The biggest shocker in comic books just happened behind the scenes. In an industry shattering move DC Comics announced Brian Michael Bendis is joining the publisher in an exclusive, multi-year, multi-faceted deal after 17 years at Marvel. The creator confirmed the news.
This may be the biggest creator news since Jack Kirby left Marvel to join DC to create the Fourth World.
Bendis is one of the most successful, admired and influential creators in comics. It’s hard to capture the Bendis Marvel era. He was one of the primary architects of the Ultimate Line. The success of Ultimate Spider-Man led Marvel to give Bendis DAREDEVIL and he co-created Jessica Jones in the Marvel MAX line book ALIAS. Bendis crafted epic Avengers, X-Men and Iron Man runs and massive events HOUSE OF M, SECRET INVASION, SIEGE and CIVIL WAR II, revived beloved heroes of he past and gave us a diverse new generation of Marvels.
Here are our favorite Bendis Marvel milestones:
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
Bendis and Mark Bagley became the longest running creative team on a Marvel title ever. The modern take on Peter Parker including the death of this beloved hero and introduction of Miles Morales, a young character so popular he made the leap into the main Marvel Universe.
JESSICA JONES
Bendis co-created a tough, damaged private eye named Jessica Jones in a mature readers comic. The heroine joined the NEW AVENGERS and inspired a Marvel Netflix series.
LUKE CAGE
Bendis brought the former Power Man from the back burner to become a major star. Cage was Jessica’s love interest in ALIAS. The love story continued in NEW AVENGERS with a baby and special wedding issue. If I has to pick an issue to represent what I love most about Bendis it might be this one.
AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED
Bendis blew up Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Starting with the milestone 500th issue, Bendis tore the team apart which led to a rebirth of an expanded NEW AVENGERS line. Captain America, Iron Man were joined by Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine and The Sentry in a story called Breakout, the first arc of a long game with epic after epic like SECRET INVASION and SIEGE.
SPIDER-WOMAN
Like Luke Cage, Bendis took this fan-favorite from the 70’s and put her on the front burner. Jessica Drew was a Hydra agent, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Avenger…but she wasn’t! Bendis made us love this triple, maybe even quadruple agent getting the spotlight as an Avenger – then he gave us a gut-punching, what the —-!? reveal. I won’t even spoil it but Jessica wasn’t Jessica. Then Bendis gave the real Jessica an awesome origin revisit and rebirth.
MILES MORALES
Miles hadn’t been the new Ultimate Spider-Man very long when I saw this cosplayer at a con and said “hey Miles can’t I take your picture.” The young man turned with a big grin and said “you know who I am.” More readers saw themselves represented in comics thanks to Bendis and his artistic partners.
HOUSE OF M
Long before Bendis took over the X-books, he has a major impact on the mutants. HOUSE OF M was a status quo shattering epic that led to the Decimation of the mutant race.
SECRET INVASION
My favorite event of the Bendis era because it was the endgame set up way back in NEW AVENGERS #1 Breakout. Packed with shock and awe, the Skrull takeover was just the beginning. We learned how far back the shapeshifters had been infiltrating Earth’s heroes and how much Bendis has been masterfully plotting within plots.
X-MEN
In a blast from the past, Bendis brought the original X-Men from the past into the future to refresh the line. Kitty Pryde was an amazing teacher/squad leader and mentor to young Jean Grey. A new generation of mutants (Tempus, Morph, Hijack, Triage and yes…Goldballs) emerged. Iceman came out in a powerful story still having a major creative and inspiring influence.
There’s no official word on how the acclaimed writer’s current Marvel books (Iron Man, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones) will end and when his DC journey begins.
By Editor