The All-New Marvel Now initiative is coming in December. Marvel announced the campaign starts with Avengers #24. Now, the return of the Invaders by James Robinson and revealed new details about Inhuman series by Matt Fraction.
The first Marvel Now saw the Incredible Hulk becoming Indestructible, the return of Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy and an almost-all-new Young Avengers plus new books like Fearless Defenders.
New books, new teams, new story arcs. Marvel will recharge the line with the All-New Marvel Now starting with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in December with a new #1 .NOW Entry for all readers. Marvel starts the wave of news with a fan-favorite team, a classic concept reborn and a new twist on a Marvel family.
Avengers #24.NOW is the kickoff of Rogue Planet #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic (Thor: God of Thunder) as the Avengers reassemble as a “rogue planet hurtles toward Earth.”
Avengers #24.Now hits in December, one year after Hickman relaunched the flagship title. Rogue Planet follows the massive Infinity event currently rocking the entire Marvel Universe. From the Ribic cover it looks like Hickman’s new recruits survive the showdown with Thanos and the Builders. No word on if more heroes will join the already massive team roster. Continue reading All-New Marvel Now Avengers, Invaders, Inhuman
Who will be riding the Marvel Now! Wave 2? Marvel Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso told Comic Book Resources new series will launch this July. Uncanny Avengers, All-New X-Men, Indestructible Hulk were some of the new titles in the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men.
Wave 2 will launch in the aftermath of Age of Ultron. Marvel already revealed the epilogue of that event will be co-written by Neil Gaiman and introduce Angela into the Marvel Universe and the finale will have a dramatic event on Hank Pym.
Will we see new concepts like Uncanny Avengers and Fearless Defenders and new takes with new creators like Avengers by Jonathan Hickman and Fantastic Four/FF by Matt Fraction?
Who deserves to star in their own Marvel Now! series next?
Here are my picks for Marvel Now! Wave 2:
Doctor Strange: The Oath cover courtesy Marvel.com
Marvel launches a brand new NOVA series into the Marvel Now with a superstar team but there’s a new kid under the helmet. Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness tell how teenager Sam Alexander became the new Human Rocket. Fans will now see the beginnings of the kid who debuted in Avengers vs. X-Men.
Nova #1 courtesy Marvel
“We’ll be seeing the origin of Nova and how he is learning what it’s like to be a super hero,” Loeb shares. “He’s first got to learn Continue reading NOVA Ready to Blast Off!
Tony Stark is a self-described futurist but Kieron Gillen will explore Iron Man’s hidden past in The Secret Origin of Tony Stark.
“Howard Stark has a secret. A dirty dirty secret,” Gillen kicked off the Marvel.com liveblog.
“I was walking through the airport thinking I wanted to do
something meaningful that hearkened back to the beginning of Iron Man for his
50th anniversary and also spliced in some stuff with the Guardians of the
Galaxy. I thought to do all that would be impossible. Then I had an idea. Then I
laughed, because I couldn’t do that. And now…”
An all X-women X-Men book! Brian Wood told USA Today he’s writing a new X-Men book with artist Olivier Coipel. Jubilee will be the headling character with Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Psylocke and Rachel Grey.
“I feel like as far as the X-Men go, the women are the X-Men,” Wood told USA Today. “Cyclops and Wolverine are big names, but taken as a whole, the women kind of rule the franchise. If you look at the entire world as a whole, it’s the females that really dominate and are the most interesting and cool to look at. When you have a great artist drawing them, they look so amazing and always have.”
Wood says the title begins with Jubilee bringing home an orphaned baby that may be key to the survival of humanity. Wood is bringing back Sublime but this time the villain is asking the X-Men for help. Sublime is an evolved bacteria that can take human form that was created during Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run.
Brian Wood also talked with Marvel.com about the team including his plans to build upon the history of Storm and Kitty but don’t expect a certain dragon.
“No plans for Lockheed. And if that’s the sort of stuff Jason Aaron’s getting out of the character, I’m not going to get in his way.
As far as Storm and Kitty goes, yeah, they have that bond but it’s not something I’m going to single out as a point of focus. I think there’s going to be a lot of great moments with Storm and everyone else, since she’s definitely in a leadership role and has history with everyone. Look for some Jubilee/Storm moments, actually. Storm was there when Jubilee was [first] rescued—so was Rogue, come to think of it—and there’s something very similar that’s happening in this first arc that will make for a then-and-now contrast.”
Psylocke was a member of Wood’s previous X-Men team. Elizabeth is getting a new look (as you can see from this cover and from the Uncanny X-Force cover) and new powers.
“I’m tweaking some aspects of their powers—not in a way that changes what they are, but more of an elaboration. Psylocke, for example, will have a larger arsenal of psychic weapons than just her katana. Jubilee, while still a vampire, is going to be handling those supernatural traits as if they were superpowers and not just hindrances. That’s as far as we’ve gotten, but I’m sure they’ll be other tweaks along the way. Nothing too major; this book is designed to be a sort of classic X-Men with core characterization that hits the sweet spot.”
Wood was asked about Psylocke’s role on this team given her promotion to leader of Uncanny X-Force.
“In this case, she’s the military wing of the team, as well as Storm’s informal second in command and confidant. Because of what she went through in UNCANNY X-FORCE, she sort of has an emotionally distant/emotionally overwrought thing going on; she’s dealing with a lot just under the surface despite her seeming cool and calm on the outside. That’s really meaty stuff for a writer to get into. I don’t want to say that’s the “proper” way of writing her, but I think that’s the way she should be written here.”
Brian Wood wrote an acclaimed X-Men run last year. I called Wood’s portrayal of Storm as the best since Chris Claremont in the 1980’s. The current volume of X-Men ends with issue 40 this week.
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!
THIS POST REVEALS THE ENDING OF AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 AND THE IDENTITY OF SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN!
YOU MAY NOT WANT TO CONTINUE READING!
HERE IT IS:
Amazing Spider-Man #700 marked a radical change in the dynmaic of one of the greatest comic book rivalries in history. The final (?)battle of Peter Parker and Doctor Octopus in this week’s milestone issue spins a whole new web of story potential in 2013 and beyond.
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will be feeling Superior in the new year. The mad genius Otto Octavius will be the new webslinger in a brand new series. Marvel will unleash Superior Spider-Man #1 in January with writer Dan Slott and artist Ryan Stegman spinning the tales of a new Spidey.
In recent issues of Amazing Spider-Man we learned Doc Ock has switched bodies with Peter Parker. In issue #700 the enemies shared a mindlink as Otto (in Peter’s body) was killing Peter (trapped in Ock’s body). Octavius experienced and felt the pivotal moments (Uncle Ben’s death, Gwen Stacy’s death) that made Peter Parker the hero we all knew and loved. Did this brain blast of Parker’s past have a positive impact on the classic villain? Doc Ock (in Peter’s body) is vowing to live as Peter did and to be a “Superior” Spider-Man.
This was the big reveal Spidey writer Dan Slott has been building towards. The big question for readers is how Peter’s extended cast of friends and enemies will react to the new Spider-Man.
“This is still very much the world of Spider-Man. There may be a new Spider-Man here, doing things in a new and different way, but you’re going to see the Spider-cast reacting to this,” Slott told Marvel.com, “You’re going to see how this Spider-Man will deal with our Spider-Man’s villains. How will hereact to this Spider-Man’s supporting cast? Whoever makes it out of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 will find a different Spider-Man waiting for them when Superior Spider-Man starts.”
“For many characters, and for many things in Spider-Man’s world, there are dark days ahead,” Slott revealed about Parker’s friends at Horizon Labs.
It’s become dark for Slott on the internet. Fuming fans have expressed their outrage over the twist. Slott has even received death threats. If hardcore Spidey fans are furious now wait until they see the new Spider-Man kissing Mary Jane?
Love it or loathe it – this “Superior” status quo shakeup is ambitious and could mean a wide “web” of dramatic story possibilities. As a devout X-Men fan it was difficult to see Cyclops’s fall from grace in Avengers vs. X-Men (Scott killed Professor X?!) but as a reader I’m loving the new storylines.
There’s no way Peter Parker is completely dead. Peter’s journey back from oblivion and Doc Ock’s eventual payback will make this new spin in Spidey worth it. Peter Parker Fans don’t fret. You can bet Peter will be swinging again in the comics in time for Amazing Spider-Man 2 on the big screen.
