Multiversity’s 2011 Holiday Wishlists

Because we still don’t have a graphic designer on staff, here’s more MS Paint!

Every year, a few of us like to get together and theorize, “If I could wish for a few things to happen next year, what would they be?” We think and we think, we think and we think, we think some more, and then we put together a few short lists of hopes and dreams aimed at Marvel and DC. After all, it is fun sometimes to guess at what could possibly maybe happen within the next year from two comic company giants.

We know what you might be thinking already, though. “Gee, Multiversity! Why only Marvel and DC? Why not some of the other comic companies as well?” We hear your thoughts, but realistically, it’s much easier to theorize what a company might do with a bunch of company-owned properties as opposed to creator-owned books. It is much easier say “Make Wolverine wear a hat!” than say “Gee, I sure hope Morning Glories explains the true identity of Ms. Dagney,” because one is infinitely more likely to happen than the other. Ms. Dagney will remain an enigma for the ages.

With all that in mind, check behind the cut for some of the staff’s wishlists for 2012.

Matthew’s Wish List

Marvel:

1. No more polybags

When Fantastic Four got it’s polybag with issue #587, it was quite fun. Polybags hadn’t been used in quite some time, and the idea that the death of one of the members was so secretive that it had to be hidden within a plastic bag to prevent from spoilers (more on that in a bit) was fun. It made the whole ordeal drum up forgotten memories of collector’s items, and as if wrapped by Willy Wonka, some of the polybagged issues contained signed variant copies of the book! So fun!

But then Ultimate Spider-Man got a polybag for the “Death of Spider-Man” arc. Then Ultimate Fallout #4 shipped in a sealed bag. Then every new Ultimate series got polybags, including Ultimate Comics Hawkeye which was a mini and ostensibly had nothing to hide. Then Uncanny X-Force #18 got a polybag and a spoiler variant.

Ok. We get it. You like polybags! But what on Earth is the point of them now? Fantastic Four #587 was inherently a collector’s item as the first polybag in years, but now its just another polybagged comic I don’t know what to do with. Do I throw the polybags away? Do I keep them? Do I buy two copies of each issue, one to remain sealed forever and one to open and read?

It’s all very silly and confusing, and effectively meaningless now. After all, if you’re going to throw both “the death of Johnny Storm” as well as “Hawkeye goes on a trip” into polybags, then all you’re saying to the consumer is “Hey! Look! More trash for your dumpster!”

2. Cut it out with the spoilers already!

Ok, so Fantastic Four #587 was polybagged to keep people from reading the comic in stores and telling everyone what was going to happen (or something along those lines, anyway). That’s wonderful. Spoilers bad! Boo hiss!

But then Marvel went ahead and announced that it was Johnny Storm that died in an effort to draw more readers to the store to check out the issue, which set various news sites ablaze and effectively ruined an incredibly power finale for who knows how many readers that didn’t go on a media blackout and turn their phones off (like I did, which made me fairly useless to this site for a bit).

It’s one thing to try and capture the fictional/mythical New Reader and trick them into buying a comic book featuring the death of a character they clearly don’t care about (since they don’t read comics) after the fact. It’s another to ruin the reading experience for readers you already have.

Come on.

3. Death is a serious subject. Let’s try to remember that.

In Fear Itself, both Bucky Barnes and Thor died.

In Fear Itself #7.1, it was revealed that Bucky didn’t actually die, and now he’s off to have adventures as the Winter Soldier in Winter Soldier.

In Fear Itself #7.3, it was revealed that Thor didn’t actually die, because legends can never really die (or something).

It is literally impossible to take these stories seriously when they aren’t handled with the respect and gravity of real-life. If you want people to connect with superheroes by making them “relatable” (that’s why Spider-Man is single, right?), then you have to stick to your guns and not treat death like a revolving door. That’s not how it works. When you die, you die. When comic characters die, they should die.

If it is true that Marvel has a marketing strategy to kill off a major character at the end of every sales quarter in order to boost sales and drive people to comic shops, then it is entirely pointless to keep bringing them back. Death has lost its meaning and is completely devoid of value within the comic books, and that’s fairly disheartening.

4. Give your non A-List characters a fighting chance

This year saw quite a few cancellations from the Marvel camp, especially last month, as several books were announced to be ending due to poor sales. Instead, we’re still given books starring the same characters we’ve always read about, and I could count the amount of memorable new characters from this year on one hand.

I’m a huge Marvel fan, and I’ve never hidden that fact. On some occasions, I allow myself to go to the Dark Side, and allow myself to become a “fanboy.” I love all of these characters, and I buy more Marvel than anything, and I’m not afraid to admit that. I’ve always read Marvel, and I probably always will (unless something indescribable happens, or I go into a coma). But here’s the thing: I’ve been reading both X-23 and Ghost Rider and enjoying both quite a bit. Ms. Marvel is one of my favorite Marvel ongoings from the past five years, and I’m gearing up to read Dan Slott’s She-Hulk soon. I realize that the market is what the market is and the consumers want what the consumers want, but if more focus were put on these female-centric brands to the same extent that there are those for male brands, you might find that the customers will respond well. (After all, DC has several female-centric books that sell quite well, and Batwoman is the second-most critically acclaimed Bat-book after Batman.) If more effort was put towards explaining why Black Panther and Daken are actually worthwhile titles, those might not have been culled.

The problem does not lie solely with the fans that these books don’t sell well enough to keep them around, and while I can understand the easy answer of why any book being cancelled is “not enough sales,” that’s not an excuse that will work forever. Perhaps more effort should be made to promote smaller books, in the form of posters, press releases and “game-changing arcs” on par with the stories the big guns get. Just make it work. What fans want more than anything is characters they can connect and relate to combined with stories that they care about. If it takes a series of minis starring minor characters to boost them to the plateau of ongoing, then so be it! However, as much as I admittedly like them, I think we could do without Wolverine or Captain America in the spotlight so much.

5. A Greg Pak Hulk Omnibus

Just give it to me, already. You can even put all of Loeb’s Rulk nonsense in there if you want. I don’t care. I just want from “Planet Hulk” to “Heart of the Monster” in one oversized hardcover collection, with every book in chronological order. You can even have my $125 in advance if it helps.

DC:

1. Own up to your mistakes and accept legitimate dialogue with your readership

Screencap via ComicsAlliance

Throughout both 2010 and 2011, DC has been absolutely rife with mistakes and controversy. From editing errors left and right to comic book pages and editorial decisions that upset and disgust fans, 2011 was a banner year for bloggers with a chip on their shoulder and a keyboard by their hands.

But here’s the thing that always confuses me: instead of legitimately attempting some sort of discourse towards their errors, DC always passes the buck. Upset about the whole Catwoman banging Batman thing? Well, sorry, but they’re trying to tell a modern story about a modern woman doing modern things, or whatever. Does it bug you that there aren’t a lot of diverse characters? Don’t worry, they’ll get there, they just need to focus on their big guns, or something. Shocked at the lack of women in their creative line-ups? Well, why don’t you go write your own and then try and get a job with DC?

It’s pointless. There was a huge amount of controversy when the DCnU was announced and a woman dressed as Batgirl called out DC panelists on the error of their ways at several different panels, and DC eventually said, “Ok, yeah, we’ll take care of this,” before doing nothing. They simply waited for the next controversy to come around, and then continued doing nothing. I realize that it is a bit unrealistic for anyone to imagine that they’re going to write a blog post and get anything more than a few thousand hits and digital pats on the back, but even so — at least come out and explain why you made decision X, or what compelled you to do thing Y beyond just a few short press releases, no further comments and closing off the discussion aspect of your blog.

Marvel has a weekly column with their Editor-in-Chief at CBR and one of their senior editors has an incredibly candid Formspring. Where’s the flipside? How are we not supposed to demonize things we don’t know about or understand at DC if there’s no open discourse or dialogue? Where’s your side of the story?

At NYCC 2010, I attended several DC Nation panels. The basic gist of every single panel I attended rounded about to legit questions, comments or concerns being ignored or dodged, and every fan going up to the mic and talking about how DC comics changed their life or how they only buy DC books got a standing ovation. I have not attended a panel since. There’s only so much ego-fueled celebration I can take in any given weekend.

Let’s get real over here, DC. If Marvel can do it, you can too.

2. This DCnU reboot better last forever

This one is simple (albeit probably empty) that I’m going to sum it up in a single sentence: if at some point in 2012 the DCnU gets “reset” to the way things were a year ago, I quit.

3. Maybe you can do without 52 books?

Yeah, I get it. “The New 52!” It’s so exciting. Lots of talent on lots of different titles, marking up a new era for your company. It’s quite exciting.

However, let’s be honest with each other — they don’t all work. Take, for example, Black Hawks. Personally, I don’t read the book. I didn’t even read the first issue. However, three months in, it is your worst selling title, along with Men Of War and Static Shock (I’m not counting minis or Vertigo books here, for the record). Perhaps, and I don’t mean to sound insensitive here, those books could be dropped? After all, the writer of Static Shock left after the first issue and the writer and artist of Men Of War both plan to leave after the sixth. Why not cut your losses and try out a new title instead?

At the very least, ask me this: is Hawk and Dove really selling well enough to justify keeping that around? Be honest, now.

4. Whenever you inevitably bring them back, don’t “modernize” the New Gods just to be cool

With Darkseid revealed as the villain for the the first arc of Justice League, I’d say that it is pretty apparent you plan to do some kind of Fourth World reboot. Just, please, I beg of you on behalf of every man, woman and child on this planet: don’t put everyone in a v-neck. Hire Joe Casey or convince Grant Morrison to do it, trick Tom Scioli into illustrating this instead of his creator-owned work, and BOOM. There you go. No need to reinvent this wheel, because it already runs so damn well.

5. Finish collecting John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad

I bought that first volume under the assumption that I could buy the second. Fork it up!

Josh’s Wish List

Marvel:

1. Give Rob Williams, Fred Van Lente, David Liss and Nick Spencer More Work

These four represent some of the strongest new talent the company has seen in many, many moons and have just had all (Williams, Liss, Van Lente) or most (Spencer) of their books cancelled, designated to be ending or simply unreleased. In terms of sheer untapped potential, these four pretty much take the cake.

2. Keep Hawkeye Special

A few years ago, one of my favorite Marvel characters was Deadpool. Now, I can’t stand the character. Why? Because around the time that so-so Wolverine movie came out, the market was flooded with new Deadpool books and special appearances and Deadpool brand breakfast cereals (didn’t happen…should have) and the over-saturation completely ruined the uniqueness of the character and created a slapstick standard for the character that was the exact opposite of what made the character appealing. And now Jeremy Renner is appearing as Hawkeye in a movie and all of a sudden he is in three out of the four Avengers books (and in the upcoming fifth) and guest starring in no less than three books in his own mini-series as of February. Frankly, it gives me cause to worry that maybe my (hands down) favorite Marvel hero will be heading in the same direction as my once beloved Merc with a Mouth. In short, give him fewer appearances and focus on making them the best they can be as opposed to shoehorning him in everywhere possible.

3. Please, For the Love of God, Abandon the “Publish Fewer Titles Twice as Often” Method of Publishing

Grant Morrison has often lamented the fact that industry standards require comics had to be monthly, I can’t imagine what he’d think if he had to release three issues a month. Yeah yeah, I know, “comics are a business first and foremost”. I get that, I do, but this approach to publishing is antiquated at best and exploitative at worst because it ultimately leads to paper thin stories that need to be expanded or contracted to fit a somewhat unreasonable publishing schedules. It also makes it virtually impossible for new writers to break in to the universe and for new stories to be told with new characters. I know I’m the minority here, but I’ll take a varied universe over more X/Avengers/Spider-Man books any day.

4. Earn that Extra Dollar

Yeah I know, most fans are willing to let this one slide either due to the discounted pre-orders or more financial liberty (which is probably why it is allowed to happen in the first place), but if I’m paying four dollars for a comic, sometimes twice a month, I NEVER want that comic include 20 pages of story. Never, ever ever. I know that the story should come first, but at some point my finances dictate what books I buy way more than my connection to the story and if there are two great ongoing stories and can only afford one, I am going to go with the one that gives me more bang for my buck. Period.

5. Keep the Current X-Men Status Quo for At Least a Year

So, my first four wishes were largely based in my desire for the company to reverse current decisions I dislike. However, this last one stems from something I actually like: the current X-Men Status Quo. I haven’t been this excited for the X-Verse in a very long time. In short: keep it! I know status quo shifts sell units, but this story is way too good to give up on to turn a quick buck.

DC:

1. Don’t Forget The King

Or rather, “Keep Not Forgetting the King.” Jack Kirby developed some of the best characters and concepts ever seen in the DCU and with OMAC and the Demon currently in play and Challengers of the Unknown on the way, he left a legacy of quality concepts just waiting for a rebirth. Mostly Kamandi, if we’re being honest.

2. Better Oversight

Typos, coloring errors, mismatched bubbles, print copy errors. Those are just a smattering of the production errors spotted in DC books over the last year. Simply put, if you don’t care enough about the quality of the books you put out, it really affects my ability to care about reading them.

3. Tighten Up the Universe

The New 52 was a good start, but a bit of tightening is needed to make the disparate parts of it gel a little more. Specifically the Batman/GL side of things (that progressed from where they left off pre-relaunch) and the rest of the fully rebooted sides of the universe. It’s clear that Carol the Hooded Wonder Lady Child has been worked in as a potential deus ex machina, so maybe a little light usage of her wouldn’t hurt here.

4. Two Words: Doom Patrol

One of my all time favorite super teams of any universe has seemingly been put in permanent limbo as a result of the all mighty relaunch (except for a revamped Cliff “Robot Man” Steel appearing in My Greatest Adventure). This needs to change!

5. The Return of DC Cosmic

Adam Strange. Captain Comet. Lobo. All three fantastic intergalactic DC characters not seen since the relaunch. There are more than just Lanterns flying around the DC spaceways and they deserve a reboot certainly as much as Resurrection Man does.

Gil’s Wish List

Marvel:

1. Marvel in Kingdom Hearts 3

This will likely happen anyway, but can you imagine how much fun it would be to play the game with Donald and Mickey next to Deadpool? Pretty damn amazing if you ask me!

2. Herc on an Avengers Team

Marvel might have canceled the title, but at least give me some solace by putting the character that you’ve built for damn near 5 years on the shelf and leaving him there! Imagine Hipstercles on the New Avengers cracking wise with Thing and Spider-Man, and drinking beer with Wolverine, not to mention hitting on Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel.

3. Taking more chances (and sticking with them)!

Marvel is a great company. Until the DC Reboot, they were consistently the Top Dog. But lately they’ve been too cautious with their titles, focusing on books starring either Avengers or X-Men, and not giving much of a chance for smaller franchises to shine. Perhaps if there were a Ghost Rider preview in the pages of New Avengers and the book weren’t a tie-in to Fear Itself to start, the book might have done better.

4. An expansion of your animated line

DC has been killing it in the animated movie department, but while Marvel definitely has the advantage with regard to live action movies, their animated movies do not live up to the consistent quality on the DC side of things. Perhaps more movies like Planet Hulk, which adapted bestselling books, could replace JLA: New Frontier as one of my favorite animated movies. I’d love to see more Spider-Man animated movies (up to, and including the Mangaverse Spider-Man) or an Avengers movie. Perhaps when that movie comes out there will be one. But until then, I pine for more stories like that.

5. Fewer Events

This one may be a pipe dream, admittedly. But to be perfectly blunt, I don’t hate the idea of events, I hate the idea that events have no real quality control. Having three separate events (Fear Itself, Schism, and Spider-Island) is perfectly fine, if they were good. Schism was good, but Fear Itself in particular was jammed down our throats for most of this year, and did it do anything at all besides making me wish I hadn’t spent $30 on a pointless comic? Nope.

DC:

1. A New Secret Six Book

The Six were my favorite team over in DC. They’re gone and I want them BACK, dammit. It was such a good series and it needs to continue.

2. A Superman Family Book

You can argue that Batman Incorporated and the upcoming Batman: Leviathan book could be a sort of Batman Family book, but I would personally LOVE to see adventures that include Clark, Kara, Conner, Peej, and even Krypto for out of this world epic sci-fi-ness. It would be a LOT of fun.

3. GOOD MOVIES

I enjoyed Green Lantern for what it was, but if there’s one thing DC fails at, it’s making movies that live up to the standard that Marvel movies create. One might say that the Nolan Movies are the quality I’m looking for, and for the most part, I agree. I’d like to see the same amount of care taken to make sure characters like The Flash and Wonder Woman (and even Green Lantern) make movies just as good as Batman Begins or The Dark Knight.

4. Wally West

The DCnU answered a lot of my prayers. It cleaned up a lot of unnecessary continuity and brought readers in droves to check out books they might not normally read because of continuity. But I miss Wally and other secondary and tertiary characters that inexplicably didn’t make the cut to the new universe. There were those from DC who said it didn’t make sense for Wally West to be around in such a young universe, yet there have been four Robins (even though there should have been five) and there are four Green Lanterns! We can’t have a second Flash? REALLY? REALLY?

5. Have the Planetary Crew Join the DCnU

No — I’m not calling for a redo of the nearly perfect Planetary series from Warren Ellis and John Cassaday (how long would THAT take to come out? Jesus). But what I would love to see is maybe Elijah Snow show up in the pages of Stormwatch or Jakita Wagner in JLI. Even Drummer can come along and be in Teen Titans or what have you. They all deserve a place in the new universe, and I would love to see that come to fruition.

Patrick’s Wish List

Marvel/DC:

1. Diversification

I don’t primarily mean this in the sense of “more non-white non-hetero non-male leads,” but that would almost certainly be a consequence, so it bears mentioning anyway. What I really mean is an end to nearly every book having the exact same thing to say. Reading through a lot of the past year’s output, the set of new and exciting ideas I come away with is “superhero comics exist.” Comics increasingly cite other comics as their primary reference. Incest produces soft-brained children.

2. De-emphasis on metafiction

There are two prevalent strains of metafiction in comics nowadays: that which is enamored with its own cleverness, and that which is enamored with its own lack of cleverness. While winking at the readers isn’t something I want to discourage, I get the increasing sensation that mainstream superhero comics are breaking down into hollow vehicles for the writers’ ideas and infatuations. Even comics that don’t read like they were written by mashing ‘random page’ on Wikipedia or, worse still, TV Tropes are prone to gazing at their own metaphorical navels: the most insidious thing in comics right now is Geoff Johns-style literalism, where the desire to pre-emptively counter “Aquaman is a joke who talks to fish” means an extended scene where Aquaman yells at people who call him a joke who talks to fish.

3. Re-evaluation of deluxe editions

The “deluxe edition” concept has devalued so quickly in 2011 that you’d think there was a subprime comics crisis. A $75 hardcover of the Evolutionary War? A $200 two-volume set of Acts of Vengeance? $13-an-issue Absolute editions with the barest possible special features that could be scraped together? Hell, a $40 hardcover of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, containing half the solicited content? The market for these books, as far as I can tell, is “maniacs who are bad with money.” The idea of luxury editions of material available for cheaper elsewhere should actually justify something beyond how big they are, and how pretty and semi-respectable they might look on a bookshelf.

4. An emphasis on construction

For all of the influence film has had on comics in the past 20 years, the comics I’ve read this past year don’t really give me much trust in any movies these people would ever make. It almost seems to be its own formalist aesthetic at this point to make comics that lurch around doing nothing much in particular (and doing nothing as inefficiently as possible) while trying to awe readers with a succession of “Big Moments” before rushing to a sloppy conclusion because the comic is scheduled to end then. I can think of at least two major event series (the core series, that is) this year that made me react by wondering what the fuck I’d just read. We need more Ed Brubakers and Christos Gages, and other people who can not only build a story from start to finish, but pace it so that the whole thing is satisfying.

5. An editor to finally respond to my endless pitches for “Butt Lawyers, M.D.”, about a duo of Franklin and Bash-style superheroes/proctologists/lawyers who gained superpowers after giving each other prostate exams with radioactive gloves, and who are locked into a legal war with the evil rubber-glove corporation that manufactured them

They also both have twin brothers who are both cops.

Brian’s Wish List

Marvel:

1. Make your Ultimate line live up to the title

The Ultimate Universe was a fantastic idea – free the characters of the burden of continuity, clean up their origins, get some top notch talent, and tell the best stories we can. Brilliant! Except, well, ever since 2005 or so, the Ultimate line hasn’t felt so, well, ultimate. What used to be the best place to send new readers or get truly exciting stories became pretty ordinary – especially because the regular Marvel Universe kept inching closer and closer to its Ultimate brethren.

So, Marvel, use this most recent Ultimate relaunch to do it right – tell some amazing stories. Get spectacular artists to do an arc here or there, nail down some solid writers and run with it. Having Hickman, Bendis and Spencer on board is a good first step – keep attracting that level of talent, and don’t be afraid to do bold things.

2. Diversify Your Publishing Line

I know this goes against the last year of Marvel editorial decisions, but facts are facts: the world doesn’t need more Hulks. Ditto Spider people. Ditto Captain America/Bucky books. Ditto Wolverines (oh wait, you’ve already cancelled X-23 and Daken…ok, well played).

Alpha Flight is cancelled, but Scarlet Spider is a-go. Something is terribly, terribly wrong with that statement. Granted, nobody gives less of a fuck about Alpha Flight than I do, but at least it wasn’t another Avengers book. I know that the only thing really going Marvel’s way right now is their film department, but that doesn’t mean that only film-tested properties should get ongoings. Fix this, before it becomes even worse.

3. Don’t try and do a “New 52”

The New 52, in many ways, is a ten years later response to the Ultimate line, albeit with bigger stakes. I implore you, take at least a decade before you try and do a big stunt like this. First of all, it will look like you’re just bandwagon jumping. Secondly, you have an Ultimate line for this very reason – you can do hipper, less convoluted stories without throwing out the baby with the continuity water. Use your history as your advantage, because even though DC has been around longer, for the first time ever you have the bigger, richer well to tap into.

4. Cool it on the events

Name the last Marvel or DC event that was truly worth all the hype.

I’m waiting.

Cool it on the events – use exciting stories within a book to attract new readers, and use crossovers sparingly. That way, when a big event comes down the pike that is too good to resist, suddenly the people will be clamoring for it. Absence makes the wallet open wider.

5. Let your architects build something

It has not been a year since the announcement of Bendis, Fraction, Hickman, Brubaker and Aaron as the Marvel Architects, and yet we’ve seen precious little built. Even the big events have all been erased already: Bucky’s not really dead, nor is Johnny Storm, Thor is practically back already. Trust the guys that you claim you trust, and let them earn their title of architect.

DC:

1. Make Earth-2 something special

When the DCnU came in, deaged and dressed like they came from the Image boutique, something important was lost. The last twenty years saw a revival/appreciation of the Golden Age heroes and their re-integration into the DC Universe, and with the New 52 that is lost. However, it was announced that James Robinson and Nicola Scott would be launching a Justice Society of America title that would take place on Earth-2. I implore you DC – make this the first step to having Earth 2 as a nice antidote to New Earth. I’m not saying there needs to be ten Earth-2 books, but two or three Earth-2 books would be a great way to diversify your line, and potentially draw in some of the more traditional readers who were turned off my the relaunch.

2. Don’t be afraid to trash some of the New 52

Some of these new books just aren’t very good. They might still be selling better than some of your good books were last year, but that doesn’t mean you have to publish shit. It appears that most of the collected editions are collecting the first 6 or 7 issues of the books – maybe that is all that should be published for some of these titles. I don’t think Mister Terrific being canceled will cause any tears to be shed, nor do I think Red Hood and the Outlaws is exactly a cornerstone book of the new line. If you are serious about putting out quality product, then make some cuts. (For some of these, a change of creative team could be enough, but for real train wrecks, let the poor characters rest a bit before someone else tries to repair the damage Eric Wallace has done)

3. Keep looking to your past for inspiration

Earth-2 is a good first step, a Challengers of the Unknown arc in DC Universe Presents is another positive sign, but the point needs to be said again: DC, dammit, you have a treasure trove of characters at your disposal – find a way to use them in interesting ways. If the success of Batman: The Brave and the Bold has taught us anything, it is that people like seeing the lesser known characters be thrust in the spotlight every now and then. Kamandi and the Gentleman Ghost? Sure! Doom Patrol? Why not!

If these characters can work in short cartoons (sometimes only used during a cold open, even), then there is no reason they couldn’t work in a book, too. The aforementioned DC Universe presents is a great place to try out some of these characters. Now, this is not me coming out against new characters – but why not utilize all the tools at your disposal? Like we should so many times, let’s look at James Robinson’s Starman. New characters, legacy characters, revived characters, and some of the most popular characters of the era all worked together to create a book that people still talk about as being essential reading. Maybe float the idea of bringing back the yearly JLA/JSA Crossover in a few years, reviving the Earth-2/New Earth connection in a fun (and temporary) way.

4. Multiversity needs to happen

This one is my equivalent of asking for a flying pony, like my 5 year old niece did this year. I can’t see Grant Morrison writing Action Comics, Batman: Leviathan (still not solicited as coming out as of February) AND Multiversity in the same year. Now, we can hope that the scripts for Multiversity are already done and the ball is in the artists’ court at this point, but I’m not holding my breath. I hope this isn’t one of the projects that gets swept under the rug for the benefit of the New 52, but those fears will only be assuaged when I’m holding Multiversity #1 in my hands.

5. Don’t hit the re-set button on the New 52 at the first sign of a slump

I don’t think anyone, from Dan DiDio down to my comrades at Multiversity Comics, expected the New 52 to be quite this successful. And even though there was lots of talk of there not being a way back to the old DCU, we all know such a plan must have been in a locked box next to a gun loaded with three bullets in the case that DiDio, Jim Lee and Geoff Johns had to admit this was a failure.

However, now that we see how successful this has been, the inevitable conclusion is that sales are going to dip, and dip hard, sometime in the next year. Don’t let this panic you – take the lessons you learned from this success and reapply it. The stunt nature will be gone, but the general idea can be used again: tell new stories, with top talent handling them. When some of the line begins to falter, mix up some creative teams. I would love to see Grant Morrison write an arc of Green Lantern, or see what Scott Snyder would do on the Flash for 3 issues or have Ben Oliver draw O.M.A.C. But trust in the decision to reset these books – even for a skeptic like me, it appears to right thing to do.

Mike’s Wish List

Marvel:

1. Stop Double shipping everything

Please! I love me some X-books, but when they’re all double shipping, I have to start making some cuts. And I’d rather not do that. If you’re having a weak year, don’t make it up by selling twice as much of what I normally buy. Just make better books.

2. Stop making everything an event

This month’s Previews has already started sinking this wish. A five part Venom event, shipping all in one month? Really? In 2011 Marvel had seven crossover events. Seven! Shadowland couldn’t be self contained? Was that Ghost Rider tie-in crucial to the story? (Note: if that Ghost Rider tie-in was crucial, egg on my face, I didn’t actually read any of it. But I’m betting it wasn’t.)

3. Leave X-Factor alone

I’m hoping that someone at Marvel will look at Peter David’s run on X-Factor and say to themselves, “Hey! This book has always been way better when we weren’t cramming it into some unrelated story!” Then David, along with comics fandom, will breath a heavy sigh of relief.

4. Bendis off Avengers

Christmas came early on this one! Before everyone hates me, all I’m saying is that it’s time. He’s had more than a few laps with these characters and it’d probably be best for him to hand them off to Rick Remender. At the very least, let’s bump Rick up from Secret to New Avengers.

5. Give Wolverine the Jonah Hex treatment

I’ve been harping on this one for a while, and I’m hoping this is the year for it to happen. Wolverine is in a lot of books. He’s in story arcs all over the Marvel Universe. There is plenty of ongoing Logan for everyone who wants it. So why not shift his own title and give it the Jonah Hex treatment? One and done stories that can fit anywhere in time and aren’t beholden to whatever else is happening across the line. Wouldn’t that be better for these coveted ‘new readers’ than, let’s say, the whole Point One thing?

DC:

1. Captain Marvel ongoing

So, ok, a backup in Justice League is a start. It’ll fill us in on where Billy and Mary are in this New 52, and get the ball rolling on some stories. Maybe after that it’ll get a mini series. I’m hoping that whatever happens, we find ourselves with a new Shazam series and a cleaned up history of the Marvel family. These are some of my favorite DC characters, and they have not exactly been handled with grace as of late.

2. Fun Aquaman

Ok, cool, we get it Geoff Johns. Everyone laughs at Aquaman. It was funny in the first issue when he was being reintroduced, but now it’s old. Let’s just get to him saving all these jerks so that they can see how wrong they were. Once that’s out of the way, let’s have some fun! Let’s fight pirates and help fishermen look for treasure that’s not really treasure but a trap. Let’s be in the ocean using hammerhead sharks to build things and having electric eels tie up the bad guys. I want Aquababy! Where’s Aqualad? We don’t need an Aquaman with his funeral face on all the time to show how serious and not a joke he is. We just need fun.

3. Never ever have an event

So far so good. There are a few teeny crossovers happening, but nothing major. Just shared universe stuff, and that’s totally cool. So let’s stay the course, don’t worry about whatever Marvel’s doing, that’ll only make trouble for you. And if you have to do this Watchmen event that everyone’s buzzing about, fine. Just don’t try to do something silly like mash them into your main universe.

4. Justice league Detroit

Seriously. I want this, but only if Mr. Johns promises not to soak all the fun out of it.

5. Gotham Central

Let’s bring back the best police procedural in comics. I’d even go as far as to say that this was one of the best Gotham titles we’ve ever gotten. Are Brubaker and Lark exclusive over at the other company? Would Rucka come back to DC? Since this is a wish list, I wish for this title to relaunch with it’s original team. This book can work this time! All of the talents that created the series have gone on to bigger things, and therefore have bigger names. Combine that with DC’s focus on a more diverse comics line, and I think this’d be a hit.

Brandon’s Wish List

Marvel:

1. X-Statix back in the public eye

I want a return to this title by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred. I am not sure that you could use the old characters but maybe starting a new team could be great with Dead Girl assembling the team with the help of Doop. With Doop appearing in Wolverine and the X-Men it’s the perfect time to get one of the best X-Books ever back on track. Also, please make this a MAX book. Or have an adventure that returns the team from the dead with the help of Dead Girl. I’d love to see the old team in some sort. I love me some Anarchist and Mr. Sensitive, so seeing them again would be outstanding!

I want this to happen pretty damn badly and I think there is a good chance that it will. There have even been hints that something with this title could be in the works. Here’s hoping Marvel and friends aren’t just messing with us.

2. Please Do Call it a Comeback: Maggott’s 616 Return

Last year I wanted Maggott to return and I got it in the form of his appearing regularly, at this point, in Ultimate Comics X-Men. Now while I am appreciative to see the character back in some form, I still want him to return to the 616 proper! I’d really love to see it happen in Wolverine and the X-Men as I think he’d make a perfect fit with Bachalo’s art. Honestly, I’ll take him anywhere I can get him. Just please make him a regular in an ongoing book.

I intend to make it my personal mission this year to lead the charge to bring him back!

3. The Return of Bishop and his Jheri Curl

Cable is back and the hoopla around Hope is coming to an end, so the next logical thing to do would be to bring back Bishop. He originally stated that Hope was bad for the world while Cable clearly backed her 100%, and now that Cable is taking on the Avengers why not have Bishop side with the Avengers in the upcoming Avengers vs X-Men? It would make sense for him to make his return at the climax of X-Sanction or somewhere during the mini. I still maintain that Bishop was right, so let him return to bask in the glory of his rightness.

Oh, and when he returns make it with the sweet jheri curl mullet the character originally rocked. That doo was badass!

4. Jean Grey rising from the ashes… Again!

I know there are plenty of people who would be against this return, but I am all for Jean returning. I think it would add a lot of drama and open up new dynamics, as the character has almost been dead for a decade. Having her return to side with Wolverine would be a great scenario that would result in a few years worth of stories as Cyke and Emma sit out in Utopia and do their thing. A chance to actually see a Wolvie and Jean romance without Cyke interference would be something great that we’ve not seen in the 616. New stories abound!

5. New X-Men Reunion Tour

I will be honest with you. I have no clue how this could be feasibly done since the teams are all divided and a lot has changed over the years since the title ended, but I’d really like to see the New X-Men kids together again. New Mutants fans have seen their team reassembled in recent years and I’d love to see that happen for these kids. (I wouldn’t mind seeing it happen for the Generation X kids too, but they are mostly dead.) Sooooo…. Let’s get some New X-Men action!

DC:

1. Booster Gold ongoing

I know he is appearing in Justice League International, but Booster Gold needs to get his own ongoing back. Now, hear me out: this isn’t just me ranting about Booster Gold again. Him having an ongoing makes sense and would be a helpful tool for DC readers if done correctly.

In the previous Booster series, he was the man who fixed and maintained time. Why not a new series where Booster Gold, along with Rip Hunter and Skeets, travel the DCnU timeline and fill in the gaps and establish what exactly is continuity and is not? Everyone wants to know what fits where and what never was. So, why not have Booster do it in the most fluid way possible? Do this and there is no need for F.A.Q.’s, Handbooks, or the dreaded (for creators anyway) comic convention panels where overzealous fans poke, prod and start fights.

Plus, with a potential Booster Gold show on SyFy, you’d think DC would want to have a title on the shelf for people who might be drawn to comics from the show. Seems like a no brainer to me.

2. Tiny Titans: Awwwwww Yeah Titans!

As I write this I’ve learned the news Tiny Titans has been canceled to make room for a Superman Family book. This leaves me with just one thing to say: “ Awwwwww what the fuck!” This is my son’s favorite book and one of my favorites as well. It’s the most accessible book I could find for my son Dex, who is 3 years old, and now it’s going away. This is by and large the worst comic news I think I’ve heard all year.

So bring it back! At least do quarterly specials or something! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!

3. Miss Martian: Missing Martian Found

Where the hell is Miss Martian?! I would like her to return, and that’s really all I have to say about that.

4. JSA ongoing

I know it’s been said that we’ll see something but we haven’t seen it yet, and we all know that things in this business can change. So, I want an ongoing next year that focuses initially on the older members of the JSA, and then grows into the next generations. I’d really like this book to take place on it’s own Earth that actually moves forward into time as the book progresses through issues. I think that would be a lot of fun and would allow for the title to change as needed to keep it fresh and interesting.

Just keep the current Mr. Terrific and the not-so-Power Girl away from this title. They can’t come and play. Feel free to include a Power Girl or Power Woman more in line with the previous stands on her own kick ass chick from the previous series, though.

5. Power Up Power Girl: Power Woman

There is a definite lack of the female super persuasion in the DCnU. I think a great fix would be to bring back Power Girl and maybe even relaunch her as Power Woman! In the past it wouldn’t have made sense because she’s always been Power Girl, but in the DCnU anything can change without needing to be explained. You could just say she’s always been Power Woman in the DCnU. So let’s make it happen, cap’n!