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A while back I heard that Marvel was cancelling Cable & Deadpool. That wasn't a surprise to me at all. Frankly I'm amazed they let the series go on as long as they did. From the very beginning I figured Cable would be pulled out at some point to serve his duty in the X-titles, but I also figured that the title would go the way of the Dodo at the same time. I was happy they let Wade have a few more fun, interesting, and hilarious adventures. Deadpool will be back in a new title later this year, and I will check it out, but I don't think we'll be seeing Bob again (if you don't get that reference, your loss), which is unfortunate.
This idea of cancelling then turning around to restart or revamp titles hit me again when I went to the comic shop this week. This week I picked up Thunderbolts: International Incident a "one-shot" about the Thunderbolts and Young Avengers Presents with the focus being on Hulkling. I still have not read either of these issues as I write this, but I already know that on some level I will be disappointed.
I don't say that in any kind of reference to the creative teams, but due to the fact that Marvel just seems to be flailing about with some of the titles that were hit by Civil War. I'm glad that Marvel at least is trying to keep the characters (most of them) from the Thunderbolts and the Young Avengers going after the events of the Civil War, but it feels as though it's being done as an afterthought. It's like Marvel knows they have these really interesting characters and teams that people liked before the Civil War and now they're trying to figure out how to use them again without negating everything that happened in the Civil War when dealing with them.
I wonder if Marvel knows on some level they botched their use of these characters. They split the Young Avengers up shortly after they had formed and were a REALLY interesting read, and now they've turned the Thunderbolts into the Suicide Squad, but without the awe factor that comes from seeing guys throwing boomerangs and performing martial arts while wearing an unwieldy fake tiger head.
Sure, Marvel is keeping things going with their little limited series and one-shots, but I have to wonder if this is something that is supposed to matter. Are these small series and single issues supposed to keep us interested until these teams come back full force, or is Marvel simply leading us on and trying to squeeze the last dollars they can from us on these characters and teams? I really don't know. In either case it's obvious that Marvel is getting my money for now, so they can take comfort in that. However, if they want to keep getting my money in regards to these characters and teams they need to start dealing with things of substance.
I must say I miss the old times of Marvel, and I don't mean the 80s and 90s (because that's the mentality Marvel has gone back to in my eyes). I miss the old times before the Civil War. I miss the times when characters came together as a team for a purpose that was established by the team, not by the government or social winds of the Earth in the Marvel Universe. I miss the epic superhero battles against great evil villains of the world as opposed to the current fights that seem no more than modern-day takes on pulp fiction (except for Iron Fist because his title is sweet due to that).
I think it says a lot about where I see Marvel now as a reader when I see the times between the late 90s and Civil War as the 'old times.' We all know the Civil War didn't end that long ago, but they way it was carried out and the aftereffects that have followed. Time really has dragged on for me regarding most of the Marvel universe. Who ever thought I'd reminisce about the old times when I was in my mid 30s. I know I didn't, and I think it's sad that I find myself doing it. Not in regards to myself, but in regards to the characters and teams I have enjoyed reading about.
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