7 Marvel Comics That Were Set Up to Fail

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While Marvel Comics has faced challenges recently, even during its peak, not every comic was a hit, and some promising titles were cancelled before release. But a more frequent problem was comics that were doomed from the start. It doesn’t matter if they were good or not – Marvel made crucial errors in approving these projects, essentially guaranteeing their failure. These books never had a real chance due to the initial mistakes made by Marvel in deciding to create them.

For years, Marvel has enjoyed a strong reputation with its fans, but that success wasn’t always deserved. While some fans believe Marvel is flawless, the company has made mistakes, leading to some notable failures. These seven comic books were almost destined to struggle, lacking the potential to attract readers or achieve quality.

7) Wolverine (Vol. 8)

2025 proved to be a difficult year for the Wolverine character, and the Wolverine (Vol. 8) comic series exemplifies the reasons why. Launched in late 2024 by writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Martin Coccolo, the series struggled to gain traction. While Ahmed excels at capturing Wolverine’s personality, the storylines themselves haven’t been very engaging, and Coccolo’s artwork sometimes feels rushed. Though there were a few strong issues, the series overall felt lackluster. As a result, Wolverine fans stopped buying the book in large numbers, causing it to drop significantly in sales. Ultimately, Marvel’s creative team didn’t seem to be a good fit for the character, and a once-popular hero saw a decline in readership.

6) Hulk (Vol. 5)

The Immortal Hulk comic was a huge success, revitalizing the character. When a new creative team – writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Ottley – took over, fans were thrilled. However, the new direction in the comic was a major departure from Immortal Hulk. Instead of continuing the established story, it reverted to a dynamic where Bruce Banner controlled the Hulk, calling this version “Starship Hulk.” Unfortunately, this ten-issue run was cut short by a tragic car accident involving writer Donny Cates. Even before that, though, many fans disliked it because it felt disconnected from what made Immortal Hulk so special and essentially ignored the progress of that previous series. It turns out both Cates and Al Ewing (the writer of Immortal Hulk) had pitched their ideas years earlier, and Marvel chose Ewing’s first. Many believe this was a mistake that ultimately led to the new series failing to connect with readers.

5) Zeb Wells’ The Amazing Spider-Man

Zeb Wells had previously found success with his work on Hellions during the Krakoa era, so there was initial excitement when he took over The Amazing Spider-Man, with renowned artists like John Romita Jr., Ed McGuiness, and Patrick Gleason joining the project. However, that excitement quickly faded. The run was widely criticized for portraying Spider-Man as unusually unlucky and for unnecessarily breaking up Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, even marrying Mary Jane to a newly created character named Paul. Wells became a highly disliked figure among Marvel fans. Adding to the controversial choices, Ms. Marvel was killed off only to be brought back as a mutant. The overall reception was overwhelmingly negative, with fans voicing their strong disapproval. It was a misstep for Marvel, who appeared to be banking on generating readership through outrage rather than positive engagement, but their gamble failed.

4) The Sentry (Vol. 5)

The Sentry has a small but passionate following, and in 2018, a new comic series starring the character was announced, created by Jeff Lemire and Kim Jacinto. While fans (though a dedicated group of only a few dozen!) were thrilled, Marvel quickly changed plans. Initially promoted as an ongoing series, it was shortened to just five issues, which unfortunately led to the book failing to gain traction. This was a real disappointment, as the series was actually quite good, and the story ended on a cliffhanger, leaving fans wanting more.

3) Children of the Atom

The recent Krakoa era for the X-Men saw a lot of success, though not every comic series thrived. Children of the Atom, created by Vita Ayala, Bernard Chang, and Paco Medina, followed a new team of young mutants with powers echoing those of established X-Men, as they battled villains. The series featured a surprising plot twist and was a fun take on the teen team dynamic. Originally planned as an ongoing series, production was halted after only five issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a lack of promotion. While there was potential readership, Marvel didn’t give the book enough visibility to find them.

2) Fantastic Four: 1234

Remember when Grant Morrison was announced as the writer for the Fantastic Four? It was huge news! Let’s rewind to 2000. Morrison started with Marvel in late 1999, creating the excellent Marvel Boy for the Marvel Knights imprint. Their next project was Fantastic Four: 1234, with art by Jae Lee. Surprisingly, Marvel didn’t promote this book as much as they could have, even though Morrison was already a well-known creator. It’s strange that Marvel didn’t fully back this title.

1) Uncanny Inhumans

Marvel’s attempt to promote the Inhumans as their next big thing was a major failure, and the Uncanny Inhumans comic series was a significant letdown. Intended to be the leading title for the Inhumans, the book suffered from a flawed strategy. Marvel pushed the Inhumans as a replacement for the X-Men, likely due to owning the movie rights, but tried to position them as the X-Men, which didn’t resonate with fans. Compounding the issue, the writing didn’t elevate the characters enough to capture readers’ interest. Ultimately, it was a combination of poor choices that led to the book’s downfall.

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2026-04-23 17:16