The Marvel NOW! tease machine is in full blast. This image featuring WORTHY. Aaron. Ribic. Nov ’12 appeared on Marvel.com. Jason Aaron & Esad Ribic on a relaunched Thor book? Marvel NOW! relaunches the Marvel universe with 20 new titles from October 2012 to February 2013.
“Whoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall have the power of…THOR!” is inscribed on the mystical hammer. A wild card could be another character becoming the new Thunder God but it’s unlikely. The Worthy were non-Asgardians chosen to wield mystical hammers by the Serpent in Matt Fraction’s Fear Itself. I would love to see Valkyrie in her own series after her starring role in Fear Itself: The Fearless.
Matt Fraction is wrapping up his MightyThor run and Kieron Gillen is wrapping Journey Into Mystery with the Everything Burns crossover. Gillen and Greg Land were featured in the Invincible teaser which have fans assuming the duo will be the Iron Man creative team. Fraction and Salvador Larroca are leaving after an epic run. Jason Aaron has written Ghost Rider, Wolverine and is currently writing Wolverine and the X-Men.
If this is the new Thor team – do you deem them Worthy?
Marvel revealed this teaser- let the speculation begin!
Invincible. Kieron Gillen. Greg Land. Coming November 12.
Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca are ending their run on Invincible Iron Man. This tease has to mean the Uncanny X-Men team of Gillen and Land are taking over with a brand new series starring the Armored Avenger.
Marvel NOW! starts in October 2012 and will include 20 new titles from the publisher.
In the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men a new team will be born. Uncanny Avengers is the first of 20 new titles in the Marvel NOW! relaunch kicking off in October. Rick Remender and John Cassaday craft a team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Children of the Atom.
Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Secret Avengers) promises a different take on the two franchises. Some surprises have been revealed: Havok (X-Factor) will be team leader. Captain America will take orders from Cyclops’ brother? Scarlet Witch is on the new team seeking redemption. The villain is a reborn Red Skull.
The AvX war will be over? The healing begins? How is the new book tied to the end of AvX?
“I know what they’re doing. And fortunately, as Jason was writing the final issue I got to chat him up a bit. We coordinate very well. I think we’ve done a great job in the X-Office of tying the books together subtly in ways that link but feel natural. That’s something that I benefit from having with Jason. We [talked about] how he’s ending things in the issue itself and I gave him my first script and we changed a few things to kind of meld them together. Tom’s obviously the editor of both so I’m hip to what’s going on. We’re all in communication about these things to make sure that it’s cohesive,” Remember tells Marvel.com.
How does this new team/book show fans the post AvX world?
“There’s something that Cyclops said to [Captain America] on Utopia that’s ringing in his head. He didn’t do enough to help. And Steve is taking that to heart. Coming out of AvX with the landscape shifted and changed as much as it is, there are events that lead Steve to recognizing that he needs to do more and there are five new things that lead to the creation of the team. The team itself really isn’t even created until halfway through the first year. It’s still chaos. I didn’t want it to just be like “And now everybody shakes hands and hugs!” There’s still a really good arc of these things kind of coalescing and cooking into a soufflé of A and X. So without being able to discuss the specific events, I’ll just say that it comes from a place of healing and it comes from a guy who has firsthand experience with the horrors of prejudice and hatred and sees that this is his potentially final opportunity to stand and do something about it and help.
Now, that’s just where Steve’s at. I have gone to great lengths to make sure every character involved has a very specific reason for being there, a very specific reason for being put on the team, and chosen, and they all have very unique perspectives on the team’s necessity, where they’re at as people and why they think that this is a good thing to do. Wolverine’s motives come half from AvX and the other half from the end of the “Final Execution” arc in UNCANNY X-FORCE. So those two things, without giving them away, [change] him in a way that I’m really excited to be writing. I think that we’re helping to really develop and progress Wolverine as a character in these books.
X-Factor #71 courtesy Marvel.com
A move that may have fans stratching their heads: why does Cap chose Havok?
“I think that the bottom line is that he sees the value in people seeing Captain America and Havok descend down to save the day when things go gnarly. There needs to be a face in the Avengers that could be the Captain America for [mutants]. And going through his list, Havok is the very best choice for that. You’ve got somebody who’s trained by Xavier, he’s a beloved X-Man, he’s well-educated, he’s formerly a government agent—with X-Factorbeing what it was in the nineties he was part of a government-sanctioned unit—so he’s got a shiny veneer that you can present to the public and hopefully help people see mutants as something different. There’s other reasons as well—two, three huge ones coming out of AvX—that will lead to that decision, but that’s how Havok becomes the guy that Cap sees as “You’re going to lead this squad, you’ve got a ton of experience leading, and this is your time to stand up and be the big public face of the Avengers.” And of course Alex, having had such a chaotic past for the last, you know, forever, this is going to be a very difficult situation, and not one that he’s necessarily going to just grab the reins on.”
X-Factor #243 courtesy Marvel
Why did Remember choose Havok?
“I always saw him as the black sheep of the Summers family. He was always one of my favorite characters reading the X-Men growing up. He’s conflicted, and I love the idea that the older brother—who is the star football player, basically—Cyclops is the beloved son, leader of the X-Men and the first guy who they turn to and he’s basically the star pupil in terms of the Xavier School. I like the idea that his younger brother has not hostility toward him necessarily, but he’s always walked a very different path. And I like him as a character because he’s a little rock and roll. I mean, going back to that [HAVOK & WOLVERINE: MELTDOWN limited series]—which was one of the things that really solidified him as a favorite of mine—where he’s James Dean. He’s sunglasses and a pint of scotch and a convertible on the weekends and I think I’d like that rock and roll attitude that he’s got. He’s got a dry, sarcastic wit. He’s somebody who’s never been in the forefront in a big, huge public way of anything, not like his brother has, and he’s okay with that. I’ve never seen Alex as somebody who’s seeking that out. That’s all the more reason that it’s exciting to take him and put him in the most chaotic point in mutant history and the most chaotic point in the Marvel Universe, to have Captain America come tap him and say “You’re going to lead the Avengers,” that, to me, is drama. There’s just so much meat there for character that—it all just seemed perfect, I couldn’t think of anybody who I more wanted to put in that situation beyond just having an affinity for the character from youth.”
Remender confirmed Havok, Scarlet Witch and Rogue will be solely be in the new book. That means Havok is leaving X-Factor and Rogue is out of X-Men Legacy. For his entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
Marvel is making Guardians of the Galaxy their next big screen adventure. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning wrote the new version of the team spinning out of their Annihilation storyline.
Unlike the previous incarnation set in the 31st century, DnA’s team was set in the present day with an odd assortment of cosmic characters that just clicked including Rocket Raccoon and a revamped Star-Lord. It was this team that Marvel Films will feature in the upcoming movie.
“Dan and I are really excited to see the Guardians of the Galaxy make it to the big screen, especially as it would appear to be the iteration of the team established during our run on the title. We will be eager to see the film along with all the fans of cosmic stories,” Lanning told Comics Newsarama.
courtesy Marvel.com
“One thing we’d like to go on the record with is that we owe a huge debt of thanks to the great stories of our predecessors, in particular, Jim Starlin and Keith Giffen, these guys are the giants on whom we stood.
“Beyond that, we’re sorry but we really don’t know anything, so we can’t make any further comment,” he concluded.
Guardians of the Galaxy blasts into theaters August 1, 2014. No word on a new comic book series but with Rocket Raccoon appearing in promo art for Marvel NOW! it’s a good bet the team will be back in a new book soon.
Marvel NOW! Captain America design courtesy Marvel, an MTV Geek exclusive
The Marvel NOW! relaunch means new books, new teams, creator changes and new costumes for classic heroes. Captain America is sporting a new design by Jerome Opena and John Cassaday. Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort talked with MTV Geek about the new look for the Star-Spangled Avenger. The new look is more military inspired like the Cap played by Chris Evans in Captain America: The First Avenger.
“The approach and the thought was very simple: we wanted to modernize Cap’s outfit so as to reflect the gear worn by actual soldiers, to convey that sense of the character visually.”
Brevoort was asked about the criticism that will follow about changing just for the sake of change.
“Well, every costume design change is really change for change’s sake, and certainly Cap’s costume is a classic. But that said, it’s been updated before, and so long as what we ended up with still looked like and gave you the silhouette of Captain America, that was what was important to me. We just did years of stories in which Bucky wore a variant of Cap’s costume, and people were able to accept it just fine, and still recognize and react to him as Captain America. Same thing here,” Brevoort replied.
Marvel NOW! Captain America design courtesy Marvel, a MTV Geek exclusive
For more of his thoughts on the costume here’s the MTV Geek link.
The look reminds me of Bryan Hitch’s Cap in The Ultimates. Cap will be starring in Uncanny Avengers with art my Cassaday and Avengers with art by Opena.
If you want to see Cassaday’s take on the classic costume take a look at Captain America: The New Deal by John Rey Neiber and Cassaday.
No word on the creative team for a possible Captain America solo book in the Marvel NOW! relaunch yet.
My bet is on Mark Waid. I’d like to see Salvador Larroca drawing the Sentinel of Liberty. Stay tuned.
Marvel’s The Avengers! The world’s biggest movie. The biggest comic franchise. No pressure Jonathan Hickman. The man who reenergized Marvel’s First Family is taking on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the post AvX, Marvel NOW! universe. The Avengers with Jerome Opena will be a twice-monthy book launching in December followed by New Avengers the next month. Hickman tells Comic Book Resources why he’s expanding the roster.
“The idea is that the Avengers have to get bigger. That means bigger in every sense. That means the roster has to be bigger, and the missions have to be bigger, and the adversaries and scenarios they find themselves in have to be larger. I’ve played with this stuff a little bit over in the Ultimate Universe. Obviously, it’s a completely different weight class here, but in a lot of ways that’s the kind of velocity that the book should have. We (Tom Brevoort and I) also felt like that if the book was going to be about an Avengers world, it should look more like the world. Of course there are complications starting out when the necessary movie characters are five white dudes and a white lady, but, you know, bigger roster. Frankly, I’m really, really excited at how we address that. The lineup is killer.”
With a massive cast of up to 18 members in Avengers why have a New Avengers? Hickman can’t reveal that book’s lineup but says it will make sense.
“It’s not like that at all. There’s one big massive Avengers team that is the Avengers, and there’s this other thing that’s going on in ‘New Avengers.’ When we announce exactly what ‘New Avengers’ is, it will make perfect sense and everybody will like, ‘Oh yeah! Of course,'” Hickman explains. “‘Avengers‘ and ‘New Avengers’ are the same book — just from two different sides of the world.”
Hickman’s acclaimed Fantastic Four run is coming to an end. I also recommend his SHIELD series with Dustin Weaver and Manhattan Projects from Image – but warning, this book has graphic violence and language.
Marvel NOW! shows the bold direction the publisher is taking post AvX. We know some creative teams and new titles but there are ton of questions still out there. Here are my top burning questions:
Emma Frost? The original Jean Grey is returning. Scott and Emma’s shaky relationship is getting rocked by the Phoenix Force possessing both of them. AvX 11 shows them attacking each other. I hope Emma survives to form her own Avenging X-Men.
Matt Fraction Here’s hoping his Defenders keeping going on their strange trip and I’d like see Fraction’s take on the Fantastic Four.
Jason Aaron and the kids? Wolverine and the X-Men is my favorite post Regenesis title. What will happen to Broo, Kid Gladiator, Kitty Pryde, Idie and all the kids and staff that call the Jean Grey School home? Jason Aaron even made me love Quentin Quire!
Kieron Gillen?His Thor run was brief. He managed to reinvigorate Mister Sinister and created what I think is the best new Marvel villain – UNIT. I’d love to see him take on the Avenging X-Men idea of mine or head back to Asgard.
Professor X? The leader recently united with Cyclops on Pax Utopia and questioned his Phoenix fueled agenda. All New X-Men by Bendis stars the original five X-Men transported to a future they don’t like. How will Professor X react to seeing his original students?
Brian Wood The X-Men “security team” led by Storm is perfection. It’s a cool hybrid of the Chris Claremont/Paul Smith era X-Men blended with Torchwood. Storm reigns under Wood and Lopez.
Winter Soldier? Ed Brubaker is leaving Marvel after an incredible run with Captain America and Bucky. I think Cap’s solo title will become more upbeat, larger than life adventures like Daredevil’s recent revival leaving Winter Soldier to continue his role as the spy on covert missions across the Marvel underground.
Young Avengers? I would love to see an ongoing by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. The Children’s Crusade was epic, thrilling and moving but was is Heinberg’s final story starring the teens? Given the huge cast Jonathan Hickman is planning his new Avengers may some of the teens will graduate to the big league.
Who will shape the future of Marvel NOW!? Marcus Johnson aka Nick Fury Jr is seen peering through the words in this new teaser image courtesy Marvel.com. The younger Fury was also seen on the Marvel NOW! preview art by Joe Quesada. Nick Fury was a major force behind the scenes and this new image shows his son may be a key figure in the new world order.
The soldier introduced in the Battle Scars limited series looks to have a significant role in the post AvX Marvel Universe. More will be revealed about Marvel Now! Point One at the Cup O’Joe panel at Comic Con.
Earlier this year a massive Point One issue launched major 2012 plotlines and new series including the return of the Phoenix, the Scarlet Spider and Nova.
