Second Edition of 'What I'd Do...'
Mar. 1st, 2004 11:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
newnumber6This one, rather than taking over just Exiles (speaking of which, I decided to add Madrox and Karma to my 'Secret Ops' team), I've decided to take on the whole of the X-Books (with a bit of the rest of Marvel)!
This would be more of an super-editorial position, assigning creative teams and designing casts, rather than specific plotting, but there may be some ideas there... I'll take it from where I'd go with Reload (minor spoilers for what has been revealed about post-Reload books)...
Overall plans: Although no mega-crossovers (at least in the main books. I _do_ like big crossovers, but I think they're best left to miniseries), there will be continuity.. characters from one book will frequently 'pop up' in another, even for slight reasons; they still mostly live in the same mansion, and are like a family, it doesn't make sense they wouldn't hang out. But when they go on 'adventures', the teams will pretty much stick to the cast unless there's good reason not to.
Astonishing X-Men: Leave as is, Joss Whedon/John Cassady, with the cast of Scott, Emma, Beast, Logan, Kitty. Seems to be going well so far. They'd be the 'PR team', helping out at any old public scene needed.
Uncanny X-Men: Leave creative team as is, Claremont & Alan Davis, with the following cast: Kurt, Storm, Bishop, Cannonball, Wolverine Husk, with Storm being the leader, and Sage providing information in an Oracle like role, although not part of the field team. Evangeline Whedon would also be a recurring character, handling the legal end. I like the idea of having a brother/sister together on the team. Warren and Husk might continue to see each other, but it'd be a subplot at best, with a 'long distance' vibe on it (as Warren's helping with Genosha) and they won't be working together. This team would be focusing more on the enforcement of mutant crime, continuing the XSE type plot, but working more closely with the mansion.
X-Men: Scrap the creative team entirely. My selection: Brian K. Vaughan, art by... I dunno, Andy Kubert? Maybe Aaron Lopestri, since he's just been tapped to do Excalibur (but I prefer Claremont with Larocca). Roster will be: Gambit, Rogue (either with powers (although perhaps _only_ absorption) and on the team, or without powers in a supporting role, semi-retired. (I'm sorry, I'm just sick to death of 'I'm so cool even without powers I can beat up every mutant alive'), Havok, Sage, Juggernaut, Iceman, Meltdown, Wolverine (I'm assuming the current 'powers that be' philosophy that he has to be in everything, but perhaps not all the time, continues). They'd also publicly be on 'disaster relief' duty, but that's just a cover so if anyone asks what their jobs are that's it. The team would really be for the missions the X-Men don't want publicity for. Taking out Weapon X like organizations, combating mutant terrorism directly.
Excalibur: Keep the general idea of Xavier in Genosha, trying to rebuild, and keep Chris Claremont on the book, but pair him up with Salvador Larocca. Roster: Xavier, Shola (from Mekanix), Magma, Warren, Rachel Summers, and probably another girl, maybe Monet, maybe someone else, but with a movement of characters in and out of focus.
New X-Men: Academy X: Keep pretty much as is, I guess. I'm overall satisfied with the book. Don't like the name, but I'm thinking as an editor and so will have to acknowledge that yes, that probably will boost sales quite a bit. Might move Sunspot over to recurring cast, just to get one of the original male new mutants. Plus I think he'd probably work well. Many of the other mutants who are absent from the other rosters (Northstar, Chamber) will be recurring here as well. I'd lessen Scott & Emma's role in things except in extreme cases (although perhaps with a subplot of Emma encouraging a new group of 'Hellions', even though not intended for evil like her originals)
NYX: Keep as is, but make sure it comes out regularly! ;)
Ultimate X-Men: Creative team... Brian Michael Bendis & David Finch! I'm loving the book now more than I have in a long time and I don't want him to go. Maybe a brief stint with the current plan of Bryan Singer and the X3 writers, so long as it sticks pretty close to Ultimate canon rather than 'movie-versing' it. But after Singer leaves, then Bendis again. Same general cast it has now.
Mystique: Prefer to leave it to Vaughan, but I think if he's going to be writing Uncanny, might not have that luxury. I'd give the new writer they have a shot with it, but if it doesn't work out, I'd probably fold the title and perhaps send Mystique into the regular X-Men team, still blackmailed into helping, but where effectively she'd be part of the 'secret' team, maybe even assuming the identity of a 'new' shapeshifter discovered by Xavier.
District X: Can it. Not needed.
Weapon X: Cancel it.
Cable/Deadpool: Cancel it... or rather, not green light it since it actually hasn't started yet. Maybe give it a miniseries and then if it sells well open and has a good story, open it up. But I'm just not big on Cable and Deadpool was only good with Simone writing it.
Emma Frost: Cancel it. It's taken too long to go anywhere interesting. Maybe give it another arc to wrap up the hellfire club thing.
Wolverine: You know, unless he really gets high numbers such that my editorial instict can't justify doing otherwise (which I think might only come with a famous creative team), I'd just cancel it. Wolverine's just not interesting as a solo character. The occasional mini, okay, but that's it. If I can't cancel it, then I don't really care. Of course, since rumor has it Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. will be the creative team after Rucka leaves, cancelling it might not be doable.
Exiles: Well, I already gave my comments on what I'd do with this. Of course, in this scenario I don't think I could also be writing this, so that doesn't really apply. I'd have to think on it, and might wind up killing it. I do want to slim the line down some and although it's been fun, it's often been directionless too. Maybe if we could get a great creative team with some really good ideas, but I really can't think of anyone offhand.
X-Statix: My instinct is to cancel it. From what I understand, the sales aren't really that good. And![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
angelophile likes it, so that's reason enough to cancel it. ;). (duck). Still, I've never felt it fit into the Marvel Universe as it was written, and with the low sales factored in, I just don't see a good reason to keep it going.
X-Men: Unlimited: Keep it going, good place to look for new talent and tell stories that can't fit into the regular books.
New Books:
Agency X: With Gail Simone and UDON. I don't care if she's exclusive to DC, she rocks! Alex, Sandy, Taskmaster, Outlaw, and even Mary Zero running a merc agency.
One Written By Me: Untitled, with my own characters, because I'm an arrogant bastard. ;). The general idea would be another mutant secretly gathering other young mutants together but in a normal school, and deliberately shielding them from Cerebra or any other mutant detection. Secret identities still being a major issue.
Would also consider:
Ultimate New Mutants: (Although perhaps not with that title, and don't know of creative team)...
I've always had this idea of an Ultimate New Mutants. My original plan (back before the 'Return of the King' arc), had them being assembled and led by a reformed Magneto, but one who felt betrayed by the methods Xavier used on him, and so set up a team acting as a vigilante mutant police force, somewhat like the XSE, and secretly training for the day Magneto fears that Xavier will Go Too Far. Don't know how I'd do it at this juncture, maybe tie it into the government desire for a team and have it be lead by (super ethical) Emma (sort of a Psi-Corps like telepath who upon learning of her powers did what she felt was her duty and reported them to the government). Team would consist of Ultimate versions of Doug (quantum computer mind, just live I've apped places), (jawless) Chamber, Cannonball, Illyana (yes, still Piotr's unnaturally aged sister), Penance (not Monet, just a obvious mutant type with difficulties communicating), and Dani. If Emma winds up running it, Karma will probably be involved too
X-Factor: Possibly miniserieses, but I did like the one with the human FBI agents investigating hate crimes against mutants.
Not counting the new books in the 'considering' titles, that would leave the Xbooks line at 11-12 books, give or take the maybes, rather than the 16 we have now. (That's not even counting Alpha Flight which I believe Marvel is technically counting as an X-Book, or the X-Men: The End miniseries).
While I'm a super-editor at Marvel, most of the other books I don't care enough to change anything about, let them keep running under the supervision of others. But for completeness...
Cancel (unless their sales are spectacularly beyond expectations or it's a 'I really love this' type thing given as an incentive to a top creator): Venom, the Marvel Knights Fantastic 4, Captain America & The Falcon (don't need two Cap books. Maybe move Priest to a higher profile title like Avengers or even the regular Captain America book. If he wants to tell the same stories there, great), Silver Surfer, Thanos, and Iron Fist.
Put an end to the Thor: Reigning plot which has taken it totally out of the Marvel Universe, or if it sells well enough, just rename and rebrand the title, allow it to continue in a Spider-Girl vein, and launch another Thor (I don't read it, but I don't like core character books being taken completely out of continuity).
Commission: Try out a couple completely new characters with name creators. Maybe a few solo female-led titles to replace the ones I've axed... think they're important and is one place DC has an edge on Marvel. Can't name any good examples off hand though, unless we do a Shadowcat solo book too. ;).
I'd also certainly add creator-owned titles to the mix (I feel they're vital as incentives for getting top creators to sign exclusives), and maybe restart Epic, or something Epic-like that allows newcomers to submit, but with a more organized business plan. Oh, and if you're on the LJ, you'd of course all be welcome to get in on it! ;)
For nostalgia's sake, I'd probably commission a new Power Pack series (perhaps with DeFilippis and Weir as authors, I think they've expressed an interest), maybe try a new Cloak and Dagger, and, all for me, a a Supreme Power-style retelling of DP7 (the best of the New Universe titles).
Actually, it'd be DP7-and-the-rest-of-the-universe, called simply Paranormals, so Star Brand would still be behind the White Event, but it would focus on the DP7 group. I'd want to get a really good creator on this, but I have no ideas in mind since Gruenwald, the original creator of DP7, is dead.
Reading back over this, I seem to be a fairly ruthless editor with a soft spot for whatever I personally like even if they might not sell. Probably not the best combination, but oh well, it's my fantasy, I'm entitled. ;) Next 'What I'd Do With' will not be comics-related, I promise! ;) (No guarantees for the one after that though).
Comments are of course welcome. ;)
This would be more of an super-editorial position, assigning creative teams and designing casts, rather than specific plotting, but there may be some ideas there... I'll take it from where I'd go with Reload (minor spoilers for what has been revealed about post-Reload books)...
Overall plans: Although no mega-crossovers (at least in the main books. I _do_ like big crossovers, but I think they're best left to miniseries), there will be continuity.. characters from one book will frequently 'pop up' in another, even for slight reasons; they still mostly live in the same mansion, and are like a family, it doesn't make sense they wouldn't hang out. But when they go on 'adventures', the teams will pretty much stick to the cast unless there's good reason not to.
Astonishing X-Men: Leave as is, Joss Whedon/John Cassady, with the cast of Scott, Emma, Beast, Logan, Kitty. Seems to be going well so far. They'd be the 'PR team', helping out at any old public scene needed.
Uncanny X-Men: Leave creative team as is, Claremont & Alan Davis, with the following cast: Kurt, Storm, Bishop, Cannonball, Wolverine Husk, with Storm being the leader, and Sage providing information in an Oracle like role, although not part of the field team. Evangeline Whedon would also be a recurring character, handling the legal end. I like the idea of having a brother/sister together on the team. Warren and Husk might continue to see each other, but it'd be a subplot at best, with a 'long distance' vibe on it (as Warren's helping with Genosha) and they won't be working together. This team would be focusing more on the enforcement of mutant crime, continuing the XSE type plot, but working more closely with the mansion.
X-Men: Scrap the creative team entirely. My selection: Brian K. Vaughan, art by... I dunno, Andy Kubert? Maybe Aaron Lopestri, since he's just been tapped to do Excalibur (but I prefer Claremont with Larocca). Roster will be: Gambit, Rogue (either with powers (although perhaps _only_ absorption) and on the team, or without powers in a supporting role, semi-retired. (I'm sorry, I'm just sick to death of 'I'm so cool even without powers I can beat up every mutant alive'), Havok, Sage, Juggernaut, Iceman, Meltdown, Wolverine (I'm assuming the current 'powers that be' philosophy that he has to be in everything, but perhaps not all the time, continues). They'd also publicly be on 'disaster relief' duty, but that's just a cover so if anyone asks what their jobs are that's it. The team would really be for the missions the X-Men don't want publicity for. Taking out Weapon X like organizations, combating mutant terrorism directly.
Excalibur: Keep the general idea of Xavier in Genosha, trying to rebuild, and keep Chris Claremont on the book, but pair him up with Salvador Larocca. Roster: Xavier, Shola (from Mekanix), Magma, Warren, Rachel Summers, and probably another girl, maybe Monet, maybe someone else, but with a movement of characters in and out of focus.
New X-Men: Academy X: Keep pretty much as is, I guess. I'm overall satisfied with the book. Don't like the name, but I'm thinking as an editor and so will have to acknowledge that yes, that probably will boost sales quite a bit. Might move Sunspot over to recurring cast, just to get one of the original male new mutants. Plus I think he'd probably work well. Many of the other mutants who are absent from the other rosters (Northstar, Chamber) will be recurring here as well. I'd lessen Scott & Emma's role in things except in extreme cases (although perhaps with a subplot of Emma encouraging a new group of 'Hellions', even though not intended for evil like her originals)
NYX: Keep as is, but make sure it comes out regularly! ;)
Ultimate X-Men: Creative team... Brian Michael Bendis & David Finch! I'm loving the book now more than I have in a long time and I don't want him to go. Maybe a brief stint with the current plan of Bryan Singer and the X3 writers, so long as it sticks pretty close to Ultimate canon rather than 'movie-versing' it. But after Singer leaves, then Bendis again. Same general cast it has now.
Mystique: Prefer to leave it to Vaughan, but I think if he's going to be writing Uncanny, might not have that luxury. I'd give the new writer they have a shot with it, but if it doesn't work out, I'd probably fold the title and perhaps send Mystique into the regular X-Men team, still blackmailed into helping, but where effectively she'd be part of the 'secret' team, maybe even assuming the identity of a 'new' shapeshifter discovered by Xavier.
District X: Can it. Not needed.
Weapon X: Cancel it.
Cable/Deadpool: Cancel it... or rather, not green light it since it actually hasn't started yet. Maybe give it a miniseries and then if it sells well open and has a good story, open it up. But I'm just not big on Cable and Deadpool was only good with Simone writing it.
Emma Frost: Cancel it. It's taken too long to go anywhere interesting. Maybe give it another arc to wrap up the hellfire club thing.
Wolverine: You know, unless he really gets high numbers such that my editorial instict can't justify doing otherwise (which I think might only come with a famous creative team), I'd just cancel it. Wolverine's just not interesting as a solo character. The occasional mini, okay, but that's it. If I can't cancel it, then I don't really care. Of course, since rumor has it Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. will be the creative team after Rucka leaves, cancelling it might not be doable.
Exiles: Well, I already gave my comments on what I'd do with this. Of course, in this scenario I don't think I could also be writing this, so that doesn't really apply. I'd have to think on it, and might wind up killing it. I do want to slim the line down some and although it's been fun, it's often been directionless too. Maybe if we could get a great creative team with some really good ideas, but I really can't think of anyone offhand.
X-Statix: My instinct is to cancel it. From what I understand, the sales aren't really that good. And
angelophile likes it, so that's reason enough to cancel it. ;). (duck). Still, I've never felt it fit into the Marvel Universe as it was written, and with the low sales factored in, I just don't see a good reason to keep it going. X-Men: Unlimited: Keep it going, good place to look for new talent and tell stories that can't fit into the regular books.
New Books:
Agency X: With Gail Simone and UDON. I don't care if she's exclusive to DC, she rocks! Alex, Sandy, Taskmaster, Outlaw, and even Mary Zero running a merc agency.
One Written By Me: Untitled, with my own characters, because I'm an arrogant bastard. ;). The general idea would be another mutant secretly gathering other young mutants together but in a normal school, and deliberately shielding them from Cerebra or any other mutant detection. Secret identities still being a major issue.
Would also consider:
Ultimate New Mutants: (Although perhaps not with that title, and don't know of creative team)...
I've always had this idea of an Ultimate New Mutants. My original plan (back before the 'Return of the King' arc), had them being assembled and led by a reformed Magneto, but one who felt betrayed by the methods Xavier used on him, and so set up a team acting as a vigilante mutant police force, somewhat like the XSE, and secretly training for the day Magneto fears that Xavier will Go Too Far. Don't know how I'd do it at this juncture, maybe tie it into the government desire for a team and have it be lead by (super ethical) Emma (sort of a Psi-Corps like telepath who upon learning of her powers did what she felt was her duty and reported them to the government). Team would consist of Ultimate versions of Doug (quantum computer mind, just live I've apped places), (jawless) Chamber, Cannonball, Illyana (yes, still Piotr's unnaturally aged sister), Penance (not Monet, just a obvious mutant type with difficulties communicating), and Dani. If Emma winds up running it, Karma will probably be involved too
X-Factor: Possibly miniserieses, but I did like the one with the human FBI agents investigating hate crimes against mutants.
Not counting the new books in the 'considering' titles, that would leave the Xbooks line at 11-12 books, give or take the maybes, rather than the 16 we have now. (That's not even counting Alpha Flight which I believe Marvel is technically counting as an X-Book, or the X-Men: The End miniseries).
While I'm a super-editor at Marvel, most of the other books I don't care enough to change anything about, let them keep running under the supervision of others. But for completeness...
Cancel (unless their sales are spectacularly beyond expectations or it's a 'I really love this' type thing given as an incentive to a top creator): Venom, the Marvel Knights Fantastic 4, Captain America & The Falcon (don't need two Cap books. Maybe move Priest to a higher profile title like Avengers or even the regular Captain America book. If he wants to tell the same stories there, great), Silver Surfer, Thanos, and Iron Fist.
Put an end to the Thor: Reigning plot which has taken it totally out of the Marvel Universe, or if it sells well enough, just rename and rebrand the title, allow it to continue in a Spider-Girl vein, and launch another Thor (I don't read it, but I don't like core character books being taken completely out of continuity).
Commission: Try out a couple completely new characters with name creators. Maybe a few solo female-led titles to replace the ones I've axed... think they're important and is one place DC has an edge on Marvel. Can't name any good examples off hand though, unless we do a Shadowcat solo book too. ;).
I'd also certainly add creator-owned titles to the mix (I feel they're vital as incentives for getting top creators to sign exclusives), and maybe restart Epic, or something Epic-like that allows newcomers to submit, but with a more organized business plan. Oh, and if you're on the LJ, you'd of course all be welcome to get in on it! ;)
For nostalgia's sake, I'd probably commission a new Power Pack series (perhaps with DeFilippis and Weir as authors, I think they've expressed an interest), maybe try a new Cloak and Dagger, and, all for me, a a Supreme Power-style retelling of DP7 (the best of the New Universe titles).
Actually, it'd be DP7-and-the-rest-of-the-universe, called simply Paranormals, so Star Brand would still be behind the White Event, but it would focus on the DP7 group. I'd want to get a really good creator on this, but I have no ideas in mind since Gruenwald, the original creator of DP7, is dead.
Reading back over this, I seem to be a fairly ruthless editor with a soft spot for whatever I personally like even if they might not sell. Probably not the best combination, but oh well, it's my fantasy, I'm entitled. ;) Next 'What I'd Do With' will not be comics-related, I promise! ;) (No guarantees for the one after that though).
Comments are of course welcome. ;)
