Posted in: Avengers, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Image, Marvel Comics, X-Men | Tagged: deadpool, rob liefeld

Rob Liefeld Says Marvel Is Broken And His Appearance Delayed Deadpool

Rob Liefeld says Marvel is broken, he knows how to fix it, and that his own likeness delayed Deadpool Team-Up #5 at Marvel out this week.

This week sees the publication of Rob Liefeld's final comic book for Marvel, Deadpool Team-Up. It's already in the back of certain comic book stores, and there's no way for Marvel to stop it now, so in his latest Robservations podcast, Rob Liefeld has decided to tell us that Marvel Comics is broken but suggests how to fix it. It's late. Previously, Rob Liefeld had talked about Marvel delaying Deadpool Team-Up and then feeling no need to work to time anymore. But in the new edition of Robservations, he reveals more about that delay – as well as diagnosing why he believes that Marvel is broken. It follows directly after his account of quitting Marvel – or how Marvel quit him.

He talks about how he sees stacks of unsold X-Men-related comic books in store, highlighting the recent Rogue: The Savage Land. He talks about how not every character needs a book, they are just after more issue 1 launches, with ten covers each. He was reminded of when Marvel stopped putting their big talent on spinoff books but increased the schedule of the main books. And asks if Rogue Savage Land would have done better from the same creative team if it were three extra issues of the X-Men. You know what? He has a point.

He sees too many variant covers taking up a great deal of space on the comic store shelf, which leads to comics sitting on the shelf. He blames this on Marvel's salespeople, who are lazy and have to make a quota, and that's Marvel's entire thrust. That a guy in Burbank has to justify his job and asks what Marvel has to boost their numbers. Also, another point.

He looks at the Godzilla, Alien, and Predator vs. Marvel lines, also with double-figure variant covers, as justifying his belief that Star Wars vs. Marvel is coming. Again, yeah.

He says that what used to fuel Marvel was organic creativity and that this is broken. Here is where we may break step. He cites Doctor Doom on a dinosaur in the upcoming One World Under Doom as more evidence, saying that this is not his Doom. But Doctor Doom is everywhere, and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says he needs people to know who Doom is. Previously it was Kang, but the actor got in trouble, and now we need people to know who Doom is. And that this is all the tail wagging the dog. Or the Tyrannosaurus Rex, I guess. I dunno, I think Doom is regal enough to rock a metal dinosaur transport. But also, while you might not like the stories, there are plenty of books that are and have been clearly creator-led, including the big events. Ryan North has been killing it on Fantastic Four, and One World Under Doom comes purely from that. And I've talked so recently to creators from Donny Cates, Jonathan Hickman, and Kieron Gillen, who have talked about how much those big books all stemmed from creative inspiration and that Marvel spun around to accommodate them and point the spotlight.

But Rob Liefeld also points out that Deadpool Boy will be coming without him. That Marvel is a sea of derivatives, and no one is bringing their Cable. And on this, yeah, absolutely. Rob talks about how he works on the X-characters that he has equity in rather than on Captain America or the Fantastic Four, and that is definitely an issue. The biggest fully original Marvel character since Deadpool at Marvel is Jeff The Land Shark. There have been no big "original IP" hits between them.

He says he talks to retailers, saying that X-Men is selling four copies. I would say, looking at the reports from retailers in the Bleeding Cool Weekly Bestseller List, that this is not representative of most comic book stores. He says that only Ryan Stegman is an "elevated" creator of the current X-books. And that X-Men should have a macho vibe, as should their villains, in the fashion of GI Joe, all about kicking asses. He then repeated this word macho, around sixty or seventy times, I lost count. By the time he was complaining about creator lateness, I could only think about Brigade.

He then returns to Deadpool Team-Up #5, his last work for Marvel, and it was held up by editorial because it contained his own likeness, a panel he has already shared. He encourages you to grab it, as he doubts it will go back to press. He also said that he would never trust working with Marvel again. You can listen to it all, as well as what he is working on next, from Youngblood to the future of Last Blood in Robservations… and buy Deadpool Team-Up #5 this Wednesday.

DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #5 (OF 5)
MARVEL COMICS
OCT240640
(W) Rob Liefeld (A/CA) Rob Liefeld
THE END. Deadpool is down. The Dragon's eggs are in jeopardy. Will the ultimate team-up end in…the ultimate sacrifice? Rob Liefeld's FINAL issue of his FINAL Deadpool storyline is here. Don't miss this historic conclusion! PARENTAL ADVISORY In Shops: Feb 12, 2025 SRP: $3.99

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