Batman #16 Bruce is about to confront the Joker in this critical Death of the Family chapter. The Joker’s plan is finally revealed inside Arkham Asylum. Is Batman ready the showdown? Are you ready to see what the Joker has waiting inside?
New Avengers #2 Marvel’s biggest brains gather to plan for the death of the Earth and everything? Black Panther assembles Namor, Reed Richards, Iron Man, Black Bolt and Doctor Strange but have the new Illuminati already given up?
Saga #9 The sci-fi space opera switches focus from the bounty hunter whose been track the star-crossed lovers of the series. The Will make have his own romantic hands full with an alien temptress.
Savage Wolverine #1 Logan. Shanna the She-Devil. The Savage Land. Frank Cho. That should be a ’nuff said but in just in case: Dinosaurs. SHIELD. Shanna by Cho!
X-Factor #250 Lords of Hell battle to control Earth. Will the heroes of X-Factor Investigations sacrifice themselves to stop the Hell On Earth war?
Will the Academy recognize the powerful performances and amazing talents behind 2012’s big sci-fi and comic book (I’m including James Bond because I love him and why not) based films? Here are my films, stars, creators that should be nominated plus some of my own geeky categories:
Best Picture: The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Skyfall
Best Actor: Christian Bale, The Dark Knight Rises
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games
Best Director: Christopher Nolan, Rian Johnson
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Caine, The Dark Knight Rises Javier Bardem, Skyfall Michael Fassbender, Prometheus
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises Emily Blunt, Looper
Marvel is getting a more revealing in their Marvel Now teases! Looks like legendary Thor writer/artist Walter Simonson is joining Mark Waid for an upcoming arc of Indestructible Hulk guest starring Thor in April. It will be a SMASH is the Green Goliath does pick up Thor’s hammer!
In Marvel’s The Avengers Hulk famously sneaked in a sucker punch on the Odinson. In Indestructible Hulk #2 Bruce showed up Tony Stark in the labs of SHIELD and by unleashing the Hulk on Iron Man. Could the reinvigorated and bold Bruce be testing his power by going after the God of Thunder?
Two powerhouse creators on two powerhouse characters will definitely make this a smash for comic book fans!
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes faced a new trio of villains on Mars in Avengers #1. Now Earth’s Biggest Brains are assembling to prevent a cosmic collision in New Avengers #1 this week. Jonathan Hickman is writing both series and explained the mission for each team and how they work together on Marvel.com.
“It’s about the guys who quietly, secretly run the world. It’s thematically much different than Avengers. The plan I’ve worked out is that the Avengers are the utopian Avengers, the ideal ones we want, whereas the New Avengers are real world, they live in the dark, apocalyptic world as it is,” revealed Hickman.
“The books will work in tandem. You don’t have to read both, but they are two sides of the same coin. Two different stories,” he added.
Wakanda was devastated by Namor’s invasion during Avengers vs. X-Men. Hickman says T’Challa’s home will be rocked again. In the original Illuminati stories Black Panther refused to join the inner circle but he will need them in the Marvel now.
New Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
“The catalyst is an event in Wakanda with Black Panther, the only man who told the original Illuminati it was a mistake. Something occurs so earth-shattering he sees no other course of action than to call on them,” Hickman teases, “This event is so huge than even the people in the Illuminati who do not currently like each other are forced to put differences aside.”
Hickman recently sent the Fantastic Four to Wakanda. It looks like Hickman was planting the seeds for his upcoming Avengers run.
“Going into Fantastic Four, Jonathan hadn’t even wrapped up Secret Warriors. Going into this, people know from FF what a big thinker Jonathan is and how he plays the long game. It’s an even bigger canvas here,” explains Editor Tom Brevoort.
“My Avengers pitch probably could have gotten approved as is on its own, but if I hadn’t done FF, I don’t think there’s any way my New Avengers would have gotten approved. I think it’s gonna be a sleeper hit. It’s so cool. I’m so jacked that I get to write it,” revealed Hickman.
New Avengers courtesy Marvel
Hickman confirmed the logo with the Avengers A and the Omega symbol is the logo for the New Avengers.
“Avengers is the day book and New Avengers is night. Avengers is how we want the world to be, New Avengers is how it is. One book is about life, one is about death. The logos reflect all this,” he said.
The new era begins in the aftermath of AvX, bad blood and old rivalries between some heroes.
“I don’t think people will be surprised to learn that even as these guys go about their job, some will grow to hate one another,” Hickman explained, “This is not a cheery happy story. This is the ‘Death Avengers.'”
I’m thrilled to see T’Challa as a central character in the Marvel Now. He’s a single man now. He’s the leader of a broken country.
“Black Panther is the lynchpin character of New Avengers. The central character. He’s very important to the Avengers franchise as a whole,” Brevoort explained.
“Black Panther is certainly the moral center of New Avengers,” adds Hickman.
As we say goodbye to 2012 and mark 3 months into the Marvel Now relaunch – I thought it was a good time to celebrate the new creative teams, characters and titles. Some creative gambles have paid off. Cue the music. Time for the Marvel Now pageant!
Indestructible Hulk Best Personality! Bruce Banner laughs, smiles, makes Tony Stark jealous? Mark Waid gives Bruce a new attitude and new job with SHIELD. Maria Hill gets the Hulk as a weapon.
X-Men Legacy Most WTF? I don’t know what freaky level of reality Simon Spurrier goes to when he’s writing this book. Imagine X-Man with acid hits of Jim Morrison, Paul Muad’Dib and even a little Joker. Making Legion the lead character was an ambitious move. Spurrier has taken an unlikable character and given him personality and humor. David still has the worst hairstyle in comics. As I’ve said before you’d think one of Legion’s multiple personalities could be a stylish gay man taking over long enough to give David a makeover!
Uncanny Avengers Most Potential! The book the made me scream. Rick Remender is redefining the super team concept and transforming Red Skull into an even bigger badass.
Captain America Biggest Change! How do you follow-up a beloved era of espionage? Rick Remender goes in a radically different sci-fi direction taking Steve Rogers into Dimension Z – a strange new world Jack Kirby would have enjoyed.
All New X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel
All-New X-Men Best Twist! Brian Michael Bendis evolves the Children of the Atom with a blast from the past. Professor Xavier’s five original students are thrust into their future. Seeing Jean again – is it any wonder every guy falls for her?
Thor: God of Thunder Most Badass! Thor tracks a serial killer of Gods! That could be ’nuff said but I have to say how much I love seeing Viking Thor and King Thor in Jason Aaron’s epic.
Avengers Arena Most ambitious! 16 young heroes fighting to the death? This is not just a Marvel version of Battle Royale or The Hunger Games. I was hooked with the first issue. Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker made me care me care for these newer characters I barely knew and they’re transforming a classic X-Men villain from joke to a serious and seriously sadistic threat.
Fantastic Four/FF Most Fun I’m having a blast with Matt Fraction relaunch of Marvel’s First Family and their “replacements.” Reed is taking Sue, Johnny, Ben and the kids on new adventures through space. The sudden family vacation is just a cover for something dire. While She-Hulk, Medusa, Ant-Man and Johnny’s girlfriend have been recruited to hold the fort. Action, humor, heart,
Avengers Most Inspiring! Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena’s relaunch of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is awe-inspiring! A trio of new villains, a frantic fight on Mars for the fate of Earth and Captain America assembling a diverse and huge roster of heroes. Hickman is going BIG with the Avengers – big cast, big concept, big stakes.
In Avengers #1 Jonathan Hickman went big! The Avengers confronted a God-like new enemy on the moon with disastrous results. Captain America was forced to wake the world! Which heroes answers Cap’s call? Can a bigger roster of heroes hope to defeat the powerhouse alien that wants to remake Earth? We find out in this week’s Avengers #2.
Hickman told Marvel.com how he assembled his expanded roster:
“Well, it all starts with Iron Man and Captain America, with Tony and Steve. They can smell it in the air. They sense in the same way that we in our everyday lives know that something is not right with society. We know that things aren’t functioning properly. We have an impending sense that it’s possible that calamity is right around the corner. It’s a very real thing in society right now. Whether that’s a result of too much dystopian fiction, whether that’s a result of too many horror movies, or whether that’s financial calamity, whatever it is, it’s a very real thing in society, and this book very much starts with that: the idea that very bad things are on the horizon. As a result, they begin constructing a failsafe against that, and what happens is it is triggered, and that means they have to assemble the Avengers World.
They enact the Avengers World scenario where they have to gather all the guys together. That’s kind of the first three issues, the inciting incident and the team-has-assembled kind of deal, and then we back off for three issues and we reintroduce some of the newer characters, and then we have another three-issue arc after that where the whole team is together again, and then we have three issues after that where it’s more an introduction to the other characters again, the ones that we haven’t visited yet. Anyway, it’s kind of a way to keep the velocity of the book up and at the same time introduce everyone that people may not be familiar with or brand-new characters that the readers don’t know anything about. Again, all of that is leading to something further down the road.”
In Avengers Arena #1 X-Men villain Arcade and writer Dennis Hopeless showed they meant bloody business! Young heroes of the Marvel Universe (including Avengers Academy and Runaways) woke up in a Murder World with orders to kill each other in Battle Royale style games.
In this week’s Avengers Arena #2 who will face Deathlocket? Is that a freaky as I think it is? Will another young hero die? And we meet a crew of kids with a connection to Captain Britain.
Here’s what I love about reading Jonathan Hickman. His storytelling is packed with big, bold, ambitious ideas that you find in the most epic science fiction novels. It’s smart but lean storytelling that still moves you. He challenges you while entertaining you. I was thrilled when I learn Hickman would take over based on his previous (SHIELD, Fantastic Four, FF) and current work (Manhattan Projects.) Marvel chose well.
In Avengers #1 Hickman throws Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into an epic new conflict with high level cosmic stakes and high drama. I didn’t just feel like I was reading a relaunch of a superhero book. This is the creation of a new mythology.
Imagine our heroes up against the “Space Gods” from Prometheus blended with Jack Kirby’s “New Gods.” A squadron of favorites (the movie Avengers if you will ) go on a mission to Mars in which we encounter the new threats to Earth and learn why the roster will explode with 18 or more members.
Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
This premiere issue is built on big ideas but still packed with action, fights and heart and humor. Hickman and Opena craft a pitch perfect series of moments in the Avengers showdown on Mars. Some characters barely speak in the issue but when they do it has impact. It shows how Hickman is careful with his dialogue and lets Opena’s pencils carry the story.
You can’t tell me you didn’t feel a chill when Cap “waked the world” and in that final panel we saw the future of the Avengers. Marvel has chosen well – I’m excited for the Avengers World Hickman and Opena have created.
