Marvel Comics: Siege

[TheMasterOfOrion]

So for those reading the many many tie-ins, which ones are the best and most relevant? Which ones are the worst?

I would avoid most of the tie-ins or duck the hype
go read the ratings online and go back to buy some of the highly rated old stories, some of the out of continuity are also great


Go back to basics, go back to the old school Marvel to get a feel for the characters
some of the alternate reality stories are quiet good

My Marvel list might look sometime like this

1.Ultimates part one and two modern look at Marvel's superhero team the Avengers (an alternate reality and not in continuity) 2. Simonson's Thor 3. The Dark Phoenix Saga 4. J Michael Straczynski Thor hardbacks/tpbs part one to three 4. Joss Whedon Astonishing X-Men parts one to three 5.Galactus Trilogy Coming of Galactus Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott 6. Demon in a bottle Ironman 7. Brubaker's Captain America 8. Civil War (a must for those following the past years of Marvel universe continuity) 9. Marvels by Busiek/Ross (a kind of history lesson of Marvel) 10. J Michael Straczynski Silver Surfer:Requiem (alternate reality story) 11. Xmen Days of Future Past Claremont, Byrne, Austin 12. Silver Surfer Enslavers by Stan Lee 13. Spider-Man Death of Gwen Stacy 13. Secret Wars the first one 14. Thanos Infinity Gauntlet by Starlin, Perez, Lim, Rubinstein 15. Planet Hulk and World War Hulk 16. Annihilation or some Nova or Guardians of the Galaxy story 17. Daredevil Frank Miller 18. Iron Man: Extremis 19. Essential Spider-Man 20. Finally - Dark Avengers Assemble!!! - watch Green Goblin and the Sentry be given the keys to the Lamborghini only to crash the car. Personally I think the story is diabolical shit but its a must have for those follow Marvel's big events and kinda leads into the Siege bla bla thing that's happening now

The DC list might go
1. The Killing Joke 2. Wonder Woman Gods And Mortals 3. Kingdom Come 4. Superman Red Son 5. Dark Knight Returns 6. 7. Jack Kirby's New Gods 8. Crisis on Infinite Earths 9. Green Arrow: Year One10Superman/Batman Public Enemies Paperback......

The Independent lists
1. Bone 2. Strangers in Paradise 3. Preacher 4. Watchmen 5.Pride Of Baghdad 6. Walking Dead 7. Stray Bullets ....I'll have to think about this one

Back to Marvel and Siege
To be honest I would avoid Marvel's Dark Avengers/Siege etc and I think you're better to avoid Marvel main stories now and picking up small Trade Paper Backs like Punisher, Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade, War Machine or Iron First. The main universe has gone to the dogs...oh wait a moment forget about Punisher they turned him into a frankenstein-ish zombie....that comic is also gone to the dogs
Anyway avoid Siege at 4 $ a comic you'll be broke and even if you find a cheap trade paper back I'm not sure the story is even worth reading,
Most of Marvel's best writers have finished up and hit the road

Go back to the old school stuff if you want quality

Norman fell from grace

I thought he was from Three's Company?

Miller as in "Crazy Frank" Miller, who hasn't produced anything good in about two decades?

I blame him personally for the God Damned Batman of the past 25 years, in every incarnation.

He hasn't wrote great in a while but when he was at full pace he was writing some of the most critically acclaimed stories

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ I would add Scott Pilgrim to your list of Indy comics.

 

[CaptainCanada]

So for those reading the many many tie-ins, which ones are the best and most relevant? Which ones are the worst?

"Relevant" is a bit hard to define, but Avengers: The Initiative's arc has a lot of between-the-scenes stuff woven into its story, and it's very good. Most of the tie-ins use the broader "Siege" story to bring their own ongoing plots to a climax; Thunderbolts is also a pretty good team vs. team fight.

 

[Ayelbourne]

Siege is an awful storyline. Just one big nonsencial battle with little character interaction in it.

I figured as much when I read the first issue. It was Secret Invasion all over again.
I'm glad I gave up on this turd right then and there.

Outside of Ultimate Spidey, Bendis has yet to write something that actually appeals to me.

 

[Myasishchev]

Alias was good. Daredevil was good. Then they let him write everything, which was somewhat bad.

 

[Hound of UIster]

Alias was good. Daredevil was good. Then they let him write everything, which was somewhat bad.

True story, Bendis had a policy of giving a full refund of his work if the reader mailed him the book.

After his first Avengers story, the policy was immediately discontinued and he had to be blackmailed into coughing up the money for those who had already sent in their books.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

I'm just wondering what god-awful universe-wide tie-in crapfest will come next.

Since when was Siege "universe-wide"?

From what I'm reading, most pockets of the marvel universe are getting their own smaller events so that things aren't as big as Civil War and Secret Invasion.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Siege is pretty much self contained to the Avengers as was mentioned in an earlier post...and the next big event is the Heroic Age and X-Men Second Coming.

 

[CaptainCanada]

"Heroic Age" isn't an event, it's a status quo (ie, the Marvel Universe is a brighter place).

 

[Forbin]

I'm just wondering what god-awful universe-wide tie-in crapfest will come next.

Since when was Siege "universe-wide"?

From what I'm reading, most pockets of the marvel universe are getting their own smaller events so that things aren't as big as Civil War and Secret Invasion.

Oh. I only read Avengers, Thor and Spidey, hence the assumption.

 

[Mr Light]

It's funny how Siege and Blackest Night finished right around the same time, both promising a new happy retro golden age after the previous years of darkness and death.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ I think this was probably a conscience decision on the part of both companies to have major events end around the same time. Remember though that "Siege" is pretty much the conclusion to "Dark Reign" which started almost a year ago.

Captain Canada you are correct and thanks for correcting me "Heroic Age" is indeed the new status quo and really the conclusion of Brian Bendis long overarching plot that began with "Avengers Disassembled" I guess then to correctly respond to the poster who asked...the Avengers relaunch in May is the next "event".

 

[Mr Light]

Is the Avengers relaunch an "event" if it doesn't affect the rest of the line though? Obviously all the Avengery titles are rebooting but outside of that? I wonder if both companies returning to bright and happy stories is a reflection on Bush leaving office? After all comics are planned out like a year in advance.

 

[Trent Roman]

I hope not. I'd hate to think we'll be returning to a darker universe next year as the disappointment with Bush Jr. percolates through editorial/creative decisions.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Admiral_Young]

I seriously doubt that these directions have anything to do with a transition from political office. Bendis has stated in previous interviews that the path towards the "Heroic Age" and bringing back a cohesive Marvel Universe has always been his intention from the start it was just a matter of how they got there.

 

[Nick Ryder]

I can sort of understand that... pretty much the way everything went down was because things went apeshit after Disassembled. Civil War honestly could have come years and years ago, how many times has New York or other cities been decimated by Super Powered beings? Essentially Civil War was the entire MU's "Operation: Zero Tolerance" but without a cryptic bad guy pulling all the strings, it was the government.

Although I think with "Heroic Age" its less about "being Silver Age" again than it is with the heroes being heroes again, not fugitives and outlaws. With the MU being a slightly better place, even She-Hulk comics went from light and comedic and bright to getting pretty dark... and then it was cancelled. That's pretty telling of just how dark the MU got.

As for DC... the guys in charge there now are obsessed with the Silver Age. Its only a matter of time before you start seeing "Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen" or "Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane" on the shelves... although I would LOVE to see a new Metal Men series!

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

It's funny how Siege and Blackest Night finished right around the same time, both promising a new happy retro golden age after the previous years of darkness and death.

So is Siege over yet? What happens in the last comic?

 

[Mr Light]

#3 came out a few weeks ago, but the final issue doesn't come out until May 12th.

 

[Mr Light]

SPOILERS! Well the final issue of Siege came out, and thus ends the Dark Reign and thus beguns a new Heroic Age. I found the final issue a little anti-climactic, but you could describe the entire event that way really (I haven't read any tie-ins though!). They basically smack the Sentry around for a little. I certainly expected them to kill the Sentry and I'm sure this time it will be for good since that character is completely used up at this point. I DIDN'T expect them to kill Loki (his movie comes out next summer for crissakes!) but obviously he won't stay dead long. He's the frickin' god of mischief and Thor's chief enemy. I was hoping that Norman would have some final trick up his sleeve but he came off pretty pathetic here. Oh yeah and what happened to the thing I read about the Big Three being lost in time at the climax and they spend that entire mini-series bonding and becoming friends again and then reappear at the start of Avengers #1?

 

[Turtletrekker]

I felt that Bendis should have wrapped the story up in a nice little bow and said "The End", instead of trying to set up what is to come next. Thats what made the ending seem like an anti-climax to me.

As for Loki...

Spoiler: Siege: Loki one-shot

In his one-shot tie-in he made a deal with Hela that when Loki's time came, he wouldn't be bound to Hela in the afterlife, thus freeing him for his "heroic" sacrifice in Siege #4.