Here's the part you'll hate me for: I support crossovers. If an event occurs in a shared universe, it has to resonate throughout that world. Publishers can't plan a credible super-mega-ultra summer event in a shared universe without the affects rippling throughout all the pertinent titles. If they ignore the event in certain titles, it becomes inconsistent. Readers shouldn't have to wonder if, for instance, Spider-Man just thwarts bank robbers during his down time from HOUSE OF M. The same problem plagues characters with multiple titles and team memberships. I doubt Wolverine has time to fight with the X-Men and the Avengers and still conduct his solo adventures. You can't fit the different books in a loose timeline, because they won't all fit. Writers should at least acknowledged the events in other titles. If Spider-Man just stopped H.Y.D.R.A. from detonating a cache of nuclear missiles over New York, you'd think the Fantastic Four could at least mention it over breakfast.
First and foremost, both DC and Marvel need to reduce the number of titles per character. We really don't need seven Batman titles. The original two were fine, along with the miniseries. Wolverine doesn't need two teams and a solo title, either. In fact, fewer X-Men titles are in order. Both publishers should try their damnedest to create the next iconic character and quit milking the same tit they've been on for the past half-century. I realize that Wolverine's membership in the Avengers will sell more comics, but perhaps some talented writer could make the book worth reading without him instead of leaning on that sales crutch. Second, writers should communicate with each other. If Daniel Way wants to send Wolverine to India to fight the remains of the Thugee cult in his solo title, then whomever's writing X-Men should take that into account and at least work around it, if not leave him out for the requisite time. Obviously, multiple titles can't be synched perfectly (otherwise they'd tell the same story from different points of view) but there's room for improvement. No reader will scrutinize the sequence of events from multiple titles, but everyone would enjoy greater acknowledgment of the shared universe.
If Marvel or DC really think that a character needs another series, at least treat the additional titles as out of continuity. That way, hose readers of the main title won't feel like they miss part of the story when they forgo yet another new X-book. Effectively, DC uses this model with the All-Star imprint "iconic," non-continuity stories. Any crossover events wouldn't include these additional titles just the core, shared universe title.
Following my suggestion, characters would have one or, at most, two in-continuity titles. When DC or Marvel plans a crossover event, this would cut down on the number of in-continuity titles through which to spread the story. With the crossover titles reduced, I'd model the buildup and crossover after professional wrestling pay-per-view events. Stop laughing and hear me out. Professional wrestling promotes monthly pay-per-view events with a month of regular shows prior to the event. Then after you've followed the story for as long, they ask you to pay $30 to see the conclusion (that's how they hook you). Comics could follow a similar pattern by building to an event book with the regular series (plural), but publishing the event as a single trade paperback. The mere passage of time creates part of the continuity problem. If INFINITE CRISIS requires eight months, then readers logically expect crossover in other titles during the same time (or they should, in a consistent shared universe). If that time were reduced to a single month, then the writers would only have to worry about the events leading up to and following the event. So, you read BATMAN until the big INFINITE CRISIS trade hits the shops. Then, you read about what the Dark Knight's up to during that event. That's where he is during the larger story of the shared universe, and he doesn't have time to head to Apokalips with Superman. Then, the next issue of his regular series picks up after the special event.
I know what some of you are thinking characters' extra titles don't always reflect the current universe's continuity and not every issue of BATMAN, nor every issue of LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT has to reflect INFINITE CRISIS or whatever. In fact, some of these extraneous series just ignore the event altogether. Thus, readers can still enjoy a title without buying into the crossover. For instance, while INFINITE CRISIS rages, Batman's still dealing with Jason Todd and the Red Hood business in his own title. You can read one without the other. However, while the Jason Todd story may ultimately tie into the larger event, you can't tell me that during INFINITE CRISIS, Bruce Wayne has a lot of down time to fight Gotham's underworld. Even the Dark Knight has to sleep. We have to logically assume that the two series occur during roughly the same time, unless stated otherwise. The two series are incompatible and cannot occur simultaneously in a shared consistent universe, as they should. While ignoring larger events in individual titles may ease the burden on readers and writers, it violates the very spirit of a shared universe. Thus, in my perfect world, the reduced number of titles would reflect these events. Crossover means crossover, so everybody in the pool.
Money presents the most obvious problem. Most people don't mind paying $4 per month for eight months on a huge-mega-epic-can't-miss event miniseries. But, do the math: if the single trade costs about the same, it wouldn't kill anyone to just pay the money all at once. If Marvel and DC try to keep the costs down, it'll pay off in spades when a bunch of people buy a $30 trade after six months of anticipation in the regular ongoing series. Besides, if the publishers release fewer extraneous titles, you'll have all that money left over to buy the event trade. I don't necessarily advocate the entire industry jumping to trades as some people have, but replacing the crossover minis with single volumes would solve the continuity conundrum.
I doubt any publisher will ever adopt this model. There may be legitimate reasons why it won't work. However, nothing changes until someone speaks up. E-mail me and let me know what you think and I'll try to run your letters next week.
New This Week
By Al Brown and Kurt Amacker
DARK HORSE
Art Of Comic Book Inking 2nd ED TP $24.95
Blade Of The Immortal #108 (MR) $2.99
Doctor Solar Man Of The Atom Vol 3 HC $49.95
Frank Miller Sin City Library I HC (note Price) $150.00
Al: Man, I love Sin City as much as the next guy, but...$150 bucks? Damn.
Kurt: I'm starting to doubt your commitment to Sin City, Al.
Jingle Belle The Fight Before Christmas $2.99
Kurt: Dude, this sounds like the name of a boxing pay-per-view or something. Except, this only costs $2.99 instead of, say, $40.
Lenore Pvc Set $14.99
Little Lulu Vol 7 Lulus Umbrella Service TP $9.95
Mini Fender Jazz Bass Guitar Model (RES) $19.99
Al: We're selling guitars now? Dark Horse is weird, man.
Kurt: Model, retard.
Mini Fender Model Guitar Case (RES) $239.88
Al: How come the model for the case costs twelve times as much as the guitar model? What am I missing here?
Kurt: That, my friend, is how they get you. I mean, who the fk wants to own a guitar without a case?
Mini Fender Precision Bass Guitar Model (RES) $19.99
Mini Fender Stratocaster Guitar Model (RES) $19.99
Al: In case anyone wants to be more like me: I play a Stratocaster. I wail, too.
Mini Fender Telecaster Guitar Model (RES) $19.99
Nexus Archives Vol 1 HC $49.95
Oh My Goddess Vol 1 Authentic ED TP $10.95
Wiccan chick: Oh my Goddess!
Samurai Executioner Vol 7 TP $9.95
Samurai Heaven & Earth #5 (of 5) $2.99
Sin City Environment Magnet Set $19.99
Al: And magnets. Magnets too.
Kurt: Dude, Marv's going to come throw you out of a window or something.
Super Manga Blast #58 (MR) $5.99
DC COMICS
100 Bullets #67 (MR) $2.75
Action Comics #834 $2.50
Aquaman #37 $2.50
Authority The Magnificent Kevin #5 (of 5) (MR) $2.99
Al: I'm afraid this crappy limited series may have put the final nail in Kevin's coffin. Ah well. He was a good joke while he lasted.
Batman Gotham County Line #3 (of 3) $5.99
Kurt: STEEEEEEVE! Yeah, buddy!
Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #198 $2.50
Batman Strikes #16 $2.25
Best Of The Spirit TP $14.99
Captain Atom Armageddon #3 (of 9) $2.99
Chikyu Misaki Vol 2 $9.99
DMZ #2 (MR) $2.99
Elseworlds Series 1 Af Inner Case PI
Elseworlds Series 1 Af Master Case PI
Elseworlds Series 1 Red Son Superman Af PI
Elseworlds Series 1 Red Son Wonder Woman Af PI
Elseworlds Series 1 Thrillkiller Batgirl Af PI
Elseworlds Series 1 Thrillkiller Batman Af PI
Al: Is it me or is there sortof a glut of things that aren't actually comic books shipping this week? I don't even know what this is. And I forget what PI was supposed to mean. All I know is I don't care.
Kurt: Dude, we've been over this. Pi=3.14159265...forget it.
Fables #44 (MR) $2.75
Firestorm #20 $2.50
Al: Guest-starring Animal Man.
Kurt: Dude, I didn't know your boyfriend had a comic! All right, that was beyond lame.
Green Arrow #57 $2.50
Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy Statue $125.00
Hawkman #47 $2.50
Infinite Crisis #1 George Perez Poster $7.99
Infinite Crisis #1 Jim Lee Poster $7.99
JLA #123 $2.50
Majestic #12 $2.99
Megas XLR Statue $125.00
Monster Collection Vol 4 (MR) $9.99
Nightwing #115 $2.50
Scooby Doo #103 $2.25
Superman True Brit Sc $17.99
Al: I'm generally pretty sick of Elseworlds / What If? stories - I never see the point in any of them - but this has John Cleese (Monty Python) involved (on some minor level), so that's kinda cool.
Kurt: Dude, Batman: Nosferatu. That's all I gotta say.
Teen Titans #30 $2.50
Villains United TP $12.99
Wildcats Nemesis #4 (of 9) $2.99
Al: Who makes a nine-issue miniseries? What's this all about? For some reason I feel personally offended by the idea of a nine-issue miniseries.
Kurt: If Trent Reznor wrote a comic, it would be nine issues. That's all I'm saying.
Wonder Woman Eyes Of The Gorgon TP $19.99
IMAGE
Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol 2 #3 $2.99
Al: If you like Mexican wrestlers as much as any sane person does, this is the book for you.
Kurt: Al, you haven't told anyone about your side gig as a Mexican wrestler groupie, have you? Slut.
Bad Planet #1 (of 6) $2.99
Al: This is that comic that Thomas Jane (Punisher) is cowriting. The premise - accidental alien invasion resulting in a realignment of the food chain with us no longer at the top - sounds like it could go either way.
Kurt: All right, I guess it's safe to say this now: I wrote that press release. That bit about the food chain? All me. I'm not kidding.
Fear Agent #2 $2.99
Further Adventures Of One Page Filler Man GN $11.99
Grounded #4 (of 6) $2.99
Hawaiian Dick The Last Resort #3 (of 4) (RES) $2.99
Al: Wow. This is late. Fun stuff though.
Kurt: It sounds like the name of Cinemax softcore skin flick.
Noble Causes #15 $3.50
Rising Stars Voices Of The Dead #6 (of 6) $2.99
Kurt: I'm going to hire a choir to sing "Who cares?" to the tune of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony over and over again.
Silvestri Turner Witchblade #18 Litho $19.99
Kurt: See above.
The Gift Vol 2 Consequences TP $14.99
Walking Dead Omnibus Vol 1 HC (MR) $100.00
Al: If anyone feels like buying me a really expensive Christmas present, this would do it.
Kurt: Yeah, you can get me one, too.
Witchblade Megacon 2005 Variant #83 $5.00
Witchblade Megacon 2005 Variant #83 Sgn $15.00
MARVEL
Books Of Doom #2 (of 6) $2.99
Cable Deadpool #23 $2.99
Fantastic Four Iron Man Big In Japan #3 (of 4) $3.50
Fantastic Four Visionaries John Byrne Vol 5 TP $24.99
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man 2nd Ptg Var #2 $2.99
Ghost Rider #4 (of 6) $2.99
GLA Misassembled TP $14.99
Al: This sold enough to warrant a trade? Huh.
GLX-mas Special $3.99
Al: Congratulations to the four of you for whom this will become a much-loved nostalgia trip in twenty years.
Gravity Big City Super Hero Digest $7.99
Al: Nice little miniseries. I hate the digest format though. Black and white = teh suck. Unless it's Walking Dead.
Kurt: d00d, b&w 15 n0t teh suck i lurv pr0n.
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #7 $2.50
Kurt: teh suck
Marvel Joe Madureira Poster $5.99
Al: What would be funny is if this was actually a poster of Joe Madureira.
Marvel Knights 4 #25 $2.99
Marvel Knights Spider-Man #21 $2.99
Al: What would really be funny is if Spider-Man ended up evolving into, like, a kitty.
Kurt: What do you mean? He's already a pusI'm not going to say that. I'm just not.
Marvel Select Flip Magazine #7 $3.99
Marvel Tales Flip Magazine #6 $3.99
New Avengers Most Wanted Files $3.99
Al: I'd like to make fun of this because I hate these crappy "must-buy!" supplemental books. The solicitation for this actually says "In the tradition of Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury like that's something to be proud of. But...this does promise to finally list all 42 dudes who escaped The Raft, and I had totally been wondering about that. Worth flipping through in the comic store maybe.
New Thunderbolts #16 $2.99
New X-Men #21 $2.99
Al: Liking Kyle, Yost and Brooks' take on this book a lot more than I thought I would.
New X-Men Second Ptg Variant #20 $2.99
Omega The Unknown Classic TP $29.99
Punisher Silent Night $3.99
Kurt: Now this...this is fking funny.
Secret War Book Five (of 5) $3.99
Al: No way, seriously? Wow, I'd totally forgotten about this. Man, that dell'Otto dude makes some pretty pictures. But he does it very, very slowly.
Kurt: Santa must've come through for Diamond this week, because between this and the Punisher Christmas special, I feel nothing but holiday cheer.
Son Of M #1 (of 6) $2.99
Al: Slowsilver!
Kurt: Al, why does your fiancé call you Quicksilver when you're not around? Just curious.
Ultimate Iron Man #5 (of 5) $2.99
Al: Hey, you know what would rock? If Iron Man was, like, blue.
Kurt: As opposed to what? Drunk?
Uncanny X-Men #467 $2.50
What If Wolverine $2.99
Al: Is John Cleese involved in this? Then no.
Kurt: But Wolverine is! You love Wolverine!
X-Factor #1 $2.99
Al: This, on the other hand, gets a big HELL YEAH! as Peter David follows up on that totally badass Madrox miniseries from last year.
Kurt: Does he beat up Todd McFarlane in this book?
X-Men #179 $2.50
X-Men Phoenix Endsong TP $14.99
Kurt: Whatever. Good night.
Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at comicscape@cinescape.com.
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