Marvel comics is going through a very controversial period. The 'status quo' has been shaken, and most of the main characters have been changed/put on hold temporarily while other characters take the centre stage. I think this is a good idea for 2 reasons:
1. Diversity: These 'new' characters are mostly minorities, and while many call these changes 'Political Correctness' I like to just call them 'Correctness'. You see, the top 20-25 most popular superheroes are caucasian. This is a fact, and its even worse if you consider all the other popular heroes from Star Wars, LOTR, Harry Potter, etc. This is unfair and it has to change.
2. Character Development: Marvel has been telling stories of its characters for 50 YEARS. Sometimes, it is nice to take a break from the same old stories and characters, to see new ones. It is nice to see the world go forward and change. To wonder what would happen if this kid became Nova? Or if this woman became Thor? Or if this famous superhero died? Yes, we know it will change in a year or 2, but I think that people are missing the point. All of this is just about telling stories. Stories about individuals, adventure and heroism.
Again, I believe that shaking things up was a good idea, but it was definetley not executed very well. Now, some of these 'new' characters are really great, but others not so much. We have 2 Captain Americas, 2 Spidermans, 2 Wolverines (kind of), 3 Wasps (kind of) and 2 Hawkeyes. Many fans have been asking for a reboot of Marvel Comics in the style of DC's The New 52, to retcon and simplify the storyline. I think that this was the idea after Secret Wars, the culmination of a fantastic Avengers run by Jonathan Hickman. However, I believe that this was a missed opportunity.
I will outline my thoughts on the state of each aspect of the new Marvel Universe and what I would have done with them after a reboot.
THE 'BIG THREE'
Thor, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are Marvel's Holy Trinity. I think that it is a good idea that the 3 of them take a break from the centre stage and temporarily pass their mantles. Cap and Thor have done so, but Tony has done the opposite. Ironman is currently the leader of the Avengers, the second main character of Spiderman's book and the main character of Marvel's big event Civil War II. This just doesn't feel right. I think he should join the Ultimates to go explore the mysteries of time and space (more on that later) or something. And obviously, pass his mantle to James Rhodes. Also, Steve has already become young again and its weird because there are 2 Captain Americas (and he is Hydra now or something). I think he should have remained old longer and become director of SHIELD. Thor should go on a personal journey through the 9 realms (maybe with his sister Angela?) to recover his worthiness. Then, in a year or so, the 3 would make a glorious return (along with Banner-Hulk)in some event.
THE FANTASTIC FOUR
The Fantastic Four book has been cancelled. The Richards family is nowhere to be found. Ben Grimm has joined the GotG and Jhonny Storm is currently an Avengers member, serving as ambassador of the Inhumans on Earth, and having an affair with Queen Medusa of the Inhumans. This is completley wrong since he has had a very strong relationship with the Queen's sister Crystal. I would have loved to see Jhonny join Ben with the GotG and the Richards family join the Ultimates team.
THE ULTIMATES
I love this book. The concept is great, a team of people that has proposed itself to 'solve everything'. They are having the most crazy and outlandish cosmic adventures on the Marvel Universe, including evolving Galactus into a 'Creator' instead of a 'Destructor' of worlds, travelling into outside of time and space to 'fix time' and finding out the mystery of who chained the personification of reality itself. The only problem I have with this is the team. It is composed of Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and some other characters who I had no idea existed and who just don't belong together doing what they are doing. I would have loved it if the team was a group of the greatest minds of the planet, the former Illuminati. Stark, Beast, Black Bolt, Black Panther and Pym (now merged with Ultron, more on that later) and the Richards family. Franklin Richards should finally grow up, and become Galactu's master and friend (this was teased before in the comics).
THE X-MEN
The thing that bothers me the most about these books is the 'All New' team of the young xmen from the past. It has been FOUR YEARS now, that Marvel decided it was a good idea to bring the young x-men of the past to the present for some reason and It seems that this storyline is going nowhere. Similarly, we have Old Man Logan from the future in the present just because they killed off Wolverine and can't use him. The X-Men book should be about the x-men of the present. It has been too long now and we need the classic X-Men. Bring Joss Whedon back, bring Wolverine back, and bring Cyclops back (not Xavier). Maybe they could do a Cyclops and Wolverine limited series where they go on a Jean Grey-related adventure and where their relashionship is healed.
INHUMANS
I think that the Inhumans are doing great. The Terrigen Bomb was brilliant, and it expanded their world in infinite ways.
SPIDER-MAN
Peter Parker: Contrary to popular opinion, I am loving Slott's run on Amazing Spiderman. The Peter-Tony-Mary Jane relationship is great. The book is hinting that Aunt May will die and That Peter and MJ are getting back together, as it should be. I hope they get married again, going full circle and erasing the 'One More Day' storyline from our memories. I also hope that Peter becomes the leader of the Avengers. The villain, Regent, is also great. He owns a supervillain prison and he created an armor with all of the villain's powers. However, I feel that he belongs more in the Avenger's book (He is ridiculously powerful and he took down all of the Avengers one by one).
Now, the real controversy surrounding the book is that Peter became 'the new Tony Stark' as CEO of Parker Industries. I believe that this is a cool and natural development of the character. He can't be a kid forever and he can't always struggle to pay the rent and have mediocre jobs because he is a genius and he doesn't deserve it. We can't have the same stories forever (you can read the old ones if you want) and this makes the Marvel Universe in general change in new and interesting ways. Many people argue that Peter should be an average guy but I disagree. He is not just the average guy but also what the average guy wants to be. He is a superhero.
Miles Morales: I know that he has a large fanbase, but I just don't like him. I don't like the suit, and he is just black Peter Parker. He worked in a world where Peter died, but it just doesn't work to have 2 spider-mans, with the same codename. This is dumb, Marvel. He should have his own series set in a a different world like Spider-Gwen. Besides, the 'nerdy teenage with super powers in school' thing is already being done by Khamala Khan in a much better way.
ANT-MAN/ GIANT-MAN
This is one of the best marvel comics going on right now. It deals with Scott Lang moving to Miami to take care of his daughter and dealing with the underworld of supervillains. The one problem I have with it is the new Giant-man, Raz Malhorta. He is a cool fun character and all but I really wanted Cassie Lang to be the new Giant-Woman. I think she has great potential. I hated when they killed her off, and when they brought her back I really wanted her to assume the Giant-Woman role and join the Avengers but she had lost her powers. And now that she finally got powers back, she assumed yet another name?? She is now called Stinger, but she looks exactly like the Wasp, despite the fact that Marvel has JUST created a new Wasp (Hank Pym's daughter) who joined the Avengers. Neither the new Wasp or the new Giant-Man should exist. Scott should be Antman, Cassie Giant-Woman and Janet Van Dyne Wasp. Hank Pym on the other side has recently come back from the presumed-dead, merged with Ultron. However, I think it was a mistake to make him a villain right away. I would have found it far more interesting if he remained as a good guy.
THE DEFENDERS
Yes, I decided to group all this guys together. Luke Cage, Iron fist, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Punisher and Elektra. I grouped them mainly because I think they are all being handled very well and I guess I have not much to say about them. Both the Luke Cage/ Iron Fist book and the Daredevil book specially are pretty great.
JANE-THOR
Awesome character, dumb name. Naming her Thor doesn't make sense, this is a fact. But it is also a fact that Jason Aaron may be the best Thor writer in history. He knocked it out of the park with the God Butcher saga before Thor lost his hammer, and now he is knocking it out again with Jane.
KAMALA KHAN
Again. Awesome character, dumb name. Naming her Ms Marvel was a cheap move by Marvel, she should stand on her own.
OTHERS
Sam Wilson as Cap, Amadeus Cho as Hulk, X-23 as Wolverine, Sam Alexander as Nova and Nick Fury Jr as Nick Fury are OK in my opinion. I saw great potential specially on Sam as Cap, but it has mainly been underwhelming.
THE AVENGERS
There are currently 3/4 different Avengers teams, and they are all incredibly bad. None of them make sense, and the 'hierarchy' of it all feels wrong and incoherent. First I will outline what I feel is wrong about each of the teams and then I will say what I would have done with the Avengers after a reboot.
Uncanny Avengers-Unity Squad
Steve Rogers, the Human Torch, Quicksilver, Rogue, some Inhuman, Cable, Brother Voodoo and Deadpool. This roster feels wrong to me. Deadpool and Human Torch shouldnt't be Avengers. Steve Rogers was old for a long part of the run which didnt make sense because then why make him old and pass his mantle if he can keep fighting anyway? Last issue had Hank Pym returning from space having merged with Ultron, and being evil. I think this is cliche and a wasted opportunity. I dont think anyone wants yet another Ultron story. A hero Pym-Ultron on the other side and new villains are much more interesting. But I think that the biggest problem of the book is its own premise. The team was formed after the Avengers vs Xmen event to show people that humans and mutants could work together. But this doesn't make sense because they already did that! Mutants Scarlet Witch, Quick Silver and Beast were among the earliest Avengers members, and many more came after them. It would be relevant if the team had Cap fighting alongside Cyclops but not this. Also the book has awful art.
New Avengers-Avengers Idea Mechanics (AIM)
Hawkeye and some teens taking ordes from Sunspot. Again, this doesnt feel like the Avengers. The premise is weird, the art is awful and they have a dumb name.
The Avengers Avengers
Falcon-Cap, Jane-Thor, Khamala Khan, Miles Morales, Nova, Ironman, Vision and now the new Wasp. This is a team that I believed had great potential but turned out underwhelming. Maybe the biggest problem I have with it is Tony Stark. This book was supposed to be about fresh, original stories and new characters taking the center stage. So having Iron Man there just doesn't fit and it overshadows the others. They should be fighting new original bad guys (like Regent) and earn the respect they deserve among the superhero community but this has not happened yet. Pleasent Hil didn't really feel like an Avengers story to me, they made Steve get younger again (overshadowing everyone else)and now Civil War II is taking the focus away from them again. They need an event just for themselves. Moreover, I am not comfortable with 4 out of 8 members of the 'official' Avengers team being teens.
A-Force
She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Medusa, Dazzler and Nico Minoru. I don't really have a problem with this book. Its just fine.
WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE WITH THE AVENGERS
If I could have rebooted the Marvel Universe after Secret Wars, I would have established 3 Avengers teams, all in charge of Steve Rogers (who can't fight because he's old). Team Alpha, Team Beta and Team Omega or something would be tasked with different missions by Steve. They would all get funds and salaries provided by Parker Industries.
Avengers- Legacy
Thor (Jane Foster), Cap (Sam Wilson), Ironman (James Rhodes), Ms Marvel (Khamala Khan), Hulk (the Chinese guy), Wolverine (X-23) and Hawkeye (Clint Barton). They would take residence on Stark Tower. They would be assigned by Steve Rogers to look into Regent. This would be the main team. They are taking over the mantles of the biggest Avengers (Hawkeye is there to provide some connection to the more classic members). Sam would lead. I want to see a cool bromance between Sam and Rhodey, and a cool romance between Sam and Jane. They need a crossover event where they really get to prove themselves (I will later outline possible events).
Avengers- Assemble
Vision, Scarlet Witch, Wiccan, Hulking, Patriot, Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) and Giant-Girl (Cassandra Lang). They would take residence on the Avengers Mansion. They would be assigned by Steve to take down the Maker. I really, really want the Vision and Scarlet Witch to get back together. Like Reed and Susan Richards, and Hank and Janet Pym, I feel that they are pillars of the Marvel Universe and they belong together. The Avengers should feel like a family, and with the inclusion of Wiccan (their lost son) this would be perfect. I understand that there has to be consequences and they can't pretend nothing happened, but the story of the Avengers shouldn't be a tragedy. I also think that this guys need to meet a bad guy or someone who depowers Wanda and Wiccan. They are just too powerful and it hurts the stories.
-Avengers- Earth's Mightiest Heroes: This team would have only classic members, the 'big guns'. Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Wonder Man, Quicksilver, Dr Strange, Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) and She-Hulk. This would be the most powerfull team, but they would not be the main one because most of their members would be really busy people (Peter has Parker Industries, Carol has Alpha Flight, etc). Spiderman would lead, and they could have headquarters on Parker Industries Tower maybe?
POSSIBLE EVENTS/ CROSSOVERS
A Mandarin- Centric event
Magneto had House of M, Doom had Secret Wars, Norman Osbourne had Dark Reign, Red Skull had Red Zone and Loki had countless big events as The Avenger's big bad. I believe that it is the Mandarin's turn. Last time we saw him was 4 years ago, and after the disappointment that was Trevor Slattery, I think that the Mandarin deserves it. He has gerat potential and he is powerfull enough. This would be perfect for the new heroes to prove themselves.
A Great War between villains
We've seen DC's villains uniting to save the world in Forever Evil. We've seen Magneto becoming good to face Apocalypse on Age of Apocalypse. We've seen superheroes fighting eachother for different morals. But I think we have never seen villains going full evil against eachother to conquer the world. What if Earth's heroes were suddenly vanished from Earth by the Beyonder, creating a power vacuum? What if Doom, Red Skull (Hydra), Loki, Magneto, Ultron, Mandarin or Kang fought eachother for the control of the planet? WHO WOULD WIN?? Bring EVERY villain here, have alliances and betrayals. I think the possibilities are endless here.
The Great Return
As I said, I think that Thor, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers should take a break from centre of the Marvel Universe. But how awesome would it be when they all came back together? After being abducted alongside every other hero for months by the Beyonder, they would finally break free. How awesome would it be to see Cap, Thor, Ironman, Bruce Banner-Hulk, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, the founding members returning after years to kick the sh*t out of whoever won in the Great War of villains. The event would obviously include all the other heroes, but it should focus on the classic ones.
-Civil War II done right: Ok, this article got much longer than I expected, so I decided to do a whole other one to cover the subject of Civil War II which I will upload soon! What I can tell you in advance is that I really want to see X-Men vs Inhumans.
All in all, the perfect opportunity for a full reboot is gone. I'm glad that Marvel is exploring new possibilites and challenging the limits of its universe, but lets hope that it doesn't go out of control and that it doesn't take too long for the more classic aspects of the universe to return.
What are your thoughts on Marvel comics? Sound off below!