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1/13/2020 3:06 pm  #1


Is it time for a new A-Z series to start over?

I almost titled this "...for a Deluxe Edition 2.0?"  Basically, after the original version of the Handbook (from 1983), Marvel did the Deluxe Edition, which, to oversimplify, gave us re-worked/expanded/up-to-date entries for most of the subjects covered in the original handbook, as well as new entries for newly introduced characters and concepts and older characters/concepts that had either only gotten brief blurbs in the Appendix or had not been included at all.  And a few entries from the original Handbook weren't included because they hadn't appeared since the first Handbook was published, from the likes of Belladonna and Defensor to Bullseye.  We'd see these trends continue in later editions like Update '89, the Master Edition, and even the Gamemaster's Handbook if you want to include those, up to the launch of what we consider the current edition of the Handbooks in 2004.

But is it time to consider a new edition, one that includes new entries for all the major/current/new/revived characters and concepts?  One that doesn't just include updates on a handful of characters who are massively popular or experiencing a launch into other media (films/tv)?  One where we might see new entries for the likes of Daredevil, Cypher, the X-Men, Ahura, etc., as well as possibly new entries for the likes of Captain Wonder, Bling!, Blue Streak, Doom 2099, Mainframe (MC2), Izzy Cohen, and even Beverly Switzler?  Should we continue with the current-ish handbooks, hoping for a more regular release schedule, with a combination of entry updates and new entries?  Something in-between?  Something completely different?

I'm just trying to get a discussion going.  Let's try to stay polite and respectful.

 

1/13/2020 4:24 pm  #2


Re: Is it time for a new A-Z series to start over?

I would say yes. I would love to see a 24 month/Vol. Handbook covering updates as well as the numerous new characters, teams, locations and paraphernalia that has come into play in the last several years. I'm also up for new Theme Handbooks as well. Let the age of the Handbooks begin a new!

 

1/13/2020 4:44 pm  #3


Re: Is it time for a new A-Z series to start over?

I think we have a pretty good group, sometimes passionate but rarely disrespectful so I'm not too worried about the discussion direction. Ever since I pretty much took over the forum at the start off the CxPulp era this forum has pretty much been a dream to run.

For the major characters I'd like to see just updates unless their history has been extensively reworked. And certainly characters who have never been covered before or have only been covered in Gamer's Handbooks (minus the no longer available Solarman) and other first era handbooks. A tricky issue would be the original X-Men (minus Prof X). I suppose Marvel is still sticking to them being 616/Prime when they spent a very long time in the present day so entries would have to reflect that. Written by any of the 2000s crew who are still available, and try to get Elliot R. Brown to do updated schematics.

Last edited by Andy E. Nystrom (1/13/2020 4:44 pm)


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1/14/2020 1:04 pm  #4


Re: Is it time for a new A-Z series to start over?

There was a panel show in the UK that included a section called "I couldn't disagree more." The idea was that one side would make statements, and the other side had to make an argument against those statements, no matter how inarguable they were. Two panelists, on opposing sides, were Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor, formerly two of the Goodies (contemporaries of Monty Python, and for my money funnier), whose show the BBC has never repeated for a variety of (to my mind) spurious reasons. After Graeme rebutted several points thrown his way, Tim came out with a statement designed to stump him; I feel Graeme's response echoes my feelings regarding a new A-Z run. 
https://youtu.be/4gNG4dsOX6c?t=140

 

1/15/2020 3:07 pm  #5


Re: Is it time for a new A-Z series to start over?

Obviously anything handbook relation would be very much welcomed, but I'd prefer a continuation from where things left off (with updated profiles when warranted) rather than restarting everything from scratch... again.

 

1/15/2020 4:26 pm  #6


Re: Is it time for a new A-Z series to start over?

zuckyd1 wrote:

Obviously anything handbook relation would be very much welcomed, but I'd prefer a continuation from where things left off (with updated profiles when warranted) rather than restarting everything from scratch... again.

Especially since the hardcovers and subsequent issues were designed in such a way as to allow for easy continuation. The only argument I can see for starting from scratch is for newbies, but i think you can probably still order the hardcovers online pretty cheaply.


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1/15/2020 6:40 pm  #7


Re: Is it time for a new A-Z series to start over?

One other argument for just doing updates for the major characters in a hypothetical AZ book is that the format of the last two books (with among other things larger print) is the preferred format of editorial currently. That's fine for characters with limited history but for someone like Spider-Man you'd either have to short change the history or have half the book or more be about him alone.


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