Posted in: Avengers, Comics, IDW, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man | Tagged: idw, marvel, marvel action

Marvel Comics Cancels The IDW Marvel Action Line

Published Fri, 17 Sep 2021 17:33:11 -0500

Last updated Fri, 17 Sep 2021 19:29:04 -0500

Next week sees the publication of Marvel Action: Spider-Man #5 from IDW Publishing. IDW license a number of titles for All-Ages audiences, including Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther and the Avengers, and have included familiar names from Chris Eliopolous to Boo Cook to Kyle Baker, as well as bringing in new creators for their first taste of Marvel, and appealing to a middle-grade audience. But they have had some competition in that market and, as book fairs begin to roar back, Scholastic has a number of All-Ages middle-grade aimed Marvel-licensed graphic novels ready to explode. And, as a result of all this, Today I learned that Marvel Comics has pulled the Marvel license from IDW going forward. The phrase I am hearing is that the line will be "sunset". When asked for comment, IDW told me "While it's been a great pleasure crafting new tales of beloved Marvel heroes for middle grade readers, IDW Publishing will not be continuing with the Marvel Action line of comics and trade paperbacks beyond our solicited December 2021 releases. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Marvel on other projects, including our award-winning Artist's Editions and Artist Selects."

There are still a few dribs and drabs, Marvel Action: Spider-Man #5 next Wednesday, October still has Marvel Actions: Origins #4 scheduled, though the final #5 has been removed from solicitations, with just a catalogue screencap to prove it was ever there.

Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #4 is also lined up for October, as is the Marvel Action: Captain Marvel: Ghosts In The Machine collection scheduled for November.

The relaunch of Marvel Action Avengers was meant to come out in July, issues #1 and #2 are now scheduled for December and January, but there's no sureity they won't also be sent to the cornfield. [UPDATE: Bleeding Cool has been told these issues have been cancelled]. As IDW indicated, there's no danger to the Marvel Artists Edition line at IDW, no one in the world aside from Scott Dunbier could put those archival monsters together with such panache. Here are some solicitations for remaining items.

Marvel Action: Spider-Man #5
Sarah Graley, Stef Purenins (w) • Philip Murphy (a & c)
The science fair is finally here! Oscorp School of Technology is filled with eager students, proud parents, and possibly an evil principal. Can Spider-Man save everyone without revealing his identity? Find out in an all-new adventure from writers Sarah Graley and Stef Purenins and artist Philip Murphy (Star Trek vs Transformers, Powerpuff Girls)!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

MARVEL ACTION ORIGINS #4 (OF 5) CVR A SOUVANNY
IDW PUBLISHING
JAN210444
(W) Chris Eliopoulos (A/CA) Lanna Souvanny
Share the most important moments in Marvel history with young readers-two at a time! In this issue: Miles Morales picks up the mantle of Spider-Man after his own spider bite. Then, an experiment gives Rhino superhuman strength that he immediately uses for evil!In Shops: Oct 06, 2021
SRP: $4.99

Marvel Action Classics: Spider-Man Two-In-One #4
Todd Dezago, more (w) • Michael O'Hare, more (a) • Randy Green (c)
In this Marvel Classics Two-In-One, we follow Spidey on dual adventures with a couple of super special guests!
In "The Chameleon Strikes," Spider-Man goes to enlist in the Fantastic Four, mistakenly believing that they make a salary. Then, Spidey finds himself in hot water—and a head-on collision with action!
FC • 48 pages • $4.99

Marvel Action: Captain Marvel: Ghost in the Machine (Book Three)
Sam Maggs (w) • Sweeney Boo, Isabel Escalante (a) • Sweeney Boo (c)
The strongest Avenger teams up with two up-and-coming heroes on an internet-breaking adventure! Can they pull the plug on evil?
First, Captain Marvel joins Gwen Stacy, aka Ghost-Spider, for some web-based exploits! Things get APP-rehensive when a new craze—ClikClok—sweeps the city, and the Mad Thinker and the Awesome Android plan to use it for their own nefarious scheme!
Then, just as Carol is recovering from one mission, she starts another—without even knowing it! When technical difficulties bring her face to face with her digital doppelgänger, she'll need some help from the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl to save the day!
Collects Marvel Action: Captain Marvel Vol. Two, issues #1–5.
TPB • FC • $12.99 • 120 pages • 5.6" x 8.5" • ISBN: 978-1-68405-786-3
Bullet points:
Available in October.

MARVEL ACTION SPIDER-MAN EXTRA CREDIT TP VOL 01
IDW PUBLISHING
JUL210470
(W) Sarah Graley, Stef Purenins (A) Arianna Florean (A / CA) Philip Murphy
Welcome to the especially when you've got a secret-even if that secret is that you're Spider-Man! Gifted with incredible powers, Peter Parker has defended the streets of New York City from all sorts of terrifying criminals, but he's about to discover thatOscorp Charter School of Technology, where we accept only the most AMAZING and SPECTACULAR young people and definitely have nothing to hide!
School can be tough, the halls of his new school may be even MORE dangerous!
With all the mysterious goings-on at the school, can Peter figure out which of his classmates are his real friends, and which have something to hide? And with bizarre new threats around every corner, will he ever have a chance to spend time with his crush… who just happens to hate Spider-Man? What's a young wall-crawler to do? Collects Marvel Action: Spider-Man Volume Three, issues #1-5.
In Shops: Nov 10, 2021SRP: 12.99

MARVEL ACTION AVENGERS #1
IDW PUBLISHING
APR210642
(W) Che Grayson (A/CA) Ark Reyner
Riri Williams A.K.A. Ironheart is taking the next step toward being a fully-fledged super hero as the newest member of the Avengers! But balancing her college course load at MIT and fighting bad guys and trying to fit in with the older and more experienced members of the team might prove harder than she expects-especially when super villain Blackheart arrives on the scene!In Shops: Dec 22nd 2021

MARVEL ACTION AVENGERS #2 CVR A REYNER
IDW PUBLISHING
MAY210442
(W) Che Grayson (A/CA) Ark Reyner
After a disastrous first training exercise with the Avengers, Riri Williams A.K.A. Ironheart has retreated into her schoolwork at MIT. But there are plenty of super hero concerns to worry about at school too, with a strange illness seeming to take down all of her classmates. Luckily, Captain Marvel has arrived to help clean up the mess!In Shops: Jan 19, 2022