Sovereign Seven in Seven Parts: An Ant Critiques An Elephant

Gene Kendall here to remind you in our final installment that, sure, Sovereign Seven could be a frustrating read, but it was hardly the total dud the early online fandom believed it to be. Three years on the stands is nothing to sneer at, especially when you consider the comics industry was collapsing right as the book debuted. To this day, a new series reaching thirty-six issues and a few annuals is the exception, not the rule. Actually, most new titles launched after 1995 have never sniffed that kind of longevity. 

Sovereign Seven in Seven Parts: Lo, There Shall Be An Ending (A Rushed One!)

Sovereign Seven bows out with issue #36, which seems to suggest Claremont originally had a three-year deal that just wasn't renewed. By the time these last few issues were on stands, Claremont was already back at Marvel, working now in an editorial role and writing Fantastic Four after editor-in-chief Bob Harras and previous writer Scott Lobdell experienced some undefined falling-out. Maybe Claremont's new position explains why the letter column quietly vanishes, and why the big finale in #36 doesn’t even have a text piece from him.

Sovereign Seven in Seven Parts: Memba The X-Men? I Memba.

This segment is perhaps a little shallow and unfair, but a lengthy discussion of Chris Claremont's work should probably address fandom's complaints about his recurring clichés and recycled X-Men concepts.

Sovereign Seven in Seven Parts: With A Little Help From Their Friends...

A well-stocked supporting cast can both enrich and, if not handled with care, overwhelm a monthly comic book series. Chris Claremont has long been praised for his ability to weave together complex character dynamics and to elevate secondary figures into memorable characters in their own right. At the same time, his tendency to populate a title with sprawling ensembles has led to criticisms that the intricate backstories and sheer volume of cast members bury whatever actual story he was attempting to tell.

Sovereign Seven in Seven Parts: The Only DC Comics Title in the Top 10

Gene Kendall returns, as we continue our retrospective on Chris Claremont’s Sovereign Seven.

Launching a fresh property is never a sure thing, yet DC had reason to be a little optimistic. The release of Sovereign Seven was at least bolstered by the return of Chris Claremont to monthly superhero work and an art style that matched the splashy Image aesthetics of the early ’90s. Of course, this was 1995, not 1992.

The title debuted just as the early‑’90s speculator boom imploded across the industry -- by 1997, overall comic sales would collapse to just 14% of their 1993 high.

Sovereign Seven in Seven Parts: "He invented the contemporary language of comics..."

Gene Kendall here, with the launch of another review series of questionable merit and mainstream interest.