By Britt Schramm
November 14, 2005
When I was a kid, I always seemed to bring home stray animals. Dogs, cats, frogs, moose; it really didn’t matter what type of animal. It just seemed that they smelled a sucker when they saw him. My poor parents were left to find a way to tell me that their house was not a halfway house for wayward pets without breaking my heart. Needless to say, I learned how to smuggle food to these critters that were taking up residence in the carriage house.
Since then, I still have a soft spot for animals and try to contribute money to their welfare either through pre-tax donations at work or by adopting them from either a shelter or a rescue league. I know that I’m no Bob Barker or anything like that but it makes me feel like I’m making some form of contribution.
Strangely enough, I also have developed a similar weakness for other lost entities like cancelled TV shows (Strangers with Candy, Blind Justice and most recently, Arrested Development), disbanded bands (The Tories, Scapegoat Wax, and this year, The Beta Band joined that list) and discontinued soda (Surge, Diet Vanilla Coke and the ill-fated 7-Up’s caffeinated offspring dnL). What can I say? I have more than my fair share of issues, I know.
So I can hear you saying, “What the hell does this have to do with comic books, Britt?” Well, I’ll tell you if you could be a little more patient that my 2 and a half year old is at 5:30 in the morning asking for breakfast.
As of late, I have noticed that my love for all things cancelled has permeated into my comic book reading as well. As I have been cleaning up my collection, I’ve noticed the number books that I did read on a normal basis that have been cancelled. Actually I’ve been consolidating the long boxes in preparation for another move from the third bedroom to the crawl space under the steps as my office will magically turn into a little girl’s room by the end of next year. It is almost like I’ve become the patron saint for lost causes.
I know that I’m not the only one who read these books so I’d like to think that I’m not the only one who misses reading them. So, I’ve complied a list of books that will still be taking residence in my possession when my longboxes are reduced from their current stout number of 18 to an emaciated six.
As I go through these books, I’ll probably give my opinion why the book failed and what could’ve been done to save it. That’s just me being me. You should know that by now.
Almost all of these books were misunderstood by the buying public or just were ahead of their respective times. Either way, they were ignored and faded from existence. I’m here to give you guys a chance to pick up these books a home for cheap. Don’t thank me; it’s what I do.
Thunderbolts (Marvel) - When the Thunderbolts was rebooted back in 2003 with issue #76, it completely flew under the radar. First off, the cover was a complete 180 from its predecessor, which was the Busiek/Bagley villains hiding as superheroes team book. And it didn’t look like anything else out there that was being published by the Big Three, which didn’t help sales. Writer John Arcudi and penciller Fransisco Ruiz Velasco put a vision of underground super-powered UFC-style boxing with low tier villains as the combatants. It was clever, funny and never took itself too seriously. Of course, the bulk of the superhero readers didn’t like that and Marvel dropped the axe on the series by issue #81.
Why it failed and how could it been saved: Marvel did two things wrong with this series – they didn’t change the name of the series and they cancelled it too quickly. The old readers of T’Bolts hated the new series. And to only give it six total issues is almost criminal. How can anyone base a successful monthly series with only five issues? If Marvel used a different name, put it under the Knights or MAX imprint, and gave it a year, I’m sure that the series would’ve found an audience. Then again, this decision came from the same place that let Marville have a somewhat extended run. Nothing that Marvel (or DC for that matter) surprises me anymore.
Aztek (DC Comics) – This book had all of the tools: Hot creators (co-writers Mark Millar and Grant Morrison), cool suit and an interesting conspiracy-laden back story. Aztek was trained to wait for the coming of Tezatlipoca, the dark god by the Q-Society, a group who dealings were shadier than Suge Knight’s ones with Death Row financial backers. However, the wearer of the gear gets kinda bored and decides to be a superhero to the city of Vanity. But yet again, the buying public wasn’t buying it at all and DC decided to end Aztek’s run at issue #10.
Why it failed and how could it been saved: Another case of not letting the series being able to grow. Only eleven issues barely scratches the surface of where a series could go. If this series was released in today’s comic market, there would be no questions on how it would sell. I wonder why a trade has not been made. Is it because of the whole Millar fiasco? Or is it just that DC still feels like it will not sell? And another thing – would you comfort your best same-sex friend about a relationship breakup by getting it on with them in bathroom stall in Tampa Bay? Am I the only one who wants these questions answered?
Bloodhound (DC Comics) – I have championed this series since its first issue was released last year. In case you don’t remember my rantings, it was the story of an incarcerated ex-cop bruiser named Travis Clevenger who had the innate ability to track almost any superhuman person and capture them. He was on a FBI work release from a maximum-security prison in order to stop some very evil metahumans. The working relationship between Clevenger and his FBI female handler was more business that romantic and it made the series that much better. It was pretty intense and there was some bloody scenes but with the popularity of shows like Oz and The Shield, you’d think that this book would be a solid performer. But it never struck a chord with the regular comic book reader as DC dropped the title with issue #10.
Why it failed and how could it been saved: To me, this was a missed marketing opportunity for DC. It just seemed like the title was not being pushed like some of the other new titles that came out during the same period like Manhunter and Firestorm, which were both a variation of a previously established DC character. Also, I know that we are in an age of immediate gratification but to give a series less than a year to jell is somewhat ridiculous.
Coven (Awesome) – If are a newer reader, I’m sure that you’re scratching your head trying to come up with this title. Don’t worry; it’s just one of those books from a publisher who is no longer in business. The Coven was created by fan-favorite Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill, who is back working with Loeb on the new Supergirl series. The series was based on the adventures of a group of supernatural heroes who try to fight for the side of the angels against an evil corporation called the Pentad. But it never really caught on and ended with eight regular issues and a couple of one-shots.
Why it failed and how could it been saved: If the series was on any other comic book company, it may have succeeded. But Awesome was the brainchild of one Rob Liefeld, and when I was doing research for this column, I found this:
Hey, I kid because I care. But really, this series (and the Awesome publishing company as a whole) suffered from so many delays that the whole entity faded away; much like the mythical Brigadoon. (Sorry about that reference to the Gene Kelly/Cyd Charisse/Van Johnson 50s musical but I was raised in the wild by two music teachers. That might be the reason why I like classics like Holiday Inn, Going My Way and A Chorus Line… alright, the last one was a joke just in case you were paying attention.)
Suicide Squad (DC Comics) – Here’s another recent comic that bit the dust way too soon. Writer Keith Giffen and penciller Paco Medina decided to go for the black comedy route with a dash of governmental conspiracy in the 2001 update of a DC classic title by using captured villains as the members. Personally, I thought that it was funny and the art kinda mirrored the catroonish violence that was flying all over the place. Unfortunately, I must’ve been the only one as critics as well as readers decided that the book wasn’t for them and the series ended with issue #12.
Why it failed and how could it been saved: Why it failed (critics commentary aside), I’m not sure. The conspiracy (involving the Luthor presidency) was just coming into play and with the use of the incarcerated villains was a great hook. I thought that Giffen was hitting his marks but with a little twist here and there. Could it have been saved? Sure, if it was given a longer leash as this series could’ve been what 100 Bullets is to the Vertigo imprint.
Way of the Rat (CrossGen): This is one is a personal favorite of mine so it may not be a technical “lost cause” per se. A couple of years after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was released, this series made its debut and it brought the Kung-Fu comic book back to life. Chuck Dixon and Jeff Johnson proved that the tale of a misguided thief in an ancient Asian mystical setting with its inherent martial arts action could be translated to the 4-color panel quite nicely (without the overbearing presence of the company’s “sigil” requirement which was forced on the rest of CG’s titles). Way of the Rat’s world was just opening up (not only with the ongoing series but with a companion five-issue mini-series The Silken Ghost) when CrossGen’s financial problems forced to halt the publication of the series at issue #24.
Why it failed and how could it been saved: It failed because where it was published (similar to the aforementioned Coven). I hoped that the series was going to be picked up as I thought that since the completely unnecessary sigil thing was never emphasized, the book could’ve been seamlessly moved to another company. But when Chuck Dixon moved on to Richard Dragon and no one moved on the rights, the title was deader than Regis’ ratings will be on his new “This is Your Life” show.
I’m sure that there are more out there that I’m forgetting or that I haven’t read. If anyone has ones that I missed, let me know and I’ll try to piece together a part two of missed series that never had a chance to live. If I get enough of them, I’ll try to get them in before Christmas time – maybe under the theme of “The Island of Misfits Comics”.
That’s it for this week. Preachin’ from the Lognbox will make a special appearance on Thanksgiving Day with the second annual “Thanks” list. What can I say – I give ‘til it hurts. Check ya then. And remember – keep your bags and boards together and your continuity straight, kids.
Send column-specific e-mail using the link below. You can also read about my thoughts on Vincent Gallo’s most generous offer, a possible move for nationally syndicated Don and Mike, and the whole Theo-Red Sox squabble as well as my current eBay auctions at brittschramm.com. Plus, check out my reviews of anything and everything that has to do with Pop Culture at Kung Fu Rodeo.
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