Marvelous Possibilities

by Brandon

Marvel's announcement that they own Marvelman at the San Diego Comic Con in late July 2009 was a welcome surprise for many fans. Why? Because Marvelman has been in legal purgatory for many, many years. That is the Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman version. Though it's still not clear whether that paramount work or not remains under Marvel's publishing purview or not, it is clear that Marvel can does plan on publishing new Marvelman material. I can just see the line queuing up outside Joe Quesada's office in New York with writers chomping at his heels to get a chance to write this character. But who are these writers?

I submit to you my humble list of writers who I think should, could, and probably would tackle Marvel's newly minted Marvelman.


Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman comes to mind immediately. I think that it is highly probable that Marvel will get Gaiman for an arc or two, maybe even a miniseries. They wouldn't get him for longer, but he's been involved in this whole legal process for a while. He also wrote Marvel's 1602 in the hopes of funding said legal battle. It would have been fruitless of him to have spent such time and effort in this process to not get a shot at writing Marvelman in any form. It would be great if he could continue and finish the story he started, but it would also be awesome if he did anything with the material. I think Marvel would at least give him the initial stab at writing Marvelman, perhaps by launching with a miniseries.They have a good working relationship that I don't see hindering Gaiman's inclusion.
Vegas Odds: Marvel publishing books with an "X" on the front cover.

Mark Millar
Though he's pretty busy these days, Mark Millar can bring a crowd to pretty much anything. I think Millar could do a good job with the Marvelman character, but he has to realize sensationalizing this character just doesn't seem right. He has a penchant to make things be a bit too dramatic. Millar can definitely bring pizazz, for better or worse, when it comes to writing comic books. He's a staple around Marvel and one of two jewels (along with Bendis) in modern Marvel's crown.
Vegas Odds: Ultimate Captain America insults France again.

Grant Morrison
Wishful thinking on my part, but damn it could be cool to see Grant Morrison on this title. However, Morrison seems to be content at Dc doing whatever the hell it is he is doing this month. I don't think Marvel would give Morrison the total freedom to be as deliciously weird as he could be with Marvelman.
Vegas Odds: Final Crisis becoming readable.


Brian Michael Bendis
Bendis would be the safe bet for Marvel since he's kind of their "go to guy" for all things big, but I doubt anything of interest would happen due to his allergy to adding immediacy to his comics. He's a good writer, but I just don't think he gets characters like this. Like I said of Millar, he's a staple of modern Marvel. Chances are he gets a crack at this character, but that's only after Gaiman passes on the job or moves on after completion of his story.
Vegas Odds: Already writing 83% of Marvel books.

Jeph Loeb
Oy. Marvel's been giving this guy a ton of work lately. I'm only familiar with the Ultimatum side of the equation, but man, that book sucks badly. Yet... Marvel seem to be very keen on him now. If you read anything coming out from the house of ideas, they just love this guy! I don't even think that's P.R. They seem to be genuinely pleased with his current output even though it's late and many fans deride it as being on par with watching a Michael Bay movie. But he sales comic books.
Vegas Odds: Blob eating Wasp's guts out with chocolate syrup on top. And sprinkles!

Mike Carey
Carey is kind of a pick from left field on this property, but he's a solid writer. He's proven himself with numerous titles, but may be too busy for a turn at Marvelman between X-Men: Legacy and The Unwritten. However, his style seems like it would fit in perfectly with at least the Moore and Gaiman run.
Vegas Odds: Emma Frost starts wearing sensible, frumpish clothes.


Brian K. Vaughn
Vaughn is another "out there" pick since he seems to be more on the way out of the comic book medium in lieu of television and movies. However, with the recent announcement that he would not be on this season of Lost, Vaughn might have some free time in the future to pursue a comic book comeback. This probably would never happen, but I would love to see more from Vaughn and this would be a great chance for a double return; Marvelman's back, and so is Brian K. Vaughn.
Vegas Odds: Y the Last Man movie shot as a porn.

Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction is another guy who is getting a ton of work at Marvel these days. His work at Marvel thus far has been good, but not great. I just don't think Fraction has enough clout in the industry yet to pull off an assignment like this. His rise to prominence seems too fast. There's been absolutely nothing in his previous work that I think would even put him in the same league as Alan Moore or Ne4il Gaiman. I think he could pull the Marvel fans in, but that's pretty much the extent of his drawing power. Yet... hes gotten some pretty high profile assignments as of late. Matt Fraction is someone to watch in all of this.
Vegas Odds: Spider-Man appearing by issue three.

Alan Moore
I know. Yeah, right. This would probably never happen, but damn it would sweet, wouldn't it. Alan Moore doesn't strike me as someone who revisits the past much if ever, and Marvelman seems like the distant past for him.
Vegas Odds: Quasar becomes first book in years to sell over a million units.