Most of the time, I am a big cheerleader for comic books. A general rule is that there are too many fantastic comics to focus on, so it’s better to be positive. Not that there isn’t a place to be critical—it’s just my style. With that said, a lot of what Marvel Comics puts out… well, just sucks.
On the one hand, that is a kind of slam on creators who work hard, putting out not only Marvel Comics but any comics. From a personal standpoint, I have a hard time being critical of creators when they put a lot into their work. Not that creators should get a free pass on something they put out that isn’t all that great.
Still, saying Marvel sucks isn’t actually subjective— at least on my part. It’s no big secret that many Marvel titles don’t even last a full year due to poor sales. Look at Marvel’s Imperial Initiative, which ultimately collapsed because the books never found an audience — poor sales and a lukewarm fan response made it impossible for the line to sustain itself. Unfortunately, the “Marvel sucks” stance is held by many fans and is also reflected in sales—despite some well-known creators attached to certain projects.
But, not everything Marvel does sucks! There are quite a few bright spots, which I was reminded of while reading the recently relaunched Daredevil (I still contend that part of Marvel’s problem is starting comics over and over again!) by Stephanie Phillips and Lee Garbett. Wow—this is a fantastic comic!
Not that the last few years of Daredevil have sucked. And that is my personal opinion, because Daredevil is a title I have read for years, no matter what the creative team was in the past. At first glance, it opens up with what fans would expect from Daredevil, but within a few pages, fans are delightfully surprised that this isn’t the same old Daredevil comic book.
In a refreshingly new twist, we don’t see Matt Murdoch return to his lawyer roots, but as an adjunct law professor at Empire State University. Really, how many fans saw that one coming? Not only does it work, but we also see a different side of Matt that remains true to the character. Especially when Matt takes Daredevil to the streets of New York, not just as a Daredevil fan, but also as a Marvel fan, I can’t wait to see where the title goes. That’s something, again, unfortunately, can’t be said of too many Marvel titles.
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