Hmm...why did VH1 work but Shooters New Universe fail?

[Oxmyx]

Well, I am going by what I'm reading online that makes it sound like New Universe was completely uninspired and derivative and generally lousy.

Possibly that's just a hater. And of course EVERYTHING is a matter of taste.

[greg]

My opinion is that New Universe was alterna-Marvel that Marvel fans didn't want.

It was 1980s new characters in a 1960s publisher, not slowly introduced to Marvel's main universe, but off on their own "stealing the spotlight" from fan favorites in a different "new" universe.

1990s Valiant was a new universe built around 1960s characters (Magnus, Solar) who never had a universe together, plus new 1990s characters who were Valiant (VALIANT, at the time) only.

Like the phrase "wrong place, wrong time"... it doesn't necessarily matter if an idea is good if it's the wrong time or wrong place. New Universe was the wrong place (inside Marvel) at the right time (1980s).

Valiant was right place (new publisher) at the right time (1990s comics explosion, revived characters as old as Marvel).

[kjjohanson]

I would say that Valiant had a much lower bar for sales to be considered a success than Marvel, which was the industry leader. Also, comics speculation was rampant through much of the '80s and '90s. Everybody knew about Marvel, and therefore, the first New Universe issues were on everybody's radar and therefore, there was no one to re-sell those books to. Valiant, as a new publisher, were an unknown, so it took a little while in the pre-internet days for word to get out that they were publishing quality books, so there was a shortage of those books, which helped them explode in popularity. They kind of hit that sweet spot for speculation where there was low supply and high demand for the first issues, and a lot of people jumped on board the new books coming out because they didn't want to miss the boat. That's why they worked… for a time. Of course, once the speculation ship sailed, they had to rely on quality, and the later books didn't have the quality that they earlier books had, or that other publishers offering up books at the same time, had.

[Oxmyx]

I guess what I'm wondering is did New Universe have that pre-Unity feel?

[kjjohanson]

I guess what I'm wondering is did New Universe have that pre-Unity feel?

I started reading before Valiant but after New Universe started. I can't say how it felt for readers at the beginning, but having read some of New Universe some time after it was launched, I'd say that some of the books had the feel of Valiant books (e.g. DP7 = Harbinger, Starbrand = Solar, etc.), and also had the same initial goal of having a month in real time equal a month in comic time (even if it wasn't exactly aligned), btu I'm not sure if it felt as special to the reader.

[nycjadie]

I was young when New Universe came out, but I found it forced, and the characters and stories juvenile. Not a fan, and my friends felt the same. I also felt the same way about New Mutants as well, at least when it came out. Or Alpha Fight.

[jmatt]

My opinion is that New Universe was alterna-Marvel that Marvel fans didn't want.

I agree. I think it's got to do with the consumer mindset. Marvel fans want Marvel characters. But Valiant was this 'new thing' -- off on its own -- and so consumers walked in with a different perspective, unencumbered with preconceived notions and Marvel baggage.

[magnus20009]

I was young when New Universe came out, but I found it forced, and the characters and stories juvenile. Not a fan, and my friends felt the same. I also felt the same way about New Mutants as well, at least when it came out. Or Alpha Fight.

Same. I remember when New Universe pumped up tremendously before it was released. When it actually came I though hum-haw and kept reading Spider-Man and X-men from Marvel (but Batman was who ruled the roost at that time).

I too could never get excited about the. New Mutants. For obvious reasons I really really wanted to like Alpha Flight but it just never was pulled off as well as other books (albeit it put Captain Canuck to shame).

[Rai-fan]

Agreed that Alpha Flight seemed just like a blatant money-grab at the time.

And that much of what made Valiant comics work were that they were largely under-the-radar prior to Unity. The "these-are-worth-money" thing is what blasted them into the mainstream.

I'm the poster boy for this. My first issue of previews listed Magnus # 1 as a Gem of the Month - I think it even came with a Magnus trading card.

My comic shop ordered a *ton* of Magnus # 1 - and highlighted it as an "Employee Favorite" of the month. It didn't sell out.

I passed on X-O # 1 on the stands. It didn't sell out, and was available up for cover up until X-O # 5 came out.

I saw a bunch of Valiant books at a local Philly comic convention - flipped through some Magnus, Solar, Rai. Decided they were closer to sci-fi fantasy than superhero, and walked back to look for Liefeld New Mutants books.

Unity 0 was the beginning for me - I finally got it, and was hooked.