In a lot of ways, the holidays are about tradition. Everyone’s got ’em. It might be a family latke recipe, or getting together to watch Die Hard, or arranging the Christmas tree ornaments so the cats don’t knock them off the lowest branches. Here at Multiversity, we have an annual tradition of looking at shared comic book universes and politely ask them to do something differently. It’s one part new years resolution, one part gift giving- to us, every one!
Today, we are taking a look at the House of Ideas, Marvel Comics. We’ve been pretty excited about a lot of Marvel books this year, and we have a lot of suggestions of how they can continue to capitalize on their success. Let’s take a look!
Bring Back Gwenpool
Okay, this is a selfish wish, but I’m going to say it anyways. Gwenpool’s been under-utilized, and she deserves better. Lately she’s just been getting the occasional cameo in the background of Krakoa, but with everything happening to mutantkind from “Fall of X” and on, it’s time to put her in the spotlight again. (Yes, she did get a story in the “Love Unlimited” infinity comic, but that’s no substitute for a proper role in the comics.) What happened to Gwen during the attack on the Hellfire Gala? Did she have a plan for the next inevitable disaster (because surely a savvy comic reader like her knew Krakoa wouldn’t last forever), and did she even survive? Heck, put her on an X-Men team, have her team up with Ms. Marvel, just don’t let her fade into obscurity. She’s an amazing character and deserves better. – Robbie Pleasant
Bring Back the MCU Comics
With all the concern over oversaturation with Marvel Studios projects, why not let the publisher explore in its sandbox a little? I think if there was a reason the previous MCU comics stopped, it was because they weren’t very interesting, consisting of 2-issue adaptations of previous movies packaged as prequels to the latest one, and the art wasn’t especially great. But if you get a great team on a long enough series, exploring events still too expensive for a Disney+ show, like Thanos’s past or Steve Rogers returning the Infinity Stones, I’m sure you could create magic (and source material for eventual screen projects down the line.) – Chris Chiu-Tabet
Reduce the Number of Books
Marvel. Bubbelah. You’re putting out so. many. books. I get it. You need to sell a certain amount in order to break event. I’ve seen Brevoort argue this and while he’s got far more information than I do, and is simply talking about the reality of the market right now, I also think he’s saying it because he has to.
34 ongoings, 23 minis, and a host of one-shots throughout the year. That’s not even counting the ongoings or stealth minis that ended earlier in the year I may have missed. Part of why I say this is that so many series feel like they’re spinning their wheels. They need more time in the oven.
Now, that said, I’m glad half of the line are announced minis. It’s still way too much coming out every week. Regularly 10-12 titles every single Wednesday. Please spare us in 2024 and make the line just a skoosh more focused. – Elias Rosner
Stop Marking Time With Peter and MJ
There were many reasons to hate Ms. Marvel’s death in “Amazing Spider-Man,” and one was how it was an example of the way the Spidey Office is just desperately finding ways to do anything but have Peter and MJ get together and settle down. Peter becomes Green Goblin? MJ becomes Jackpot? Is it any wonder people are excited for Peter being a married father of two in the Ultimate relaunch? Marvel’s main concern is that making them parents would make them seem too old, but you don’t have to age up the two to tell compelling stories about them being parents, because (surprise) there are lots of young parents. Spider-Man is over 60 years old: Batman was 67 when Damian Wayne debuted – you do the math. – Chris Chiu-Tabet
Change How Books Get Canceled
Continued belowAs a caveat, can we stop canceling books on pre-orders alone? FOC is an awful system that we just have to put up with but maybe Marvel can start giving books a little more leeway before making the choice to send them to the comics guillotine. I’m only kind of saying this because “Avengers Inc.” got the axe because of it and I think that would have done well enough in its first trade to justify more.
Or, maybe I’m wrong and it’s only because I love Ewing’s special brand of weird that I think this. – Elias Rosner
Do a TMNT Crossover
I know Marvel doesn’t do intercompany crossovers anymore, but surely they can make an exception for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? They were created as a Daredevil pastiche, live in the same city as him and Spider-Man, idolize Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in Mutant Mayhem, and are mutants like the X-Men. The turtles seem to have had crossovers with everyone (even Stranger Things!) but the Marvel Universe, even though venturing into there is such a natural fit for them. Surely Disney and Paramount can come to a pleasant agreement over sharing the profits? – Chris Chiu-Tabet
Where’s Leah Williams?
Didn’t Leah have a different book she was working on that wasn’t “The X-Terminators?” I could’ve sworn there was. If so, can we get that, please and thank you? Or is she doing too well over at the distinguished competition? – Elias Rosner
More Spinstress
Another selfish wish based on a personal favorite? Yes, but it’s a wishlist, we’re allowed to be selfish. Out of all the Spider-Man variants introduced in the many different “Spider-Verse” events, Spinstress is a personal favorite, not just for being the “Disney Princess Spidey,” but for having a full assortment of musical numbers, some of which they even got Broadway actress Arielle Jacobs to perform. There’s so much untapped potential there, and not just for the comics (although her last appearance left us with a nice little bit of ominous foreshadowing they really need to build on). So if they’re going to constantly introduce more and more multiversal spider totems, at least do us the decency of letting the best ones among them shine with their own mini-series. I’d even like to see Spinstress in the next Spider-Verse movie with Arielle voicing her and giving her a whole new musical number! – Robbie Pleasant
Sort Out the Indiana Jones Rights Already
Speaking of Disney and Paramount sharing profits, do we have to embark on some globetrotting Indiana Jones-style quest to get Marvel and Dark Horse’s comics (as well as the prose novels) back into circulation? It was disappointing no progress was made on this front during Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s 40th anniversary, and even more so when Dial of Destiny hit theaters. I know some will point and say Dial of Destiny underperformed, proving there’s no market, but that hasn’t stopped Lucasfilm from licensing out a video game to Bethesda, so why is there such a hold-up when it comes to the books? And hey, maybe it wouldn’t have underperformed if there were readily available books, old or new, as well as an animated series! – Chris Chiu-Tabet
Try Making Your Digital Comics Free
Much as I think Webtoon is a vicious corporate entity masquerading as a creator friendly platform, it knows how to balance monetization and access. How you ask? Well, mostly comics are free to read but you can buy early access to the most recent three-seven episode using coins. If you don’t want to, or don’t have the money to, you’ll still be able to read them eventually.
I think the Marvel Unlimited digital comics could learn a thing or two from these. Instead of being behind a paywall, have them all available except for the new ones. Or do what Shonen Jump does and have only the most recent three chapters available for free? DC’s seen great success with their deal with Webtoon. Maybe this is the way to get a younger audience even more engaged with the Marvel comics. – Elias Rosner
