NEW AVENGERS #1 SELLS OUT

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22996

 

NEW AVENGERS #1 SELLS OUT

Press Release

 

NEW AVENGERS SELLS OUT! FIRST ISSUE OF MARVEL’S NEWEST SERIES A HIT WITH FANS AND RETAILERS!

 

It’s official: Marvel Comics’ The New Avengers #1 has sold out! Diamond Distributors confirms a complete sell-through of the entire first-print run of the House of Ideas’ hot new super-hero series.

 

The New Avengers spins out of Avengers: Disassembled, the cataclysmic ending to the long-running series. The new title relates the events that bring together a new team of Avengers, comprised of some of Marvel’s most popular characters and foundational heroes: Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, and more.

 

Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada is jubilant over the news and has specific praise for those who made it happen. “We at Marvel greatly appreciate every single one of you who bought New Avengers #1, fan and retailer alike, and we hope you agree with us that it was one enjoyable read.”

 

New Avengers writer Brian Michael Bendis and series editor Tom Brevoort were equally happy at hearing the inaugural issue had sold out. “In a million, billion years I could never have hoped for the amazing week we had with the debut of this book,” said Bendis. “I am so proud to be associated with David Finch, Danny Miki, Frank D’Armata, Tom Brevoort, and Andy Schmidt. They gave this book everything they had. My undying thanks to Joe and Dan for going full blast with this and to the creators who came before us who created these amazing characters in the first place.” Brevoort added, “It’s gratifying to know that so many people are interested in New Avengers and what the future holds for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Here’s a hint: Snikt!”

 

Retailers are also giving the book high marks. Ed Katschke, Manager of Monarch’s Cards & Comic in Toledo, Ohio, said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the enthusiasm and sales generated by the first issue. “Most fans from my store are really intrigued by Bendis and Finch’s new direction and are looking forward to the new configuration of the Avengers. At this point, I’m selling nearly 3 times my pre-Bendis numbers on the book and after reading the first issue I’m anticipating a strong sell-through on the proceeding issues,” reports Katschke.

 

Internet comic book message boards have been buzzing over the introduction of the new all-star Avengers team. Fan Terry Anderson of Lexington, Kentucky was excited by the debut. “I really like the artwork here and the story is intriguing,” he posted. “This new direction was a good opening for me to break into with the Avengers. I'm curious how the new team will operate. And I do like the inclusion of Spidey. He and Cap both are more about heart than their powers. I think it is a good nucleus for a team.”

 

For those who may have missed out on New Avengers #1, Marvel reminds fans that there will be another printing available next week that offers a Joe Quesada variant cover. The cover features the original sketch, now inked and colored, that served as the inspiration for the first printing’s several alternate covers. In addition to the second printing of #1, there is also a special New Avengers #1 Director’s Cut, featuring the original story plus a bevy of extra goodies.

 

As always, more exciting information on The New Avengers and the Marvel Universe can be found online at Marvel.Com.

 

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[Vyce 0]

Oh Jesus, this is just going to encourage them to continue this madness.

 

Man, I'm really starting to hate Marvel.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Hate the morons who buy this crap. Marvel is just doing what sells.

[Vyce 0]

Hate the morons who buy this crap. Marvel is just doing what sells.

That's like not blaming a crack dealer for selling their wares simply because there's a market for the shit.

 

Marvel is far from blameless here. It's sad, because why the hell does it seem as if I care more about Marvel's Avengers franchise than Marvel itself does?!

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=31561

 

ASSEMBLING THE YOUNG AVENGERS WITH ALLAN HEINBERG

 

by Remy Minnick, ComiX-Fan Staff Writer

 

Allan Heinberg might not be exactly what you think. While he may work on hit shows like Sex In The City and The O.C., he is also a comic book fan. Part of a new generation of comic book writers like Geoff Johns, Joss Whedon and J. Michael Straczynski who have come from other mediums to write comics for one reason: because they love comics. Now he is assembling a new group of young heroes who want to try and find out what being an "Avenger" truly means.

 

ComiX-Fan: Marvel has been keeping their cards pretty close to their chest when it comes to Young Avengers. What can you tell us about the book?

 

Allan Heinberg: Marvel has been extraordinary at both promoting the book and keeping its closely-guarded secrets. I honestly could not have asked for a more supportive and nurturing publishing environment in which to write my first comic book scripts.

 

That said, I can tell you that Young Avengers is about a team of young heroes on the brink of adulthood who've banded together in the wake of Disassembled to confront a formidable Avengers foe now that the Avengers have technically disbanded. AND I can also tell you that each of these young heroes has a secret -- as well as a direct tie to the Avengers themselves OR to Avengers history.

 

CXF: Comic book fans can be particular when it comes to retcons or things being inserted into history off panel. How do you take a new character and interweave them into comic book history without having it seem forced into continuity?

 

AH: It's always a tricky proposition, isn't it? The Marvel Universe is already so vast, how do you introduce NEW characters and have anyone care about them? How do you get readers to invest their time and hard-earned cash in characters (and in a writer) they've never heard of before?

 

With Young Avengers, the answer for me was: the Avengers.

 

The audience is already deeply invested in the Avengers, and so am I. So, the Avengers themselves -- their history, their uncertain future, and their legacy -- are at the center of Young Avengers. That's why this book isn't New Warriors. Young Avengers is a book about what it means to be an AVENGER. And if readers are invested in the Avengers, I hope they'll be invested in these kids' relationships to the Avengers.

 

And as a continuity-hound myself, the last thing I wanted to do was force new characters into an existing history. Happily, though, there were enough dangling plot elements and unanswered questions in Avengers' history to provide plenty of inspiration for new characters.

 

CXF: Is the cast going to be compromised of all new characters or will there be any familiar faces showing up in the book?

 

AH: The core team is made up of four newcomers to the Marvel Universe -- though there will be plenty of familiar faces in the book's supporting cast: Jessica Jones, J. Jonah Jameson, several former Avengers, and many more...

 

CXF: Any chance of getting some of the code-names for the new characters that will be appearing? Lately I've found myself referring to them as Private America, Thor Lad, Iron Boy and Hulk Jr.

 

AH: The kids' code names (when we meet them) are: PATRIOT, ASGARDIAN, IRON LAD, and HULKLING.

 

CXF: Joe Quesada has said several times that Young Avengers is not what we are expecting. With so much of what it is being kept for the release, can you tell us what not to expect?

 

AH: Don't expect Teen Tony. And don't expect the book to be Marvel's answer to Teen Titans. The folks at Marvel and I have an enormous amount of affection and respect for the work Geoff Johns and Mike McKone are doing on Titans, so everyone involved with Young Avengers has taken great pains to make sure YA is its own book with its own voice and point of view. That said, I hope the audience is able to set aside whatever preconceptions they may have about the book and experience it on its own terms.

 

CXF: Outside of Young Avengers you are also currently a writer on the hit show The O.C. Do you find it hard to switch gears and write in the Marvel Universe as opposed to The O.C. Universe?

 

AH: I did. Especially at first. If only because when you start a project like Young Avengers, it requires a tremendous amount of research and planning and TIME -- the one thing there is NOT much of in television. But the good people at Marvel have been extremely generous and patient with me, and writing the book has become more pleasurable with each successive script.

 

CXF: How far ahead do you have the future for Young Avengers planned?

 

AH: Right now, we have the first twelve issues planned. And I sincerely hope that healthy sales and reader interest will justify plotting the next twelve.

 

CXF: What is the core audience that you are trying to attract as a reader of Young Avengers? Are you writing with any particular demographic in mind?

 

AH: I actually wanted to build a book that would appeal to longtime comics fan as well as newcomers to comics; one that Avengers fans and non-Avengers fans would enjoy. Mostly, though, I wanted to write a book that I'd have fun reading every month. A book that was utterly respectful of Avengers history without having its stories be dependent on the readers' intimate knowledge of that history.

 

CXF: How has it been working with Jim Cheung?

 

AH: Working with Jim Cheung is maybe the most fun I've ever had. He's an ideal collaborator. Smart, funny, brilliant, and a complete gentleman. He has an endless supply of terrific ideas. And his work is spectacular. Beyond my wildest dreams. Honestly, I cannot say enough about the man's talent. You should see the smile on my face when he sends me new pages. I could not be more grateful to C.B. Cebulski and Joe Quesada at Marvel for bringing us together.

 

CXF: Since we are dealing with some brand new characters, or at least new character designs, what sort of process did you and Jim Cheung go through before finally getting to what we see as the finished project?

 

AH: I think that by the time Jim got involved, I had already written a series pitch for Marvel that included the character descriptions and the stories for the first two issues. Jim and I met on the phone shortly thereafter and spent a lot of time talking, bouncing ideas -- and JPGs -- back and forth. It all happened remarkably quickly. And Jim's designs were truly awe-inspiring.

 

CXF: You have also been working closely alongside Brian Bendis while writing Young Avengers. What has this experience been like?

 

AH: Working with Brian has been a dream come true for me. I'm a huge, huge fan of Brian's work and I have to tell you, he's been nothing but generous and encouraging and inclusive. AND he lets me ask him all the geeky, fanboy questions I want about Jessica Jones and Deena Pilgrim and Night Nurse.

 

CXF: How long have you been into comics and what originally pulled you in to the medium?

 

AH: I've been into comics since I was maybe seven years old. And, somewhat ironically, I got into comics through television by watching Super Friends and Wonder Woman and Adam West-Batman reruns as a kid in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The first comic book I ever bought with my own money was Wonder Woman #212, the first of her twelve labors to rejoin the JLA. After that, I was hooked.

 

CXF: You have worked in the television industry for quite a while, how is the comic book industry typically viewed by others in that industry? Has their outlook changed since the recent blockbuster super hero films such as Spider-Man or X-Men?

 

AH: In terms of pure economics, the success of the Spider-Man and X-Men films have definitely given comic books more cachet in Hollywood. But the television networks are still trying to figure out how to do super heroes on the kind of budget and schedule that doing twenty-four episodes a year requires. It's a tricky proposition, but not impossible. Joss Whedon and company did it year after year on Buffy and Angel -- and beautifully, too.

 

CXF: Are there any other characters that you would like to get the chance to write?

 

AH: Absolutely. Marvel's been great about allowing me to guest-star my favorite Marvel characters in Young Avengers. And in the DCU, I'd love to write Wonder Woman someday. And Barbara Gordon, the JSA, the Legion of Super Heroes, Nightwing, the Question, the list goes on and on...

 

CXF: I have also read that you are friends with Geoff Johns. A lot of comparisions have started going around between Young Avengers and Teen Titans/Young Justice. Has the idea of a Young Avengers/Teen Titans crossover ever came up?

 

AH: Geoff and I have definitely talked about it over dinner, but we've only ever gotten as far as "Man, wouldn't it be cool if..." And I'd love to do it -- if only because it'd be so much fun to work with Geoff.

 

CXF: Do you have any other projects coming up in the future?

 

AH: No comics projects right now. But I've been talking to Warner Bros. Animation and the Cartoon Network about developing a super hero project for them. After that, I'm writing a movie script (WITHOUT super heroes) and a musical (WITH super heroes). And with any luck, more comics...

 

Young Avengers #1 will be on sale on 9 February 2005.

[Vyce 0]

ASSEMBLING THE YOUNG AVENGERS WITH ALLAN HEINBERG

 

And it gets worse.

 

I haven't been to the comic shop in a few weeks, so I haven't picked up my latest copy of Previews to see what this looks like. But it may be the last straw that makes me abandon Marvel for a while.

 

Which would suck, because outside of Batman I've never really been much of a D.C. fan.

[SuperJerk 0]

NEW AVENGERS #1 SELLS OUT

 

NEW AVENGERS has something in common with Marvel as a whole, then.

[Steviekick 0]

The New Avengers "selling out" is kinda stupid, because they intended multiple variant publishings of the title, so they knew it would happen and limited orders.

 

I don't know about Young Avengers though. I'm going to check it out just to see how it goes. The thing about its writer, although he did work on the OC and Sex in the City, both of which I hated, it seems that he does have a genuine interest in comics so it could work out. But with what they've shown so far, it dos seem like a genuine Teen Titans ripoff.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

I... uhm... read New Avengers #1. I liked it. Disassembled was total crap but this wasn't bad outside of one too many exclamation points here and there. So... yeah.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Somehow, despite having nearly a thousand relaunches in the last decade, Marvel fans are still conditioned to buy any big #1 issue. Let's see how the series does, sales-wise, for the entire 2005 calendar year.

[cameron chaos 0]

How can a book run for like 500 issues, and then end up having two restarts in the space of what, 6 years?

 

You know what these books need? Consistency and quality, not revamps/reboots/restructuring. A new number 1 will sell primarily on it's possible future value regardless. If it's doing the same sales with each following issue and actually gets into triple digits before the next reboot, then it'll be really noteworthy.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Here's a teaser pic for Young Avengers

 

and

 

Reported at Wizard Con:

Quesada said The Young Avengers shown are all brand new characters The first two issues will take place in-between the last issue of the old Avengers series and the first issue of New Avengers #1, then everything will catch up so all the titles are on the same timeline.

 

Bendis said that Cassie Lang, daughter of Scott Lang (Ant-Man), is now one of the most interesting characters in the Marvel Universe because her father was killed in Avengers Disassembled. Readers might see her in the pages of New Avengers or Young Avengers in the next couple of years.

[Sass 0]

The lack of continuity in this book was disgusting. Bendis shat on a dozen characters in his bastardized version of the Vault. I did not mind Electro being introduced as the big bad guy. He's okay. But like half the guys in the big panel shot of super villains are either dead or somewhere else at the moment. Re-introducing the Sentry as a bad guy has potential but at the same time he should have been left in Marvel limbo. He was a joke to start out with. Literally.

 

Goddamn, I despise Bendis and the Marvel editors sometimes.

[algrim 0]

This is not the first time Bendis screws up continuity in comics. By putting the purple man in issue #1, it gets kind of confusing because he's currently involved in the first story arc of New Thunderbolts.

[Sass 0]

I'm familiar with the continuity atrocities Bendis has committed. The new Secret Wars book is one of the worst examples of his disregard for continuity right now. The Red Skull was imprisoned in the last issue of Captain America's 3rd series but was shot down in the new 4th series #1 issue so one has to assume he busted out of prison or else one of his clones was the guy who got gunned down.

 

Editors. Comics need better editors.

 

Adding Wolverine to the Avengers is wrong. On several levels. It's like the early 90's version of the new FF all over again.

[Steviekick 0]

I'm familiar with the continuity atrocities Bendis has committed. The new Secret Wars book is one of the worst examples of his disregard for continuity right now. The Red Skull was imprisoned in the last issue of Captain America's 3rd series but was shot down in the new 4th series #1 issue so one has to assume he busted out of prison or else one of his clones was the guy who got gunned down.

 

Editors. Comics need better editors.

The crazy thing is that the Avengers line editor, Tom Brevoort, is insanely up on his trivia and continuity with Marvel's characters. Maybe he's not allowed to criticize or something.

[Sass 0]

TB has lost his mind and/or balls then. IIRC, someone told me he actually praised Avengers Dissasemlbed and went on to defend Bendis' changes (read: errors), which is sad since Tom was the last line of continuity defense in Marvel's front office for years.

[JasonX 0]

TB has lost his mind and/or balls then. IIRC, someone told me he actually praised Avengers Dissasemlbed and went on to defend Bendis' changes (read: errors), which is sad since Tom was the last line of continuity defense in Marvel's front office for years.

TB has indeed lost his baslls/been cowed into submission by the Bendis/JQ connection as I've found out first hand with my recent yelling of "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" at Breevort over at his message board over at ComiX-Fan...

 

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showth...7&page=10&pp=15

[Steviekick 0]

TB has lost his mind and/or balls then.  IIRC, someone told me he actually praised Avengers Dissasemlbed and went on to defend Bendis' changes (read: errors), which is sad since Tom was the last line of continuity defense in Marvel's front office for years.

TB has indeed lost his baslls/been cowed into submission by the Bendis/JQ connection as I've found out first hand with my recent yelling of "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" at Breevort over at his message board over at ComiX-Fan...

 

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showth...7&page=10&pp=15

Wow. A company man all the way

[Guest PlatinumBoy]

Avengers Finale was ok... some pretty artwork, but not much happened. I haven't read New Avengers yet... but wasn't Armadillo in it? The same Armadillo who was in She-Hulk... who reformed but is evil again for no reason. Reminds me of when Roughhouse in Wolverine became good, lost all his hair, and essentially became a born again Christian. Yet in the 90's for no reason he comes back and finds Wolverine to fight and kill again--despite Wolverine and him having a mutual admiration thing going on and him crediting Wolvie for saving him.

 

I'm also sad to see Marvel is bringing back Thor. Let him be. I'm looking forward to the Avengers issue where Thor returns and disagrees with Wolverine, then Wolvie calls him a long haired wimp and Thor backs down in fear from Wolverine.

 

Remember in the early 90's when Wolverine was in Secret Defenders, X-Men (both books), and his own title. Those were the days... and I'm a Wolvie fan. I just don't want to see in 2 years the "Wolverine Four" where he takes the Thing's place and instead of blue costumes the FF wear brown and orange.

[converge241 0]

hey PlatinumBoy, how are you liking Enemy of the State so far?

[pochorenella 0]

I loaned both Avengers Finale and Avengers #503 to a friend and he's yet to return them to me, so I ended up reading New Avengers #1 before those two issues.

 

No jokes, please.

 

Anyway, what I wanted to say is NA seems to be taking shape nicely, even with all those continuity errors everyone except Marvel seem to recognize. Time will tell if it lives up to the hype.

[Steviekick 0]

I loaned both Avengers Finale and Avengers #503 to a friend and he's yet to return them to me, so I ended up reading New Avengers #1 before those two issues.

 

No jokes, please.

 

Anyway, what I wanted to say is NA seems to be taking shape nicely, even with all those continuity errors everyone except Marvel seem to recognize. Time will tell if it lives up to the hype.

I couldn't think of a joke if I wanted to.

 

NA is fine for the most part. Marvel wanted a buzz title, so they made one.

[Sass 0]

The word going around Marvel is that Neil Gaiman is going to be the new writer for Thor. At least that would explain why the details of his new work at Marvel are hush and hush and "title to be announced" whenever the question is brought up.

 

That might work.

 

On the editors deal, it's like most of Wolverine's editors have shitty memories or something. The Roughouse, Blood Scream, and Lady Deathstrike returns in the book spit on long-time readers who thought those 3 characters had made peace (or in BS's case, turned into pieces) with Wolvie.

[Steviekick 0]

Apparently the word now is that they tried to get Gaiman to helm Thor, but he couldn't do to his busy novel writing schedule (like people outside of comics care about hiim). So Gaiman came up with a whole concept and basis of the new Thor book, it was fleshed out by JMS, and might be going to Millar.

 

Basically the idea is that Asgard is still dead and all, and as it rots, parts fall to earth, specifically Iowa. People pick up the artifacts and wind up getting possessed by their Asgardian owner (Thor, Loki, Balder, etc.). This is much like the whole original Thor concept.

[algrim 0]

Sounds crappy. Hopefully, they'll go with something else.

[Vyce 0]

Apparently the word now is that they tried to get Gaiman to helm Thor, but he couldn't do to his busy novel writing schedule (like people outside of comics care about hiim).

You ARE aware that Neil has been doing quite well for himself OUTSIDE of comics, right?

 

The industry might need him, but he sure as hell doesn't need the industry at this point.

 

It's a shame he won't be doing Thor, because as anyone who's read "American Gods" can attest to, Neil's take on Asgard would definitely be worth reading.

[Steviekick 0]

Apparently the word now is that they tried to get Gaiman to helm Thor, but he couldn't do to his busy novel writing schedule (like people outside of comics care about him).

You ARE aware that Neil has been doing quite well for himself OUTSIDE of comics, right?

 

The industry might need him, but he sure as hell doesn't need the industry at this point.

 

It's a shame he won't be doing Thor, because as anyone who's read "American Gods" can attest to, Neil's take on Asgard would definitely be worth reading.

I know. I'm a huge Gaiman mark, I've read all his stuff. I'm just bitter he won't be writing Thor.

[pochorenella 0]

What I heard was that Mark Millar was supposed to helm the relaunch of the Thor title, but instead opted to go back to Ultimate Fantastic Four so his stint on Thor was put on hold. He said he had a wonderful layout for Thor with the help of J.M. Stracinsky (sp?) but that it could wait a while. No mention of Gaiman anywhere, at least on this Newsarama article I read.

[converge241 0]

millar's run on Thor came out of ideas that gaiman had..gaiman gave his "blessing" to take his idea and run with it..gaiman actually let marvel take it to a confrence of the writers and editors to work ideas in a thinktank like enviornment millar fell in love with it