Winnie the Pooh, Scooby Doo, Wolverine and Venom? Sounds like a scary MAX book! The creators and voices behind these classic characters are more reasons buy tickets for Emerald City Comicon in 2013! The stellar lineup just got more star packed!
Comic Book Creators:
Cullen Bunn (Wolverine, Venom, Fear Itself: The Fearless, Fearless Defenders)
Paul Jenkins (Origin, Batman: The Dark Knight, Sentry, Incredible Hulk)
Laura Martin Award-winning colorist (Uncanny Avengers, Avengers vs. X-Men, The Mighty Thor)
Andy Owens Inker of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Swamp Thing, Superboy
Voice Actors:
Grey DeLisle (Daphne of Scooby Doo, plus roles on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Catwoman in the Batman: Arkham Asylum videogame and the upcoming Injustice: Gods Among Us)
Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darkwing Duck)
Emerald City Comicon is March 1-3, 2013 in Seattle. Tickets are now on sale.
A+X is a fun new series in the spirit of old school team-up books like (Marvel Team-Up which starred Spidey and a different guest star each issue and Marvel-Two-In-One which co-starred the Thing.) In the aftermath of Avengers versus X-Men this is a way to let the healing begin and for fans to enjoy some unlikely duos in action together.
This week A+X #2 brings together Iron Man and Kitty Pryde against the Brood! How will the genius inventor and the X-Men’s computer wiz defeat the alien invaders? Will playboy Tony Stark resist flirting with Kitty? Good thing she’s got a dragon to burn away Brood and unwanted suitors!
A+X #2 will feature Spider-Man and the Beast against…zombies? Maybe they should call Doctor Strange for a consult?
If this turns out to be true – the Force is with us! Disney and Lucasfilm are recruiting from the X-Men movie franchise and bringing back what you could call a Jedi Master of writing from the Lucasfilm family.
Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg have signed deals to write installments of the new Star Wars trilogy according to The Hollywood Reporter. The team will write and produce but the exact responsibilities have not been divided yet.
Kinberg is writing X-Men: Days of Future Past and produced X-Men: First Class and co-wrote X-Men: The Last Stand.
Kasdan co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Still no word on how the new stories will play out. I’m still rooting for Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire book trilogy may be a story element for the new trilogy.
X-Man, Avenger, Mentor, Headmaster, Lover, Killer! Wolverine is a hero with many titles and star of many comic book titles!
Paul Cornell returns to Marvel with a brand new Wolverine series premiering in March 2013. The legendary Alan Davis will be the artist on Logan’s new solo book. Cornell talked with Marvel.com about his return to the House of Ideas and his take on the fan favorite X-Man.
“This is the series that gets into what makes James Logan tick, that shows him being, as he puts it, “a regular guy,” interacting with civilian friends of his in New York City. The most amazing thing about James is that he’s been alive so long, gone through so many extraordinary things, is such a strange being, but holds on—very hard—to being a guy who likes to hang out in bars with good company, who can run a school, who’s a decent, civilized man. Most of the time. No vampire alienation and boredom for him. He’s a man of the people. I’m going to poke that and see what happens.”
The challenge for any new writer is Wolverine’s history of iconic stories by specific writers (Weapon X, Old Man Logan). Cornell explains his big influence and how he will stake his claim in the Logan legacy.
“By looking hard at who he is, dealing with him in the here and now, exploring that voice I’m so fond of. Why does he call people “bub?” That’s now a tic that’s peculiar, that says something. I’ve been a Dad for four weeks now, and it occurs to me that James is the super hero I would be most comfortable in handing my child to. You know he’s going to take care of him, you know he’d be willing to just about die to do it, that while he’s got him, nothing is going to hurt that child. That’s what we’re going to get into: James the determined, bastard hard defender of innocents. I’m an enormous fan of Chris Claremont. I think his contribution to comics is just gigantic, that these days he’s enormously undervalued, to a degree that just staggers me. I’ll be drawing on the love of this character I felt from my childhood, and that means drawing on my own inner Claremont.'”
Wolverine: Weapon X #1 cover by Alan Davis courtesy Marvel
Cornell teases the first arc of the new series:
“James is involved in a hostage situation in the heart of New York, which spirals into an action-movie chase with him pursuing…he has no idea, and neither do we. It’s something absolutely disciplined, ruthless, and absolutely unconcerned with harming innocents. James has to do something not very nice in front of one such innocent. He’s damned if he’s going to let it happen again.
Cornell revealed he will explore the humanity of Wolverine:
“He’s one of the few super heroes who one could have a drink with. And he really should be a lot weirder. So there’s something going on there. I’ll also be examining the consequences of some recent decisions he’s made, but that would only be obvious for those who’ve been following the character lately. You can start with this first issue, not knowing anything, and absolutely know who he is, and what he does. It’s kind of a continuity-free first issue, from which we’ll gradually move to bring in wider aspects of the universe.”
Cornell reveal he’s creating a new villain and new supporting cast members (police officers, bar owners) for Wolverine’s NYC stomping grounds.
Cornell made comparisons between the X-Man and a certain caped hero of the competition when explains Wolverine’s role in the Marvel Now.
“I want it, and him, to be central. I want other titles reacting to what happens here. It’s an accident of history that WOLVERINE as a title has often been following what happens in other books, rather than originating the direction of the character because the title started so late. A new number one gives us the chance to change James’ standing a little, to make him as obvious a lead as Batman is, not just the eternal supporting character.”
Wolverine Annual #1 courtesy Marvel, a Comic Book Resources exclusive
Op/Ed: Alan Davis is on my list of (I MUST MEET THEM) comic book creators! In fact I could program an entire Alan Davis Comicon based on this amazing career which includes X-Men, Excaliburruns as writer/artist and artist with Chris Claremont writing.
Alan Davis recently brought back his ClanDestine in several Marvel Annuals including Wolverine, drew Ed Brubaker’s final volume of Captain America, If you can get your hands on his Wolverine graphic novel Bloodlust– grab it!
For Cornell’s entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
Captain America #1The Star-Spangled Avenger’s new adventure take a sci-fi spin. No country. No allies. Steve Rogers is alone in a bizarre dimension packed with new enemies and an amped up old villain
Indestructible Hulk #1 Bruce Banner and his monstrous alter ego working together? Meet SHIELD’s biggest, brainiest new agent!
Batwoman #14The thrilling showdown between Kate and Wonder Woman against the madness of Medusa!
Star Trek #15You’ve got to love Spock in a stache! Yes, it’s time for a brand new adventure in the Mirror, Mirror universe!
Wolverine and the X-Men #21 This may be Thanksgiving week but a terrifying new villain stalks the staff and kids of the Jean Grey School! Frankenstein’s Murder Circus turns Storm, Logan and Bobby into their strangest new showstopppers.
2013 will be the Age of Ultron! Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch reunite to reinvent the classic Avengers villain in a 10 issue limited series kicking off in March. Hitch draws the first five issues. Carlos Pacheco and Brian Peterson complete the second half of the series. Bendis and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort talked about the scope and impact on the entire universe on Marvel.com.
“Age of Ultron is about Ultron, one of our biggest villains ever, finally fulfilling his destiny, which is taking the Earth. From the very first page, Ultron has taken the Marvel Universe and everything is changed. There is a shocking amount of destruction and devastation. It started in Avengers, but it’s meant to be a Marvel Universe book. It starts everyone,” said Bendis, “This was never supposed to be my last Avengers story, it was always meant to be a Marvel Universe event.”
Age of Ultron #1 courtesy Marvel
In past events we’ve seen the slow buildup of the enemy. The writer explains that this time – it’s very different: “What would it be like to wake up one morning and have one of the Marvel Universe’s biggest villains have just taken over? How will people react?”
“This isn’t a story where the Skrulls are invading. We cut right to the chase. We’re already past that and Ultron is already here. He’s already put his footprints on the landscape. You’re immediately thrust into the heart of crazy events and things are going a million miles an hour,” adds Brevoort.
Age of Ultron #1 courtesy Marvel
The editor and writer confirmed this happens in continuity in the contemporary Marvel NOW! Marvel Universe.
You probably won’t need the back story but the creators say the seeds of this epic go back to the first arc of Mighty Avengers by Brian and Frank Cho, but the most direct prologue is Avengers #12.1, aka a Free Comic Book Day issue.
Age of Ultron #1 courtesy Marvel
“Tony Stark knew the next time Ultron came back we wouldn’t be ready. This is that time,” said Bendis.
As soon as you say Ultron you immediately think of Vision, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne but the new threat from the metal madman will affect every Marvel hero.
“It’s fair to say this is an Avengers Vs. X-Men level event. That doesn’t mean we won’t be doing other things later in 2013, but it’s Brian, Bryan, Brandon, Carlos and all the ingredients needed for a big deal project,” said Brevoort.
“If you go back to the earliest Ultron stuff, he has severe daddy issues, even for a Marvel character, and they all have daddy issues. His logic is that the only thing standing in the way of the Earth being what it can be is humanity. I’m kind of obsessed with artificial intelligence in the real world and why people are scared of it. If there were a Marvel Singularity, it would be from Ultron. This is the moment technology takes over in a hostile way,” said Bendis.
Age of Ultron #1 courtesy Marvel
“To write a story like this is incredibly scary, because Ultron coming at us with everything he has is the end of the Marvel Universe. We’re doing it,” said Bendis, “This ending is a whopper. And I’ll go ahead and say it: You can’t guess it. I’m involved in it and even I am going ‘Really?'”
“I could not be more excited for this book to hit the stands. Literally not a day has gone by over the last year where people haven’t asked me when it was coming. I know that people are looking forward to it, so to finally debut it and for it to be, I imagine, much more than people thought it was going to be, is great. It’s beautiful. It takes one of Marvel’s classic villains to a level he’s never been before, takes the heroes to a place they’ve never had to go, and ends in a way you will never guess,” said Bendis.
Age of Ultron begins with 3 issues in March 2013. The team confirmed tie-in issues in current series and some limited tie-in series.
In 2013 Cyclops’s son is back with a brand new team in a brand new book – and they’re branded Marvel Now’s most wanted! Dennis Hopeless and Salvador Larroca launch Cable and X-Force this January. Domino, Forge, Colossus and Dr. Nemesis join Cable on his new adventures. Hopeless and Editor Nick Lowe shared his take on the team and shared new art on Marvel.com.
“You get dropped smack dab in the middle of a pretty horrible situation on the first page of Cable & X-Force #1. You see our X-Force team and a bunch of dead bodies. They’re surrounded by the Uncanny Avengers who have just arrived on the scene. Things do not look good,” said Lowe.
“Cable and X-Force have tried to stop something really bad from happening and it’s gone as bad as possible. Cable has one last job to pull before he can retire from being a crazy time-hopping Askani’son. It goes awfully,” says Hopeless, “Cable comes up the team and he’s the one they have to trust, even though he doesn’t say much.”
Lowe confirmed Hope Summers plays a huge role in the book.
“The crux of my original pitch and the emotional core of the book is that Cable and Hope both want to be done with the craziness and live normal lives, but neither are very good at it,” said Hopeless of the mutant messiah and her father.
“Hope plays a unique role early on. She’s not strictly a member of the team, but in my mind, Cable doesn’t think of this as X-Force, just people who can help him with a problem. The news call them X-Force, which Cable finds asinine,” says Hopeless of the team name.
Cable and X-Force #2 courtesy Marvel
You can see Cable has a new look including an eye patch but the disease that’s cursed him since birth is gone.
“Cable no longer has the T/O virus. His arm is messed up and he’s never had to use his powers like this. He recruits Forge to help him with that, and we’ll explain why he’s not quite as crazy any more,” explains Hopeless.
Cable’s team will be on the run from Marvel Now’s newest supergroup.
“The supporting cast is basically the Uncanny Avengers. If this book is ‘The Fugitive,‘ they’re Tommy Lee Jones,” Nick Lowe explained.
Cable and X-Force #1 courtesy Marvel
“In my mind, Havok is the reason the Uncanny Avengers get pulled into this and become obsessed with finding Cable. Things have gone bad for the Summers family. His brother is in jail and now his nephew appears to be a terrorist. Rick Remender has made it very clear to me many times that they are not jackbooted thugs. There’s an interesting dynamic between the two teams,” said Hopeless of the crossover elements.
“Early on, the Uncanny Avengers are the big problem. The situations that lead to the job are less villain-based, more ‘something awful is going to happen and we have to stop it.’ We’ll roll into who caused this situation as the series continues,” he adds.
Cable has one of the most complicated backgrounds in comics. Personally there are moments when I love him and when I wish he’s stayed dead.
“Cable is an interesting character because his past is so varied. He’s not a guy who likes to talk about his feelings, but here he’s the guy with all the answers. He’s a complicated sort of guy. He’s a person who wants to make the world a better place and be a good father to his daughter, but he’s also really good at using big guns and breaking into military bases. We’re going to play with all his incarnations.”
I love this description – it’s a good way to explain who Cable is:
Cable and X-Force #1 courtesy Marvel
“Cable is Steve McQueen in the body of the T2 Terminator. He’s a super hero version of Parker. I tried to surround him with interesting characters who are really good at solving a certain kind of problem, but they don’t get along. There are some elements of the classic X-Force, but it’s wrapped around a crime story and an emotional story about a father and his daughter.” – Dennis Hopeless
Every incarnation of X-Force has had an outlaw element.
“We wanted to take the idea of X-Force as the intense paramilitary X-Men book to a new level,” said Lowe.
There will also be a new Uncanny X-Force in the Marvel Now. The X-Editor explains the difference:
“Cable & X-Force is about fugitives on the run from the Marvel Universe, criminals and murderers as far as the world can tell. Uncanny X-Force deals with the dark underbelly of the Marvel Universe and a lot of moral quagmires.”
Warpath was the angry big rebel in the first X-Force. After AvX Colossus is free of his demons but full of hate and anger.
“Colossus ends up on the team partially because where he is as a person after AvX. Things are not great. He gets sucked into all this in a way that is very much not what he plans or what he wanted,” explains Hopeless.
“Colossus is the muscle. A veteran. A guy who doesn’t get shaken under pressure,” adds Lowe.
It will be nostalgic to see Nathan and Domino together again. She was part of his Six-Pack team of mercs before joining his first X-Force.
“Domino can get you in and out of any situation,” said Hopeless, “Their relationship is interesting. They were together at one point and since then have both been through a lot. Cable was in the future for years and had a wife who died. Domino calls him on his crap, but they’re not going to jump in bed together just because they’re in the same room.”
Cable and X-Force #3 courtesy Marvel
After a long run on Invincible Iron Man Salvador Larroca is back with the Children of the Atom. You can definitely see how his style has evolved – a mix of his X-Men era and what he developed on Iron Man which is perfect for Cable and his crew.
“We talked about what roles the characters would play and then let Salva loose on the new costumes. We knew we wanted to limit the color palette and have them look not too much like super heroes, but keep the trappings. Cable needed a big mech arm because the loss of the T/O virus ravaged his body,” explains Lowe of the new designs.
“There is a story reason for why most of the characters are wearing what they are and why they have the tech they do. Salva deserves all the credit,” adds Hopeless
Hopeless confirmed the X-Force teams will interact.
“If you’ve got Cable in one book and Bishop as a villain in the other, that’s a big deal,” said Lowe.
For the entire liveblog here’s the Marvel.com link.
IFanboy scored this teaser image from Marvel that strongly suggests Paul Cornell (MI-13) and the one and only Alan Davis will team up on a brand new Wolverine series!
Alan Davis is on my list of (I MUST MEET THEM) comic book creators! In fact I could program an entire Alan Davis Comicon based on this amazing career which includes X-Men, Excaliburruns as writer/artist and artist with Chris Claremont writing.
Alan Davis recently brought back his ClanDestine in several Marvel Annuals including Wolverine, drew Ed Brubaker’s final volume of Captain America, If you can get your hands on his Wolverine graphic novel Bloodlust– grab it!
Here’s a radical thought: What if this was a Wolverine-led family book also starring Daken, X-23 and Dog, soon be seen in Wolverine and the X-Men? Davis drew an awesome X-23 (in Fang costume) during an Uncanny X-Men run in the early 2000’s.
