Working on CM #25

Got a call from Keith Giffen today regarding “Captain Marvel #25.” He was working on the breakdowns for issue #25, the last issue. As I noted in a previous post, I came with a story so demented that I believed–and still do–that Keith was the only artist who could pull it off. He mentioned to me that when his coming onto CM #25 was announced, the most often heard comment he got from fans was, “What took so long?” Apparently fans feel that we have similar enough sensibilities that we should have teamed up on a project long ago.

We’re on the same page with CM #25. If you want to have some idea of what to expect, think of the classic Chuck Jones cartoon, “Duck Amuck.”

PAD

28 comments on “Working on CM #25

  1. I am definately looking forward to seeing what you and Giffen have in store….but I am *really* gonna miss this series and these characters!

    I hope we get to see guest appearances, or at least cameos, by most of the great supporting cast from over the past 60 issues.
    Moondragon, Phyla, Al, Lorraine, Eros, Elysius, Una Rogg, Drax, the Microns, Epiphany, Steck’ee…
    I know it won’t be possible to fit everyone into one issue, but I hope some of them at least get cameos!

    Oh well, no matter what happens, I’m sure it’ll be a blast! I just wish it hadn’t come so soon.

  2. \\the most often heard comment he got from fans was, “What took so long?” Apparently fans feel that we have similar enough sensibilities that we should have teamed up on a project long ago.\\

    I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we won’t have to wait long for another teamup between you guys.

  3. While I wish it was just a double sized anniversary issue, and not a finale… I can’t wait for this book to get here. I’m sure it’ll be a big bang.

  4. go crazy…? don’t mind if I do.

    certainly a fun pairing. It’s nice to see Giffen get Marvel work again. I’m enjoying his take on Thanos quite a bit even if it’s got the odd feel of a DC cosmic book in the Marvel Universe.

    Matt

  5. Peter-

    I thought you and Keith HAD worked together before. Wasn’t there an issue of Secret Origins that Keith plotted and you wrote way back in the stone age before Giffen realized he really can write? And at least one other comic after that?

    Anyway, is it true that you did the whole Slobo storyline so you could have your Lobo and Giffen could have his?

    Oh, and I would love to see you and Giff plot a G’nort story with you on words and Giff on pencils. Come to think of it, how would Buzz react to meeting G’nort. I imagine it’d go something like this.

    G’nort: My name is G’nort Esplande Gneesmacher. I’m a little lost. Can you help me find the Denny’s?
    Buzz: Oh God, what did I do to deserve this.
    Wally: You don’t want to know.

  6. I think there was an issue of either Valor or the Will Payton Starman that PAD and Giffen worked on together.

  7. Long time listener, first time caller. I am going to miss this book immensely-it has easily been one of the top two or three books for me over the past couple of years.(shakes head and mutters)…crazy old Marv.
    PS-enjoying the hëll out of Fallen Angel. Some good work there, PAD.

  8. Wasn’t there an issue of Secret Origins that Keith plotted and you wrote way back

    It was Secret Origins #32, featuring the origin of the JLA. Giffen: plot, PAD: dialogue.

    Corey

  9. I am absolutly elated that you two are pairing up but I just wish it was under better circumstances. Hopefully it is just the start of another beautiful team-up that was meant to be. (like ketchup and mustard or Lennon and McCartney).

    I freaked over P.A.D. when I read X-Factor and Spidey 2099–then it was off to the novels and now I would read the back of cereal boxes if Peter would add his prose. I lost it for Gif when I read L.E.G.I.O.N. (I think it was one of the most underated comics ever–and not because of Lobo). These are the two great tastes that go great together!

  10. “I thought you and Keith HAD worked together before. Wasn’t there an issue of Secret Origins that Keith plotted and you wrote way back in the stone age before Giffen realized he really can write? And at least one other comic after that?”

    “Anyway, is it true that you did the whole Slobo storyline so you could have your Lobo and Giffen could have his?”

    I don’t count the “Secret Origins” because there wasn’t really any “together.” The story was already completely plotted and drawn; I was brought in at the last minute because they wanted me doing the dialogue (I guess whoever they had planned wasn’t able to do it.) With “Captain Marvel #25,” I wrote every word with an eye toward Giffen drawing it.

    As for Slobo, no, not at all. Remember: Lobo isn’t “his” character. It’s DC’s character. So when I did the “Little Lobo” thing, it was understood that it was for a limited time since DC would want to use Lobo for other stuff. I did that storyline, restored Lobo to his old self, but then kept the low-end-of-the-gene-pool Slobo around so I could continue to have more or less the same character fulfilling more or less the same functions without having to worry about future DC plans.

    PAD

  11. PAD, I’ve come out of lurker-mode to express my disappointment that Captain Marvel is ending. I’m a huge fan of your work (well, I’m not huge, maybe a little fat though, but I like your work a lot), and think that it is a shame that the fans will get one less dose of your monthly output.

    Concerning Keith Giffen: He is near the very top of my list of favorite comic creators, and it seems that he is getting more work lately than is the norm (this is a good thing, in my book). If Giffen’s name is on a book, is goes on my “buy” list (your work is in the same category, by the way).

    Any word on who will be inking CM #25? Al Gordon would be a good choice (Giffen and Gordon looked great on the cosmic stuff when they were doing Legion of Super-heroes together).

    Any chance that we can get a preview image of what Giffen has in store for us? It would make me a very happy boy.

    E.

  12. >>>Any idea who is inking #25?

    Probably no one. Most Marvel books don’t have an inker these days.

  13. Re Dermie’s reply:
    “Most Marvel books do not have an inker these days.”
    Out of the four Marvels that I do read (F4, Avengers, CM, and Ultimate F4) only CM has no inker credits, and I assumed that was because of the revolving door policy this title has suffered in the art department to begin with.
    So what’s the REAL story?

  14. Most Marvel books have inkers.

    CM doesn’t, and hasn’t thoughout v4.

    And I *pray* that Soto (or the inker if there is one), smooths out Giffen’s pencils at least a bit…

  15. Sounds great. I’m a huge fan of the work of both you and Mr. Giffen. In my opinion, you’re probably the two funniest writers working on superheroes. I’m really going to miss Captain Marvel. Even though you toned down the humor after the number reboot, there were still some great comic moments.

    I know this probably isn’t the place to mention this, but with the cancellation of Captain Marvel, I feel like maybe I should. I read on the Pulse boards where you and some retailer (or comic shop employee) got into a heated discussion about the blame of comic series not working. I tried to register to say that you have a valid point, but apparently I’d already registered using all of my e-mail addresses and couldn’t get an account. I wanted to say that I’ve had only two books that my local dealer hasn’t gotten for me when I had them on my subscription list, Captain Marvel (v.3) #9 and Fallen Angel #8. I’m not saying there’s some big Peter David conspiracy, but, yes, sometimes it is the dealers fault when a book doesn’t make it. Sometimes, it’s like they don’t even care about making money. Granted, it’s not much money, but it’s probably a dollar or fifty or more for each book. The shop reordered the Fallen Angel issue for me, but because of Marvel’s reorder polices, I was never able to get that issue of Captain Marvel. It’s infuriating to try and keep up with a story that you’re enjoying and then get a gap in the middle of it. If the shop wouldn’t have been able to reorder the last issue of Fallen Angel, I probably would have dropped the series and then waited for the trade (that may never be released). And that’s the fault of a comic shop owner. Not you, Peter. If this happens in other shops (and I’m sure it does), I can see how it could be devastating for the health of a comic book series.

  16. Of course they worked together on the Blasters Special, as well

    No, that was PAD with James W. Fry.

    I knew Fry was the artist, but I thought I remembered Giffen plotting it….Do i remember wrong?

  17. I knew Fry was the artist, but I thought I remembered Giffen plotting it….Do i remember wrong?

    I just opened it to double check… PAD’s the only writer on it.

    Corey

  18. Re: Lee Houston, Junior

    Check your Avengers issues again. SOME issues have an inker, others don’t. Coipel’s issues have been inked, Scott Kolins issues weren’t.

    However, Somebody was right–*most* Marvel books do have inkers, but there are several out there right now that don’t.

  19. “I read on the Pulse boards where you and some retailer (or comic shop employee) got into a heated discussion about the blame of comic series not working. I tried to register to say that you have a valid point, but apparently I’d already registered using all of my e-mail addresses and couldn’t get an account. I wanted to say that I’ve had only two books that my local dealer hasn’t gotten for me when I had them on my subscription list, Captain Marvel (v.3) #9 and Fallen Angel #8. I’m not saying there’s some big Peter David conspiracy, but, yes, sometimes it is the dealers fault when a book doesn’t make it. “

    The main thrust of the thread was that I wasn’t particularly out to place blame so much as I was saying, “Here’s what’s happening and here’s all the difficulties in keeping a book like “Fallen Angel” going.” And the focus kept saying “So you’re blaming this person or that person.” And to me it wasn’t so much a matter of blame, because that’s a negatively skewed word. To me it wasn’t a matter of blame or fault because that would imply that people were acting in an immoral way or hurtful way.

    The book’s getting no promotion, lost the companion titles that were accompanying the launch, got hit with a “For Mature Readers” label and a price increase, and lost the editor all in the space of ten months. There’s a trade scheduled, but much later down the road than is typical for trades (thus giving it much less time to positively affect sales of the monthly title). Add to that that it’s outside the DCU so the DCU folks ignore it, not a Vertigo book so the Vertigo folks ignore it, and there are retailers who don’t bother to stock it and even ignore specific requests for it, and it’s amazing we’ve lasted this long.

    And somehow all that got distilled to, “So you’re saying it’s the retailers’ fault.”

    PAD

  20. Of all the nerve…you are NOT a Mets fan? Oh well, I still wish ya well. Take care Peter, I hope this finds you and your family well and happy. Jeff Purves

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