Earlier this week I reached out to Marvel with a request to talk to writer Roger Langridge, timed with next week's Thor the Mighty Avenger #6. Little did I know then that the announcement of the series' cancellation was to drop later that day. Much of our reporting this week relates to that disappointing news, including a wonderful tribute from Ali as well as Jason's insightful examination of all-ages books and their place in the direct market.
But it's important not to sink into the past tense. There are still three issues to go. And two trade paperback collections pending (out in December and March). Thor and Jane still have time left together, and a two-part Iron Man confrontation looms on the horizon. That double rainbow lingers in the sky.
Here now is my conversation with Langridge about all of these things and more, plus a preview of next week's issue #6, with art by Chris Samnee:
Paul Montgomery: I've been very excited to pick your brain about Thor: The Mighty Avenger, as it's been a joy to read from the very beginning. This is all bittersweet because there are only three issues remaining. When we reported on the cancellation earlier this week, the community responded with the largest outpouring of genuine grief we've seen. Readers obviously love this book, but it sadly never reached the numbers needed to sustain an ongoing series. What is your take on this whole thing?
Roger Langridge: Thank you for the kind words! Well, I'm kind of taken aback by the genuine affection for the book that seems to be out there. It's immensely gratifying, as both Chris Samnee and I put an awful lot into the title. I only wish we knew how to translate that affection into sustainable numbers. But yes, it's been very touching. It makes losing the title seem like less of a blow.
PM: How did the project first come to you, and what were your goals at the outset?
RL: Marvel editor Nate Cosby had been trying to get me to write a monthly superhero book for some time. I was interested in taking on something like that, mainly to see what I could learn from the experience. I was already writing the Muppet Show Comic Book for Boom! Studios, but that was a very different kind of book, and it required a different set of writing muscles – so I was keen to find out what I could do within the constraints of the superhero genre. We'd tried to get a couple of proposals through the approval process – there had been a Captain Britain one for Marvel Adventures, which unfortunately coincided with Paul Cornell's Captain Britain title being cancelled, and a re-imagining of the origin of Nova, neither of which went anywhere. Then Nate approached me with Thor: The Mighty Avenger, saying that the project had already been green-lit and all I had to do was say yes. So I said yes!
PM: Before we continue, can you tell us any more about that unwritten Captain Britain series you mentioned?
RL: My story sort of stripped away the science-fiction elements piece by piece until what was left was old, Celtic, pagan magic – all that Julian Cope Stonehenge stuff. That journey was mainly what it was about. (And there was a clever-clogs time-travel thing that I'm keeping for something else one day!) I confess I like the idea of Captain Britain more than the execution – even the Alan Moore run I found awfully cluttered, with parallel universes left and right. (To be fair, that was very early Moore – he got better!) Keep it simple, that's my motto.
PM: Ack! Now I wish I could read that too. But getting back to Thor, what were your goals for the story at the outset?
RL: Apart from just wanting to find out if I could actually do it, I really wanted to make a superhero book that was hopeful and uplifting. Those qualities seem to me to be fundamental to the superhero genre, they're part of its DNA, and they seem to have been largely ignored for a long, long time. So that was top of the list. Beyond that, there were certain boxes I was asked to tick – Jane Foster was to be involved, Thor would be visited by Loki as a ghosty presence, he'd be stuck on Earth in Oklahoma. I wanted to try to structure the series like a TV drama – self-contained episodes, punctuated by the occasional two-parter, which built into something bigger when you put them all together at the end. So I submitted a plot outline which covered the first year, building to a climax in issue #12, and after a bit of back-and-forth with Nate, we worked out a story arc that satisfied everyone's wishes. And by then it was pretty clear to me that there was going to be a love story at its heart, and a certain amount of meditation on what's so great about being human in a world of gods and monsters. That theme was to have been explored ever more deeply as we got closer to the end of the first year.
PM: Would you categorize Thor: The Mighty Avenger as an all ages title? A romance book? An adventure series? Do you have a specific audience in mind when you sit down to write a script?
RL: It's all of those things, I hope. As for my intended audience — well, that would be me. I'm writing the kind of superhero comic I would want to read. Being an all-ages book, I have been careful to refer to adult themes in an oblique fashion, but I haven't avoided them altogether – I assume that grown-up readers are smart enough to read between the lines. But I have never been interested in rubbing those aspects in anyone's face, all-ages or not. I like to have my intelligence respected when I read something, and I want to extend the same courtesy to my readers. So it probably wouldn't be all that different even without the all-ages tag. And as for the romance — heck, yes! That's for me, too. That's the bit that keeps me engaged the most, if I'm honest about it.
PM: We've actually taken to calling the book "My Boyfriend Thor" because of that terrific romance angle. In fact, our staff writer Ali recently wrote an open letter to that effect. Did you draw any inspiration from classic romance comics? Or is this simply your own appreciation for the romantic comedy genre–in all media–shining through?
RL: Oh, I've always been a sucker for a good romantic comedy. Particularly the screwball comedies of old – His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby, The Palm Beach Story and films like that. And it's partly drawn from my own life – I found myself in London one day, my home in New Zealand impossibly far away, and I met the woman I would later marry. So it's autobiographical – in that respect, anyway. Though I've never knowingly hit a Frost Giant.
PM: Part of the fun in this series was seeing a young Thor's introduction to characters from across the larger Marvel U. What cameos got you the most excited?
RL: Well, it was a real pleasure to finally get to write Captain Britain. Maybe that series will still happen one day. And Giant-Man and the Wasp were enormous fun. I have a fondness for kooky scientists. Who else…? Oh, Chris was the one who suggested Sub-Mariner, but after writing a couple of pages of him, I was thinking, "Where have you been all my life?" I especially liked Chris' Bill Everett-ish take on him.
PM: What has your experience been working with artist Chris Samnee? We're big fans around these parts.
RL: It's been a total joy. Chris has consistently exceeded my expectations on every story he's drawn. I'm amazed at the breadth of influences he brings to the work – a bit of Toth, Bernet, Bob Oksner even – and the maturity and sophistication of his cartooning generally. The acting moments are spot-on, his design sense and use of black is breathtaking, his storytelling is rock-solid. I was fantastically lucky to have him on the book. And he's a super-nice guy, too!
PM: I don't want anybody to forget. We still have three issues to look forward to. In fact, there's one out next week. What's next for Thor and Jane? I'm looking at an image of Fin Fang Foom right now…
RL: More romance! And Thor is still keen to get home, so there's more of that. Then a two-parter with Iron Man which will take us up to issue #8, where some – though not all – of the questions regarding Thor's current amnesiac, Earthbound situation will be answered before we say goodbye. Which is far from the worst possible place to end things. Not the best, but not the worst.
PM: What's next for you? As a lifelong Muppet fanatic, I want to personally thank you for offering us lost seasons of the original Muppet Show in comic form.
RL: Thanks! I'm planning on taking a breather from that shortly, as it happens – though I've still got at least a few more issues in me. After working on other people's characters for the past couple of years, though, it's maybe time to do some more of my own stuff. I might get back into commercial illustration and put out a web strip in my spare time. To be honest, I haven't decided yet. I'm not one of these hungry young cartoonists with a career plan. Just reeling from crisis to crisis, that's me.
PM: Before we wrap up…I know Joe Quesada mentioned the possibility of Thor: The Mighty Avenger continuing on in some form at a later date. I don't want to get everybody too excited about a casual Tweet, but would you be willing to return to these characters at some point? Is there anything we as readers can do to make that happen?
RL: Of course, I would love to complete the 12-issue story arc as originally envisioned, and I know Chris would like to see it through to the end as well. As for how to make that happen… I wish I knew! I guess letting Marvel know how you feel about it wouldn't be a bad place to start. My deepest, most heartfelt thanks to everybody who's done that already. Really, really… thank you.
PM: Once again, thanks so much for your time!
RL: You're very welcome!
Thor the Mighty Avenger #6 arrives in stores next week.
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great interview, wish the title could continue, though I’ve not read any to date because I was waiting for the trade, and despite the ending of the series I will buy the trades just a bit sad that it will only be 2 volumes :
Great interview!
The things that still surprises me about this whole thing is that Marvel would cancel this before the first trade comes out, literally why announce it now? What if the trade comes out before issue #7 and the sales are great, especially over christmas? I realise the solicits came out and that’s why they had to say, but it wouldn’t have been much of a stretch to say it is on a brief hiatus.
Whether we get to see this to the end of its 12 issues? Well sadly it’s rather unlikely. But chances are people who put money into those first two issues where the sales were so high decided that it would read (and look… it’s a gorgeous book) and look better collected.
the trades have to sell lots for this title to come back. that’s how runaways got to come back; the trade sales on it sold lots.
I suspect people are knocking down Langridge and Samnee’s doors right now to get them on other projects. In one month’s time, they’ll have so many future commitments lined up that there will be no chance of them returning to this title anytime in the immediate future. It’s definitely a sad, sad cancelation. But I’ll sure as heck buy the remaining issues and have already preordered the first trade!!! If this book somehow did come back—even just for 4 more issues—it would be such an epic win!!
I love this book, so it’s sad to see it go. Hopefully, we’ll see it’s might return one of these days.
Hey, Matt Wilson, the colorist on Thor: TMA here. Thanks so much for all the love you’ve guys shown the book! Also, all the support in the comments has been unbelievable! It really has been one of my favorite books to work on, and I’m sad to see it go. I’ve compiled some links about the book going away on my blog. Also, there are some great images people have made in support of the book on there as well. http://mattwilsoncolors.blogspot.com/2010/11/thor-no-more.html
Anyhow, thanks again everyone!
Great interview, Paul. Really good to hear about the book from the creator and see that he clearly loved what he was doing with it. Fingers crossed we get to see issues 9-12 at some stage.
It’s to bad this series is ending. I’ve been raving about it to my friends and some have started picking it up. It’s to bad so many people didn’t support it in favor of ‘waiting for the trade’
Thanks, Paul, for this interview, and never-ending thanks to Roger, Chris, et al. for bringing us all what’s become my favorite superhero book I’ve ever read. Bittersweet times, indeed, but better 8 issues than none at all. (My fingers will be forever crossed that at least the 12-issue run can someday be comleted–only so long as it’s by this same creative team, though!)
Thank you Roger, Sam, Matt and everyone else involved with Thor: The Might Avenger. This was seriously the best book Marvel was publishing. I’ve already got both trades pre-ordered. 🙂
Thanks for the interview, Paul. It’s good to hear some thoughts on the series before it wraps up.
Damn!, Marvel cancelled this fun & gorgeous book at #8 even though they knew the creative team had a 12 issue arc planned?. That’s just lame. Methinks they should stop putting out all these unecessary one-shots they have coming out in the dozens every month & let the guys finish off the last 4 books. They are gonna get get a bad rep after this & Cornell’s Captain Britain cancellation, then nobody will be willing to try the new series they debut for fear it will just lead to abrupt cancelling.
@Zarathos81: I think the blame should be placed more at Marvel’s feet for not understanding that some people are waiting for the trade. They should have waited until the first trade came out to see what those numbers were.
i really can not understand why they ( Marvel ) can’t allow them to finish the 12 issues. Cut all those extra Thor minis and let Langridge & Samnee finish the book! who do i have to call to let them know this?!
@RahUniQue: You have to call 10,000 of your friends and get them to buy the next issue this week.
I plan to finish out the run,Conor,but, even if the last 3 books sold in huge numbers, I’m doubtful they will uncancel it.
@Jig: Well, no – I’m pretty sure if the sales increased by 10,000 they would at least talk about uncanceling it.
Another reason to support quality low selling books in issue and buy the quality high selling books in trade.