Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, AVX and Scarlet Witch’s Fate

Avengers The Children's Crusade #9 preview art by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel, Comic Book Resources

  When the GLAAD Best Comic Book Series Nominee Avengers: The Children’s Crusade began it marked the return of the excellent Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung on the team they created. Wiccan and Speed hoped to find, save and redeem their mother, Scarlet Witch. Their devoted teammates joined them on an adventure into Latveria through time. The heroes faces the Avengers, X-Men, X-Factor and Doctor Doom. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade is one of the most perfectly written and drawn series Marvel is publishing.

  I had no idea how pivotal this story would be to the entire fate and future of the Marvel Universe. When the series ends the Scarlet Witch will be set up for her role in Avengers Versus X-Men, the return of the Phoenix Force and her possible connection to the mutant messiah, Hope Summers will be revealed.

  X-Editor Nick Lowe answered fan questions on Comic Book Resources. The question I found interesting was if the Avengers Editors or X-Editors determined Wanda’s fate after Avengers: The Children’s Crusade?

  “It was Allan Heinberg (with input from Tom Brevoort) mapping out Wanda’s trajectory. Allan had some great ideas on the subject and somehow Tom B. didn’t ruin them all,” Lowe responded. Brevoort is the Avengers Editor.

  Will Wanda be redeemed for Avengers Disassembled and M-Day/The Decimation? Wiccan and Speed may save their mother only to see her fall in AVX. Time will tell but Heinberg and Cheung have created a real Marvel classic with Avengers: The Children’s Crusade.

 

Kitty Pryde Pregnant – Is Colossus the Daddy?

Wolverine and the X-Men preview art courtesy Marvel.com/Comic Book Resources

Kitty Pryde is pregnant.

I assume and hope Colossus is the daddy but in the X-Men world never assume.

When the cover Wolverine and the X-Men #6 revealed a pregnant Kitty surrounded by nasty Brood it sent chills through me and sent X-fans into a frenzy. In last month’s issue #4 Kitty started experiencing sudden symptoms and was soon ballooned out and ready to pop.

Today Marvel gave Comic Book Resources this exclusive preview art from Wolverine and the X-Men #5.

Did our beloved Kitty just deliver the news to Peter? If this were the real world – I’d be thrilled that Kitty and Peter were having a baby and settling down in family bliss. Continue reading Kitty Pryde Pregnant – Is Colossus the Daddy?

Spider-Men?

courtesy Marvel.com

  Marvel started spinning a web of intrigue sure to get fans guessing! This minimalist image with the message Spider-Men, June 2012.

Here’s what we know:

  Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Spidey’s The Ends of the Earth storyline ends in March. Spider-Man will fight with the Avengers in Avengers Versus X-Men – or will he switch sides? Peter is also a member of the Future Foundation. Clone Ben Reilly is in a new series The Scarlet Spider. Peter Parker is dead in the Ultimate Universe but Miles Morales wears the suit and stars in the title.

AvX image courtesy Marvel.com

   What if Marvel is spinning an army of Spider-Men in multiple locations like Batman Incorporated? I was inspired by this photo of Broadway’s Spider-Man for that theory.

 

Scarlet Witch Casting – A Geek’s Dream

 

Avengers Children's Crusade #7 by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel.com

The actresses who played The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo have cast a spell on this comic book geek. I keep picturing both stars as Marvel’s tragic mutant heroine – Scarlet Witch aka Wanda Maximoff.

  Noomi Rapace starred in the Swedish films based on the Millenium Trilogy. Rooney Mara is playing Lisabeth Salander is the American version directed by David Fincher opposite Daniel Craig.

  Both actresses are stunning on-screen in appearance and their riveting performances.

  An actress who can portray Lisabeth Salander could certainly play Magneto’s tragic daughter who became an Avenger. A fragile woman with such destructive power looming under the surface.

 

Rapace would be perfect as an adult Scarlet Witch in an Avengers sequel. The idea first came to me after seeing Rapace play a gypsy in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were raised by a European gypsy family.

  With news that Director Matthew Vaughn and the cast have signed on for a sequel to X-Men: First Class my thoughts turn to a younger Wanda – when she was in Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants. I can’t get the idea of Mara as a younger Wanda in an X-Men: First Class sequel. Producers would have to make Michael Fassbender appear older since he would be playing her father.

AvX #0 art by Frank Cho courtesy Marvel.com

  Fans’ feelings about the Scarlet Witch may change after the outcome of Avengers Versus X-Men. Wanda’s sons are trying to redeem her in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade but she could give in to her dark side and dark chaos magic again in AVX.

 By Editor

3 Comic Book Movie Vets in Savages

Taylor Kitsch as John Carter AP Photo Frank Connor courtesy Disney Enterprises

   Stars of Kick Ass, Green Lantern and X-Men Origins: Wolverine in the same movie? Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively and Taylor Kitsch star in Oliver Stone’s Savages.

  The R rated film is based on the book by Don Winslow. The story involves two pot growers who share the same girlfriend. She is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel.

  Today Universal moved up the release date to July 6th according to The Hollywood Reporter.   The studio moved it up to compete against The Amazing Spider-Man after a test screening last week. The story goes on to say the film had a hard R rating and along the lines of Pulp Fiction.

  This is one of three big movies for the Kitsch. John Carter arrives next month and Battleship in May.

AVX Zero Preview: Losing Hope?

 

AvX #0 courtesy Marvel on Comics Newsarama

  The mutant messiah and the fallen Avenger have crucial roles in upcoming Avengers Versus X-Men event. AVX #0 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron and Frank Cho will focus on Hope Summers and Scarlet Witch.

  Today Marvel gave Comics Newsarama a look at the first five lettered pages of AVX #0 and wow!

  Hope asks Cyclops about the Phoenix. A conversation between leader and messiah explodes on Utopia.

  The Phoenix Force is speeding to Earth to find a human host. Hope was born when all the severed parts of the entity regrouped in space. Maybe the entity is reuniting with the mutant is was born to bond with? Could the Scarlet Witch’s mutant power or dark magic have set all this in motion?

AVX #0 arrives in March.

For the entire album click here.

Generation Hope Preview Art – Countdown to the End

Generation Hope #16 courtesy Marvel.com

  Writer James Asmus revealed that Generation Hope is coming to an end. Sigh. The final issue is #17 but today Marvel revealed preview art by Takeshi Miyazawa from the penultimate issue #16.

  We know that Hope Summers will likely play a critical role in the upcoming Avengers Versus X-Men event but first she must survive the insane traitor on her team.

  The final showdown between Hope and Kenji is coming and Asmus teased that the insane Kenji won’t be alone in his stand against his team leader.

Generation Hope #16 courtesy Marvel.com

 

  Will the Lights join Idie at the Jean Grey School and become part of Wolverine and the X-Men? How will Hope and Cyclops resolve their conflict over the newly recovered Sebastian Shaw? How will the Laurie, Martha, Kenji triangle be resolved? Will Pixie find love with Gabriel?

  Will any of these kids survive AVX and the return of the Phoenix Force? I’ve often thought that the Five Lights could have been a creation of the Scarlet Witch’s power.

 

Generation Hope #16 courtesy Marvel.com

  For more preview art here’s the Marvel link. Generation Hope #16 hits stores February 15th.

  I know Cable is back in Avengers: X-Sanction. I hope he gets to see his daughter again. The Nathan, Scott, Hope family dynamic is strange logistically but still very moving.

Top 5 Picks for 2-1-12

Winter Soldier #1 cover from Marvel.com

Winter Soldier #1

Bucky Barnes gave the Captain America mantle back to Steve Rogers and becomes the Winter Soldier again. Partnered with the Black Widow, they are the “Mr. and Mrs. Smith of the Marvel Universe” according to writer Ed Brubaker. The Seattle writer spins new adventures of Marvel’s hottest spies as they team up to take out awakened ex-Russian sleeper agents.

Fatale #2

  This is a potent brew of crime noir and supernatural horror. Two men in two time periods chasing down the same woman. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips create dueling time crossed mysteries with the impeding dread that a poor bastard is inching closer to a demonic end. 

Batman: The Gates of Gotham trade paperback

Batman assembles some of greatest detectives in the DC Universe when a mystery as old as Gotham City challenges the Dark Knight. Batman soon learns the dark history of Gotham’s past and sins of its most famous families – including the Waynes. Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins

Assassins Creed: After the Fall trade paperback

Based on the killer video game this story follows the Russian assassin in a race against the Templars to claim a powerful artifact.

Avengers X-Sanction #3 courtesy Marvel.com

Avengers X-Sanction #3

Cable Versus Red Hulk! The mutant from the future has taken on Captain America and Iron Man – now it’s smash time with RULK! Why does Nathan have to take out the Avengers to save Hope of the X-Men?