This Is WAR! Iron Man, Spider-Man and Black Widow Attacked

Marvel reveals 3 new teaser images for This Is WAR coming in October.

courtesy Marvel.com

                                                Iron Man is taking bullets.

courtesy Marvel.com

                                 Spidey is down with a gun with to his chest.

courtesy Marvel.com

                                            Black Widow is in the cross-hairs.

  The publisher promised more will be revealed at the Amazing Spider-Man panel at Comic Con International. Other teasers include Captain America, Thor and Wolverine. All are Avengers so far.

The biggest theory going around is that this could be the Ultron War – Brian Michael Bendis’s swan song on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?

By Editor

Spider-Man Gets a New Sidekick

 

Amazing Spider-Man #693 courtesy Marvel.com

  Fans will see a new cinematic Spidey (Andrew Garfield) on the big screen and a big change in the comic book. A web of intrigue started spinning when Marvel Comics asked “Who Is Alpha?” in an  mysterious tease online. Today Marvel.com revealed the answer: Spidey is getting a sidekick as part of his 50th Anniversary. This August in Amazing Spider-Man #692 Writer Dan Slott and Artist Humberto Ramos give Peter Parker a new partner. Teenager Andy McGuire will become Alpha when he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time…in a lab with Peter Parker.

Amazing Spider-Man #692 courtesy Marvel.com

Spidey is an Avenger, works with the Future Foundation and has co-starred in his own team-up book but he’s never had a teen sidekick. Marvel Entertainment Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso reveals to Fox why this is the time for a partner?

 “Part of it is that Spider-Man is grown up,” said Axel Alonso, editor-in-chief of Marvel Entertainment. “He’s older, more seasoned, but young at heart. He’s still a young man, but he’s been around. It’s interesting because it flips the paradigm. Teen hero Spider-Man is now responsible for this teen hero sidekick. He’s responsible because one of his inventions caused this kid to get his powers. He’s directly responsible for the responsibility this kid now has with his new powers. He feels he has a responsibility to make sure this kid walks the right path, which won’t prove easy.”

Amazing Spider-Man #692 courtesy Marvel.com

  Amazing Spider-Man Dan Slott says don’t expect this team-up to be like another famous comic book dynamic duo.

  “If you put Spider-Man and Batman in the same situation, you’re going to have way more fun with Spider-Man,” said Dan Slott. “With Batman, he never really screws up the way Spider-Man does; he always seems to make the right decision. But with Spider-Man, he always screws up. He’s us as a superhero. Batman is a paragon of what we’d like to be, but in reality, we’re more like Spider-Man. He makes all the mistakes we make.”

Amazing Spider-Man #692 courtesy Marvel.com

  For the entire interview here’s the Fox link. For more preview art here’s the Marvel.com link.

  What do you think of Spidey getting a partner? It’s easy to compare Alpha to Batman’s Robin. And the obvious question: will Alpha will a sidekick like Dick Grayson, Jason Todd or Tim Drake?

By Editor

Marvel Teases “THIS IS WAR”

This Is WAR courtesy Marvel.com

  Marvel declares WAR with two powerhouse teaser images: Thor’s shattered hammer and Wolverine’s hand (claws popped of course) in flames. More will be revealed at The Amazing Spider-Man panel July 15th during Comic-Con International. The conversation on Twitter is #ThisIsWar.

 

This Is WAR courtesy Marvel.com

Could this be war against an X-Men ruled universe in the aftermath of AvX?New series? New storyline? New event? Let the speculation begin!

By Editor

Spider-Man Mystery: Who Is Alpha?

Amazing Spider-Man #692 teaser courtesy Marvel Comics

  Marvel is spinning a new mystery for Spider-Man again. The teaser for Amazing Spider-Man #692 features “Who Is Alpha?”

The official press release below:

“This August, celebrate Spider-Man’s 50th anniversary as the amazing dream team of Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos introduce someone new to the Marvel Universe that will have everyone asking – “Who Is Alpha?”

But in order to find out, you’ll have to be amongst the first to pick up Amazing Spider-Man #692 – the special anniversary issue you’ve been waiting 50 years for!”

Could this be a direct tie into The Amazing Spider-Man movie which features scenes of Peter Parker figuring out formulas and searching for answers about his parents? The round of teasers earlier this year promoted the Spider-Men series starring Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Maybe Alpha could mean a battle for title of Spider-Man – the Alpha male?

By Editor

Spider-Man Movie Crossovers with Venom and The Avengers?

Spider-Man courtesy theamazingspiderman.com

While talking up The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach called their upcoming Venom film a “cousin to Spider-Man” according to CraveOnline.

“As you know, Venom is defender of the innocent,” Arad said. “The only guy he really, really hates is Peter Parker, Spider-Man. The reason you didn’t see more development on Venom in the comics is because this power that he was given, he knew who Peter was, he knew who Spider-Man was, so go kill him already. We always struggle with storylines and you see the new Venom books. It’s Flash in Iraq. We know that if we put him in a certain position and concentrate on the human, not on the creature, which I thought was a really good beginning in 3.”

Venom courtesy Marvel.com

 Topher Grace played Eddie Brock/Venom in the Spider-Man 3. In the comic books former high school bully Flash Thompson is now Venom and part of Secret Avengers.

 Sony controls cinematic Spidey. Disney controls cinematic Avengers and owns Marvel Comics. Spider-Man has become a popular member of the comic book Avengers. Could the studios work it out so the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man team up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?

“Everything is possible,” Arad said. “If something like that happens, it’s great for Disney, it’s great for Sony. If the right story comes in, we are now working on Venom first. It’s our first out. So our thinking is in the right direction. Avengers to me was an expected success so I never looked at it because Avengers was successful.”

By Editor

Black Cat Strikes in Defenders

Defenders #7 courtesy Marvel.com

When I think of a perfect union of artist and character I think of Terry Dodson and Black Cat. The Spider-Man femme fatale claws her way into a different kind of book this week. Black Cat graces the cover of Defenders #7. Matt Fraction sends Doctor Strange and his team to Wakanda which means the Black Panther (the Fantastic Four are currently having an adventure there too.)

I love every female character Dodson draws (I have a framed poster of the X-women from Uncanny X-Men #500 autographed by Terry and Rachel Dodson) but there is something about his Black Cat. Terry and Rachel Dodson are killing with The Defenders. Fraction has been taking the non-team and readers through the Marvel Universe from Wundagore to Atlantis and now into Wakanda.

Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do #2 courtesy Marvel.com

The issue teases that Black Cat will get the offer of a lifetime. For a modern-day classic check out Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do limited series by Kevin Smith and the Dodsons.

Here’s hoping the Black Cat may steal Sony and director Marc Webb’s heart. I’d love to see Felicia Hardy appear in a Spider-Man movie in the future.

By Editor

Avengers vs X-Men Comes Down to A Shredded Spider-Man?

Avengers vs X-Men #9 courtesy Marvel.com

  Is Peter Parker the last hope after the Avengers vs X-Men war rips the reality of the Marvel Universe apart? Marvel revealed this cover for Avengers vs X-Men #9 with a battered Spider-Man in a shredded costume.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Their numbers dwindling, the Avengers stage a daring raid on the X-Men’s prison to rescue their captive members—and you won’t believe where it is!
• Alliances begin to change as the nature of the Phoenix becomes apparent!
• And in the end, it all comes down to Spider-Man!

  Given the No More Avengers tease and the description above (saving reality) it appears the AvX event will be take a House of M like twist ith an altered reality or ‘decimation’ of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

  Avengers vs X-Men #9 by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert (and this Jim Cheung cover) arrives this August. Issue 4 is out this week.

By Editor

Origins of Spider-Men

 

Spider-Men #1 interior art courtesy Marvel.com

  Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker clashes with the Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man on the big screen this summer but worlds collide in the comic books. Spider-Men unites Marvel’s Peter Parker and the Ultimate line’s Miles Morales in a new adventure by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli. Senior Editor Mark Paniccia reveals the story behind the team-up and new art on Marvel.com.

  “We were at a Publishing meeting going over the upcoming anniversaries and plans for 2012. Joe Quesada suggested having Peter and Miles meet. Usually we’re all very conservative when it comes to the idea of crossing over between the two universes, but the 50th anniversary of our favorite wall-crawler seemed like a pretty good time to do something like this. We had lots of interest and momentum built up with Miles Morales and we in the Ultimate Office loved the idea of giving more readers the opportunity to discover this new Spider-Man.”

  The Editor says Bendis is up to the challenge of comparing and contrasting the personalities of the different Spider-Men.

Spider-Men #4 courtesy Marvel.com

  “The similarities are brilliantly choreographed and designed by Brian. Every Peter Parker paradigm has a cool twist. Peter can look at Miles and see so much of himself inside. He can see, has felt and can understand so many of the things that Miles is going through. It’s gut-wrenching stuff. And fun. There are plenty of times you’ll find yourself smiling as you read. But at the end of the day they are very different characters and part of the journey is discovering how.”

  Paniccia confirmed Mysterio will be the villain and Peter Parker will learn his Ultimate counterpart is dead.

  “A great skill Brian has is getting his readers to connect with the characters. In a lot of cases, you think, “wow, that’s just what I would do” or “that’s how I would feel.” So all you have to do is think about how you would react to something as shocking as this. That you’re feeling that impact along with Peter is a testament to Brian’s talents.

  For more of the interview and preview art here’s the Marvel.com link.

  I’m excited for this crossover and I’m sure this Miles Morales fan is too. I met him at Fan Expo Vancouver – it’s cool so see an Ultimate character get the fan costume treatment!

Fan Expo Vancouver, photo by ComicsBlend.com

By Editor