# Comics  > Image Comics >  Mind the Gap RIP?

## dai613-2

Image website has again updated shipping date for MTG #18 (10/1), #19 (10/1) and #20 (10/8). I hope I'm wrong, but to me it doesn't look promising. I have tried contacting creative team on Twitter, but no response. Typically, with long delays there is some news, but I've searched the internet too and came up empty. I advanced ordered 3 copies of each #18 #19 and #20, I'm going to ask for a refund.

Related topic. I would be interested in opinions on what should happen if a comic fails in the middle of the story (if that's what happened here). Is it reasonable to expect creators to bring a story to a plausible end? Or let the readers know what's going on. I think doing otherwise negatively affects the creator owned business model. This has happened a few times for me, and I find myself being careful now about which new books I start reading, in terms of the writers popularity and track record of not leaving the readers hanging.

Hope I'm wrong about MTG but no matter what I'm disappointed with the lack of communication from the creators.

----------


## Tayne Japal

> Image website has again updated shipping date for MTG #18 (10/1), #19 (10/1) and #20 (10/8). I hope I'm wrong, but to me it doesn't look promising. I have tried contacting creative team on Twitter, but no response. Typically, with long delays there is some news, but I've searched the internet too and came up empty. I advanced ordered 3 copies of each #18 #19 and #20, I'm going to ask for a refund.
> 
> Related topic. I would be interested in opinions on what should happen if a comic fails in the middle of the story (if that's what happened here). Is it reasonable to expect creators to bring a story to a plausible end? Or let the readers know what's going on. I think doing otherwise negatively affects the creator owned business model. This has happened a few times for me, and I find myself being careful now about which new books I start reading, in terms of the writers popularity and track record of not leaving the readers hanging.
> 
> Hope I'm wrong about MTG but no matter what I'm disappointed with the lack of communication from the creators.


I pre-order my books from DCBS and surprisingly, I haven't been refunded for these issues. I say that because with Superman Unchained and Inhuman, DCBS gave me a refund when news broke that they would be delayed and offered at a later date. I also haven't heard/seen any news on a cancellation or some type of personal tragedy (like Danger Club) affecting the production of the book. I guess McCann feels he can still get the book out.  I agree with you about the lack of news (Jim's active on twitter).

----------


## InformationGeek

I really hope this comic isn't joining the ranks of Pretty Deadly, Sovereign, and Nowhere Men.  It's too good to fall into the black abyss that those comics fell into.

----------


## Brave Sir Robin

Another delay. Crud. I really hope this one doesn't just fade away. I followed this book closely and have the trades. Not only I am totally into the story, but I hate wasting money. It is a great book. I agree that the total news blackout is very irritating.

----------


## Anduinel

I just got into this one too.  :Frown: 

But yeah, a three month unannounced hiatus with no updates or response looks bad.

----------


## CoffeeCup

Any word on this. I think it was delayed again.  This is a title I've been looking at picking up recently but it is never going to resume, I'd rather not waste my money.

----------


## Dorktron

> Any word on this. I think it was delayed again.  This is a title I've been looking at picking up recently but it is never going to resume, I'd rather not waste my money.


I don't think anyone knows, sadly. I would love to know too so I can buy the rest of the trades soon.

----------


## cgh

What are some other perennially delayed/stalled books people are waiting on? For me, there's:

Secret
Bedlam
Where is Jake Ellis?

----------


## King's_Gambit

> What are some other perennially delayed/stalled books people are waiting on? For me, there's:
> 
> Secret
> Bedlam
> Where is Jake Ellis?


The 4th issue of Where is Jake Ellis actually came out last month.  Finally.  Only one more issue to go.

Secret #7 was actually the final issue, wrapping the story up.  The book is done.

At least Bedlam finished its second arc, so an indefinite hiatus isn't too terrible.

The really badly delayed book that springs to mind is Jupiter's Legacy.  I mean, given it's Millar and Quitely, I knew this would happen...but still.

Also, it's not an Image book, but Bendis/Maleev's Scarlet is MIA.  Took an indefinite hiatus after the first arc....came back to release the first issue of the second arc....MIA ever since.

----------


## cgh

> The 4th issue of Where is Jake Ellis actually came out last month.  Finally.  Only one more issue to go.
> 
> Secret #7 was actually the final issue, wrapping the story up.  The book is done.
> 
> At least Bedlam finished its second arc, so an indefinite hiatus isn't too terrible.
> 
> The really badly delayed book that springs to mind is Jupiter's Legacy.  I mean, given it's Millar and Quitely, I knew this would happen...but still.
> 
> Also, it's not an Image book, but Bendis/Maleev's Scarlet is MIA.  Took an indefinite hiatus after the first arc....came back to release the first issue of the second arc....MIA ever since.


Damn, I must have missed Secret #7, thanks. And how could I have overlooked Jupiter's Legacy?

I bought Scarlet up to #5 but then dropped it. Too silly.

----------


## Dark-Flux

Hell Yeah
Danger Club
Shinku
Bloodstrike
Jupiters Legacy

----------


## beanlynch

> Hope I'm wrong about MTG but no matter what I'm disappointed with the lack of communication from the creators.


You have to keep in mind that publishing at Image is like self publishing. No one is paying you. You have to pay for your own expenses. Image offers a package which includes the imprint, a printing and distribution set up (someone can correct me if I have some of the details wrong here), but the creator still has to pay for publishing their own book. It's hard. It's real hard. Mind The Gap is probably not a huge money maker. It doesn't have the creator cache that the image comics from Kirkman, Brubaker, Fraction, Vaughn, and Hickman (etc.) have. They probably don't have the nest egg that these creators have either. There is no hype behind it. Not only do they have to pay for the project, they also have to pay their bills. There is no health insurance that comes with it. It's hard. 

I'm sure these creators have their hands full and they are carrying a lot of stress. So don't take it personally if they haven't responded to your messages.

----------


## Joker

I believe, unless things have changed, Image front the initial printing cost, and take that out of the profit. If your book doesn't at least self sustain, it would get canceled. 




> *I really hope this comic isn't joining the ranks of Pretty Deadly*, Sovereign, and Nowhere Men.  It's too good to *fall into the black abyss that those comics fell into*.


Uh, Pretty Deadly finished it's first arc and has it's second arc coming sometime this year.

----------


## InformationGeek

> Uh, Pretty Deadly finished it's first arc and has it's second arc coming sometime this year.


I made that comment back in September, long before we knew when the second arc would be.

----------


## Joker

They'd stated several times at the outset that they'd do an arc, take a break, and do another arc when they were ready.

But you're right, and I didn't look at the date on that post.

----------


## TehJofus

I'm bumping this one in the hope that Jim McCann will see the thread and be like 'oh yeah, I should get back to that'. 

Doubtful, but I HAVE TO TRY.

_Edit:_ Okay, just found this, gives me hope!
https://twitter.com/JimMcCann/status/578045909272924160

----------


## BlackagarBoltagon

I heard this was cancelled. Orc Stain was another title I heard got the axe.

----------


## TotalSnorefest

Oh neat, hope we'll see more Mind The Gap maybe this year already? (Wishful thinking perhaps.)




> I heard this was cancelled. Orc Stain was another title I heard got the axe.


Off-topic reply here, but I think Orc Stain is on indefinite hiatus. There were 2 more issues after the first trade, and recently Stokoe's been posting panels for unreleased future issues. However, project like Godzilla: Half-Century War, the Avengers 100th anniversary issue, his Prophet work and the newly announced Godzilla In Hell seem to keep derailing Orc Stain's schedule. I expect it to return at some point though.

----------


## Billy Batson

> Off-topic reply here, but I think Orc Stain is on indefinite hiatus. There were 2 more issues after the first trade, and recently Stokoe's been posting panels for unreleased future issues. However, project like Godzilla: Half-Century War, the Avengers 100th anniversary issue, his Prophet work and the newly announced Godzilla In Hell seem to keep derailing Orc Stain's schedule. I expect it to return at some point though.


*Stokoe and Brandon Graham have said that Stokoe has been doing new Orc Stain material and piling them up so that he'll be able to put them out on a regular schedule or he'll release them as a trade.
*

----------


## BlackagarBoltagon

I don't read either, just noticed my online retailer said they had been cancelled.

----------


## BigJeff

I was a fan of this series and was hooked into the mystery but I felt that the reveal in the third trade arc kind of left the writers boxed in.  There didn't seem to be a lot of future storyline left to tell at that point.  After reading it I was so disappointed I was planning to drop the title anyway. Seems the decision has been made for me.

----------


## Jasper Avenue

This is why I tend to buy Image digitally. I don't want unfinished books sitting around without any indication if it's going to be finished or not. At least if I have them digitally, I can send them back to cloud and forget about them.

----------


## TehJofus

> I heard this was cancelled.


Nope! It just disappeared and the creators never really mentioned why it was gone or when it'd be back.

----------


## BlackagarBoltagon

Again, I was just reiterating what I had heard. Here's the full list that was supposedly cancelled, none of which I read:
-Orc stain
-Mind the gap
-Avengelyne
-Chin music
-Hell yeah
-Shinku
-Mudman
-Bloodstrike

----------


## Tlano

> Again, I was just reiterating what I had heard. Here's the full list that was supposedly cancelled, none of which I read:
> -Orc stain
> -Mind the gap
> -Avengelyne
> -Chin music
> -Hell yeah
> -Shinku
> -Mudman
> -Bloodstrike


Paul Grist confirmed on Twitter he's working on new Mudman issues so that's definitely not cancelled either.

----------


## CoffeeCup

I've thought about picking up the trades for Mind the Gap.  I've heard that vol #3 pretty much wrapped everything up and the new issues were going to start a new story arc?  Can anyone confirm this?

----------


## TehJofus

Another month comes and goes. Solicitations show no signs of Mind the Gap.

I will never give up hope.

Jim. You can do it, Jim. We believe in you.

----------


## Evan Meadow

> Again, I was just reiterating what I had heard. Here's the full list that was supposedly cancelled, none of which I read:
> -Orc stain
> -Mind the gap
> -Avengelyne
> -Chin music
> -Hell yeah
> -Shinku
> -Mudman
> -Bloodstrike


I definitely want to know what happened to Chin Music! Niles isn't the type to just stop working on a project like that so I'm left thinking its Tony Harris. Which means its War Heroes all over again. And I also want to know about the last issue of Where is Jake Ellis? Shinku at least finished its first story. Obviously Lee Moder can't financially stop doing other work for him to focus on the book in the long run so he and Marz have tabled it. Another book to join the glorious Samurai series.

----------


## Brave Sir Robin

> This is why I tend to buy Image digitally. I don't want unfinished books sitting around without any indication if it's going to be finished or not. At least if I have them digitally, I can send them back to cloud and forget about them.


I have learned this the hard away. Other than Saga, I really don't trust that any Image title will go to the finish. I have a few trades sitting around and when I see them, I just get irritated.

----------


## capuga

> I have learned this the hard away. Other than Saga, I really don't trust that any Image title will go to the finish. I have a few trades sitting around and when I see them, I just get irritated.


You can count on Walking Dead, Invincible, East of West, and Chew ending on the creators' terms.

----------


## Dorktron

> You can count on Walking Dead, Invincible, East of West, and Chew ending on the creators' terms.


I'd add Lazarus to that too after Rucka's recent twitter posts about it selling very well.

----------


## Anduinel

> I have learned this the hard away. Other than Saga, I really don't trust that any Image title will go to the finish. I have a few trades sitting around and when I see them, I just get irritated.


Sometimes you get surprised. Joe Kelly is bringing back Four Eyes after a five-year hiatus.

----------


## TehJofus

Still no sign! Nothing in this month's solicits. The above post does give some hope, but waiting 5 years for Mind the Gap to finish would absolutely be worst-case scenario.

----------


## Shaggy

Aniother two series I'm waiting on are Real Heroes (it's Hitch so it figures) and Vescell (was supposed to continue in an original GN but nothing since summer of 2013).

----------


## wwise03

Has anyone read or heard anything new on this one?

----------


## abysslord

I'd be surprised if we ever see anything else here.  It wasn't selling well to begin with, and now with a gigantic gap [no pun intended] in releasing issues, I think they just killed themselves.  I really liked the book though and would love to see it come back.

----------

