In the midst of several announced cancellations, like Nick Spencer and Becky Cloonan’s Doom mini-series, and Fred Van Lente and Kyle Hotz’ Destroyers mini, it looks like Marvel isn’t quite done with The Twelve. The 12 issue mini-series from J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston only made it through issue #8 when Straczynski departed from Thor, after departing for DC Comics, where Stracznski departed from Superman and Wonder Woman.
In order to catch people up, and convince them that they’re really serious this time, like for real, Marvel will be releasing a trade of issues #1-6 in January, then a reprint of issues #7-8, before issue #9 and #10 both come out in February. Presumably issues #11 and #12 will follow, but I’m guessing a great deal of fans will believe it when they see it.
Says editor Tom Brevoort in the press release, “you’ve got no excuse not to experience one of the best reviewed, best beloved and long-awaited series Marvel has ever produced as it reaches its ultimate climax.”
Personally, I could easily develop a litany of excuses, most notably prior deadline woes, but I also know that a great many people were very much enjoying this tale of other heroes from the Golden Age. If you’ve been waiting, your patience will now be rewarded.
This is the best news I’ve heard all day. But I’m still not holding my breath that we’ll actually see it.
Thank Christ. This series was great. Thought it would be lost forever.
I can’t believe it. Is this really happening?
Man, it’s about time. This is epic and deserves to be completed.
Actually they just canceled this.
Yeah, I heard Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, and Nick Spencer were all set to write the end of this thing together.
Oh, what could have been!
I really liked this book, but how many times has JMS just abandoned the fans? Too damn many.
What’s next? Image United to be concluded?
I’m going to have to remind my shop that I had both THE TWELVE and IMAGE UNITED on my pull list. Not sure either survived my last update of the list.
To be honest, I was picking up IU mostly out of curiousity, since I have little interest in the Image characters. On the other hand, like a lot of folks I was really enjoying the Marvel book until JMS pulled one his periodic stunts. I’ll have to pull out the back issues to re-read what already went on, but I’m going to wait until I actually have #9 in hand. Fool me once….
I’m going to presume that they will eventually release a HC of all twelve and wait for that. That was my original plan when this series started three years ago and it stands. Those are some beautiful Rivera covers though!
I made money on betting Image United would never get completed!
The Twelve #9: The Strange Secret Origin of the Burger King
Yeah, that Blue Blade costume is… unfortunate.
I never read this, heard a lot of people talk about how good it is. I think I’ll wait unti the all 12 issues are released in an oversized collection or something…and if they never are then I wont be to sad I missed out on a good series that never had a satisfying ending.
Does that mean JMS will actually finish something? Hopefully it will also be a first for him in ending strong.
Did anyone else read this headline in the voice of Snagglepuss?
I didn’t write it with that in mind, but it’s clearly there.
I don’t laugh out loud often but I did when I reread that headline with your comment in mind.
Now that you mentioned it, I can’t not read it in that voice.
My work here is done
I was really enjoying this series during its intial run, but had long given up on seeing it completed. Hopefully this time it’ll happen. Now, I just need to get my issues out of storage so that I can brush back up on the plot . . .
Marvel would like you to make it easier on yourself and purchase the material again. Their screw up is their gain.
…which is exactly why I may not purchase the rest of this at all.
Ya this series was great.. too good for me not to pick it up if it concludes.
I read so many comics though that it kind of disappeared into the ether for me… like crossgen did.. it was a sad day for comics when crossgen bit the big one…..
And Tony Bedard says he doesnt care about ever completing negation … sucks..
Anyone miss Barry Windsor Smith “Storyteller”…That and half the crossgen titles.. canceling those was like being deprived of cheeseburgers.
@Cosmo & @Josh: I too will just pull together what I’ve got and enjoy it in issues like I did Planetary. Screw them. No extra volumes or hardcovers for me.
@iRoberts007: What a rush! Just this past weekend I had “STORYTELLER” & the “ADASTRA in Africa” hardcover on the coffee table! I was lamenting it was all but forgotten! Thanks for bringing it up.
Yeah, I have no interest in buying the already published issues a second time in any format. Still, maybe the collection of the first half will get some new readers on board the series, though, what I think is cheap is the fact that they aren’t collecting the whole run in one book. At least at first — there’ll probably be a delux hardcover whatsit down the line eventually. That is if the series does get completed . . .
I’m very conflicted about this.
On the one hand I’m thrilled that so many people are going to see a book they enjoyed finally completed. I don’t want to take that away from anyone so if this is THE book that you wanted to see finished then kudos to you.
On the other hand I’m very disappointed because I don’t think this is at all fair to the other creators that have stuck to books they clearly love only to have Marvel cancel them. It’s also not fair to the fans of those other books.
At the end of the day it probably comes down to expected sales, which is fine because Marvel is a business and not my personal entertainment service.
hey totally off topic but has anyone read “The red Wing” by Hickman? I have heard mixed reviews and am trying to decide if i will by the trades?
I think The Red Wing will read better in trade than in single issues, because it will be fresher in your mind and might actually make sense. Seriously.
Happy this will eventually finish, as it was one of my favorite minis going on at the time. But… it is annoying. So is this over/under Spider-Man & Black Cat: Evil That Men Do?
It’s also more important than Thor: The Mighty Avenger apparently.
I think it might be tied with Spider-man black cat. Maybe a little longer.
I also know that this series was on before Around Comics did their first format change. Now Around Comics is back…and The Twelve is back…mmmmmm
Evil that Men Do might be the winner for longest delay with 3 years and 4 months. This one is 3 years, 2 months, and Ult. Wolverine vs. Hulk was 3 years, 1 month. Are we forgetting anything?
@reg5000 Thor: the Mighty Avengers was canceled due to low sales. This was abandoned by JMS. That’s the difference there.
@ActualButt I appreciate the difference. I made a point in an earlier post that it’s rewarding bad behaviour. I’d like to think that a creator loyal to a book would be given priority over someone who has jumped ship (often).
I thought JMS said back at SDCC that we were going to see the last 4 issues after they were fully completed. I know he said he had completed the scripts for them. I guess the timing matches up with what he said. It’s nice to hear Marvel confirm that it’s coming out. I’ve held off from purchasing this trade till it was completed.
While I will be picking up the final issues, this is another reason why I more and more wait for the TPB collections of mini-series. I know I’m not the only one that does this, with several of my friends all but completely passing on even regular monthly titles to pick up the collected editions. It’s not only the increasing problems that various publishers seem to have with keeping a book on schedule, but also how they will cancel a book with almost no warning.
It’s probably a good thing that my local shop (Nuclear Comics & Skateboards in Laguna Niguel) puts customer pull lists on boards using erasable markers.
Yea, even worse, sometimes the TPB will have material that wasn’t in the limited series, which is sort of a kick in the b*lls to the loyal fan who picked it up in issue form.
The whole TPB vs. single issue choice is something I wrestle with all the time, Steve. And I have no answer.
I actually have no idea what The twelve is.
If I were you, I’d either pick up the existing issues at a good LCS or smaller con, or waiting for the two volume softcover. It’s Good Comics, but don’t trip over yourself.
Or carry on exactly as you have, in blissful ignorance.
If only I could go back
This news about the Twelve makes me go a dozen off to sleep.
Wait… the doom mini got cancelled?
I stopped picking this up after, I think, issue #5. Couldn’t find anything really unique in it. Glad I did. My recommendation: Go read “Rising Stars” instead. That years-long delay is already passed & done.
Really liked this when it was coming out and never thought I’d see the day it gets finished. I hate that I’m promoting this behavior by finishing it out.
This took longer than Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk. By a month. Not sure how it compares to Rising Stars though.
This is going to be better than Watchman
You can’t be serious, Dave?