Cap and the House of No/Stupid ideas

[Juno Beach]

The first issue doesn't even make sense. Cap doesn't reveal he's Hydra when he's alone with a Hydra terrorist at the beginning of the issue but he says "hail Hydra" to Erik Selvig at the end. Does that mean Selvig's Hydra too? #Everybody'sHydra

[Doktor]

Ain't no party like a hydra party cause a hydra party has 2 take its place when 1 gets cut off.

[jcjames]

Is wolverine still dead?

Yeah but he only died once so it doesn't really count.

 

 

 

[Prince Namor]

I can't figure why anyone gets that worked up over a Marvel or DC comic.

NOTHING shocking that they do will STICK.

It'll all change again.

Why worry?

 

Here's what Ed Brubaker said in his e-mail today:

 

"So, yesterday online a ton of people were very upset about Captain America, which as you probably know is a book I wrote for Marvel for about 8 years. I guess because of the Cap movies being based on a lot of my work with the Winter Soldier, a lot of these people decided to scream at me about what Marvel was doing. So I spent half the morning explaining to people that I don't work at Marvel, haven't for about five years, and that I have no say in what they do or don't do. I don't even read any Marvel or DC books on a monthly basis anymore, because after about 15 years writing superheroes, I have pretty low interest in the genre. I can see the hooks coming, and I know where all the stories will eventually end up. The good guys will win and all will be right with the world, until next month.

 

But amidst all the upset fans and people calling me a nazi and other fun things for a comic I had nothing to do with and haven't read, I thought, this is why more people should just follow creators and read original comics (which is what I like to call "creator-owned" comics). If readers want consistency and passion and craft, it's a lot more rare in company-owned superhero comics than it is outside of them. Sure, there have been great long runs on those books, I managed to get lucky and have long runs where I got to do what I wanted (mostly) on Captain America and Daredevil, but those runs are generally the exception. Because the thing is, with those company-owned characters, there are always going to be events and reboots and twists that are spoiled online or in the media first, and there are always going to be outraged fans because of it.

 

I get loving superhero comics and I get following characters, believe me. And I love when I see people dressed as the Winter Soldier or shipping "Stucky" but I feel like way too many comic readers act almost like they're forced to buy Marvel and DC books, like it's a government program or something. It's not. There are plenty of great comics where the art is by the same people every issue, where there is never a fill-in issue or a reboot or a retcon. In fact, many of the creators who you love on Marvel and DC books are doing their finest work outside those big companies - Jason Aaron's Southern Bastards and The Goddamned are two of my favorite comics, Kieron and Jamie did a great run on Young Avengers, but Wicked + Divine is them unfiltered. I don't have to tell you about Saga and person_without_enough_empathy Planet and Sex Criminals, I'm sure. All by creators who made big names at Marvel or DC, all of whom are happier doing work that they totally control.

 

Look, anyway, you all know this, most likely if you're on my mailing list is because you read my current comics. But after a day of people screeching at me about a comic I had nothing to do with, I remembered how happy I was not to be part of that world anymore. People are constantly asking why I don't go back to Marvel, assuming there was some huge problem that caused me to leave, but really it was just a slow burnout, tiring of endless events and stunts and reboots.

 

Now, don't get me wrong, I wish no ill will on Marvel or DC. I don't think the comics market could survive without them, and I made a good living working for both of them for a long time. I just wish, sometimes, when people are white hot raging about the things they do, they'd just go buy Southern Bastards or person_without_enough_empathy Planet or any of a dozen other great comics owned and controlled by their creators, instead of going online and yelling at giant corporations to change how they do business."

[Ken Aldred]

He sounds just as jaded about Marvel product as I am.

[kimik]

The truth about comics today is this - they do not matter. The only reason to keep them going is to introduce new potential ideas for TV or movies. It is a relatively cheap form of test marketing. Comic characters are just another type of intellectual property, and the most value distribution channels to exploit them with are movies or TV. What happens in the pages of a comic story arc is irrelevant now.

 

http://steverogersorbust.tumblr.com/post...makeitsamwilson

[jaybuck43]

[toro]

 

[Doktor]

 

Love. The ONLY way I can accept this story is if it turns out that Cap is just really hungry & cranky & HYDRA has a Snickers-only vending machine, but SHIELD switched their vending machines over to "healthy" snacks only, so he switched teams.

[Mercury Man]

Yeah this is brutal. How can you wee on 75 years of Cap mythology by saying he actually plays for the bad guys. Seriously out of ideas now aren't we? Gotta admit, we are talking about it, and that is what Marvel Comics wanted in light of the DC Rebirth this week as well.

[Doktor]

Going kamikaze on future sales to get a bunch of geeks online talking about how much they hate something & the massive amount of bad press this has got to be the epitome of asinine & creative bankruptcy.

[ComicConnoisseur]

"This is an imaginary story....aren't they all?"

For Marvel anything after Secret Wars 1 is a What if story.

For DC anything after Crisis of Infinitive Earths is an imaginary story.

 

[fmaz]

Trying to tell new stories with more than 50 years of continuity... especially when those who wrote the stories in the beginning never dreamed in a million years these stories would still be going this many years later, presents a great deal of challenges for writers.

 

So yes, it's a lot easier to pick up a new book of an original story / characters and enjoy that. And there's a lot of great ones out there right now. Bad ones, too obviously.

 

But the ability to take these Marvel and DC characters and tell interesting stories with them is a skill. Again, there's a lot of people out there who fail. But there are instances where people do succeed. Either by telling traditional stories or by taking risks and changing the status quo for a bit.

 

I'm not alone in feeling that the Superior Spider-Man storyline ended up yielding some interesting books and an overall good read. There are other examples.

 

For those who have simply dropped out since a particular date? You've missed some good stuff, and some bad. You can congratulate yourself if you feel that's appropriate.

 

As for this new Cap story? The idea seems asinine. But right now we just know the idea. I'll at least be willing to see where the story goes. The writer is going around taking bows for being "brave" and "creative"... which is a bit troubling since he hasn't done anything yet, other than set it up with one panel.

 

But let's see where it goes. I keep thinking, for example, how do they get around Cap having lifted Thor's hammer in the past. No way if THAT cap was an agent of Hydra would he have been "worthy" enough to lift it, right?

 

Anyway, whether it's Rebirth or this Cap story... I personally, as someone who enjoys superhero comics and has an affection for these characters, wants to see where these stories go. If I hate them, I have faith in knowing they'll all be fixed in time for the next movie so as not to ruin that cash cow...