The Marvel tease machine is rolling out the hits this week but I suspect this latest round of teasers are big storylines and not new Marvel Now titles.
SMASH signaled a Thor guest appearance in Indestructible Hulk with guest artist Walter Simonson.
BIRTH could mean Simone Bianchi is joining Aaron on a new arc of Thor: God of Thunder or Wolverine and the X-Men. BIRTH is in purple so it could signal a new book or arc starring Galactus, Thanos, Purple Man – he wishes!
Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox
Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Logan in The Wolverine. The story will be set in Japan and based on the limited series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Director James Mangold told Entertainment Weekly how closely the film will follow the classic story.
“It’s definitely more. A lot of that story and a lot of beats from that saga are in there — and a lot of characters. Without being religious about it, I think it’s a very admiring adaptation. Obviously when you’re adapting anything you make some changes. But all the characters are there – Yukio, Viper, Mariko, Shingen, and Logan obviously. The whole cast of characters that exist in that world exists in our film.”
Mangold confirmed this film is set after X-Men: The Last Stand but does not act as a sequel. The director says why he chose to set this film after the first three X-Men movies:
“Because of some of the themes in the Claremont/Miller saga. I felt it was really important to find Logan at a moment where he was stripped clean of his duties to the X-Men, his other allegiances, and even stripped clean of his own sense of purpose. I was fascinated with the idea of portraying Logan as a ronin – the definition of which is a samurai without a master, without a purpose. Kind of a soldier who is cut loose. War is over. What does he do? What does he face? What does he believe anymore? Who are his friends? What is his reason for being here anymore? I think those questions are especially interesting when you’re dealing with a character who is essentially immortal.”
Will the Academy recognize the powerful performances and amazing talents behind 2012’s big sci-fi and comic book (I’m including James Bond because I love him and why not) based films? Here are my films, stars, creators that should be nominated plus some of my own geeky categories:
Best Picture: The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Skyfall
Best Actor: Christian Bale, The Dark Knight Rises
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games
Best Director: Christopher Nolan, Rian Johnson
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Caine, The Dark Knight Rises Javier Bardem, Skyfall Michael Fassbender, Prometheus
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises Emily Blunt, Looper
Marvel is teasing this hot new romantic hookup! So hot it’s explosive! Elektra and Punisher are sharing a passionate embrace in this tease for Thunderbolts this March.
Daniel Way and Phil Noto (who just wrapped up Rick Remender’s final Uncanny X-Force arc) are the creative team on the superhero pairing of anti-heroes so bad they’re good.
Will Frank Castle find love with Daredevil’s ex?
No word on if fellow T-bolts Red Hulk, Deadpool or Venom were in the running!
Marvel is getting a more revealing in their Marvel Now teases! Looks like legendary Thor writer/artist Walter Simonson is joining Mark Waid for an upcoming arc of Indestructible Hulk guest starring Thor in April. It will be a SMASH is the Green Goliath does pick up Thor’s hammer!
In Marvel’s The Avengers Hulk famously sneaked in a sucker punch on the Odinson. In Indestructible Hulk #2 Bruce showed up Tony Stark in the labs of SHIELD and by unleashing the Hulk on Iron Man. Could the reinvigorated and bold Bruce be testing his power by going after the God of Thunder?
Two powerhouse creators on two powerhouse characters will definitely make this a smash for comic book fans!
Detective Comics #16 While the Joker has been attacking the Batman family a smoother criminal has made his power play in Gotham City. Batman forms an alliance with the Penguin? Is the fowl rogue an endangered species?
Mars Attacks KISS Big brained evil aliens versus the Rock and Roll legends in 1970’s New York in a tale inspired from the original 1976 KISS comic book.
Star Wars #1Rebels on the run. The Empire ruled. Go back in time for a new stories set before the destruction of the Death Star! The Force is with fans of the original trilogy in this new Dark Horse series from Brian Wood.
Superior Spider-Man #1 After the shocking events of Amazing Spider-Man #700 there’s a brand new Spider-Man vowing to be superior to Peter Parker!
Wolverine and the X-Men #23 Wolverine vs. Frankenstein!? Yes, Wolverine vs. Frankenstein! Will one of Logan’s students become a victim of the Murder Circus?
Marvel will launch a new force of female fury in Fearless Defenders starring Valkyrie and Misty Knight. More of Marvel’s finest women (including Dani Moonstar of New Mutants) will join as the title progesses. Writer Cullen Bunn, Editor Ellie Pyle and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort talked about the new team on Marvel.com.
“The team will come together slowly over time, but Valkyrie and Misty Knight are in the forefront. They are the co-leads. If ever there an odd couple, I can’t imagine more of one than Brunnhilde and Misty. They’re fun to write individually, but they’re so much fun to write when they’re interacting with one another. They immediately set this team apart from any other super hero group out there.
Fearless Defenders #1 courtesy Marvel
We’re introducing a new villain right off the bat from the first issue. She’s seen an opportunity because there are no shield maidens in operation right now. There’s a void. This woman starts working some very bad mojo that puts Valkyrie on the defensive immediately; it’s her fault. We’ll meet the Doom Maidens who are exceptionally bad news,” said Bunn.
“This is not a traditional team. They don’t have a headquarters. There’s a whole slew of characters who will pass in and out of the book. Valkyrie, Misty Knight and Dani Moonstar are there for the long haul. It’s different from the average Marvel group book” explained Brevoort.
Valkyrie and Misty will be joined by a new warrior designed by Phil Jiminez.
Fearless Defenders #3 courtesy Marvel Comics
“The character on the cover to issue #3 is a new member of the group, Hippolyta, somebody we’re bringing back from the dead but with a new approach. We’re playing with what was there before and are introducing her in a different way.”
“She will be going by the hero name Warrior Woman–whether she wants to or not,” added Ellie Pyle.
Fearless Defenders #3 courtesy Marvel Comics
Valkyrie was the lead of Fear Itself: The Fearless. Bunn co-wrote Val’s epic quest that took her on a world tour of the Marvel Universe and interacting with heroes, villains and demons of all genres. This new book will same the same versatility and variety.
“This book opens itself up to any number of genres. It the first arc, we see Misty more in Valkyrie’s world, but it will be just as much fun when we see Valkyrie on a street level.
“The cast will rotate depending on the arc. Brunnhilde has been tasked with assembling a new group of valkyrie. She’ll bring together eight women she feels are worthy. That said, I don’t intend to write every arc with a nine member team. We will have smaller groups and we will have guest stars who are not core cast members. When the full team comes together, it’s for a huge, world-destroying threat.”
“Valkyrie came out of The Fearless with a new found sense of purpose that overwhelmed her and swallowed her up.”
Fearless Defenders launches in February. Will Sliney is the artist. Mark Brooks provides covers.
Here’s the Marvel.com link for the entire liveblog.
I’m thrilled. I love Valkyrie, Misty Knight, The Fearless and The Defenders not to mention Dani Moonstar. This may be my new most anticipated Marvel Now book of 2013!
Ok you had me with Brian Wood but then Olivier Coipel! I’m giddy!
Marvel shared a teaser in USA Today of what is sure to be a huge new series. Given the XX and DNA strand of the image – all evidence points to a new X-Men book.
Brian Wood (Ultimate Comics X-Men, The Massive, Star Wars, Mara) wrote a phenomenal X-Men arc in 2012 featuring Storm, Psylocke, Domino, Colossus and Pixie that introduced the concept of Proto-Mutants. I called it the Torchwood of X-Men team. One of those Proto-Mutants turned out to be alive and so maybe this potential new X-book could star the oldest living mutant on Earth?
