The Unholy Dragon 776 Posted July 24, 2018 Seanan Maguire is a pretty well known novelist. She's VERY popular but without a lot of overlap in the circles I follow (barring her reptile keeping anecdotes) so I don't know much about her beyond alligator lizard stories. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spritenaut 32 4,589 Posted July 24, 2018 Just now, The Unholy Dragon said: Seanan Maguire is a pretty well known novelist. She's VERY popular but without a lot of overlap in the circles I follow (barring her reptile keeping anecdotes) so I don't know much about her beyond alligator lizard stories. Beat me to it, but, yeah, she's had 30 or so books published in the last ten years. She writes urban fantasy under her own name and sci-fi/horror under pen names. I've never read her stuff but a couple people at the local bookstore love her. I do know she's been nominated for a host of prestigious awards (Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy Award). No idea if she won or not. About five years ago, she set some sort of record by being nominated for five Hugo awards (under both her real name and pen name(s). Her name alone won't sell me a book but it seems like a good pickup for Marvel. I used to love their lineup of writers but, post-Secret Wars, not so much. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Unholy Dragon 776 Posted July 25, 2018 It's the first author pickup in a while where I've thought "This might actually generate some new comics readers." because of their fanbase. I'll def end up checking out her Gwen stuff. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spritenaut 32 4,589 Posted July 25, 2018 7 hours ago, The Unholy Dragon said: It's the first author pickup in a while where I've thought "This might actually generate some new comics readers." because of their fanbase. I'll def end up checking out her Gwen stuff. I kinda feel that way, too, but this also reminds me of a couple other crossovers by (female) sci-fi/fantasy/horror novelists who have taken comic gigs during the past 20 years, and I don't know that any of those gigs generated better sales or were that great creatively. Rachel Pollack took several DC/Vertigo assignments during the mid-90's and I don't think DC got much return out of that. DC gave a strong PR push to her Doom Patrol run, but sales weren't good and, creatively, it felt like there was a very conscious book to ape what Morrison did, both in tone and writing style. I don't think she really brought much of a following to DP and DP diehards kinda turned on the book because it seemed too close to what Morrison had just done better. Her New Gods run was kinda bad and Time Breakers didn't sell (which is a shame; the writing is skippable, but the Chris Weston art is outstanding). This also puts me in mind of Nancy A. Collin's run. DC hired her to Swamp Thing in the 90's when she was a sorta big deal. Her vampire novel, Sunglasses After Dark, was released in 1989 and got her a lot of critical praise and was a good-sized hit. She definitely had a following, but those people didn't follow her to Swamp Thing and, creatively, the book was Alan Moore-lite (though that's true of basically every reboot of Swampy since Moore). My opinion was that she never really figured out how to tell a story in 28 pages a month instead of 300 pages published whenever. Hopefully, Maguire will fare better. It's certainly not a bad idea. But it seems like most of these novelist crossover gigs kinda peter out without the hoped-for sales boost. Then again, Marvel has hired Reginald Hudlin and CM Punk as writers, so Maguire will presumably be a huge step-up from them (disclaimer: I've never read anything CM Punk has written. I have read Hudlin's BP run. Ugh.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eivion 2,627 Posted July 25, 2018 I don't follow the Venom stuff too closely despite occasionally reading it, but I like what I'm hearing about the retcon of the symbiotes and how it ties back to Aaron's God Butcher. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Unholy Dragon 776 Posted July 26, 2018 How Marvel Use Virgins to Increase Sales on Return Of Wolverine #1 This is just an absolutely incredible headline. Also, fuck 1:1000 variants. Already not looking forward to explaining to some neckbeard why they can't get one without dropping like $5k. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Natural 24,129 Posted July 27, 2018 So from the Spider-Man October 2018 solicitations: Spider-Geddon is a sequel to Spider-Verse as the Inheritors are back. Not sure how I feel about that. Spider-Verse event had good and bad things going for it as I previously reviewed. Hopefully Christos Gage can improve upon the original and the missteps in it. The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows isn't listed. I'll miss that book. Sounds like Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider is ending with #25 going on the blurb for it. The Superior Octopus #1 is down as a one-shot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
twiztor 769 Posted July 27, 2018 sad to hear that re: Scarlet Spider. i'm a few issues behind, but once i gave it a second chance (thanks to you @The Natural) i've been enjoying it. Hope it's just the end of a big arc and not the end of the series. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Natural 24,129 Posted July 27, 2018 56 minutes ago, twiztor said: sad to hear that re: Scarlet Spider. i'm a few issues behind, but once i gave it a second chance (thanks to you @The Natural) i've been enjoying it. Hope it's just the end of a big arc and not the end of the series. Cheers, @twiztor. Glad you enjoy it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Fowler 13,338 Posted July 27, 2018 Well with a big spider event launching, it's always possible several books in the line will go away for a few months and get new number 1's. 'Tis the new Marvel Method. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
twiztor 769 Posted July 29, 2018 On 7/20/2018 at 2:26 PM, The Unholy Dragon said: In weird news, John Byrne is writing and pencilling a new X-Men comics...bootleg style, as a webcomic on his site. It's in the style of X-Men Forever with Byrne running with the ending of the Dark Phoenix Saga where Jean was the Phoenix and lives. All of which feels very bonkers and very Byrne. interested. i checked out his site and couldn't find this. link? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Natural 24,129 Posted August 1, 2018 The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5, 2018) #2. written by Nick Spencer, artist is Ryan Ottley. So Peter Parker’s back with Mary Jane and Professor Curt Connors wants to help Peter at ESU get his qualifications by himself and not when Otto got them. I really enjoyed this issue. Peter Parker/Spider-Man is funny and independently solves things, see when two goons arrive on the scene. Be interesting seeing the explanation to the end page. I imagine it’s from something earlier in the issue that we haven’t seen in a while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Natural 24,129 Posted August 1, 2018 Spider-geddon preview: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Natural 24,129 Posted August 1, 2018 Christos Cage on the Superior Octopus title: https://www.cbr.com/superior-octopus-spider-man-christos-gage-interview/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ace 4,640 Posted August 2, 2018 Death of the Inhumans is some god-awful shit. As are the half-dozen Return of Wolverine miniseries. I already want him dead and gone again. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
odessasteps 11,182 Posted August 2, 2018 On the plus side, Immortal Hulk this week. With guest star Sasquatch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Natural 24,129 Posted August 2, 2018 2 hours ago, Ace said: Death of the Inhumans is some god-awful shit. As are the half-dozen Return of Wolverine miniseries. I already want him dead and gone again. That bad? I think people will be happy seeing what's happened to the Inhumans with the cancellation of a film, turned into a critical mauling for the TV series with the Inhumans' push over the X-Men. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Fowler 13,338 Posted August 2, 2018 53 minutes ago, The Natural said: That bad? I think people will be happy seeing what's happened to the Inhumans with the cancellation of a film, turned into a critical mauling for the TV series with the Inhumans' push over the X-Men. Inhumans, dead, alive, whatever, I'm not interested Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Natural 24,129 Posted August 2, 2018 1 minute ago, Brian Fowler said: Inhumans, dead, alive, whatever, I'm not interested Only Inhumans related thing I like is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. but overused there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Unholy Dragon 776 Posted August 2, 2018 On 7/29/2018 at 2:07 PM, twiztor said: interested. i checked out his site and couldn't find this. link? I read about it on Bleeding Cool and they had a link there, but not sure where it's at. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Unholy Dragon 776 Posted August 2, 2018 TWENTY-NINE VARIANTS FOR FANTASTIC FOUR #1 TWENTY-NINE! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt D 10,550 Posted August 3, 2018 Astonishing X-Men #14 was the best X-comic in forever. Really good. Funny but just dark enough. Alex is basically Jason Bateman but in the best way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Unholy Dragon 776 Posted August 3, 2018 The running gag with Banshee genuinely felt like something I'd never expect from a non-Deadpool mainstream franchise The Dazzler stuff was good too even if it firmly contradicts the one shot they JUST put out. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
twiztor 769 Posted August 3, 2018 On 8/2/2018 at 1:09 PM, The Unholy Dragon said: I read about it on Bleeding Cool and they had a link there, but not sure where it's at. https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/07/20/john-byrne-writing-drawing-x-men-fanfic-comic-evermore/ cheers @The Unholy Dragon. posting it here so i can check it out fully this weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
