mymarvelousyear

Weekly Update 8/5/19

We've officially reached the end of what has been an incredible run of Spider-Man comics with Stan Lee handing over writing credits after AMS #110, after 10 years of writing the most consistently readable comic in Marvel. It will take several years before other writers really find a footing with Spider-Man and aren't just reheating old plotlines from the Silver Age.

What's so interesting about the next few years is the way we're going to see the best and brightest of the 60's (Spider-...

What Bronze Age Trend is Most Exciting?

Weekly Update 7/28/19

cw: discussion of real-world violence against minorities

There's a transformation going on at Marvel comics, and we're definitely going to get to all of it in our episodes and in these weekly updates. But today I wanted to talk about how our personal context we bring to the comics can matter. As you'll hear in the episode, I loved the Luke Cage comics. I continued and read the whole series just for fun. But I do have some mixed feelings about it. While the comics feature a strong, blac...

Weekly Update 7/22/19

Sorry for the late update today!

Superheros in the 1960's/ early 70's seems largely motivated by one thing: an innate sense of civic responsibility. With some (Spider-Man), it's more explicit than others. But we never question why Iron Man or Vision are fighting so hard to defeat criminals or to save the world, it's built into their moral fiber that they can fight... so they must. And one consistent theme that is tied into this responsibility is the idea that these powers are a burden ...

Weekly Update 7/14/19

Something I've been thinking about a lot looking at these comics is how fair my criticisms are. What I mean is, are the expectations I bring to these comics and the criteria I use to judge them appropriate for the medium and the era? A modern comic explicitly written for an adult audience is easier to feel comfortable critiquing, because I more fully understand the parameters of what success is for the comic. But with an Avengers' issue from 1971, is it wrong of me to expect more than pulpy a...

Extra Issues: 1970

 Click here for Extra Issues: 1970!

If you're having issues reading the newsletter in your email client, use the link above to access it through your browser! Also, check your spam filter if you're not receiving the direct link.

You can find next year's reading list in each Weekly Update email or in the MMY Master Spreadsheet! 

What is the Coolest Locale in the Marvel Universe?

Far From Home + MCU Future Bonus Talk

SPOILERS IN EP!

Thanks to all our wonderful patrons who helped us hit the $400 mark this month! We're so grateful for your support!

Dave and I chat about Far From Home, but also our thoughts about the future of the MCU! It was a fun talk, hope you think so too!

Weekly Update 7/7/19

We don't quite shake off the Silver Age this year, but there's still some fun to be had. Marvel brings in a celebrated sci-fi author, Harlan Ellison, to write an issue of the Incredible Hulk. He'll be the first of many prose authors to make the leap into comic book writing, a trend we see more and more in modern comics (Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Marjorie Liu, and Ta-Nehisi Coates just to name a few). It'll be interesting to see how well that skill set translates from one medium to the next, ...

Weekly Update Edit!

Shoutout to Vin on the Slack who pointed out my mistake in the 1971 lists on yesterday's Weekly Update. The email from yesterday is now edited with the correct changes:

- Hulk #137 removed (we talk about it very briefly, but it is a tough read)

- Amazing Adventures #8 added

Weekly Update 6/30/19

1970 was an solid year, but didn't quite read that differently from the 60's. That being said, Dave and I mostly spend the Variant Cover discussing what we're looking forward to in the 70's, and also what we're not. 

When I see that Marvel is going to start dipping their toes into popular genres of the day, specifically film genres such as blaxploitation, horror, and kung-fu, it makes me simultaneously suspicious and intrigued. Suspicious because cynically chasing trends doesn't of...

Weekly Update 6/23/19

"UP AGAINST THE WALL, MALE CHAUVINIST PIGS!!!"
-The new My Marvelous Year catchphrase

Wrapping up the first year of the 70's with the departure of Jack Kirby, inarguably one of the most influential figures in superhero comics. His work defined the look of Marvel comics for a decade and the characters he designed are still some of the most popular and recognizable in the world. His bright, colorful, intricately detailed machinery, costumes, and cities are som...

What are you most looking forward to in the 1970's?

Weekly Update 6/16/19

A new decade and a whole new wave of creators at Marvel! Congratulations, you made it! We're going to see a halting progress towards more varied styles of comics over the next few years, and I for one am thrilled. Anything to get me out of these Silver Age 2 x 3 grid layouts! And hopefully this will serve as a nice jumping on point for people who tried but couldn't stomach 1960's comics. 

I'm personally really excited about the martial arts comics that will be new to the MMY list.....

Extra Issues Newsletter: 1969

 Click here for Extra Issues: 1969!

If you're having issues reading the newsletter in your email client, use the link above to access it through your browser! Also, check your spam filter if you're not receiving the direct link.

You can find next year's reading list in each Weekly Update email or in the MMY Master Spreadsheet! 

Survey Results & Response!

We put out a survey yesterday, and got a great response! So, thanks to all who took the time to give us your feedback. I thought some people would be interested in seeing the results, so I'm going to give a quick summation and respond to some of the specific suggestions.

Over 80% of you said the length of the show and the pace of the reading is just about right, and we're happy to hear that.

The top three Patreon benefits people value are the Master Spreadsheet, the Slack, and th...

Survey!

Hi there,

If you have 5 minutes, we'd really appreciate your feedback on the new My Marvelous Year podcast and reading club!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7YN9K6T

Sorry if you're receiving this message in several different places!

Thanks,

Zack

Weekly Update 6/9/19

Our last episode of the Silver Age! I can't believe we made it through the first eight years together already. The transition into the Bronze Age will come in fits and starts, and we're excited to find out exactly what Marvel comics will morph into over the next ten years. Now that it truly feels like superheros are here to stay, expect more wild experimentation: vampires, kung fu, and talking ducks!

This week's episode is a look back at the entire decade... and it's a weird one. Thank...

Weekly Update 6/2/19

Hey, we all made it! The 1960's is over! Pat yourself on the back for being loyal Marvel fans and toughing out some stormy weather through these last eight years. And yes, while a lot of this early stuff is rough to navigate at times, there have also been a lot of bright spots. It seems pretty unanimous that Spider-Man and Fantastic Four are the series to beat in the 60's, but I think we all found our own hidden gems that spoke to us, I know for me, Thor née Journey Into Mystery was my perso...

Extra Issues Newsletter: 1968

 Click here for Extra Issues: 1968!

If you're having issues reading the newsletter in your email client, use the link above to access it through your browser! Also, check your spam filter if you're not receiving the direct link.

You can find next year's reading list in each Weekly Update email or in the MMY Master Spreadsheet! 

Best Story of the 1960's (CLOSED)

Weekly Update 5/26/19

We begin our final year of the 60's with a decent roster of comics; not all home runs, but all pretty interesting nonetheless (except Hulk (C'mon big guy, I want to love you). Between the very political Spider-Man issues, the wild (but half-baked) sci-fi concepts of Guardians, and the endlessly creative Steranko art in Captain America, there is a lot to chew on.

If nothing else, the Spider-Man Crisis on Campus issues illustrate that tackling real world concerns in a superhero setting c...

Weekly Update 5/19/19

The end of the 1960's is near, and in this week's Variant Cover, we discuss the ways in which the company may be coming out of a low point and entering new creative ground moving into the 70's. We also receive some historical context from a listener, finally decide whose hat truly was best, and unveil some new heroes and villains into the MMY-verse!

And just a reminder that there is still time to let us know that you're spreading the word about the show to get your name in the drawing ...

Weekly Update 5/12/19

1968 feels like a big year for one reason: Jim Steranko. His bombastic art style is a much-needed tab of LCD on the tongue of the Marvel bullpen. Never before have we seen Marvel comics experiment with mood, structure, and text-less storytelling in the same way. Although he wrote and drew relatively few issues for Marvel, his influence is definitely felt in the coming years as more and more artists break out of traditional comic construction.

This week's episode is Marvel Year S...