tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883858311254879320.post8314641630766938345..comments2023-10-23T09:14:56.084-07:00Comments on The Marvel Editorial Simulation, Part II: The Rise and Fall of the Defenders: A PitchPhilip Schaefferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02953020455813574163noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883858311254879320.post-43092573141201849632007-05-15T10:04:00.000-07:002007-05-15T10:04:00.000-07:00I wouldn't ask Tom anything about Earth-2, or he'l...I wouldn't ask Tom anything about Earth-2, or he'll call you "one of them gall-durned 616ers" and banish you from the game!<BR/><BR/>To respond to your responses to my responses to your responses to my pitch:<BR/><BR/>1. Omega Flight sold out. They changed it from an ongoing because the retailers didn't order it that aggressively, but it wound up selling out. It is different to revitalize an old building than burn down a building with people still in it.<BR/><BR/>3. When I described the Spider-Man in his new elements (Shanghai was another) I didn't mean he'd be in the Sahara or a rainforest: He'd still be swinging around an urban environment, and it would serve as a parallel to the urban jungle of New York, that this one is so much worse and really needs defending. And while you're right that changing the status quo can annoy readers, when you do it in the context of a crossover, where it's clear that he'll return to relative normalcy when it's done they grant you some leeway (the Stark spider-armor being an example of this). However, your concerns on this matter are important ones and should be dealt with Head On (apply directly to the forehead).<BR/><BR/>Here's my reason for wanting to a linewide crossover: you get the sales benefit of three two-title crossovers (which I imagine we would all do between our own books) plus the built in benefit of a three book crossover. Clearly, not everybody is going to buy all six books, but a few Spidey readers who don't normally pick up FF or She-Hulk will check them out if they dig the Spidey crossover.<BR/><BR/>I know it's more complicated and it's a bit of a gamble, but it pays off better than anything else. Look, I came up with that Defenders thing in half an hour; I'm not married to it, though I think it's really cool. We can come up with something else. I just want some synergy.<BR/><BR/>This all goes out the window if Sean has different ideas.Philip Schaefferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02953020455813574163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883858311254879320.post-57472214633587474402007-05-15T09:48:00.000-07:002007-05-15T09:48:00.000-07:001.: While there is currently no Defenders book aro...1.: While there is currently no Defenders book around, don't make the mistake of thinking that the name doesn't come with an inbuilt fanbase. Look at the ruckus about Omega Flight or Kevin Grevioux' New Warriors. Fans from former incarnations of the respective teams have been vocal from the start. They still care. They might not care enough to keep a Defenders book afloat, but it might be enough to sabotage us.<BR/><BR/>2.: I have no problem with overhauling your pitch. Like I said, I want to offer constructive criticism. It's just that I have my doubts that this in its entirety is the way to go.<BR/><BR/>3.: While I like your ideas for Spider-Man in South America and Africa, I see two problems with them. First of all, you are taking him out of his element. This can lead to awesome stories, but it usually annoys readers. The second problem is that the Ananse concept reminds readers of JMS' Spider-totem. And the vocal majority is our main enemy in this internetbased simulation.<BR/><BR/>4.: I think tying the Fantastic Four to the movie release is a tad late. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Perhaps we should ask Tom about movie releases, video games and the like on Earth-2. Until now, I assumed that while we have no Civil War, Annihilation or Planet Hulk, it's still our world. But we all know what happens when we assume. It leads to assumptions...Michael Heidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06681828051904902975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883858311254879320.post-34629784054559111012007-05-15T09:22:00.000-07:002007-05-15T09:22:00.000-07:001. I vividly remember the Exiles fiasco, but I'd s...1. I vividly remember the Exiles fiasco, but I'd say this is different because: a) there's not currently an ongoing Defenders title with a loyal following; b) I've heard Joe Q talk about how he's looking for the right idea with which to relaunch the Defenders, since their role as the covert agents has sort of been replaced by the New Avengers (and I think the idea that the Defenders are Defending the world from the Avengers is kind of cool and not that out of step with the original non-team mandate). I'd argue that recasting Doom as a hero is the more upsetting idea for the virtual fan community.<BR/><BR/>2. You're right about this completely. Granted, we could overhaul my pitch (which was just a pitch, so feel free to be as vicious tearing it down and possibly rebuilding it as you'd like) so that it was a bold new direction, sans a Defenders motif and tied more organically into the books we've been assigned. But you're right that this is very much an extension of current Marvel, so it's up to Sean.<BR/><BR/>3. Spider-Man and She-Hulk have much less to do with the pitch, you're right. She-Hulk doesn't fit in all that well, but in crossovers like this some characters always get swept in in order to sell more books. It's a method, and admittedly not one of the ones Sean suggested.<BR/>Spidey fits in a little better, at least in my mind. The Spider-Man solo titles I'd envisioned would be Spider-Man in Africa (called Ananse there?), Spider-Man in South America, helping third world countries and almost being swayed to the idea that the Defenders have some good ideas.<BR/>And it would be up to the writers to make sure the X-Men and Fantastic Four are very much engaged in the new activities of Doom and Magneto, sure, but I would argue that those are characters just as important to the properties as the heroes (Magneto even moreso to the X-Men since the roster changes so frequently). I can't see people being upset, after such long absences, about finally seeing some Doom and Magneto. However, you're right that it's always hard to keep readers coming back after the tie-in. My argument to that, however, is that by then our two weeks will be over!<BR/><BR/>I'm a little confused by your feeling of trying to tie in the FF Movie if you don't care about Civil War, WWH etc. What kind of simulated world are we dealing with here, anyway?<BR/><BR/>Now, as for focusing on the infrastructure of the books we gots... I agree completely. I'm not suggesting we run with this immediately. All I'm saying is that, if we can agree on SOME overarching crossover early enough we can start laying the pipe and groundwork that makes the payoff that much more exciting.Philip Schaefferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02953020455813574163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883858311254879320.post-10619980845717273952007-05-15T08:55:00.000-07:002007-05-15T08:55:00.000-07:00Alright. I like that pitch and would probably want...Alright. I like that pitch and would probably want to read it, but I don't think it really fits our mission statement for several reasons.<BR/><BR/>1.: Remember the Exiles fiasco last time around? That was a solid concept as well, with a perfectly suited creative team in place, but the virtual fan community hated it. Mainly because it took the name of the Exiles. If it had been a new Morlocks book or created a brandnew franchise under a brandnew name, it might have had more success. By creating a new group of Defenders with virtually no ties to the previous group (except for Namor), we might fall into the same trap.<BR/><BR/>2.: In this scenario, we were hired to, and I quote, "overhaul the place and make it better than it was." Besides, "[at] this point, we're beginning at ground neutral. There are no crossovers in effect--there is no CIVIL WAR, no WORLD WAR HULK, no ANNIHILATION."<BR/>Your pitch is a direct continuation of the road that began with Avengers: Disassembled and led over House of M to Civil War. It would most likely work under the former Editor in Chief, Joe Quesada. But we have a new EiC and a new direction. So we might be better off if we go in a different direction.<BR/><BR/>3.: Look at the books we were dealt. Two X-books, two Spider-Man books, She-Hulk and the Fantastic Four. The way I see it, Spider-Man has nothing to do with your pitch. She-Hulk seems forced, since we don't have the actual Incredible Hulk book. And both the Fantastic Four and the Uncanny X-Men would have to take a backseat against their respective villins, Dr. Doom and Magneto. But we're faced with the task to raise sales on our books. By basically taking out the major players of those two team books, it's highly unlikely that readers will stay on the book once the event is over. Plus, with a Fantastic Four movie on the way, we really should feature the characters. I think that includes restoring the team to its original roster, so Black Panther doesn't have a tie to our books as well.<BR/><BR/>Please don't take me wrong, I consider this constructive criticism.<BR/><BR/>Besides, I think we should focus on the infrastructure of the books we got first before planning a huge crossover. We can still do that in week two.Michael Heidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06681828051904902975noreply@blogger.com