AVENGERS FOREVER and the State of Comics Today
A guest column by Mike Proctor

When I finished reading this book, all I could think was "wow." That's it. It simply blew me away. Now I sit here, 34-1/2 hours later, trying to articulate all the thoughts and feelings I have on this issue - and I know I'll fail to do a satisfactory job of it, so I'll ask your forgiveness before I even get started.

I already considered Kurt to be the best writer at Marvel, but with this one issue, he has increased the gap between himself and the rest of the pack by another considerable distance. Having Roger Stern co-plot this only makes things better. Stern is Marvel's #2 writer right now, and if I was a "suit" at Marvel - I'd do anything to keep these two guys writing my books.

Kurt's wants to do more creater-owned projects? I'd be trying my damnedest to start that program at Marvel. Kurt wants T-bolts TPBs? You got it, Kurt! Why are the only books that Englehart does these days published at DC? Get this man a book! Give Roy Thomas something to do besides Conan mini-series! It's books like Avengers Forever (and Avengers) that prove how important writer-driven books are in the comics industry these days. Can anyone name a superior quality book that has successful sales and comes out on a timely basis that's written by an artist? I don't read any.

Remember when all those artists left Marvel and formed Image? Back in those dark times of chromium covers and comics filled with 2-page spreads, Image blew up big &became the largest independent comics company. But where are they on the Top 100 list these days? Does anyone buy their books anymore? Nope. Image's audience has grown up and no longer read comics. Why is that? Because they had no talented *writers*. The books were all flash and had no substance. There was nothing there that really reached out and grabbed anyone and kept them reading. The only thing they really have going for them is Spawn. Why does that crap sell? I guess the same people that are buying the two X-Men books are buying that one too.

I told you I wouldn't be able to organize all my thoughts effectively. This post is beginning to look like PAD's Hulk - it's just going all over the place - but hopefully, I can make a reasonable point or two, and you guys will at least get some entertainment value out of all this. Okay, for those of you still with me, continue on...

There seem to be two small groups of comic buyers left these days. Long-time fans like ourselves (and like the guys I occaisionally get the chance to talk to at my comic shop who have been reading since the '60s &'70s) and the collectors (who still buy those issues of X-Men & Spawn because those are "hot" titles and will always "be worth something one day"). To me, comics are only worth what you get out of them - if the book is shit, you've only got shit. But if they are really good, and you really enjoy reading it - then you have a treasure that'll last forever.

Marvel pretty much owns the Top 30 in sales right now, and they're in the position to create some truly great stuff that will keep readers for the long haul. They just have to take that next step - strive to put quality over the flash in the pan. You know, I'm not big on DC's regular titles at the moment. They've fallen off a bit since the '80s when I read just about every DC book. But the stuff that Alan Moore is doing for them under the ABC imprint, and the things that Warren Ellis & Scott Lobdell are doing under the WildStorm imprint, and the things that Kurt Busiek continues to do with Astro City under the Homage imprint is really amazing stuff. Solid, gripping storytelling and really good art on all the titles! I'd like to see this at Marvel - stories that I can't put down & superior art on every single title. Too often, we get a little bit of one or the other. But books like Avengers Forever *are* taking it to that next level, and I want more!

Which brings me back to Avengers Forever #8. Wow! Kurt & Roger have created a story that puts a fresh coat of paint over the entire history of the Avengers! Not only does this enhance all the great stories that have gone before, it takes the ones that we really hated and makes them palatable. They've taken stories that really made little sense and gave them meaning! I look forward to reading the next 4 issues of this series, which has become possibly the greatest Avengers story ever. And that's quite an accomplishment. It's got Kang, Immortus, a time-traveling Sphinx, a great cast of Avengers, an epic quest, the entirety of Avengers history, wars and struggles, Chronopolis, and more "time" than Morris Day. What more could an Avengers fan ask for?

--Mike