It’s not too late to jump on one of the most enjoyable titles of the Marvel Now relaunch. This week’s Indestructible Hulk #3 is the third outstanding example of how great storytelling has made one of oldest icons fresh and fun again.
I definitely have to call this book cinematic. If you enjoyed Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner and the Hulk from The Avengers then you’ll enjoy the ride Mark Waid and Leinil Yu will take on in this new series.
Banner is now working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Bruce gets to be a great scientist. Maria Hill gets a big green W.M.D. After showing up Tony Stark in a battle of the brains with his new invention, Bruce HULKED OUT on Iron Man to prove a point.
Maria Hill has given Bruce a job, a lab and the chance to show Tony and Marvel’s other big brains that he’s their scientific equal (or perhaps better as the series go along!) In this issue Maria recruits Banner’s lab team. Seriously who would want to work for a boss who could become a monster?
While science geeks audition to be part of Banner’s think tank, Bruce goes on a mission against A.I.M. and discovers a technological blast from the past that could pose a new threat. Waid and Yu craft a confrontation packed with action, humor and moments that may inspire a “awesome!” from you.
This is the best issue so far in a new series that’s big on action and fun.
I spy a brand new Secret Avengers series in February 2013. A top-secret team even the Avengers won’t know about! New writer Nick Spencer, Editors Tom Brevoort and Lauren Sankovitch opened up the files on the espionage themed series on Marvel.com.
“There’s a new S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel Universe under the watch of Daisy Johnson and Maria Hill with Nick Fury Jr. and Phil Coulson as the top agents. One of the initiatives they’ve undertaken is building their own Avengers team. Maria Hill has direct supervision. They’re using tech first seen in Brian Bendis’ Secret War: memory implants so members of the team will not remember the missions. That’s how secret these missions are,” revealed Spencer.
“Hawkeye and Black Widow will be front and center in the first issue, Taskmaster shows up in issue #2, Hulk, Mockingbird and a new Iron Patriot are coming down the line, plus the Winter Soldier, who will be featured, but not a member of the team.”
Agent Phil Coulson on The Avengers movie will be part of the team. He’s just one of the many different voices Spencer will tackle.
“I love writing Coulson, trying to bring that amazing voice Clark Gregg established in the films over to comics. I found Taskmaster to be a lot of fun to write. Hawkeye and Black Widow have always been two of my favorite Avengers. Just being a part of introducing this new Nick Fury and new S.H.I.E.L.D. into the Marvel Universe is a big honor.”
“Part of the thrill of this new Nick Fury is that he’s on the field, he’s on the missions, he’s with the team. It’s a contrast from what we saw from the old Fury over the last couple decades, giving intel then fading into the shadows. It’s fun having a Fury who’s in the thick of things and also who this is all new to. He’s got a lot to learn. Getting to write that journey is a blast.”
Secret Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
“Nick Fury is the Captain America of the Secret Avengers. He’s the lead guy on the field. He’s different from Cap, he’s got a different approach, but he’s the first guy on the ground leading the charge,” Editor Brevoort
“One of the things I’m learning my way through is finding the balance between a good black ops spy book that’s also an Avengers book. I think you’ll like the mix. We’re trying to make it feel like Mission: Impossible, but at the same time it takes place in the Marvel Universe. The mix and match has been really cool for me to play with,” said Spencer.
“Every adventure these characters have is a caper, it’s a Bond movie, but it takes places within the Marvel Universe, and there’s no mission you can pull out of that context,” said Brevoort.
Norman Osborn wore the Iron Patriot armor in Dark Reign. The Iron Patriot will appear in Iron Man 3. Who wears the armor in this new series?
“I think we came up with a pretty cool way to introduce this new Iron Patriot. There have been a lot of questions about who is in the suit, but how they end up in the role is what I think will be really interesting.”
Secret Avengers #2 courtesy Marvel
SHIELD will use mindwiping techniques on the team – we saw what happened with that in Secret War.
“Every member of this team signed up for this of their own volition. They agreed this was the way to go. Of course then they forget that they agreed to it, and when they’re on missions, they don’t know about it. The S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m writing works in gray areas, but it’s important to me at the end of the day we understand why they do the things that they do, which is for a safer better world. That doesn’t start with forcibly brainwashing people if they can help it. Why these people signed up for this won’t always be known, and we’ll have fun with this.”
“They’re not starting over every mission. When they have the keyword, they remember that they’re on the team and what they need to from previous missions. They’re not strangers every time they meet up.”
“The Avengers don’t know about this. Nobody outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. knows about this initiative.”
Secret Avengers #2 courtesy Marvel
How does an Avengers villain like Taskmaster fit with this team?
“Taskmaster has a pretty unique role in the book. I’m having a lot of fun writing him. When we were coming up with the roster, he was the last addition. I kept feeling like something was missing. As soon as he came up, it was so perfect. He’s got some history already with Nick Fury, which is a big draw for me. The chemistry between the two of them has been fun for me to write. I like throwing the wrench in there, and Taskmaster does that. He’s there for the paycheck and that makes for some fun story turns.” “I’m a huge fan of Indestructible Hulk already. It all connects. It’s all part of Maria’s vision for what S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to become to adapt to new threats in the Marvel Universe. She’s such a huge part of this book. In Avengers, Cap and Iron Man are saying they need to become bigger, and here, S.H.I.E.L.D. is saying the same thing.”
Bruce Banner is working with Maria Hill and SHIELD in Mark Waid’s Indestructible Hulk. How does a weapon of mass destruction fit in an undercover spy book?
“The use of the Hulk here is judicious. He’s the bomb. How is he on a stealth team? He’s not deployed until it’s time to blow stuff up.”
“This S.H.I.E.L.D. is smaller and scrappier than they were back in the day, but the problems aren’t any smaller. It’s a big job for people just starting out. They know they need operatives who can function on the level the world and the universe is at now,” says Brevoort.
Secret Avengers #1 courtesy Marvel
Luke Ross (The Ultimates) will be the artist on the series.
“Luke Ross has a realistic style with a lot of energy. His enthusiasm brings a lot to the book,” says Lauren Sankovitch.
Spies, dark heroes, mindwipes and Taskmaster! The new Secret Avengers declassified!
This is the Bruce Banner I want to see! Mark Waid and Leinil Francis Yu start a bold new chapter for the genius and his monstrous alter ego in Indestructible Hulk #1 out this week.
In the premiere you could say Bruce auditions for a job with SHIELD. This works as a great stand-alone story packed with action and humor while setting you up for a future adventures of Banner and the Green Goliath. There is a sense of Bruce finally accepting the monster within and using it.
Mark Waid’s great talent for dialogue, humor and ability to poke fun at his characters shines in this issue. I really look forward to seeing this new Bruce interact with Maria Hill and use the Hulk to forge the smartest, strongest SHIELD agent there is. This issue shines on its one but reminded me of the Peter David era when Bruce ran the Pantheon – and made me smile.
Indestructible Hulk #1 is great fun and has smashed its way up near the top of my favorite Marvel Now relaunch titles.
Indestructible Hulk #1 smashes into the Marvel Now this week. Mark Waid and Leinil Yu take the Green Goliath in a new direction – as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D?
“The reasons why he is–and exactly the deal he cut to become–an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a mystery that will build out as the story goes,” Waid teased on Marvel.com.
How do you bring a freshness to an iconic character for new readers while paying homage to the rich past?
“On the surface of it, its hard. It’s a less human, street-level book, so all the things that worked in Daredevil were harder to duplicate in Hulk. The commonality in the two books is that Bruce Banner, much like Matt Murdock, reaches a point in his life where he realizes the things he’s been doing have not been working. ”
“What Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did back in the day was they created the world’s first persecuted super hero in the Hulk. Bruce Banner was the seminal morose, tortured super hero. 50 years later, you can go to a comic shop, pick up a random stack of super hero comics, and most of them will probably feature tortured super heroes,” Waid explained.
Indestructible Hulk #3 courtesy Marvel
Bruce Banner will take command in an effort become known as a man of science instead of the “Hulk Smash” guy.
“Banner realized that the Hulk is not something he can stop. It’s something he can control to a degree, but “Hulk happens,” as he puts it. So when he comes out, S.H.I.E.L.D. points him where they want him to go. Think of him as a cannon, not a bomb.”
Maria Hill will be Banner’s handler.
“S.H.I.E.L.D. has what they believe is a fairly tight leash on the Hulk, but they’re mistaken. That’s part of the fun of writing Maria Hill and Bruce Banner, they both have different perspectives on the situation.”
What about those shots of the Hulk in armor? Waid says that’s really intended for Bruce. And as for that floating robot head – who looks like Widget of Excalibur? He’s part of the leash S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks they have on the Hulk.
Maid said to expect Hulk to fight Attuma, Frost Giants, a new version of Quintronic Man and a big bad secretly behind the upcoming year’s mystery.
In case you missed an earlier interview – I loved what Waid said about Hulk being his favorite character in The Avengers movie.
“I can watch the Hulk ragdoll Loki all day.”
Indestructible Hulk smashes into stores this week. Here’s the entire liveblog on Marvel.com.
The Star-Spangled Avenger embarks on a brand new chapter with a new creative team in the Marvel Now. Writer Rick Remender and Artist John Romita Jr. hurl Steve Rogers into Dimension Z in Captain America #1 on November 21.
“At the core of this book is Steve Rogers. Even though tonally you can expect a bit of a shift, the character still shines true. We’re taking a drift into science fiction. Visually it will be pretty crazy. John is plugging away on issue #3 and it looks gorgeous,” Remender said on Marvel.com.
Ed Brubaker’s final Cap issue came this week after an eight year run and a focus on the spy game. Remender is shifting Steve in the new series.
“It’s a large step away from the espionage spy stuff Ed Brubaker has been doing, but it’s the same core character dropped in a new situation,” he explained.
The Red Skull, HYDRA and AIM were big elements of the Brubaker era. Remender is making the bizarre scientist Arnim Zola (played in human form by Toby Jones in Captain America: The First Avenger) into a more formidable enemy.
“Rick asked for a scene with a human Arnim Zola walking into his lab and then it’s 1960’s horror movie gore. I had a moment of thinking I was drawing Kick-Ass and had gotten my books confused,” Romita revealed, “There are human heads on other things and so on. It gave me the willies. That doesn’t happen a lot.” –
“We’re establishing Zola and who he was in his early days in one page. You can do it visually with the right artist. John does it,” Remender said,””Arnim Zola is established as terrible in one scene.”
Captain America #1 courtesy Marvel
“Mainstream books can be the best ones to take a turn into horror or science fiction because it’s unexpected. It meets its rating, but it’s very inspired by EC Comics from the 50’s or Bernie Wrightson on Frankenstein,” added Remender
“It’s an action book. It’s high adventure. Cap throws some fists. The villain is villainous. A hero is only as good as his villain, and wait until you see what John and Dean (White) have done with Zola,” adds Remender.
“Arnim Zola is one of those characters who because he was such a bizarre design and because people who weren’t Jack Kirby drew him, he became almost a comical figure. That’s all going to go away,” said Editor Tom Brevoort.
“Zola doesn’t come out of this with anybody ever thinking he’s a joke again. He’s a high level madman, the top boss and the focus. But as always, there are henchmen. We’ve got Dough Boy, who is Jabba the Hutt as designed by Jack Kirby. When you see what John does with Zola’s mutates and their weapons, it’s wonderful, incredible big and exciting,” said Remender, “Zola is the villain for the long haul. We will get to know his plight.”
Captain America #1 courtesy Marvel
Brevoort revealed how the upcoming change to the Sentinel of Liberty was inspired by The Man Without Fear.
“When Rick and I first started talking about doing Cap stuff, for all the high adventure and sci fi, there was an element of what Frank Miller did to Daredevil in Born Again, tearing him down and taking everything away to build him back up. We’re throwing Cap down into a place where he’s completely out of his element, where the idea of America has no relevance. We’re stranding him on a metaphoric desert island and getting to the core of what drives this character. We’ll learn one new thing about him that really drives the first year.”
The new book will take Steve into Dimension Z but also dives into his past.
“Running parallel will be the story of Steve Rogers’ early days. We’ve always said he was Captain America without the physique before the super soldier serum, now we’ll see that. We’ll see the things that made him the guy he is today,” Brevoort continued.
“It was important to show Steve earning the tenacity and heart, because you’re not born with that. What you learn from your parents and the people around you informs your decisions and choices that define who you become,” Remender said.
“Back then, you had to be a lot tougher than the average human being. I think Steve Rogers would have become a cop, gone into the military–somehow been more than the guy on the street even without the super soldier serum. He would never have been just the average joe,” said Romita.
“The scene in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ where he jumps on the grenade nails it,” added Remender.
Captain America #2 courtesy Marvel
A fan asked about Cap’s popular cast of supporting characters.
“I don’t want to give away too much of our hand, but Sharon Carter is involved. Hank Pym will give Steve his gadgets. I do think the important thing here is for the new characters to define this era of Cap. When we get into the second year…nothing you see is as it seems,” Remender answered, “When I pick up a book, I always try to take the relationships and move them to the next stage. There will be a big Steve-Sharon progression in issue #1.”
One of the fan favorite elements of the Brubaker run was the return and redemption of Bucky Barnes.
“Bucky is a conversation for the third or fourth arc. Once we get a better idea of the landscape of Marvel NOW! and Winter Soldier’s role in it, I’m excited to have these two in each others’ lives,” said Remender.
Remender said not to expect Falcon in the series because Sam Wilson is a “full-fledged in Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers.”
Indestructible Hulk #1 smashes into the Marvel Now on November 14th. Mark Waid and Leinil Yu take the Green Goliath in a new direction – as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D?
“The reasons why he is–and exactly the deal he cut to become–an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a mystery that will build out as the story goes,” Waid teased on Marvel.com.
How do you bring a freshness to an iconic character for new readers while paying homage to the rich past?
“On the surface of it, its hard. It’s a less human, street-level book, so all the things that worked in Daredevil were harder to duplicate in Hulk. The commonality in the two books is that Bruce Banner, much like Matt Murdock, reaches a point in his life where he realizes the things he’s been doing have not been working. ”
“What Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did back in the day was they created the world’s first persecuted super hero in the Hulk. Bruce Banner was the seminal morose, tortured super hero. 50 years later, you can go to a comic shop, pick up a random stack of super hero comics, and most of them will probably feature tortured super heroes,” Waid explained.
Indestructible Hulk #3 courtesy Marvel
Bruce Banner will take command in an effort become known as a man of science instead of the “Hulk Smash” guy.
“Banner realized that the Hulk is not something he can stop. It’s something he can control to a degree, but “Hulk happens,” as he puts it. So when he comes out, S.H.I.E.L.D. points him where they want him to go. Think of him as a cannon, not a bomb.”
Maria Hill will be Banner’s handler.
“S.H.I.E.L.D. has what they believe is a fairly tight leash on the Hulk, but they’re mistaken. That’s part of the fun of writing Maria Hill and Bruce Banner, they both have different perspectives on the situation.”
What about those shots of the Hulk in armor? Waid says that’s really intended for Bruce. And as for that floating robot head – who looks like Widget of Excalibur? He’s part of the leash S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks they have on the Hulk.
Maid said to expect Hulk to fight Attuma, Frost Giants, a new version of Quintronic Man and a big bad secretly behind the upcoming year’s mystery.
In case you missed an earlier interview – I loved what Waid said about Hulk being his favorite character in The Avengers movie.
“I can watch the Hulk ragdoll Loki all day.”
Indestructible Hulk hits November 14th. Here’s the entire liveblog on Marvel.com.
Agent Maria Hill assembles a powerhouse roster for a new Secret Avengers by Nick Spencer and Luke Ross. At New York Comic Con Marvel revealed plans for a new Secret Avengers #1 debuting February 2013. The team will include Phil Coulson, the new Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Mockingbird, Hulk, Winter Soldier, and a brand new Iron Patriot.
“These operatives were hand-picked by S.H.I.E.L.D. based on a number of factors,” revealed Spencer. “Some have experience in black ops missions. Some have military training. Some are walking weapons of mass destruction. The combination is a potent one, and a veritable dream team for these kinds of assignments. But I should also say they’re not the only ones. A big part of the fun is anyone can get the call. And then forget they got it, once the mission’s done.”
Spencer says the mission debriefing will take fans back to the awesome Secret War limited series by Brian Michael Bendis.
“In Secret War, we saw Nick Fury used mind-wipe/memory plant tech to bring together a team of super-powered operatives to take down an off-the-books threat,” he reminds. “The end result of that mission was a full-scale disaster, and essentially set off a chain of events that ripped S.H.I.E.L.D. apart. But now that there’s a new S.H.I.E.L.D. up and running, there’s already interest in re-visiting this initiative. Because at the end of the day, there are limits to what their own agents can do—they need high-powered operatives to tackle high-powered threats. They need Avengers.”
Spencer explains how this team’s missions will differ from Jonathan Hickman’s book.
“As I said, this is S.H.I.E.L.D.’s team, so the kinds of threats they deal with look very different from the ones the core Avengers team might come up against,” Spencer says. “These are rogue states, terrorist groups, arms dealers. The missions are often diplomatically sensitive and highly classified. They’re working in a world with a lot of gray in it, making tough decisions in order to prevent war and protect the peace.”
Any guesses on who’s under the helmet of the new Iron Patriot suit?
Op/Ed: Mindwipes are never good S.O.P.
For more of Nick Spencer’s interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson in The Avengers courtesy Marvel
At New York Comic Con Marvel announced Clark Gregg will reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson in the SHIELD live-action television pilot by Joss Whedon. Gregg played Coulson in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor and The Avengers.
The actor is the voice of Principal Coulson on the Ultimate Spider-Man series.
Maybe the clever agent used his life model decoy in the his encounter with Loki in The Avengers? Phil Coulson recently joined the Marvel comic universe in the Battle Scars mini-series.
