SPIDER-MAN’S AMAZING NEWS
There was a lot of news about upcoming comics and industry events that came out of COMICON INTERNATIONAL this past weekend. San Diego is usually the place where comic book companies love to announce their publishing plans for the near future (although WIZARD WORLD in Chicago–the next big show of the year– also sees a lot of original news emerge as well), and there’s a lot to digest from all the stuff announced at this past CCI. For me, however, the most interesting announcement was Marvel’s plan to publish AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 3 times per month. As you’ve no doubt heard, both SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN and FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN will be coming to an end with the ONE MORE DAY story line that J. Michael Strazynski and Marvel EIC Joe Quesada are working on to wrap up the titles. This will then lead into the new paradigm for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN coming out thrice monthly with 4 rotating creative teams.
I think this is a great idea from an economic standpoint. Marvel has long had the multiple-title monthly format for SPIDER-MAN– and I’ve been fortunate to be a part of that two different times with the original SENSATIONAL back in the mid-nineties (with my good buddy Todd Dezago) and more recently with FRIENDLY launching a few years back. Those secondary SPIDER-MAN monthlies have always lagged well behind the main AMAZING title in sales, however ….. always. Most SPIDER-MAN fans prefer the original title over any other… and that makes perfect sense. It’s the main title…. the one that really ‘counts’. So, with this plan to publish AMAZING three times monthly, Marvel still has the same amount of product, and they’ll all be under the original title banner, which will more than likely keep the sales from all the creative teams’ books very close to each other. For ME, though, the most exciting part of this news was the fact that Chris Bachalo will be the artist on one of these rotating teams. I’m such a huge Bachalo fan… if I had to make a list of my top 10 favorite modern comics artists, Bachalo would at or near the top of the list. He’s one of those artists who’s work I buy no matter what he’d drawing. Whether I’m interested in the book or not. His moving over to SPIDER-MAN is extra exciting as he’s been working in the X-MEN office with almost all his work at Marvel for so many years– and though I loved his work on those characters, it’s very exciting to see him moving on to try something else. It’s going to be very exciting to see Bachalo’s take on Peter Parker and his supporting cast as well as his wonderfully bizarre rogue’s gallery. I’m absolutely thrilled…!
OK.. I’ve got to get back to work. Have a great day.
This is Entry 408.
Mike
August 1st, 2007 at 8:37 am
Weeyow! That’s a lot of Spidey. I’m liking this new tendancy to increase the frequency of certain books closer to weekly installments. Now if only they could do that for ROCKETO…
Great sketch.
August 1st, 2007 at 8:43 am
I’m excited about the new creative teams, that’s for sure. Especially Bachalo.
I’m I alone in thinking that as great as this is, there should be a fifth team with Mike in the mix somehow?
August 1st, 2007 at 9:19 am
For a minute I thought they were going back to that twice-a-month thing they did back when McFarlane was still on Amazing. A nice ploy, but it hurt the art. You could always tell the panels that done right before the deadline since they got no love.
Excellent news with Bachalo. I’ve been rereading his Captain America: Homeland again and again. Looking forward to seeing his take on the Webbed Wonder.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:48 am
Bachalo was the name that got me the most excited as well, though I’m really looking forward to seeing his MJ and – if the comic gods are kind, Gwen in some type of flashback.
August 1st, 2007 at 10:19 am
Mike,
Are you still trying to stretch out your figures? (I think you mentioned this a while ago when you posted a picture of the Flash.) Anyhow, it looks great.
August 1st, 2007 at 12:22 pm
And Bachalo with writer Zeb Wells is a durn good pairing. I’ll buy it!
August 1st, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I don’t read the Spidey books (or very many superhero books for that matter), but yeah, Chris Bachalo is an amazing artist. I love his work on the Death miniseries.
August 1st, 2007 at 3:43 pm
The Bachalo announcement was stunning (he’d been hinting something was up for a while, and the original teaser image “bits” they posted online were clearly Bachalo feet LOL). I haven’t read a lot of Spider-Man lately due to lack of interest in the character… but as you said, Mike, I buy anything with Bachalo’s name on it (not only my top modern comic artist – my fav artist, any medium any era – as grandiose as that sounds, I stand behind it), so it’ll be interesting to see his take.
(Zeb was just an added bonus…)
August 1st, 2007 at 4:46 pm
I’m super excited about this too! I’ve always been a big fan of Spider-Man, but other than reading Friendly Neighbourhood SM since it started (mainly thanks to your art, I should point out), I haven’t really liked SM comics. I prefer the carefree, happy, wise-cracking Spidey of Friendly Neighbourhood SM and Ultimate SM. I’m was never too fond of JMSs dreary, heavy Amazing SM.
But Bachalo on this, with Zeb Wells is just too great! As upset as I was to hear about the end of FNSM, this makes up for it! Kinda like when I heard Dan Slott was leaving She-Hulk. Sucky news, until they announced his replacement!
August 1st, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Mike, have you ever drawn a bad Spider-Man? You have [or at least to me it seems you have] a natural feel for the character!
August 1st, 2007 at 7:05 pm
I wish you were on one of the teams. I’ve always said you were born to draw Spidey. Not many people manage to show his different moods with that full-face mask on but you always do. While John Romita and Gil Kane will always be my favorite Spider-Man artists (followed closely by Ross Andru), you’re pretty close.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:11 am
I AGREE WITH MAFUS
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:33 am
I’m really looking forward to the new Spidey format/teams, and since Bachalo is only on for one arc, I’m holding out hope that the fourth spot will be a rotating artist spot so we can get some more Ringo and Romita jr. Spider-Man art down the road.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:57 am
Its nice to see both companies attempting to simplify some of their iconic characters. For instance, dc did that with keeping it down to two titles per superman and batman . (asides from superman/batman). Now if x-men could only make sense to me again.It hasn’t since the nineties. exclude astonishing from that statmeent
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Hi Mike, i’m excited about the new status of Amazing Spiderman. I believe that it will be just a temporary choice, but i hope that it will be great. I hope to see you between the pencilers as soon as possible, Mike!
August 5th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
You should be on the book for this.
August 5th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I love how you’re doing a little more backgrounds on these sketches. Theid ad so much to the composition and in pencil they have this amazings crosshatched energy. Thanks for the nice words on our blog. One day we should try to meet at one of these conventions. Such madness!