Black Panther Returns in Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four #606 courtesy Marvel.com

  I love the Black Panther! I want Idris Elba to play T’Challa on the big screen. The Panther’s solo series (actually he had taken over for Daredevil) is over but the African monarch will appear in the famous book in which he was born. Black Panther debuted in Fantastic Four #52. Since then T’Challa has been an Avenger, a member of the FF, become King of Wakanda, married Storm of the X-Men, lost his throne and now returns to Fantastic Four #606 on May 23rd.

Jonathan Hickman tells Marvel.com about the reunion.

“In the recent past the Panther’s lost his throne and the country has seemingly lost its priceless resource [of Vibranium],” notes writer Jonathan Hickman. “Which is one of the reasons Reed Richards thinks he’s there [in Wakanda].
“Reed and the rest of the FF will get the appropriate reception that a life-long friend, intellectual peer and habitual heroes would receive.”

Mike Choi – one of my favorite artists – provided this regal cover.

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

By Editor

Top 5 Picks for 4/18/12

 

Avengers vs. X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel.com

Avengers vs. X-Men #2 Captain America wants custody of Hope. Cyclops blasted Steve off the island. The Avengers storm Utopia.

Batman #8 Bruce Wayne is battered. The Court of Owls will strike at the heart of Gotham City. This is the prelude to Night of the Owls when the Talons attack Batman’s friends and allies.  A new back story begins chronicling the secret history of Gotham City, The Court of Owls and the Wayne family.

Manhattan Projects #2 A horrific tale of altered history. Creating the nuclear bomb was just a cover for the mad science writer Jonathan Hickman is formulating in this series. This chapter delves into the hidden history of fall of Germany in World War II.

Rachel Rising #7 Rachel can see the impending death of others but her ability is a blessing and a curse. A supernatural thriller by award-winning creator Terry Moore.

Wolverine and the X-Men #9 What happened when Captain America went to the Jean Grey School? How did Steve convince Logan to come with him to Utopia? But will Wolverine remain on the Avengers side? Will the students and teachers follow their headmaster?

 

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

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

Wolverine’s Choice in AvX

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #10 courtesy Marvel

  Many of our favorite X-Men and Avengers stories are going into tie-in mode for AvX. At Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men panel at C2E2 Jason Aaron talked about the arc in Wolverine & The X-Men” saying he’s focusing on “Logan’s long, dark night of the soul” where he battles with himself over what side to choose.

“Logan makes his choice, but just because he goes that way, it doesn’t mean that everyone else at his school will make the same choice.”

Aaron notes that Iceman and Rogue will play a major role as well. The book will also feature Gladiator who will cross with his son Kid Gladiator in issue #13.

 I love Kid Gladiator and his bodyguard Warbird (she’s appearing in Marjorie Liu’s Astonishing X-Men arc.) I’ve always been a huge fan of Gladiator and didn’t know his new Shiar status.

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

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.

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