With the release this week of the 12th issue, writer Cullen Bunn says goodbye to Marvel's canceled Fearless Defenders with a post that should be of interest to both fans of the series and those interested in a look at the comic-book process.

"We were (according to many) over-sexualized, pandering, a long shot, a sleeper hit, too silly, too cruel, too compressed, too decompressed, and a host of other contradictions … which works for the spirit of the book, I think," Bunn writes on his website. "But there were a lot of folks who REALLY loved this book … even when they were really mad at us. And that means a lot to me. Those folks made it all worthwhile … and I have a feeling I’ll be seeing them online and at conventions for years to come."

From there, he offers a peek at the development of the title, from the germ of the idea in an email written in November 2011 to excerpts from various versions of the proposal that reveal alternate team lineups, abandoned story directions and where the title might have gone ... had it not been canceled.

"Everyone always asks if there were characters we weren’t allowed to use," Bunn writes. "I think the only one we were refused from the beginning was Jean Grey. At one point, Will and I [lobbied] hard for Spider-Girl to join the team, but that didn’t fly. Also, Galacta was the original choice for our cosmic team member, but that was changed at the last minute."

The second, and final, collection of The Fearless Defenders arrives in February.