Who will be riding the Marvel Now! Wave 2? Marvel Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso told Comic Book Resources new series will launch this July. Uncanny Avengers, All-New X-Men, Indestructible Hulk were some of the new titles in the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men.
Wave 2 will launch in the aftermath of Age of Ultron. Marvel already revealed the epilogue of that event will be co-written by Neil Gaiman and introduce Angela into the Marvel Universe and the finale will have a dramatic event on Hank Pym.
Will we see new concepts like Uncanny Avengers and Fearless Defenders and new takes with new creators like Avengers by Jonathan Hickman and Fantastic Four/FF by Matt Fraction?
Who deserves to star in their own Marvel Now! series next?
Here are my picks for Marvel Now! Wave 2:
Doctor Strange Stephen Strange could be starring in his own Marvel movie but the Master of the Mystic Arts hasn’t been able to sustain his own solo book. I loved Matt Fraction’s take on Strange in The Defenders so I’d love to see Fraction or Kieron Gillen have the Sorcerer Supreme in a team-up book like the current A+X or old school Marvel Two-In-One. Angela, Neil Gaiman’s warrior angel, must team up with the Doctor – that has to be on Marvel’s agenda. Remember when the Doctor made a house call at the Xavier mansion in Nightcrawler’s Inferno? The Doctor helped bring the dead X-Man back from hell in Uncanny X-Men Annual #4 that was inspired by Dante’s Inferno. I’d love for the Doctor to help Wolverine investigate the bamf invasion at the Jean Grey School or recruit a new generation of magic based heroes.
Excalibur Captain Britain has appeared in Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force and Secret Avengers arcs. I absolutely loved the Chris Claremont and Alan Davis Excalibur run. I’d love to see the fantasy of the Claremont/Davis era mixed with the darkness of Remender in a new series of Europe based heroes by say Sam Humphries, Marjorie Liu or Joshua Fialkov? Brian Braddock could lead Meggan, Pete Wisdom, Spitfire, Widget, and the Clan Destine against revamped versions of STRIKE, Vixen, Slaymaster and the Fury.
Hank Pym as ? Henry has too many costumed aliases to list but in the aftermath of the final (?) battle with Ultron how about have Hank begin the road to redemption? I really love how Mark Waid is writing Bruce Banner in Indestructible Hulk. Banner has the monster in control and he’s working for SHIELD and proving to the world he’s just as brilliant as Tony Stark or Reed Richards. I’d love to see Pym lead a think tank of young geniuses and create new robotic heroes (you know he can’t resist the temptation to play with artificial intelligence again!) I just don’t want Wasp to take him back.
Hellcat I’ve pleaded time and again to see the return of Hellcat. My fingers are crossed Patsy Walker will turn up in Fearless Defenders with her old teammate Valkyrie. She’s the model who nabbed a super suit and demanded the Avengers welcome her, she married the Son of Satan (no, really) in a hellish marriage. I just think Hellcat could be a great escape that breaks the 4th wall in the tradition of John Byrne’s Sensation She-Hulk run.
Luke Cage and Iron Fist Love the old series. Loved Luke and Danny as part of the Avengers but the fun Fearless Defenders (Valkyrie and Misty Knight) has really made me nostalgic for these see guys together again in an ongoing series. Imagine family man Cage and playboy Rand heading up a new Heroes for Hire type series with more street level heroes like Cloak & Dagger.
Who will surfing on the Wave 2 into your local comic shop? Stay tuned!
By Editor