Historical text from Comixfan

Eric J. Moreels

Jul 23, 2005, 12:34 am


As announced @ San Diego, the original Official Handbook of The Marvel Universe series will be collected in Essential format as a lead-in to a brand-spankin' new A-Z Handbook series which will be later collected into trades!

Here's the solicitation copy & cover from Marvel's January previews...

ALL-NEW OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z #1
Written by JEFF CHRISTIANSEN, ERIC J. MOREELS, SEAN MCQUAID, MICHAEL HOSKIN, RONALD BYRD, MARK O’ENGLISH, ANTHONY FLAMINI, BARRY REESE, MIKE FICHERA, STUART VANDAL, BILL LENTZ, MADISON CARTER & CHRIS BIGGS
Cover by KEU CHA

Continuing the success of the 2004-2005 Official Handbooks of the Marvel Universe, 2006 will feature the return of the Handbook from A to Z! While the Handbooks of the past two years focused on specific themes, this twelve-issue monthly series will extend the coverage to all Marvel’s characters, teams, objects, events, and places–plus past, future and alternate Earths. The spotlight will fall on more than 600 profiles–including new characters, characters who never received a profile and those needing major updates. As an added bonus, there will be special themed Handbooks covering more than 250 characters throughout the year.

64 PGS./Rated T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$3.99

So what's everyone think? What characters would you want to see in a new A-Z series?




Lia Brown

Jul 23, 2005, 04:05 am


A new A-Z series? Woot! :thumb:

Well, I'd like to see many of the characters who haven't had entries in modern times (and are still alive, much as I'd love to clamour for fave deceased characters -- poor Stonewall has never ever had any entry).

My special votes go to: Avalanche, Blob, Unus, Phantazia, and Ursa Major :blush:




Uncanny X-Factor

Jul 23, 2005, 07:34 pm


A-Z for Marvel or X-Men?

Anyway, I'm very excited about this!




shame bear

Jul 23, 2005, 07:53 pm


so will the OHOTMU Horror be the last one before they start the new A-Z version?




Stuart V

Jul 23, 2005, 10:25 pm

shame bear wrote:

so will the OHOTMU Horror be the last one before they start the new A-Z version?

Nope, two more Handbooks due after that, before the new A-Z version starts.




Anand Khatri

Jul 23, 2005, 10:32 pm

:dance: This is good news!




BadMotives

Jul 23, 2005, 10:42 pm

Absolutely loved this. When I got into comics and the late 80's, I found the Handbooks a great tool to read up on the history of characters. The current format is bothersome becasue it leaves out so many characters.




Eric J. Moreels

Jul 25, 2005, 12:04 pm


The current format is bothersome becasue it leaves out so many characters.

Any of the past Handbook incarnations have left out characters simply because of the limitations of the format. The Master Edition probably did the best job at including so many characters; unfortunately the format was severely lacking in comparison with other editions.




Uncanny X-Factor

Jul 25, 2005, 03:31 pm


Okay, I'm confused.

So this A-Z version is just the past handbooks put together in A-Z format? Or is this a revival of the Encyclopedia, but updated and ordered A-Z?




Stuart V

Jul 25, 2005, 04:06 pm

Uncanny X-Factor wrote:

Okay, I'm confused.

So this A-Z version is just the past handbooks put together in A-Z format? Or is this a revival of the Encyclopedia, but updated and ordered A-Z?

This will be new profiles, complementing and complemented by the recent themed series, but in non-themed, A-Z order.




Uncanny X-Factor

Jul 25, 2005, 05:05 pm


Oh okay, thanks clearing that up.

Could Revanche be included pretty pretty please?




Stuart V

Jul 25, 2005, 06:48 pm

Uncanny X-Factor wrote:

Oh okay, thanks clearing that up.

Could Revanche be included pretty pretty please?

We'll try and cover as many characters as space permits, so long as the series lasts, but no promises as to specific individuals.




jannepie

Jul 26, 2005, 02:47 pm


So what's everyone think? What characters would you want to see in a new A-Z series?
Lovin' it! Any idea how many issues it will be?

I really can't which characters I want to see more than the others. More of those not-so-often used characters, if possible. Maybe then creators would become interested to use them.




Eric J. Moreels

Jul 26, 2005, 11:18 pm

jannepie wrote:

Lovin' it! Any idea how many issues it will be?

Not as yet. Ideally we'll have 12 triple-sized issues so that we can include every character deserving of an entry! [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image002.png[/img]




Chris Partin

Jul 27, 2005, 11:28 pm


Will this include just 616 characters or will it look at Ultimate characters, too? I've been debating going through all my Ultimate back issues and starting up a continuity/character database web site just for the Ultimate characters, but if Marvel's looking into adding them to this handbook... I won't even bother. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image002.png[/img]




Eric J. Moreels

Jul 27, 2005, 11:36 pm

Chris Partin wrote:

Will this include just 616 characters or will it look at Ultimate characters, too? I've been debating going through all my Ultimate back issues and starting up a continuity/character database web site just for the Ultimate characters, but if Marvel's looking into adding them to this handbook... I won't even bother. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image002.png[/img]

Not sure whether they'll be in this new series, however there is an Ultimate Spider-Man & FF Handbook coming out next month...

Ultimate OHOTMU Spider-Man & FF 2005 (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/...ad.php?t=33803)




Batai

Aug 3, 2005, 07:53 pm


This is great news!
I have been a fan since the first printing of the first series and have collected ever since.

Although the formatting of the new themed series makes more sense, and is argueably easier to reference... I hold the classic a-z format close to my heart!

I, for one, can't wait!
Subscription, here I come!




Corey Blake

Aug 6, 2005, 01:32 am

What great news! I totally missed this at San Diego. Of course, actually being at San Diego is a bit like being in the middle of a hurricane storm. You tend to miss everything else around you just so you can make it to the end.

Congratulations, guys! Sounds like the series got a promotion of sorts!




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 7, 2005, 06:14 am

Corey Blake wrote:

Sounds like the series got a promotion of sorts!

Guess so, thanks! [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image002.png[/img]I know myself and my fellow writers are all excited about the prospects. We're also very interested in who you, our readers, want to see in the series. Anything to help guarantee sales, since that means more Handbook goodness! [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]




Dylan McKay

Aug 7, 2005, 06:21 am


Personally, I want characters I wouldn't have thought of, more educational.

That said, timely characters (Not as in Marvel's original name.) are always a must, case in point, Next Wave. The team has established but lesser known characters, getting those characters in handbooks leading up to #1 and the next couple of months would be smart and have my interest.

Come on Eric, you know you want to write an entry for Tabitha...




DrGoodwrench

Aug 7, 2005, 07:14 am


I would like to see the following characters get entries:

Atlas, Nebula, Century, Dr Goodwrench, Arabian Knight, and Motormouth.

Also, if the new A-Z is going to redo characters from the themed books, it would be nice if agility were added to the power grid.




Crimson

Aug 7, 2005, 08:21 am


What happens though if in a years time (when your on N for example) what if a new character has popped up who's name begins with B?

Does that mean he's missed his chance at a profile?




DrGoodwrench

Aug 7, 2005, 10:15 am


I assume that this is the main weakness of this format. The thing I liked about the Master Edition was that it could theoretically have gone on forever. Certain things about it were annoying. You had to keep them all in a binder rather than in with your comic boxes and I had to re-punch all of the entries because I couldn't find a folder they would fit in. I guess with the new Marvel A-Z they will have to choose all of the entries before it starts.

Sean McQuaid

Aug 7, 2005, 11:00 am


The current format is bothersome becasue it leaves out so many characters.

For the most part, characters neglected in the modern handbooks to date were ones who didn't happen to fit in with the themes of the various theme-driven handbooks (Speedball, Nighthawk, MACH-4, etc.). The 2006 A-Z edition will cover many such characters who fell through the thematic cracks, plus many who fit the themes but were left out due to limited space.

Taken together, the modern handbook run (2004-2006) will probably cover more characters in total than any other version of the series.

-Sean




Corey Blake

Aug 7, 2005, 02:29 pm


I'm definitely glad to see Speedball mentioned because that certainly answers Eric's question about characters I want to see - New Warriors.

Okay, I know that's an obvious answer coming from me, but it's the truth.

I'd also like to see Agility added to the bar code things.




Sean McQuaid

Aug 8, 2005, 02:36 am


timely characters (Not as in Marvel's original name.) are always a must, case in point, Next Wave. The team has established but lesser known characters, getting those characters in handbooks leading up to #1 and the next couple of months would be smart and have my interest.

Pulsar (Monica Rambeau) just got an entry in the latest Avengers handbook, and Elsa Bloodstone is getting one in the upcoming Horror handbook (plus she's featured in another pre-Nextwave project we can't talk about yet)---though that doesn't necessarily mean neither of them might get updated entries down the road. As for the other Nextwave characters, they all sound like good candidates for profiles, though we can't verify any specific character's inclusion in the future handbooks yet.

-Sean




Dylan McKay

Aug 8, 2005, 05:28 am

Sean McQuaid wrote:

Pulsar (Monica Rambeau) just got an entry in the latest Avengers handbook, and Elsa Bloodstone got one in the Women handbook (plus she's featured in another pre-Nextwave project we can't talk about yet)---though that doesn't necessarily mean neither of them might get updated entries down the road. As for the other Nextwave characters, they all sound like good candidates for profiles, though we can't verify any specific character's inclusion in the future handbooks yet.
-Sean

Really, I don't recall Elsa in the womens book? Might just be forgetting...

And I'm fully aware that they can't be announced yet. Even after solicitation, actual character announcements are few and far between. Just saying they'd be a great addition.




Sean McQuaid

Aug 8, 2005, 11:52 am

Dylan McKay wrote:

Really, I don't recall Elsa in the womens book? Might just be forgetting...

Actually, memory's playing tricks on me--I've got it right here, and she's not there. Had her on the brain a bit of late, as she's also heavily featured in an upcoming project other than Nextwave. She isn't covered in the Women handbook, but *will* be covered in the Horror handbook (as seen on its cover)...

-Sean




Sean McQuaid

Aug 8, 2005, 11:56 am


Also, if the new A-Z is going to redo characters from the themed books, it would be nice if agility were added to the power grid.

At this point, we figure relatively few of the characters from the recent 2004-2005 handbooks will get additional coverage in the 2006 line (though there wil certainly be some exceptions here and there, like characters especially in need of expanded coverage or updates). 2004-2006 being a more or less continuous run of material, we're trying to avoid excessive duplication.

As for agility, that's up to Marvel editorial; the power grids are mandated and maintained by editorial, though we get to suggest ratings for each character when we submit our profiles.

-Sean




Sean McQuaid

Aug 8, 2005, 12:02 pm

Crimson wrote:

What happens though if in a years time (when your on N for example) what if a new character has popped up who's name begins with B? Does that mean he's missed his chance at a profile?

Maybe, but that's been the same with previous A-Z profile runs, too--there are always going to be a few characters who fall victim to bad timing. Perhaps there will be subsequent supplemental updates, like the 1989 update that followed the Deluxe Edition--but it's too early to say, really.

The A-Z format isn't perfect, but it's the original handbook format, and we've gotten a LOT of requests for it in recent times (and a lot of complaints over the recent handbooks not following the general-interest A-Z pattern). It's easy to organize (for the reader), easy to follow, and makes it easier to plan for and obtain approval for a set number of issues with particular content, as opposed to starting an open-ended run of relatively random content (like the Master Edition) and not knowing when low sales might pull the plug.

-Sean




Sean McQuaid

Aug 8, 2005, 12:29 pm

DrGoodwrench wrote:

The thing I liked about the Master Edition was that it could theoretically have gone on forever.

A definite plus, yes. But practically everything that gets published these days only gets approved or guaranteed by management in finite multi-issue chunks, so one-shots and limited series are more practical under current circumstances.

DrGoodwrench wrote:

Certain things about it were annoying. You had to keep them all in a binder rather than in with your comic boxes and I had to re-punch all of the entries because I couldn't find a folder they would fit in.

I didn't have any trouble finding binders that fit my OHOTMUME pages, but the series certainly did have its drawbacks--notably the lack of much real text (almost everything was point-form or stats), and a relentlessly dull tone in both the words and pictures. That being said, I think the looseleaf format remains the ideal, the gold standard, for these sorts of projects (only with a different presentation style than the ME used); but it's a more expensive format, and in the current shrunken market we probably can't afford to make a niche product like the handbooks any harder to buy. I'd love to see a return to looseleaf someday, though, if done well...

DrGoodwrench wrote:

I guess with the new Marvel A-Z they will have to choose all of the entries before it starts.

We're in the process of putting together an A-Z master list of entries right now, which is part of why Eric's soliciting suggestions. I imagine that list will change repeatedly during the year ahead, but yes, much of it will have to be determined before the series starts...

-Sean




Viva La Risque

Aug 8, 2005, 12:53 pm


Some suggestions of entires (basing if off of who wasn't in the Encyclopedia)

Eve of Destruction/Jean's Interim Team
Wraith / Hector Rendoza
Omerta / Paulie Provezano

X-Force ally
Risque / Gloria Munoz

X-Factor/X.U.E.
Shard
Fixx
Greystone
Archer

Deceased X-Man
Revanche / Kwannon

X-Factor
Strong Guy / Guido Carosella

Excalibur
Micromax / Scott Wright
Kylun / Colin McCay
Feron

Generation X
Gaia
Mondo

-NEW-
Excalibur 2.0
Wicked
Freakshow
Shola Inkosi
Karima Shapandar
Hub

X-Men ally
Sketch




Sean McQuaid

Aug 8, 2005, 05:38 pm

Corey Blake wrote:

I'm definitely glad to see Speedball mentioned because that certainly answers Eric's question about characters I want to see - New Warriors.

This won't come as much of a surprise let alone a spoiler, but there are definitely multiple New Warriors characters tentatively slated for inclusion at this point.

-Sean




Sean McQuaid

Aug 8, 2005, 05:43 pm

Sean McQuaid wrote:

Actually, memory's playing tricks on me--I've got it right here, and she's not there.

Just figured out why I remember reading a handbook entry for Elsa--she's getting an entry in the upcoming Horror handbook (not a spoiler since she's prominently featured on the cover). So Pulsar's in the latest Avengers handbook, Elsa will be in the Horror handbook (and another project besides), and the rest of the Nextwave crowd will presumably have to wait for coverage in the A-Z run.

-Sean




jubesfan

Aug 10, 2005, 01:06 pm


This is great! I love the Handbooks especially when I want to catch up on characters that are featured in books I don't purchase.
Here is my list of characters I would love to see in the new series:
1. JUBILEE (THIS IS A MUST!!!)
Chamber
M
Mondo
Husk
Penance
Emplate
Gaia
M-Plate(If there is enough to say about her)
Revanche
Siryn
Cannonball
Sunspot
Rictor
Warpath
Meltdown
Feral
Caliban
Callisto (did she have an entry?)
The Phoenix Force (not Jean Grey but the actual thing)
Every member of the New Mutants (old and new)
Every member of the Hellions
Every member of the New Warriors
Every member of the New Thunderbolts
Same for the new Excalibur team
Longshot
Marrow
Cecilia Reyes
X-23 (she's included with the New Mutants now I guess)
Xorn
Exodus
Acolytes
Marauders
Nasty Boys
Every member of the X-MEN and X-Nation 2099
Powerpax (from that old 90s X-MEN crossover)
Powerpack (individual entries)
And the Runaways
Apocalypse
Mr. Sinister
The Neo

Plus more Marvel faves, but these are who I would love tosee have their own entries. One question, will this new series have new artwork like the original or will it have established artwork?




Riding Ghost

Aug 10, 2005, 04:24 pm


What what WHAT?

More Elsa? great news Sean!
Will there be monsters involved? Will she be the Elsa we (well, I) know and love or will it be the brain dead twit (according to what I took from the solicits) from Nextwave?

Thanks for the news!

RG




Sean McQuaid

Aug 10, 2005, 09:17 pm

Riding Ghost wrote:

More Elsa? great news Sean!

Glad you're glad.

Riding Ghost wrote:

Will there be monsters involved?

I can neither confirm nor deny the involvement of monsters, though the next round of Marvel solicitations may well answer this question...

Riding Ghost wrote:

Will she be the Elsa we (well, I) know and love or will it be the brain dead twit (according to what I took from the solicits) from Nextwave?

I'm keeping an optimistically open mind about Nextwave and will try to judge it by what ultimately sees print as opposed to stuff I've heard in advance publicity; but that being said, you don't need to worry in this particular case regardless--the as-yet-unannounced Elsa-related project I mentioned was undertaken before the Nextwave news broke and isn't influenced by the upcoming Nextwave take on the character.

Riding Ghost wrote:

Thanks for the news!

You're welcome.

-Sean




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 10, 2005, 09:28 pm

jubesfan wrote:

Plus more Marvel faves, but these are who I would love tosee have their own entries.

While it's still early days yet, I can say that a lot of the characters you've mentioned have been discussed as potential inclusions in the '06 A-Z series.

jubesfan wrote:

One question, will this new series have new artwork like the original or will it have established artwork?

Again, early days, so that's still to be determined.




DarkstarFan101

Aug 10, 2005, 09:46 pm


Well if it is new artwork, Leinil Yu's recently exclusive contract would be put into great use for this project IMO [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image002.png[/img]. Though Salvador [Larocca] is also always a favorite.




DrGoodwrench

Aug 11, 2005, 02:00 pm

Sean McQuaid wrote:

I'm keeping an optimistically open mind about Nextwave and will try to judge it by what ultimately sees print as opposed to stuff I've heard in advance publicity; but that being said, you don't need to worry in this particular case regardless--the as-yet-unannounced Elsa-related project I mentioned was undertaken before the Nextwave news broke and isn't influenced by the upcoming Nextwave take on the character.

For some very overexcited discussion of Nextwave's take on Elsa and other characters please see the exchange of messages on the subject to be found on Newsarama. They're really horrid to each other!

Also, I know I've already suggested some characters, but I'd also like to see: The High Evolutionary
Thena
Defensor
Sea-Leopard




steve2275

Aug 13, 2005, 02:54 pm


whats the cost




Stuart V

Aug 13, 2005, 04:14 pm

steve2275 wrote:

whats the cost

We don't know yet.




Hotknife86

Aug 14, 2005, 08:38 am


Absolutely loved this. When I got into comics and the late 80's, I found the Handbooks a great tool to read up on the history of characters. The current format is bothersome becasue it leaves out so many characters.

I agree 110%. I loved the series of the 80s, both the original and the updated one. This current one leaves me cold. Not as detailed and somewhat disjointed. Maybe if they do a good job of explaining origins this time around, Joe Q won't be so afraid of people being afraid of continuity. If it could help me understand the whole Jean Grey/Phoenix thing back in first grade, I don't see why it wouldn't do the same for everyone else...




Rayeye

Aug 15, 2005, 11:41 am


A new Handbook serie from A to Z? I think it's cool, although I hope Marvel will release a Handbook about New X-Men or X-Men (2005) before the A-Z series start.
And I hope these A-Z series do not include only the big characters but also minor/less known characters.
However, the following characters/teams I'd like to see making an appearance in the A-Z handbooks:
- Aurora
- Jesse Bedlam
- Callisto
- Cerise
- Clan Destine
- Diamond Lil
- D'Spayre
- Feron
- Gamora
- Halloween Jack
- Hellfire Club
- Hope (Esparanza Ling)
- Kylun
- Lorelei (Asgardian)
- Mesmero
- Micromax
- Motormouth
- Nekra
- Northstar
- Psimon
- Cecilia Reyes
- Risque
- Saturnyne
- Sat-yr-9
- Selene
- Sinister
- Skids
- Speedball
- Spiral
- Stacy X
- Strong Guy
- the Technet
- Threnody
- Unus
- Warlock
- Wiz Kid
- Wolfsbane
- X-Men 2099
- X-Nation 2099
- Zodiac


Rayeye (who is a big fan of the Handbooks!)




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 16, 2005, 08:15 am

Rayeye wrote:

However, the following characters/teams I'd like to see making an appearance in the A-Z handbooks:

A lot of those you mentioned are being seriously considered for an entry in the 2006 series.

Rayeye wrote:

 (who is a big fan of the Handbooks!)

Cool, we have fans [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]




jubileefan19

Aug 16, 2005, 11:00 am


Jubilee [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 16, 2005, 11:18 am

jubileefan19 wrote:

Jubilee [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]

She's in the X-Men 2005 Handbook due out in November [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]




RVcousin

Aug 19, 2005, 06:55 am


When will the serie starts ?

In january ?

In december will it be another themed-handbook ? (It would logical to have one about the ultimate x-men & the ultimates, no ?)




Stuart V

Aug 19, 2005, 04:53 pm

RVcousin wrote:

When will the serie starts ?

In january ?

Yes, the new series starts in January.

RVcousin wrote:

In december will it be another themed-handbook ? (It would logical to have one about the ultimate x-men & the ultimates, no ?)

There will be one last themed Handbook in December. As to what it covers, I'm not allowed to speculate or hint.




Playmobil

Aug 21, 2005, 01:25 pm


There was those All-New, All-Deadly X-Men from Uncanny #360 (circa 1998) we fondly forgot. I've never seen them on any Encyclopedia or OHOTMU, so I wonder if they will be on the new A-Z format.




Rayeye

Aug 21, 2005, 06:34 pm


Does this new A-Z series mean that every issue is a different letter (issue A, issue B, etc.), or does each issue contains random characters from A to Z?

Rayeye




Sean McQuaid
Aug 21, 2005, 06:58 pm

Rayeye wrote:

Does this new A-Z series mean that every issue is a different letter (issue A, issue B, etc.), or does each issue contains random characters from A to Z?

It's slated to run 12 issues, so that pretty much rules out a letter per issue. It'll be like the original, Deluxe and Update 89 runs in the sense that the whole series runs from A-Z, starting with the A's in issue 1 and ending with the Z's in issue 12. So issue 1, for instance, might cover Aardvark Lass through Beryllium Boy or something like that, and issue 12 might be Weeping Willow through Zesty Pete (none of these are real character names here mind you, I'm just using them as alphabetical examples). I imagine just about every issue will span two or more letters of the alphabet.

-Sean




Zach Kinkead

Aug 22, 2005, 01:25 am

The Prowler. The poor guy never manages to get more than a footnote in a handbook but he's far more important to Spider-Man history than, say, Morlin




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 24, 2005, 11:29 am

Zach Kinkead wrote:

The Prowler. The poor guy never manages to get more than a footnote in a handbook but he's far more important to Spider-Man history than, say, Morlin

He's a possibility for sure.




Clay Olsen

Aug 26, 2005, 09:35 am

Adam Warlock
Thanos (Think he was covered)
Drax the Destroyer
Mentor
Elysius
Phyla
Pip
Gammora
Maxam
Buried Alien (or fast forward is his name now... i preferred his first though)
Moon Dragon (though i think she was covered)
High Evolutionary
Kismet/Her
InBetweener
Eternity
Infinity
Death
Net Prophet
Thanatos
Thor Corps (ok not really [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image008.png[/img])
Squdron Supreme




Corey Blake

Aug 26, 2005, 03:12 pm


Do the lists of characters people are posting in any way influence the decision process of who will get profiles? Not that I expect every suggestion to get a profile, but could it sway the decision one way or the other over a character that might be on the fence?

Just curious...




Stuart V

Aug 26, 2005, 06:20 pm

Corey Blake wrote:

Do the lists of characters people are posting in any way influence the decision process of who will get profiles? Not that I expect every suggestion to get a profile, but could it sway the decision one way or the other over a character that might be on the fence?

Just curious...

Potentially yes, though it's not a certainty.




Corey Blake

Aug 26, 2005, 06:41 pm


Okay good, so it's not completely useless. I might have to work up a New Warriors list just for fun.




Rayeye

Aug 27, 2005, 06:55 am


Then I suggest:
Cerebra (2099)
Krystalin
La Lunática
Mondo
Rusty Collins
Serpentina
Sketch
Skullfire
Theatre of Pain
Wulff

Rayeye




Cerebro

Aug 28, 2005, 12:00 pm


Looking forward the the alphabetical series. My only suggestion is in regard to team entries. My biggest disappointment with the Teams handbook was that all of the rosters were listed alphabetically. Personally, I prefer that my rosters be chronological (Ideally with headshots, like the old school handbooks. Though I'd understand if space might prohibit such a thing.). At the very least, though, I'd be nice to see members noted in the order in which they joined their respective teams. I'm looking forward to seeing the X-Men roster in it's proper configuration in a few months.




DarkstarFan101

Aug 28, 2005, 02:37 pm


Has there been any proposals for a new X-Men Encyclopedia?




Scratchy

Aug 28, 2005, 08:01 pm


Box, Feedback, Witchfire, Windshear, Zuzha Yu, Nemesis, Ghost Girl, Shinobi Shaw... [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 28, 2005, 11:55 pm

Scratchy wrote:

Box, Feedback, Witchfire, Windshear, Zuzha Yu, Nemesis, Ghost Girl, Shinobi Shaw... [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]

Zuzha and Nemesis were both in the Women of Marvel 2005 Handbook. The rest are good suggestions, some of which are under consideration [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]




Playmobil

Aug 29, 2005, 07:01 pm

How will dead characters be dealt with? I personally prefer they'd be listed in the A-Z order, with the other characters, and not in a appendix.




Playmobil

Aug 29, 2005, 07:01 pm


Has a page count been decided?




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 29, 2005, 08:31 pm

Playmobil wrote:

How will dead characters be dealt with? I personally prefer they'd be listed in the A-Z order, with the other characters, and not in a appendix.

Has a page count been decided?

That's all still being discussed.




Nyssane

Aug 30, 2005, 02:13 pm


Characters I would like to see:

Avalanche, Blob, Phantazia, Unus the Untouchable, Mastermind II, War I, Famine I, Frenzy, Amelia Voght, Scanner, the Kleinstocks, Stunner, Diamondback, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Acqueduct, Shinobi Shaw, Cottonmouth, Arclight, the Wrecking Crew...okay, I'm drawing a blank. I'll think of more later. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]




Arescenia Navidad

Aug 30, 2005, 06:07 pm


Yeah...those plus Neophyte, Unuscione, Revanche, Shard, Fixx, Greystone, Archer, Link, Catseye, Tarot, Roulette, Empath, Bevatron, Beef, Firestar, Risque, Darkstar, Matsu'o, Vanguard, Selene, Ms. Steed, Wraith, Omerta, and Sunpyre.. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]




Eric J. Moreels

Aug 31, 2005, 12:58 am

Nysanne wrote:

Avalanche, Blob, Phantazia, Unus the Untouchable, Mastermind II, War I, Famine I, Frenzy, Amelia Voght, Scanner, the Kleinstocks, Stunner, Diamondback, Asp, Black Mamba, Anaconda, Acqueduct, Shinobi Shaw, Cottonmouth, Arclight, the Wrecking Crew...okay, I'm drawing a blank. I'll think of more later. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]

Some cool choices there, and many are under consideration. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image009.gif[/img]

Arescenia Navidad wrote:

Yeah...those plus Neophyte, Unuscione, Revanche, Shard, Fixx, Greystone, Archer, Link, Catseye, Tarot, Roulette, Empath, Bevatron, Beef, Firestar, Risque, Darkstar, Matsu'o, Vanguard, Selene, Ms. Steed, Wraith, Omerta, and Sunpyre.. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]

Firestar was in the OHOTMU Women of Marvel 2005 back in January, and Matsu'o was in the OHOTMU Wolverine 2004. The rest are all under consideration as well [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img]




Arescenia Navidad

Aug 31, 2005, 01:02 am


Will there any be like huge compilations or another Encyclopedia (like DarkstarFan said) or such like there was a couple years back?



Eric J. Moreels

Aug 31, 2005, 01:14 am

Arescenia Navidad wrote:

Will there any be like huge compilations or another Encyclopedia (like DarkstarFan said) or such like there was a couple years back?

While I can't say with any certainty, as I'm not privy to Marvel's publishing schedule, the focus seems to be on the Handbooks for the near future.




thundershot

Sep 3, 2005, 10:56 am


Just a few suggestions:

Keep the Ultimate characters out, as they have their own book (assuming there'll be an Ultimates/Ultimate X-Men volume).

Teams: Definitely at least put headshots of them like the old style. People love seeing the X-Men or Avengers in the order of membership with a face to match the name.

Make sure that all of the current books characters are accounted for, even if they had an entry previously. Some people who skipped the themed handbooks may get this instead.

Make a good use of older characters that haven't been used in a while, but it's probably best for space purposes not to include the ones that have already appeared in the theme books.

Assuming you're able to go past 12 issues, just have an "update" limited series every year. "Update 2007, etc."

Some characters that I (and I'm sure others) enjoyed, but haven't been heard of from recently should have inclusion: Cerise, Feron, Micromax, Kylun, Widget, Revanche, Major Domo, Minor Domo, Mojo 2 The Sequel, Quark, Gog and Gog N'magag, Phantazia and other Brotherhood characters that never see the light of day anymore, Tempo, Forearm, Wildside, Reaver, and the other members of the MLF. An actual list of Magneto's acolytes would be nice as well...


Thanks
Chris




Arescenia Navidad

Sep 3, 2005, 12:44 pm

thundershot wrote:

Teams: Definitely at least put headshots of them like the old style. People love seeing the X-Men or Avengers in the order of membership with a face to match the name.

ITA. Something yeabook-style perhaps? And speaking of teams, will teams be covered in the next wave of Handbooks? Or is that gone with the themes?




DrGoodwrench

Sep 4, 2005, 12:09 pm

thundershot wrote:

An actual list of Magneto's acolytes would be nice as well...

Yes! Especially Barnacle and Vindaloo. Although in a list I guess "especially" is a bit meaningless (if something can be a bit meaningless).




Rayeye

Sep 4, 2005, 12:12 pm


If teams/organizations/races are included, I'd like to see:

- Eternals
- Clan Destine
- Crazy Gang
- Generation X
- Hellfire Club
- Hellions I
- Phalanx
- Starjammers
- Technet
- Warpies
- W.H.O.

Rayeye




Arescenia Navidad

Sep 4, 2005, 12:30 pm


Also, I think we need focus on the orignal NM. In Teams 05 it seemed to focus on the new guys more (not a bad thing, but I think the orig. deserved their own page).

X-Corporation
X-Terminators
MLF
Acolytes
Special Class

P.S. Rayeye, even though I can't understand the language, I love your site! [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image002.png[/img]




Playmobil

Sep 5, 2005, 08:03 pm


Eric, do you think Marvel would be willing to release an Encyclopedia/Handbook on the movies characters? With some many movies (Blade, Daredevil, Elektra, Fantastic Four, Man-Thing, Punisher, Spider-Man, X-Men and soon Ghost Rider) it would be interesting to combine all the characters from these movies into one volume. I'd like to hear other people thoughts on that.




Playmobil

Sep 5, 2005, 08:05 pm


Will the new A-Z format include technology like Iron Man's armor and Spider-Man's web shooters or will it concentrate on characters? Maybe there could be an Official Technical Journal to the Marvel Universe.




steve2275

Sep 6, 2005, 08:12 am

Clay Olsen wrote:

Adam Warlock
Thanos (Think he was covered)
Drax the Destroyer
Mentor
Elysius
Phyla
Pip
Gammora
Maxam
Moon Dragon (though i think she was covered)
High Evolutionary
Kismet/Her
InBetweener
Eternity
Infinity
Death
Net Prophet
Thanatos
Thor Corps (ok not really [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image004.png[/img])
Squdron Supreme

kool




Eric J. Moreels

Oct 18, 2005, 12:22 pm


I've just updated the first post of this thread with the solicitation copy & cover from Marvel's January previews.

Enjoy! [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]




PaxHouse

Oct 18, 2005, 12:56 pm

Eric J. Moreels wrote:

I've just updated the first post of this thread with the solicitation copy & cover from Marvel's January previews.

Enjoy! [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]

Thanks for the "After Christmas" Gift..... :dance:

Especially since the first Issue will focus on the A's & B's of the MU Characters....

Can't wait to {hopefully} see the entries {updated} on RUNAWAYS, EXCELSIOR, NEW WARRIORS {As well as for the individual ones with said Teams} & more within the rest of the A-Z HANDBOOK {the "current" POWER PACK Minis should've been included within the Alternate Universe Handbook (unless there's a MARVEL ADVENTURES Handbook being planned, of course) }....




Eric J. Moreels

Oct 18, 2005, 01:02 pm

PaxHouse wrote:

Can't wait to {hopefully} see the entries {updated} on RUNAWAYS, EXCELSIOR, NEW WARRIORS {As well as for the individual ones with said Teams} & more within the rest of the A-Z HANDBOOK

The new series will stick to the general rule of the previous '04/'05 one-shots in that there won't be any updated profiles. There's a wealth of characters that we just didn't have room for in the themed books that will finally get their chance to shine in this series [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]

{the "current" POWER PACK Minis should've been included within the Alternate Universe Handbook (unless there's a MARVEL ADVENTURES Handbook being planned, of course) }....

There's lots of alterniverses that "should've" been included, but again, the space limitations inherent with the themed format prevented that.

As for a Marvel Adventures Handbook, haven't heard of anything like that in the near future but you never know!




Corey Blake

Oct 18, 2005, 02:56 pm


Awesome!

Of course they couldn't give us an idea of what characters are covered in the first issue. Guess we'll have to speculate based off the cover:

Albert & Elsie Dee
Alkhema
Arsenic & Old Lace
Atlas
Banshee
Baron Mordo
Baron Zemo

I'm blanking on the others.




Corey Blake

Oct 18, 2005, 02:58 pm

Eric J. Moreels wrote:

The new series will stick to the general rule of the previous '04/'05 one-shots in that there won't be any updated profiles. There's a wealth of characters that we just didn't have room for in the themed books that will finally get their chance to shine in this series [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]

So are you saying that there won't be a new Spider-Man profile? Or new profiles of slightly less popular characters that have already been profiled - like Firestar, Namorita, and Cloak & Dagger?




Madison Carter

Oct 18, 2005, 08:24 pm


For the most part, no. Many of these characters just had profiles in the themed books. There will be some that get another shot, simply due to how much their history has changed since their last Handbook appearance. Most of the characters that you mentioned, while they have made appearances, have not had any real change to the status quo.




Zach Kinkead

Oct 18, 2005, 11:25 pm


Zemo, Atlas, Gert, and Banshee are LONG overdue for entries.

Anarchist is a surprise (didn’t the X-Statix all die?) as are the Barons Strucker (didn’t he just die?) and Mordo (how many years has it been since he’s been used?).

The inclusion of Awesome Andy is unexpected and, well, awesome.

I don’t recognize a lot of the characters (robot Wolverine and the little girl for example) but I think a lot of that is just the art. I can’t hardly make out any details on the figures in the back (is that supposed to be Alchema? Wasn’t she just in the Avengers book?). Plus some of them are made to look way too generic (the one that may be Indiana Jones and Lara Croft’s lovechild looks a lot like the woman to the left of her but with different clothing and a different skin color).

Where’s the Answer? He just popped up in the breakout so I’d expect him to get some exposure here.




Eric J. Moreels

Oct 18, 2005, 11:29 pm

Corey Blake wrote:

So are you saying that there won't be a new Spider-Man profile? Or new profiles of slightly less popular characters that have already been profiled - like Firestar, Namorita, and Cloak & Dagger?

My previous statement may have been slightly misleading, as there are always exceptions to the no repeat rule, though it's rare for such an exception to occur.

As to your more specific question, as with past Handbooks, we're unable to confirm what characters are included apart from those mentioned in the solicitations/shown on the covers, sorry.




Rayeye

Oct 19, 2005, 06:22 am

Corey Blake wrote:

Awesome!

Of course they couldn't give us an idea of what characters are covered in the first issue. Guess we'll have to speculate based off the cover:

Albert & Elsie Dee
Alkhema
Arsenic & Old Lace
Atlas
Banshee
Baron Mordo
Baron Zemo

I'm blanking on the others.

The others are:
Abraxas
Ahab
Albion
Anarchist
Aurora
Awesome Andy

Only the woman with the gun and the native american (perhaps American Eagle?) are unknown to me.

I'm glad to see Ahab, Albion, Aurora, Banshee and even Awesome Andy are in it!

Rayeye




jannepie

Oct 19, 2005, 08:33 am


Sounds interesting.

Eric, will the handbooks be released in a trade or two afterwards? So far I haven't seen any for the themed issues.




DragynWulf

Oct 19, 2005, 08:58 am


After already being mentioned in five Handbooks:
-Avengers 2004 (Ant-man II Entry/Significant Issues)
-Avengers 2005 (Avengers Entry/Significant Issues and Jocasta Entry)
-Book of the Dead 2004 (Ant-man II Entry/Significant Issues)
-Wolverine 2004 (Deadpool Entry)
-Teams 2005 (Frightful Four Entry)

Taskmaster should definatly get an entry. Hopefully showing both his original and new costume.




shame bear

Oct 19, 2005, 04:24 pm


I hope Chamber's on the cover to C-D...
[img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]




nova64

Oct 20, 2005, 10:07 am


I loved the original handbooks and have really enjoyed the new ones.

I'd like to see entries for:

Nova (Rich Rider)
Sphinx (both male and female)
Condor
Diamondhead
Xandar
SuperNova

And the following, either as a New Champions/Champions of Xandar entry or as individuals:

Powerhouse
Comet
Crimebuster
Protector
Nova Prime (Tanak Valt)

Thank you for letting us share our thoughts for the new Handbook series!

Doug
Nova Prime Page
www.novaprimepage.com




Playmobil

Oct 20, 2005, 11:42 am

The robot Wolverine is called Albert and the little girl is his partner, Elsie Dee, or something close to that. Can anyone tell me who Awsome Andy is?




Eric J. Moreels

Oct 20, 2005, 11:44 am

Playmobil wrote:

The robot Wolverine is called Albert and the little girl is his partner, Elsie Dee, or something close to that.

You got it exactly [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]

Playmobil wrote:

Can anyone tell me who Awsome Andy is?

IIRC, the Mad Thinker's Awesome Android.




Playmobil

Oct 20, 2005, 11:46 am


Eric, can you disclosure whether deceased characters will be listed apart or not?




Eric J. Moreels

Oct 20, 2005, 11:48 am

Playmobil wrote:

Eric, can you disclosure whether deceased characters will be listed apart or not?

All I can really say is that it's an A-Z listing with no appendices.




Sean McQuaid

Oct 23, 2005, 09:01 am

PaxHouse wrote:

Can't wait to {hopefully} see the entries {updated} on RUNAWAYS, EXCELSIOR, NEW WARRIORS {As well as for the individual ones with said Teams} & more within the rest of the A-Z HANDBOOK....

With a few exceptions, we mostly won't be updating 2004-2005 handbook entries in the 2006 run--though if we do more handbooks in 2007, I'd say there's a good chance of more updating by then. For now, the many subjects that didn't get covered in the 2004-2005 theme books are our top priority.

Meaning, for instance (while I can't confirm or deny anything), that Excelsior (which has never had an entry) is much more likely to get 2006 coverage than Runaways (which got an entry in 2005).

That being said, there are many individual members of these and other teams--characters from Runaways, New Warriors, Thunderbolts, Defenders and more--who never got 2004-2005 entries even though their teams did. So I'd say they stand a pretty good chance of 2006 coverage...

-Sean




Sean McQuaid

Oct 23, 2005, 09:12 am

Zach Kinkead wrote:

Zemo, Atlas, Gert, and Banshee are LONG overdue for entries.

Agreed.

Zach Kinkead wrote:

Anarchist is a surprise (didn’t the X-Statix all die?) as are the Barons Strucker (didn’t he just die?) and Mordo (how many years has it been since he’s been used?).

We're casting a very wide net with this series--there's going to be a little bit of everything in this run.

Zach Kinkead wrote:

Where’s the Answer? He just popped up in the breakout so I’d expect him to get some exposure here.

This isn't a spoiler since it's been mentioned in the promos, but Answer gets profiled in the NEW AVENGERS: MOST WANTED FILES one-shot due out in December.

-Sean




Sean McQuaid

Oct 23, 2005, 09:14 am

Playmobil wrote:

Eric, will the handbooks be released in a trade or two afterwards? So far I haven't seen any for the themed issues.

No official word on that yet, but the strongest vote for TPBs would be solid sales for the individual Handbook issues...

-Sean




Sean McQuaid

Oct 23, 2005, 09:21 am

nova64 wrote:

I loved the original handbooks and have really enjoyed the new ones.

Glad to hear it.

nova64 wrote:

I'd like to see entries for:
Nova (Rich Rider)
Sphinx (both male and female)
Condor
Diamondhead
Xandar
SuperNova

More than one of those subjects will definitely be in the A-Z mix.

nova64 wrote:

And the following, either as a New Champions/Champions of Xandar entry or as individuals:
Powerhouse
Comet
Crimebuster
Protector
Nova Prime (Tanak Valt)

This is less likely--the Champs (favourites of mine) are all relatively minor characters, they've almost all been dead & gone since the 1980s, and they recently got an updated group entry in the Teams 2005 handbook. So they don't seem real likely--though personally, I'd love to see individual entries for Powerhouse, Comet and Crimebuster someday...

-Sean




TheMetalMetrosexual

Oct 24, 2005, 10:07 am


I'm almost going to miss the themed volumes, if only for the more specialized compilations like the Golden Age, Alternate Universes and Teams. But, A-Z should give me that special feeling of scope that the older ones did--I cut my teeth as a young comics fan on these things. Hopefully we will continue to see Golden Age entries, other realities, 50's stuff, and Marvel UK (I wasn't even sure that that was in continuity until I saw some of the previous handbook entries--not like you ever saw Dark Angel fighting in the Infinity War or anything). I have to partially agree with the people who want expanded entries for previously profiled characters--the apparent change in philosophy for text length has left us with such odd occurences as Blade now having a longer entry than Iron Man or Cap. I can wait a year, though.

General thumbs way up. I can imagine that after the comics boom of the 90's and the greater awareness of rarer material, the sheer amount of necessary inclusions must make this a logistic nightmare ten times worse than any previous handbook compilers must have had to deal with.

Oh, since everyone else is naming fav's, here's some of mine:

Demogoblin
Superpro (if copyrights aren't an issue)
The Living Tribunal
The Celestials
Nightwatch




jannepie

Oct 24, 2005, 10:35 am

Sean McQuaid wrote:

No official word on that yet, but the strongest vote for TPBs would be solid sales for the individual Handbook issues...

-Sean

I did pre-order the whole series, so there goes my plans of saving some money. [img]file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\ clip_image006.png[/img]




Sean McQuaid

Oct 25, 2005, 12:59 am

TheMetalMetrosexual wrote:

I'm almost going to miss the themed volumes, if only for the more specialized compilations like the Golden Age, Alternate Universes and Teams.

Those niches have their charms, to be sure--though for what it's worth, the A-Z will feature stuff from just about every category, including some never-before-profiled Golden Age characters, lots of teams and more.

TheMetalMetrosexual wrote:

But, A-Z should give me that special feeling of scope that the older ones did--I cut my teeth as a young comics fan on these things.

The 1980s handbooks helped addict me to the info-comics genre back when I was a youngster; and with the A-Z, we're definitely doing our best to recapture that sense of scope and scale, covering all aspects of the Marvel Universe in its near-infinite variety.

TheMetalMetrosexual wrote:

Hopefully we will continue to see Golden Age entries, other realities, 50's stuff, and Marvel UK (I wasn't even sure that that was in continuity until I saw some of the previous handbook entries--not like you ever saw Dark Angel fighting in the Infinity War or anything).

There should be a little bit of everything in the A-Z run, including more Marvel UK. One of the areas where the modern handbooks are breaking new ground is the inclusion of so much foreign-publication content...I enjoy that a lot myself, as it's one of the few areas of the Handbooks where I get to learn lots of new-to-me stuff. The modern Handbooks cast a wider net than their predecessors in general--just about any Marvel material from any source could potentially get included.

TheMetalMetrosexual wrote:

I have to partially agree with the people who want expanded entries for previously profiled characters--the apparent change in philosophy for text length has left us with such odd occurences as Blade now having a longer entry than Iron Man or Cap. I can wait a year, though.

Believe me, nobody wants bigger entries more than the Handbook writers--it's often harder to do a short entry since so much editing and cutting and compacting has to be done to the average history to make it fit, and we get paid more for longer entries regardless.

Profile length has been evolving over the past two years, mostly from shorter to longer, but the theme book format meant that just about every issue had at least a few characters being squeezed into a smaller space than we'd prefer--partly because we didn't know until recently that we were getting an A-Z run, so we tried to cover as many characters in the theme books as possible since that might have been their only chance for a handbook entry.

For every Black Knight or Justice who got more or less ideal length, there was a Firebird or a Hellcat who got only a fraction of the space they could have filled, though we did our best to capture the essentials of each subject in the space available. We'd love to revisit assorted 2004-2005 entries with expansions, revisions, corrections and updates as soon as we can (perhaps as soon as 2007 if sales permit, though nothing is officially planned at this point).

For now, though, the top priority in 2006 is covering stuff we didn't cover in 2004-2005.

TheMetalMetrosexual wrote:

General thumbs way up.

Thanks kindly.

TheMetalMetrosexual wrote:

I can imagine that after the comics boom of the 90's and the greater awareness of rarer material, the sheer amount of necessary inclusions must make this a logistic nightmare ten times worse than any previous handbook compilers must have had to deal with.

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head there--the bar's been raised over older editions in terms of how inclusive these handbooks can be (more genres, more eras, more imprints, more oddities and obscurities, plus all the mainstream stuff the handbooks have always covered); and there's many more years of comics and continuity in the mix now than there were back when the older handbooks debuted, what with time marching on. So yeah, the logistics are huge--it's taken months of compilation and debate and revision to assemble a contents list for the 2006 A-Z run, and there's no end of further tweaks required as new complications pop up. It's fun, but exhausting.

TheMetalMetrosexual wrote:

Oh, since everyone else is naming fav's, here's some of mine:
Demogoblin
Superpro (if copyrights aren't an issue)
The Living Tribunal
The Celestials
Nightwatch

You'll be seeing at least some of the above in 2006...

-Sean




Playmobil

Oct 28, 2005, 12:16 pm

Sean McQuaid wrote:

The 1980s handbooks helped addict me to the info-comics genre back when I was a youngster; and with the A-Z, we're definitely doing our best to recapture that sense of scope and scale, covering all aspects of the Marvel Universe in its near-infinite variety.

Other good point I see in the Handbooks is that they may make writers aware of long forgotten characters and bring them back.




Playmobil

Oct 28, 2005, 12:22 pm

Sean McQuaid wrote:

Believe me, nobody wants bigger entries more than the Handbook writers--it's often harder to do a short entry since so much editing and cutting and compacting has to be done to the average history to make it fit, and we get paid more for longer entries regardless.

I believe the best case scenario is having continous A-Z series. So, after the 2006, there would be a new A-Z series in 2007 updating major characters and including those who weren't in 2006. Then another in 2008 and so forth. Of course it will depend on the sales.




Eric J. Moreels

Oct 29, 2005, 01:31 am

Playmobil wrote:

I believe the best case scenario is having continous A-Z series. So, after the 2006, there would be a new A-Z series in 2007 updating major characters and including those who weren't in 2006. Then another in 2008 and so forth. Of course it will depend on the sales.

That's the ideal goal, but you're right, it's very much dependant on sales of the 2006 series!

 

Last edited by Andy E. Nystrom (1/06/2020 11:29 pm)