Back to the future, part 3

It sure didn't take Marvel long to mess up a good thing.

Once elated at the return of the 2099 universe, I'm now concerned that old tales might be best left alone. "Timestorm: 2009/2099," the four-part miniseries that debuts next month, is already off track. The third issue, presumably set to publish in June, is not on Marvel's release schedule for that month. I'm pleased to see slated two standalone "Timestorm" issues starring Spider-Man and Wolverine, but the lack of followthrough on the miniseries is disheartening.

This is sadly typical for Marvel and it reminded me of why I so rarely buy monthly comics. The company has a chronic inability to meet deadline. Among the most egregious examples in recent years was Marvel's performance during the "Civil War" storyline. I'd hoped that the company had learned it's lesson from that fiasco — during which issues were repeatedly delayed — after I chided Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada at Baltimore Comic-Con. (The persistent questioning mentioned paragraphs six and eight of this story? That's me.) But the trend continued. "Marvels: Eye of the Camera" is seeing an insufferably long delay between the fifth and sixth issues. And that's after writer Kurt Busiek told me the series wasn't going to be published until all the artwork was done. And now there's a gap in the "Timestorm" schedule. Will this never end? Sigh.

I refuse to sign up for another series that's going to see delays. I think I'll just wait for "Timestorm" to be collected in trade paperback form. I'd like to support sales of the monthly title and show my interest for more, but I'm more interested in reading my story in a timely manner.