With the right creators, even the most unexpected Marvel Comics stories or crossover events can become fan-favorite legends. The best comic runs inspired hit sequels and long-lasting effects on the canon. More importantly, they kept readers invested in Marvel’s sprawling lore and made decades-old characters feel fresh and relevant.
However, the opposite can also occur. A terrible combination of questionable creators plus unpredictable outside circumstances can anger comics readers and easily turn them against their once-favorite comics. Sometimes this happens gradually as a run gets worse with time, or it can happen so suddenly and prematurely that the run gets shut down as a result.
10/10 The Heroes Reborn Initiative Tried & Failed To Reinvent Marvel For The ’90s
In 1996, Marvel attempted to rebrand by outsourcing some of its biggest books to Image Comics. Specifically, Marvel hired ex-artists Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld to write and illustrate badass reboots for The Avengers, Captain America, The Fantastic Four, and Iron Man. The reboot sold well, but aged as soon as it began.
Heroes Reborn was indistinguishable from the countless edgy superhero reinventions that burned out in the ’90s. The run also lost steam thanks to creative differences between Marvel’s editorial and the creators. Heroes Reborn was canned after just one year. Today, Heroes Reborn is seen as a relic of a bygone era.
9/10 Marvel Zombies Was An Edgy One-Trick Pony
The original Marvel Zombies (written by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Sean Phillips, lettered by Randy Gentile, and colored by June Chung) miniseries was a blockbuster hit in 2005. Marvel capitalized on Zombies and expanded the concept with countless spin-offs and sequels. Unsurprisingly, Zombies quickly overstayed its welcome.
Zombies’ gore, morbid humor, and shock value worked perfectly for Zombies’ initial five-issue run, not a long-running title. The longer the Zombies comics carried on, the more its formula became stale. By the end, Zombies was another predictable zombie comic that even the original run’s biggest fans had lost interest in.
8/10 Avengers: The Crossing Had Bigger Problems Than “Teen Tony”
Avengers: The Crossing by Dan Abnett, Bob Harras, Terry Kavanagh, Andy Lanning, Jim Cheung, Mike Deodato, Tom Morgan, and M.C. Wyman
It’s easy to see why Marvel thought turning Iron Man into Kang’s lackey and replacing him with his younger alternate self in The Crossing was a good idea. Theoretically, Tony Stark Jr. could be an effective villain, and “Teen Tony” could bring in younger readers. Instead, The Crossing was immediately rejected.
Even ignoring Teen Tony’s infamy, The Crossing felt sloppy. Readers were hooked by the run’s premise, but they grew frustrated when the narrative couldn’t decide if Tony really was evil or just brainwashed by Kang. Just months after its six-issue run ended, most of The Crossing’s implications and revelations were retconned.
7/10 Civil War II Was Another Lackluster Marvel Event
Civil War II #1-8 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Clayton Cowles, and Justin Ponsor
As divisive and poorly aged as Civil War (by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, Chris Eliopoulos, and Morry Hollowell) was, it left an undeniable mark on Marvel’s canon and readers. The same can’t be said for its sequel, which most readers now actively ignore.
Unlike the first war, Civil War IIasked broad ethical questions instead of reflecting on contemporary issues. Civil War II also relied too much on shocking deaths and impulsive out-of-character choices to raise the stakes. Civil War II began with a well-received debut, but its sales and reception went downhill from there.
6/10 Ultimatum Ruined The Ultimates Overnight
Ultimatum #1-5 by Jeph Loeb, David Finch, Danny Miki, Guru eFX, Steve Firchow, and Peter Steigerwald
If The Ultimates was Marvel’s divisive but ambitious modernization of its characters and lore, Ultimatum was the epic event that everything built up to. Ultimatum got off to a good start when its first issue became 2009’s highest-selling comic. However, sales and reception plummeted with every succeeding issue.
Ultimatum pushed The Ultimates’ realistic and edgy storytelling to the breaking point. Not helping was Ultimatum’s reliance on excessive violence that was excused as “realism” and the event’s sloppy writing. Loeb’s event and prior run (The Ultimates 3) soured The Ultimates’ goodwill and forever tainted the reboot’s reputation.
5/10 Rob Liefeld’s X-Force Was A Product Of Its Time
X-Force #1-12 by Rob Liefeld, Mike Mignola, Mark Pacella, Steve Buccellato, John Cebollero, Dana Moreshead, Brian Murray, Joe Rosas, Brad Vancata, Renee Witterstaetter, and Chris Eliopoulos
After a hit run on The New Mutants, Liefeld was given X-Force. Liefeld’s run started strong, with X-Force’s first issue selling a record-breaking five million copies. Although X-Force is arguably one of Liefeld’s better works, it aged terribly and became the perfect summary of everything wrong with superhero comics in the ’90s.
Liefeld’s once-groundbreaking art is now looked down upon, but X-Force’s bigger problem was Liefeld’s writing, which appeared meandering. The experimental X-Force team only really came to be when Liefeld left the title after issue #12. Liefeld’s X-Force is best viewed today as a time capsule of long outdated trends.
4/10 Brian Michael Bendis’ Guardians Of The Galaxy Was Polarizing
Guardians of the Galaxy (2013-2015) by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, Mike Deodato, Stuart Immonen, Ed McGuinness, Steve McNiven, Sara Pichelli, and Valerio Schiti
As far as Marvel readers are concerned, Bendis is one of the best writers for Marvel’s street-level writers. This is why many felt he was a poor choice for the Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s premiere cosmic team. Although newcomers enjoyed Bendis’ tenure, older Guardians fans were infuriated.
Fans disliked how Bendis rewrote some characters and added odd members like Angela from Spawn’s continuity. Bendis’ choice to ground the team on Earth most of the time sparked the most backlash. Bendis’ Guardians was so divisive that fans became nostalgic for Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s preceding run.
3/10 John Byrne’s Spider-Man Was A Needless Reboot
Spider-Man: Chapter One by John Byrne, Al Milgrom, Joe Andreani, Mark Bernardo, Steve Buccelato, John Kalisz, Mark McNabb, Joe Rosas, and Christie Scheele
Byrne was one of the best comics writers of the ’80s. Tapping him for a reboot of Spider-Man’s early days seemed like a great idea. However, the quality of Byrne’s work noticeably declined in the ’90s. This was most evident with Spider-Man: Chapter One, a 13-issue arc that’s now considered non-canon.
Chapter One’s biggest fault wasn’t changing canon, but not doing anything interesting with its additions. Byrne also seemingly ignored the original backstories that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko made. The run caused such an uproar that Marvel restored Spider-Man’s previous canon shortly after Chapter One ended.
2/10 Chuck Austen’s Uncanny X-Men Was An Edgy Laughingstock
Uncanny X-Men (2002-2004) by Chuck Austen, Kia Asamiya, Ron Garney, Steve Kim, Salvador Larroca, Takeshi Miyazawa, Sean Phillips, and Philip Tan
X-Men runs are historically divisive, but Austen’s Uncanny X-Men is the rare series that’s universally agreed to be terrible. Besides featuring art that embodied the worst of the faux manga wave of the early 2000s, Austen’s excessively edgy writing and characterizations were criticized by readers.
Austen’s creative choices were either as laughably weird, like Juggernaut and She-Hulk’s one-night stand, or they were as controversial as Archangel and Husk’s creepy age-gap romance. As questionable as it was, Austen’s Uncanny X-Men runbecame one of Marvel’s most memorable guilty pleasures.
1/10 The Hobgoblin Saga Imploded Thanks To Internal Squabbles
The Amazing Spider-Man #238-289 by Tom DeFalco, James Owsley, Roger Stern, Ron Frenz, Al Milgrom, John Romita Jr., Marie Severin, and Mike Zeck
In 1983, writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr. introduced The Hobgoblin: Spider-Man’s newest nemesis who was more cunning than The Green Goblin. Stern planned to reveal that The Hobgoblin was the amoral socialite Richard Kingsley by issue #264. However, Stern left after issue #251, and the run fell apart.
Due to miscommunication and creators’ heated differences, Ned Leeds was hurriedly revealed as The Hobgoblin, despite the clues leading back to Kingsley. Readers who were once intrigued by The Hobgoblin’s mystery felt disappointed. The Hobgoblin lost all impact, and he’s only really remembered now for a botched run.
