Here's a hypothetical that just popped in my head, how would Giant Man be doing if that Black Widow had been Wasp instead? If Wasp had already been available, would that have made the backers increase or would not have made a difference?
I don't think it would have made a difference. I think there are enough who just plain don't want Giant Man for whatever reason. People would buy that Wasp because it would be way easier to and way more affordable to do so.
Not for nothing, but are Janet and Hank even an item anymore? I know many of us associate the two based on how we originally encountered them in the books, but they haven’t been a couple in a long, long time. I stopped reading circa 2010-12ish and have kept up only sporadically, so maybe they’re a couple again…. dunno
Here's a hypothetical that just popped in my head, how would Giant Man be doing if that Black Widow had been Wasp instead? If Wasp had already been available, would that have made the backers increase or would not have made a difference?
I don't know that it would make much of a difference, but I think Wasp being on the horizon is actually better for the project. We (or at least I) romanticize unreleased figures. There's something fresh and exciting about the idea of pairing Giant-Man and Wasp, especially if neither are in your collection yet.
Not for nothing, but are Janet and Hank even an item anymore? I know many of us associate the two based on how we originally encountered them in the books, but they haven’t been a couple in a long, long time. I stopped reading circa 2010-12ish and have kept up only sporadically, so maybe they’re a couple again…. dunno
I haven't read current comics for about 10-12 years, probably same time frame as you. Hank and Janet were estranged, but on and off maybe? I do remember some issues, and a pivotal moment when Janet was killed off by the Skrulls at the climax of the Secret Invasion, and as a tribute to her, Hank took on the name Wasp for a bit.
But the versions of these characters being released as these figures depict them at a time when they WERE a couple. Long before the domestic abuse, long before the Skrull invasion. First appearance Wasp, Giant Man, are among their earliest personas/costume designs. These figures are meant for each other. I hope Giant Man funds. But if he doesn't, the Target Antman will pair with FA Wasp perfectly, in my collection.
@normdapito I take your point and agree with the pairing of the (hopeful) Haslab Hank and the recently teased FA Janet. I guess, after years of attrition, the connection between the two just feels far less direct than it once had.
@normdapito I take your point and agree with the pairing of the (hopeful) Haslab Hank and the recently teased FA Janet. I guess, after years of attrition, the connection between the two just feels far less direct than it once had.
Such is the ebb and flow of comics. Never would have thought of Magneto working alongside the X-Men. Never would have foreseen Emma Frost and Scott Summers being a couple, let alone Emma Frost and Tony Stark! I was even reading the book where Wasp and HAVOK were a couple (Uncanny Avengers?). I never read those Silver Age books because I can't stand the writing style of hokey dialog and omniscient narrators, but I totally respect the history and try to be as aware of it as possible. I've never read issues where Hank and Janet were wearing those specific costumes together, but I still want them represented in my figure collection, which is way more important and into which I'm way more invested than my comic book habit.
@normdapito I take your point and agree with the pairing of the (hopeful) Haslab Hank and the recently teased FA Janet. I guess, after years of attrition, the connection between the two just feels far less direct than it once had.
Such is the ebb and flow of comics. Never would have thought of Magneto working alongside the X-Men. Never would have foreseen Emma Frost and Scott Summers being a couple, let alone Emma Frost and Tony Stark! I was even reading the book where Wasp and HAVOK were a couple (Uncanny Avengers?). I never read those Silver Age books because I can't stand the writing style of hokey dialog and omniscient narrators, but I totally respect the history and try to be as aware of it as possible. I've never read issues where Hank and Janet were wearing those specific costumes together, but I still want them represented in my figure collection, which is way more important and into which I'm way more invested than my comic book habit.
I'm repeating myself from the Haslab thread, but Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes vol 1 by Joe Casey and Scott Kolins is a fun "between the pages" retelling covering the first ~14 issues of the original Avengers run, but in a contemporary storytelling style. It features Hank and Jan together in these looks, plus the 2-3 costume changes each of them went through shortly after. Worth reading in its own right, and especially if you (like me) are on a bit of an Avengers/Jan & Hank kick.
@normdapito I take your point and agree with the pairing of the (hopeful) Haslab Hank and the recently teased FA Janet. I guess, after years of attrition, the connection between the two just feels far less direct than it once had.
Such is the ebb and flow of comics. Never would have thought of Magneto working alongside the X-Men. Never would have foreseen Emma Frost and Scott Summers being a couple, let alone Emma Frost and Tony Stark! I was even reading the book where Wasp and HAVOK were a couple (Uncanny Avengers?). I never read those Silver Age books because I can't stand the writing style of hokey dialog and omniscient narrators, but I totally respect the history and try to be as aware of it as possible. I've never read issues where Hank and Janet were wearing those specific costumes together, but I still want them represented in my figure collection, which is way more important and into which I'm way more invested than my comic book habit.
I'm repeating myself from the Haslab thread, but Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes vol 1 by Joe Casey and Scott Kolins is a fun "between the pages" retelling covering the first ~14 issues of the original Avengers run, but in a contemporary storytelling style. It features Hank and Jan together in these looks, plus the 2-3 costume changes each of them went through shortly after. Worth reading in its own right, and especially if you (like me) are on a bit of an Avengers/Jan & Hank kick.
I saw you recommend this a few pages back. I will put it on the list. The list consists of stuff I want to read but will NEVER get around to. hahah
I've got so many lists like that! Throw it on there, what's one more gonna hurt?
I've never put much thought into it, but it would be interesting to know why those 2 characters, Hank and Janet(especially Hank), went through so many changes in those early days of Avengers.
I recommend reading Rage of Ultron. It was a fascinating mini-series that explores ideas about whether AI is alive and starred Hank Pym, Ultron, and Vision. Ended with what I thought was a great twist:
That plot continued and arguably was made less satisfying in my opinion in Iron Man comics regarding Hank:
Ant-Man, and eventually co-star Wasp, were holding down their own stories with Tales to Astonish. Riding off the popularity of shrinking characters in other media (books, movies). But that fad wore off. I think their fellow Avengers just ended up out-shining them. So Marvel tried something different with Pym. Made him into Giant-Man in an effort to make him more even footed power-wise with the other lead Avengers. They did another change with Yellowjacket as well. Eventually, it became part of the character. Pym trying to find his place amongst more dynamic characters.
It must have become apparent pretty early on that having two characters with identical shrinking powers on the Avengers was redundant, because he became Giant-Man by issue #2!
It must have become apparent pretty early on that having two characters with identical shrinking powers on the Avengers was redundant, because he became Giant-Man by issue #2!
That was really kind of the whole point of sidekicks.
In my reading experience, making Hank Giant Man was a big mistake. He was never going to match the power of Iron Man or Thor, no matter how many times they had to say out loud "he's one of our more powerful members!" and he just came across as a clumsy goof in his own series.
As Ant-Man, he was a uniquely effective crimefighter that could do things the other Avengers couldn't and the Wasp having similar but not identical powers made her an interesting sidekick.
It must have become apparent pretty early on that having two characters with identical shrinking powers on the Avengers was redundant, because he became Giant-Man by issue #2!
That was really kind of the whole point of sidekicks.
In my reading experience, making Hank Giant Man was a big mistake. He was never going to match the power of Iron Man or Thor, no matter how many times they had to say out loud "he's one of our more powerful members!" and he just came across as a clumsy goof in his own series.
As Ant-Man, he was a uniquely effective crimefighter that could do things the other Avengers couldn't and the Wasp having similar but not identical powers made her an interesting sidekick.
It's maybe just less interesting in a team dynamic to have two members that do the same thing. They really do play up the whole "most powerful Avenger" thing a ton, though - they seriously have someone say it every issue. But Iron Man, at least was a lot less powerful in those days - always running out of transistor power!
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