Wolverine’s New Writer

Wolverine #305 cover by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel.com

  Cullen Bunn is taking over Wolverine’s solo book after Jason Aaron’s 3 year run. I’m a huge fan of his work starring Valkyrie in Fear Itself: The Fearless. The latest issue of that series featured a bloody brawl between Logan and Crossbones.

  “Of all the Marvel characters I’ve worked with, Wolverine’s definitely the most ‘down and dirty,’” Bunn said today on Marvel.com. “His physical confrontations are up close, personal, and bloody. He’s more visceral. I think Wolverine’s a character most of us want to be like. His ‘code’ is pretty appealing. He stands up for what he believes in. He owns up to his mistakes and he tries to make amends. His friends can count on him when the chips are down.

Fear Itself: The Fearless #7 courtesy Marvel.com

   “He doesn’t start trouble unless there’s no other choice. He doesn’t flinch—and he doesn’t take crap from anyone.”

 In his first arc Bunn said he’s bringing a nasty villain from Jason Aaron’s run back to plague Logan. 

 Cullen Bunn and Paul Pelletier take over with Wolverine #305 For the complete interview here’s the Marvel.com link.

 

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.

DC Comics Writer Shake-Ups for Justice League Dark and Stormwatch

 

Stormwatch #3 courtesy DC Comics

  Writer changes for two of edgier DC’s New 52 titles. Peter Milligan is taking over Stormwatch from Paul Cornell with issue 9. Jeff Lemire is taking the reigns of Justice League Dark with issue 9 – after the Justice League Dark, I Vampire crossover. Milligan is staying on Red Lanterns and Hellblazer.

“Stormwatch has the craziness, the paranoia and the occasional bursts of odd humor that really grab me. This is my kind of book. In other words, when I re-read Paul Cornell’s excellent first series with a view to taking over the writing duties I was really excited. And I’m excited too by what I have planned, from Stormwatch facing a ferocious character from the Red Lantern Corps, to hidden secrets being revealed about the origin of Stormwatch, and some shocking revelations about the mysterious Shadow Lords. It’s going to be a very intense ride,” Milligan told The Source.

“It’s a bit of a wrench leaving Justice League Dark, of course, and not working with the increasingly outstanding Mikel Janin. But the fact that Jeff Lemire is taking over makes me very sanguine. I think Jeff is great. And I think he’ll be great for this book. It’ll be intriguing to see how he handles the great conman mage, John Constantine, whose twisted life I’m continuing to chronicle over in Vertigo’s Hellblazer.”

Lemire is leaving Frankenstein Agent of SHADE. Matt Kindt is taking over the series.

The Authority Relentless cover by Bryan Hitch

  This Geek’s Take: I wonder if Stormwatch will evolve into The Authority like it did under the Wildstorm banner? I highly recommend The Authority trades by Warren Ellis and Mark Miller. I loved Jenny Sparks – can we reincarnate her into the New 52?

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.

UPDATED! Twitter with The Avengers Director and Stars! Samuel L. Jackson added!

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD in The Avengers courtesy Marvel.com

  Update: Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) will join today’s Twitter session!

  How many fans would love the chance to talk with Joss Whedon? I would probably be speechless or so hard trying to be cool – I’d blow all my questions.

  Marvel is giving you the rare opportunity to chat (via Twitter) with the fan favorite creator and two stars of The Avengers.

  Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Clark Gregg (SHIELD Agent Coulson) will join the writer/director Tuesday, January 31st 2pm EST for a global chat.

Fans can use the @Avengers handle and #Avengers hashtag in a live 30 minute session. The faithful will be rewarded with a :10 second preview of the :30 second commercial appearing in the Super Bowl.

For more details here’s the Marvel.com link to learn more.

X-Men First Class Cast Confirmed

X-Men: First Class courtesy 20th Century Fox

  X Marks the spot for the cast of X-Men: First Class. Following up on yesterday’s news that Matthew Vaughn will return to direct the next film – The Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision reports that the entire cast will return – including Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence.

One point the article makes is that Simon Kinberg is working on the script – he wrote the excellent Sherlock Holmes and the “critically reviled” X-Men: The Last Stand.

I hope Rose Byrne’s Moira MacTaggert is back. I think James McAvoy (will he lose his locks in the next film?) and Byrne have great chemistry to explore.

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?