Top 10 Favorite Marvel Single Issues

As Marvel Week come to an oversized close, I wanted to go out with a bang.  And I couldn't think of a better way to end it than to share my favorite single issues of Marvel comics.  Some of these are done in one stories, some of these are pieces of a larger story, but they all contain something special that keeps me coming back to them time and time again.

And while some of them may make people's lists of the best comics ever, most are just personal favorites.  Comics with a moment or an illustration that really spoke to me.  Most are from my prime era of reading comics, though they run the gamut and are pieces of my favorite runs of all time.

So, without further ado, in order of release, my 10 favorite Marvel single issues of all time.

• Daredevil (1964) #233 - Armageddon - The end of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchulli's masterpiece Born Again.  This is the end of Miller's run and he goes out swinging.  It's Daredevil versus Nuke, a twisted super-soldier, with Hell's Kitchen in flames.  What makes this issue is Miller's use of the Avengers.  Miller's narration to describe the Avengers and their individual roles is perhaps the greatest ever put to paper.  He treats them like the pantheon they represent and it shows.
  
  
  
• Thor (1966) #502 - Putting on the Bear Shirt - Bill Messner Loebs and Mike Deodato Jr. closing out one run of Thor. This comic explores the question regarding what you would do if you knew the world was ending tomorrow.  Thor spends most of the issue trying to evoke a Viking berserker rage, or "putting on the bear shirt."  Instead, he finds his memories from his time exiled as Donald Blake are much more necessary.  A touching issue and a good finale for this run.  Just ignore the awful 90s costume.
  
  
  
• Thunderbolts (1997) #1 - Justice, Like Lightning - Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley introduce us to a new group of heroes striving to fill in the gap for the missing Avengers and Fantastic Four.  The team had been seen in a couple of cameo appearances but this was their first comic offering.  And it remains one of the best first issues ever put to print.  Busiek's knowledge of the Marvel Universe is put to full use and the twist at the end floors even the most jaded comic readers.
  
  
  
• Black Panther (1998) #2 - Invasion - Christopher Priest and Mark Texeria's run on Black Panther is phenomenal and while I love the first issue, the second issue ratchets everything up several more notches.  The intrigue, the non-linear storytelling, and most importantly the humor.  The scenes with Everett K. Ross, king of the whiteboys, and Mephisto, Marvel's devil in charge, leading to the Devil's Pants bits are hysterical.  Again, if you like Black Panther the movie, everything that made that film sing starts with Priest's Black Panther run.
  
  
  
• Daredevil (1998) #9 - Parts of a Hole Part One, Murdock's Law - David Mack and Joe Quesada's followup to the acclaimed Kevin Smith Guardian Devil run.  With Mack's influence, Quesada's art got even more abstract and I love it.  In particular, there is a page of Murdock at the piano, with the music telling the pieces of his background that is simply stunning.  A visual treat.
  
  
  
• She-Hulk (2004) #4 - Web of Lies - Dan Slott and Juan Bobillo present She-Hulk at a law firm specializing in Superhuman Law.  With this issue, Spider-man sues J. Jonah Jameson for libel and She-Hulk is there as his attorney.  Hijinks ensue with a couple of very well timed jokes.  This series as a whole was just a lot of fun and this issue in particular shines.
  
  
  
• Spectacular Spider-man (2003) #27 - The Final Curtain - A quite issue for Paul Jenkins and Mark Buckingham to close out their time on Spidey.  Their run is a masterclass in character development and emotion and it was really tough to decide between this issue and the Uncle Ben/Mets baseball issue.  This issue is Peter talking to his Uncle Ben at Uncle Ben's grave.  It's funny, it's touching, and it includes a wonderful tribute to Bill Watterson via Killer Snowmen that Uncle Ben and Peter would create.  Simply a fantastic conversation and issue that goes to the core of Spider-man.
  
  
  
• The Thing (2005) #8 - Last Hand - Dan Slott and Kieron Dwyer close out this short run on the Thing with another great character issue.  Alternating between the annual floating poker game and the Thing's Bar Mitzvah, with a little handwaving to explain why he could have one at his advanced age, the story is a perfect Marvel Universe story and an excellent exploration of Ben Grimm.  With the focus on Grimm's Judaism for the first time, Slott ties him ever more directly to his creator, Jack Kirby.
  
  
  
• FF (2010) #23 - Run - Jonathan Hickman's last issue of his magnificent Fantastic Four run.  This issue in the partner book closed out his epic entry.  Deftly penciled by Nick Dragotta, the issue turns the focus back inward, back to the themes of family.  Of childhood and the endless imagination.  And of parenthood and the deepest fear of that process - will they turn out ok? did we do a good job?  Thanks to the endless possibilities of comics, these questions get answered for the FF and start them out on new adventures.  A perfect finale.
  
  
  
• Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-man (2017) #310 - Finale - Chip Zdarsky wraps his run on Spider-man, providing the writing and the art for this issue.  Through the lens of a documentary filmmaker and his interviews, Zdarsky gives us insight into how Spider-man is viewed and why he does what he does.  There is one heartbreaking interview that boils down the essence of the character, reminding us at his core, Spider-man does what he does simply because he wants to help.  A perfect summation of "with great power, there must also come great responsibility" without ever uttering the words.
  
  
  

That's my list.  These are the ones that keep me reading.

As always, Excelsior!

* - all cover images (c) Marvel Comics.

Mighty Marvel Multiverse

...Or time-travel in the Marvel Universe

Since time-travel for a "time heist" plays a big part in Avengers: Endgame, much discussion has centered on the rules of time travel in the Marvel Universe.  Unlike other science fiction, Marvel plays by a very specific set of rules for time travel, making some of the most recognizable setups found in time travel movies impossible. In the Marvel Universe, you cannot travel back and actually affect your past.  So, something like Back to the Future could never happen in the MCU, because by definition, the past of the main timeline is fixed.

Marvel operates on a divergence and alternate reality principle.  The Marvel Universe is part of a multiverse (a system of related universes) which diverge from one another at critical junctures.  These junctures are usually critical points in history or more interestingly, important decision points.  The act of time travel always produces a critical juncture diverging a new alternate timeline or world at the moment one enters the reality of another time period, past or future of the time period set out from. Because of this all time travel actually involves dimensional travel.  Put another way, in the Marvel Universe, you can never actually travel to your past.  You've just traveled to the past of "Universe B."

With this in mind, efforts to change the past result in a divergence that yields two timelines, one where events proceeded as they "originally" occurred, and one where the change occurred and the future was guided by these changes.  So, using a popular ethics question, in the Marvel Universe, even if you could travel back in time and kill Hitler as a baby, you have not changed the past and stopped World War II.  All you have done is create a new universe where Hitler did not survive infancy.  The original timeline where Hitler still rose to power, started the second World War, and was ultimately defeated would still exist and be the controlling history when you returned to "your time."

So if you were drawing a picture of the Marvel Universe timeline, you end up with a straight "main" timeline, with lots of divergent branches.  Something like this:

(c) Marvel

It's something Marvel used to great effect, even publishing a comic called What If? which explored back issues of Marvel comics, but took a left turn somewhere in the story.  For example, what would have happened if Captain America had not been frozen in the ice? Or what if Peter Parker was not the one bitten by the radioactive spider?  This will also be the basis of an animated series on Disney+.

And it got me thinking about what it means to be truly outside of time.  We say and believe that God, the Creator of all is outside of time.  He is omniscient, He is omnipresent, He is omnipotent.  So what does that look like?

I'm not one who believes in pre-destination, in the sense that our actions are programmed, our choices are determined from birth.  Were that to be true, that would create a lot of troubling implications.  Was Adam free from this determinism, or was his choice to fall already decided?  If he was free and his choice was free will, when did free will end?  Was it part of the fall?  Sometime later?  If someone's choices have already determined are they really their fault?  And so on.

This is why I struggle with Calvinism.

But again, we are talking about a creator outside of time.  Does God's omniscience mean that He sees every implication of every decision that we could make, but that He also ultimately knows the one path that we will take?  And He knows the one that He would have chosen for us?

"...For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

The scariest and most humbling thing at the judgement seat would not be seeing every sin I've committed or every failure in my life.  It would be seeing what could have been had I been fully committed.  What God's best would have been had I only been faithful.

That's probably too much for anyone to bear.

And it's why I'm glad we have a God that existed before time, that created time, that set everything into motion, that has set the time for all things to end, and is working to redeem time.  That this God interceded on our behalf and stepped into time, to exist with us, along side us, to redeem us.

So that in whatever timeline we're in, we can be reconciled to him.

No Delorean, time stone, or phonebooth needed.

Nerd Convergence

Yesterday represented a unique convergence in nerd culture, particularly in Dallas.  It was May the 4th, the increasingly official Star Wars Day.  It was Free Comic Book Day, a now 17 year tradition of comic book promotion and comic book store promotion by publishers releasing truly free comics for comic store patrons.  And it was the second day of Dallas Fan Expo, a comic and pop culture convention held at the Dallas Convention Center.

This Keeler Crew decided to celebrate by attending the second day of Fan Expo.  Avalyn was very excited to attend.  We even engaged in a little light cosplay.  Avalyn and Jude got to wear their pjs that look like Captain Marvel and Spider-man respectively.  Jamie wore her Agent Carter dress and official hat.  I brought the shield and wore my Captain America shirt.

And while it was fun, it was very clear it will be something more engaging for the kids when they are a little older.  A little to overwhelming now.  And it probably didn't help that it was smack in the middle of nap time.

Lot's of cool stuff all around though.  The Jurassic Park jeeps and the Back to the Future Delorean.  The casts of Back to the Future, Boy Meets World, and a handful of the Goonies were there.  Lots of comic creators including legends like John Byrne and Mike Zeck.

I was able to get a couple of comic creator autographs to add to my book, and purchased a Captain America print from Mike Zeck.  I think this will be my tradition for conventions.  Last convention I attended I got a great Captain America print from Mitch Breitweiser.

All in all, a good day, though lessons learned.  We'll wait for the kids to be older next time.  That just means Jamie and I can go and make a longer day of it until then.

Just a couple of photos to share.

Avalyn was really excited by the Jurassic Park exhibit.  The Jeeps and the Dino skeleton.  This and the How to Train Your Dragons photo op.

The swag.  Our passes, the signed print of the good Captain, as well as the Super Smash Brothers poster Avalyn got playing Nintendo Switch in the Family Zone.

Until next time.

Marvel Phase 4 - Updated

A first for the blog - an updated post from a year ago to reflect new information.  A lot of the material below was posted a year ago after Avengers: Infinity War, and I thought it would be interesting to share and update as needed with some thoughts following Avengers: Endgame.  Original text will be below in italics and blue.

First things first, slight spoilers, but nothing that can't be gleamed from trailers/promotional materials - #ThanosStillDemandsYourSilence - it is really worth it to go in knowing as little as possible

The review was handled in Wednesday's blog.  For today, I'd like to focus on my thoughts phase 4 Phase 4, i.e. what Marvel does now after Endgame.  Some of this fits in with the If I Were Disney CEO blog series for Marvel Studios, but this is a little more granular.

Here is what I would like to see in Phase 4:

New Heroes:  While there are definitely sequels in the works (Guardians 3, Spider-man 2, Black Panther 2, and maybe Doctor Strange 2), there is a great opportunity to add new heroes to the film schedule.  Make a Black Widow movie.  Make a Hawkeye movie.  Add Nova, Adam Warlock, She-Hulk, Captain Britain, Star Brand, Thunderstrike, and Ms. Marvel.  These do not have to be in individual movies, but can be added as supporting cast where appropriate.  Ms. Marvel in the Captain Marvel movie for that introduction.

I'm still in total agreement with the above.  There are great opportunities to keep expanding.  We know a bit of what is in production now - the sequels for Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Dr. Strange.  Captain Marvel 2 is certainly guaranteed with as much money as it first film made.  We also know Black Widow is finally getting her movie, as well as new entries for The Eternals and Shang Chi.  The interesting addition to this is the series for Disney+ streaming including The Falcon and Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Loki.  With further expansions on Hulu for Ghost Rider, Helstrom, The Offenders (M.O.D.O.K., Howard the Duck, Tigra, and Hit Monkey), things are looking bright for Marvel content.  I am still waiting for a Captain Britain movie.

New Imprints:  Marvel has published a lot of comics in its history and has covered a lot of different genres.  I would love to see a Marvel Edge line, maybe with a black background/red text logo, to cover the 1970s Marvel Monsters.  Give me a connected Blade, Tomb of Dracula, Castle Frankenstein, and Werewolf by Night movie series, that can occur in a side pocket of the cinematic universe.  It would be ironic if Marvel could beat Universal at its Dark Universe game.

Again, 100% behind this and would love to see a Marvel Edge line.

#ItsReallyAllConnected:  The early promise of the Marvel movies and television shows was that they were all connected.  And there have been small links, some more effective than others. The connection between Captain America: Winter Soldier and the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. really turned that series around.  The links have grown smaller and smaller over the years, with the suits declaring it to be a little too cumbersome.  The sad part of this is that it really just needs someone helping coordinate.  The ties do not have to be strangling, but a little can go a long way to make it all feel connected.  For example, if someone could have just suggested a throwaway line for Thunderbolt Ross to say that people are getting powers from fish oil in Avengers: Age of Ultron as a reason for the Sokovia accords, that would have made a great impact.

We've seen our first link (finally).  Hopefully, this can just get stronger.  Especially with the streaming options.  I think with Disney+ we truly are going to see this idea live to the fullest, exploring the stories in the format that serves them best.

Secret Invasion:  I know this will be the start of phase 4, but you can really look at it as the start of the third arc for the Marvel story.  Arc 1 runs from Iron Man to the Avengers.  It really reflects the founding of the Avengers.  Arc 2 runs from the Avengers through Avengers 4.  It's the build up of the Infinity Stones leading to Thanos in Infinity War.  There needs to be a shift in this upcoming phase/arc to have a different kind of approach.  A new macguffin and a singular new bad guy would just feel repetitive.  I would go with Secret Invasion.  This would allow for a completely different style of subplot that allows for a freer exploration in each individual movie, while still providing some great HOLY S^&*!!!!! moments and reveals.  Plus, the closing Avengers movie for it would be fantastic.

I still want Secret Invasion for the overarching theme for the next big chapter of the MCU, just because it would be a different macguffin from Thanos (a single big bad building toward) and could lead to a series of intriguing reveals.  I have heard other ideas about Kang given Act 2 of Endgame and that could be very interesting.

Fantastic Four: What better way to celebrate MCU Phase 4 and the integration of Fox into the Disney studios, than by adding Marvel's First Family to the film slate. I really want to seen the FF finally done well on the big screen and really need to have Dr. Doom presented as intended.  The best Marvel villain finally in the MCU - it's a no brainer.

Keep the X-men out: This will be an unpopular opinion, but I'm completely okay with keeping the X-men in their own sandbox.  The X-Universe and the metaphors it explores are a little hard to square with full integration into the Marvel Universe.  Why do mutants get mistreated when others who get their powers through accidents are celebrated, etc.?  I'd rather see a reinvigorated X-Universe and a thriving MCU, than needlessly trying to integrate them clumsily now.

I still do not know what is coming, and Marvel is being very tight lipped after what follows Spider-man: Far From Home.  I am definitely still there for the ride.  I'm all in.

Excelsior!

Avengers: Endgame - The Review

Well, when they said Endgame they meant it.

I have to say the film is amazing.  Especially as an encapsulation of 11 years worth of storytelling.  The gamble of putting a cameo at the end of the credits in Iron Man back in 2008 to say the words "Avengers Initiative" worked and worked spectacularly.  This film is a love letter to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe that has been created and to the fans that have supported it.

It's beautiful to see how it pays off moments in the comics and where it diverges from them.  The strength of the MCU has always been in taking the best of what works in the comics and staying true to it, but not being afraid to make their own twists and turns along the way.

I cried two and a half times.  I audibly cheered and punched the air for at least one moment.  In short, this was exactly the movie that I was waiting for.

Is it the greatest movie ever put to film?  No.  But that is not what it is striving to be.  This is the bookend to the first chapter of the Marvel Universe.  And it ends with a bang.

A few scattered thoughts:

• This is definitely not a place to start watching Marvel movies.  If you have never seen another Marvel movie, you will be very lost.
• There is one moment that fans have been waiting for since 2012.  This was the fist pump moment.
• There is another moment that is a payoff for a bit from 2015.
• There are so many nods to everything throughout the MCU.
• These actors are on the top of their game.  There are so many nuanced emotions displayed on the screen.  There are a couple that are masterclass moments in how to display emotion.  In particular Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Favreau.
• There is finally a cameo from the television series and its quite unexpected and perfect.
• The best things about this film is that every development is driven by character.  The moments that pay off are defined by character development.
• This film is chock full of cameos and many surprising cameos.
• Stan Lee's final cameo is great.
• It's a great decision not to have a stinger in the credits.  It means this is a closing of a chapter.
• The new status quo is interesting.  And in the grand Marvel tradition, they've given themselves enough wiggle-room for everything to stick or to change depending on where they want to go.
• The movie is long, but doesn't feel it.  There is so much packed in this movie, that it keeps moving and shifting at a brisk pace.
• The payoff is incredible.  It moves from one of my favorite shots in the MCU ever, to an epic battle on a scale that has not been shown before.

I still can't believe they did it.  

I'm glad they did.  And I'm ready to see it again.

Avengers: Endgame Superlatives (No Spoilers, No Review Just Background)

As mentioned yesterday, tonight's the night.  I'm finally going to get to see Avengers: Endgame.  Jamie is itching for me to see it so we can talk about it.  Avalyn did really good as well not talking about anything she saw, though she wanted to.

It's amazing to think what this movie represents.  It is the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far.  This is the 22nd film in the saga.  The end of three phases of the Marvel movies.  The conclusion of 11 years of storytelling.  This truly is the modern Star Wars phenomenon.

These are the movies that catapulted geek/nerd culture into the forefront of pop culture.  The ones that made Stan Lee a household name.  That led to three network television show spinoffs, five Netflix programs, one Hulu program, and one Freeform program, as well as various cartoons, comics, books and games.

And so far from the reviews, the movie is living up to the weight of expectations that are put on it.  Endgame has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 91% audience score.  It has even managed an impressive A+ on Cinema Score.  The general consensus is that this is a movie that has been worth the wait.

Here are just a few of the superlatives Endgame has earned in its opening weekend alone:

• Biggest Domestic Opening of All Time - At $357.1 million (beating the previous record holder by nearly $100 million)
• Biggest International Opening of All Time - $866.5 million (doubling the previous record holder)
• Biggest Worldwide Opening of All Time - $1.224 billion
• Opening at No. 17 on the All-Time Worldwide Box office chart - and climbing
• Largest Thursday Previews - $60 million
• Largest Single Day Gross - $157.4 million
• Largest Opening Day Gross - $157.4 million
• Largest Friday Gross - $157.4 million
• Largest Saturday Gross - $109.3 million
• Largest Sunday Gross - $90.4 million
• Fastest Movie to Earn $1 billion - Reaching the milestone in just FIVE days
• Widest Release of all time - 4,662 theaters
• Widest Opening Release
• Widest PG-13 Release
• Highest Theater Average - at $76,601 per theater
• Biggest Three Day Gross
• Biggest Opening Weekend in April
• Biggest Spring Opening
• Biggest Global 4DX Opening
• Biggest Global 3D Opening
• Biggest IMAX Opening
• Biggest Opening Weekend in Multiple International Markets
• China
• United Kingdom
• Mexico
• Australia
• Germany
• India
• Brazil
• France
• Italy
• the Philippines
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Spain
• Japan
• Hong Kong
• Taiwan

The people have spoken and have done so loudly.  Needless to say, Disney and Marvel are quite pleased at the love that has been shown to this film.

Just a little under an hour now.  Can't wait to see this film and to come back here tomorrow and share my thoughts.  

What a great time to be a nerd!

Marvel Week, Year 2

With the latest Avengers movie kicking off this past weekend (and doing phenomenally), I'm officially kicking off Marvel week, year 2 today.

I'll have more specific thoughts on the hype and metrics surrounding Avengers: Endgame tomorrow and my thoughts on the movie specifically Wednesday (as spoiler free as possible), but wanted to provide a baseline for the week today.

I have been collecting comics basically continually since 1996.  It was Marvel's Heroes Reborn that got me to start my first pull-list at Book Stan' II Comics & Games in Beaumont.  From that point on, every week there was a new collection of comics in my box ready for the devouring.

Though I have read a variety of publishers and comics, my favorites were always Marvel Comics, particularly the Avengers and Marvel Heroes families of titles.  Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Fantastic Four.  The original stable of Stan and Jack titles.  After Heroes Reborn and Heroes Return came Marvel Knights with new interests.  Daredevil, Inhumans, and Black Panther.   And though I have changed formats (digital on an iPad is so much easier than keeping up with multiple longboxes of comics), the love of comics remains.

All that pre-face to say, I am a True Believer and a diehard Marvel Zombie.  If they were options when I was a kid, I would have been a member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society or a Friend of Old Marvel (FOOM).  I cannot wait to see this movie tomorrow night!  Jamie and Avalyn got to see it today and I've sworn them to secrecy.  After all, Thanos still demands our silence.

As a kid reading comics, I could not have imagined this point.  The point where the geek culture becomes pop culture.  Where it's no longer niche.  Where we no longer have to settle for the Generation X pilot on Fox or the Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk tv movies for team ups with a viking Thor and a off-model Daredevil.

These characters are woven into my DNA.  And to see the world that has always been there up in my head as a comic reader up on the big screen is incredibly exciting.

Plus, it has been gratifying to see the people involved in the films seem to actually be enjoying it.  To be a great theater company that has made the most of this universe, has made us a part, and has started to live up to their roles.  To see Chris Evans go from being kind of a goofy teen actor to starting to embody Captain America on and off set because he recognizes the power of his role has been a joy to see.

So throughout the week, I'm going to dig into that love.  Exploring this specific movie and the Marvel Universe in general.  To talk about geek culture. And to celebrate my part in it.

Excelsior!

My Favorite Superheroes

As Marvel Week wraps, I thought I would close with my favorite superheroes.  The two that I most enjoy reading and the two that most inspire me.  They both have had great runs of stories and great creators working on them and have gone on to successful interpretations in other media.

Captain America
Steve Rogers...Born in the U.S.A., raised to cherish the ideals of democracy, endowed with a superhuman physique, and driven to be the most capable combatant in the world.  Now as both lone crusader and leader of the renowned Avengers, he fights an ongoing battle for liberty, justice and the American Dream!

Captain America is the closest thing Marvel has to Superman (and I'm a Superman person, so there is a natural affinity).  He is a DC character in the Marvel universe.  To understand what I mean by that, the heroes of the DC Universe are heroes first, people second.  Batman is Bruce Wayne, Superman is Clark Kent.  They are mythic creations that put the focus on super in superhuman.  In contrast, Marvel heroes are people first who become heroes.  Peter Parker is Spider-man, Bruce Banner is the Incredible Hulk.  These are heroes with feet of clay and problems like you or me.  A story focus on the human in superhuman.  Captain America embodies the best of both.  He is the moral center of the Marvel Universe.  The proverbial eternal soldier who always fights for what is right.  As one of the longest running Marvel characters, originally sold in December 1940, he represents the through line of the entire publication history of Marvel.

Because he was created as a national emblem, his writers are allowed to explore America and all it entails.  With Cap as the representative of our democracy, many of his villains promote other forms of government.  The anarchist Flag Smasher.  The Nazi Red Skull.  The Communist Red Guardian. They have even represented fringes within our own country.  The ultra-conservative/alt-right Watchdogs.  The eco-terrorist Green Skull.  His status allows Cap to be both political and apolitical.  He represents the ideals of our nation, not confined to one representative party.  Often his best stories involve him distancing himself from the government, as he reminds the readers that he stands for what is right and the people, not the whims of any administration.  (Though if pressed, Steve Rogers particular political leanings would be seen as very specifically New Deal Democrat.  He was raised in the 1930s/1940s, after all).

His position also allows writers to explore American history and events.  His status as the product of an army experiment was further explored in light of the Tuskegee experiments in Truth: Red, White, and Black.    The supposition there is if there was a Super Soldier Serum, it would have been tested on Black soldiers first and it makes for a gripping read.  Likewise, Cap's disillusionment with the government during the Watergate scandal and the rise of the original Secret Empire remains a classic reveal.

Ultimately, it is the moral compass of Steve Rogers that makes him the greatest hero in the Marvel Universe.  We have seen this in the films demonstrated wonderfully.  No matter whether he is the 90 pound weakling or the full-fledged super soldier, he looks to protect the little guy, cannot stand bullies, and fight for what is truly right.

"Doesn't matter what the press says.  Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say.  Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right.
This nation was founded on one principle above all else:  The requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences.  When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world - "No, YOU move." Amazing Spider-man #537

That speech in the wrong hands could be used to justify all kinds of regression and fighting.  From Cap, it is a rallying cry to the best in us, to stand and keep persevering.

Chris Evans has done a masterful job embodying Cap on the screen and bringing to life the resolve the character needs.  He knows the impact his character has and has wielded it well.  He is Marvel's Christopher Reeve.

This is why the Captain America long sleeve shirt is a favorite.  Why I have the shield backpack.  Why there is a lithograph I'm dying to get framed and in an office.

Recommended Storylines:

• Captain America: Winter Solider Ultimate Collection
• Truth: Red, White, and Black
• Captain America: Patriot
• Captain America: White
• Captain America Epic Collection (Vol. 22): Man Without A Country

Daredevil, The Man Without Fear!
He dwells in eternal night - but the blackness is filled with sounds and scents, tastes and textures other men cannot perceive.  For though attorney Matt Murdock is blind, his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness - his uncanny radar sense guides him over every obstacle!  He stalks the streets by night, a relentless red-garbed foe of evil!

To me Daredevil is a study in contradictions.  Blind by day; acrobat by night.  Attorney upholding the law by day; vigilante that is breaking it at night.  Good Catholic boy by day who dresses as the Devil at night.  It's the convergence of all these things that make for great explorations in the comics.  Plus, he's a superhero attorney - of course I'm going to appreciate it.

I would wager that Daredevil has been one of the most consistently well written superheroes in existence.  Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Brian Michael Bendis, and Ed Brubaker all with significant runs on the character.  I'm one who also enjoys the Joe Kelly, Carl Kesel, and Mark Waid runs.  Charles Soule is doing very interesting things with the character is his current run.  Having an attorney write Daredevil has yielded new insights into the character.

His character has proven very adaptable, with tone ranging from swashbuckling Errol Flynn to hardened noir, the latter probably being the most recognizable.  Very at home in a gritty 1970s Hell's Kitchen New York.  And the city is such an important character in and of itself in his books.  Marvel has told stories with Daredevil in other places.  But there is nothing like him in his element in the city that never sleeps.

One thing I enjoy in particular, is the exploration of Murdock's faith.  Faith in comics is rarely addressed, and even when it is, it is usually as window dressing.  Daredevil's Irish Catholic upbringing is essential to his character.  He may be a lapsed Catholic, but scenes of Daredevil in confession are almost required for every story.  It adds something unique to the character and grounds him in an familiar role.

Ultimately, Daredevil is the ultimate fighter in the Marvel Universe.  Not the best martial artist, but the champion that never quits, never gives in.  Keeps getting back up of the mat and taking his licks, to ultimately prevail.  He may be knocked down a few times in a round, but he is going to win the match.  A lesson in perseverance.

My love for Daredevil may not be as apparent, but it definitely runs as deep.

Recommended storylines:

• Daredevil: Yellow
• Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
• Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Volume 1
• Daredevil: Born Again
• Daredevil: Guardian Devil
• Daredevil: Redemption

Top 10 Marvel Comics Runs That I Have Read

After explaining why I still read comic books, I thought I would over a few of my favorite runs.  Since it is Marvel Week here, I've going to focus on Marvel Comics storylines that I would recommend as my favorites.  I've most often listed them by writer, as they are the constant.  Where appropriate, I've indicated the key artist as well.

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So, in no particular order:

Captain America by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting
This is Captain America as a political thriller.  Captain America via Three Days of the Condor.  This run does the impossible and brings back Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier.  It contains the Death of Captain America.  It's tense and taut and through it all, Captain America's core remains the same.  He is the moral center of the Marvel Universe for a reason.

The Immortal Iron Fist by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction and David Aja
Kung Fu Billionaire Danny Rand.  That's a great hook.  This run includes the pulp predecessor to the Iron First and the battle of the seven capital cities of Heaven.  David Aja's art is amazing and the story expands on the Iron Fist mythos in a very genre appropriate method.

Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja
Matt Fraction takes Hawkeye and puts him in a Rockford Files-esque storyline, protecting an apartment building and its tenants that he has purchased.  David Aja takes his art to another level, experimenting with the format in ways that have not been seen before.  The deaf issue, the issue from the view point of a child, the issue from the viewpoint of the dog.  Issue after issue is consistently excellent.

Daredevil by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
This is the classic run, the one that changed Daredevil from a swashbuckling adventurer to a crime comic staple.  The run that brought an edge to Daredevil.  The Kingpin, Bullseye, Elektra.  To see a man brought to his lowest point and then restored in Born Again.  From this point on, Daredevil would have consistently good writing.

Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Perez
This is the seminal Avengers run.  The one that respected the past and forged on to tell at least three of the top Avengers storylines of all time (Ultron Imperative, JLA/Avengers).  Kurt Busiek as a writer is able to connect to human emotion like no other.  His creator owned Astro City is one of the best comics of all time.  George Perez is the master for a reason.  His obsession with detail and crowds makes him one of the most sought after superhero artists.  He continues to strive to draw larger and larger groups of characters together. To me, when I picture superheroes, I imagine them drawn by George Perez.  Classic Avengers stories told by master artists.

Ultimate Spider-man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
Bendis and Bagley were given the unenviable task of restarting Spider-man for the new century.  And they stepped up to the plate in a major way.  I have cried with this comic.  It has one of the best gut-busting page turner laughs I have ever experienced.  I love Bendis' writing on a lot of comics from Jessica Jones to Daredevil and the Defenders, and I'm looking forward to his take on Superman.  Bagley is another of those quintessential superhero artists.  He has worked on Spider-man for so long, that when I picture Spider-man, it is always Mark Bagley.  111 consecutive issues of this team together.  For anyone who wants to get a fresh start with Spider-man stories, this is the place to go.

Loki: Agent of Asgard by Al Ewing and Lee Garbett
Al Ewing is proving one of my favorite new writers.  With Loki, Ewing was able to explore the importance of stories, as Loki, god of mischief has a chance to start again and morphs into the god of stories.  It's funny, it is moving, and it's meta.  Lee Garbett provides clean, accessible art, that services Ewing's story very well.  A short, but beautiful run.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
This title reminds us that comics are supposed to be fun.  It's not afraid to be silly, stars a very plucky and determined hero in Doreen Green, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. It's STEM friendly with Doreen's background as a computer science student, and code has even been used to solve the  problems she faces in at least one issue very explicitly.  A major component of this title focuses on the fact that Squirrel Girl is not content to just beat the bad guy into submission.  She has helped truly turn bad guys around and looks for solutions that don't involve her fists. Highly enjoyable.

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham
Jonathan Hickman creates very interesting comics.  The story goes that when he laid out Fantastic Four, he established essentially everything that would be in his Fantastic Four, Avengers, New Avengers, and Secret War runs.  His run is expansive, adding the Future Foundation, the Universal Inhumans, and the Council of Reeds, all of which have been used to great effect. The most important part of the run is its focus on family and the characters.  Everything is character driven and grounded in true emotion.  It's Hickman's best run so far.

Black Panther by Christopher Priest and Sal Valeutto
This run introduced me to Christopher Priest.   I look forward to everything he writes because his style is so distinctive.  This book started with a Rashomon/Pulp Fiction style non-linear story, that made it stand out from everything on the stands.  Layered and complex plots with political intrigue, corporate espionage, great comic action.  Fun new characters.  Queen Divine Justice.  Everrett K. Ross, king of all white-boys.  This run defined the character for years to come.  If you like the Black Panther movie, its foundation is here.

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These runs to me represent the best Marvel has to offer.  I go back to these runs often to enjoy them fresh each time.  Each holds up.  I look forward to discovering many, many more.

Why I Read Comic Books

For an adult comic book fan, this can be the most repetitive question that they have to answer - "why do you still read comic books?"

Since nerd culture has really taken over pop culture, the question has lessened, but it can still linger. And it largely stems from an old perception of comic books, that dates back to when comics were available for ten cents at the corner drug store - "comics are for kids".   It's the Bif! POW! Adam West Batman interpretation of what comics represent.    As with most things, its a fight between perception and reality (which reminds me that I'll have to do a Why I Watch Cartoons post later on).

First, it's important to establish what a comic book is.  Comics are publications that consist of visual storytelling in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes.  These panels are often accompanied by brief descriptive prose and narrative, often in the form of dialog balloons.  The art form is most often thought of as the combination of visual art and narrative prose, though there can be purely visual comic books.  The most recognizable examples are the comic strips in the newspaper.  Comic books are generally longer form stories that have the same approach, though they are no longer locked into as structured of a grid-pattern for the flow of the story.  Page count and physical size can vary.

And the great thing is since the art form is a mixture of visual art and prose, the combination can be played with.  There are "silent" comic books that convey the story only through art.  Comics are one of the few art forms where the image and prose can be incongruous, that is the art and prose can be telling different stories, either complimentary (overlaying a poem onto a series of art panels that conveys the deeper meaning of the art) or in opposition.  When they are in opposition and used well, it can reveal a deeper truth of the story, what we tell ourselves versus what we do, all in the same frame.  Likewise, comics are one of the better visual mediums to get in a characters head.  Thought bubbles, though out of fashion, do have a place as a storytelling technique.

It's important to note that comic books refer to a medium not a genre.  Most often when people picture comic books they think of Archie or superheroes.  This is understandable as superheroes account for a large portion of the comic books published in America.  But they are not representative of all that comic books represent.  The list of genres covered by comics now is immense.  One of my favorite series from the past few years was The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, a Hollywood noir set in 1948 Los Angeles about a screenwriter who wakes up in a room with a murdered starlet.  Each issue included prose pieces on famous scandals of the Golden Age of Hollywood.  And there are a lot of noir comics that are published.  If you like crime, espionage, adventure, fantasy, science fiction (hard or soft science fiction), even Westerns, there are comics that are currently being published.

Further, comic books have tackled very heavy topics.  The most famous example is Maus by Art Spiegelman, which told the story of Spiegelman's interviews with his father and his father's experience as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor.  More recently, Representative John Lewis's March trilogy became a New York Times best seller, chronicling his experience in the Civil Rights Movement.

The stories that can be told are limited only by the imagination and will to do so.

Of course, I still love superhero stories as well.  I love their power to convey simple and complex morality tales.  A place to retreat where we know that good will always triumph over evil.  No matter how dark it looks, no matter how much has been lost, right will prevail.

Superheroes are our modern myths.  They provide ideals that we aspire to and convey larger than life stories of struggle, triumph, perseverance, and hope.  Like any good science fiction, they are allegories through which the pressing issues of our times can be explored (Watergate in the original Secret Empire in Captain America, racism in Weird Fantasy #18 by EC Comics).

Plus, comics have an unlimited budget.  Movies are just now catching up, but comics can still beat them in terms of mind-blowing visuals.

And the end of the day, comics entertain me and inspire me.  I've read many bad ones, and I've read many excellent ones.  Those that have stuck with me throughout my life.  I've cut back on the number that I read and I am definitely enjoying being able to have them on a tablet (though I do miss the tactile feel of holding a comic book).  But I keep coming back and am looking forward to passing that love on.

Until next time - same blog-time, same blog-channel.

If I Were Disney CEO Part 6 - Marvel Attraction Ideas

I skipped over this in discussion of the Marvel Land in Disney California Adventure, but with Avengers: Infinity War out this past weekend, I thought I would circle back to this area and flesh out a few thoughts on ideas for Marvel based attractions in the Disney parks.

Before digging into specifics, I want to address a few issues that I think Marvel attractions face.  First, I have a theory on what a Disney story requires and where it succeeds.  Truly great Disney stories focus on yesterday, tomorrow, adventure, and fantasy.    Disney does not do "today" well, meaning stories just about today with no magic, no other special twists.  This extends to theme parks and their aesthetic as well.  Disney California Adventure largely didn't succeed in its first incarnation because it contained a lot of modern buildings, which are frankly not exciting or welcoming for guests.  Marvel attractions could suffer from the same issue.  There are a couple of directions a Marvel land could go.  Universal went with a "comics" accurate version with large cutouts and bold colors.  It's an approach, but it's not very appealing.  A Marvel Cinematic universe approach generally leads to a lot of modern New York style buildings.  Only Asgard, Wakanda, and their outer space locations (Knowhere, Xandar, etc.) have any kind of interesting aesthetic.  It then becomes imperative to develop a unique look and feel to the land.

Second, it is also necessary to make sure that one off attractions in current lands are added in a way that complements the park and does not clash with the established aesthetic.  At least one particular current attraction implementation gives cause for concern.  While Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout consistently ranks at the highest rated attraction at Disney California Adventure, the outside of the attraction is an eye sore that is visible throughout the park.  While the previous attraction in this location (Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror) had similar sight-line issues, the Spanish Revival hotel style felt more appropriate in the park.  The current attraction has an awful colorful refinery look that looks nice only at night because of an interesting lighting package.  Hopefully, future additions will be more thoughtfully created.

Additionally, there is a concern regarding the particular presentation of the attractions given what Disney has done so far.  The two Marvel rides that exist (Iron Man Experience and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout) both have a heavy reliance on screens to create the characters that we identify with in the movie.  For Guardians in particular, the cast filmed the scenes for the attraction around Guardians 2.  This gives a continuity to the Cinematic Universe, but it can date the attraction very quickly.  Screen based attractions in general become more date more quickly than other types of attractions.  Additionally, it is important to have a well-rounded attraction style to keep the land from becoming repetitive.  The focus of the best attractions is to create the experience that you would want from the movie or story that you remember.  You want to fly with Peter Pan and Dumbo, you want to sail on a pirate ship, to blast off into orbit.  The attractions for Marvel should do the same - they should allow you to experience the particular thrill of being that hero.  To fly like the Falcon, to swing with Spidey, etc.

Finally, there are contractual constraints that tie Disney's hands in a lot of areas.  When Marvel was going through bankruptcy in the early- to mid-1990s, they signed a lot of contracts that Disney is now regretting.  For attractions, the primary issue is the contract with Universal and Marvel's presence in Universal's Islands of Adventure.  This contract is a perpetual contract so long as a few minor requirements.  It also has an exclusivity provision for all area east of the Mississippi with very few exceptions (meaning only certain Marvel characters can appear in Walt Disney World) and limitations on use of the Marvel name across the US (meaning Marvel land in California will likely be called Super Hero City or the like).  This is the most challenging part of the Marvel situation.

With that, I will outline possible attractions I envision by franchise for Marvel properties, with suggestions for possible locations.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The greatest appeal of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is that they are the protective force anyone could join with the right training.  Importantly, any attraction for S.H.I.E.L.D. should focus on that aspect.  I can envision a Superhero Training Academy or an agent target practice ride a la Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters or Men in Black.

Agent Carter - I would love for Disney to dust off the old Dick Tracy Crime Stoppers plans and update them to an Agent Carter attraction. Would fit perfectly in a Hollywoodland or Sunset Boulevard - Disney Hollywood Studios section (and may be one of the few characters they could use there).  It would be a rider through attraction where you get to use "tommy guns" to help take out the forces of Hydra, Leviathan, or the Zodiac.  This could be a signature attraction.

Ant-Man & the Wasp - The experience of shrinking (and growing) leads to a couple of exciting possibilities.  There are at least two extinct attractions that could be resurrected with new life breathed into them.  First, Disney could add a new version of Adventures Through Innerspace, an omnimover attraction where the guests shrink down to the microscopic level and back.  Now with Ant-man, it can be a journey into the Microverse.  Second, a 4D theater attraction like Honey I Shrunk the Audience could be created to have the entire theater feel being picked up, hurricane force breath, etc.  If nothing else, being able to explore giant versions of familiar objects is always fun.  A Marvel Land, Tomorrowland, or even EPCOT would be a good location given the "science hero" aspect.

Black Panther - The desired experience for Black Panther is to visit Wakanda.  That was such a fully realized, visually astounding place, that to be able to walk around in that land would be incredible.  The attractions are almost secondary.  I would, however, love to see a circle vision (or whole dome circle vision) attraction where you could feel immersed in the dream like quality of the "Realm of Kings."  If a Wakandan land is built, it would be a perfect expansion of Adventureland.  Further, an expo-like Wakandan Outreach Center would be a good fit for Tomorrowland or EPCOT.

Captain America - Captain America is one of the few heroes where the desired experience is to truly ride along with him on an adventure.  Accordingly, an attraction for Cap would need to be a ride (with one fun exception).    I could definitely see an Indiana Jones-like enhanced motion vehicle jeep ride along side Cap tracking down the Watchdogs, the Sons of the Serpent, Ultimatum, or Hydra.  Likewise, I think the rumored Cap motorcycle darkride/coaster hybrid sounds amazing.  These would be perfect for a Marvel land, whether at Disney California Adventure, Paris Studios, or Hong Kong Disneyland.  For the one exception, I have long thought a Hollywood Canteen USO show would be a great addition to the golden age Hollywoodland.  It would be perfect to have a Cap punching Hitler moment in this type of show.

Doctor Strange - Doctor Strange really needs to be a 4D theater attraction to allow for all of the truly trippy visuals that could be experienced.  Particularly if projection mapping was used to allow the whole space to become part of the screen.  I think you could even go with a form of a Magic Lamp Theater approach where you mix an actor performing stage magic and sleight-of-hand with the movie magic going on all around.  It could be truly incredible.  Plus, the Sanctum Santorum provides for great exterior architecture.  This would need to go in a Marvel land, or perhaps the Paris Studios park or Tokyo DisneySea in the American Waterfront area.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Guardians surprisingly have the most flexible uses in the parks.  Mission Breakout has proved this.  The gantry lift drop ride has proved to be a very popular attraction.  I also think the smartest re-theme of Star Tours is to Galaxy Tours.  Think about it, you replace C3P0 with a Rocket animatronic as your pilot, with a potted Baby Groot on the dash, playing a new awesome mix soundtrack for the ride.  You can visit Knowhere, Xandar, Ego, Hala, Sakar, and the like for variety in locations and can encounter the Chituari, the Skrulls, Ronan and the Kree, the Nova Corps, the Ravagers, and the Sovereign for antagonists.  You could still keep the multiple ride profiles for repeatability.  And thankfully, the Guardians can be used in Florida, so this could be rolled out at all Star Tours locations.  (This would be a much better fit than the Guardians Energy ride in EPCOT).  Likewise, I think Guardians would be a great re-theme of Stitch's Great Escape!  Imagine if Groot was beamed down in the tube and needed to escape with the Novas or the Sovereign looking to study him.   Less scary than Alien Encounter, but better than Stitch (anything is better than Stitch's Great Escape).  The themes and setting of Guardians make them fit in any Marvel land and in Tomorrowland.

Hulk - Hulk is a difficult one because the experience that we would want as a Hulk is to be able to smash.  Maybe with VR this could be accomplished, but the VR apparatus is better suited for Iron Man, as is discussed in the section below.  His current attraction in Islands of Adventure is a roller coaster and I understand that choice (mega coaster for mega hero), but it really does not tie together.  An attraction like Stitch's Great Escape! could work if it were a situation where Banner was captured and then busts out as the Hulk, but it could venture too close into making guests terrified of the Hulk (that could be an amazing moment though, if you could watch a Banner animatronic transform and Hulk out).  Likely, the best solution is to use the Hulk in an Avengers ride only.

Iron Man - The desired experience is to wear the armor.  To be able to fly, to shoot replusor blasts, to really feel like you are in the suit.  I think the best way to accomplish this would be a VOID VR experience.  It has currently been rolled out for a Star Wars experience and I think the two share many similarities.  In the Star Wars version, your mission is to infiltrate a location dressed as a Stormtrooper.  The Stormtrooper outfit provides an in story explanation for the equipment you have to wear for the VR.  The armor would work the same way.  Now, the experience is designed for around 4 people to work together and generally Iron Man is only one hero in armor (maybe two with War Machine), but this could be explained as a new prototype armor for all or as joining the Iron Legion.  I think this could be incredible and a great addition for a Marvel Land, Tomorrowland or EPCOT.

Spider-man - The goal here is to swing.  To feel that rush of swinging through New York city.  The bounce and lift that would come with it.  The ride at Islands of Adventure accomplishes this well, but focuses on a comics version, screen based view.  The patent Disney has filed that arguably is for a future Spidey ride, I think would help accomplish this feeling, swinging side-to-side through the ride and allow for a more fully realized animatronic and set based attraction.  Plus, it would appear to be a little more all-ages friendly.  Very important for your neighborhood friendly Spider-man.  Good for Marvel land or the American Waterfront in Tokyo.

Thor - With Thor, generally I feel the strongest connections are in the transportation across the Bifrost to Asgard and the land of Asgard itself.  It's Marvel's Fantasyland.  Without creating that space, I would have Thor included in an Avengers ride as well.

The Avengers - For an Avengers ride, I would want a mega-E-ticket that employs all the available technology, like LPS ride technology, projection mapping, many, many animatronics, physical sets, screens to extend the horizon, and every theatrical trick you can think of.  This should be the big ride, like the Star Wars Battle attractions is going to be.  Like Shanghai's Pirates ride.    Animatronics of each of the Avengers fighting along side you to get you out.  A giant Hulk animatronic you encounter.  The team is protecting you as you get to safety.  Marvel Land Anchor.  It could be marvelous!

X-men - Planning for the Fox acquisition and total Marvel integration, the quintessential X-men experience is the Danger Room.  Accordingly, an X-men attraction should be an interactive, immersive theater experience.  Marvel land, maybe American Waterfront.

Fantastic Four - Likewise, the Fantastic Four signature experience is space travel and an encounter with the biggest threats possible.  The Fantastic Four would likewise be a good fit for Star Tours, with a possible Armageddon style pre-show.

This does not even begin to include meet and greets and stunts shows, which any of the characters above could anchor, plus characters like Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, etc.  I would even love to see older, deeper cuts like the Two Gun Kid and Kid Colt as citizens of Frontierland.

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This is all to say, Marvel has a bright future ahead of itself in Disney parks as well.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Disney will roll out and hope to be amazed by what they can do.

'Nuff Said.

Marvelland

So, with Infinity War, it's a bit of Marvel Week here.  It's going to be on my mind for a while, so I'm going to just go with it.

Below, I'm including an exploration from an old post on Micechat that I added when the Disney acquisition of Marvel was first announced.  Disney parks fans were most afraid of a Marvel invasion into the parks, particularly in areas that were not appropriate (i.e. Spider-man on a turn of the century Main Street).  This post was an exploration of what would have happened if the two companies were reversed - what if Marvel was the company with a park that acquired Disney and was trying to integrate it into that space.  It's an exploration of Marvel's 79 year history and how it would have impacted a Marvel park.  It's a little updated and edited, but the basis is all here.

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If we were to take it that Marvel had created a theme park in 1955, putting Disney characters in the parks would not be as big of a stretch as you would think.

In 1955, the only somewhat recognizable superheroes Marvel would have would be Captain America, the Android Human Torch, and Namor the Submariner. But, their popularity was waning, so you might have a section of the park dedicated to the WWII superhero set, so maybe a WWII New York, New York "main street" area with victory parades and a Cap walk-around character.

In the 1950s though, the big sellers were Romance comics, Westerns, Monster comics (a la Godzilla sized sci-monsters), crime and war comics and jungle/men's adventure titles. Atlasland (as Marvel didn't become "Marvel Comics" until the 1960s) could conceivably even contain several distinct themed lands. If you went clockwise around the park, you could conceivably have:

• a WWII Superhero NY "main street",
• an Adventure section focusing on the jungle comics like Jann of the Jungle, Lorna Jungle Queen and Ka-zar and adventure comics, 
• a Western section focusing on characters like the Two Gun Kid, the Rawhide Kid, etc., 
• a fantasy/horror section for the Marvel Monsters (kaiju), and 
• a more modern 50's section for shows and meet and greets with Millie the Model and Patsy Walker and the other Archie like romance characters.

So long as the rides stayed popular and people had a bit of nostalgia for them, many rides would remain in the park despite future expansion and changes in Marvel's business focuses (just as Disney's original rides have remained).

In the late 1960s (let's say 1967 to parallel a little Disney history), you would have the first large expansion of Marvelland (as it would now be called), adding a superhero section to revamp the modern 1950s romance/humor section above. Here Spider-man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-men, Hulk, and all would be given a large space with rides, shops, restaurants, and meet and greets. This would quickly become the most popular section of the park.

Then in 1983, the fantasy/horror section outlined above which had previously focused on more of the giant Marvel Monsters, would get a complete refreshing, changing out the Giant Monsters for the sword and sorcery and epic sci-fi/fantasy books that had exploded in popularity in the 1970s. Books like Conan and Red Sonja. There would be a small sub section for the Marvel Horror books - a Tomb of Dracula spook ride, Castle Frankenstein, etc.

Marvel even had partnered comics with Lucasfilm for Star Wars and Indiana Jones that could lead to partnered rides like Star Tours and the Indiana Jones Adventure.

Given that framework, when Marvel buys Disney, the fit isn't as hard as you would think. Lion King fits with the Jungle Fantasy. Woody from Toy Story can stick out just as much in a Marvel Western-land as he does in Frontierland. Merida and the characters from Brave can fit in a sword and sorcery-land. The Incredibles completely belong in the superhero set.

Likewise, as to the original post, the easiest fit for Disney in anything Marvel does is the Incredibles. You could immediately start seeing the Incredibles appear in universe in the Marvel comics.

All that above to facetiously say with a little imagination, the two can work together. Given most people know Marvel for superheroes, they jump to Spider-man on Main Street. And admittedly, Spider-man and the Avengers are the characters Disney would want in the park first. That statement does not mean that there aren't creative ways to make the two fit together. The history of the two companies leads to surprising similarities when you want to find them.

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It's interesting to know that in the nine years since Disney has bought Marvel, we have still not gotten the Marvel attractions that were hope for or feared.  There have been meet and greets and movie previews, but the attractions are just now being designed and implemented.  The Star Tours like Iron Man Experience simulator only opened last year.  And a full-scale Marvel land is likely at least two years away.  Plenty of ideas to put in those new spaces.

I'll pick up there tomorrow.  Stay tuned, true believers!

Shared on Micechat, May 16, 2012

Marvel Phase 4

First things first, no spoilers - #ThanosDemandsYourSilence - it is really worth it to go in knowing as little as possible

I got to watch Avengers: Infinity War over the weekend and I am still amazed by what they have accomplished.  It was a ridiculously great experience in the cinema.  You can ask Jamie, I had at least one audible "YESSSSSSSSS" moment.  And while long time comic fans knew THAT moment was possible, I do not think anyone imagined they way it was implemented.  I cannot wait for next year to get here.

A few warnings about the film.  Despite Marvel's change of title, this is most definitely a Part I film with Part II not coming until this time next year.  Additionally, this is not a good film to jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time.  This is most definitely a culmination of the past ten years and eighteen films, even more so than Avengers (1) was.  In the first Avengers film, the previous solo films introduced you to the characters and one artifact, but did not dictate the story-line.  Infinity War pulls together characters and subplots to deliver one big payoff.  You are going to want some background coming into this.

With that addressed, my thoughts start going to Phase 4, i.e. what Marvel does after Avengers 4.  This is kind of what will be addressed in the If I Were Disney CEO blog series for Marvel Studios, but this is a little more granular.

Here is what I would like to see in Phase 4:

New Heroes:  While there are definitely sequels in the works (Guardians 3, Spider-man 2, Black Panther 2, and maybe Doctor Strange 2), there is a great opportunity to add new heroes to the film schedule.  Make a Black Widow movie.  Make a Hawkeye movie.  Add Nova, Adam Warlock, She-Hulk, Captain Britain, Star Brand, Thunderstrike, and Ms. Marvel.  These do not have to be in individual movies, but can be added as supporting cast where appropriate.  Ms. Marvel in the Captain Marvel movie for that introduction.

New Imprints:  Marvel has published a lot of comics in its history and has covered a lot of different genres.  I would love to see a Marvel Edge line, maybe with a black background/red text logo, to cover the 1970s Marvel Monsters.  Give me a connected Blade, Tomb of Dracula, Castle Frankenstein, and Werewolf by Night movie series, that can occur in a side pocket of the cinematic universe.  It would be ironic if Marvel could beat Universal at its Dark Universe game.

#ItsReallyAllConnected:  The early promise of the Marvel movies and television shows was that they were all connected.  And there have been small links, some more effective than others. The connection between Captain America: Winter Soldier and the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. really turned that series around.  The links have grown smaller and smaller over the years, with the suits declaring it to be a little too cumbersome.  The sad part of this is that it really just needs someone helping coordinate.  The ties do not have to be strangling, but a little can go a long way to make it all feel connected.  For example, if someone could have just suggested a throwaway line for Thunderbolt Ross to say that people are getting powers from fish oil in Avengers: Age of Ultron as a reason for the Sokovia accords, that would have made a great impact.

Secret Invasion:  I know this will be the start of phase 4, but you can really look at it as the start of the third arc for the Marvel story.  Arc 1 runs from Iron Man to the Avengers.  It really reflects the founding of the Avengers.  Arc 2 runs from the Avengers through Avengers 4.  It's the build up of the Infinity Stones leading to Thanos in Infinity War.  There needs to be a shift in this upcoming phase/arc to have a different kind of approach.  A new macguffin and a singular new bad guy would just feel repetitive.  I would go with Secret Invasion.  This would allow for a completely different style of subplot that allows for a freer exploration in each individual movie, while still providing some great HOLY S^&*!!!!! moments and reveals.  Plus, the closing Avengers movie for it would be fantastic.

I do not know what is coming, but I am definitely excited for the ride.  I'll be there opening weekend next year to see whatever Avengers 4 is called (No Surrender? Heroes Reborn? Avengers Forever?).  I'm all in.

Excelsior!