All-Female FEARLESS DEFENDERS

 

Fearless Defenders #1 courtesy Marvel

  I am THRILLED to share this news! Two of Marvel’s Finest, Fiercest Females will star in a brand new Marvel Now series! Comics Newsarama reports that Fearless Defenders will star Valkyrie and Misty Knight in a follow-up to Fear Itself: The Fearless.

  I have been sharing my hope that Valkyrie of The Fearless and The Defenders would live on in the Marvel Now. Now I guess we’ll see if they are two great concepts that taste great together?

  Cullen Bunn (Venom, Wolverine) will write the new series with Will Sliney on art. Bunn scripted the excellent Fear Itself: The Fearless 12-part series that I may have posted over and over that I LOVE. I think Misty Knight kicks ass but I absolutely love Valkyrie so you can imagine my excitement!

 

Fear Itself The Fearless #9 courtesy Marvel

  According to the CN story – Dani Moonstar of the recently ended New Mutants has found a home in the Marvel Now – YES! Dani was once a Valkyrie and recently made a deal with Hela during the SIEGE saga. More female characters will joining the team too.

 “The basic idea of the book is that Valkyrie is choosing a new team of Valkyrior, and she’s been asked to choose all these women from the heroes of Midgard, instead of from Asgard. She has completely failed in this task. [Laughs.] Valkyrie has been unable to choose anyone that she feels is worthy to be one of the hosts of the shield maidens. So she just hasn’t done it. She’s dropped the ball,” Bunn tells CN.

  “Because she’s not done what she said she would do, nature — or supernature, as it is — abhors a vacuum. The absence of the Valkyrior has opened the door to something terrible. Something awful is waking, and Valkyrie finds that it’s really her fault that she’s put everything at risk.”

Fear Itself The Fearless #2 courtesy Marvel

  Bunn had heroes and villains after Valkyrie in the earlier limited series but he’s plotting new enemies for her and Misty in the new series. 

  “Yeah, in the first issue I’m introducing a couple of new villains. One of them is, in my mind, the nastiest villain to ever come into the Marvel Universe. She is absolutely ghastly. At her very core, she is a horrible, horrible person, and she is capable of some really deplorable things that we’ll be seeing.

  We’re creating a new team, and I felt like it would be important to create this mastermind-type character who’s coming in to be the main antagonist for the foreseeable future for the team. She’s not the only villain you’re going to see, and you’ll some other Marvel Universe villains, but she is new, and I wanted people to believe she is a challenge for Valkyrie. Look at Valkyrie — she’s a very powerful character. This woman is definitely going to be a challenge for Valkyrie, and she’s going to be that challenge without having any powers whatsoever.”

  Fearless Defenders arrives in February 2013. I’m loving the Mighty Mark Brooks cover art up top!

 For the entire interview here’s the Comics Newsarama link.

By Editor

Fearless in the Marvel Now?

Fear Itself The Fearless #2 courtesy Marvel

Never fear! New one word teases are here! Marvel revealed a new title by Cullen Bunn (Wolverine, Venom) and Will Sliney is coming in February 2013. What could FEARLESS mean?

I hope this means a title starring Valkyrie! Why? I absolutely loved Fear Itself: The Fearless in which Bunn was one of the architects (along with Matt Fraction.) This 12-part epic starred Valkyrie on a mission for Odin that took her across the Marvel Universe and against some of the biggest heroes and villains. Valkyrie even defied the Avengers and X-Men to recover lost Asgardian artifacts.

Valkyrie has been a member of Rick Remender’s Secret Avengers team but I think it’s time Valkyrie to assume the leadership role in her own series or with her own team (maybe with former Valkyrie and New Mutant Dani Moonstar?)Matt Fraction’s Defenders has ended so perhaps this is a relaunch of the non-team team – maybe Val reuniting with Hellcat?  Stay tuned!

By Editor

The Fearless Climax

Fear Itself The Fearless #2 courtesy Marvel

  Fear Itself: The Fearless comes to an exciting, emotional climax. Valkyrie defied the Avengers on a mission for Odin. The warrior’s race against Sin to find the mystical hammers left by the Serpent in Fear Itself has been gripping and fun. Valkyrie faces an emotional sacrifice in her final showdown with Sin issue 12 out now.

  Even if you loved, loathed or didn’t read Fear Itself – I highly recommend this thrilling tour of the Marvel universe packed with exciting battles, bloody fights, and shocking betrayals. We learn of Valkyrie’s haunted past and hope for love in the afterlife. She invades Atlantis, Utopia and every corner of the Marvel world with the Avengers on her trail.

  Valkyrie is definitely the star of this series but it’s packed with awesome moments: Wolverine vs. Crossbones, Doctor Strange and the Avengers vs. an army right of out Inferno plus the Valkyrie Storm fight is worth the dang series!

Fear Itself The Fearless #9 courtesy Marvel

Cullen Bunn, Matt Fraction and Chris Yost created this exciting quest for one of my favorite heroines. Mark Bagley and Paul Pelletier tag team on art with Art Adams on covers. This will likely be collected in a trade – get it!

Top 5 Comic Picks for 4.4.12

Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 This is the it! Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against the Children of the Atom with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance. The Phoenix Force is speeding to Earth. Cyclops and Captain America clash over how to respond and two teams go to war.

Wolverine and the X-Men #8 A Beast Vs. The Beast! One of Logan’s best friends in a feral furious showdown with his greatest enemy!

Fear Itself: The Fearless #12 Heroes defeated. The Serpent’s greatest warrior set to unleash her vengeance. Valkyrie’s world tour of the Marvel Universe leads to this final showdown with Sin.

Brilliant #3 Seattle college kids cracked the secret of superpowers. Will one of them abuse his new power a forsake his friends. This book is a unique take on brainiacs, the birth of powers and how heroes and villains are spawned.

Archie Meets Kiss trade paperback A spell backfires unleashing monsters on Riverdale. Rock and Roll legends team up with the Archie gang to save the town in a supernatural showdown.

 

Storm Vs Valkyrie (This Ain’t AvX)

Fear Itself The Fearless #9 courtesy Marvel

  Valkyrie Vs Storm! Fear Itself: The Fearless #9 featured a blistering battle between the X-Men’s Weather Goddess and the Warrior Woman of Asgard. This is one of the smartest written sequence with Ororo I’ve read in a long time. The power, passion and devotion of these women’s causes is felt in every panel.  

  We learn Valkyrie’s hidden reason for her mission to collect the Hammers. Doctor Strange and Captain America confront her with the truth when Sin’s forces strike. If Valkyrie is the haunted angel then Sin is the devil. I can’t wait to see these opposite forces finally clash.

  I really love this book. As a longtime fan of Valkyrie – it’s great to see her in the spotlight and taking on the Marvel universe.

Valkyrie Versus Avengers, Storm, the Marvel Universe!

Fear Itself The Fearless #12 by Art Adams courtesy Marvel and Comic Book Resources Exclusive First

  I’ve been raving about Fear Itself: The Fearless. The action packed series stars Valkyrie in a race with Sin to recover mystical hammers. The Norse warrior woman defied the Avengers in search to recover the Asgardian artifacts. The legendary Art Adams provides stunning covers for the limited series.

I was thrilled to see two preview images in this week’s Axel in Charge column on Comic Book Resources. Valkyrie is ready to strike on the cover to the final issue and another image shows Storm and Danielle Moonstar (back in her Valkyrie form) confronting Val with a hammer ready to strike.

When a fan asked about Art Adams upcoming work with Marvel, Editor in Chief Axel Alonso responded:

Fear Itself The Fearless preview cover courtesy Marvel

  “Fingers crossed we can find time for him to draw a story in “AvX: Versus.” I mean, how cool would that be?

Seriously cool! Adams starts creating covers for Secret Avengers, also featuring Valkyrie, next month.

Here’s one of my favorite Art Adams X-Men stories from the late 80’s featuring Mojo, Longshot and the X-babies.