Official Handbook Updates

[rplass]

Well, I'd like to get the "nanotech scorpion" thing cleared up. What was that all about? I'm referring to OHOTMU: A-Z #6. The entry for Major Mapleleaf says, "The Collective quickly defeated the team, overwhelming Mapleleaf and Zuzha Yu with a wave of nanotech scorpions."

Unless that's really what happened but I have no idea where you got nanotech scorpions from.

Oh and also the typographical error: Langowksi. Thanks!

Love,
rplass

[-K-M-]

Oh and also the typographical error: Langowksi. Thanks!

Love,
rplass

and the part saying Guardian saved Sasquatch from a beating from Beta Ray Bill, when earlier a charged Wrecker laid the beat down on Bill

[Eric J. Moreels]

and the part saying Guardian saved Sasquatch from a beating from Beta Ray Bill, when earlier a charged Wrecker laid the beat down on Bill

Well that's not an error, it was an omission for space reasons. If Omega Flight gets an expanded entry, then we can go into more detail with that particular battle. More than likely, though, if it is expanded, then Guardian's story in Marvel Comics Presents gets priority coverage.

[Loki]

Well, I'd like to get the "nanotech scorpion" thing cleared up. What was that all about? I'm referring to OHOTMU: A-Z #6. The entry for Major Mapleleaf says, "The Collective quickly defeated the team, overwhelming Mapleleaf and Zuzha Yu with a wave of nanotech scorpions."

Unless that's really what happened but I have no idea where you got nanotech scorpions from.

The scripts for the issue.

Oh and also the typographical error: Langowksi. Thanks!

That one should get corrected.

[Ahab]

The scripts for the issue.

Sorry, but it still makes no sense to me to make something like that canon. That's like stating that a deleted scene in a movie is considered part of the story, when it clearly was not. Deleted scenes are removed for a reason, many times because the creators decided that it wasn't the best idea to use it.
Including details in the handbook that NEVER HAPPENED IN THE COMIC is unfair to the average reader that has a budget preventing the purchase of the Handbook and/or has no idea that the Handbook adds more details to storylines. Nevermind the fact that I doubt that the next writer and/or editor is going to remember what was stated in the handbook. They have a hard enough time remembering what went on in the actual comic and keeping it in continuity.

[DelBubs]

Is this gonna offer anything new to existing entries?

ALL-NEW OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z VOL. 1 PREMIERE HC
Written by JEFF CHRISTIANSEN, MIKE FICHERA, STUART VANDAL, MARK O'ENGLISH, SEAN MCQUAID, MADISON CARTER, MICHAEL HOSKIN, RONALD BYRD, ERIC J. MOREELS, DAVID WILTFONG, CHAD ANDERSON, ANTHONY FLAMINI, JACOB ROUGEMONT, GABRIEL SHECHTER, RICH GREEN, CHRIS BIGGS, AL SJOERDSMA, DAVID SEXTON, BILL LENTZ, BARRY REESE, JONATHAN COUPER-SMARTT, MIKE RAICHT & STEPHEN FAULKNER.
Cover by TOM GRUMMETT
The most exciting and comprehensive Marvel handbook is finally here! Beginning a twelve-volume guide to the Marvel Universe with more than 100 huge entries in each tome! This issue – from 1602 to Blackwulf! Spotlighting people (Angel, Annihilus, Ant-Man, Apocalypse, Arachne, Ares, Aurora, Banshee, Baron Zemo, Beast, Beta Ray Bill, Bishop, Black Bolt, Black Knight, Black Panther, Black Widow), places (Atlantis), teams (AIM, Acolytes, Agents of Atlas, Alpha Flight, Avengers), species (Badoon), alternate realities (2020, 2099, the Age of Apocalypse) and more!
240 PGS./Rated T+ …$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3028-4
Trim Sized: Standard

[Loki]

The scripts for the issue.

Sorry, but it still makes no sense to me to make something like that canon. That's like stating that a deleted scene in a movie is considered part of the story, when it clearly was not. Deleted scenes are removed for a reason, many times because the creators decided that it wasn't the best idea to use it.
Including details in the handbook that NEVER HAPPENED IN THE COMIC is unfair to the average reader that has a budget preventing the purchase of the Handbook and/or has no idea that the Handbook adds more details to storylines. Nevermind the fact that I doubt that the next writer and/or editor is going to remember what was stated in the handbook. They have a hard enough time remembering what went on in the actual comic and keeping it in continuity.

I'm afraid we are going to have to disagree here.

By your logic, it would also be unfair if another title than New Avengers (say, Ms. Marvel) had decided to include a flashback to the Alpha Flight battle with the Collective, because you might not have the budget to buy that or might not realise they were providing more details about the battle there? But stuff like that happens all the time in comics - case in point, during the original Ms. Marvel run, she encountered a reptilian race living in the desert, capturing humans who encountered them to prevent their discovery, and convincing them to hypnotise their captives to forget the reptiles' existence so the captives could be safely released. However a few years later, an issue of Rom revealed the previously unknown information that an alien shapeshifter had been amongst the captives, and was unaffected by the hypnosis. By your arguement, the writer should not have done this.

The handbooks have always been able to clarify, expand on, or even add brand new information (all with case-by-case editorial approval). It's part of their remit. And yes, there is a risk that future editors or writers won't remember to check the handbooks, but then, as you noted, they may well not even bother checking the actual comic either. Those writers who care about continuity generally will check handbooks, if only to see if there have been appearances of whichever character they didn't know about; a large chunk of why handbooks are there is to summarise all the relevant character information in one easy to reference spot. Those writers who don't care about continuity, well, it won't matter if the details are in a handbook or a comic.

[Loki]

Is this gonna offer anything new to existing entries?

Yes. Existing entries are all going to be updated and in many cases expanded, and there will also be many cases where additional art is added.

[-K-M-]

Are we going to see a class 100 Sasquatch entry?

[Flightpath07]

Loki,

Just a shout-out to you and your crew.

Keep up the good work.

Flightpath07

[Ahab]

I'm afraid we are going to have to disagree here.

By your logic, it would also be unfair if another title than New Avengers (say, Ms. Marvel) had decided to include a flashback to the Alpha Flight battle with the Collective, because you might not have the budget to buy that or might not realise they were providing more details about the battle there? But stuff like that happens all the time in comics - By your arguement, the writer should not have done this.

The handbooks have always been able to clarify, expand on, or even add brand new information (all with case-by-case editorial approval). It's part of their remit.

I'm ok with agreeing to disagree. And I'm ok with stories continuing or clarifications being made in other books. What I'm not ok with is story gaps being filled in an "encyclopedia", instead of a normal comic. Funny thing about the handbooks - I have never seen them advertising that they are adding brand new information to character histories. That's not to say that it hasn't been advertised. I just don't recall seeing it. I would think that it would be highlighted often as a huge selling point.

[Mokole]

Thanks for all the positive talk, Loki and all.

[Loki]

I'm afraid we are going to have to disagree here.

By your logic, it would also be unfair if another title than New Avengers (say, Ms. Marvel) had decided to include a flashback to the Alpha Flight battle with the Collective, because you might not have the budget to buy that or might not realise they were providing more details about the battle there? But stuff like that happens all the time in comics - By your arguement, the writer should not have done this.

The handbooks have always been able to clarify, expand on, or even add brand new information (all with case-by-case editorial approval). It's part of their remit.

I'm ok with agreeing to disagree. And I'm ok with stories continuing or clarifications being made in other books. What I'm not ok with is story gaps being filled in an "encyclopedia", instead of a normal comic.

As I noted though, if you are okay with the continuation or clarification in other books, then why not the handbooks? Your argument against it being there was based on either not being able to afford the handbooks, or not realising the extra info was there, both of which can easily hold true for any comic. If that's not the source of your problem, but instead that you view the handbooks as an "encyclopedia" which cannot provide new info, then I am afraid you are wrong in that belief. That's always been part of our remit. We are 95% resource, and 5% source, and have filled in gaps from day one, right back in the original 1980s Handbooks. We figure heights and weights, origin details often used to get added in (we tend to do that less now, but still sometimes do add in such info if provided by the original writer - for example, Christos Gage supplied background info on the new Arabian Knight which turned up in his handbook entry), and we can also bridge the gaps between appearances on occasion. We never do it casually, and it all has to be editorially approved - for example, we supplied the explanation for where the new Sunpyre came from and how Humbug survived being fed to fire ants, both cases using information provided by the writers handling the characters - but if those writers or editorial had felt they wanted to save that info for a later story to tell, then we would have simply said something like "Under unrevealed circumstances, Humbug survived." In other words, we don't fill in the blanks if someone else intends to do it in-story.

Funny thing about the handbooks - I have never seen them advertising that they are adding brand new information to character histories. That's not to say that it hasn't been advertised. I just don't recall seeing it. I would think that it would be highlighted often as a huge selling point.

It's not generally in the solicits, no, but it has been advertised in the handbooks themselves, again as far back as the original series. Here's a quote from Mark Gruenwald, taken from one of the Deluxe Handbook prefaces
"look at the various gaps in the data, be it a never-disclosed real name or an unrecorded episode describing how an entry-subject got from point A to point B where we see it next. We then solicit original material... We are proud to have certain information appear here in the Handbook for the first time anywhere."

Are we going to see a class 100 Sasquatch entry?

Can't promise it, but we are reviewing all power grids and strength levels as part of the update.

And thanks to everyone for the positive words. We're working hard to make sure this is one of the best Handbook projects ever!

[Legerd]

And thanks to everyone for the positive words. We're working hard to make sure this is one of the best Handbook projects ever!

Thanks for dropping in and sharing! It's a nice window into how Marvel handles the characters, etc. Take care.

[-K-M-]

Can't promise it, but we are reviewing all power grids and strength levels as part of the update.

And thanks to everyone for the positive words. We're working hard to make sure this is one of the best Handbook projects ever!

Haha yeah I know, just mostly wishful thinking

Also how many hardcovers/paperback are there going to be in total?

Well thank you for stopping by and giving us your input, it's much appreciated.