If you get the Marvel.com email - they had a spotlight on Alpha Flight!

[Tawmis]

https://www.marvel.com/comics/discover/1589/meet-alpha-flight&EML=030920_MU_AlphaFlight&cid=MarvelUnlimited

Does anyone know if they added more Alpha Flight in Marvel Unlimited?

[Tawmis]

http://click.mail.marvel.com/?qs=e4dcc28068ade7b5b0701bb84338a54b5cdfee6dfd1176 ec971ceebe53e90e3ee61a4c337fb397bb8638c3c804e2e11b c4e759d028420800
CHARACTER CLOSE UP
Meet Alpha Flight

Originally assembled through a government initiative, Alpha Flight is Canada's premiere Super Hero team. Learn about each member with MU now!

[Phil]

They added True North yesterday.

[Tawmis]

Oh. That's it? Not like the other GAPING holes in the first volume? -sigh-

[Garry/Al-Fan]

The profile for PUCK reads, in part, as if someone took offense at the anti-Black Razer sentiment and made sure that the character is tied to Judd...which ultimately ties ALPHA FLIGHT to the Mantlo-era...which (I assume) was the problem MARVEL was trying to get away from.While this spotlight on ALPHA FLIGHT is (for the most part) good, I just don't see how minds manipulating Mac and homicidal Heather are going to be an appealing premise for a new series or a springboard for a blockbuster movie.

[Le Messor]

Alleged 'heroes' brainwashing and homiciding may not appeal to us, but (sigh) there are plenty of people out there who they do appeal to. (Did I say 'sigh'?)

~ Le Messor
"The law of heredity is that all undesirable traits come from the other parent."
~ anonymous

[Phil]

The article doesn't sell them on the brainwashed homicide though, and as much as we all dislike the Mantlo Raazer period, it's canon, so they can't just deny it happened.

[Le Messor]

Good points, Phil.

Also, I notice they use mostly-all Byrne covers for their profiles. Yay! (The Aurora one is one of my favourite non-Byrne AF covers, and the best one they could've used, I think.)
Was it established that the Sasquatch on Howling Commandos was our Sasquatch? I'd always thought that was ambiguous. (I've read, like, one issue.)

I think the Talisman is much older than 300 years, though. (Not Elizabeth, obviously.)

~ Le Messor
"If a cluttered desk is an indication of a cluttered mind, what is indicated by an empty desk?"
~ anonymous

[Garry/Al-Fan]

First, MARVEL announced "How to read comics the MARVEL way." Then, they announced The New Warriors" featuring "Snowflake" and "Safespace." Now, MARVEL is announcing an "America Chavez" miniseries. When an employee makes bad decision after bad decision after bad decision, sooner or later the boss is going to take notice.

[Phil]

Why are they bad decisions?

[Garry/Al-Fan]

A comic book that tells you how to read a comic book? If someone doesn't know how to read a (MARVEL) comic book, how are they going to understand the (MARVEL) comic book that tells them how to read a comic book? Really, do you need a comic book to tell you how to read a comic book? Now?And the rollout of characters with no other names than "Snowflake" and "Safespace" when the comic book industry is teetering on the brink of collapse? "Trailblazer"---as someone else mentioned--- has a magic pouch...I mean, backpack...and this is supposed to be a "new" superhero? Really?And lastly a character who has been cancelled and is not well-liked is getting a miniseries? NOW?

[Phil]

What if a child really wants to get into reading comics but is daunted by them and doesn't know where to start? What if they loved the films and really want to get into comics and this comic that you're writing off as a bad decision without even having read is the gateway for them and opens up their love of reading?

Why are the names Snowflake and Safespace any worse than Mr Fantastic or Impossible Man?
Why is Trailblazer a bad decision, but Honey Lemon wasn't?
And I'm pretty certain Shaman wasn't "new" and that mystics existed before him.

And as to "a character who has been cancelled" getting a miniseries being a bad decision; by that logic Alpha Flight should never appear again seeing as they've been cancelled 4 times now?
And America is arguably more liked than AF right about now, and likely to be appearing in the MCU.

Just because YOU do not like these things, does not make them bad decisions.
There are 100's of comics out there for middle aged men, and these will continue to be published.
Comics should be accessible to anyone. This is Marvel doing that.
I won't be buying them, but they're not for me. I accept that.
And as long as the comics don't make financial loss then they're not bad decisions.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

Is this book free? Where is this child going to find this tutorial book? How are they going to get to a comic shop? How are their parents? Will there be a comic shop to go to?Once again, comparing apples to oranges and jumping to the wrong conclusions.

[Phil]

No.
In a comic shop, or on Amazon, or on comiXology.
Walk, or public transport, or cycle, or a car, or online.
See above.
Yes, yes there will.
What should I be comparing, and what conclusions should I be jumping to?

[Garry/Al-Fan]

(Most) Nonessential businesses are closed, here; don't know if it's business was usual where you are. People are under a mandatory stay-at-home/work-from-home/shelter-in-place order; don't know if everything is fine where you are. Things have been shutting down for awhile, now. And child on comixology...when they can't even read a MARVEL comic? How do they do that? Are they going to get it through school? (A lot of them are closed, here; libraries, too). How many kids who can't read comics the MARVEL way have Amazon accounts?Reed Richards and The Impossible Man were not given insults as names...purposely.And from the earlier post...I turned 60 in December, and some days I feel closer to old age than middle age, if that matters. MARVEL should go all-in with New Warriors, America Chavez, and Children of the Atom and print a million copies of each---with 17 incentive/variant covers, each---then get speculators to invest in huge amounts of these 3 titles so they can corner the secondary market.Lastly, Northstar & Aurora are in another comic, (as of this writing) Walter is dead and Puck was playing poker with Creel and Titania over his decaying corpse, Mac is brainwashing Heather into thinking she's not a murderer, and MARVEL will eventually exercise the trademark/copyright on Alpha Flight, whether it's popular or not.

[Phil]

Right, but the decisions behind creating these comics were made well before the quarantine. The current situation doesn't make the concept of a title planned a year ago a bad decision.
If you mean that putting out any comics right now is a bad decision, then I completely agree with you. I'm just unsure as why you focused on the "How To Read..." book.
But as Marvel have halted printing, and Diamond have halted distribution the comic won't be going out till this is over, anyway.

The comic hasn't even come out yet; you don't know they're an insult.
To someone who needs safespaces, a safespace isn't an insult.

My comment on middle age was on the perceived majority of the comic collector market.
This site alone no longer has any female members, or male members under, I'm estimating, 35.
But the female teenage market is huge; they buy manga, or trades, or digital copies, or self-published books, that most middle-aged males have no idea about.

So hang on, now you're saying you want variant covers and a speculator boom and bust?
I wouldn't even want 17 variant covers for an Alpha Flight relaunch.

That's all true on AF, but Mantlo did a lot worse to them (IMO).
They may not be decisions I agree with or like, but they are creative literary decisions in a world ruled by finance.

Straight out writing off three books that haven't even been published yet as bad decisions just seems bizarre to me.

They could turn out to be the greatest literary pieces ever written by mankind (unlikely I know, but exaggerating to prove a point; they may just be enjoyable. To someone if not me).
They could change a child's life.
They could just make Disney lots of dollars.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

The Kibblesmith promotional video states that the characters are named for insults as "a badge of honor." This isn't me talking out the side of my neck; it's in the video.Once again, you state that I've written off three books that I haven't read, but you don't address how kids (whom you state are the intended audience for "How to read comics the MARVEL way") are going to have either a comixology account or an Amazon account. And if parents are out of work and worried about paying the mortgage (or rent), groceries, car note, utilities, and other bills, spending money on New Warriors or Superman or America Chavez or Spiderman becomes a luxury.The quarantine is something that a lot of adjacent industries were aware of and could see the consequences and ramifications that were possible and actually came to pass. But one of the big two aren't nimble enough to see this coming? Are you kidding me?As for ALPHA FLIGHT, MARVEL owns it. From Goblyn to Guardian, MARVEL owns it. From Lionel Jeffries to Lou Sandler, Jr., MARVEL owns it. From ALPHA FLIGHT # 29 to # 66---and every other issue before and after---MARVEL owns it all.

[Phil]

But that just goes for what I was saying;
They've taken an insult or a slur and flipped it; it's no longer an insult and something they're proud of. To them it isn't an insult.

I have stated exactly how kids will read it, just not when.
The "How To Read.." book will exist for years after this quarantine.
The decision to make this book began years ago.
You were saying the book itself was a bad decision.
Not that the book in this climate was a bad decision.

And yes, kids have access to Amazon accounts, as do parents trying to homeschool and entertain their kids; what better than an educational comic?

Creating a comic book from conception to landing in a store takes a significant amount of time, the big two definitely could not predict this virus a year ago.

I'm confused as to how Marvel owning anything makes it a bad decision.

[Phil]

If you're saying Marvel publishing any comic in this climate is a bad idea, then I agree.
But that goes for Immortal Hulk, Hellions and X-Factor; none of which I'll be able to get because they won't be shipping here during all this.

If you're singling out those three/four comics, then I'm confused.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

But they haven't "flipped it" from an insult or slur...or do you have the book to back up such a specious assertation?If kids have access to Amazon accounts, than it's all gravy and no worries for MARVEL.Certain retailers were uneasy as things started shutting down (within the last few weeks), but more importantly they've known how precarious having one distributor is FOR YEARS.Who said MARVEL owning ALPHA FLIGHT is a bad idea? I just stated that MARVEL owns it, that's all.

[Le Messor]

To sum up:
These are hard time for comics retailers (and everybody else).
Nobody could have seen that coming.
Some comics have problems from the start.
We can't know if any particular series is one of those before we've read it.
Some recently-announced comics look bad on the surface to some.
Others might enjoy those comics.

There's a difference between a bad marketing decision and a bad creative decision.

Please, let's stop arguing.
(On the other hand, this thread is getting more hits than all the other threads combined, so…)

~ Le Messor
"Stop all the fighting"
~ Freddie Mercury

[Phil]

If they're wearing it as a badge of honour then they've flipped it.
"Badge of honour" being the writer's words, as quoted by you.

I absolutely, 100%, totally, completely and utterly agree with you that having one distributor and an archaic pre-order system that can destroy stores is an absolute problem. I'm not debating that in the slightest.
I also agree that this quarantine could completely destroy the bricks and mortar industry as we know it.
Are these particular books that you've singled out solely responsible for that? No.

As to your AF point, I apologize then; I failed to understand why you brought up the ownership in this context, and discussion Bout bad decisions.

I understand books not being to people's tastes.
I would get it if you were to say you don't like the look of the series', or you wouldn't buy them, or you won't be surprised if they get cancelled - Hell; I won't be buying them.

I just didn't see how anyone, and that's anyone generally, as I'd have asked my original question to anyone, can with complete courage of conviction, categorically state that these are bad decisions without any ground.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

No. Just because you say they've flipped it, doesn't mean they've flipped it. You saying they've flipped it with no proof definitely doesn't mean they've flipped it.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

Watch the Kibblesmith video. Hear what he says. You don't have to take my word for it.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

Please see the YT video that superimposes the release of the Kibblesmith promotional video with the letters of two comic shop owners having to shut permanently.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

Please see the numbers for the last issue of the previous America Chavez series.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

And the original question did not differentiate between a bad marketing decision and a bad creative decision.

[Phil]

2) The exact quotes from the trailer, which I had already seen:
"A lot of the names are about teens fighting the labels that are put on them."
"They don't see as derogatory, to take take those words and wear them as badges of honour."
If that's not flipping something, I don't know what is.

3) I can't find the specific video you refer to, but realise there are lots of 'outrage' videos, again, all from people who haven't read the comic. Because no one outside of Marvel has.
I'm at a loss as to how a comic that hasn't even come out can cause two stores to close.

4) America #1 March 2017 = 43,592 physical sales to Diamond Comic Speciality stores + Subscription copies + Digital copies + Trade paperbacks
So, made a profit. Ergo good decision.
Plus, completely different creative team on this run;
A five issue limited series of a character who is about to be used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

5) If that's aimed at me, I know it didn't; Mik brought up the different between marketing and creative.

You think these are bad decisions, I disagree and was curious to know why.
As the proverbial cat, I regret being curious.

[Phil]

Anyway, an Admin has asked that I cease this, so I shall respect that.

For me, until CB Cebulski, Dan Buckley, Kevin Feige or Bob Chapek say they're bad decisions then I don't consider them to be.
They may not be decisions I like or agree with, but I can't say they're bad ones, because I'm not privy to what makes them good or bad.
Especially as I can't see into the future and judge books I haven't even read.
That was my only point.

If you, and everyone else in the world disagree then I'm happy to be in the minority.
If I'm proved wrong, then I'll hold my hands up and say I was wrong.

I may not agree with, or even understand, your thought process, but you're well within your rights to have it.
I'm sorry if any of my rebuttals gave the impression otherwise.

Thank you for the back and forth.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

By your own reasoning, without the comic book to prove your unfounded assertion, nothing has been flipped.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

Wouldn't you have to actually see the video in question before you label it a 'rage' video?

[Garry/Al-Fan]

America # 12, published Feb. 28, 2018 - 6,482 copies ordered/sold.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

As I understand it, comixology doesn't release the numbers on its digital sales, so anybody can claim success without actually giving/showing/proving exactly how much sold.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

You really could've just private messaged me from the start, if you really wanted to.