MyCup o' Joe WEEK 22AUG 22, 2008MyCup o' Joe is the weekly communiqué from Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Joe Quesada to the legion of Mighty Marvelites Assembled! Every Friday, Joe will sit down with journalist Jim McLauchlin to answer questions on the pressing issues of the day at Marvel and throughout comics.
And you get to chip in as well! Joe will be answering YOUR questions every week! To get in on the fun, post your questions at the bottom of this page!
JQ: Hey, before you start with the question barrage, Jim, there is something that I want to talk about.
Two weeks ago, I was given an advance screener of Next Avengers and I need to speak about this because I was blown away for many reasons. First, it was just an incredibly well-done and fun piece of animation. More importantly, I watched it with my seven-year-old daughter. Now let me state for the record that while she loves Marvel, being a seven-year-old girl, there isn't anything that we've done that she obsesses over like she does Winx Club or Hannah Montana.
Well, that was until Next Avengers.
She was completely captivated, found two characters that she loves more than any Marvel characters (Thorn and Pym) and she's taken the DVD from me and has been playing it non-stop as seven-year-olds are prone to do with stuff they really love. After watching it, she had tons of questions about the Marvel Universe and characters, which really blew me away.
So, unabashedly, I can say that Next Avengers may be the single best kids product that we've put out in years, for boys or girls. I highly recommend that everyone, especially parents, pick it up kids. It's just rockin'!
I also had the pleasure of viewing the first two episodes of our upcoming Iron Man animated series, and the animation is mind-blowing. So I'm happy.
JM: And Amazing Spider-Man 568 hits next week, bringing back John Romita Jr., and introducing Anti-Venom. Which, I guess, begs the question…what's an Anti-Venom? JQ: Anti-Venom is married to Uncle-Venom. Sorry, couldn't resist. What do you think, I'm just going to spill the beans here? Come on Jim, stop being a tightwad and buy a book once in a while.
Besides, Johnny, Jr., the world's greatest comic artist, is coming back to Spidey. What more could you want?
JM: Well, the Marvel marketing folks sent me a copy of Amazing 568 in black-and-white, and jeez—I was just struck by how freaking gorgeous the art was. Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson. Great. It seems almost a shame to color it. That said, every time someone tries to do a b-and-w book, sales tank. Is there any market for something like this? 
JQ: They are an amazing team, aren't they? Yeah, black and white is very tough. It's very much the same with black and white movies in today's world. Every once in a while you'll have something in black and white do reasonably well on the stands, but those are very few and far between.
JM: Now correct me if I'm wrong, but there's a 2-page Spidey "recap" that opens Amazing 568, which I understand to be your baby and something you really insisted on in this ish. Why was it so important to you? 
JQ: This actually all came from Señor Dan Slott (See, folks, I'm still bilingual!). We all knew that with Johnny back, we were going to pick up more than few of the lapsed Spidey readers who may have been nervous about picking up a three-times-a-month habit. So with such a spotlight on the issue anyway, it just made sense to bring people up to speed with everything that's been happening so far in the book this year. As we head deeper into the second half of the year, it's going to be harder to catch people up on the fly.
And kudos to John in that opening sequence for not relying on the same old shots of Spidey's origin and finding new ways to tell what has become a classic bit of storytelling.
JM: Now Mike Deodato Jr. is laying in on a one-shot, Wolverine: Roar. What's that book about? 
JQ: Wolverine goes to a small Western town that messed with something they shouldn't have messed with, and are now in WAY over their heads. It's a great story by Duane Swierczynski that Deo rocked out hard on.
JM: Mike is obviously a monstrously talented artist, so what's next in the pipeline for him? JQ: He's becoming the regular artist on Wolverine Origins, so this is a great transitional step. His first issue, 28, is the prologue to the "Original Sin" crossover with X-Men Legacy. It's a great story that brings these strangely paralleled books together. One book is about a man who had no memory suddenly getting it back. The other is about a man who has always had his memory and access to others who loses it suddenly. It makes for a great story and pushes the Daken story to another level.
JM: And fer the luvva Pete, everything old is new again. You got Darkhawk in Nova 17. JQ: Hey, I'm not a cosmic guy, but the cosmic fans, theyz loves the Darkhawk. What more can I say?
Okay, I'll say more.
Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, the Nova writers, will be visiting the Marvel offices in a couple weeks, and word has it they have big plans for the former New Warrior. They're doing a great job revamping our cosmic characters, so we'll see if lighting strikes again. They may have to wrestle C.B. Cebulski for him, though, as Darkhawk is still in the Loners. C.B. better find a tag-team partner.
JM: So let's do a little bit of retrospective here. You've been editor in chief at Marvel for…going on nine years now, right? You must have learned something in that interim! What's the one greatest lesson you've learned? JQ: It's actually eight years, I'll be starting my ninth soon. I'm sure there are plenty of people surprised about that, me included.
There have been many lessons that I've learned over that time. How could I not? Patience is perhaps the most important one, and the rest are too countless to list.
JM: Now you've mentioned in the past that with the obvious exception of Stan Lee, the job of Marvel editor in chief…usually doesn't treat you well at the end. Most everyone leaves the position feet-first. Is that gonna be the eventual case with you? JQ: As I said, no one is more surprised by the fact that I've been here this long more than me. Some may consider this a bit bleak, but I've always made it a point to come to work assuming that any given day could be my last. You can't take stuff like that for granted and it helps keep me on my toes. This has nothing to do nor should it reflect in any way on Marvel, as the company has been great to me. It's just the way that I like to approach things. I did the same during my freelance days, I may be an artist who is considered "hot" this year, perhaps next year not so much. I've seen too many people and have heard too many stories of folks in comics or the entertainment industry taking their station way too seriously and too much for granted. I don't want to ever be that way. Being EIC of Marvel is an honor and a great job to have, and while there are no guarantees, what is a certainty is that I won't be EIC forever. When that day comes, whether it be of my own volition or Marvel's, I don't ever want to have it come as an earth-shattering surprise.
Anything can happen in the world of business. To think that it can't happen to you is just foolish and presumptuous.
So, the simple answer, who knows?
JM: I think you once remarked that you were looking to do the job for about five years. You're now on year nine. Why are you still around, and what's changed in those intervening years? JQ: I'm still around because the job has remained interesting and Marvel has given me more to do beyond just my comics duties, so the long and short of it is that I'm having fun.
But, I don't think I ever said that I didn't want to be doing the job five years down the road. What I said was that I didn't want to be doing the job five years down the road if I wasn't bringing anything to it. The day that I feel that I can't contribute in a way that I feel is worth the money I'm getting paid is the day that I need to pack up my stuff and move over for the next person.
JM: You mentioned back at the start of your tenure as editor in chief that Job One and Job Two were "Fix Spider-Man" and "Fix the X-Men." You immediately went to J. Michael Straczynski and Paul Jenkins on the Spidey books, and Grant Morrison and Joe Casey on the X-books. Was that the fix you needed at the time? JQ: Absolutely and those guys did a great job refreshing the characters at that juncture in our publishing history. Remember, Marvel was considered dead in the water and if it hadn't have been for the guys that took the leap like JMS, Grant, Joe, Brian Bendis, Mark Millar and so many others, we wouldn't be where we are today.
JM: It's been several years since then, and we've seen many changes off those original "fixes." It can be argued that Spider-Man has been through two massive changes with "One More Day" and "Brand New Day." What do you see as the "cycle" for these things? How often do they need to be refreshed? JQ: Spidey is a great example of changes, because while I always knew that we had to get to the point where we are in BND, it's something that we would never have been able to do Day One when I started. First we had to get the quality of the books as high as we could, and that's what JMS did. Then we had to slowly go about the business of putting the genie back in the bottle.
As for how often you need to refresh, that's different for every character and for every era. While big changes like BND aren't going to be the constant norm, changes to the status quo need to happen on a more regular basis in order to keep the characters fresh and fans, old and new, interested.
JM: Another early mandate was "dead is dead." You wanted Marvel character deaths to have weight, and finality about them. But that seems to have gone away, as witness Colossus, who was one of the first "dead is deads." Why did this policy go away? JQ: I'm surprised at you Jim. Over the years, this has been one of the most misquoted things that I've ever said. Or didn't say. But hey, we live in a world of sound bites, so I guess it shouldn't surprise me.
"Dead is dead" was part of a statement that I was making about the way I felt that deaths were being handled in comics at that time. Backtracking a bit, let me explain, for the last time, what I was talking about.
Eight years ago, my feeling on comic deaths was pretty specific—they were just being handled too willy-nilly, and thus were losing their impact. What I set out to do was challenge my editors and our creative teams to up the ante when it came to character deaths, because I felt that there was no longer any impact.
The rule of thumb I wanted to use was simple, discounting cliché deaths like the supervillain getting "washed away in the river" to his supposed death. This rule only pertained to significant deaths and significant characters. The rule was you had to have a plan. Way too often, I would see creators kill off a major character without a plan as to how to replace them or how to resurrect them in a way that would be as meaningful as the death. Too many characters were being killed for the sheer shock value of it, and without any story-driven motivations.
So, if you wanted to kill off a major character, okay I'm listening, but give me a good reason why, and show me a plan as to how we're going to move forward without that character. Also, show me how you're going to kill off that character because it better have impact and significant meaning across the Marvel U. And, if you intend on resurrecting the character, show me a resurrection that is as significant and has as much, if not more, impact that the character's death.
And on the flip side if you're planning on resurrecting a character, especially one that had a significant death, then show me a resurrection that has as much significance that doesn't devalue the significant death.
In other words, I just wanted out creators to think harder before putting stuff like this on the table. It would be the only way to get a major character death and or resurrection approved. If a creator couldn't provide these things then…
Dead means dead.
As time went on, the sound bite took on a life of its own and I have to admit that even I've played around with it in interviews, but all of the above was what was at it's heart. Regardless, however it's been perceived by the 'net, it's a rule that's served us well over these eight years.
JM: Do you think you're being disingenuous with the readers with temporary "deaths"? JQ: No, not at all. Death and resurrection has been a staple of comics and fantasy fiction since the dawn of time. What I think would be disingenuous would be to do these kinds of stories without a lot of thought and reasoning being put behind them and simply for shock value. It all has to serve the story.
Our readers pay a lot of money for their comics. Not thinking stuff through, whether it be a resurrection, death, disappearance, what have you…that would be the worst thing we could do and truly disingenuous.
JM: If everyone "gets the joke," as in we all know Captain America's gotta come back sooner or later…why do people buy in? Why do these books become media sensations and sell double the number of copies? JQ: People buy in for a very simple reason. At the end of every issue, the hero is placed in a horrible dilemma, we know that they're end up surviving and being victorious. But the trick is keeping the reader guessing just how it will happen. It's the same principle when a character dies. When will they come back, how will the come back, will they be changed or will the come back at all?
JM: So. Shifting gears, personally speaking, who's your bestest buddy in the comics biz? JQ: I have a few very close friends and confidants, and they know who they are. That said, I've been very lucky and very blessed in this industry. I have a very large number of people who I consider close friends, certainly more than I deserve.
JM: Who are you surprised you've become good friends with since becoming Marvel's editor in chief? JQ: Tom Brevoort. No, seriously, I don't mean that as any kind of a knock, but…Tom Brevoort!
All I knew of Tom as I was coming into Marvel was that he had this reputation for being a bit of a…how should I say? A curmudgeonly, stubborn hard ass? [laughs] Yeah, that sounds about right. Also, [then-Marvel President] Bill Jemas wasn't a big fan of Tom's early on, so walking through the door, I heard some negative rhetoric coming from my boss about him. I later found out that Tom and Bill had history from back during Bill's Fleer days, so there was a lot of water already under that bridge.
Anyway, Tom was considered an "old school" hardliner type guy, not the kind of guy who was going to work well with our program of modernizing Marvel and the comics biz. So, I walked through the door thinking, "Well, I'm going to have to fight this guy tooth and nail to get him to buy into the program."
What I quickly found out was that Tom was first and foremost a class act, and one of the best team players we have here at Marvel. While he wasn't afraid to voice his opinion, he was also very open to any and all new ideas that we were throwing around. In essence, Tom threw himself into the ring as much as anyone, and has really been one of the most important people to me during my tenure here. I've learned a ton of stuff from him, and along with [fellow Executive editor] Axel Alonso, I think we've all grown and learned so much from each other that it's really made us all better at our jobs in the end.
So yeah, sure, Tom has some old-school attributes, but we need some of that. We need that touchstone to the past, and it's something that we've thrown into the mix that has taken Marvel into the future while still keeping our roots settled where they started. A guy like Tom is absolutely crucial, and irreplaceable in that regard. And see, here's where I'm kind of weird…as I said, Tom's a bit of a curmudgeon, but that's what I find so endearing about him and that's why I consider him such a close friend! If you would have asked me this nine years ago, I wouldn't have thought that possible.
[Pauses] Oh my God! Do I have a man-crush on Tom Brevoort?
JM: Possibly. As I'm a little creeped out, I say we escape to reader questions. JQ: Probably a good idea.
Posted by Steven Ghost on Aug 9, 2008 12:27 AM
Hey, Joe!
Congrats on winning the softball game!
My question is about the picture that was shown a little while back that depicted an "Evil Illuminati." I see Doom, Namor, Emma Frost, Loki, and The Hood. But who's in the middle? Can you give us a name, or is it one of those "wait and see" things? JQ: Steven, while I can neither confirm nor deny rumors and fuzzy Internet photographs, quite simply, it's Stephen Colbert.
Posted by Chris on Aug 9, 2008 12:27 AM
Joe, as somebody who plans to break into the comic book industry as a writer someday soon, I have a concern: It seems as though Marvel does not have much room for creator-owned projects, outside of ICON, but they only allow established professionals to publish work. With this in mind, I can only ask how much creator control is allowed in your titles? -Chris Jones
JQ: Chris, if you're asking about creator control within our properties like Spider-Man, etc., we offer tremendous latitude for a work-for-hire company. Since none of us individually own Spider-Man, there are always guidelines that need to be followed. But outside of that, we try to allow our creators the room to tell the stories that they want to tell.
Posted by Tony Smith on Aug 9, 2008 12:28 AM
Hey Joe! Thank you for answering my last questions. It made my day. I have some more questions.
1) Will the rosters of The New Avengers and The Mighty Avengers change after Secret Invasion? If so, please put Cloak and Dagger on New Avengers and please put Brother Voodoo and Deadpool on Mighty Avengers.
2) Will Howard the Duck appear in Secret Invasion? If not please give Howard the Duck another series.
3) Why did Marvel change the appearance of Howard the Duck in his last mini-series? His classic look is so awesome. The next time Howard the Duck appears, please return him to his classic look.
4) Will The Infinity Gems appear in Secret Invasion?
5) Will Harry Osborn's resurrection be explained?
6) I heard Joe Kelly is joining The Spidey Brain Trust. Is that true? Also I think Brian Michael Bendis should join The Spidey Brain Trust. JQ: Mr. Smith, welcome!
1) The roster of the Avengers will be changing very severely after Secret Invasion, but I don't think that any of the characters you mention will be involved. Hey, how about a team whose membership is Cloak & Dagger, Deadpool, and Brother Voodoo? North Coast Avengers, anyone?
2) Didn't we answer this question last week? No, Howard the Duck in Secret Invasion! Stop hounding me, Leinil Yu!
3) This had to do with a settlement of a legal matter with Disney, who felt Howard was too similar to another, yet not quite so famous, duck.
4) Nope. But we do have a special What If Newer Fantastic Four bout Iron Man, Spidey, Wolvie, and Hulk fighting Thanos & the Infinity Gauntlet.
5) Yes.
6) Joe Kelly is writing a couple stories for Amazing, but whether or not he stays as part of the brain trust will have to wait. We still have stories planned out until February/March of 2009, so we're not in any rush right now and want to make sure that anyone we add in fits in with the ongoing plans. Joe would be a stellar choice though, and we all love to see more Spidey work from him.
Bendis is a fine writer, but I'm afraid he isn't a good enough dancer to join the Spidey brain trust.
[ART: Add Bendis dancing animation alongside Brevoort dancing video.]
Posted by I THINK THEY HATE ON US FOR A REASON! :p on Aug 9, 2008 12:28 AM
1) Will Rogue be in X-Men: Secret Invasion? You said "everyone."
2) When the final showdown happens with the Skrulls, will it be heroes fighting them, villains, or both?
3) People have been saying the baby Cable holds is Jean Grey. What's your take on it?
4) Will Ms. Marvel punch Nick Fury out for shooting her in the back after the Secret Invasion is over? JQ: Thanks for writing, Hate.
1) Okay, okay, you caught us. Not EVERYONE will be in the book. Just ALMOST everyone. I imagine you're a Rogue-lover, so check out X-Men: Legacy 215-216 for a taste and then X-Men: Legacy 220 kicks off an arc that centers around Rogue entirely. You'll get a BIG fix of your favorite Southern Belle.
2) Who said heroes and villains will be around to fight them?
3) My take? I can't give it yet because I don't want to spoil anything. Read Cable!
4) I don't know, I wouldn't try it.
Posted by Jack D. on Aug 9, 2008 12:29 AM
Are there any plans to return Cable to the present and put him back on an X-team? He seems kind of irrelevant right now, despite having the mutant messiah baby, because he's off in an alternate future and completely disconnected from everything. Personally, I'd like to see him come back and take his X-Force team back from that overexposed runt, Wolverine! JQ: Jack, Jack, Jack, how are you?
Cable is "disconnected from everything?" If you read "Messiah CompleX," then you'll remember: Cable has the future of the mutant race strapped to his chest in the form of that little red-headed girl. And if you read Cable 6 (in stores now), you know that Cyclops has just tapped Beast to find a way to send someone (possibly Wolverine and the X-Force) into the time stream to help Cable on his mission.
Will Cable come back to the present and take back the X-Force from Wolverine? C'mon, you don't really want to know the ending to the story now, do you? Let's just say that, yes Cable will meet the X-Force, and yes, something is going to come back—and it's going to be big.
And Cable is also mentioned in an important conversation between Scott Summers and Emma Frost in Uncanny X-Men 501. So he's hardly "disconnected!"
Posted by Red Skrull on Aug 9, 2008 12:30 A
Hey Joe!
Thanks for (kinda) answering my question! In regards to going back to the original numbering on Captain America, I say YES! I've been buying the book for 20 years and I was always bummed out every time the title would restart with a new 1. To me, it would reward all the creators and all the fans that have loved and supported the book over the years. It would put it up there with the high-numbered titles from the Distinguished Competition and, of course, Uncanny X-Men.
So whaddya say, Joe? Be a pal! Use your EIC powers for the greater good that is Captain America! JQ: Red Skrull, lets just say that this question you posed last week made Tom Brevoort's head explode.
Posted by Jeff on Aug 9, 2008 12:33 AM
YES! Please return Captain America to its original numbering! there's so much more history to Captain America than just 50-some issues. Captain America 600 PLEASE! JQ: "Cleanup in aisle six! We need a mop for Tom Brevoort's head!"
Posted by Drew dreamt the infinite on Aug 9, 2008 12:30 AM
I've been really digging these "Summer Event" storylines since House of M. It got me thinking, though. I'd really love to see one of these events unite The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the X-Men against a threat. Well, something better than Onslaught anyway. Any chance of that happening in the next few years? JQ: Drew, be careful what you wish for! Heh, heh, heh!
Posted by Luke on Aug 9, 2008 12:31 AM
Hey Joe!
I can't tell you how thrilled I was when Marvel brought back Captain Marvel during Civil War. Now we have since learned he is a Skrull, but he is still very much Captain Marvel. Now also during the great Illuminati mini-series the Illuminati suggested that Marvel Boy could be a champion for humankind and assume the mantle of Captain Marvel. Now I know you can't spoil what will happen, but is there any chance there will be "a" Captain Marvel after Secret Invasion? Also, is there any chance of a Captain Marvel series coming out of Secret Invasion? JQ: Luke, while I don't want to give anything away, let me leave it at this: I've always loved Captain Marvel and think that the Marvel U. is better off having him in it, even if he is a damn dirty Skrull.
Posted by Rob Spidey on Aug 9, 2008 12:31 AM
Joe,
Those were some AWESOME pics of the San Diego Comic-Con. Thanks for giving us a peek into what life is like as the Marvel editor in chief, especially us poor saps that had to work that weekend and/or couldn't afford it this year.
With "Brand New Day" and "Messiah CompleX" and Civil War and now Secret Invasion, it seems there's this massive disconnect with the Marvel U.'s own history. Everything rocks, but it seems very rooted in the "now." Do you foresee a time when, after the dust settles, things return to relatively normal and the X-Men play softball again and mutant-human relations return to cold-war status? Or is your mission statement to give us "Mr. Q's Wild, Wild Ride" for as long as you're in the big chair? JQ: Rob, glad you dug the pics from SDCC, let me just say that those were the ones that I COULD show. I have some pretty embarrassing shots of fellow employees that I'm sending over to TMZ.
Not really sure what you mean by losing touch with our own history, as all of these stories grow one from the other, and hence from our Universe's history. Taking Civil War as an example, one of the main reasons that worked was because of the shared history between Cap and Iron Man.
As for whether we'll see smaller stories down the line, absolutely, but from what I can tell fans are also digging the big storylines as well. Our goal, if we do things right, will be to mix all types of stories in.
Posted by SAM / WILSON '08 on Aug 9, 2008 12:33 AM
I've been actively avoiding anything that touches Secret Invasion since its first issue hit, as I have neither the patience nor the finances to follow it, and expect I would only want to try and forget it ever happened afterward. But I was kinda wondering: has Dr. Strange been revealed as a Skrull yet? I mean, come on, I was reading New Avengers casually before Brian Bendis fully Skrullified everything, and trust me, that walking (floating?) plot device is a total wrinkle-chin! JQ: Sam, read Secret Invasion to find out.
Aren't I a stinker?
Posted by VinnyLT on Aug 9, 2008 12:33 AM
Yo Joe,
What was the decision making in choosing Nickelodeon over Cartoon Network for the new Iron Man cartoon coming up? JQ: Vinny, I have no idea as I have nothing to do with the business of our animation division.
Posted by Marvel girl on Aug 9, 2008 8:29 PM
16-6!! 16-6!!! 16-6!!!
::sigh::
I love Marvel!!! :) JQ: Hmmm, interesting post. I smell a ringer.
Posted by wasim on Aug 9, 2008 8:29 PM
Will Hulk ever get his own book back? JQ: Wasim, who says he isn't in his own book?
Posted by Kurt on Aug 9, 2008 8:30 PM
Joe,
I'm loving it here on the West Coast. The weather is fantastic, the city of San Francisco has embraced us, and the ladies! Oh the ladies!
I have but one question for you. Do you think that my role with the X-Men could be increased just a tad? I asked Scott and Emma first, but they referred me to you. As you know, I have been with the team for quite some time, not to mention I did pretty much lead my own team in England, perhaps you've heard of it? We called ourselves Excalibur and we did pretty well. (I do miss my Kätzchen terribly. )
Anyway, thank you for all that you have done for me and my fellow X-Men and mutantkind in general. You have been a source of great inspiration since the devastating M-Day.
May God bless you and shine his light upon you. JQ: Kurt, you old so-and-so, it's been a while. Glad you're enjoying the City by the Bay. Don't worry, you're a big part of the X-Plans. In fact, you're a huge part of X-INFERNUS which starts in December. Big stuff coming there. And don't forget the huge part you've got in X-Men: Secret Invasion coming up as well as in Young X-Men. Auf Wiedersehen!
Posted by mr Stytch on Aug 9, 2008 8:30 PM
Hey Joe,
1) Given that mutants in positions of authority in the Marvel U. have never had that much popularity (and in most cases, outright hostility), will there be any ramifications for the fact that Pete Wisdom is now basically in command of every single superhuman in the UK?
2) You've skated around the issue for a fair while now, but is the inevitable conflict between the X-Men and the Initiative going to come to any kind of head any time soon?
Thanks for taking the time. And tell Paul Cornell to keep up the amazing work on Captain Britain & MI:13! JQ: Mr. Stytch, let me see if I can pass on some knowledge to you here.
1) Pete's position in MI:13 is pretty secure, mutant or not. And, anyway, he always sees himself as Secret Agent first, mutant second. And his bosses know it.
2) We're still building that conflict. Come December, it's going to get even more inevitable. COMMENCE NAIL-BITING!
Posted by R------------- on Aug 9, 2008 8:54 PM
Hey Joe,
1) In Hulk 5, how is the Hulk able to hold on to Thor's hammer and jump? Is that different then picking it up? Remember, only the worthy can pick up Thor's hammer!
2) Whatever to the Hulk's "Skarrson" personality, where he was showing more intelligence and liberating a planet? That was one of the coolest things to happen to Hulk in a while. JQ: Hey, R!
1) During what is now considered one of the most controversial battles in recent comic book history, that evil Red Hulk grabbed Thor's hammer just before impact, taking advantage of the incredible momentum of the speeding object. Once in space, void of gravity, Red Hulk was able to take possession of Mjolnir to use the thunder god's sacred weapon against him. Either that or according to Editor Ralph Macchio, maybe it had something to do with Odin being dead.
2) Hulk was weakened by the portal that took him to Sakaar, and was forced to rely more on his intellect to survive on the deadly planet. There, he became the more clever and strategic personality that writer Greg Pak often called "Gravage Hulk." The blast of the satellite beams at the end of World War Hulk not only depowered big green, but also effected his mind in ways yet to be revealed.
Posted by Roger on Aug 9, 2008 8:54 PM
So the Captain America seen on the Skrull ship is not the real guy? Has that been decided yet?
How did Peter Parker get "unmarried"? I would have liked to seen him stay together with Mary Jane.
Why did Dr Strange go from being Hulk's friend in the Defenders to being the Illuminati guy who blasts him into outer space?
I almost wish you had a place that summarized plot wrinkles for those of us who haven't followed every issue faithfully. At least the big plot changes. JQ: Roger, thanks for joining in on the fun. Your answer in order.
Keep reading.
Read "One More Day."
Read World War Hulk.
That's actually a great idea. Perhaps a "Marvel Universe Year in Review?" Well, look no further!
In the final week of August check out a book called Marvel: Your Universe. Within its glorious pages you'll be able to find out what's been happening with every major character in the Marvel Universe over the last five years.
How 'bout them apples?
Posted by Spidey616 on Aug 9, 2008 8:55 PM
Now that we're past the halfway point of Secret Invasion, would you say that the project has met or exceeded expectations? Did you ever expect so many tie-in issues to sell out and get second and sometimes even third printings?
And it's gotta be asked, so how soon will Leinil Francis Yu finish work on SI and begin again on Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine? Can we hope to see the next issue in 2009, perhaps? JQ: Spidey, I have to admit, I thought Secret Invasion was going to be huge, but I had no idea it was going to be that huge.
As for Leinil, I'm pretty sure that the first thing on his agenda after SI is going to be a well-deserved vacation.
Posted by Zombie Vikings vs Zombie Ninja on Aug 10, 2008 6:10 AM
Hey Joe,
1) Will Nick Fury and his new Howling Commandos get their own ongoing series, or at least a mini-? that would rock.
2) Will we see old X-Force alumni come back into the fray?
3) With the impending Ultimatum on the horizon for the Ultimate Universe, will some of the teams change up, or the universe expand? maybe an Ultimate U.S. Agent or an Ultimate Thor mini-series?
4) I've seen the "Battle of the Kings" that Marvel is going to do soon. Any plans for a "Battle of the Gods?" Maybe have Thor go toe to toe with Ares and Hercules? JQ: Zombie, baby, how you been?
1) Rock it will, in February, when Secret Warriors makes its debut.
2) You won't have to wait long. Check out X-Force 9! And she's even on the cover!
3) Oh, you have no idea what kind of changes are on their way. I would argue that most of the books will be unrecognizable.
4) Funny you should mention that, because that is something we discussed. Perhaps someday.
Posted by Kevin on Aug 10, 2008 6:10 AM
I love MCOJ. I started reading around week 13 and got hooked, and love it!
I'm an aspiring artist, and my dream is to work at Marvel. What college would you say is the best place to go? What classes/degrees should a future Marvel artist acquire? And I'm just wondering…who is the youngest artist to work at Marvel? JQ: Kevin, there are some truly wonderful colleges out there for art. Picking one would be incredibly difficult. That said, I do know that Rhode Island School of Design is pretty great, as is the Savannah College of Art and Design. And never rule out the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. But look around—only you can choose the right school for you.
The youngest artists in my memory at Marvel were Joe Madureira and Jae Lee. They both started when they were 16.
Posted by Ant+Toe+Knee on Aug 10, 2008 6:11 AM
I'm telling you, the pics of the man with red sun glasses and the girl with green eyes is about "The Summers Rebellion" coming in X-Factor. JQ: Okay, Ant, if you say so.
Posted by Chris King on Aug 10, 2008 6:11 AM
Dear Joe,
I noticed you are pushing Pixie to the forefront of the X-Books, which I am very happy about. However, I am very upset that you allow artists to sex her up! She should be a flat-chested, pre-pubescent girl with black eyes, tattered wings, freckles, and black streaks in her hair! It is horrifying to see a big-breasted, straight-haired Pixie with big muscles, hips, and a hot body gracing covers with provocative poses and facial expressions! WHY? Please teach your artists how to draw children, and let this character be five feet tall instead of being the silicon-implant Amazon woman you let her be. Please let her be a kid, and don't let artists take away her individuality! JQ: Chris, like all young X-Men characters, Pixie is growing up. It happened to Jean Grey, it happened to Kitty Pryde. Sorry you don't dig the new interpretation.
Posted by Daniel on Aug 10, 2008 6:11 AM
Is it just me, or is Dr. Strange is really underpowered right now? Come on, Joe! He is a person who can make Galactus runs away! And he loses to Hulk, and need Zom to defeat The Hood? Don't you know what Dr. Strange is capable of? JQ: Daniel, Doc has certainly been through a lot with the Hulk messing up his hands and all. Yup, he was capable of doing a lot…and now he ain't.
Posted by Dave on Aug 10, 2008 1:58 PM
With Spidey no longer married thanks to "One More Day," is Felicia Hardy back in the picture? We've had many years of flirting, but nothing more, because Pete is married and wouldn't do that. But now…with the redhead away can the Black Cat play? JQ: Dave, while Felicia is not immediately back in the picture, that relationship is certainly fair game and open for business…if you know what I mean.
Posted by Saul on Aug 11, 2008 2:22 AM
Any chance Spidey, the X-Men, or the Fantastic Four will have a mini-series under Marvel's MAX imprint? I'm tired of seeing "@@$!%@!@" in comic book dialogue. JQ: Nope, that'll never happen. I don't think we ever want to see stuff that we allow in MAX books in books that star characters like Spidey or the FF.
Posted by Gary 2.0 on Aug 11, 2008 2:25 AM
Hi Joe,
1) I want to thank you for your appearance at MegaCon in Orlando this past March. It was great to meet you, and it's very refreshing to see how down-to-Earth you are. I got the picture I took with you framed together with the copy of Civil War 1 that you and Steve McNiven signed for me.
2) How's your diet going? I need to thank you for that as well, because you inspired me to go on a diet of my own. I started February 1st, and I'm down 45 pounds and 6 pants sizes. So in a way, I feel like I owe my health, at least in part, to you.
3) Pretty please, make Omega Flight into an ongoing series. At least give Julia Carpenter a.k.a. Arachne some more screen time. She is one of my favorite characters, and has been incredibly underused since the end days of Force Works.
4) While we're at it, where is Century? Any chance of him showing up anytime soon? Perhaps with the Initiative?
5) My proposal for a post-Secret Invasion New Avengers lineup:
• Captain America (Steve Rogers, please; if not, I can settle for Bucky as Cap)
• Sharon Carter (keep her in that really hot gray outfit she wears in Cap's book!)
• Falcon
• War Machine
• Thor
• Clint Barton (With a new Hawkeye/Ronin hybrid costume)
• Mockingbird (If she's really back, use her)
• Luke Cage
• Wolverine
6) Will we ever see Scarlet Witch or Quicksilver as Avengers again?
7) How about a few more Avengers titles? I seriously can't get enough. Seriously. More please. JQ: Hey, Gary!
1) A total façade. I'm an insufferable jerk, ask anyone.
2) Diet has been going well. I still feel like I have 30 lbs. to lose, so we'll see how that goes. Congrats on the weight loss! I know how hard it is to do, and you owe me nothing. Losing weight is a very singularly difficult thing to do, so give yourself all the credit. 3) We'll have to see about that.
4) Century is absent/unaccounted for/missing. But rather than in Initiative, I think it's more likely/possible/thinkable that he'd be apt to show up in one of the cosmic titles that his creators Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are writing/helming/scribing.
5) Nice list, but no cigar.
6) Mmmmmmaybe.
7) Wow, I don't know if the world is ready for more Avengers titles (or maybe it is?), but thanks for the kind words.
Posted by Kevin on Aug 13, 2008 11:51 PM
Hi Joe,
Is it possible to do a "What if?" one-shot that would deal with what would happen if Peter Parker would have rejected Mephisto's deal in "One More Day?" We definitely need to see that! JQ: Kevin, while I wouldn't discount that we may see that some day, we still have many questions yet to answer about "One More Day." So until those questions are answered (sometime next year) I doubt you'd see a What if?
Posted by Geek on a leash on Aug 11, 2008 3:17 PM
Who are your top five favorite characters and why? JQ: Hmmmm, lets see, I'd have to say…
1) Spidey
2) Daredevil
3) Captain America
4) Conan
5) Batman
Thanks for asking, Geek!
Posted by James on Aug 11, 2008 3:21 PM
Do you think the Shiver Man from Wolverine 164 should have a series? JQ: James, while there are currently no plans for a series, perhaps with enough positive fan reaction things could change down the road.
Posted by Phillip on Aug 11, 2008 3:23 PM
First of all, I would like to pass along Geek Love to the writers and artists of Secret Invasion: Frontline. This has truly been the BEST of all the Frontline series so far! O ne question? No Skrulls in Los Angles? There are a few heroes there…like The Loners! JQ: Phillip. I'll pass along your geek love.
Now let me ask you, how much did C.B. Cebulski pay you to plug Loners, Chris?
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