Or maybe not. Depends on your perspective, I guess, but two of Marvel’s solicitations give me pause.
First, there’s this little treasure. As much as I love Dan Slott, I’m starting to worry that Marvel is using him as a weird kind of apologist for their big event books. Hate Avengers: Disassembled? You can always read She-Hulk. “Sins Past” has left a bad taste in your mouth? Cleanse your palate with Spider-Man and the Human Torch.
And now, G.L.A., the Great Lakes Avengers. If anyone can get comic mileage out of a throw-away concept from John Byrne while deflating the New Avengers hype, it’s Slott. (Actually, Joe Kelly did a pretty nice job with the G.L.A. during his much-loved run on Deadpool.) But Slott seems to be wedged into a bit of a corner, getting all the “You will create the illusion that Marvel has a sense of humor about itself” books. I love those books, so it isn’t a problem for me. At some point, though, I’d like to see what Slott can do with different types of material.
But wait! Someone is stepping on Slott’s turf! And it’s… Frank Tieri? Wow. I don’t ever remember him trying to write a comic that was intentionally funny. (Okay, I’m wrong: view the results through the eyes of Paul O’Brien here.) But, long before Chuck Austen, Tieri was Marvel’s go-to writer for the laughably bad. Now that Austen has left Marvel behind, will Tieri reclaim the throne?
