I recently read Mouse is in the ‘House of M’ by Erin Mastre and felt compelled to shed an opposing light on the situation. There has been much clamoring lately about Disney’s acquisition of “The House of Ideas” among the Marvel fan base. While I am in no position to judge one’s opinion, it is irritating when an opinion spews ludicrous claims that are clearly unfounded and aimed to promote chaos, such as those found in Mastre’s article.

First of all, even acknowledging the possibility that Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers are going to appear in the pages of a Marvel comic shows how little faith one has in the company in the first place. Marvel is not about to play Judas and betray their loyal fan base for children. There can easily be a section of Marvel devoted to each the adult-hardcore, and the child-casual alike.

Secondly, let’s not assume that the ideas flying out of “The House” have always been golden. Mastre jokes about “Wolverine on Ice”, but are we so quick to forget that in February 2010 Spider-Man is being made into a Broadway Musical? Mastre also mentions being spoon-fed with Disney propaganda, but I have been forcibly choked with more Deadpool and Wolverine books in the last twelve months than I ever thought Marvel would allow. Also, those worried about Disney canning the violence, let it be known that Miramax, a Disney owned company, created the Kill Bill films. That point speaks for itself.

Finally, Marvel has already reached into the demographic of teens and children without Disney’s help. Walk through the kid’s section at Barnes and Noble and you will find plenty of learning books with Wolverine and Spider-Man’s faces plastered on the cover. Marvel also created an atrocious cartoon by the name of “Super Hero Squad” that airs every afternoon on Cartoon Network. A younger audience is key in the comic book industry staying afloat.

At the end of the day, Disney is just a brand; one that only seeks to enrich the quality and output of Marvel products. Only time will tell just how this whole arrangement will impact us true Marvel fans, but True Believers can rest assured that “Hulk Smashes World Hunger: Featuring Hannah Montana” is a lifetime away from ever becoming a reality. So please, don’t be so quick to abandon the Marvel bandwagon.

— William Stogdill

Freshman

English