This is the showdown of the week! Bucky Barnes is the toughest, coolest hero in the Marvel universe but is he ready for the ultimate villain or is he Doomed?
Russian super soldiers on ice have been thawed and sold to a sinister buyer. Bucky and Black Widow’s mission has gone bust. Machine gun-toting gorillas were bad ass but now Bucky faced a seriously angry Doctor Doom. The Winter Soldier #3 is out this week by Seattle’s Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice.
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes assemble on a brand new movie poster revealed on Marvel.com. The Avengers are in the rubble of a battle weary Big Apple ready for action. A new trailer debuts tomorrow on Apple.
What is that I spy in the sky behind our heroes? Is that an alien or SHIELD ship on fire? Maybe tomorrow we’ll know more about Loki’s secret army? And I’d like to see Maria Hill in action too.
The Black Widow is Marvel’s sexiest and most dangerous super spy. Natasha is starring in the Secret Avengers, The Winter Soldier with her lover Bucky and will have a role in Avengers Vs. X-Men. And then there’s that little movie you might have heard about during the Super Bowl.
Marvel’s The Avengers features Scarlett Johansson as the super spy on the big screen. Fans can dive into a new Widow limited series set in the cinematic Marvel Universe. The spy goes back to Russia to stop an international crisis and demonstrates how lethal she can be. Marvel’s The Avengers: The Black Widow Strikes is set between Iron Man 2 and the Avengers movies writer Fred Van Lente tells Marvel.com.
“Black Widow is running down some loose ends from Iron Man 2, namely some bootleg Stark technology that Justin Hammer made. It’s her and Agent Coulson going into Russia, but you’ll also probably see Nick Fury and the other heroes as necessary.”
“For this series, I’ve given Black Widow a kind of fan/stalker–a freelance espionage operator who has modeled herself on Black Widow,” explains Van Lente. “She’s attempting to usurp the Black Widow title from Natasha, so these two are in competition with one another.”
“I took my inspiration for this series from Joss Whedon’s script for Marvel’s the Avengers, which I was lucky enough to read,” says Van Lente. “He does a good job making her inclusion on the team perfectly believable.”
“This is on the same scale as the Marvel movies. We’re working closely with Marvel Studios to have it integrate seamlessly with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Once this is over, they’re welcome to use any of my ideas here for a movie,” Van Lente says with a chuckle. “It was fun to talk to the studio and see what they have in mind for Black Widow, but who knows where she’ll be after Marvel’s The Avengers‘; maybe she doesn’t even make it out at the end?”
For the entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
A Geek’s opinion: I’d love to see a Black Widow solo movie (vs. Yelena?) but I’d much rather see Natasha partner with Steve Rogers in Captain America 2 where she meets The Winter Soldier/Bucky.
I love spies. I love gorillas. Ed Brubaker had me with a machine gun firing giant gorilla in the premiere issue. You can’t do that in a James Bond flick. The cool factor blasts even higher in The Winter Soldier #2.
Can we just take a moment to wipe the drool away after gazing upon Lee Bermejo’s cover? Seeing this there’s no doubt the Winter Soldier and Black Widow are the sexiest, coolest characters in the Marvel universe.
Brubaker takes us on a wild ride as Bucky and Natasha track down Russian sleeper agents, the mystery villains behind the conspiracy and oh yeah, someone had the cahones to attempt assassinate Doctor Doom. He was not amused.
Butch Guice’s art is a perfect fit for Brubaker’s plot. You feel you’re in a the darkest underworld of the Marvel Universe.
Another winner. A killer teaser image from the next chapter. This is building up to something huge – accept this mission!
Side note: A non comic book reading friend was browsing through this issue and was impressed. He’d seen Captain America: The First Avenger so when I told him who the Winter Soldier really is…a big smile crept on his face saying that will be awesome (referring to a possible sequel based on The Winter Soldier.) If that sounds like a hint…it is.
Batman #6
Batman is broken and bleeding in the Court of Owls’ psychedelic deathtrap underneath Gotham City. Did their relentless assassin Talon really gut the Dark Knight? After last issue’s Black Swan style mind tripping issue – I believe anything is possible!
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #1
Before Obi-Wan, before Yoda – on a distant planet an order of warrior monks strive to learn the secrets of the Force but a stranger is coming to claim this power for his own. The creative team behind Star Wars Legacy reveals the mythic origin of the Jedi Knights.
The Misadventures of Adam West #1
The actor who played Batman in the camp-tastic tv show has his own outrageous comic. Magic and imagination send Adam West across time, space and alternative dimensions to fight crime.
The Winter Soldier #2
Bucky and Black Widow are Marvel’s hottest couple and coolest spies. The former Captain America must stop an army of stone cold super assassins and this may lead to an impossible mission: prevent the killing of Doctor Doom! Who has the balls to try to take out Marvel’s ultimate villain?
Army of Darkness #1
Based on the cult classic Sam Raimi film – A new chapter begins for the Army of Darkness saga. “Ash” played by Bruce Campbell in the movies is joined by a new female ally in his war against the Deadites that takes them to ancient Egypt. Bring your chainsaw and join the fun.
By Editor
Even with powerhouses like Thor, Hulk and Iron Man you need some heroes that can be your stealth operatives. Earth’s Mightiest heroes have expert archer Hawkeye and superspy Black Widow. Avengers Assemble by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley is a new series to get you primed for Marvel’s The Avengers on the big screen.
Clint and Natasha are extraordinary people but they don’t have the powers of Cap, Iron Man, Thor or Hulk. Marvel.com revealed new preview art plus Bagley revealed how he’s making sure the non-powered Avengers never get lost in the background.
“Hawkeye is the cocky buccaneer of the team—always has a smile on his face and is ready at a moment’s notice to write a check his butt can’t cash,” says Mark Bagley. “Natasha has earned her place on the team and [writer] Brian [Michael Bendis] will treat her thusly. She certainly isn’t going to be the ‘chick’ character.”
Avengers Assemble #1 hits stores March 14th.
Bucky Barnes is back in his own series stalking the underworld of the Marvel Universe. Bucky faked his death, gave the Captain America role back to Steve Rogers and suited up as the Winter Soldier again.
Bucky and Black Widow are on the trail of Russian sleeper agents before an army of Winter Soldiers is unleashed on the world. New readers get a quick recap but the focus is on the mission. The villains behind the conspiracy are an exciting surprise.
Ed Brubaker calls Bucky and Natasha “the Mr. and Mrs. Smith” of the Marvel Universe. The chemistry is smoldering. They share a passion for each other and thrill of the espionage game. Butch Guice’s art is dark, sexy and full of energy. The new series builds on the best elements from Bucky in Captain America and blasts into its own direction.
This debut is a thrilling mix of superheroics and James Bond. Bucky is out of Cap’s shadow. The Winter Soldier #1 shows why he’s the best man to operate in the shadows of the Marvel Universe.
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
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?