Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, marvel, marvel now, point one

How The Marvel Relaunches Demonstrate Publishing Priorities

Published Fri, 05 Jun 2015 09:00:26 -0500

Remember Marvel Point One, the first time Marvel did a round of themed revamps, from 2011?

The focus was Nova, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Ultron, Phoenix, Hawkeye and The Watcher. Though it would end up with the latter being killed off.The other image was basically Fantastic Four and X-Men. How things have changed.

What can we learn from them, knowing what we know now? Marvel NOW! from 2012 gave us a bunch of relaunched titles, recreated characters and reintroductions. So we had the X-Men Schismed, a young Jean Grey ahead of All-New X-Men, a black Nick Fury, a teched up Hulk and a returning Rocket Raccoon. four X-Men and one Fantastic Four. No inhumans. One Guardians Of The Galaxy member. And Nova again.

And Marvel Now Point One focused on Nick Fury Jr, Young Avengers, Starlord, Cable, Ant Man and Nova. And here are the books we got.

Eight monthly team Avengers titles, two FF, six X-books including Wolverine and the launch of Guardians and Nova.

The next year, in 2013, All-New Marvel NOW's imagery promoted another mixed bag, two X-Men, two Inhumans, on Guardian, and Silver Surfer from the Fantastic Four.

All-New Marvel Now! Point One gave us a new look Loki, the X-Men who had joined Avengers World, Tech Hulk, Silver Surfer, Namor and Black Widow and… Ms Marvel. Through All-New X-Factor, relaunching with this promotion, didn't get much of a look-in here. And the books?

The launch of Inhuman, when it was called Inhumans and when it was meant to be written by Fraction. And a more esoteric approach to a number of titles, from Ms Marvel to Black Widow and Nova hoining the New Warriors.

The next push was more… Avengers focused.

Avengers Now from October 2014 had no FF and one (at the time) mutant, though a member of the Avengers. Two inhumans. One member of Guardians Of The Galaxy.

And now we have All-New All-Different Marvel… allnew Once X-Man in X-23 as Wolverine, and a parallel elderly Wolverine and one member of the FF – though now a member of the Guardians Of The Galaxy. Two inhumans. Three member of Guardians Of The Galaxy. And Iron Man in real cenytral focus for both.