Category: Books

Thor & Kid Loki Crossover- Updated

Everything Burns promotional art by Stephanie Hans courtesy Marvel.com

  Thor & Kid Loki team up to save the Nine Realms from Surtur in Everything Burns a 7 part crossover between The Mighty Thor and Journey Into Mystery by Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen, Alan Davis and Carmine di Giandomenico. Marvel revealed the story, cover and promotional art at C2E2. 

  Updated: The crossover will kick off this August in The Mighty Thor #18-#22 and Journey Into Mystery #642-#645.  Fraction and Gillen talked with Marvel.com about the event.

 “It’s an epic,” Gillen says, explaining who will take on a prominent role in the story. “Thor and Loki are the heart of it all, but everyone else is the circulatory system around them, pumped full of fiery blood, ready to explode. Any significant player in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY at least has a moment, and several are absolutely key.”

The Mighty Thor #18 cover by Alan Davis courtesy Marvel.com

 “This story is about asking the question ‘What can break the bonds of brotherhood?’” Fraction asserts. “How long can Thor stand at Loki’s side? How many angles can Loki play at once? What Thor and Loki share is inconceivable to everyone but themselves. So whatever breaks it would have to be beyond comprehension, right?”

 For the entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.

 

  

New Gambit Solo Series

 

Gambit #1 courtesy Marvel

  Marvel announced a new Gambit series by James Asmus (Captain America & Bucky, Generation Hope)and Clay Mann (X-Men Legacy) debuting this August.

 “This story will break Gambit out into the larger Marvel Universe. We are trying to make it as accessible to new fans as well as everyone who loved Gambit in the past,” said Asmus.

  Before he was a hero, Remy LeBeau was a master thief. Remy’s criminal past came back to haunt him – especially his connection to Mister Sinister and the Mutant Massacre.

“He’s one of the greatest thieves in the Marvel Universe,” Asmus continued and confirmed Rogue will play a part in the series.

Here’s the C2E2 Next Big Thing panel play by-play on Marvel.com.

This Geek’s Opinion: I’m a big fan of James Asmus and Clay Mann’s art. I love Gambit but as part of a team. Remy is currently part of X-Men Legacy, where’s a slow burning attraction building with Frenzy, and Astonishing X-Men. This new series is in the aftermath of AvX so who knows what twists and turns are coming for the mutants. I will definitely give it try.

For the entire panel replay here’s the Marvel.com link.

By Editor

New Captain Marvel Series Update

 

Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel courtesy Marvel

   A little more news at the C2E2 Marvel Next Big Thing panel about the upcoming Captain Marvel series. Kelly Sue DeConnick will helm the new series starring Carol Danvers with art by Dexter Soy and cover by Ed McGuiness.

  In issue #2 DeConnick will introduce the Banshee Squadron- which sure sound like villains. DeConnick said her pitch for the new series was “Carol Danvers as Chuck Yeagher” and focus on her as a pilot so may these are high-flying female threats or allies to the former Ms. Marvel. In the panel the writer likened them to a new school Howling Commandos.

 “I love Mystique so much,” was DeConnick’s response when a fan asked if the mutant shape-shifter would appear. 

 Here’s the link to my interview with Kelly Sue DeConnick at Emerald City Comicon about Captain Marvel and the new costume.

  It was revealed DeConnick will team with Terry Dodson for an upcoming arc of Avenging Spider-Man. Issue #9 will guest star Captain Marvel.

By Editor

Sabretooth Reborn

 

Wolverine #310 courtesy Marvel.com

Sabretooth is back! At the Marvel Cup of Joe panel at C2E2 it was announced Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi will reunite for Sabretooth Reborn picking up where they left off in Evolution. The team take over Logan’s solo title with Wolverine #310 this July. Cloak & Dagger will be part of the arc.

 

Wolverine #311 courtesy Marvel

Logan beheaded his archrival with the muramasai blade, which negates their healing factor. Sabretooth turned up in Jason Aaron’s final Wolverine arc and in Wolverine and the X-Men, where Victor Creed is working for the new Hellfire Club.

  To see the entire panel transcription here’s the Marvel.com link. By Editor

Hawkeye Series by Fraction & Aja

Hawkeye #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  Matt Fraction reunites with David Aja for a brand new Hawkeye series debuting this August. The duo (along with Ed Brubaker) last worked together on The Immortal Iron Fist. The announcement was made at C2E2 in Chicago.

  Aja told Marvel.com his lifelonglove for the Avenging Archer is what led to the reunion.

 “Hawkeye was one my favorite characters when a kid,” he recalls. “One of first Marvel comics I read was Avengers #25, and I [fell] in love with [the] guy; he acted as real person, was a complete jerk, so I suppose I identified with him.”

 For Fraction Hawkeye represents a challenge after taking on the X-Men, Iron Man, and Thor.

 “Never had the chance to write a character like him, or to do a book like this before,” the writer reveals. “And I wanted to chronicle him in an ongoing series because it’d keep me from getting bored. Repetition bores me to death. I had this idea for how to do a book that wasn’t like anything else we’d seen him in before, wasn’t like anything I’d done before, and couldn’t stop thinking about.”

Hawkeye #2 courtesy Marvel.com

 Fraction went on the describe this series as Clint’s life outside of team and what drives him after the events of AvX. I was excited that Kate Bishop (you could call her Lady Hawkeye of the Young Avengers) will be in the series.

  “She’s his junior partner, his apprentice,” says Fraction. “It’s a very Avengers relationship—meaning Steed and Peel—and she’s as adrift as he is. What the hell are these two doing with their lives? Turns out, helping people is what they have to do to get through the night. In costume, in life, doesn’t matter. Good guys don’t punch a time card at 5:00.”

For the more quotes from Fraction and Aja here’s the Marvel.com link.

Fraction is one of the luckiest writers at Marvel. Iron Man and Thor movies were released during Fraction’s early runs on the those series. I don’t remember his clever quote exactly (at an Emerald City Comicon panel) but I think it went something like “nice of Marvel to do a million dollar promo for my comic book.”

  Hawkeye awareness will be at at all time high with Marvel’s The Avengers out May 3rd and then Jeremy Renner (who plays Clint Barton) is on the big screen again in August for The Bourne Legacy. Good timing for a Hawkeye launch.

  Hawkeye is currently leader of Secret Avengers under Rick Remender but that book is changing direction to tie-in with AvX. I hope after the event Hawkeye and his covert team return to their secret missions and Remender can continue The Descendants plotline he started.

By Editor

AvX: A Geek Divided

  I am a geek divided and torn. When it comes to AvX– there’s no doubt, I want the X-Men to win. They were my first comic book. They are the characters I can identify with the most. I love Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Luke Cage and more Avengers but I’ll always love mutants more.

 I’ve been declaring “Cyke is Right” and now I realize how close that is the “Magneto Was Right” t-shirt worn by Quentin Quire and other radical young mutants.

  Cyclops has been the leader the mutants needed. Even Professor X and Magneto have bowed to him. With AvX even Erik is questioning Scott. I think in her heart Emma Frost may be too.

Avengers vs. X-Men #2 interior preview art courtesy Marvel, a Comics Newsarama exclusive

  I just saw a preview of AvX #2 Marvel provided Comics Newsarama. The way this is written, the way the other characters react to Scott – it just made me think even more about a theory of mine – Cyclops is under the influence. He still has a remnant of the Void locked in his head. Scott is a great leader and strategist but is his zealot like attitude against the Avengers due to that sliver of evil that existed in the Robert Reynolds/The Sentry?

  Maybe the Phoenix can burn the Void out of him? I hope the X-Men win but I believe Cyclops will pay a terrible price for victory.

Get America’s Got Powers

America's Got Powers courtesy Image Comics, Jonathan Ross, Bryan Hitch

  If you think kids killing kids in The Hunger Games is twisted – add more violence, foul language, killer bots and take out the love triangle and enjoy the wicked fun that is America’s Got Powers #1.

  The biggest game television show on Earth features super powered teens in death matches for fame and fortune. Tommy Watts is part of the comic relief sideshow in the world’s most violent reality series until the competition goes tragically wrong and he’s thrust into a role he’s only dreamed of.

  This is from the minds of writer/comedian Jonathan Ross and artist Bryan Hitch and Image Comics. The story takes familiar elements and turns them into something twisted and new while skewering society’s obsession with youth, violence as entertainment, reality television. I’m intrigued by the promise of the conspiracy behind this television show and invested in Tommy, reluctant young everyman hero who may be a terrifying super-man.

 By Editor

The Next Great X-Villain Is Here

Uncanny X-Men #10 courtesy Marvel

  Kieron Gillen is firing on all wicked cylinders with Uncanny X-Men #10. AvX is taking over for a while but I can’t wait to see what happens next with the devious plot threads he launched with this issue.

  Unit is an alien computer-like creation that’s cold and clinical. He’s a chilling hybrid of C3PO and Hannibal Lecter – that’s Gillen’s description and it’s spot on! I say he could be the X-Men’s Ultron. 

  Unit stages a prison break unleashing alien criminal across Earth and uniting the X-Men and Avengers one last time before AvX. But Unit’s real objective is the mutant messiah.

  Scott’s Extinction team of most powerful mutants is skillfully taken apart with cold precision by Unit. The monster’s endgame is an audience with Hope with the promise (or is it a lure) of learning about the Phoenix.

  Watch for two big confrontations for Cyclops in this event filled issue. Due to Scott’s actions Steve Rogers sees a different side of the mutant – planting the seeds for how each leader may strategize against each other in AvX. Abigail Brand of S.W.O.R.D. and Cyke have a testy moment where they share dark secrets and the beginning of  darker covenant.

  Oh and I if you love Emma Frost and Colossus – there are some surprises for them in this issue too that will reverberate into future stories.

And I freakin’ love Adam Kubert’s cover – it’s a perfect representation for what Gillen does to the team and this book.

By Editor