Tom Brevoort Senior Vice President of Publishing at Marvel Comics talks abut what Marvel fans can look forward to in 2012.
CB: For those that may not know, what exactly is Point One?
POINT ONE is a big, 64 page special issue, in stores now, that we’ve been calling the “Rosetta Stone” to our plans in 2012. It features a number of stories, all linked together, each of which provides a glimpse or a tease of future stories, plans or developments within the Marvel Universe, as well as a satisfying reading experience unto themselves. So it’s your starting point for reading Marvel books for the next year—literally, Point One.
CB: Could you tell us a little about the origins of Point One?
Coming to the end of FEAR ITSELF, it seemed like the time would be ripe to sort of set the stage for any number of ideas that we had in the planning stages—stuff that would be coming together both in the short term and in the longer term. And given that we’ve had a great deal of success with the Point One issues of our ongoing titles, it was a simple leap to calling this book POINT ONE, and from there to attempting to make it an actual starting point for many of our initiatives, and the line as a whole.
CB: After the concept for Point One was created how was Point One developed and who was involved?
While I coordinated the project, the individual stories were handled by the editors associated with the assorted projects that were being set up. So there were almost as many editorial teams involved in the production of the book as there were creative teams. And everyone involved did a bang-up job with it.
CB: What ties, if any, will “Point One” have with the previous point one titles?
Other than sharing the same name, and in the broadest possible sense the same mission statement of providing a place where readers can get started in reading these stories, nothing more specific.
CB: For each of the Point One titles, what was the selection process for the artist and the writer like, as there are a lot of exciting creative teams involved?
You mean for each of the stories within it, yes? The selection of the creators for each one was relatively simple, as for the most part they’re being done by the creators who are involved with the future stories and projects that we’re teasing in POINT ONE. That’s probably a hair more true of the writers than the artists, but even so, it’s a collection of some of the most beautiful artwork that we could assemble. And it’s got the involvement of many of our top creators, including folks such as Brian Bendis, Bryan Hitch, Ed Brubaker, Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness, Salvador Larroca, Fred Van Lente, David Lapham, Ryan Stegman, Christopher Yost, Matt Fraction, Terry Dodson, and more!
CB: Is Point One a good place for new readers to either join or re-join the Marvel Universe?
I think so, yes. It’s set up in such a way that a new reader ought to be able to enjoy all of the stories it contains—some more than others, I’m sure, depending on individual taste. But it’s such a broad spectrum of material that there’s bound to be something for everybody.
CB: In terms of scale in the Marvel Universe, how big of an “event”is Point One?
Well, it’s not an event, it’s simply a one-shot. So it’s 64 pages big, and it portents to massive, huge things we’re going to be doing over the next year or even two. But individually, it’s just a single comic book.
CB: Have all of the titles involved in Point One been selected or could more titles be added in the future?
Since the POINT ONE Special has been completed, all of the stories that it will touch upon have been selected.
CB: Personally, what are you most excited about in regards to Point One and the stories being told within it?
I love that it’s a high-quality package produced by a bevy of our best creators, with a wide assortment of material and tons of hints towards the future of the MU. I also love the fact that we double-shipped the book, meaning that Retailers got a free copy for every copy they ordered, which many are using to either reduce the cover price for their customers, or to give them out free to their regular clientele, or in a myriad of different ways. This makes it a low-risk proposition on the part of the Stores, and will hopefully get the book into more readers’ hands as a result. And from there, it’s up to us to be good enough to bring them back for more.
CB: Finally, what can fans and new readers alike expect from Point One?
A big story with a lot of hints and secrets in it, taking you to the four corners of the Marvel Universe and beyond, and giving you a tantalizing glimpse of what is to come.
We would like to thank Tom for talking to ComicBuzz and helping us celebrate our 2000th post
