From Marvel’s February Solicitations:
MARVILLE #6: Written by Bill Jemas, art by M.D. Bright and Paul Neary, covers by Greg Horn and Bright.
Bill Jemas reveals his plan to give out $100,000 of Marvel’s money to Marville readers. 32 pages, $2.25.
Wow. By my calculations, the average Marville reader stands to make about five grand on this.
• 
It’s still not worth it. (shudder)
Rob
I agree, it’s crap! Not even Greg Horn’s fabulous T&A covers is enough to make me part with my money.
Does Stan Lee get 10 percent?
JSM
“Does Stan Lee get 10 percent?”
Only if it’s made into a movie & turns a profit. Since Spider-Man failed to do that, I really don’t see how Marville could.
Ditto. Greg Horn’s covers are superb, but the stories stink like an over-ripe skunk.
PAD, do you really think there are that many readers?
Hey, look, give the guy credit. He has the stones to accuse me of inadequate, in-joke storytelling, and then produces a comic consisting entirely of in-jokes, sex, and bribery to readers, without an iota of storytelling ability anywhere in evidence. And yet the book *still* isn’t selling all *that* far behind “Captain Marvel.” In fact, it is (if I’m not mistaken) selling better than Captain Marvel was before the U-Decide.
Good thing that busting one’s hump to tell good stories is its own reward, because Jemas is definitely pointing the way to coast.
PAD
I know this is of little consolation PAD, but I appreciated your time on YJ, as I was a new reader from issue 49 on.
I’ll be jumping on Captain Marvel if it’s still around.
And Supergirl too.
love your stories on YJ. I’ll be jumping on Captain Marvel and Supergirl.
“In fact, it is (if I’m not mistaken) selling better than Captain Marvel was before the U-Decide.”
Nope. At least not as of Marville #3 which icv2 lists as having sold a little over 21,000. CM #35 had over 23,000 so it’s close, but Marville has dropped precipitously with each issue. CM’s orders actually went up with #3 from #2. Unfortunately that was more likely due to the multiple versions than anything. One thing that U-Decide has proven so far is that multiple cover gimmicks can still get retailers to bump up orders significantly. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
The orders for #4s should be starting to give some idea of how well each is actually selling to customers as opposed to retailer’s educated guesses. Best wishes for CM.
is anyone else offended by the Greg Horn covers? I’m a guy, but they’re just SO ÐÃMN GRATUITOUS. I know it’s for sex appeal/shock value, but it’s too much. And hëll, it doesn’t even remotely look like Bright’s rendition in the interiors.
Speaking of Horn, why does he make Elektra always look like “underwear model caught at inopportune time” than a confident, serious lethal assassin? He definitely puts too much “ášš” in “assassin”
By the way PAD, get CM out quicker! I’ve been craving the Alex Ross cover to issue #3 ever since it was solicited! By the way, introduce the costume IN the book soon too! it’s dámņ spiffy
Sounds like an episode of “Win Ben Stein’s Money” written by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton!
Bet the winner receives his/her cash (a) late, and (b) it is returnable due to printing errors.
Or maybe it will be offered with a choice of variant portaits of dead men on it.
A few years ago, a comic that sold 100,000 was considered a steady success for a big company like Marvel. To needle each other over 21,000-25,000 in sales seems hollow. Maybe yonger readers, weaned on WWF and Wizard Magazine enjoy this sort of infighting, but a lot of longrime comic readers are turned off by it.
Get CM out quicker? All I can tell you is that I’ve scripted through #7. I’ve done everything I can.
PAD
Speaking of Horn, why does he make Elektra always look like “underwear model caught at inopportune time” than a confident, serious lethal assassin? He definitely puts too much “ášš” in “assassin”
Is Elektra in Marville? Or are you talking about Greg Horn’s artwork in other comics? I’ve never read a single issue of Marville, but if Bill Jemas is using Elektra in the title–after Marvel’s promise to Frank Miller that no one but him would ever write the character–it’s yet another reason to avoid the comic. (Of course, Marvel has been breaking the promise at least once a month for ages now, but still…)
–Daniel
Daniel – Greg Horn provides the covers for the ongoing Elektra series as well. Elektra’s not in Marville, to my knowledge.
I did myself a ‘favour’ and read both Marville issues online. Heck, I didn’t even pay for them and it hurts.
I did the same. Well, I can
Best comment on this so far, from Dave van Domelen over on rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe:
I read issue one online and didn’t even dignify number 2 with a once-over.
In response to hdefined “is anyone else offended by the Greg Horn covers? I’m a guy, but they’re just SO ÐÃMN GRATUITOUS. I know it’s for sex appeal/shock value, but it’s too much.” – They gotta move those pieces of crap any way they can!!! I thought the “new” Marvel’s pledge was to put out quality, well-written books. Is there honestly anyone out there who’s enjoying that title? How ’bout spending that promotional money to put out some more editions of Marvel Visionaries… starting with a complete run of Peter David’s HULK.
Call me a naysayer, but I love the Greg Horn covers. They’re quite sharp. I can’t stand them when attached to Elektra, because they just don’t fit my mental image of Elektra, but for the Marville stuff, they’re quite striking. If the story was even the slightest bit rewarding, I’d pick it up, because I love a good MD Bright art job. Too bad the story is the absolute worst I’ve ever seen. I don’t mind picking up a book of in-jokes, but Jemas is writing in-not-jokes.
Call me a naysayer, but I love the Greg Horn covers. They’re quite sharp. I can’t stand them when attached to Elektra, because they just don’t fit my mental image of Elektra, but for the Marville stuff, they’re quite striking. If the story was even the slightest bit rewarding, I’d pick it up, because I love a good MD Bright art job. Too bad the story is the absolute worst I’ve ever seen. I don’t mind picking up a book of in-jokes, but Jemas is writing in-not-jokes.
I don’t really read the Solicitations, but since you sent me there, did you see the Rawhide Kid ad?
I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.
and by the why, what have you and Todd got lined up next now that YJ is morphing into a comic version of the cartoon?
Ray – don’t get me wrong, the covers that Greg Horn does for Marville are top-notch. It’s the pages that come afterwards that make me wonder how Jemas and Quesada can sleep at night.
There’s not even a POINT to Marville; my only thought was that Jemas was doing PAD a favour in some sort of bass-ackwards manner. That’s the only excuse that I can justify for it being printed.
oOf course, there’s an obvious possibility.
“Marvel’s money” might be like Monopoly money. 1 dollar bills with Spider-Man, five dollar bills with Wolverine…etc.
LOL at the “five grand” comment. Gee, I read #1 and #2 in the store and put ’em back on the rack. Can I get $2000?
Paul