Tag: Matt Fraction

Avengers Vs. X-Men Panel at Emerald City Comicon

Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, C.B. Cebulski at Emerald City Comicon, ComicsBlend.com

  The most anticipated panel for me at Emerald City Comicon was Marvel AvX featuring Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, two of the writers on the epic series, and C.B. Cebulski were in Seattle’s big event just days before #1 launched.

Here are highlights:

  Will Hulk and the Juggernaut fight? (I’m assuming the fan meant Colossus)

“Yes in issue #5,” responded Fraction.

 Brubaker said that issues one through five, which he called “AvX‘s’ first act,” would normally be considered an entire event by most readers, and the remaining issues would be two years’ worth of stories for most publishers. Fraction added that issue five is so big, it feels like an ending, but it’s not — “There’s seven more issues after that.”

Avengers Vs X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel

  Fraction followed up, “In issue #6, (Jonathan)Hickman has written Colossus as you’ve never seen him before.” (This will affect Peter and Kitty – see this previous post.)

  The next fan asked Fraction if he had been planting seeds for AvX as far back as his Uncanny X-Men run, as there appears to be a connection between the them. Fraction said the connection was intentional. During an editorial retreat many years ago, when they talked about Second Coming, those attending decided it was a good idea for characters with Phoenix fragments to lose them in that time. He noted that when he was writing his earliest Uncanny stories where he has the Phoenix come to Emma and say, “Get ready,” he knew it would make him look like a “genius” in a few years.

“Who came up with Hope?” Brubaker said he believes it was Joe [Quesada], but no one on the dais could say for certain. They explained that the way ideas are batted around at editorial retreats, everything feels shared. Brubaker did say he distinctly remembered Joe talking about a scene that was to take place at the end of Second Coming where Emma was going to be holding the baby and realize it was Jean, but they didn’t end up using that or going in that direction. Fraction said that Axel [Alonso] was a big proponent of that idea. Brubaker mentioned how he recalled the inception of AvX taking place five to six years ago with Jeph [Loeb] and Axel pushing for the idea.

Will the Young Avengers appear?

“The Young Avengers are there, but not necessarily as the ‘Young Avengers,'”

“Young Avengers fans will be happy in the coming months,” Cebulski added. (Insert my personal joy here!)

Professor X appears in AvX #6.

Characters will switch loyalties.

AvX Launch parties are tomorrow night!

ECCC Moment “The Avengers Fight The X-Men!”

A Favorite Moment at Marvel Pint of C.B. at Emerald City Comicon:

  A fan asked if AVX will reference the old X-Men vs. Avengers series. The short answer from the panel is..no.

Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, C.B. Cebulski at Emerald City Comicon, ComicsBlend.com

  Matt Fraction recalled reading the original series when it first came out and said how it didn’t “fulfill” him as a Marvel fan.

  “It was not what I wanted it to be. There’s a part of me that — the entire time I’m doing AvX — has been like ‘Do right by yourself as a nine year-old. Make this the book you [would] have wanted to see.’

  “So you know what happens in this issue? The Avengers fight the X-Men.

 “You know what happens in the next issue? The Avengers fight the X-Men.

“After that, guess what? The Avengers fight the X-Men!”

  And the audience erupted with laughter and applause.

ECCC Report: Colossus and Kitty Pryde in AvX #5

Colossus and Kitty Pryde together again at Emerald City Comicon, ComicsBlend.com

  Colossus and Kitty Pryde are my favorite mutant couple so I was charmed and impressed by this couple at Emerald City Comicon.     During the Marvel: Pint O’ C.B. Panel, the costumed X-fans approached the microphone to ask the panel about Marvel’s most on again and off again mutant couple.  The young man asked with a Russian accent, “vat’s going to happen wiv Peterrrr and Kitty?”

  Writer Matt Fraction responded, “You are going to love Avengers Vs. X-Men #5.”

  Moderator and Marvel Talent Scout/Editor C.B. Cebulski asked, “Hey Kitty, have you told Colossus about Iceman?” which triggered laughs from the panel and audience.

Colossus and Kitty question the Marvel panel at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

  Just in case you’re not caught up with the X-books, Kitty broke up with Peter after he assumed the power of the Juggernaut. Kitty moved back east with Wolverine to reopen the Jean Grey School in Wolverine and the X-Men. Iceman recently made a move and planted a big frosty kiss on Kitty.

Emerald City Comicon: This Geek’s Odyssey Day One

 

The Lines Room outside the massive line room at ECCC - ComicsBlend.com

  Emerald City Comicon is here! Stars, swag and geek dreams come true all on display for eager fans. The Washington State Convention Center became geek ground zero. At we waited for the 2pm opening the Skybridge was stuffed with fans then there were seven lines of eager geeks packed in a giant panel room with another huge line out beyond the entry way.

 

Matt Fraction at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

Today’s agenda was autographs! Matt Fraction was my first – he recognized me from the previous two years – sigh! I had him sign Fear Itself #1 Casanova: Avarita #1 and #2, The Mighty Thor #1 and The Defenders #1. Matt draws clever word balloons on the covers too for that unique touch. Matt’s wife is Kelly Sue DeConnick. I was thrilled to talk about her upcoming new book starring Ms. Marvel now as the new Captain Marvel (she gave out some cool Captain Marvel promo buttons!) and scoop on her next Castle graphic novel.

Ed Brubaker at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

  Seattle’s very own Ed Brubaker always has a huge line of fans and the celebrity status is well deserved. While he autographed Captain America #1, The Winter Soldier #1 and Fatale #1 we discussed the sell-out success of Fatale, his creator owned horror mystery and Bucky Barnes back as the Winter Soldier.

 

Gail Simone at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

  Gail Simone is a fan favorite for her Birds of Prey, Secret Six and Wonder Woman runs and for being a trailblazing female writer. I had Simone autograph her recent Batgirl #1, and Wonder Woman #600. I also had her sign my copy of The Power Within, an anti-gay bullying comic published by Seattle’s own Northwest Press. She was a contributor. Simone and her outstanding career is celebrated in a Saturday panel.

With Gail Simone at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

  Rick Remender had a breakout year in 2011. I had Remender sign several of his Uncanny X-Force issues and his first Secret Avengers issue. Remender talks about his Fear Agent series and popular take on Marvel’s undercover teams in a Saturday spotlight panel.

 

Monsters & Dames Charity Book courtesy Emerald City Comicon

Adi Granov is a conceptual designer on the Iron Man and upcoming Avengers films. He created the cover for this year’s Monsters and Dames charity book. I had Granov sign several X-Men cover issues and scored his illustration book packed with covers and concept sketches! Art lovers buy this limited edition book and then hunt for the artists at the con who contributed.

With "Batman" artist Greg Capullo at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

  The biggest surprise was Greg Capullo. The man is built and looks tough. This guy should be in superhero movies. He’s been working for decades to become an overnight sensation. Capullo was known for his work on X-Force, Spawn and Angela and  now he’s winning raves for his Batman. Capullo even had sketches of Scarecrow with the ECCC logo to sign and give away to every fan who came to his table.

 

Chris Burnham, artist on Batman Inc at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

  DC Comics was very giving all day with free issues, posters and more cool swag at their booth. I happen to walk by at the right time. Chris Burnham, the artist on the upcoming Batman Inc, was making fan dreams come true with free sketches of their favorite DC icons. I asked for Batgirl. He was great to ask “which one, which era?” Chris created a New 52 Barbara Gordon Batgirl head shot that I’m having framed!

  The big get for ECCC and for any lucky fan: Marc Silvestri. I had been following Marc’s work since his Uncanny X-Men (I got the famous Wolverine crucified on a X cross issue signed) and Wolverine runs in the late 80’s and 90’s. Silvestri became a founding member of Image Comics and head of Top Cow Productions where he created hits like Witchblade and The Darkness. I snapped up The Art of Marc Silvestri retrospective book collecting his years of work. I was just above the cutoff line so I made it into the last bunch of fans to get this awesome opportunity for his autographs and one on one moment with a legendary creator.

 

Inside the Hall waiting for the mighty Marc Silvestri at ECCC, ComicsBlend.com

  All that (plus seeing crazy costumed fans and meeting my friends in Garrison Titan – the Star Wars fans who raise money for charity) in just 6 hours. Saturday is a full day with more autograph seeking, photo taking, hunting for rare comics and enjoying wonderful geek moments.

  Watch for a new post with the gallery of costumed fans!

Who Will Be the New Iron Man?

Invincible Iron Man #518 courtesy Marvel.com

  Tony Stark declares he will be Iron Man no more but will he be allowed to give up? From today’s cover art on Marvel.com it appears something or someone has control of the armor.

Who will wear the armor? What can it do? What will happen to Tony?

Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca’s Long Way Down arc launches this May.

Invincible Iron Man #519

Here’s the earlier post in which Fraction reveals why Tony quits.

Matt Fraction on AVX: Phoenix & Hope…The Big Payoff

 

Avengers Vs. X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel

  One of my favorite writers Matt Fraction was a special guest on the Axel-in-Charge column this week on Comic Book Resources – a Friday must for all Marvel fans. I really excited by his response to the question of what elements he will tap into for the upcoming Avengers Vs X-Men epic.

  “Not to put too fine a point on it, the Phoenix! I put a lot of my back into growing Hope as a character. I was very present in those early conversations figuring out what this little girl’s destiny was going to be — who she was and who she was going to become. And I became quite fond of her and what she represents. I have a daughter and we don’t have enough girl-heroes to go around. So the idea of being a part of telling this story where Hope and the Phoenix would encounter each other at long last? That was a huge payoff.

The Phoenix stuff, with the exception of being a red herring in one story arc, largely went untouched when I was on Uncanny [X-Men]. I just used it to kind of foreshadow that this was coming, though at the time I didn’t know when or how it would play out. Even though the plans have changed, you can see foreshadowing for this back in the early #500s. In my first four or five issues of “Uncanny,” we were foreshadowing “Second Coming” and “AvX.” And then I left the book, but to be back and now be a part of it is like having my cake and eating it too. And there’s a bunch of other stuff. There’s another big location that the gang goes to that I don’t want to spoil, but in issue #7, I got to do a real big piece of the Marvel puzzle that I hadn’t had a chance to touch otherwise. The whole event has been a chance to play with all the toys at once in all these fun, new combinations.”

For the entire interview click here.

  Fraction continues writing The Mighty Thor, Invincible Iron Man and The Defenders and his creator owned epic Casanova. It will be great to see him write with the X-Men again in AVX. I was a huge fan of his run. This is just speculation but I wonder if Matt might be a front-runner to take over the Avengers franchise after Bendis?

Iron Man No More?

 

Invincible Iron Man #516 courtesy Marvel

  What will make Tony Stark give up being Iron Man? Writer Matt Fraction previews his next arc Long Way Down on Marvel.com. Salvador Larroca’s art sure looks like Tony will no longer be the Armored Avenger.

  “As we’ll see at the end of Demon, General Babbage, [Tony’s] primary antagonist at the Pentagon, and Justine Hammer of Hammer Industries, present Tony with an ultimatum,” says Fraction. “Accepting it is the only way he can remain in control of the Iron Man without losing everything. And Tony very quickly finds that arrangement to be unacceptable. The ramifications of that are what ‘Long Way Down’ is all about.

“So basically…Tony quits.”

  A mole inside Stark Resilient will be exposed. Fraction says expect dire repercussions:

“People start dying. Bethany Cabe starts earning her paycheck.”

Invincible Iron Man #517 courtesy Marvel.com

 “All the pots from the very beginning of Invincible Iron Man are coming to a boil,” he says. “Mandarin and Stane’s alliance, the revamped and upgraded rogues gallery, the Hammer girls, Spymaster’s infiltration—‘Long Way Down’ deals with all of it.”

Fraction says there will be a new Iron Man. Who will wear the armor? For Fraction’s entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.  Long Way Down begins in Invincible Iron Man #516 this May.

  Fraction and Larroca have been on the title four years – sounds like they’re ramping up to a swan song on the title. How cool would it be for this team to take on the Avengers after Bendis wraps up his run on the franchise!

Iron Man’s Two New Suits of Armor?

 

AvX Iron Man Vs. Magneto preview art courtesy Marvel.com

 

  The comic book version of Iron Man is unveiling a new suit of armor. Is the big screen version of the Armored Avenger suiting up in new tech to take on Loki’s army?

  Marvel Comics Avengers Versus X-Men event will feature new armor designed for a specific foe according to Invincible Iron Man and AVX writer Matt Fraction. This AVX teaser image showing Iron Man versus Magneto is likely to be the foe. Iron Man will have to innovate to face the Master of Magnetism. Perhaps Tony is using some mystical tech he picked up from Asgard in the Fear Itself epic.

courtesy Cosmic Book News

  Cosmic Book News is sharing an image of an Iron Man in “Stark Tek Assault Armor” and reporting that this the design for a toy tie-in.  Comic book fans may think this is based on the Hulk Buster Tony created to tackle the Green Goliath. There’s also a Captain America version.  I agree with CBN that if this armor is in the movie it could be used to fight Skrulls, Frost Giants or any other army Loki is using in his war that assembles Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.