is raising the question, what happens if don't make the cut for one of the fifty state teams. I am actually looking forward to the B-list cast of War Machine, Justice, Yellowjacket, and Gauntlet. I don't like all the New Warriors diss-ing, but that could be a developing plot point. I've wanted to check out a Dan Slott book for a while, but She-Hulk doesn't do anything for me. This looks promising.

[six-gun]

Is Dan Slott any good?

[davegraham]

Is Dan Slott any good?

I've been wanting to read his stuff since I heard him on Wordballoon. I read a couple of issues of She-Hulk and I thought the writing was good but I didn't like any of the characters. The Thing had been cancelled and I don't know of anything else Slott writes right now. This looks like it will be fun. A break from the depressing tone that Civil War has brought to the Marvel U.

[conorkilpatrick]

From my great stack of books from San Francisco I just read Dan Slott's Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and I really enjoyed it. It's proof that Slott can definitely do dark, and do it well.

[davegraham]

From my great stack of books from San Francisco I just read Dan Slott's Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and I really enjoyed it. It's proof that Slott can definitely do dark, and do it well.

Cool, I will have to add that to my list.

[davegraham]

Slott strikes me as a writer very much like Peter David, someone who understands superhero archetypes really well and can build a solid conflict. David doesn't stylize his characters with grim and gritty realism. He can go there, but more often than not his characters are built with a hidden twist and set in a more traditional superhero world. Although, now that I think about it, David's runs on Aquaman and Hulk were pretty ugly. Anyway, Batman story aside, Slott seems to be more on the Saturday Morning Cartoons side of the spectrum than near the Frank Miller side.

[conorkilpatrick]

Anyway, Batman story aside, Slott seems to be more on the Saturday Morning Cartoons side of the spectrum than near the Frank Miller side.

There was definitely goofiness within the Arkham book but it was only a little bit and not overwhelming.

[mikegraham6]

IGN has a 6 page preview of the upcoming Initiative book written by Dan Slott

http://comics.ign.com/articles/777/777165p1.html