Should UXM Drop Kirkman?

[Foolsfolly]

You know.

I'm generally digging this book. It's not great but it's not terrible. It's getting better and if they could keep a solid good artist on the title...well it would be nice.

But, I'm starting to worry about this title's health.

24. ULTIMATE X-MEN
02/02 #15 - 94,713
02/03 #29 - 84,789
02/04 #42 - 97,299
02/05 #56 - 83,720
=====
02/06 #67 - 72,700 ( -1.4%)
03/06 #68 - 72,765 ( +0.1%)
04/06 #69 - 73,188 ( +0.6%)
05/06 #70 - 72,235 ( -1.3%)
06/06 #71 - 71,314 ( -1.3%)
07/06 #72 - 70,593 ( -1.0%)
08/06 #73 - 70,153 ( -0.6%)
09/06 #74 - 68,874 ( -1.8%)
10/06 #75 - 73,837 ( +7.2%)
11/06 #76 - 69,054 ( -6.5%)
12/06 #77 - 67,338 ( -2.5%)
01/07 #78 - 66,409 ( -1.4%)
02/07 #79 - 64,363 ( -3.1%)
6 mnth ( -8.3%)
1 year (-11.5%)
2 year (-23.1%)
3 year (-33.9%)

Kirkman's not doing this book any good.

Since he's taken over it's really taken a hit in sales. I'm really starting to like him, I think he's got some great stories up his sleeve, but those first 9 months of terrible **** stories might kill this book if he stays on board.

The other X-Books aren't really selling as good as they used to, but it seems like every other X-Book is selling at least 10,000 more comics than UXM.

Except for Astonishing which sold 119,736 copies last issue.

So the question is.

Should UXM Drop Kirkman has it's writer?

Source of the numbers here.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

Well, selfishly I'd say no, because I really like the book. Try getting a big name artist on it if possible, do whatever to reverse this disturbing trend.

However, if Kirkman can be to blamed for the downward spiral (and we don't know that for sure), I would say get rid of him. I'd rather have UXM get published with someone else as writer than have Kirkman's UXM get cancelled.

But, those are still more than double cancellation numbers so I honestly don't think the titles in any danger whatsoever.

 

[ProjectX2]

Story-wise, the first nine issues were bollocks, but I've enjoyed everything since then. I thought the Cable arc was really good.

UXM has always been a mess. Probably because David Mack or Bryan Singer or whomever was supposed to come on after Bendis, but never did. Then BKV did the Sinister arc as a fill in for Singer. Then he did some more arcs. Singer never came on. Kirkman took over for nine issues, to give Singer more time. Singer never came on. Kirkman took over fully.

I say **** Bryan Singer. He can't commit to it, don't let him have it. Unfortunately, Marvel love the big names, even if they can't get the work out. I say let Kirkman do his thing... after all, it can't get worse than USM.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

I agree. The very idea of Bryan Singer and his buddies taking over the book disgusts me. I wish it had just quietly faded away like Mack's run did.

I don't understand why they would give him UXM in the first place. Why not give him his own alternate reality where everything's based on God Loves, Man Kills, the only X-Men book I think he's ever admitted reading.

Or make a title based on the movies for him. Just stay away from MY X-Men book.

 

[Foolsfolly]

Project, USM numbers are up and going steady.

It's a shame isn't it?

There are worse selling books on that list. But UXM drops another 10,000 and Marvel will start considering if they need to publish UXM.

Of course UFF IS 10,000 sells less than UXM, but I don't really like the FF and could never get into UFF outside of Ellis's run. So it's sickly numbers don't mean nearly as much to me as the trend down UXM is taking.

Joe Kalicki-

I think it's pretty safe to say it's Kirkman. Not 100% but pretty safe since it says here, it's down 23.1% from two years ago. That was during Vaughan's run. When the book was in the 90,000-80,000 sales.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

UXM should slit his throat and dump him on the side of the road. USM will be his alibi.

 

[E]

Story-wise, the first nine issues were bollocks, but I've enjoyed everything since then. I thought the Cable arc was really good.

UXM has always been a mess. Probably because David Mack or Bryan Singer or whomever was supposed to come on after Bendis, but never did. Then BKV did the Sinister arc as a fill in for Singer. Then he did some more arcs. Singer never came on. Kirkman took over for nine issues, to give Singer more time. Singer never came on. Kirkman took over fully.

I say **** Bryan Singer. He can't commit to it, don't let him have it. Unfortunately, Marvel love the big names, even if they can't get the work out. I say let Kirkman do his thing... after all, it can't get worse than USM.

Agreed.

They can deny it all they want, but it seems pretty obvious that everything after Millar left has supposed to have been filler while waiting for Singer. Or, should I say, Singer's ghost writers.

Cut your loses and move on. Let Kirkman cut lose; he's a good writer and it seems like he's being held back, maybe by editorial, while they wait for Singer.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

Yeah, I haven't thought about it, but everything since 33 has been filler. And there were two Chuck Austen filler issues in Millar's run too. So that makes 49 fillers to 31 actual stories.

Although you could probably argue the last six issues have been all Kirkman, but since they recently announced Singer was still on (why?) even that could be debated.

 

[Foolsfolly]

Well...with Xavier not even being dead for 2 issues....what did the Cable arc actually change?

Wolverine might become Cable?

....

Cable could have still been filler. I think Kirkman actually wanted to kill off Xavier, those early interviews he did about the arc said it would have big changes.

The biggest change was just undone last issue....something a bit fishy about that.

Well at least to me and my messed up head.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

Well, it's still a big change. Xavier's gone, dead or not. The team is going to be completely different. Then, if Xavier should return, he might have a wholly different philosophy. It's still a big change and I'd glad he's not dead.

 

[DIrishB]

Well, it's still a big change. Xavier's gone, dead or not. The team is going to be completely different. Then, if Xavier should return, he might have a wholly different philosophy. It's still a big change and I'd glad he's not dead.

Agreed, though I do think they should've waited longer on revealing he was still alive. Its only been two issues!

 

[Joe Kalicki]

Agreed, though I do think they should've waited longer on revealing he was still alive. Its only been two issues!

Well, he's got to get everything back to the status quo for Singer and Co. Any day now. . . any day. . .

 

[Foolsfolly]

He's also bringing back Beast.

Who was alive in issue 33.

I've gone and depressed myself.

Oh well, filler or not I've enjoyed the last half of Bendis's run, Vaughan's run, and the last 6 issues.

It just could be so much better under the writers this title has had.

 

[Ice]

He's also bringing back Beast.

Are you sure about that? We've only seen the solicitation not the story.

 

[Bass]

Story-wise, the first nine issues were bollocks, but I've enjoyed everything since then. I thought the Cable arc was really good.

UXM has always been a mess. Probably because David Mack or Bryan Singer or whomever was supposed to come on after Bendis, but never did. Then BKV did the Sinister arc as a fill in for Singer. Then he did some more arcs. Singer never came on. Kirkman took over for nine issues, to give Singer more time. Singer never came on. Kirkman took over fully.

I say **** Bryan Singer. He can't commit to it, don't let him have it. Unfortunately, Marvel love the big names, even if they can't get the work out. I say let Kirkman do his thing... after all, it can't get worse than USM.

Agreed.

They can deny it all they want, but it seems pretty obvious that everything after Millar left has supposed to have been filler while waiting for Singer. Or, should I say, Singer's ghost writers.

Cut your loses and move on. Let Kirkman cut lose; he's a good writer and it seems like he's being held back, maybe by editorial, while they wait for Singer.

This state of affairs just makes me feel sick.

 

[ourchair]

This always disgusts me.

Marvel twiddles its thumbs at the mercy of a big-name writer again. I still remember when Bendis was told Bullseye was off-limits for his run because Joe Q agreed that after "Guardian Devil", Kevin Smith had first dibs on settling the score between him and Daredevil.

Such bull****.

 

[Bass]

Oh god. Yes.

That's at least three titles now. Any more?

 

[Foolsfolly]

Are you sure about that? We've only seen the solicitation not the story.

Very good point.

Any more titles where a big name has messed with actual comic writers and their stories?

I'm sure there are. I'm sure for every time we hear about one, there's at least two we don't because the writers are good enough people to not bad talk about it.