Mike Sterling's Progressive RuinAlone, unmourned, and unloved since 1969

I’m never going to finish this, part 3 of who the heck knows.

§ January 10th, 2013 § Filed under predictions § 8 Comments

Hello, my five remaining readers! We are on to part three of our predictions overview, where I discuss your 2012 predictions from last year, tallying the hits, noting the misses, and totally prevaricating when I’m not sure if it’s a hit or a miss. And, perhaps unwisely, I am still seeking your comics industry predictions for 2013, so get ’em in there and watch your pal Mike lose his mind next year, too.

Jeff R. gazes across the veil and sees

“We won’t know anything more about the Woman in Purple at the end of 2012 than we know right now.”

We got a few more hints about about Pandora here and there, like in the New 52 Free Comic Book Day thing last year, right? I imagine there’ll be an eventual payoff to this character soon. Plus, she’s popped up in one of this week’s comics, so we’re getting a tiny bit more about her there, anyway.

“Ultimate comics will come to an end, and they’ll probably actually blow up the entire planet/universe as it goes. (Possibly some refugees end up on 616, possibly not.)”

I’m still sort of surprised the Ultimate line is still a thing, but it has its fans, though the line has certainly outlived its initial purpose of “here’s something for people who like our movies but don’t want to be mired in continuity.” Now they all feel like ongoing “What If…?” series, just lacking the Watcher explaining to the reader at the beginning of each issue how this world is subtly different from the Marvel Universe they know.

“X-factor will be cancelled/end. Peter David will end up writing a book in the Avengers franchise.”

X-Factor stuck around, though I can see it going on a hiatus now while David recovers from his recent health issues. David did write an Avengers book this year…Avengers: Season One, a graphic novel available exclusively (at first) through Wal-Mart, of all places, but just offered to comic retailers last month.

“Hellblazer #300 will be the final numbered issue; after that the vertigo version of the character will be in miniseries. There may be a new #1 featuring the DCnu version of the character around the same time.”

SCARY ACCURATE.

“Mage III will be announced.”

Not that I heard…but I desperately wish I had.

“Scott McCloud will release a fourth XXXXXX comics book.”

Took me a second to parse that…ah, you mean like Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics, and Making Comics. Sadly, no, but there’s only one book that can follow those first three: DESTROYING COMICS.

• • •
Gareth wished

“All of the TV shows based on comics characters will be cancelled after less than 13 episodes.”

Sadly, no.

• • •
Jerry Smith presented

DC will announce a return to pre-New 52 continuity, featuring the tag-line “The New Old 52.” The new/old line will rerelaunch in January 2013 with all new #1s. Most importantly, Batman and Superman will get their underwear back.

None of the above, unfortunately, but honestly, if they just gaves Supes his hotpants back, that’s all I’d really want.

“IDW, running out of licenses for TV shows, will announce a ‘San Pedro Beach Bums’ comic.”

Surprisingly, no.

“All comics from Marvel and DC will be 32 pages or fewer at $3.99 by December.”

Not for lack of Marvel’s trying, anyway.

“The Vision will be the new break-out character at Marvel, and the Creeper will be the new break-out character at DC. Sorry, that was just wishful thinking.”

Creeper may be a bit too out there to catch on, but I can see the Vision getting that whole “Lt. Data” thing down in a future Avengers film, and getting a following in the funnybooks after that. Alas, it was not his year this year.

“Bendis will publish one issue of Scarlet and one issue of Powers. If that.”

Last issue of Scarlet was #5 in March 2011, with #6 ordered in April 2011 and with the current shipping date of early next month. So, no issues of Scarlet in 2012.

And Powers had four issues in 2012. Hey, that’s basically a quarterly!

“There will be a month where Matt Fraction will write every book published by Marvel that month.”

I’d be down with that if it ever did happen…particularly if each book is written like his Twitter feed.

• • •
Casey whipped out

“DC will go back on the their new continuity in some fundamental way. Hawkman’s continuity will, ironically, be more consistent than any other characters’.”

Lots of folks wanting DC to go back to their previous state, it seems. I’d like that, too, in a way, as I think they could have had excellent comics not beholden to crippling amounts of insular continuity while not outright ignoring it to keep the lifer-fans happy. But, as I think I mentioned before, this initiative feels like DC Comics’ “last shot before being pieced out to licensing departments.” Going back to the way things were would probably be an admission of failure, and (cue dramatic music) The Final Days of DC Comics.

• • •
Rob H has a few predictions that I already see I’m going to have trouble responding to

“The digital exclusivity deals like Amazon/DC and Marvel/BN will end and both comics companies will release pretty much the same content on both devices”

I really don’t know much about that these deals, since I don’t deal with digital at all…a cursory scans shows that a number of the same books are available on both sites, regardless of publisher…Amazon has those volumes of Fables online, and Barnes & Noble does not, at least as far as I can see. Maybe if someone could explain what exactly is being made exclusive.

“Digital comics won’t break out this year, though.”

But they certainly remain a viable option.

“Marvel will release an insane number (like 500+) of digital GNs, while DC keeps their digital GN output relatively low.”

Don’t think so, maybe, but 500 digital graphic novels seems like would be something that someone would have noted. Unless they’re pumping up their library with older material, which is likely. I honestly don’t know.

“Superman Inc.”

I’d buy it, if it existed. Well, that Return of Superman story line with the multiple Supermen…that was pretty much “Superman Inc” in its own way.

“American Vampire, or some new Scott Snyder property, will be optioned and possibly film a pilot.”

Not that I’ve heard, but only a matter of time, I think.

“Walking Dead (the show) gets canceled”

Oh Lordy no. Quite the opposite. It’s the Show That Can’t Be Stopped right now. The showrunners sure don’t last long, though.

“Powers does not get picked up by FX”

According to that great authority on everything, Wikipedia, network heads are still claiming the show is not dead yet. But, still not picked up, so a hit for you, pal!

“Having dropped all Avengers writing, Bendis writes four ongoing X-men titles.”

Just one so far, I think. But it feels like four, what with a new issue coming out every five minutes.

“Having no female-starring titles, Marvel will instead have every team book led by a woman at least once. This means Black Widow will be Captain America for one issue.”

Don’t tell me I missed that.

• • •
Steve laments

“Much like the 2nd Suicide Squad TPB, Resurrection Man will have a 2nd TPB solicited but never actually come out. Thanks DC!”
That sort of thing is happening a lot lately…trades and hardcovers will just quietly slip off the radar and are never heard from again. I don’t recall any Resurrection Man trades, but that new edition of Impulse Volume One just got poopcanned, so those cancellations are still happening.

• • •
Michael G sez

“1. A number of long-time comics bloggers will ‘retire’ from daily or even regular posting as real life pressures and social media interference combine to reduce the significance of keeping a regular blog.”

Ahem.

“2. Fantagraphics will break into digital comics with some version of either Hate or Love & Rockets.”

Well, we’ve got Love and Rockets so far, but no Hate just yet.

“3. ok, I peeked at Jay V’s comment up at the top. Not only will Wonder Girl marry Power Girl, there will be a limited variant edition with them making out on the cover.”

It’ll happen if that’ll happen.

• • •
Dan Wars declared

“Superman gets his regular costume back, Aragones starts doing a new Groo book, Marvel finishes, or at least comes closer to finishing their mini series The Twelve.”

Nope. Almost. And Yup.

• • •
Stephen E. McDonald unleashes

“Superman: The Man Of Steel tanks in its opening weekend, with a domestic return of < $15 million."

Jumping the gun a bit, there! It should tank sometime this year.

“The Avengers opens well, but doesn’t break $100 million in its domestic opening. This throws doubt on future big-budget Marvel movies.”

Had to go check, and holy crow, $207 million opening weekend. Well, you were only off by $100 million.

“Marvel’s production arm starts making plans to do second-string properties at much lower budgets. Ant-Man finally gets a start date, Iron Fist is brought back to life without Ray Park, and someone finally makes a decision on who’s playing Luke Cage. On the TV side, The Hulk and Alias Jessica Jones both die quiet deaths. The Marvel block on Disney XD, however, does very well.”

Ant-Man got a release date, at any rate. There’s still talk about an Iron Fist movie, but a Luke Cage movie seems to be mostly theoretical (and mostly discussed in the context of “Quentin Tarantino wanted to make one”). Hulk and Alias didn’t happen, and the Disney XD seems to be doing okay, I guess, with more shows coming.

“The DC Universe block on Cartoon Network starts out well, but falls off fast.”

It disappeared for a while, if I understand correctly, but it seems to have returned to some fan acclaim. No idea how the actual ratings are.

“By the end of the year 26 of the New 52 will have been canceled following continued writer/artist changes.”

We did lose a few along the way, but not quite that many. There certainly are a lot of creative team jumblings going on, however.

“The Earth-2 Justice Society will finally debut early in the year.”

We did get Earth 2 this year, so I’ll count that as a hit!

“DC will quietly do some resetting of the Nu52 timeline because the five year thing is driving everyone nuts.”

They’re still sticking to the five year thing, more or less (even though it totally doesn’t work with Batman, at the very least). They could have gone, I don’t know…eight years. I could have lived with eight years.

“By the end of the year expect Hal Jordan to be the one true Earth Green Lantern.”

It’s like it’s impossible for this to happen for any length of time.

“Marvel will get the film rights to Fantastic Four back…and not be able to do anything with them.”

Not that I’m aware of. I think the current license holders are still trying to do another FF movie to keep the rights under wraps.

“Squirrel Girl’s profile will continue to rise during the year. By the end of the year she’ll have her own ongoing, a TV pilot, and a porn parody will be in production.”

She was around in New Avengers ’til the end of that run, I guess. Alas, no TV series…and if you think I’m going to Google “squirrel girl porn” to see if that’s happening, guess again. (I leave that to the comic industry’s lead comics-porn reporter, Chris Sims.)

“At MorrisonCon, Grant Morrison will out himself as a three foot tall and remarkably hirsute alien who’s been traveling around wearing a flesh suit for all these years. She will have no explanation as to why the voice translator has a Scottish accent.”

ALL DOCUMENTED, ALL TRUE.

“Marvel will start another Avengers book — featuring Agent Coulson.”

Apparently he’ll be in the new Secret Avengers series…only off by a few months! Nice call.

• • •
Good gravy, that’s enough for today. Come back next time and see how much of Mike’s hair is left.