Four issues to go, and this one’s out on the stands now. Whad’ja think?
And please, CM fans…stop wasting your time trying to save the book. Marvel simply isn’t interested in keeping it around. It’s never gonna sell like a Spider book, it has no movie optioned for it, and it’s not going to pull in underutilized audiences such as young girls (which is why Spider-Girl is continuing.) So they won’t keep it going. Simple as that.
Please put your energies into reading and spreading the word about “Fallen Angel,” which does have a genuine chance to succeed (especially if the trade collection sells out quickly).
PAD
• 
I hear you PAD but… I like this book! I don’t want to see it go away! And so do a lot of other people. So what’s the harm in raising a ruckus, refusing to let it go quietly? Of course, I’m supporting Fallen Angel too.
My big fear is that TPTB at Marvel are taking this as “evidence” that your books don’t sell (even Tom Brevoort didn’t seem that supportive). And as much as I like FA, Spyboy, and Soulsearchers, I get the most kick out of you building castles in the Marvel sandbox, and I want to see you continue to do so. So even if CM itself doesn’t get saved, maybe enough of an outcry will get Marvel to put you on a flagship title (like they’ve done with Priest/Owsley on Cap/Falcon, after Black Panther and Crew tanked).
I agree with you in some respects about wasting time. It will remain a fruitless venture to bìŧçh and try and get it saved, however we can hope that CM is utilized in OTHER titles and is not merely cast aside and ignored totally.
My own personal form of protest will go in the form of no longer supporting Marvel with my purchases of new/experimental projects and limited series as I used to. Instead, I will spend my dollars on DC and especially on works by PAD. No that is not kissing up! Loyalty is an important trait in my book and PAD showed loyalty to the CM book and the cause. Thank you for that.
Well, Marvel is getting less and less of my money these days. I did stop getting CM after the “crazy” storyline seemed to drag, and the art was very bad. Now I only get the Waid Fantastic 4 (and they almost blew that). It seems Marvel is missing an “underutilized audience” and that is what I would now consider myself, a traditional comic fan. I like costumes, battles and stories with a Sci-Fi theme to them, I don’t want to come home from a hard day at work and read about the FF losing their money. Marvel seems to be going in the direction of not only write for the trade, but now it’s write for the movie. *sigh* Sorry went off on a tangent. I now return you to your Captain Marvel feedback.
Peter:
The Problem is that we really are going to miss CAPTAIN MARVEL. It appears that your books have the really annoying habit of raising the level of quality and then being cancelled. Think about it, you had the excessively long quest storyline in SUPERGIRL followed by the great Kara arc with Ed Benes stunning artwork. What happens? It is cancelled. On CAPTAIN MARVEL, you lose Chriscross and have a series of subpar artists before having the amazing Lopresti assigned to the title. The storyline appears to be reaching new heights. So what happens? Cancelled.
You seem to make a habit of going out with a bang on your titles. This is so frustrating.
So please do us all a favor and stop writing so good. 🙂
I understand your point, PAD. But I just cannot allow this great book to fade away without letting Quesada know what a fool he is for letting (another) one of their best titles die.
Anyway, about issue #22…
So the Magus was after Heather all along? Okay. So I guess that means he was trying to get a hold of Marlo to use her life as a bargaining chip to force Heather to do his bidding.
Ely turned out to be an immature little pissant didn’t he? And not to give away the ending, but how the heck is Genis going to get out of the jam he’s in now? Especially after what happened to Rick.
Great issue. I find myself always looking forward to the next issue. Which is something I can’t say about too many comics these days.
A. Clarke
Personally, I preferred Michael Ryan to CrissCross.
eh, I actually miss CrissCross and am mad he’s on Firestorm and CM still, but what can you do.
Anyway, as to saving the book, I’m all for just continually telling people at the convention “Wow! CM was a great book!” over and over. Oh wait, Marvel would actually have to go to San Diego as a whole for me to do that…..
So for the uninitated, when’s the Fallen Angel trade out?
The Fallen Angel trade is solicited for June 16. Cover price is $12.95 for 6 issues. If you preorder it, your retailer should be able to give you a healthy discount. For me it’s $8.42.
The more I read about Fallen Angel, the more I like it. Therefore I made the decision to buy the trade collection as well.
I am also hoping it will sell well because although I regret the fate of Captain Marvel, I would regret it even more to see Fallen Angel cancelled.
I’m not a fan of Captain Marvel (I read the first few dozen or so issues then decided to quit), but I am a fan of Peter David.
Personally, while I feel bad for you an as individual, as a comic fan I won’t be sorry to see Captain Marvel go. It just never clicked for me. I’d much rather see you writing a character or team book I care about. Granted, you have the writing ability to make me care about characters I never liked before, but it never worked with Captain Marvel and it isn’t working with Fallen Angel.
So…there you go. I’ll be happy to give your next book a chance…as I always do when you start up on a title.
>My own personal form of protest will go in the >form of no longer supporting Marvel with my >purchases of new/experimental projects and >limited series as I used to. Instead, I will >spend my dollars on DC and especially on works >by PAD.
Huh. I understand deciding to buy PAD comics instead of other stuff . . . but what exactly do new/experimental projects have to do with this? By not buying them, your protest seems to be more against their creators than Big Bad Marvel.
Here’s a thought: why not buy the comics we like? Spread the word on comics we love and are not recognized? And it that doesn’t work, well, so be it. I just don’t get why there’s the need to take it all to the negative level where other people get screwed because fans want to “send a message”.
It’d be like me saying I refuse to try “Fallen Angel” because DC pìššëd me off and canceled “Deadenders” or something.
(incidentally, I just ordered the Fallen Angel TPB, so we’ll see if it works at hooking me like the “HERO” TPB did)
(also, I just bought “Sir Apropos of Nothing” . . . I haven’t gotten too far yet, and I’m still not sure what I think of it . . . The first chapter is great, but the second chapter was rather unsettling and I’m not sure the rest of the book can make up for it. But that might just be me)
Ovnio
Another great issue of Captain Marvel. I have enjoyed every issue of the relaunch and, as this arc is heating up, I find myself enjoying this story more than any of the others.
My only quip is that I had to suffer through another philosophical deconstruction of God. First the Dolf speach in FA and now the future inhabitants of earth. Though it was nice not to hear it come from Marv’s mouth for a change.
Oh, one thing that some of us over at the Captain Marvel Message Board have been talking about, why use “cosmic sorcerer” to describe the Magus? I guess I never realized he was a magic user.
I will miss Captain Marvel and I really enjoy your take on the character. The Magus wanting Heather was a nice surprise.
I just saw the pencils from Pat Quinn (at the Atlanta Comicon) for his two issues and they look gorgeous. I think the cancellation is going to hit harder after these two issues hit the stands.
For a while, I wondered if this volume of CM was about deconstructing Busiek’s idea for Genis and your own from the previous book. This ‘final’ arc has come back to CM’s roots, with the inclusion of Eli and Magus/Moondragon. I’m sad that it looks like ‘Exit Strategy’ will leave Genis in the same position as issue 0.
Still, it has been a fun series. Time travel was the catalyst for CM’s adventures, so it’s fitting to end with it. The aforementioned plot threads have me skimming over past issues. But to quote Miles O’Brien (Starfleet, not CNN), “I hate temporal mechanics”.
David
PS To follow up on a past post on your ‘team’ writing, how about a JLA arc?
Ok, dumb question when was/is the TPB for Fallen Angel solicited? Did I miss it?
Thanks!
Everlost_MI
I enjoyed this issue. I was especially happy that the cover tied into the story for once. (Not your fault that it usually don’t, PAD, but irritating nonetheless.) I also like how Genis is now on the opposite side of a strained father/son relationship, with Ely, and how it parallels some of his own frustrations with the inevitable Mar-Vell. In a way, both of their complaints come down to, “You left, and I had to be you, and I couldn’t.”
Like most, I am terribly disappointed that this book is ending. 61 issues just ain’t enough. I’m also disappointed that, adding insult to injury, Marvel has yoinked the “regular” artist off the book in the middle of an arc, *again*. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to the remaining issues.
PAD, thanks for the ride, and best of luck in current and future endeavors. I’ll see you in the pages of Fallen Angel. And New Frontier. And the Hulk mini. And the mini with the unrevealed mutant. And whatever else may come along.
Peter:
As a general rule of thumb, I do not but trade paperbacks because since I have already bought and read the individual issues, I personally cannot see myself spending money for something I already have. Is there any new material within the TPB that might sway me to change my mind in this case?
I agree with the principal behind them of giving potential new readers a chance to catch up and jump onboard, but I’m already there.
I will recommend it to anyone who isn’t onboard yet.
I do wish you the best of luck sales wise, and will continue to support Fallen Angel, the series, and your other works.
“As a general rule of thumb, I do not but trade paperbacks because since I have already bought and read the individual issues, I personally cannot see myself spending money for something I already have. Is there any new material within the TPB that might sway me to change my mind in this case?”
Well, there’s an intro by Harlan Ellison, if that helps. And I’m not sure, but I think they’re putting in some early development sketches of the characters.
PAD
Thanx for the FA info, will look into it.
Peter, is there any chance at all we’ll see the imfamous B5 bear float by Marv anytime before the end? I’d just love to hear Rick comment on the evil one who threw a cute bear into space like that.
PS)I buy trades cause it then means I can leave my regular issues alone…and lately I’ve been very impressed with the HC versions. I’ve got all the New X-Men, Ultimate Spidey, and just bought Superman/Batman yesterday.
I know this is off topic – but where is your TV Roundup? Angel is back on the air – and only 4 more episodes left!
Well, as much as I love the series and the current story arc (but I’ve been a big fan of this book since the ‘second’ first issue, and the whole ‘crazy Marv’ thing), I’m not as sad to see it end.
First, it doesn’t seem that the people involved with this book are having any problems finding work to do after the series is gone – PAD and co. seem to be all happily employed on new projects post-CM – plus there is still plenty of PAD work out there to pick up.
Second, it isn’t just cancelled with no opportunity to finish a storyline or storyarc. At least everybody knew a little while in advance (true, it may make the ending more rushed than this storyline had originally been intended for, but it still has a bit of time/room to end). And for me, that is the most important thing. At least the (major) plot threads and character bits get to be resolved (well, as much as PAD wants to resolve them, I suppose), rather than the somewhat-rushed (and just plain bizzare) ending that quite often happens (just a guess – the Electra series from a few years ago – the writer found out the day before turning in the last issues’ script that it was going to be the last issue, so he had to quickly rewrite it into an ending of sorts? Pick it up in a quarter bin near you to see a strange, strange ending issue).
Three, and admittedly an odd point, I like stories to have endings sometimes. It makes the wackiness of this particular CM run more interesting in a way to know that it was complete in 25 issues, and never got a chance to ramble and go off track (in my humble opinion, remembering that I really like the ‘crazy Marv’ stuff) with pointless fill-in issues and similar padding when the artist and/or writer couldn’t come up with the finished book on time for that month. This one was all-PAD, all-the-time, and if not necessarily a little polished gem, the storyline is still a nicely iconic piece of Marvel (and, indeed, Captain Marvel) history.
…okay, now I sound like I’m rambling, but it is just how I feel on the matter. I look forward to all of PAD’s work, but I’m also oddly looking forward to issue 25 of CM. Feel free to throw things at me if you like.
…oops, I meant ‘Third’ rather than ‘Three’ on that last comment – sorry, it is 4:46 in the morning, and I’ve been working all night…terribly sorry.
“So even if CM itself doesn’t get saved, maybe enough of an outcry will get Marvel to put you on a flagship title (like they’ve done with Priest/Owsley on Cap/Falcon, after Black Panther and Crew tanked).”
*confused* The (sometimes Incredible) Hulk isn’t a flagship title?
Well it was Captain Marvel that made m a PAD fan, and its’ still my favourite book currently being published, so I’m very sad to see it go. Seems like all of my favourite entertainment thingys get cancelled these days.
Oh and great issue, with a great ending.
It was great seeing Rick Jones back in action in the seriesand playing equal partner to Cap. My only question is when Rick reaches out and tries to help others, why does he always end up getting burned?
*confused* The (sometimes Incredible) Hulk isn’t a flagship title?
It’s a mini. I’m talking about an ongoing.
Not to blow my own writing horn, but I’ve submitted a review of “Fallen Angel” to a regional web site. It’s not posted yet, but it will appear on http://www.stupidscifi.com in the review > comics section. It isn’t brillint or cynical reviewing, it’s just my take on what the book is about – and why people should read it.
Once it gets put up, sometime within the week, I’ll provide the link to it. (They need the time to cut all the nudity and swear words out of it…just kidding, Mr. Ashcroft.)
While I’m not terribly saddened to see this incarnation of CM go (what can I say? I liked the tone and cast of the Pete’s first run better), I am edge-of-seat concerned over the fates CIA Agent Leslie Steele, McGrath, Carlo, Lance, and wasn’t there a Pedro, too? Anyways, I can only hope this story will see its conclusion with Genis and Rick’s.
And while I was a bit reluctant at first, I’ve caught up on “Fallen Angel” and hope my meager dollars will contribute to keeping the title monthly. Thank the rest of the site’s visitors for making it sound too tantalizing to pass up.
MR
Like the issue one thing though. What happened to Leslie? 🙂
Here is that review of “Fallen Angel” I mentioned…
http://www.stupidscifi.com/mambo/index.php?option=articles&task=viewarticle&artid=58&Itemid=3
Mind you, this isn’t my site; it’s someone else’s. Which means that someone else read through the review and thought it was good enough to post. That extra filtering means that someone else thought what was weritten had some worth. So, who knows? It may not be fanboy blather.
> And please, CM fans…stop wasting your time trying to save the book. Marvel simply isn’t interested in keeping it around. It’s never gonna sell like a Spider book, it has no movie optioned for it, and it’s not going to pull in underutilized audiences such as young girls (which is why Spider-Girl is continuing.) So they won’t keep it going. Simple as that.
Yeah, it does seem like a futile cause. Especially these days. But I’m still going to miss the book. CM was one of the few Marvel titles I still find enjoyable. So, the only thing this cancellation will do is ensure that Marvel will get a bit LESS of my money each month. 😀
Not to intrude on the CM thread, but it seems as if this topic has come up enough that a comment could be justified.
For anyone who already reads Fallen Angel and likes it or loves, but doesn’t want to buy the trade paperback because they already own the individual issues, consider buying a copy of the TPB and give it to a friend who doesn’t currently read the series. Or keep the copy for yourself as a loaner and give it out to multiple friends.
Obviously, if your comic book budget is stretched to it’s limit, then this suggestion won’t be very useful. But if you’ve got the flexibility with your spending habits, this is one way to help make sure the series goes on. I do think that FA is one of those series that benefits from the collected format over the individual issues — so a few new fans will benefit from this, if they ever get the book in their hands.
I feel the pain for any fans of CM that feel like the rug’s been yanked out from them again. While I didn’t read CM, I do read FA and I don’t like thinking that this series could go the way of other GOOD series.
One of the reasons why I actually became interested in FA is because PAD was actively selling and promoting this series and CA on his board. A lot. The story intrigued me. But I was also impressed by how committed PAD was to giving his series — his stories — a chance. And that he was actively doing what he could to advertise and promote the series from this forum. PAD was also very upfront about trying to set proper expectations for the series — it was a DC-but-not-DC, non-comics code, mature comic — in an effort to keep from surprising the unexpected reader. If he was going to that much effort, the least I could do was give it a chance — and I haven’t regretted it.
So keeping all that in mind, it’s a pretty grim situation to have PAD come out and say “stop trying to save it”. I think I understand where PAD is coming from. But when you consider how much he seemed to enjoy writing the series, that statement has a lot more impact. And that still doesn’t help any fans who are losing their book.
I feel I must apologize. I loved Impulse, Young Justice, The Spectre, Supergirl and Captain Marvel. All cancelled. Given my uncanny ability to get titles cancelled I am thinking about starting to pick up some “X” books. ;}
Regards.
Haven’t gotten the issue yet, so can’t comment.
However, I did want to take the chance to let you know PAD that I am warming to Fallen Angel. For some reason issue #10 clicked with me. So you can count on one person buying the trade when it comes out.
All marvel cares about is how many books Bendis Millar & Strazynski can write for them.
“And please, CM fans…stop wasting your time trying to save the book.”
This may seem to be a bit hypocritical by some, but I’ll say it anyway. I don’t consider trying to save something you enjoy a waste of time. I personally am not campaigning to save it, but I encourage, and even applaud the fans that take time to try and save something that they get so much enjoyment out of. I enjoy the book, and would like to see it go on. However, I also realize that very rarely does a big company change it’s mind about things like that. I also get the impression that Mr. David is tired of the book and everything that is entailed with writing it. If the character comes back in another series, I’ll give it a shot. If it doesn’t, well, that’s why we keep the issues, so we can re-read them.
“It’s a mini. I’m talking about an ongoing.”
Ah, sorry.
Loved the issue…
loved the Genis stuff and i’m more than a bit curious as to whats happening with Leslie as well the future Distopia Marvs gotten too and what the Magus is going to do with Marlo…
I have no idea who captain marvle is, but i like it already. I do think that you should switch to something that has a chance, but i don’t really like that fallen angle thing. it just doesn’t catch my attention
Finally got the issue this weekend, and all I can say is: Cool!
Things don’t look too good for Rick or Moondragon. But what shocked me most of all, was that after reading literally hundreds of your stories, you are still able to surprise me. And not once, but twice!
Thank you.