Marvel NOW! All-New X-Men

Marvel NOW! image by Joe Quesada courtesy Marvel and EW

  One of the most controversial elements of the Marvel NOW! relaunch is the return of Jean Grey and a new X-Men book by Brian Michael Bendis. Regenesis was just a year ago in which Uncanny X-Men was relaunched with a new #1 and Wolverine and the X-Men debuted. Now the man who reshaped and guided the Avengers franchise for 8 years is taking on the Children of the Atom. This is the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, Iceman)from the 60’s transported to the present day. These teens do not like what they say.

“The X-Men is a tough nut to crack,” Brian Michael Bendis tells Entertainment Weekly. “It’s the Robert Altman movie of comics. There’s thousands of characters, all of which have a website dedicated just to them. I wanted to make sure I had a take that was unique.” So when it came time to plan for Marvel NOW!, Bendis — who’s been Marvel’s go-to Avengers guy for close to eight years — remembered an idea that had been floating around the Marvel writers’ retreats for a long time. “It was about the original X-Men. If they saw what the Marvel universe was now…well, it’s so much worse than the Days of Future Past that they’re always worried about. This would scare the crap out of them.”

  Jean Grey in all her incarnations is one of the most beloved characters. It was a question of when she would come back from the dead (again.)

Jean Grey image by Joe Quesada courtesy Entertainment Weekly

  “It’s the one thing X-Men fans have always asked for is: They want Jean Grey back. But they want Jean Grey. Not reincarnated Jean, or the ghost of Jean. Well, you’re getting Jean back. And Jean is gonna be looking at a world that rattles her.”

  Stuart Immonen (New Avengers, Fear Itself) is the artist on the title debuting in November. For more of the Bendis interview here’s the EW link.

 By Editor

Marvel NOW!

Marvel NOW! image by Joe Quesada courtesy Marvel and EW

  Marvel’s post Avengers vs X-Men plans appear to be a relaunching the universe under the initiative Marvel NOW!

  Expect new creative teams, new series launches and relaunches starting in October 2012 through February 2013. Details and this image by Joe Quesada are in the Comic-Con issue of Entertainment Weekly.

 These are the 3 titles to be announced in EW:

Uncanny Avengers: A blended Avengers/X-Men book written by Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force) and illustrated by John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men), with a cast including Captain America, Thor, Rogue and Havok. Remender is quoted by EW as calling the series a “bridge book” “that can delve into both worlds,” though post-AvX tension will be apparent. Starts in October.

All-New X-Men: As long-rumored, Brian Michael Bendis is writing the X-Men, specifically the original five. Still teenagers, they time travel to the present-day Marvel Universe, and aren’t pleased with what they find. “It’s not a time-travel story like Back to the Future,” Bendis is quoted. “It’s a time-travel story like Pleasantville,” with “character-based drama more important than the sci-fi aspect. Art from Stuart Immonen; starts in November.

Avengers: Now a biweekly series written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Jerome Opeña, the book will include “18 or more” Avengers team members, and “feature a combination of one-off stories and longer, galaxy-spanning multi-issue arcs.” Starts in December.

Thanks to Comics Newsarama.

The biggest mystery solved is the “return of Jean Grey?” tease. This will be a pre-Phoenix Jean along with the original five X-Men in the Bendis book.

By Editor

What do you think?

Top 5 Comic Picks for 7/4/12

Avengers vs. X-Men #7 courtesy Marvel

Avengers Vs. X-Men #7 Cyclops declares “No More Avengers!” What does this mean for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? If the Phoenix Five can destroy and remake entire planets how can Captain America and his allies hope to escape?

Earth 2 #3 DC Comics reintroduced Silver Age favorite Alan Scott as an openly gay man. This issue shows us how he becomes the Green Lantern. Plus, the Flash hunted by Hawkgirl?

Knights of the Living Dead Volume 1 Full disclosure – I’m picking this just on the title alone. I  have not read a single issue but come on – a mashup of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and zombies!

Peanuts Volume 1 Snoopy, Charlie Brown and whole gang are back in brand new stories and classic Sunday strips from Charles M. Schulz. This volume collects the first four issues of the series.

Wolverine #310 courtesy Marvel.com

Wolverine #310 No head, no problem. Logan decapitated his archenemy. How is Sabretooth back? The creative dream team of Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi return with sequel of one of Wolverine’s most epic stories.

The Joker Returns in “Death of the Family”

 

courtesy DC Comics

  The Joker, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. You could call it a dream team. Call it Batman’s nightmare. The most infamous villain in comic book history is back.

  DC Comics revealed the Joker is back this October. When The New 52 launched last September the Joker met a horrific fate at the end of Tony Daniel’s Detective Comics #1. The Joker’s face was carved off and he hasn’t been seen since.

  October’s Batman #13 by Snyder and Capullo kicks off the “Death of the Family” storyline. DC teases the classic villain will be used in “dark, horrifying, unnerving” way and the return will affect Batman, the Bat-family and Gotham City.

  “Joker is my favorite villain of all time,” Snyder revealed today on The Source. “Not just in comics. In everything – film, books, TV. He’s the greatest, hands down. So this story is something extremely important and personal to me – something I’ve been building in my head ever since I started working in Gotham.”

  “When Scott told me that he’d written a Joker story for our next arc, I couldn’t contain my excitement,” added Capullo. “Talk about a dream come true! For me, the Joker is the ultimate rogue and the villain I most wanted to draw. I gotta tell you, after hearing what the story is about, this isn’t a dream come true. It’s a nightmare! A macabre and bloody, flesh crawling nightmare. We hope you’ll have the nerve to face what’s coming. Warning: It ain’t for the faint of heart!”

  Given the cliffhanger of Detective Comics #1 could the classic villain be sporting a new face?

  “Wait ’til you see him,” Snyder said. “Greg’s sketches literally gave me chills. Point blank: This is Joker like you’ve never seen him before. He has a mission. He has a secret. And he has a serious axe to grind with Batman. It isn’t going to be pretty, but it’s going to be a wild ride.”

  This will be the first major story with the Joker in the relaunched DC continuity. The story title makes you think of  the classic “Death in the Family” story in which the Joker killed Jason Todd. There’s no official word on if the Joker’s return will mean a crossover with other Bat-family titles like Night of the Owls. With a title like “Death of the Family” could the Joker’s new plot be to destroy Batman’s alliances with the other heroes of Gotham City? Could the Joker have been masquerading as another character this past year in the New 52?

By Editor

Avengers vs X-Men Final Act “There Can Only Be One”

AvX #9 teaser courtesy Marvel

  It’s a one-two cosmic teaser punch hinting at the return of a fan favorite mutant. Earlier today EW revealed a Jean Grey teaser image. Now Marvel revealed this teaser image for the third and final act of the Avengers vs X-Men event.

  The Phoenix emblem worn by Jean Grey is blazing in cosmic fire as the hands of (X-Men?) are reaching for it with the slogan “There Can Only Be One.”

Here’s the solicitation accompanying the image:

  This August, the comic book event of the year – Avengers VS. X-Men – reaches critical mass as Earth’s Mightiest make their last stand against the Phoenix Force. But when the Phoenix Force yearns for a single host, who will it choose? There can only be one! Act Three kicks off in Avengers Vs. X-Men #9.

Expect more teasers and reveals between now and Comicon International but enjoy the speculation.

By Editor

Is Jean Grey Returning After Avengers vs. X-Men?

Jean Grey image by Joe Quesada courtesy Entertainment Weekly

  The Phoenix is back. The entity was destined to bond with Hope Summers but (due to Iron Man’s intervention) is hosted by the Phoenix Five (Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Magik and Namor.) Another famous mutant with red hair may be back.

 Entertainment Weekly unveiled a tease with art by Marvel CEO Joe Quesada sure to get X-Men fans in a frenzy!

Here’s what’s accompanies the image: 

   To answer your questions: Yes, this is Jean Grey — as in, the Jean Grey who’s been absent from Marvel comics ever since dying for a second time back in the mid-00s. And yes, she is modeling her vintage blue-and-yellow X-Men outfit from her Marvel Girl days. Does this mean that the fan-favorite character is finally returning? We can only confirm that her presence in the Marvel universe will not be imaginary. This will not be part of the Ultimate line-up. She will not be a zombie hologram, like Shard on X-Factor. What could this all mean? Check back tomorrow, when all the secrets will be revealed. (Or some of them, anyhow.)

  EW characterizes the Jean Grey news as part of “an upcoming initiative by Marvel Comics that will build off the current Avengers vs. X-Men crossover and radically alter the Marvel universe as you know it,”

Thanks to Comics Newsarama.

Phoenix: Endsong #1 Cover by Greg Land. Marvel.com

 The “return” of Jean Grey? The former host of the Phoenix Force died (a second time depending on how you look at it) in New X-Men #150. Jean ascended to a higher plane (the white hot room) and encouraged Scott to be with rival Emma Frost and rebuild the school – thus preventing a horrific future.

 I’ve been speculating that the Scott/Emma era may be over and that Cyclops will be sacrificed or face a heavy loss before Avengers vs X-Men is over. Namor wants Emma. Cyclops would never commit to her – as in propose. An upcoming AvX cover image shows Scott and Emma in Phoenix forms attacking each other. Marvel may be plotting cosmic level breakup! 

  As I posted back in November – I love you Jean. I hope you stay dead. I may be in the minority on this issue. Let the speculation begin.

By Editor

 

Christopher Nolan on “The Bat” in The Dark Knight Rises.

 

The Dark Knight Rises courtesy Warner Brothers

  Batman amps up his arsenal to fight Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. “The Bat” is Bruce’s plane/chopper hybrid debuting in Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film. The director spoke with SFX Magazine about Batman’s crime fighting tech.

  “Batman has always been the most grounded of superheroes because he is just a man whose only identifiable superpower is extraordinary wealth, really. He has resources through Morgan Freeman’s character, Lucius Fox, and his control of Wayne Enterprises, to have all kinds of technology at his disposal. In this film, we explore some interesting new gadgets – some quite startling things, I think. But, at the same time, we tried to never lose of sight of the balance between the technology he uses and his basic humanity – the drive and commitment to justice that comes from him as a man.”

Thanks to Flicks and Bits.

By Editor

The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20th. You may have noticed on the sidebar of this site that you can buy tickets early via Fandango (top of sidebar) and collector gift cards (choose from Batman, Catwoman or Bane) for your Bat-friend (bottom of sidebar.)

 

Len Wein on Before Watchmen Ozymandias

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1 cover by Jae Lee courtesy DC Comics

  Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1 is out this week. Len Wein was editor of the original Watchmen 12 part series. Wein is writing the new miniseries starring the “smartest man on the planet.”

 

In an interview with the legendary creator at Fan Expo Vancouver I asked Wein about his role as editor then versus writer now and how it relates to the new stories of Before Watchmen. Continue reading Len Wein on Before Watchmen Ozymandias