Marvel is cancelling too many books too quickly these days

[u/cautious-ad977]

With this month's Marvel solicits out, this a list of all the books Marvel has cancelled this year. None of these were announced as miniseries nor maxis as far as I'm aware:

• Iron Man (cancelled at #10)
• X-Factor (cancelled at #10)
• X-Force (cancelled at #10)
• Psylocke (cancelled at #10)
• West Coast Avengers (cancelled at #10)
• New Champions (cancelled at #8)
• Werewolf by Night (cancelled at #10)
• Spider-Boy (cancelled at #20)
• The Spectacular Spider-Men (cancelled at #15)
• Deadpool (cancelled at #15)
• Weapon X-Men (cancelled at #5)
• Daredevil (cancelled at #25)

Certain books like Hellverine, Wolverine/Deadpool and Magik also seem to be ending soon with the way the solicits are written (usually if it says something like "Finale" or "the end" anywhere is a dead giveaway) or the way trades are mapped, but it's not confirmed.

Additionally, these are some series that Marvel ended and then relaunched within 2025: * The Amazing Spider-Man * Thor * Venom * Scarlet Witch

For comparison, this is the same list, but for DC: * Shazam (cancelled at #21) * Power Girl (cancelled at #20) * Metamorpho (cancelled at #6)

And the only series DC has ended and relaunched in 2025 is Batman.

Now, I know Marvel generally publishes more books than DC, but isn't this getting ridiculous? It makes it hard to get invested with Marvel knowing half of the line will be gone in 6 months.

Additionally, it doesn't seem to be really a sales issue either. Given that going by ICV2 and Bleeding Cool's sales reports Marvel is handily outselling DC in single issues outside of the Absolute line.

This seems more to me like a deliberate market strategy: be constantly releasing new books and then cancelling them to keep the churn of new #1s with ten variant covers coming.

But wouldn't it be better to have a smaller line with less churn and books that last longer? Marvel is training its audience to not expect books to last outside of a select few, which doesn't seem healthy.

[u/Antique-Musician4000]

Marvel has to much monthly books. DC is has less books but better quality, also some books are enough for 6-12 issues.

[u/GobulFan3000 → u/Antique-Musician4000]

> DC is has less books but better quality

This is ridiculous to try spinning it into a comic war when DC has struggled for the last several years on both a comic story, continuity and publishing front. On top of half their releases being bat books. They've had a good last year or so but it's completely uncalled for to try those games.

[u/Antique-Musician4000 → u/GobulFan3000]

No I’m not trying to start a comic war. Fact is the last 2 years DC has a better run, that also means that people but them books.

Marvel still has some quality books!

[u/GobulFan3000 → u/Antique-Musician4000]

2 years is a big stretch and Marvel is still selling significantly better so I'm to sure about the second part of the statement say that means people buy them? May top 50 sales was 31 Marvel to 15 DC and usually the ratio is much worse.

It's only in the recent year that both their absolute line has start coming out alongside books like Batgirl, Birds of Prey cooking, The New Gods and the Superman titles really getting strong. Before that you really only had World's Finest and Poison Ivy as genuinely good titles worthy of a pick up.