Marvel's New #1 Teaser - What Could It Be?!

I'll accuse Marvel of a lot of crazy shit, but I'll never accuse their marketing and PR people as being lazy. It seems we can't go more than a few weeks without them teasing something that will tear the Marvel universe several new assholes. I've done posts on teasers before and usually they're just vague enough to get you scratching your head. But every now and then they do one that is so perplexing that if it were an anime it would induce lethal seizures. This is one of them and it is only summed up as a big ass #1.

Marvel Promises "HUGE Story" With "Marvel" #1 Teaser

So what the hell could it be? First off, let's state clearly what it is and that's another excuse for Marvel to slap a new #1 on a comic book. I've already pointed this out many times before and fans continue to roll their eyes for some reason whenever it's vindicated multiple times. Books with #1 on them sell and until they stop selling, Marvel and DC will continue to churn out books with this magical number that allows them to get more money without having to do any additional work. Speaking on behalf of stoners everywhere, I can say without hestiation that there is inherent worth to such tactics. The folks at Marvel need stripper and booze money too.

But beyond what we know, what the fuck could this #1 entail? It listed a wide range of Marvel characters, some major and some minor and some pissant little redhead that should be dead by now. Is this a new series or some new event spinning right out of Age of Ultron? It's hard to tell, but fuck if I'm not intrigued. I'm sure that's exactly how Marvel planned it. A big ass #1 is all it takes for us brainless consumers to get interested. I want to be ashamed, but I'm too intrigued to give a shit. Nuff said!

Amazing Spider-Man #698 Spoiler - Spoiling Your Thanksgiving Appetite

It's been a long time since I ever talked about a Spider-Man comic and for good reason. After One More Day, I basically shrugged my shoulders, threw up a little, got drunk, and moved onto other comics that didn't involve characters making deals with the devil or retconning 20 years worth of comics. And while I rarely pass up an opportunity to knock Peter Parker for his bullshit, I do keep up with Amazing Spider-Man from time to time. Even I'm not drunk enough to deny that Spider-Island was awesome. But with Amazing Spider-Man closing in on it's big #700 and poised for a relaunch under the very douchy sounding Superior Spider-Man logo, Marvel knows they have to do something big. Well like butt-ugly oil tycoon at a gold diggers convention, Dan Slott stood up and said "I could hit that!"


Dan Slott has already publically stated that he will probably have to go into hiding after Amazing Spider-Man #698. And earlier today, we found out why because scans of the issue were leaked online. Now I'm of the opinion that if you don't want spoilers, you shouldn't be browsing the internet in the first place. Aside from internet porn, we use the web to spoil ourselves rotten in ways that our ancestors could only dream of! As such, I've decided to get in on the act. This is a pretty big freakin' deal for anyone who has ever had a slight interest in Spider-Man. So here's one last warning. If you don't want to be spoiled, do NOT scroll down.      

THIS




IS



YOUR




LAST



CHANCE




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NOT      




BE        




SPOILED        



STILL        



WANT        




MORE?        



HERE      




YOU        




GO!    

  Given that Marvel already did an elaborate gimmick about the death of Peter Parker, I'm not exactly banging my head against a brick wall. I do enough of that shit whenever Hope Summers is featured in a comic. But for die-hard Spider-Man fans, please be gentle on yourselves. You're only emboldening Marvel when they get such a crazy reaction. Then again, if it's crazy enough maybe they'll think twice about where they go with this. Who knows? But that's my spoiler for the day. Hope you enjoyed it! I try not to do it too often, but this was one instance where I just couldn't resist! Nuff said!

Marvel NOW! To Compete With DC's New 52 (Plus Jean Grey Update)

I normally don't post this much in the span of two days, but with so much comic news bombarding us like a fake tits at a porn convention there's just so much to report. Since the meth still hasn't worn off, I figured I would give another update courtesy of our fine friends at Entertainment Weekly. They've taken a break from reporting on Tom Cruise's latest divorce and the gay rumors that have inevitably followed to do some top notch reporting on Marvel comics.

Marvel's New Beginnings: Marvel NOW!

As I previously reported earlier, the Jean Grey tease that we all got may have been bullshit, but it did tie into Marvel's next big initiative for the post-Avengers vs. X-men world. They're calling it Marvel NOW!, but they might as well be calling it (Suck it, DC! We can do this shit too without dumping the continuity!). Marvel is calling it a relaunch, but it is NOT a reboot. The continuity, including shit like the Clone Saga and the Chuck Austin run on Uncanny X-men still stands. But they promise to relaunch multiple books over the course of several months, mixing and matching superhero teams so that the Avengers and the X-men effectively blend. It's a whole new superhero world complete with costume redesigns. Once again, it promises to put Marvel on the same level as DC in terms of relaunching titles into a new class of books. Details are light, but chances are Marvel is waiting until Comic Con where they can announce these details to a hoard of female cos-players dressed as Emma Frost.

Can't say I blame them.

And what about Jean Grey? While I did make my dismay over using time travel to bring her back painfully apparent (sue me, I was sober), Brian Bendis did offer this in the article:

And of course, the time-travel shenanigans at the center of All-New X-Men will bring fan-favorite character Jean Grey back to the mainstream comics continuity for the first time since her (second) death in 2004. “It’s the one thing X-Men fans have always asked for is: They want Jean Grey back. But they want Jean Grey. Not reincarnated Jean, or the ghost of Jean. Well, you’re getting Jean back. And Jean is gonna be looking at a world that rattles her.” And Bendis brings up an intriguing personal connection when he talks about writing the beloved character: “I love feisty redheads. I’ve been married for many years to a very feisty redhead. But I’ve never applied that to writing before. I didn’t even realize what I was doing, but Stuart Immonen is drawing the book, and looking at it I realized: ‘Ha ha, I’m doing my wife!’”

So could there be hope? For Jean Grey fans, probably not. But at least Marvel isn't ignoring it. I still plan on getting drunk and reviewing the shit that happens along the way so expect plenty of ranting in the meantime! If more details emerge, I'll be sure to blog them (again, if I'm sober). But before I go, I want to end this entry on a positive note so here are some hot Marvel women to celebrate this new beginning for Marvel comics.

Nuff said!

Jean Grey Update: It's Officially Another Ruse (Bullshit Time Travel)

Well for one brief moment in time, Jean Grey fans all over the world were filled with hope and jubilation at the prospects of their favorite red haired, green eyed Phoenix wielder NOT named Hope fucking Summers returning to the pages of X-men. But like prospect for peace in the Middle East, that jubilation was short lived. Less than 12 hours after Marvel dropped this teaser to EW, it was already reported by someone on the CBR message boards that Jean Grey is NOT coming back. That image was just a teaser at another time travel story that involves the Original Five of the past coming to the future to see how fucked up they've become. That's it. It's just X-men First to Last II as I mentioned. Here's a full clip of the image Marvel so carefully cropped.

So once again, Marvel shows Jean Grey fans why they should NEVER get their hopes up. For me, I'm not a die-hard Jean Grey fan. But I still feel like this is a massive dick move. If it's just another bullshit time travel story, why pitch Jean Grey's imagery to stir up a reaction? There's dick moves, there's really big dick moves, and then there are the kind of dick moves that only German fetish porn will entertain. Time travel is right up there with clones and making some new character look just like her (aka Hope Summers). Now I loved X-men First To Last, but when that was pitched it didn't put Jean Grey front and center to hint that she was coming back. This is just another bait and switch. It's the reason why car salesmen are on the same level of annoyance as Jehova's Witnesses. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think people like being deceived. We generally consider that a shitty way to sell us something. So once again, Marvel finds a way to upset Jean Grey fans and go to exceedingly fucked up lengths to keep her dead while using her imagery. They cloned her. They made a character look just like her. They brought in her daughter from another dimension. Now they're using time travel. That's the fucking trifecta right there and one that should dissuade anyone from ever taking a teaser by Marvel comics seriously again. Nuff said!

The Return of Jean Grey or Just Another Tease?

I normally don't blog when Marvel gives fans their weekly enema of teasers. I especially try to avoid blogging about teasers that have been blatantly overused in the past to the point where they're more worn out than Ozzy Osborn's liver. But this is one teaser that's hit comic fans like rocket powered dildo up the ass. It's triggered confusion, dread, elation, relief, indifference, and drinking. Okay, that last one can really be caused by anything, but you get the idea. This time shit is serious. Marvel finally appears to have done it. They've dropped the J-bomb. By that I mean Jean Grey. Once again, they're teasing her return courtesy of an article in Entertainment Weekly of all places.

Comic Con: Jean Grey Returning? EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW

It doesn't appear to be photoshopped or hacked from Joe Quesada's Iphone. The story was also picked up by CBR, Newsarama, and Bleeding Cool. The conspiracy theory in me wants to say they're in on the ruse along with the Illuminati, but this clearly cropped picture is the first time Marvel has been this overt about Jean Grey. The exact text of the article is equally compelling.

This week, Entertainment Weekly‘s Comic-Con issue will prepare you for the geek event of the year with an in-depth look at a whole host of movies and TV shows. But what’s Comic-Con without comic books? (Nothing but “-Con.” Look at that lonely hyphen!) That’s why EW is excited to reveal an exclusive first look at an upcoming initiative by Marvel Comics that will build off the current Avengers vs. X-Men crossover and radically alter the Marvel Universe as you know it. For now, we just want to tease you with a first look at an exclusive piece of art by Marvel CEO Joe Quesada.


To answer your questions: Yes, this is Jean Grey — as in, the Jean Grey who’s been absent from Marvel Comics ever since dying for a second time back in the mid-’00s. And yes, she is modeling her vintage blue-and-yellow X-Men outfit from her Marvel Girl days. Does this mean that the fan-favorite character is finally returning? We can only confirm that her presence in the Marvel Universe will not be imaginary. This will not be part of the Ultimate line-up. She will not be a zombie hologram, like Shard on X-Factor. What could this all mean? Check back tomorrow, when all the secrets will be revealed. (Or some of them, anyhow.)

Could they finally have sobered up? Does this mean I'll have to find something else to rant about on this blog? Comic Con is in two weeks and I'll probably be passed out in a brothel in Tijuana for most of the time, but this may be were fans get their first insight into the post Avengers vs. X-men world. Marvel has a history of hyping up the aftermath of an event almost as much as the event itself. It usually all boils down to the tagline, "Everything will change." No shit! Everything changes with each fucking issue in a comic book series, but there's change and then there's cock-smashingly huge change. This may be the latter.

While I want to get my hopes up, the sober part of my brain tells me this could be another bait and switch not unlike a transvestite prostitute that claims he/she will offer you a discount. This could be just another plug for a new X-men First Class series or an X-men First to Last event (which was pretty fucking awesome mind you) where Jean Grey really doesn't come back. It's just another one of those untold stories of the past before Jean Grey became that red haired, green eyed, Phoenix wielder that Marvel loves to fuck with. We won't know until the guys at Marvel stop laughing their ass off at the reactions on the message boards and provide more info. I'll eagerly be waiting when I'm not drunk, but for all you Jean Grey fans out there I would like to offer you one painful reminder.

Nuff said!

Animation Abomination - Ultimate Spider-Man

A few months ago I did a post on the future of Marvel animation and based on my drunken assessment, I deemed the future awesome. Well much like the stock market, those futures crashed and burned harder than Vanilla Ice's rap career. In the time since the debut of Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes Season 2 and the debut of the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, shit has not only hit the fan. It's clogged the intake of a jumbo jet and spewed diarrhea all over every time zone in the Western Hemisphere.

I've avoided talking about it because it often leads me to go on benders that result in me waking up in another state naked with an empty bottle of whiskey shoved up my ass, but there's no use avoiding it now. Ultimate Spider-Man sucks dinosaur dick. It's the kind of show that even a mental patient off their meds would watch and say "What the fuck is this shit and why the fuck haven't the elves smashed the TV yet?" I won't go over all the ways as to why it sucks. Not because I don't have the energy but because so many people have already done the work for me. The fine folks at Comic Book Movie have already compiled some angry comments regarding how fucked this show is. But at the risk of just too much copying and pasting, I found a video from the fine folks at Bleeding Cool that offers a much more sober assessment than I could ever manage.



Is it harsh? I say fuck no. These are the people that Marvel actually wants to watch this shit and they're not satisfied. Now I flunked economics, but even I know that when your customers aren't happy that usually means you're doing something wrong. Apple fired Steve Jobs back in the 80s. Their company sucked for over a decade. And if it took Apple that long to figure out what they did wrong, what hope do we have for Ultimate Spider-Man?

The look on Peter Parker's face from seeing his own show is the same look a child gets when they walk in on their grandparents fucking.

I think most would have been okay with Ultimate Spider-Man being horrible. At least we still have Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heros, right? Right?! Well bend me over, shave my ass, and fry an egg on both my butt cheeks because Marvel has decided to cancel that shit. That's right. A show that scores a pretty impressive 8.2 on Metacritic is being canned in favor of the bastard love child of Family Guy and Spectacular Spider-Man. Instead, they prefer that the Avengers line up with the same 4th wall breaking, immature, plot-free bullshit that dominates the Ultimate Spider-Man universe. That shit may fly in Bizarro world, but in this cozy little place we call reality that's more fucked than Bankok whore on coupon day.

Naturally, fans aren't responding well to this news. In the past they really didn't have many options for venting their frustrations aside from writing strongly worded letters that Marvel or Disney probably used to roll joints with. Well this is the era of social media, motherfucker! That means fans have options and they know how to use them. So much so that the head of Marvel's TV division, Jeph Loeb, had to close his Facebook page because too many people were giving him the finger and then some. I imagine he already had his share of detractors after he flat out butchered the Ultimate universe, but when you fuck with cartoons then that's just going too far I guess.

Jeph Loeb. Will butcher your favorite comic characters and do it with a smile.

Yet in many ways, this is the ultimate act of cowardice. See no criticism. Hear no criticism. Accept no criticism. That appears to be Marvel's motto now. When the fans get upset, just ignore them and shrug your shoulders. I mean you can't please everybody, right? Well that's true, but that shit becomes a lousy excuse when you're getting the kind of crap that Ultimate Spider-Man is getting. Now I'm sure there were some assholes on that crossed lines that even I wouldn't cross on my worst benders. Comments about his son, who died tragically, are way over the line. But anyone who is in a position of power like Jeph Loeb has to understand that they are going to face asshole like that. They have a responsibility to go run and hide from criticism when the response isn't all hookers and cake. Great power and great responsibility...sound familiar? Those comments that cross the line can be flagged and deleted. But deleting the whole page is like fixing a TV with a few dead pixels with a sledge hammer. It causes more damage than necessary and generally sends the message to the fans that you don't give a shit about their sentiment. That may be okay when you're the only game in town, but when you have competition like DC's animation block with Green Lantern and Young Justice (two cartoons that are awesome by the way) then that's a problem.

It takes a special kind of arrogance to ignore fan outrage. It takes even more arrogance to pretty much toss it aside and continue this shit that really isn't jiving with the fans. Rumors that haven't been confirmed have already hinted that Marvel doesn't give a shit about the negative response from Ultimate Spider-Man. They're not only going to continue this shitty style of animation. They're going to use it in future cartoons like a new Avengers cartoon and a new Hulk cartoon. Albert Einstein himself said that the definition of insanity is doing the same shit again and again and expecting a different result. Marvel can justify all the shit they want, but they are NOT smarter than Einstein.

In the end, it all comes down to power and responsibility. Guys like me are just fans. We have zero power over how Marvel uses these characters we love so much. If we don't like it, we can't do anything aside from get drunk until Marvel does something different. Guys like Joe Quesada and Jeph Loeb have serious power over these characters. They have the licenses to do whatever the fuck they want with them. They can make Captain America a Nazi, they can make Spider-Man gay, and they can give Emma Frost a sex change. That is their right under the law. That right includes making a shitty cartoon that clearly isn't going over well with fans. But fans don't have the power to change this shit. Marvel has that power and like the shitty show says, with great power comes great responsibility. And as it stands, Marvel and everyone in their animation division is being pretty fucking irresponsible. That doesn't just make them assholes on a cosmic scale. That makes them hypocrites. We can deal with assholes. Hell, some of them get their own reality shows. But we can't deal with hypocrites. They are as close to real life super-villains as it gets and if Marvel doesn't understand this then they might as well send DC all their blow and hookers because it's game over. When the company that coined the phrase "With great power comes great responsibility" starts acting irresponsible, then shit has gone horribly wrong.

Marvel's Digital ReEvolution And Why It's Awesome

I will go on record as saying nostalgia sucks. Whenever I hear people bitch and moan about how shit was so much better 10, 20, or 50 years ago I fantasize about them being crushed by a falling satellite. A part of me wants to say "Oh really? Well if the past was so fucking good why don't you ditch the internet, drive an old ass car, and watch only reruns on a 15-year-old non-HD TV?" Then the valium kicks in and I'm able to restrain myself.

Now don't get me wrong. I have a certain fondness for previous eras in comics. I loved the 90s despite all the gimmicks. I loved the 80s despite the shitty hair styles because comics like X-Factor, Spider-Man, Watchmen, and Return of the Dark Knight were great moments in the history of comics. But as the word implies, history is in the past. You can either bitch about it or move forward. And just this past weekend, Marvel showed off how they envision moving forward and sucking as much money from the wallets of fans in the process.

It's called Infinite Comics and according to CBR it's Marvel's new canvas for telling stories using their vast arsenal of big-breasted female heroes and the men in testicle augmenting spandex that love them. For the first time since someone got shit faced and thought it would be cool to tell a story using panels of pictures, the big wigs at Marvel got shit faced again and decided to ditch the classic print your shit on paper and send it fans via snail mail. It won't work like a page or some ancient shit like that. It's going to be specifically tailored to new mediums like smart phones, tablet computers, and the internet. In other words, it's using the futuristic tech that we've come to rely on and most likely will help Apple's ongoing plans for world domination.

It'll start with Marvel's big upcoming blockbuster, Avengers vs. X-men. The first of these all-digital stories will take place in the early parts of the event. From there, it'll presumably expand to whichever Marvel writer gets the editors drunk enough so they agree to the stories they want to tell. Gone will be the days of fanboys hanging out in comic shops, talking and/or complaining about the latest issue. They'll just be able to park their asses in a Starbucks, their parent's basement, or on the roof of their house so they can leech off their neighbor's wi-fi and download their dose of Marvel brand awesome on their tablet. Is it a brilliant, bold move? Well considering the current trends in technology and considering that Marvel and DC didn't embrace day-and-date digital comics until last year, I'd say it's only as brilliant as it is overdue.

I don't think my comic buying habits are the same as the vast majority of the comic market in the same way I know my drinking habits are only comparable with Irish dock workers. But day-and-date digital comics through companies like Comixology have become my primary method of buying comics. I don't buy single issues anymore. I only buy the graphic novels after they come out. I find that shit's easier to handle and store while also saving me the trouble of buying those big ass boxes that have been cluttering up my basement since the first George Bush was in office. Don't get me wrong. I love those books almost as much as I love spicy chicken wings and football. But they're cumbersome and digital comics have allowed me to carry an entire fucking library in the palm of my hand thanks to a phone. It's the kind of shit that makes me feel like I'm living in the age of Star Trek minus the hot alien chicks.

As such, I plan on being first in line to check out this new digital push. I also plan on following DC Comics closely to see if they do something in response because let's face it, like any business comics is a big dick-measuring contest. If Marvel finds a way to stretch theirs out a few inches longer, DC will look for a way to do it as well. Digital comics have the potential to tell different kinds of stories and distribute them in a different kind of way. Since an entire generation is growing up expecting all their shit to be beamed to their smart phones, it's best to get ahead of the curve to avoid having to hear that generation bitch more than they already will when they find out what our generation did to the environment, the Middle East, and Mexico.

So what can we make of this? What does this mean for the industry? Well I know my drunken opinion means precisely dick, but I'm all for it. I'm definitely for any means that would make comics easier to access through the internet or these fancy new devices that companies like Apple are throwing at us. I get that there will always be a place for paper books, but going back to what I said about nostalgia I think it's bullshit to not embrace future trends. Let's face it, the future isn't sheets of crushed up trees. The future is tablet computers and smart phones. Hell, we live in an age where a kid will sell his fucking kidney for an ipad. Whereas Marvel took their sweet fucking time bringing day and date digital comics to their library, they're at least trying to be proactive here with this new Infinite label.

I think this shit has real potential. Imagine a world where the stories you love are streamed effortlessly into your computer, phone, or tablet. Imagine a world where you don't have to stuff book cases with old, flimsy paper books that aren't even thick enough to hallow out so you can hide your weed inside them. I want to be part of that world! I want this new medium to expand and succeed! I hope Marvel finds more creative ways of making that $2.99 or $3.99 they charge for each issue more worth-while. Perhaps one day we can get a new Ultimate-style series that's completely online. Perhaps it'll be a series where we the fans can write in our comments right into the book or maybe even make our own thought bubbles that have characters like Wolverine commenting on how great Miss Marvel's ass looks.

I'm sure this is all just prelude. Maybe in the not-so-distant future there will be a day when companies like Marvel and DC can directly beam their stories right into the cortex of our brains so we can ditch the expensive electronic tablets in the first place. I'm pretty sure someone at Apple is saying to Tim Cook "I'm working as fast as I can, damn it!" But until that day comes, companies like Marvel are wise to take advantage of current tech trends the same way China takes advantage of cheap labor. We've got a wired world where paper just ain't gonna cut it anymore and while I have a feeling there will always be a place for books even in comics, I'm all for the digital revolution! So whatever comes of Marvel Infinite Comics or the digital ReEvolution, I'm not afraid to expose how old my ass is getting when I say beam me up, Quesada! Excelsior!

CBR: Marvel T&A - My Question Answered

I know I've had my shit asked during CBR's little interviews before. I also know it's lame for a fanboy to keep getting all giddy every time his name gets mentioned or a question gets asked. But fuck it, I still get excited! Since Joe Quesada now has a new job as CCO at Marvel, his old Cup 'O Joe panels have been given over to Tom Breevort and Axel Alonso. They don't necessarily have the big bosses charm, but they're more playful and willing to entertain more questions. This past week I asked one inspired by the recent change in Wonder Woman's uniform. I swear it was like they showed her tit being exposed Janet Jackson style when they changed her uniform. I personally didn't mind it, but I understand for some how that can be like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa. With that in mind I asked a question about the appearance of characters in the Marvel Universe. I'm not a fashion guru or anything, but I recently watched the movie Bruno and my inner metrosexual felt compelled to ask.

CBR: Marvel T&A - Tom Breevort and Axel Alanso

On to fan questions! MarvelMaster616 went to the fashion side of the Marvel U with this query: "I know there have been a number of uniform changes over the years for the Avengers, the X-men, and Spider-Man. But it feels like the uniforms haven't changed much in quite a long time. Do you think the uniforms of some Marvel heroes are overdue for a makeover? I'm sure you saw how much buzz Wonder Woman's new look got. Why not try a little fashion overhaul in the Marvel Universe?"

Brevoort: That's funny, MarvelMaster, in that I look around the Marvel Universe and see very few mainstay characters who are sporting their classic looks. Practically the only characters still in their quintessential costumes are Spider-Man (who's got some new attire coming as part of "Big Time") and the Fantastic Four (whose outfits are similarly about to change - if only to replace those 4's with 3's…) But almost everybody else - Cyclops, Wolverine, Daredevil, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America (both Bucky and Steve Rogers), Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, etc, etc - is wearing something at least somewhat different these days. Unless you're looking for radically different uniforms for our mainstays, I feel like we're already there.

But what do I know? I haven't changed my look since 1982.

Alonso: Call me crazy, I'm curious to see what could be done with Ghost Rider's outfit. And as much as I love Deathlok's classic look, he's kinda like an 8-track tape in a digital world. His aesthetic is the product of the '70s imagination of the future - I'd like to see him reflect the future we imagine now. Also, I'd kind of like to see a new look for my son's second favorite character, War Machine. Our concept of what those two words - "war" and "machine" - has changed so much over the years. How might his look reflect that and how might he gain aesthetic difference from Iron Man.
Not a completely unserious response, but still decent. I understand some characters have changed more than others. But then there are those who really look the same as they did when my parents were still protoplasmic goo inside my grandparents. I'd like to see Ghost Rider get a new look. The 80s punk rock look wasn't even that badass in the 80s. Black Widow, Spider-Man, Wasp, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Woman, and a whole host of other characters haven't undergone much change. If so much buzz and hoopala can come about from Wonder Woman putting on pants, how can Marvel resist trying to do the same with their characters?

A Message From Joe Quesada

Well yesterday marked a milestone in my life with X-men Supreme. For over six months now I've been developing this fanfiction series, trying my hardest to set it apart from regular fanfiction. Already, it's been successful in a way I did not expect. My website has registered over 2200 hits and the feedback I've gotten while not very big in volume (although I seriously hope that changes *hint hint*) has been positive. But part of my goal wasn't just to create the most awesome fanfiction series in the history of X-men. I wanted this series to be special in that one day it would be recognized by Marvel.

I've already done a great deal of work to set X-men Supreme apart. I have spent time and hundreds of dollars of my own money putting this together. The art I've commissioned and the web services I've purchased are not cheap and I have absolutely no means of making that money back without getting into certain legal issues regarding copyright laws. How many other fanfiction writers can say they're that dedicated? Furthermore, how many other writers work hard to ensure that the series is updated biweekly like a real comic? It is because of this I hoped that somehow X-men Supreme would get an honorable mention as a legitimate expression of X-men.

To do this I sent an email to Joe Quesada himself, thanks to an email address provided by a very dedicated and awesome fan (you know who you are). This is the letter I sent:

Dear Mr. Quesada,

Greetings, I hope you are well and congratulations on your recent promotion at Marvel. You have a lot to be proud of and I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and what you've accomplished. I've long dreamed of one day joining Marvel and contributing my own creative works and recently I have begun something I hope will demonstrate my dedication and passion for comics.

First off, let me start by saying I'm a huge X-men fan. X-men has long been a favorite of mine since the days of the X-men Animated series. So last year I was deeply disappointed to see Ultimate X-men get canceled in wake of the events of Ultimatum. This comic had been my favorite for years. It was a fresh alternative to 616 and one I found more interesting in a number of ways. Luckily, 616 has really gotten more interesting since House of M and I've been avidly following the Second Coming crossover. However, I still feel like there's a void in the X-men universe. Now there is no real Ultimate style alternative. With so many big name X-men dead in Ultimate, it's impossible for it to carry itself as it once did. Other series like X-men Forever are still heavily based on 616 and aren't really full alternatives. So with no further outlets, I took it upon myself to create one for me and X-fans everywhere.

On the January 1st, 2010, the first day of the new decade, I launched my own website entitled X-men Supreme.

X-men Supreme Homepage

This website is a hub for a brand new Marvel Universe that I have created myself. I call it Marvel Universe 1015 (which is actually reflective of my birthday October 15th). On this site I act as though Marvel has employed me to write a new X-men series from the beginning, sort of like how Ultimate started. I started the same way Stan Lee did, using the Original Five and going from there. Since I cannot draw very well, I've done it in the format of fanfiction. But I try not to treat it as such. I have a strict schedule to work by and I call the new chapters 'issues' and not chapters. I also have a regular update schedule that I follow rigorously. Every two weeks on Friday, I add a new issue to the website that continues the unfolding saga of X-men. In the week prior to the update I offer previews as Marvel does before each release. So far I haven't missed a deadline nor do I intend to. Each issue is self-contained and I try to make it work and feel like the issue to a real comic series. They aren't short, spotty, and unrefined. I've summoned my years of writing experience to make this look professional and clean both in terms of style and characterization.

So far the site has been mildly successful. I have a hit counter on the site and it recently passed 1700 unique hits. I've even gained a small following and I've been listed on several fanfiction rings and I've been ranked on various search engines. But I have a strong desire to make X-men Supreme something more than regular fanfiction. I know Marvel by rule does not accept unsolicited work and I'm not asking that X-men Supreme be an exception. But is it at all possible that I can somehow get it recognized as a real series? By real I mean something that Marvel acknowledges in a creative context? Could I get X-men Supreme listed in the Marvel wiki or maybe get a link on your main website somewhere?

Please understand that I know all about copyright issues. I've cited copyright laws on my website stating that I make absolutely no money. In fact, this website has cost me a great deal of money to put together. I even had a title piece commissioned from www.comiconart.com to act as a centerpiece to my series. I've even had some inquiries from fans who want to contribute art of their own. I do not intend to profit from this venture at all. I only wish to gain some level of recognition as a passionate fan trying to contribute to Marvel and the X-men franchise. I would be more than willing to allow Marvel to advertise on my site and I would be more than willing to make adjustments per Marvel's request. If my small site can somehow help Marvel and X-men, then I am more than content with that. I know I can't be an X-men writer at the moment, but this is the closest I can get and I want it to be more than mere fanfiction.

I am a passionate comic fan and X-men Supreme has become part of that passion. I love what I do and I have enough stories with this website to update biweekly without interruption for the next three years. I could go much longer and I would love to do so with the knowledge that such passion is recognized by Marvel. Please don't think this is just me saying I think I know how to handle these characters better than writers like Matt Fraction, Chris Claremont, Zeb Wells, and Peter David. I know I have a long ways to go to reach their legend, but I would like to offer my take to the greater Marvel community.

Please let me know if this is possible in any way. Is there any way X-men Supreme can become special in the annuls of fan dedication? I understand that you're a busy man and if there's someone else at Marvel I need to discuss this with, please let me know. Thank you for your attention and your generosity. I deeply appreciate it and I wish you and your family nothing but the best. Keep up the good work and keep making Marvel as awesome as it can be.

Regards,
Jack

Now I'll be the first to admit I didn't expect a response, even if it was negative. However, just yesterday I got what I consider to be 4th of July present to remember. Mr. Quesada actually responded! This is what he said:

Jack sorry to say that there is no way that we would ever be able to sanction content that we not only don't create or control, but content that we did not solicit.

Sorry to be so blunt but I'm just trying to be honest. But also let's look at it more pragmatically. What about some other writer who is wither launching or has his or her own fan fiction site, are we to sanction all of these?

While I appreciate and understand your passion there really isn't anything I can do.

Beat

JQ

Granted, it was not the response I hoped. But I knew from day one that what I was asking for X-men Supreme would be a long shot. I had every indication that my request would be outright ignored. But Mr. Quesada did take the time to read my letter and acknowledge my passion. That in and of itself has to account for something and for that I deem it awesome.

So it does not look like X-men Supreme is going to get any kind of sanction or recognition. It's somewhat understandable. I'm just a fan who writes shit that may or may not be very good. If they recognize me then that creates a precedent that may be too cumbersome to handle. That could distract from Marvel's primary goal, which is to make awesome comics. And no honorable fan should want that.

I guess X-men Supreme is not going to be as big as it is now. It was a long shot and while my proposal was rejected, it was a shot worth taking. I guess the only thing I can do at this point is keep writing, making sure that X-men Supreme is still the greatest, least terrible fanfiction series on the web. I hope that one day this will change, but for now X-men Supreme is what it is. For what I've put into this, I'm okay with that. Nuff said.

ANOTHER Second Coming Promo! Complete with Phoenix Teasing!

Second coming is only a month or so away and Marvel is stepping up the hype like always. Today they released yet another teaser, this time focusing on Hope. The message is "One Will Rise" and in the world of X-men there are only so many characters that can do so. Even fewer have red hair, green eyes, and a history with Phoenix powers.

New "Second Coming" Teaser From CBR

As I have posted before, Marvel has been hinting at the return of Jean Grey for quite a while now. There was the rumors that she would return after Phoenix Endsong that were fruitless. There were the rumors that she was Mutant Zero, but that turned out to be nothing as it ended up being Typhoid Mary. Most recently there was the rumor that she would be the mysterious character to return in Uncanny 522. Again, it was not her. It ended up being Kitty Pryde. It should come as no surprise that another hint is being dropped so soon afterwards, this time involving Hope Summers.

The theory that Hope is Jean is not new. It has been speculated over ever since Hope was born in Messiah Complex. Her interacting with Cyclops and the locket he had of him and Jean was the first. Her having red hair, green eyes, and displaying the Phoenix emblem added to the hints. In recent issues of Cable her appearance is even more similar to Jean Grey. Add to that there was another moment where the Phoenix emblem showed in her eyes. All this comes on the cusp of an increase in Phoenix activity. The Phoenix Force left Rachel and it recently left the Cuckoos too in Uncanny 518. It is almost a given that Phoenix will be involved at some point. What isn't so clear is whether or not Jean Grey will follow.

It seems to be following a growing trend. Jean Grey has fallen to the wayside recently in favor of the Phoenix being an actual character. In the last major Phoenix story, Phoenix Warsong, Jean Grey wasn't even mentioned. It was only the Phoenix that took center stage. That appears to have continued as Rachel and the Cuckoos continue to interact with the Phoenix. The writers seem favor using Phoenix more than Jean Grey because Jean Grey brings with her a certain amount of baggage and doing so will muff some of the developments between certain characters, namely Scott and Emma.

The problem with this is that Phoenix and Jean cannot be separated. Their history is so intrinsically woven together that it's foolish to try. The poor sales of Phoenix Warsong compared to Phoenix Endsong show this. If you take Phoenix out of Jean Grey then you're not left with a very compelling character. It may be for that reason they're focusing on Phoenix for Second Coming because it allows for Hope to stay Hope and not be Jean Grey. This can be good for those who are fans of Hope, but it will certainly irk Jean fans because it will bring in yet another Jean Grey look-a-like when there are already characters like Rachel who fill the same role.

It's like Marvel wants to have their cake and eat it too. They don't want to bring Jean back to mess up Scott and Emma, but they want to bring her star power back into the books. She's constantly voted as being one of the top X-men and there's no denying her appeal. It's just a matter of the writers being willing to let her back. If history is any indication, it probably won't happen. Writers like Fraction and Quesada are so heavily vested in keeping Jean dead and not threatening the Scott/Emma relationship that they'll bend all the comic book rules they can to keep her dead while trying to tap her potential. My Spider-Sense tells me this will NOT end well.

It's inevitable that Jean will come back. She can't die by her own nature. But if ever there was a good opportunity for her to come back, Second Coming is it. If the writers don't use this chance to bring her back into the fold, it may be a LONG time before she shows up in the X-men again as a main player. We may get a new Jean-substitute in Hope, but she's still NOT Jean. You can't replace Jean with Hope anymore than you can replace Wolverine with Dakan or Iron Man with War Machine or Spider-Man with the Scarlet Spider (Clone Saga). If Marvel tries they'll be doing themselves a disservice. It wouldn't be the first time.

In the end I do hope Marvel surprises me and brings Jean back in Second Coming. She could only help the X-men as a whole. She died in a powerful moment at the end of Morrison's run with the seeds already planted for her return. It's time those seeds finally grow. But knowing Marvel, I'm not holding my breath. It appears we'll be getting a new Jean-replacement soon. I wish I could say it's better than nothing, but honestly? It's a joke.