One of my all-time favorites is coming to back to Emerald City Comicon. Back in 2008 my sketch request was Nightcrawler and I had a ton of X-Force issues autographed. At the 2012 Fan Expo Vancouver I got an awesome Black Bolt sketch from Mike.
Emerald City Comicon announced that Tim Sale and Michael Avon Oeming are returning to the 2013 event. Dave Johnson, Ethan Van Scriver, Ray Fawkes and Dan Panoshian join the growing line-up or guests. Sir Patrick Stewart and Billy Dee Williams (Freakin’ Lando! I exclaimed when I first saw this) are also coming to Seattle for Emerald City Comicon March 1-3, 2013 and tickets are on sale now.
Young Avengers In the aftermath of Avengers Disassembled these teens tried to fill the void of the missing heroes. We learned how these kids were connected to Marvel icons, secrets were revealed and they challenged their adult heroes. Patriot, Iron Lad, Hulking, Wiccan, Stature, Hawkeye, Vision, and Speed became a dymanic team devoted to friendship and carrying on the Avengers legacy. Action, emotion, relationships – Allen Heinberg and Jim Cheung delivered in every issue from the first series to Avengers: Children’s Crusade – one of the most beautifully written and drawn series ever!
New Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
New Avengers Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Spider-Woman answered the call in breakout when Marvel’s biggest prison was busted. Brian Michael Bendis made the team Mightier by adding popular favorites Spidey and Logan. Spider-Woman, The Sentry, Echo, Iron Fist and Daredevil were more surprise choices. One epic led to another! Loved all the action, conspiracies and fights but I think I loved the Luke and Jessica romance, the tragedy of Robert and Lindy and the redemption of Jessica Drew most of all.
Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
Heroes Return In the wake of Heroes Reborn Marvel assembled legends Kurt Busiek and George Perez to return Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to greatness. The lineup was Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Hawkeye, Giant-Man, Wonder Man, Wasp, Vision and Warbird (Carol Danvers but in Ms. Marvel uniform.) Firestar, Silverclaw, Triathalon and Justice (Vance Astro) were the new members. A pitch perfect creative team at the top of their game threw the team up against Morgan Le Fay, Squadron Supreme and the ultimate enemy: Ultron!
Avengers #181 courtesy Marvel
Avengers (Korvac+ era) This is a sentimental vote because this was the first comic book subscription I had as a kid. Can you imagine a young geek buying the issue where Michael Korvac blasted the entire team? The massive team was shortened (in part by government liaison Henry Gyrich) to Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wasp, Yellowjacket, Quicksilver, Beast, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man and Jocasta. Jim Shooter, David Micheline, Roger Stern, George Perez and John Byrne were among the creators during this mighty era.
The Flying Swords of Dragon Gateis an amazing spectacle starring Jet Li and directed by Tsui Hark and shot in 3D. I saw it in IMAX and I’ve never ducked and moved and jumped so much in a 3D film. Swords pierced off the screen and I swear I could see it in my peripheral vision!
Take a look at the trailer and I have a comic book connection for you after!
I left this film longing to go to Kun Lun! Marvel Films, please put Iron Fist and Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu on the big screen!
The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is in Mandarin with subtitles and on a limited release. Experience it if you can!
Brian Michael Bendis made me love the Avengers again. I never really stopped loving Cap, Tony, Wanda, Clint but I had stopped buying the book because the title had become tired to me.
The idea of losing something makes you realize how much you it. Avengers Disassembled rocked my world and shook the foundations of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. New Avengers made the franchise exciting again with new faces and new threats.
Eight years later and End Times are in sight as Bendis leaves the Avengers family for the Children of the Atom. I wanted to share some highlights of this Marvel.com interview about the final months of the Bendisvengers! (And new preview art!)
The fan favorite writer will leave Avengers and New Avengers with an all-star list of artists on board.
“I’m going out on a very pleasant note personally. I just finished an AVENGERS run with Walt Simonson. I’m working on NEW AVENGERS with Michael Gaydos, Michael Avon Oeming, Carlos Pacheco and Mike Deodato. The very last issue we’re doing this big jam sequence. I like to do these jam sequences every once in a while which are very difficult on editorial. I find them to be a lot of fun if you can find the right reason to do them. We found one, and me and Tom [Brevoort] are gathering together a group of very unique, very out-there artists, people who I feel have been exciting to me that are outside of the Marvel mainstream. We’re pulling them in to let them show off a little bit to the larger audiences, people whose books I’ve been buying that are very exciting. We’ll be debuting those names very soon. I feel like we’re leaving on a high note. On [the last issues of] AVENGERS, we’ve got Brandon Peterson, Terry Dodson [and] Mike Mayhew, and it’s gorgeous. It’s absolutely stunning.”
Avengers #31 courtesy Marvel
Bendis is famous or infamous for starting his Avengers run by blowing up the Avengers mansion and the team. (Jack of Hearts ran out of luck the hard way!)
“Disassembled” was this disaster movie starring the Avengers, which I thought was awesome. Other people thought it was awesome too, and other people were very, very angry at me. They’re still angry at me as if it happened yesterday.”
I think Bendis fearlessly challenged the fans and the industry to rethink status quo. Cap and Tony were joined my Spider-Man and Wolverine. My favorite part of the Bendis era was adding Luke Cage and Spider-Woman to the team. He then proceeded to put them both through hell and back. Luke became a father, husband and team leader. Luke and Jessica Jones became one of my favorite Marvel couples. Jessica Drew’s comeback (including the fake Skrull Jessica) is the stuff of comics legend all on its own. The path of Robert Reynolds/The Sentry is pure Shakespearean tragedy with a cosmic twist. Bendis is ready to shake the status quo again.
Avengers #31 courtesy Marvel
“Well, many years have gone by. This status quo has been around for eight years. It’s quite a lengthy amount of time for any status quo in any comic of any company. So it’s certainly a good time for me to wrap up certain story-lines, to make my final statement on some of these characters. Some characters will be moving on to a new chapter in their life, and other characters will be deciding what it means to be an Avenger. Not all the characters will survive this last story.
I’m losing some babies. I’m losing some characters that mean the world to me. So when you add up all the elements that I just described, that is the status quo change. A lot is going to happen in the next four issues. Some great celebratory things, some tragic things, all setting the stage for my friend Jonathan Hickman, who has his own status quo to try to achieve. I’m going to do the best I can to make that happen.”
Avengers #31 courtesy Marvel
For his entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
What is your favorite character, storyline or moment of the Bendisvengers era?
Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena relaunch a brand new Avengers series in the Marvel NOW! Marvel revealed this first look at the three covers in one by Dustin Weaver.
Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, Wolverine and the new Captain Marvel are on the team. Cap sidekick Falcon is joining up. Cannonball of New Mutants is seen blasting into action. One cover #2 there’s a man on fire – is this Jim Hammond – the original Human Torch? On cover #3 is a man with a shadow power and infinity sign on this chest? Could this be Cannonball’s New Mutants teammate Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot or maybe an Eternal?
I’m loving Cannonball on the team. I think Sam Guthrie is the Dick Grayson of the Marvel Universe. Cannonball could easily take over for Cyclops but will never be allowed to like Dick could take over for Bruce as Batman. I’m thrilled to see Sam soar in the greater Marvel Now.
Part of the excitement of The Wolverine movie is seeing Hugh Jackman take on the Silver Samurai and lots and lots of ninjas! Part of the anticipation is Jackman in scenes with two very different women: Lady Mariko and the wild Yukio. The Ronin is ordered to assassinate Logan but develops a romantic fascination with him after seeing him “doing the best at what he does.”
Lady Mariko is shocked by Logan’s violence. Yukio gets turned on after seeing what an excellent killer he is.
courtesy Comic Book Movie
Comic Book Movie scored this first look at Rila Fukushima as Yukio. It looks like Yukio will not be sporting her short spikey hair from the comic books. In the pages of X-Men Storm was inspired by Yukio to change her hair and get a mohawk.
PAX 2012 photo by Josh Lewis, courtesy KOMONEWS.COM
PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) brought tens of thousands to Seattle! The celebration included arcade games, video game tournaments, concerts and incredible cosplay.
PAX 2012 photo by Josh Lewis, courtesy KOMONEWS.COM
Here are just some of the amazing photos by my frequent collaborator Josh Lewis of Seattle Pulp and KOMONEWS.COM. You can check out more at KOMONEWS.COM.
