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Multiversity’s 2012 Holiday Wishlists

By | December 25th, 2012
Posted in Columns | 4 Comments

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, read on to see some of the staff’s wishlists for 2013, and have a Merry Christmas! (Or whichever holiday you so choose to celebrate, but it’s December 25th today and that means Christmas.)

Matthew Meylikhov

Marvel:

1. More obscure ongoings – or at the very least, a mini

Marvel NOW! has kind of kicked this off, because now we’ve got books like “Avengers Arena” and “Cable and X-Force,” with the large majority of the cast being re-tooled or generally unfamiliar characters. Next year we’ll be getting more ongoings with characters the average person is probably not familiar with, and that’s great! A new Nova in a new “Nova?” Thumbs up.

Now take it to the next level. Maybe its time to give the Micronauts something bigger than a passive role in a crossover? Maybe the Inhumans could come back in some sort of meaningful way beyond just Medusa and Blackbolt. Didn’t we have a second “Skull Kill Krew” mini a few years ago? We did? Ok. Do more of that! Because there’s one thing I really want in 2013, and that’s…

2. New characters galore

I’m not going to tell you your universe has grown stagnant, but, uh, it’s grown a bit stagnant. Again, Marvel NOW! is doing a good job of making this a “thing,” and already we have new mutants in “All-New X-Men” and “Wolverine and the X-Men.” Even the “Avengers” book by Hickman has a character in it I don’t recognize, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we just need a whole lot more of that. It should be an editorial mandate (as much as we generally hate those) that every ongoing series needs to introduce one new character per arc and not kill him or her off ever. The universe is made up of an uncountable amount of people and aliens, and you’ve got multiple dimensions and universes and realities to play with as well. Take advantage of all of it. We’re ready for it.

3. Please stop double-shipping

I’m not the only one who will say this in this article, nor am I the only one in comics to have this opinion. But, come on, we get it Marvel – you’re so cool with your take over of the market by inflating sales and creating a boost in your product that effectively tips the scales in your favor. That was such a cool guy thing to do. Now maybe cool it? It is in fact ok for a title to come out just once a month.

“Why should we?” you ask. Thanks for asking! The answer is simple and in two-parts: 1. You’re creating an unfair marketplace by taking advantage of the fanboy mentality in which people feel they “need” to buy things, despite you saying outwardly that no one “needs” to buy anything (which is true, but not helpful) and 2. you’re making it impossible for creative teams to matter anymore, as only the writer has the uncanny ability of turning around more than one comic a month.

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Which leads me to my next point,

4. Treat artists like they matter as much as the writers

You know what stinks? That despite books being billed as “Writer and Artist!,” it’s only the writer that matters. The artist is replaceable, and the artist is specifically replaceable because he or she needs to “catch up” on issues thanks to double shipping. Did David Aja really need to be off “Hawkeye” for two issues? Probably not. Would we have waited for a delayed issue of “Hawkeye” because Aja needed extra time? We damn well would’ve. We waited extra for “Uncanny Avengers” so Cassady could finish, didn’t we?

OH, but Cassady isn’t on “Uncanny Avengers” anymore! One of two major selling points on that series — with the other being Rick Remender — and he’s already a non-issue after but four issues. I mean, I know Cassady has a history of late comics with “Planetary” and “Astonishing X-Men,” but I think both books proved that we will happily wait literally years for him, and still celebrate the comic when it comes out.

I want to read books from creative teams. I like writers just fine, but the artist is an important part of the process. Treating artists like they’re secondary to the process feels disingenuous, and as much as I admittedly do like seeing a guy like Javier Pullido illustrate a “Hawkeye” tale or to see Olivier Coipel drawing big Avenger stories, I want to read a book from two talents working in sync with one another.

5. Do all that

I couldn’t think of a fifth thing I want from Marvel. Honestly, I’m actually kind of happy with them. Really enjoying Marvel NOW!, really enjoying how communicative the company is with fans and I want to inject books like “Captain Marvel” and “Hawkeye” into my eyes. Just generally pleased, outside of a few less than satisfactory maneuvers.

DC:

1. Turn Off the Dark

OK, we get it: Batman is moody, and Batman sells. But not every book needs to be as dark as Batman. You’re allowed to release books that are just a good time. Where’s your response to “Hawkeye?”

2. More emphasis on FUN, less emphasis on CONTINUITY

Second verse, same as the first. You relaunched everything so that things would make more sense, and then failed to do that. Your continuity is still just as convoluted as it ever was. So you know what? Throw it all out! Screw it! Who cares! Put out books that are just enjoyable/good time comics, ones whose stories don’t matter or don’t have to mean anything. Just put out stuff that is fun, that I can read and hand to someone who doesn’t read comics and say, “Oh, you have to check this out!” Just because a book features one guy tearing off another guy’s face doesn’t make me want to share it even remotely. But you know what I do share? Two superheroes trying to figure out how to hook up a DVR. Because it’s fun, and the layman gets it.

You stole the throne from Marvel temporarily, and they just took it back using a variation of your tricks with a much higher success rate. Just do what they do and try to take it back.

3. Leave Vertigo alone

You took Swamp Thing, John Constantine and more away from the imprint to make PG-13 versions of R, NC-17 and X-Rated characters. Stop.

Vertigo was the home of comics that mattered, the comics that would define the future for readers. Where is today’s version of “Preacher,” “Y: The Last Man” or “Sandman?” I’ll tell you where: Image. Dark Horse. Oni. You lost that mantle for yourself, and you need to reclaim the crown. Vertigo needs to mean something, and jettisoning characters that helped define the imprint is the right way to do it. You want a clean slate? Fine. But you could’ve left “Hellblazer” alone.

4. If you give a character an ongoing, don’t treat him like a joke

DC is especially guilty of this with “Aquaman,” but with the Vibe ongoing coming out soon it seems to only have gotten worse — with the solicit itself making reference to the fact that its lead character probably doesn’t deserve an ongoing. How on Earth is anyone supposed to pick up that comic and take it seriously? It’s one thing to release a jokey comic book full of fun and games and humor, but its a completely different thing to pretend to be shocked that you would stoop so low as to give Vibe his own book — especially when the whole point of the New 52 is that every character is new and new readers don’t know that Vibe is a shitty character yet!

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Your foot has enough wounds in it already. Please stop shooting it repeatedly.

5. The future is now, not yesterday

I didn’t read a single issue of “Before Watchmen,” and I never will. If that’s the kind of product you want to release, all power to you. But I’m having none of it. You know why? Because not only am I 100% uninterested in reading a book that its original creator doesn’t want to see in existence, but I see no point in us going back to stories that had an impact twenty years ago rather than creating stories that have a cultural impact now. Never mind the whole misguided attempt to capitalize on the 90’s with the majority of your line, but your content is never ostensibly going to matter if you don’t at least try and make something as good as “Watchmen” instead of making something attached to “Watchmen.”

And no, a “Rorschach in 2013” ongoing is not the answer. Please don’t think that it is.

That said, I can’t help but be a little interested in this “Sandman Year Zero” stuff, I suppose. At least Gaiman supports it in between you reprinting all of his books in deluxe hardcovers.

David Henderson

Marvel:

1. Black Widow ongoing

C’mon, guys, this really isn’t that hard. Let me break it down: every single movie Avenger has an ongoing right now… except for the Black Widow. Even Hawkeye got one and when it came out, it was tied into the movie’s release! So what’s with you guys pretending she doesn’t exist?

And don’t give me that “But she’s in team books” crap. Like, I get that you tend to use team books to spotlight female characters. Cool, more power to you. But if Black Widow is able to not only hold her own in the third highest grossing film in the world, but be one of two characters most talked about coming out of it?

Give her the damn ongoing.

2. Conquer TV

Like, I just mentioned Marvel’s The Avengers is the third highest grossing film in the world. And not only that, but we have an entire second wave of films to look forward to before Avengers 2 rolls around.

So where do you go from there? TV. I know, I know, the SHIELD show has already been green-lit. But I’m talking a full frontal assault on the televisual market.

Look, name a street-level hero. Any street-level hero. I guarantee you they would make the perfect TV show. Heroes For Hire. She-Hulk. The Punisher. And what about spin-offs? Who doesn’t want to see a Journey Into Mystery TV series focusing on the day-to-day life of Asgardians? Or a Hawkeye series based on Fraction and Aja’s book? The possibilities are endless.

And, hey, I have six seasons of a Daredevil show planned. Call me.

3. Cosmic Reprints

All right, so we’re getting a Guardians Of The Galaxy film. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is going where it hasn’t gone before: cosmic. The only problem with that?

I can’t find a single collection of any of Marvel’s cosmic properties. Not “Annihilation” or any of the Abnett and Lanning cosmic events. Not the “Guardians Of The Galaxy” series itself. Not even “Nova”.

So how about we start to see some reprinting of this stuff in the lead up to the movie? I know no one would say no to a series of omnibus collections from “Annihilation” to “The Thanos Imperative”.

4. Stop shafting your female characters

Okay, look. Right now Marvel has three ongoing series with a female lead. Three. With one all-woman team book coming in February. In February, DC will have nearly ten books that are either female-led or are an all-woman team.

Are we seeing the problem here?

Now, like I said, I get it. A bunch of Marvel team books are used to spotlight female characters. But three female-led solo books? Really? With the stable of lady characters that Marvel has?

You guys had an entire year dedicated to your female characters not that long ago. Step it up.

5. Keep Captain Marvel going forever

This is a purely personal one for me. Keep this series going on forever. I don’t care if you have to chain Kelly Sue DeConnick to a desk to get her to keep writing “Captain Marvel” until the end of days.

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I want to see this thing hit 100 issues and keep going.

It deserves to.

DC:

1. Make Superman feel like Superman again

I hate the New 52 Superman. Hate him. So much so that I physically threw up upon reading “Superman” #13.

Why? Because Superman is my favourite superhero. Hell, he’s my favourite fictional character of all time. Because he’s the epitome of what a superhero should be. He encapsulates humanity and it’s strength and hope and willpower. Grant Morrison once told me that “He’s us. He’s us if we’d put aside our differences and stop being arseholes to each other.”

And the New 52 Superman has destroyed all of that about him.

So how the hell can you mess that up? I honestly have no idea. But I know how to fix it: drop the alienation aspect, get rid of Lobdell, bring in someone who understands the character and…

2. Make Snyder’s Superman book the main Superman book

I know I’m not going to get my wish of an internalised reboot of Superman within the New 52 (or, if you are interested in that, call me), but if the focus is put on Scott Snyder and Jim Lee’s Superman book it’s a good start. Because, frankly, Scott Lobdell’s “Superman” is a train wreck and Grant Morrison is the only thing stopping “Action Comics” from joining it.

So make them secondary and tertiary books to Scott Snyder and Jim Lee’s book because Scott has showed that he understands and cares about Superman and he can make this shit work.

3. More “Dark” books

The whole “line” aspect of the New 52 relaunch got lost pretty quickly, but the “Dark” line ended up with the best books DC is putting out each month. “Animal Man” and “Swamp Thing”, “Justice League Dark”, “Dial H” and “I, Vampire” are consistently some of the best books on the shelves each month.

So keep it going. I want more, more, more.

4. Less Lobdell

I don’t like Scott Lobdell. I’m just going to go right out and say it. I think watching paint dry would be infinitely more interesting than reading anything he has written for DC.

And this guy gets three books a month?

This is the guy that admits that he just makes this shit up as he comes to it and he gets “Superman”? If you want a more cohesive universe, get this guy out. Or do we want the sudden reveal that Superboy was never really Superboy?

5. Don’t let Vertigo go quietly into the night.

When I made this preliminary list, it was before Karen Berger announced her leaving Vertigo. Now, it makes this point even more important.

Do not let this imprint that has brought groundbreaking titles to fruition for over 20 years die a quiet death.

Even if it must die at some point within the next year, I want it to go out with the biggest bang of them all.

Chad Bowers

Marvel:

1. Fewer #1s -or- New #1s every year

When “Red She-Hulk” is one of your highest numbered book, something’s wrong. So how about we cool it with all the starts, and stops, and restarts of the same 10~ titles, huh, Marvel?

And look, I know “#1” looks a lot better on a cover than #71, but for those of us who aren’t new readers, the numbering doesn’t matter all that much. In fact, some of us even like reading long running titles, if you can believe that. Some of us miss being able to pick up a giant-sized 50th issue.

I’m not the first person to say this, but restarting a title presents just as good a jumping-off point as it does a jumping-on point. You’re providing a hard, definitive endpoint for one iteration of a character or group and basically telling fans, that’s it for this one; out with the old and in with the new! Look, the economy’s tough, and comics aren’t getting cheaper. When you present an already cash-strapped audience with a nice, neatly packaged exit strategy, well that’s precisely what a lot of fans have been looking for — a way out.

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So let’s give it a try. We just launched a bunch of new titles with Marvel NOW… let’s see how long we can go without doing it again. Excelsior!

OR

Ignore everything I just said.

If #1s are the way of the future, then let’s commit to that. Let’s have a brand new #1 for every title each January that runs the whole year, giving us 12 issues and an annual, all by the same creative team! Come next January, we’ll start the whole thing over again with brand new creative teams ready to blow our minds with their 12 issues and an annual of mostly continuity-free superhero excitement.

It’s a novel approach that would change the way we read comics. Tired of the current version of the Hulk? Well, the 2013 model’s right around the corner! And that’s exactly how you’d title the collections: “Hulk 2013 – Hulk vs. Bears!” “X-Men 2013 – Look Out Future, it’s the X-Men (Again)!” New and old readers alike could just pick up the collections of last year’s story and know exactly what they’re getting — a complete arc, with a defined beginning, middle, and an end.

It would also give writers and artists plenty of lead time on their projects, and (ideally) cut down on any late shipping issues.

So c’mon, Marvel. Grow a pair. Change the way we read comics entirely, and give us a new #1 every January! Most of us can’t count higher than 12 anyway.

2. More Marvel Essentials

I know a lot of people aren’t fans of these phone book-sized, black and white reprint collections from Marvel, but I absolutely love ’em and own every one (cool brag). I’ll admit that on more than one occasion, I’ve thought I might just stop buying regular monthly comics and lock myself away with every Essential, content in my knowing I would never run out of Marvel comics to read.

2012 was a good year for Essentials. We got some really awesome entries to the Essentials library, including Black Panther, and Warlock, but not as much as we’ve gotten in previous years. It seems like the Essentials have slowed down a little bit, and I want more. So in 2013, Marvel, keep the Essentials coming! You’ll find my personal want list below, in no particular order:

Essential Guardians of the Galaxy
Essential Inhumans
Essential New Mutants
Essential Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Essential Sub-Mariner (Vol. 2)
Essential Cloak & Dagger
Essential Hercules
Essential Alpha Flight
Essential Machine Man
Essential Quasar
Essential Damage Control
Essential Ka-Zar
Essential Venom
Essential Power Pack

(Just don’t change the trade dress again, okay?)

3. No More Avengers

Stop putting the word Avengers on everything. I’m sure it helps with the sales, but really… “Avengers Arena”? Not just “Arena”? Or “Mojoworld”?

No doubt, the Avengers are the biggest comics property going right now, and you have to make hay when the sun’s shining, I get it. I really do. But when I think about 2013, I’d really like to see more non-Avengers books popping up, and maybe a little less attention paid to that corner of the Marvel U. I’m not saying don’t keep doing what you’re doing — don’t cancel any books or anything — but just don’t do more. Personally speaking, I’m on Avenger overload at the moment, and wouldn’t mind being on, I don’t know… on Darkhawk overload this time next year.

Seriously, isn’t Darkhawk just the best?

4. One Hulk

It was an interesting idea in the beginning. Multiple Hulks running around, smashing each other every month, all the while trying to get to the bottom of some great conspiracy that tied them together, and that would eventually tear them apart. It was… different. And honestly, just the right amount of over-the-top to change the course of things following Greg Pak’s uber successful Hulk run. But it should’ve never become the thing, and thank goodness we’re on the back end of it now, because I really want there to be only one Hulk again.

He’s the strongest one there is, remember? And be he incredible, indestructible, or whatever… so long as he’s green and angry, and Bruce Banner, I’ll be happy in 2013.

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5. Become digital content pioneers

I know you already do some of this, but we want more new, exclusive online/digital content. Worried that Sleepwalker can’t really carry a new ongoing, but want to do something? Give him a free, weekly ongoing webcomic series at Marvel.com. Got a really brilliant pitch for a Damage Control mini-series but don’t think it will sell all that well? Do it on the web and Comixology for free, and make sure everybody knows about it!

Of the Big Two, you guys are already the leader in fan-relations — we love your comics (mostly) and want to read them for free at work, okay? I’m not saying give away the farm here or anything (third farm reference of this list for those counting), but giving a little something back is never a bad thing. You already do it for Free Comic Book Day, and with digital/web only content, there’s no print costs. Seems like a good idea, s’all I’m saying.

Also, open the doors! Put that back catalog out there for everybody to access, and make it like the little chicken said: “CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!”

And uh, lemme know what you think of this Damage Control pitch I’m sending over.

DC:

1. Trust the talent you hire / Find your voice

DC’s been doing better job of recruiting new talent, so I’ll give them some credit. Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, Christy Marx, Rob Venditti, Justin Jordan — all super talented and resourceful creators who’ve produced some high quality comics at DC and elsewhere. However, none of them feels inherently DC to me, and seem just a little bit shoehorned into the mix for the sake of adding “new talent” to your roster. I mean, Lemire and Kindt are relatively high profile project guys, and will be working on even more big books in 2013, but they’re nowhere near superstar creator level, and why is that? Right now nothing feels stable over there, and for every good issue by someone I like, there are three other people getting kicked off titles they barely had a chance to work on.

What’s DC missing? And “inherently DC” — what’s that even mean anymore?

The problem is, DC’s lost its voice over the last decade, and most notably in the last three or four years. They’re chasing the market, and that’s really become a problem for them creatively.

They really need to figure a few things out in 2013. For instance, what’s the hook of the New 52 DC? Why do people read DC books, and why do they continue to do so? It used to be it was because they employed the best storytellers in the business, and defined epic, event storytelling before we even knew such a thing existed. They had the best characters, without question, and offered up a shared-universe that genuinely seemed to have some forward momentum. Wally West was the Flash. Kyle Rayner was Green Lantern, not just a guy keeping Hal’s seat warm. Dick Grayson grew up, put away his Robin costume and became Nightwing. For real.

Those were things that stuck, and fans felt some pride of ownership in those characters and the universe they inhabited.

But now… I couldn’t begin to tell you what DC Comics are about, and what makes them special. Here’s hoping that changes in 2013.

2. Stop having it both ways

Here comes the continuity snob.

Okay, DC, you rebooted your entire universe with the New 52, but refuse to let go of the “good stuff” from before. Or worse, you let it go after establishing it once again. Or even worse than that, you’re unnecessarily vague about just about everything.

Allow me these examples:

In Scott Snyder’s “Swamp Thing,” we know that parts of Alan Moore’s classic “Swamp Thing” run happened, but it’s pretty clear that not all of it took place as presented in those issues, and certainly most of what happened after it never existed.

We know Barbara Gordon was injured as Batgirl and confined to a wheelchair for a period of time, but it wasn’t quite as serious or as long term as it was in the pre-New 52 DCU.

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In Superman, we know the Man of Steel died and came back to life at some point in the last five years, but we aren’t exactly sure who killed him and what actually happened in the post-New 52 “Death of Superman.”

And finally, we know that Tim Drake was Robin for a short period of time. Oh wait, no he wasn’t.

This kind of Monday morning quarterbacking is embarrassingly stupid and confusing. You guys have been doing shared-universe comics longer than anybody in the business, and you’re telling me you can’t figure this stuff out? Really, at this point, the best thing you guys can do is just pretend like nothing important happened before the New 52, and keep looking forward.

You made the decision to cut ties with the old ways, so let that be your rule from here on out. Let the fans worry about the back story, and you stick to what’s in front of you, not behind.

3. The return of Superman’s trunks

Don’t laugh, and don’t point, okay? But I can totally see Superman’s junk.

All kidding aside, give that man his trunks back. Seriously, nobody was embarrassed by them but you, DC.

4. Steal talent from Marvel

That’s what it’s really going to take to put DC back on top. Brian Michael Bendis on Batman. Matt Fraction on the Flash. Jonathan Hickman on Superman, and Jason Aaron on… I don’t know, Lobo? This would be the most exciting creative shift in a very long time, and would excite the comics world far more than a bunch of new #1s from either Marvel or DC.

5. More anthologies

Yeah, I know they don’t sell well, but I like these a lot. DC anthologies, like “G.I. Combat” and “Sword of Sorcery,” open the door for all those third and lower tier characters who can’t quite carry their own book. Anthologies give them a chance to shine a little. Not everything needs to be an ongoing series or a six issue mini-series. And then, alternatively, other things might surprise you and become the coolest thing on the stands before you know it.

Taking chances on characters and creators is a big part of this business, and comics, and especially DC, need more variety-minded outlets like anthologies to keep the spotlight on some of the less prominent corners of the universe. Marvel’s pretty ruled out anthologies, so making a few good ones is yet another way DC can set themselves apart from the competition.

So give us more antholgies, DC. Preferrbly something with Ultra the Multi-Alien in it.

Nathanial Perkins

Marvel:

1. More books like Hawkeye!

This book is killer, and it doesn’t even star a “major” A-list character. The talent on it is A-list, though, and they’re being given (it seems) free reign to tell the stories they want to–bravo! And I LOVE the fact that they manage to fit an entire storyline in a single issue. I read so many damned comic books that sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of all the different storylines going on in any given month. It’s nice to be able to pick up a book that doesn’t expect me to know what’s been going on in the past 3-4 months in all of the 3-4 related comics a particular character is appearing in that month.

2. Enough with the constant renumbering schemes!

It’s a headache. I volunteer for a charity comics sale, sorting through their massive collection every couple of months in the hopes that people will be able to find what they’re looking for on sale days. Sorting Marvel comics has become such a nightmare that on some titles we don’t even bother sorting out the different volumes any more. I can only imagine the kinds of headaches store owners, who have to pay for this sort of thing, have to go through, especially the ones selling backstock through the internet. I know a #1 gets a bump in sales every time, but it would be nice to know that the bottom line isn’t the only thing you guys care about. Give your fans and retailers a break, too.

3. Streamline the big franchises.

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Do we really need nearly a dozen Avengers books and books with an X in them? (Not including the Ultimate universe and all the books about individual Avengers and X-Men that don’t have “Avengers” or “X” in the title…) I understand those are your two best-selling franchises, but it’s X-tremely indimidating to outsiders who might otherwise be willing to give those franchises a shot. I can’t even think about following along with most of those books without getting a headache. Not every character needs to be on a team to be relevant, and even the ones that are on a team can have some pretty awesome adventures when they run off on their own (see #1).

4. No more double-shipping!

My comics budget is already stretched pretty thin, so when you hit me with a double-shipped month on Ultimate Spider-Man or something, it tends to pop. Also, your artists are not robots, and everyone prefers consistency to rushed art and constant fill-ins.

5. More creator-owned work would be nice.

Epic was an awesome imprint, and Icon has had some really great stuff, too. Like I said about Vertigo in my #3 for DC, creators will withhold a lot of their best ideas if they won’t be able to own them. Give creators some leeway to write what they want to write and keep ownership of what they’re writing, and you might be able to counteract the creator-owned exodus to your independent competition. “Fatale” could have been yours, and with your fanbase, might be doing even better than it already is. Sadly, that ship has sailed, but it’s not too late to try to catch the next one!

DC:

1. Keep those Vertigo one-shot anthologies coming!

Better yet, make them annuals or something. They seem to be selling fairly well, they bring a much more diverse creative pool to the forefront, and they provide nice little snacks in between the non-stop-buffet that is the New 52. As long as you keep putting them out, I’ll keep buying them!

2. More stand-alone stories!

Not everything has to tie in to everything else, or be part of a Major World-Changing Event. Between Rotworld, Night of the Owls, Rise of the Third Army, Zero Month, H’el on Earth, The Culling, Death of the Family, Throne of Atlantis, there hasn’t been much time for any stand-alone stories in the DC universe, and it seems like even the main storylines in each book are afterthoughts compared to these big events. Let your characters just be themselves for a little while, we’ve hardly had time to get to know their New 52 incarnations! Let the characters have their own story lines, and let those follow through until completion. If they tie-in naturally to the expanded universe, that’s awesome, but interrupting a story arc for a BIG EVENT and trying to come back to it months later diminishes the entire arc, and makes it difficult for fans to engage and follow along.

3. Let your writers write!

I understand that there’s a vocal minority of rabid DC fans that feel you need to slavishly adhere to continuity, and will fact-check every minor descrepancy between titles and even issue to issue, but honestly, if you’re letting your writers write good stories, stories they are passionate about and given a freer hand to tell as they see fit, people will recognize that and enjoy the stories more despite a few inconsistencies here and there. After all, it’s an important, recurring plot device that not all of your heroes see eye-to-eye, and since each book is told from the hero’s perspective, naturally they’d remember things differently from one another. Not everything has to fit in to some giant master plan drawn-up in editorial boardrooms and changed at the whim of the powers-that-be. This heavy-handed editorial influence has got to stop. You’re scaring away a lot of really good talent, and that in turn scares away a lot of potential readers.

4. Respect Karen Berger’s legacy.

She might not be working for you guys any more, but that doesn’t mean her influence is gone, nor should it be. Learn from her example. Vertigo is on its own one of my top three favorite publishers, and that’s mostly due to the fact that she was willing to take chances with relatively unknown writers, and to give them the freedom to own their work and tell whatever crazy kinds of stories they wanted to tell. Sure, there were quite a few duds in the bunch, but there were also some of the greatest stories ever told in the comics medium: “Sandman,” “Preacher,” “Transmetropolitan,” “Hellblazer,” the list goes on. If you are willing to let creators keep their intellectual property ownership once in a while, they will be all that more likely to bring their best ideas to you and you’ll have publishing rights to books that could sell for decades to come.

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5. No more firing people by e-mail.

Be respectful adults, please. If you can’t meet with someone face-to-face due to distance issues, give them the courtesy of a phone call.

Brian Salvatore

Marvel:

1. Less Double Shipping

I’m a pretty consistent broken record with this, but double shipping is bad, folks. It relegates the artist to a minor contributor to the story rather than a true partner, and it means that books have a less consistent tone and look. Even in the best of situations, where there are multiple great artists on a book, whose styles are simpatico and work towards a shared goal, writers are then being taxed to deliver more scripts each month, which may lead to a lesser product.

I get it, more issues of popular books = more money. However, long term successes will be harder to come by if books aren’t given the best chance to succeed.

2. A better executed plan when dealing with artists

This goes hand in hand with my first wish. Marvel has some of the most incredible artists to ever draw comics working for them right now, and yet, in so many ways, they are setting them up to fail. John Cassidy is off of “Uncanny Avengers” just a few delay-plagued months in. Jerome Opena is “hopefully” going to do another arc of “Avengers,” says writer Jonathan Hickman. There are some great artists who just aren’t the right guys to be doing monthly books.

So instead, give those guys big events to do, or minis to draw, or make their arcs on a book something really special. Let the Cassidys of the world know that there is a big Avengers event happening in October, and get him the scripts now so the book can come out on time. Or, make May Jerome Opena covers month, where he covers every book released.

Even guys like David Aja, who need a fill in now and then can be accommodated by plotting stand alone stories between arcs, and letting a fill-in take those stories. This is the plan going forward for “The Manhattan Projects” at Image, and it seems like a totally viable plan for Marvel to bring over to their books.

While in a perfect world, the best artists available could be put on a monthly title and rock it twelve times a year, that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So take stock of what you have, and use them properly.

3. Do not replicate the Marvel Film Universe

It is extraordinarily tempting to make “Avengers” the comic a print version of “Avengers” the movie, but please don’t do that. I might be getting this wish a little early, because Hickman’s cast is too big for 5 Avengers films. Let the comics be their own thing, because the comics written today might well be the inspiration for the Avengers reboot in 2023.

4. No more Avengers or X-books

For the love of everything that is pure and holy, let this be it. I was waxing nostalgic the other day about how there used to be just a few X-books and 2 Avengers books. I don’t want to turn back the clock, but I want to put a pin in this for now. If you’re a person who just wants to read the X-books or Avengers books, that is a $50 a month hobby now.

Let’s just cut it off at this. Nobody needs more Avengers teams, especially since they all need to have Captain America or Wolverine on them. The X-corner of the universe is crazy crowded – hell, “Age of Apocalypse” is still happening! Take a breath on the team books, please please please.

5. An anthology-style book

Because of the double shipping (#1), and the glut of Avengers an X books (#4), we need #5 – an anthology style book. Whether this means mini-stories in one book, or a series made up of one-shots featuring various characters, or a book of 3 issue arcs for characters, Marvel needs a place to do something with anyone who isn’t an Avenger or mutant. I am a huge proponent of this type of book, because it gives fans a chance to encounter a character they may not know much about, as well as try out new talent.

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Basically, this is the book where things get tested. If the Heroes for Hire arc goes well, then you think about launching an ongoing. If that new artist poached from IDW proves they can tell a convincing Blade story, maybe you try them out somewhere else. This will lead to less cancellations, more opportunity for fresh blood, and even a place to tie up loose threads from cancelled books.

DC:

1. Don’t let it VeritGO away

Rarely is there a cause that just about everyone I know who reads comics can get behind, but saving Vertigo is a universally agreed upon good idea. And by that, I don’t just mean putting out “dark” book with that logo in the upper left corner. In the best eras of Vertigo, the imprint was a calling card for “Buy me.” The line was the most trustworthy in all of comics, and a new #1 was an instant purchase.

With the recently announced new regime at Vertigo, it is time to let them do their thing. While we will all miss Karen Berger, let the new team remake the line how they see fit. I’ve read only good things about Bond, Dennis and Doyle, all of whom have a lot of experience with Vertigo, and I am hopeful that, given the financial and editorial tools necessary, Vertigo can be great again.

Just don’t let it go away.

2. Matt Kindt on an ongoing

With “Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.” ending, we need this guy on an ongoing again. While I’d love to see him draw something too, that isn’t going to happen with “Mind MGMT” doing so well over at Dark Horse. But finding him a place writing an ongoing shouldn’t be all that difficult. Co-writing a backup in “Justice League of America” is a gross under-utilizing of one of the most unique voices in comics.

3. Wally West…again

This is the fanboy in me screaming out, and while I’m sure if he does come back, it will be in a different/diminished form, this is one case where DC needs to listen to their fans. Wally West was the Flash for almost as long as Barry Allen was, and was one of the key examples (along with the still used Dick Grayson) of a legacy character paying off and becoming someone unique and special.

On the very first Hour Cosmic, I advocated to have Wally be the connection to the old continuity or the Multiverse. Have him exist somewhat outside of regular continuity, and let him be the time/dimensional traveler of the new 52. That won’t happen, but something really should. In a world where there have been three miniseries to bring back members of the Freedom Fighters, the fact that Wally West is nowhere to be found is a mystifying fact.

4. A true one-and-done series

This makes the most sense for one of the big guns. Take one of the Superman or Batman books and turn it into a one and done series. Single issue stories, either by a constant creative team or a rotating batch of creators, that don’t require much knowledge of continuity and never tie into anything. A great place for team ups, introducing new villains, or just fun stories. Ideally, it would be a more all-ages friendly book, too.

This becomes a great jumping on point for young readers who don’t want to wait until an arc is over to start reading, and (see a theme in my suggestions?) a place to try out new talent and new characters.

5. Keep up the youth movement…but let them do their thing (and treat them well)

As of March, DC has a good chunk of their books written by relatively young/new talent: Ray Fawkes, Jeff Lemire, Scott Snyder, Matt Kindt, Robert Venditti, Justin Jordan, Jim Zub, Kyle Higgins, James Tynion IV, Joe Keatinge, John Layman, Josh Fialkov, Michael Alan Nelson, and Adam Glass are all names that you wouldn’t necessarily know just a few years ago (obviously, some more than others had a reputation back then, but none were stars in the industry).

Now that these young ‘ins are on board, DC needs to let them do their thing. The reason that guys like Fawkes, Zub and Layman got the call to write for DC was because they did great work elsewhere, without many limitations placed on them. Keep that trend going; let these guys make their marks on the industry via your properties.

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And while we’re at it, learn from the Gail Simone fiasco and start treating your creators like the valuable commodities they are, and not simply like disposable, interchangeable parts. Part of the rub is that Fawkes is writing “Batgirl” in March because Simone was fired via email – good job bringing Fawkes in, pity how it happened.

If you want to compete with Marvel, long term, you need to make DC an enticing place to work. You need to make these young guys loyal to your company, so that they can stick around and craft the next big hit.

Try not to fuck this up.

Vince Ostrowski

Marvel:

1. A pricing scheme that makes even a little sense:

I have no problem paying $3.99 for a comic book. Let me make that abundantly clear. I do have a problem with Marvel’s pricing scheme not having any consistency. There appears to be no rhyme or reason for why one book is 4 bucks, while another is 3. If Marvel wants to tell me: “all of our books will now be $3.99” – that’s fine. At least then you’ve admitted that that’s what you want from us. I’ll pick up what I normally pick up and be on my merry way. If Marvel wants to say: “$2.99 books will be 20 pages, $3.99 will have more pages or bonus content” – even better. That’s a scheme that makes sense. And that’s all that I ask for.

2. Stop double shipping (with a caveat):

I am not inherently against double shipping. If it’s a book I want to read, then I don’t have a problem spending money twice a month on it. Here’s the caveat: when it causes avoidable instances of replacement art, it bothers me. There is no reason to put out “All-New X-Men” 4 times in 6 weeks, when you can give Stuart Immonen lead time by spreading those out. Even if they replace Immonen with the most wonderful replacement artist you could hire – I want Stuart Immonen on that book. This is my wishlist, dammit, and I want continuity of artist!

3. Kill the Ultimate Line.

The stories that “couldn’t be told in the 616” are now being told in books like Hawkeye, Secret Avengers, Uncanny X-Force and the list goes on. The ultimate line was a time and place that should have gone out with “Ultimatum”, in my humble opinion.

4. Never, ever show the “Guardians of the Galaxy” or the “All-New X-Men” eating breakfast and bantering.

5. A Power Pack miniseries written by Grant Morrison with art by Fiona Staples

This was the most awesome thing I could think of.

DC:

1. Fix the “Young Justice” line:

Teen Titans is an unmitigated disaster at this point. Blue Beetle is getting cancelled. Legion Lost is getting canned, as well. The Legion of Super-Heroes is utterly forgettable and The Ravagers is terrible. This should have been much easier, DC. You had a “Young Justice” cartoon that comic fans loved. That animated series was streamlined, had heart, maintained familiar iconography and characterization, and had a strong tie to the adult superheroes of the DCU. In the “New 52” none of that is present, and everything that has replaced it is steeped in wrongheadedness. Comic fans love the Justice League. Why shouldn’t the “Young Justice” line be more like a “young” Justice League than the unrecognizable, directionless mess that it has been? This is the biggest thing that needs fixing in the DCnu.

The next biggest?

2. Let’s cool it on the Wildstorm characters:

It was a nice experiment, guys, but I would love it if DC started to push these characters into the background and maybe eventually just forget about them. Wildstorm, in my opinion, was a time and a place in comics. Bringing them in to a “new 52” doesn’t advance the world. It sticks the world in a time and place when creators were trying to do their own commentary on superheroes. Midnighter and Apollo may be terrific characters in their own right, and offer a lot of potential in terms of advancing diversity in mainstream comic books, but they were created as facsimiles of your ultra-supermen and your dark, street-level crime fighters. They don’t work in the same universe as Superman and Batman, because they were Superman and Batman.

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3. Treat your creative better:

Why was Gail Simone fired off of a book that sold very well? Why was she notified of this by an unceremonious e-mail. Whether you like her work (I mostly do) or dislike it, it seems there’s a PR problem that goes beyond wanting to “go in another direction” with Batgirl. All year we saw creators jumping ship. Some went quietly and others didn’t, but I think it’s pretty clear that not everything is all right. In 2012, I hope these new Indie hires are treated a lot better and editorial rethinks their chokehold over everyone.

4. The next “52” or “Brightest Day”:

So, it’s felt like forever since this whole Pandora/Trinity of Sin/Black Room stuff was introduced and almost nothing has been done with it. Pandora is, apparently, supposed to be a major cornerstone of the New 52 and even though I’ve read everything, I’m still not certain what her deal is. These longform events throughout the DCU were handled terrifically in events like “Brightest Day”, where every 2 weeks we’d see revelations and major turns of events with a lot of characters that wouldn’t be carrying their own books. “52” was a brilliant way to tell Booster Gold and The Question stories over a long period of time without having to worry about their books getting cancelled. A really quick way to get the kinks out of the New 52 and to start getting everything feeling interconnected again would be to put major crossover stories out across 26 or 52 weeks. “Too long, didn’t read” version: I loved 52.

5. A “Kamandi: the Last Boy on Earth” book written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Jae Lee:

This was the most awesome thing I could think of.

James Johnston

Marvel:

1. Treat Deadpool like an actual character.

There seems to be two types of Deadpool in writers’ eyes. There’s the wacky zany “CHIMICHANGAS!” one that most creators stick with and then there’s the one seen in (amongst other writers, this is just the best example) “No one’s ever called me a hero before… Here’s an issue of playboy, kid.” Deadpool’s characterization doesn’t begin and end with “He’s zany and kills stuff.” It’s “He kills stuff and he’s zany because underneath all of that he is incredibly messed up.” Similarly, we find Spider-Man endearing, not because we just really like web and rhinoceros based puns, but because Peter’s sense of humor is one of the few ways he’s able to deal with “the old Parker luck”. If you let that one damaged side of Deadpool shine through once in a while, just enough to remind readers that he is a character and not a walking bag of catchphrases, you’d have a much more engaging book than the current Deadpool title. On the other hand, the current Deadpool title has Wade fighting zombie presidents. Keep stuff like that too.

2. A Dr. Strange title.

I just really like Dr. Strange.

3. PLEASE keep Magneto!Cyclops

Magneto!Cyclops is honestly the best reinvention you guys have done in a while. I was initially not on board with the idea due to the general mess that was AvX but Consequences convinced me that Cyclops going full Brotherhood is the best way to go. For the first time, I am excited in a Bendis book with Uncanny X-Men. Please do not have him change his ways when a resurrected Jean kisses him on the cheek or something equally asinine.

4. Tread carefully with Age of Ultron.

You just relaunched your line. Please do not throw every series that’s still in the process of growing its wings into a tie-in. The .AU tie-ins for Superior Spider-Man and Fantastic Four look like the way to go, so just stick with that.

5. Honestly, just keep doing what you’re doing.

This time last year, I was big on DC and not a huge fan of Marvel. Last week became the first time I ever walked out of my comic-shop with all Marvel titles. Seriously, Marvel NOW! and other recent series like Captain Marvel and Hawkguy are some of your greatest moves. Excellent work.

DC:

1. Etch

We all understand why you rebooted last year. Sales were sagging and, compared to the praise you guys used to garner, you were more than a little behind. So when assigning new writers and artists for your reboots you went to… Scott Lobdell? Tom DeFalco? DC, there was a time when Rob Liefeld was in charge of three separate titles in your line-up. If you’re looking for new takes on your beloved characters then why would you go back to writers whose heydays were in the 1990’s? Marvel handed over their two main Avengers titles to a guy whose earliest work was published in 2006 and you know what? It’s pretty goddamn great so far.

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2. Smile, darn ya, smile!

DC, lately, tries to keep acting like its more serious than it really is. For more than a year, Geoff Johns has been writing a series that so far feels like fifteen issues of “Nuh-uh! Aquaman’s hardcore!” And you know what? Aquaman is hardcore. He commands two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and he can ride a shark. Do you know what anyone would do with those powers? Rock the hell out. What does the New 52 Aquaman do? Scowl far too much. There’s no reason for DC to have every character be a growling hard-ass when it’s already publishing roughly 12 titles related to Batamn. Aquaman is not Batman. He is Aquaman. Granted, there are a ton of great titles where the characters are scowling badasses and it works (All-Star Western, Deathstroke, and I, Vampire) but there’s a lot more (Aquaman, Justice League, Superboy) that just don’t.

3. Do not mess with Darkseid.

Darkseid is Jack Kirby’s “Hitler in Space!” He is one of the greatest villains in fiction and a force of pure evil. If you’re rebooting the Fourth World lease stop whatever “generic space tyrant looking for his daughter on Earth” plot thread is going on and let Grant Morrison fly in on a psychedelic rainbow to fix everything. Unless the daughter ends up being Vibe. Make the daughter Vibe.

4. Never allow Batman Incorporated out of the New 52 canon.

Sure, taking it out of the New 52 would make the transition between Leviathan Strikes and volume two feel cleaner and whatever, but really I just like to imagine Grant Morrison giggling at his computer while purposefully writing in the face of the New 52 continuity. He is an eagle and he shall not be caged.

5. You want young readers? Make some young titles.

One of Marvel’s biggest strengths, nowadays, is its focus on youth heroes. Wolverine and the X-Men, Young Avengers, Avengers Arena, are all titles that spotlight the next generation of Marvel. Last year, I would have said that the legacy aspect, new characters taking on the mantles of their mentors, was one of DC’s greatest strengths. Now? With an entire “Young Justice” line-up consisting of three titles, two of which have a writer past middle-age, and NO YOUNG JUSTICE TITLE IN THE FIRST PLACE? Marvel is definitely winning that battle. Maybe it’s unfair for me to constantly compare DC to Marvel, but I only do so because at least Marvel is doing its damn job.

Walter Richardson

Marvel:

1. No Double Shipping

It was a concern last year, and it’s a concern this year — and I highly doubt I am the only one with it on my list this year. I get it, Marvel is a business, and their goal is to make money (though I remember seeing some statistics that double-shipping doesn’t actually make more money, even if it results in a bigger share of the market, but that’s neither here nor there and I can’t link it anyway). That’s just fine. But, personally, I don’t want to have an issue of the comics I love every other week. I want consistency, and double-shipping blows that out of the water. Take their best series, “Hawkeye”: I would be fine with getting an issue every other month if it meant it would only be illustrated by Aja. Don’t get me wrong, Pulido is a great artist, but there is a gap between great and out-of-this-world. I’m buying “Hawkeye” for Aja, and it is only because his issues are so so so good that I will just shut up and deal with the regular fill-ins. But that is one of three Marvel comics I am buying (I know, mister cool guy here). I haven’t bothered to pick up many others that look great for this exact reason. I’m no longer on my college budget, so an even X books a month budget isn’t the problem here; I want the best Marvel can give me, and in this regard, they are shooting themselves in the foot.

2. Do Not Let Anything Crossover with Hawkeye

I stand by what I said above: after the greatness that was issue #6, “Hawkeye” is unquestionably the best book Marvel is currently publishing. You know what would kill the terrific momentum it has going for it?

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A company-wide crossover.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see maybe a two-part crossover with, oh, “Daredevil,” as that’s part of the fun of superhero comics, but the event mania of recent years makes me wary to pick up almost any mainstream Marvel/DC work. Unless it’s written by the chief writer of the event in question, very few comics can keep true to the feel of the ongoing while tying into an event or bouncing a story between four series for three issues. Could “Hawkeye” be one of the exceptions, like “X-Factor” during ‘Messiah CompleX?’ Certainly. Will I temporarily jump ship until I hear confirmation? Also certainly.

(That’s not an idle threat; I put down Morrison’s “Batman,” one of my favorite runs ever, until ‘The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul’ was done)

3. Do Not Let or Make Hickman Leave Avengers and New Avengers Until He Is Done

Did you read Jonathan Hickman’s “Ultimates?” Holy crap, wasn’t that great?! Until, you know, he jumped ship mid-arc. That was kind of unfortunate. With the first issue of “Avengers,” it became apparent that Hickman has something very, very big planned for this book. You know what other first issue had the same sort of grandiose promise? His “Ultimates.” I know it’s probably just unnecessary paranoia, considering that he left “Ultimates” to do “Avengers,” but few things I’ve read in comics have burned as badly as seeing the climax of the grand arc Hickman was building handed off to someone else (who executed it kind of poorly, but that’s me). Whether it was because Marvel wanted him doing something else or because Hickman got bored, I would really rather not see a repeat of the “Ultimates” situation — but really, it’s not like they can move him any higher than an adjectiveless “Avengers.”

4. Show Fans You Mean Business with Superior Spider-Man

At this point, most everyone knows how “Amazing Spider-Man” #700 ends. If you don’t, go ahead and skip to my next wish, though I’m going to try dance around spoilers. Personally? I agree with a lot of people. I think it’s dumb, and that it will have a short life span, lasting probably only until the next film is nearing its release date. You know what would be awesome, though? If it stuck past the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man. When it comes to parallels between their movies and their comics, Marvel has become very predictable. Avengers movie? We need a comic with the same team. Lizard as the villain in the new Spider-Man movie? We need a Lizard arc. Everyone is expecting Pete to be back within maybe a year… so what if they didn’t do it? I know, it’s a crazy concept, but maybe for once when they claim everything will be different… everything will be different.

But probably not.

5. Brian Wood on Star Wars

Just before Brian Wood’s highly anticipated “Star Wars” title hit stands, it was announced that Marvel would be acquiring the rights to publish Star Wars comics. It was a shot in the heart to everyone who considers themselves both big Brian Wood fans and Star Wars fans. Sure, the series will still probably run for at least a year, maybe a year longer, but soon enough, it will come to a close. While Marvel mulls over their ideas for who to start their launch with… why not consider Brian Wood? After all, he is currently writing two books for the company. It wouldn’t be the first time an ongoing run transferred from one publisher to another (though maybe the first time with a company-owned property). Of course, this is all moot if Wood’s new series turns out to be not very good, but I highly doubt that.

DC:

1. Less Musical Chairs

With the New 52, DC put themselves in a position to launch a variety of long-lasting, critically acclaimed creative runs. Over a year later, we have Snyder and Capullo’s “Batman,” Azzarello and Chiang’s “Wonder Woman,” Lemire’s “Animal Man,” J.H. Williams III and Amy Reeder’s “Batwoman,” and Snyder, Rudy and Paquette’s “Swamp Thing” (which is coming to a close). There are more ongoings that have their original creative teams, or at least writers, but for the most part, creators have been jumping ship or being booted off. I understand that this is an editorially driven time at DC, but a project like this needs consistency to give it a solid base, or it will just fall apart.

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2. Ignore Your Timeline

The New 52 should have been a fresh start, but instead we had a weird mix of complete reboots and retained continuity, resulting in a horribly mish-mash of continuity. Okay, that’s fine. Comic timelines have always been a mess, and no one honestly though a reboot was going to fix this problem. The thing is, DC keeps insisting on bringing it up this whole “five years” variable, when they should not be giving it the time of day. A good example of this is the recent “Batman and Robin” #0, which seemed completely devoted to proving that the current timeline makes not a lick of sense. Let people who write chronology columns sort out the dates — so long as you don’t acknowledge any specific timeframes, it isn’t “your fault.” As soon as you start mentioning dates and exact lengths of time, it is on you for making a mess of your continuity.

3. Bring Back Vertigo

While the recent promotion of Mark Doyle and friends makes Vertigo’s future a little bit more promising, and less likely to fold, I am afraid of change. We are down to, if my count is correct, four Vertigo ongoings. That is insane. DC should be using Vertigo as a way to snatch up the biggest names in the industry and let them do whatever they want, so long as they get a cut of the pie. Instead, it is floundering, becoming instead a space for those new series to wrap up while movie tie-ins such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are licensed as graphic novels. The new minis by Lemire and Gaiman are certainly exciting, but Vertigo should be putting out much more than it currently is in order to stay relevant.

And I still insist a monthly anthology in a similar vein to “Dark Horse Presents” would be a great way to do it, but that’s a topic for another day.

4. Reprint Absolute Planetary and Promethea Volumes One

As soon as I got a job, these disappeared off the shelf — at least, new ones at cover price did. That just isn’t fair. DC published two of the best comics of all time, and they should be proud of that, keeping their gorgeous Absolute Editions in circulation. Really, no artists deserve the Absolute treatment as much as Williams and Cassaday. By the end of next year, I want brand spanking new monstrous editions of two of my favorite comics on my bookshelf. I’ll settle for omnibuses, but I’ll happily shell out the higher price for Absolutes.

5. Make Me Care

Compare the size of my list for DC with my list for Marvel. The thing is, I just have very little interest in what DC is doing these days. Sure, I’ll check out Andy Diggle’s “Action Comics” and Jim Zub’s “Birds of Prey” (I am Multiversity’s #1 “Skullkickers fan, after all), but for the most part, the New 52 has been more of the same ol’, same ol’. The one non-Vertigo comic of theirs that is on my pull is “Batman Incorporated” — and that is a holdover from pre-“Flashpoint” DC! Come on, guys, let’s actually do something different with this reboot. There’s still time!

Michelle White

Marvel:

Well, this is embarrassing. As you may have noticed from my lack of Marvel reviews, I’m not exactly caught up on this universe as of yet. I’m working on it. It’s my New Year’s resolution, even. So I’ll hand this one over to you guys in the comments: what do you think Marvel could do this year for its new readers, that wouldn’t alienate its long-time fans? What has Marvel got on DC right now, that would make it appeal more strongly to new readers? Are you happy with the Marvel Now! relaunches so far? How awesome was “Thor: God of Thunder”? Very awesome? Discuss.

DC:

1. A coherent vision for Catwoman.

Guys, I love Catwoman. She’s a fabulous character, and she’s been involved in some wonderful stories in the past. I even liked where her character was going back in the fan-service-y but fun “Gotham City Sirens” — but that series sputtered out pretty fast. So you can imagine that I was psyched for the New 52 reboot, if only to see a more commited take on the Selina Kyle that they’d fleshed out in GCS. And… that didn’t quite happen. I never quite took “Catwoman” off my pull list, though, and this year I was disappointed to find that Winick’s scripts still felt really rushed and lazy, tokening out a couple Sexy Fun Capers that weren’t all that sexy, or fun, or really even capers. The Ann Nocenti-written issues, meanwhile, have largely been thin Death of the Family tie-ins. I just feel like there’s so much wasted potential here, particularly since (That Cover notwithstanding) Guillem March draws a great Catwoman, but has for the most part moved away from the project. I mean, there have got to be some creators out there who would write and draw the hell out of a focused, self-contained Catwoman story. She certainly deserves one.

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2. Be kind to “Batwoman”

This wish is pretty simple: “Batwoman” is really good, from Blackman and William’s solid script to Williams’ gobsmacking art. Even the Wonder Woman crossover thing is turning out beautifully. My general understanding, though, is that when I really get to liking an ongoing, somebody cancels it, or waters it down. So DC, please just let “Batwoman” keep being awesome.

3. Take some freakin’ risks.

This is kind of an obvious one, but my experience of DC this year has been pretty by-the-book. I haven’t come across any plot threads or characters that really struck or surprised me. Of course a DC book is going to have more of a lowest common denominator feel than your favourite Weird Indie Title, but I don’t think that means every plotline has to feel like something you’ve encountered somewhere before. DC could certainly stand to shake its stories up a little. Which leads to my next wish…

4. Keep going after fresh blood.

I’m not saying all indie writers should migrate over to the Big Two, but the minor trend developing in that direction is actually sort of heartening. Long story short: putting Jim Zubkavich on “Birds of Prey” was a magnificent — and surprising — idea. Please have more ideas like this.

And while I’m on the topic…

5. Be kind to “Birds of Prey”.

Jim Zub seems to have some great ideas for this series, my favourite among them being a renewed emphasis on character, and the dynamic between the heroines. A feeling of group integrity is what makes or breaks any multi-character title, and I’m anxious to see how Zubkavich and Molenaar go about maintaining one. It would be a shame, though, to see this series suffer from the “committee effect”, and wind up feeling like a giant compromise (as was the case “Gotham City Sirens” — I guess I’m still pretty bitter about that). Above all, I guess I just want to see a creative team realizing a vision coherently, and coming out with a story that doesn’t feel like it’s being pulled in five different directions. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

Brandon Burpee

Marvel:

1. How about more less $3.99 on double shipping books?

Plain and simple my wallet is hurting in the worst way with all this double shipping of $3.99 books. Either you double ship and knock the book down to $2.99 or only ship it once a month. In the past the argument from Marvel about all the $3.99 books hurting wallets was, “You don’t have to buy them all”, but if it’s all the same title you do HAVE to buy them all right? It’s just not sustainable for me. Gas is finally dropping in price why the fuck can’t comics do the same? I know the economy is rough and Disney is hurting for money what with buying up all of my childhood but couldn’t they spare a bit for the us the rich?

2. Skottie Young and the Babies Do Coffee (Table Books)

I love the Skottie Young baby variant covers. My son loves them, my wife loves them and my non comic reading friends enjoy them as well. So why not collect them all into one oversized hardcover coffee table edition. You could even call it the Big Baby edition! That ideas is on me Marvel. I won’t even charge you for it. So please use it as soon as possible.

3. Maggot, wherefore art thou Maggott

Come one do I really have to ask for yet another year? Please just bring Japeth back. Untapped potential people. Untapped potential.

4. Babies Ongoing

DC has Superman Family Adventures and used to have Tiny Titans. Why has Marvel not cashed in on this audience? DC is capturing the imagination of children the age of my son and all Marvel does is cartoon based all-ages books. The A-Babies vs X-Babies one-shot was one of my son’s favorite books of the year and i’d love to be able to share more of the Marvel Universe with him. If only there were such a book to get him hooked.

5. Generation X

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I’d really love to see a new title focusing on the Generation X cast, or what is left of them, merged with some of the New X-Men to form a new Generation X. Why should this book exist? So you could put Chris Bachalo and Nick Spencer on it. Tell me that doesn’t sound appealing? I know it does to me and really that is all this matters. Don’t like it? Make your own damn list.

DC:

1. Booster Gold

Bring back Booster Gold! What do I have to do to bring him back? Maybe Gail Simone can help me. Seems like she has some pull around the DC offices…

2. Miss Martian

WHERE THE FUCK IS MISS MARTIAN?! Seriously she was awesome. Can we please bring her back already?!

3. Sue and Ralph Dibny

Doesn’t it seem like the New 52 provides a perfect opportunity to bring back the beloved couple? Get Ralph some Gingold and get the two working detective cases. I would honestly like to see what Jeff Lemire could do with this title and these characters. Let the man write and draw the book and I think you could have an offbeat unexpected instant gem.

4. Let Creatives Be Creative

So much has been made this year of Editorial making life hell for the creative talent with rewrites and interference. Who knows maybe it isn’t true but it seems that the news has been full of DC management/editorial vs creative. It’d be nice if we hear less of that in 2013 and see more of what Marvel did with Marvel Now! and let the creative talent dictate the direction of the universe. Let the people do their jobs please.

5. Keep Holding The Line

The fact that the majority of DC’s books are only $2.99 is one of the best parts of what DC is doing at the moment. In any given month I might try an extra or new DC title. Why? Buzz and affordability. Now if only DC could hold the line on quality like they do price point. Maybe then you could actually call the whole Marvel vs DC thing a rivalry again.

Mike Romeo

Marvel:

1. Still with the double shipping?

Seriously. This was on my list last year, too. Double shipping is a real dick move, Marvel. All it is is bullying for shelf space and consumer dollars. Why not focus on letting one artist do a run so they can share some of the spotlight with the artist? Plus, think of how much nicer the trades would be.

2. Better AR Notification

This is a biggie. Those little AR bades being sprinkled oh so liberally throughout your books? Yeah, stop. They’re awful and distracting. I’m pretty certain you pay your artists a nice page rate, especially with this whole NOW thing, so why hurt the art? Because marketing came up with this hip new way to read? There’s gotta be a better way to do it, and I think I know how. First, can the crappy recap on the covers, we still get that same information on page one. Instead, have your confessional style artist talks on the cover. Next, along with the recap on page one, inform readers that anytime they see a splash page, that it is AR capable. This way, there’s no need for those terrible red splotches all over the place. Last, the last page can be the second confessional, “thanks for reading” video we get from said writer. And there you go, no more badges!

Or, just stop this whole AR thing all together. Your call.

3. Strange Tales 3

Make it happen! Here’s my wish list: Box Brown does The Hulk, Brendan Leach on Iron Fist, a Nathan Bulmer Great Lakes Avengers, and Michael Deforge on Dr. Strange. Make it happen!

4. Condense your lines

This sorta goes back to the whole bullying for shelf space thing. How’s about instead of 32 Avengers titles, you scale back to, let’s say, one. And make it awesome. Make it as awesome as you possibly can. Please.

5. Why am i still typing digital codes?

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Here’s a no brainer. if UPS can create original VR codes for each and every package it ships, then Marvel can do it for it’s digital codes. Instead of giving all my comics Social Security numbers, just print me up something I can zap with my phone.

DC:

1. Don’t lose Kindt

Matt Kindt is doing some great things right now, and one of them was that Frankenstein book you canceled. Be smart, don’t lose him! Isn’t he writing that Spider-Man infinite thing for the guys across the street now? Kindt’s a strong writer, and an amazing cartoonist. You need both of those things right now. Speaking of which…

2. Cartoonists as artists

You guys have two of today’s biggest cartoonists working for you right now, and all you let them do is write! Kindt and Lemire are established cartoonists with a solid fan base. Imagine the cred you’d get if you let them draw what they write?

3. Push digital only, make titles cannon

I’ll give you guys propers on your digital initiative. New $.99 comics every day is music to a lot of fan’s ears. Now stop farting around and take the next step. Launch a new, digital only title that’s canon. Something high profile like a Bat book with some big names attached. The seeds are sown.

4. Stop brooding

Aquaman and Captain Marvel should be fun, fun, fun. Why do all of these stories have to be at night? Does Billy Batson being a total cock make him a relatable 12 year old? Is marketing Aquaman to the Hot Topic crowd working? Remember #2 back there? The cartoonist thing? Let’s try a Lemire Aquaman and a Kindt Shazam. And to tie it to #3, do it digital exclusive and in canon. It’s like printing money.

5. Get it together

Stop with the Gail Simone see-saw. Relax with the guillotine for slower artists. And ease off of whatever it was the Liefeld was bellyaching about. From this side of things, it seems like DC has a real problem with keeping folks happy and on the payroll right now. I think it’s fairly common knowledge that happy employees are productive employees, so let’s work towards that.


Matthew Meylikhov

Once upon a time, Matthew Meylikhov became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Multiversity Comics, where he was known for his beard and fondness for cats. Then he became only one of those things. Now, if you listen really carefully at night, you may still hear from whispers on the wind a faint voice saying, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not as bad as everyone says it issss."

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