TheFool

Personally, my favorite books right now are X-men Legacy and Secret Avengers, though they are kind of fringe books. If you are new to Marvel and want to get plugged into the more mainstream side of things, I'd suggest Avengers Assemble, Wolverine and the X-men, FF, and/or Superior Spiderman. Those books are all positioned, intentionally or not, to be really ingratiating to new readers.

Stacy X was always portrayed in a seriously unflattering fashion. And for any Whovians out there, we know it's not impossible to make an attractive scaly lady.

As for James Patch Wolverine Howlett Logan being a teacher, I think it plays. The fact that he's not great at it and the writers are focusing on him growing into the role seems fitting. Especially when you consider this latent urge to be a better parent or father figure, since both X-23 and Daken have been conditioned to be killers. Might be reading too much into things, but if I just drowned my son in a puddle, I'd be looking for a do-over.

@mcklayn: Well, There's also so much that can be done with the bulk if these characters. The writers haven't really explored the extent of powers for people like Cannonball, Chamber, or Husk since the 90s.

I think this team represents everything I've wanted to see since I started reading Generation X (sorry, too young for New Mutants): a team of graduated X-men. Granted, most of them have been on one incarnation of the team or another. But we've never gotten to watch the underclassmen take the reigns. I would start picking up a book that showcased this line-up or one similar.

Honestly, what X-book hasn't showcased an ineffectual Avengers team thus far? Seriously. And why are the Uncanny Avengers coming to shut down the team that Wolverine is on? It would seem with SHIELD being attacked, Mastermind getting out and now Stark has his property attacked by a team of mutants led by a 100 year old hero on two Avengers teams? My disbelief-suspenders hath snapped.

Uncanny X-men, Cable and X-force, and X-men legacy

Hey G-man, Sara, and Corey/James depending on when or if this gets answered.

First off, just wanna say I love the podcasts, please keep them coming. They downgrade my work day from "soul-suckingly tragic" to a bearable "soul-molestingly uncomfortable."

So, answer me these questions three, home-slices (and home-slice-ette if Sara is there).

1. ) Do you think Events in either Marvel or DC are driven primarily by commercial gains or purely creative pursuits that get turned into cash-cows after the fact with tie-ins? Knowing you keep in touch with a lot of contemporary creators, thought you might have more insight than me on the subject.

2. ) As an aspiring comic book writer, I'm curious to get critical feedback from someone whose business is comics. Any chance I could bounce an idea off any of you or even a draft of an issue? I understand you guys are busier than beavers during dam season, but I just thought I'd ask, especially since I'm after criticism, not praise.

3. ) How is it that after Dan Slott's controversial ASM #700, I'm the only one using the nickname Dr. Spiderpus? Can I claim a ComicVine no-prize for coining it?

Thanks for making time to take a gander at my questions and providing the fix I need to remain a podcast junkie. As someone who frequented this site in its infancy, it's great to see ComicVine hasn't been caught by the undertow of world wide web obscurity.

P.S. Sara Lima where were you when I was single? Seriously, my wife still asks me why Batman wasn't in the Avengers movie.

Keep up the good work, Vine-oneers.

This is a touchy subject, to be sure. On the one hand, I've tuned out from Marvel for a long time due to their Event driven business model. Ever since House of M, it seems as though Marvel was locked in an endless cycle of status quo shake-ups with less than logical fallout. I mean, if the Skrulls invaded Earth wholesale, the last person I would trust to pick up the pieces would be a guy whose greatest claim to fame was as a schizophrenic super-villain. That would be like Gotham handing over the keys to the city to the Joker after No Mans Land. Marvel treated their biggest titles like cash-cows kept constantly within chopping distance of the blade, almost extorting readers to keep buying the title lest they miss the issue showcasing out hero's quixotic sacrifice.

As of late, however, I've been pleased by Marvel NOW injecting a few desperately needed breaths of fresh air into their universe. Banner is pragmatically dealing with his Hulkitis for the first time in...well, ever. The Avengers are sporting an exciting roster of non-classics. I'm even down with Dan Slott's Dr. Spiderpus. Marvel taking creative risks isn't just limited to existing books. I'm enjoying the crap out of new titles such as X-men Legacy and Secret Avengers. Most of Marvels gambles are paying off, in my opinion.

Granted their are still pitfalls like the new Thunderbolts title, the sound and fury troubled Age of Ultron, and the over-saturated X-market. But aside from their usual, puzzling commercial missteps, I think Marvel may actually be on to something here. I mean, they've even gone to the unusual extent of making sure their AU Event doesn't interfere with their ongoing titles. I'm not saying we're out if the woods yet. We still have to see if Marvel can overcome their major commitment; like most ex's, Marvel seems to fear change and commitment. Their follow through with these new titles and any planned status quo shifts will be the defining factor of Marvel NOW's success. But unlike before, NOW (power of pun) I'm willing to stick it out to see if I'm right.

@novi_homines: Which is fine by me. Because if I they can sell an off-world Thor 2, then hopefully that will be a decent projection of how on-board audiences will be for an off-world Guardians movie.

I'm just psyched to see Thor rock out with his Mjolnir out in Asgard again. Don't get me wrong. Thor versus giant, flying space tortoise was awesome. But I'm really psyched to see how he handles himself in the more fantastic setting. After all, my favorite sequence from Thor one was watching him and his entourage wreck shop on some frost giant. Time to see him tear up another branch of Yggdrasil.