In the wake of the box-office success of “Guardians of the Galaxy” , and on the tail of the new “Rocket Raccoon” ongoing comic series, Marvel announced today that the ent-ish Groot will also be getting an ongoing comic book series. “Groot” #1 will be on the rack in your local comic shop in June.
Jeff Loveness, an Emmy and WGA Award nominated writer for “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” will be writing the series while professional animator Brian Kesinger will be Illustrating “Groot.” Both Loveness and Kesinger are relatively new to the Marvel roster, but both are well steeped in their respective expertise.
Loveness recently first sharpened his writing pencil for Marvel with “Amazing Spider-Man Special” #1.
“So much of my comedy style comes from reading Spider-Man comics as a kid, so it’s a joy to jump into this format and see how I do,” Loveness told Marvel.com. “I’m still a novice at it. Hopefully I won’t destroy the magic of comics for everyone.”
Fans whose first introduction to the character of Groot via the “Guardians of The Galaxy” film, will find a kindred spirit in Loveness.
“Groot absolutely stole the show in that and now I’m excited to take him on a cosmic road trip across the Marvel Universe.”
“I was aware of Groot, but like many people, I think the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movie gave me a fresh appreciation for the character,” said Loveness. “Groot absolutely stole the show in that and now I’m excited to take him on a cosmic road trip across the Marvel Universe.”
While Brian Kesinger is new to the medium, he is well steeped in narrative illustration. Kesinger has spent more than a decade in the Walt Disney Studios, writing and animating major features like “Tangled,” “Bolt” and the Academy Award-nominated “Wreck-It Ralph.” Additionally, Kesinger has also published his own illustrated book, “Walking Your Octopus: A Guide to the Domesticated Cephalopod.”
Loveness will be leaning on Kesinger to assist in telling the story of a character who is tethered to just one phrase, “I am Groot.”
“Brian brings so much wonder to Groot’s face,” said Loveness. “I’m in really good hands with him. We’re gonna make some fun, weird visuals for you guys.”
The two storytellers believe Groot is the perfect vehicle to tell a relatable story about beating the odds.
“Overall, it’s a story about overcoming your own handicaps in life,” said Loveness. “Maybe you’re lonely. Maybe you can’t speak properly. Maybe you’re a giant space tree who’s best friends with a raccoon. Every Marvel character, no matter how big or outlandish, is based on an emotional truth, and I’m really looking forward to exploring the truth behind Groot.”
“Also, they’re going to fight space sharks,” said Loveness.
Writer Charles Soule (“Letter 44”, “She-Hulk”) and Steve McNiven (“Civil War”, “Nemesis”) are bringing the fury of Black Bolt, Medusa, and the rest of the Inhumans to an Uncanny place whilst kicking off a new ongoing series “Uncanny Inhumans”. The storytellers will premier the book in the pages of “Uncanny Inhumans #0” next month. The preview pages, which you can check out right under the official Marvel announcement below, look terrific. Fellow bot and Smodcast podcaster Trent Hunsaker* urged me to remind everyone that the FOC on this book is this Monday so be sure to pay extra special attention to the solicit and get your order into your favorite comic book shop by Monday.
The Return of the King – Your First Look at UNCANNY INHUMANS #0! The Chart-Topping ‘Death of Wolverine’ Creative Team Re-Unite For an All-New Series!
This April, the silent Inhuman king rises from the ashes. Thought you knew Black Bolt? Think again! Prepare for UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 – the epic prelude to a brand new ongoing series from the chart-topping Death of Wolverine creative team of Charles Soule (Inhuman, She-Hulk) and Steve McNiven (Civil War, Old Man Logan)!
The stoic Inhuman king, able to level mountains with a whisper has struck out on his own – seemingly leaving his Queen and his very race to fend for themselves. But is that the whole story? Now, follow his adventures as he embarks on a new mission. A lone wolf and a king without a throne, Black Bolts endeavors will send him on a direct collision course with one of the Avengers’ greatest foes – Kang the Conqueror! With the mastery of time at his very fingertips, Kang will bend the entire 20,000 years of Inhuman history to his own vile ends.
With Kang cut loose, the silent sentinel of the Inhuman Nation is all that stands in his way. Will the Inhuman king rise in the face of growing threats to his people? Or will he fall? Find out when the secrets of Black Bolt’s journey comes to light in UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 – on sale in comic shops and on digital devices this April!
UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 (FEB150664) Written by: Charles Soule Art & Cover by: Steve McNiven Variant Cover by: Simone Bianchi (FEB150665) Connecting Variant by: Jim Cheung (FEB150666) Variant Cover by: Siya Oum Inhumans 50th Anniversary Variant by: Jerome Opena (FEB150668) Avengers Variant by: Mike Perkins (FEB150669) WTD Variant by:Christian Ward FOC – 03/09/15, On-Sale – 04/01/15
Image: Marvel Entertainment
Image: Marvel Entertainment
Image: Marvel Entertainment
Image: Marvel Entertainment
Image: Marvel Entertainment
Image: Marvel Entertainment
Image: Marvel Entertainment
*If you don’t have a favorite comic book shop, reach out to Trent on Twitter @ApartOfHim and he’ll have the helpful staff of Deathray Comics order “Uncanny Avengers #0” for you immediately.
“All-New Hawkeye” #1 – 10 out of 10 – Marvel; Written by Jeff Lemire (“Sweet Tooth”); Drawn by Ramón Pérez (“Amazing Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl”); Art by Ramón Pérez and Ian Herring (“Spider-Man & the X-Men”); Lettering by Joe Sabino (“Deadpool Kills”); In Stores 3/4/2015.
Most comic book fans shudder when a new direction is announced for their favorite series. Everyone (including the honorable-fake internet judge, John Hodgman) has recognized the brilliance, beauty and influence that Matt Fraction and David Aja’s “Hawkeye” brought to the world of tights and capes. At New York Comic Con in October, Marvel announced Jeff Lemire would be writing a new Hawkeye series picking up where Fraction’s would eventually end, and Pizza Dog fans everywhere felt the familiar chill and shudder of creative change (see “Hawkeye” #11 for Pizza Dog).
Lemire, who has had a long tenure at DC, comes to “All-New Hawkeye” after completing a run on the New 52’s “Green Arrow.”
“I have no fondness for archers per se,” Lemire told the New York Daily News. “It’s just kind of a coincidence that I was coming off that book and this book was offered.”
What was not a coincidence was editor Sana Amanat choosing Ramón Pérez and Ian Herring as the talent to pick up the reigns after such a monumental run by Aja and his team. In fact, Amanat acknowledges the difficulty of following in the wake of such a trend-setting comic book series in “All-New Hawkeye” #1’s letter page:
“How do you dare to follow a first act like Fraction and Aja? You tell your own story. You weave a new adventure with the heart, humor and soul of Hawkeye—and we’re not just talking about Clint.”
“All-New Hawkeye” #1 contains two stories: one of Clint Barong and his older brother Barney’s early years in foster care, and the continuing story of Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) in the employment of S.H.I.E.L.D. The early-years story is told through dreamy, water-color inspired art that has a Hawkeye-pastel inspired color palette. The Clint-Kate story is told through panels that would have David Aja or Steve Lieber doing double takes for style infringement.
The creative team does an A+ job showing readers rather than telling them. The issue uses no omniscient or first-person internal narration. The dialogue used in the early-years panels is reminiscent of the flashbacks in the preceding “Hawkeye” series and truly sets a tone for what will sure to be a heart-wrenching Hawkeye origin story. The Clint-Kate dialogue feels much like the Fraction-scribed banter that made readers fall in love with Kate Bishop.
The two narratives eventually bleed into each other. Normally, two stories with such different art styles would clash when blended, or when mixed, both would lose their uniqueness in the convergence. However, Pérez and Herring pull it off.
“All-New Hawkeye” #1 earns (my first to be given) 10 out of 10. Fans of the previous “Hawkeye” series will love this book. New readers will be introduced to a beautiful story that hints and an ocean of sadness just below the surface. Call your local comic shop and get this series on your pull list.
“Spider-Gwen” #1 — Most Wanted, Part 1 (7 out of 10) — Marvel Comics; Written by Jason Latour (“Wolverine and the X-Men”); Drawn by Robbi Rodriguez (“FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics”); Colors by Rico Renzi (“Sundowners”); Lettering by Clayton Cowles (all the comics); In Stores 2/25/2015.
Sometimes fans create a movement so strong that The Man (or in this case Marvel Comics) has no choice but to follow through with the demands. When Dan Slott came up with the idea of an alternate version of Spider-Man, one where Gwen Stacey was bitten by the radioactive spider, and when Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez brought this Spider-Gwen to life, it wasn’t intended to go further than the Spider-Verse story arc. However, as editor Nick Lowe writes in the last page of “Spider-Gwen” #1, “But most of all, you, the fans… sent this team and character into the stratosphere… this series is launching in a huge way and should be around for a long time to come.”
If you were one of the many to pick a copy of “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2 (a fifth printing will be available 3/25/2015), then the transition into “Spider-Gwen” will be a flawless one. For those of you who didn’t catch the debut of Spider-Gwen, you’ll survive the issue.
“Spider-Gwen” #1 begins with Gwen Stacy trying to find her place in the world after recently returning from fighting a war for the fate of all reality (i.e. Spider-Verse), while acknowledging the lingering fog of problems from the devastating events that took place in EOSV #2. In classic Marvel fashion, the first page of the issue recaps what took place in Spider-Gwen’s debut appearance. The synopsis is sufficient to enjoy the issue, however there are holes that are left for the reader to infer while consuming the story.
Albeit redundant to reiterate, key to understanding this first issue, is to remember that the story takes place in an alternate Marvel reality than that of the classic Peter Parker Spider-Man of popular culture. This is a reality where Ben Grimm is a street cop and not The Thing. It’s a reality where Frank Castle is a captain on the police force and not a raving mad Punisher (or is he…). The list of altered characters goes on and on.
Writer Jason Latour is quickly becoming one of the best young-hero story tellers in the Marvel bull pen. His work on “Wolverine and the X-Men” has him well-prepared to tell the drama-rich arc that is unfolding between Gwen Stacy and her (ex)band mates in The Mary Janes. This is a great throwback to the Stan Lee classic “Amazing Spider-Man” series. Like the early Spidey issues, “Spider-Gwen” has equal parts action and crime fighting to young-adult drama.
The Robbi Rodriguez / Rico Renzi art team has been proven successful in the pages of DC’s ” FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics,” and the art in “Spider-Gwen” feels as unified as if it were a single artists shouldering the whole work. The characters in the comic have an animated look not so different from that of “Amazing Spider-Man” artist Humberto Ramos.
As the creative team is playing in an alternate reality of the Marvel Universe, this has afforded them to explore different takes on classic characters. Their version of The Vulture — Spider-Gwen’s big villain for this first issue — is as equally fun as he is frightening. Though the character design that has resonated the most with fans is without a doubt the Spider-Woman costume (she can’t be known as Spider-Gwen to the public; secret identity much?).
Gwen’s spider costume is the same as was used in EOSV #2. Perhaps the popularity of this new character is directly linked to the costume. Editor Nick Lowe writes in the back of the issue, “You [the fans] drew your own fan art versions of her costume… you constructed your own Spider-Gwen costumes and cosplayed them…” A quick Google search will take you to the many posts all over Tumblr proving Lowe right.
“Spider-Gwen” #1 earns a 7 out of 10. The story is fluid and strong. The art is fun and as animated as the characters. The biggest problem with this first issue are the lingering effects from “Edge of Spider-Verse” #2, which jars a reader who is blind to the Spider-Verse story. Couple this issue with Spider-Gwen’s debut and you’ve got a solid 10.
This was a fitting end to this miniseries that I pray on Captain America’s vibranium shield returns very, very soon. It had action, it had heart, and it wrapped up all of the loose threads of this series while hinting at what stories there are left to tell.
And just like a Marvel movie, you want to stick around for the final scene, which feels very much like a post-credits sequence teasing about what is to come. In any case, when a certain actor from the Captain America movies appears in the final scene, I lost it a little bit. (And no, it’s not Chris Evans. Keep your pants on.)
But the best thing about this was how it tied everything up. From the callback to the radio drama from the second episode, to all of the personal feelings and growth in the characters, there was a lot of satisfaction.
I especially love the title: Valediction. This literally means a “farewell” or goodbye message, coming from the Latin roots meaning “to be well” (the same root as “valiant”) and “to speak” (ie, diction, dictate, etc.) This is the same root word that we use for “Valedictorian” — the student chosen to speak last at a commencement.
And so, in this, we say goodbye to a lot of things. Peggy Carter and Jarvis have a very poignant goodbye. While very buttoned-up and “Stiff upper lip,” you can tell how much emotion there was behind those words. It’s a testament to how good as actors both James D’Arcy and Hayley Atwell are. But the most poignant valediction is the one where Peggy, and Howard Stark, have to let go of Steve Rogers. There’s a final, tearjerking scene set to “The Way You Look Tonight” that delivers on all the feels. (While I personally think a better song choice would’ve been “I’ll be Seeing You,” this works just fine.)
I also can’t think of the word “Valediction” without thinking of the classic poem by John Donne, “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” (copied below) in which Donne tells his love not to mourn that he has gone away, because they will be reunited in the end. I can’t help but think that’s what the smarty-pants writers behind the show were thinking when they named the episode.
Now, for a little birdwalk, inspired by a fun conversation with Lucas “Kill-tacular-tron”: you know how the guy who played Agent Sousa is also in Avengers as an NYPD cop? You might call this just Joss Whedon being Whedon by castin some of his favorite people, as the actor, Enver Gjokaj, also played “Victor” on Whedon’s “Dollhouse” (and was generally one of the best parts of that show).
Well, here’s a theory: Is this NYPD cop related to Daniel Sousa? No reason not to believe this. I actually love this fan theory– Daniel Sousa’s grandson/great-grandson helped fight in the Battle of New York.
But Lucas brought up another interesting wrinkle: could he be Sousa’s and Peggy Carter’s progeny? Well, it’s not impossible. We do know Peggy Carter married, and that her husband was liberated from a POW camp by Captain America himself. While we know Sousa served in WWII, sustaining his injuries there, we do not have any mention of him being a POW or having any interaction with Steve Rogers.
While I love the idea of some romance between Sousa and Carter, I’m not sure it’s exactly right. Somehow, I think when Peggy Carter’s eventual husband is introduced, we’ll know. Lots of clues and knowing winks will be made toward the audience.
So, let’s file this one under “Neither confirm nor deny.”
And with that, we bid “Agent Carter” a fond farewell. For the last 7 weeks, you have been the best show on TV. We can hope we’ll get another limited series, or maybe some followup in the movies with these characters. No word, but there have been rumors that parts of Avengers 2 will be flashbacks to Cap in WWII. This also remains a possibility for Cap 3: Civil War, due out May 6, 2016.
The best case is to bring back “Agent Carter” for another round, possibly a longer mini-season that this series, or for even a full season commitment. They’re certainly hinting in that final scene where they are planning on going. The upside of having this mini-series or sort of “British style” tv seasons? In 8 episodes we got a complete story, and with a tease of what come later.
The only upside is that we will get “Agents of SHIELD” back, but I must admit, that feels like a step down, even as much as I love Coulsen and want to find out what the Inhumans is going on with Skye.
Adieu, Agent Carter. We’ll be missing you.
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourningby John Donne
As virtuous men pass mildly away, And whisper to their souls to go, Whilst some of their sad friends do say The breath goes now, and some say, No:
So let us melt, and make no noise, No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ‘Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.
Moving of th’ earth brings harms and fears, Men reckon what it did, and meant; But trepidation of the spheres, Though greater far, is innocent.
Dull sublunary lovers’ love (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit Absence, because it doth remove Those things which elemented it.
But we by a love so much refined, That our selves know not what it is, Inter-assured of the mind, Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.
Our two souls therefore, which are one, Though I must go, endure not yet A breach, but an expansion, Like gold to airy thinness beat.
If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two; Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show To move, but doth, if the other do.
And though it in the center sit, Yet when the other far doth roam, It leans and hearkens after it, And grows erect, as that comes home.
Such wilt thou be to me, who must, Like th’ other foot, obliquely run; Thy firmness makes my circle just, And makes me end where I begun.
As always, “Five & Three” brings you my favorite things in comics this week. Every week I pick my five favorite covers and three favorite panels to create “Five & Three”. I like to talk about why I picked the covers and panels and welcome hecklers and trend setters alike.
This week was a doozy for me. Overwhelming numbers of comics, day job hours, and lack of sleep has led to a very late night edition of “Five and Three”. I got a ton of great reading in but I had a hard time picking from everything to bring you these eight moments. Leading off is the cover to “Rumble #3” by James Harren. I’m loving this book and if you’re into the occult, you’ll love it too.
Next up is a lovely variant cover to “Silk #1”by Skottie Young. I didn’t much like Silk or her costume but after reading the first issue I’ve come completely around and I’m all in for whatever is next. I love MJ but I’m going to be the heretic and say I’d love to see more of the Parker/Moon romance in the pages to come.
Every time I see an homage to “Action Comics #1” I automatically include it. This cover to “Batman and Robin #39” with a super-powered Damian Wayne makes me happy. I’ll label myself as even more of a heretic when I say Damian is my favorite Robin (but only because Dick is Nightwing).
With another showing and all-time favorite cover artist for “Five and Three”, Francisco Francavilla shows up with an amazing variant to “The Valiant #3”. I’m very saddened to know that the series is limited. The great writers are sticking on but where will Paulo Rivera go? He’ll hopefully not go far and hopefully not for long. I’ve sorely missed him since he left the pages of “Daredevil” behind.
Babs Tarr is spectacular and I’m loving everything she’s doing in “Batgirl” but after seeing her variant cover to “Justice League #39” staring Wonder Woman, I’m really wanting to see her work in the pages of the Amazonian Goddess of War.
“Uncanny X-Men #31” ends a wonderful Bendis story about Professor Xavier and his will. What I take away from it all is that Eva Bell is sharp, powerful, sexy, imaginative, and one of my favorite new characters in the Marvel Universe. Bendis is leaving the X-books but at least his work will continue to echo on long after he is gone. I just want more Eva Bell. Am I the only one that reads her dialogue in her Aussie accent?
“The Multiversity: Mastermen #1” is another home run for Grant Morrison’s “The Multiversity” storyline. Jim Lee is the penciler with Scott Williams, Mark Irwin, and Sandra Hope inking one hell of a book. To top of the wonderful narrative and the beautiful art, Alex Sinclair makes the colors something special. I’d love to write more but without much time I’m going to give you as much as possible in a compact paragraph. The series is a must read and for all of you Morrison haters, you’ll love it too. Maybe it takes a mind open to the fifth dimension to appreciate the grand scale of the storytelling in “The Multiversity” or maybe it’s just spectacular and you should be reading it. You tell me.
My favorite moment of the week was when Ryan Ottley put Black Cat Comics in the pages of “Invincible #117”. The store clerk doesn’t look much like Greg but the discussion they have sounds like one I’d here in that shop. Oh, and if you’re looking carefully you’ll see the “Rumble” t-shirt by the store clerk which is just terrific.
.
That’s all for this week. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo or on Instagram @TheMarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or if you have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know. If you’d like to check out more “Five and Three” comic book moments start with “Five and Three” from last week. Until next time, see you in the comics shop.
‘Punisher’ Creator Returns to ‘Amazing Spider-Man’
Spider-Man legend Gerry Conway (writer of “Amazing Spider-Man” #111-49) will be scripting Spidey again in the mini-series “Spiral.”
The “Spiral” story arc will be told in five issues starting with “Amazing Spider-Man” #16.1 and is a team-up story featuring the recently returned-from-Spider-Verse Spider-Man and Police Captain Yuri Watanabe — aka the vigilante The Wraith.
Conway recently wrote a piece of the Spider-Verse in “Spider-Verse Team-Up” #2. It’s no surprise that “Spiral” will also be a team-up story.
“I’m incredibly enthused,” Conway told Tim O’Shea of Marvel.com. “Ironically, the Spider-Man team-up story is my second Spider-Man project. The limited series began first. We were working on that first when [editor] Nick Lowe asked me to do the 10-pager. Even though “Spider-Verse Team-Up” came out first, it was something that I started while I was already working on the “Amazing Spider-Man” issues.”
Teaming-up with Conway is artist Carlo Barberi (“Amazing X-Men,” “Thunderbolts”).
“The first issue I wrote without really knowing who the artist was going to be on it, although I had my hopes, obviously,” said Conway. “But now that I know it’s Carlo, I’m going to try to play to his strengths.”
Conway began writing ASM as the successor to Stan Lee. Starting at just 19 years-old, he is responsible for some of the most iconic issues published under title, including #121 — the death of Gwen Stacy and #129 — the first appearance of The Punisher. His stories have played heavily on the various crime factions of the Marvel Universe’s New York City, which makes him the perfect scribe for “Spiral.”
“The notion here is that the various Marvel crime gangs like the ones led by Hammerhead, Tombstone, the Circus of Crime, Black Cat, and Mr. Negative — they’re all at each other’s throats because there’s no single overlord of crime currently running things in New York,” said Conway. “Things only escalated, especially after The Goblin King fell out of the scene and Doc Ock is no longer operating as the Superior Spider-Man, keeping a lid on everything. It’s an opportunity for all of these power players to see which one of them can come out on top. While the larger gang war is taking place over the whole city, we’re focusing in on how it’s affecting the precinct of Captain Yuri Watanabe, who we also know as The Wraith, and that’s where the focus of our story is going to be.”
“Spiral” begins in “Amazing Spider-Man” #16.1 and will be on the rack in your local comic shop on 3/18/2015. See pages and covers by Arthur Adams and Simone Bianchi on Death Ray Comics Blog.
¡Sí se puede! Marvel announced they’ll be offering three of their titles this Free Comic Book Day in Spanish. While this is not the first time Marvel has published their works for a Spanish-language audience, it is the first time they’ll be offering them on FCBD, a day generally see as a yearly opportunity to draw in new fans.
Spanish readers will be able to pick up a single collection that includes Secret Wars #0, All-New, All-Different Avengers FCBD, and Uncanny Inhumans FCBD, including an exclusive cover by Nick Bradshaw.
This is a great move by Disney and Marvel, who will help expand their audience for their comics, especially when so many young kids are growing up in multilingual households. Traditionally, FCBD is about the publishers giving away some of their top titles for free, hoping to draw readers in to reading one of their titles regularly. It is likely that many do not know, and many retailers do not stock, Marvel’s comic translated into Spanish.
Free Comic Book Day, or “Dia De Comic Gratis,” is the first Saturday in May, falling on May 2 in 2015. You’ll be able to see all the comics the publishers are offering at freecomicbookday.com and find a comic store near you that is participating. We’ll see you in line.
Marvel’s full press release below:
Marvel to Offer FREE COMIC BOOK DAY Spanish Language Translations This May!
New York, NY—February 18th, 2014— Marvel is already bringing the biggest heroes, the biggest creators and the biggest stories to FREE COMIC BOOK 2015. But for the first time ever, we’re bringing the excitement of Free Comic Book Day to Spanish-speaking Marvel fans. Today, we’re proud to announce that this May, Marvel’s stellar Free Comic Book Day stories will be available in a special free Spanish Language Edition! Featuring a new cover by superstar artist Nick Bradshaw, three of this years can’t-miss Free Comic Book Day stories will be available together in one Spanish language comic.
“I’m thrilled to offer these Free Comic Book Day stories in Spanish the same day as their English language counterparts,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “Making the stories we create more accessible and available to a wider audience is essential to the continued growth of the comic industry.”
Presenting Secret Wars #0, All-New, All-Different Avengers FCBD, and Uncanny Inhumans FCBD in Spanish, the Free Comic Book Day 2015 Spanish Edition will be available exclusively in comic shops on May 2nd – the same day as the English language FCBD titles.
“Free Comic Book Day is a chance for publishers to offer gateway stories that will keep fans coming back the rest of the year and beyond,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “By offering our Free Comic Book Day stories in Spanish for the first time ever, we’re committed to expanding our audience to one of the largest growing demographics.”
Working closely in conjunction with Marvel and Disney marketing departments, the Free Comic Book Day 2015 Spanish Edition represents the first effort in a renewed focus on expanding growth of Marvel Comics to an increasingly diverse audience.
Retailers: Check future Marvel Mailers for instructions on how to order the Free Comic Book Day 2015 Spanish Edition.
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2015 SPANISH EDITION
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, CHARLES SOULE & TOP SECRET Art by PAUL RENAUD, BRANDON PETERSON & TOP SECRET
All the way back in October, 2014, Marvel teased the launch of a new “Secret Wars” series in 2015. The only information given at that time was that Jonathan Hickman (“New Avengers”) would be writing the series while Esad Ribic (“Thor: God of Thunder”) would be drawing it.
Fast forward to the end of January, 2015, when Marvel held a press conference announcing the official kickoff of “Secret Wars,” to be released in May, 2015. A quick summation of the almost half-hour long press conference is that all the different universes/realities within the Marvel Universe (e.g.; Earth-616, Ultimate Universe, et. all) are literally being smashed into one reality: a new planet, made up of countries containing the many universes/realities of the Marvel multi-verse. Marvel calls the countries of these realities “dominions” and in homage to 1984 “Secret Wars,” the planet is called Battleworld.
Are you still with me?
For example, the modern classic “Old Man Logan” – a series that stood alone from the main-stream Earth-616 Universe – will have its own dominion, called The Wastelands. However confusion ensued across Twitter, Reddit, and the vastness of the Internet when major events that took place within the Earth-616 Universe were announced to also have respective dominions. Fans were confused, thinking that those stories should be part of the Earth-616 dominion, where the stories were originally told. A case for the confusion includes the dominion Limbo.
The Limbo dominion is home to the 1989 Earth-616 company-wide crossover event of Inferno. However, different from the original series which ended with the mutant Magik throwing her soul sword into a gateway between Limbo and Manhattan, ultimately destroying the portal and saving the day, the dominion Limbo is a reality in which the heroes didn’t win. The story of Limbo will take place in the newly announced title “Inferno,” by Dennis Hopeless (“Spider-Woman) and Javier Garron (“Cyclops”), in your local comic shop in May, 2015. So the dominions which house classic Marvel events (e.g.; Infinity Gauntlet, House of M, etc.) are spins on the stories that we haven’t seen. However, the “Inferno” series will be branded as a “Warzones!” title.
Huh?! What happened to “Secret Wars?”
Marvel is publishing the whole Secret Wars event under four sub brands: “Secret Wars,” “Last Days,” “Battleworld” and “Warzones!”
“Secret Wars” is the main event title (i.e.; “Axis,” “Infinity”, “House of M,” etc.). While it will touch and affect all of the other titles, it will be a running mini-series, starting in May, 2015 and ending the same December. If you’re worried that this series won’t provide enough to read with just eight months worth of comics, Senior VP of Publishing Tom Brevoort said the second issue will be, “A gargantuan, oversized issue. It will give a full guided tour of the new Battleworld, and set up everything you need to know.”
“Last Days” is the brand that will show what happened to current story arcs and comic titles in the days just before the “incursion” – the word being used when realities smash together. So far there have not been many titles announced to carry the “Last Days” sub brand, but it is my guess that many of your favorite ongoing titles will have a chance to wrap up story arcs this way. As of publishing this article these are the titles announced under the “Last Days” umbrella:
“Captain America & the Mighty Avengers” (starting with #8)
“Loki: Agent of Asgard” (starting with #14)
“Magneto” (starting with #18)
“Battleworld” is the sub brand showing the full story of the happenings across the surface of the combined-realities planet. In these titles expect to see conflicts that consume many of the dominions. As of publishing this article these are the titles announced under the “Battleworld” sub brand:
“Secret Wars: Battleworld” – Anthology Series
“Secret Wars Journal” – Anthology Series
“Ultimate End” – Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley (The original creative team of “Ultimates”)
“Inhumans: Attilan Rising” – Charles Soule (“Inhuman”), John Timms (“Harley Quinn Specials”)
“Masters of Kung Fu” – Haden Blackman (“Elektra”), Dalibor Talajic (“Empire of the Dead: Act Two”)
“Warzones!” is the sub brand for titles that will tell the individual stories of the dominions of Battleworld. So as an example, the aforementioned dominion The Wastelands’ story will mostly likely be told in the “Warzones!” title “Old Man Logan.” As of publishing this article these are the announced titles bearing the “Warzones!” branding:
“Secret Wars 2099” (“Spider-Man 2099” creative team – 2099 dominion)
“Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars” (“Deadpool Kills” creative team – a yet to be named dominion based on the 1984 Secret Wars)
“Inferno” (Dennis Hopeless, Javier Garron – based on the 1989 Inferno event – Limbo dominion)
“Where Monsters Dwell” (Garth Ennis, Russ Braun – based on “War Is Hell” MAX miniseries – possibly the named Valley of Flame dominion)
“Spider-Verse” (Mike Costa, Andre Araujo – Spider-Verse event dominion – maybe the named Spider-Island dominon)
“M.O.D.O.K. Assassin” (Christ Yost, Amilcar Pinna – Killville dominon)
“A-Force” (G Willow Wilson, Marguerite K. Bennett – Arcadia dominion)
“Planet Hulk” (Sam Humphries, Mark Laming – Greenland dominion)
“Old Man Logan” (Brian Michael Bendis, Andrea Sorrentino — The Wastelands dominion)
This is a Galactus amount to swallow. As most of these titles will be on the racks in May, your local comic shops will be making the orders in March. Obviously, not everyone is going to be able to keep up with every title. Which is why Marvel is also releasing the “True Believer” brand of titles which are $1 reprints of the first issues of the events/stories which the dominions are based on (e.g.; “Planet Hulk,” “Old Man Logan,” etc.).
In writing this article, I’ve had marvel.com’s Battleworld map open on one monitor while writing on another. Jump over to the map to try and put these pieces together.
This new Secret Wars event is a massive undertaking by Marvel. Sadly, the real secret is knowing which titles will be the ones to pick up regularly and which ones to leave for a collected edition.
The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally come. In an announcement made today, Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios will be working together on the future of Spider-Man. According to the new deal, Spider-Man will appear in an undisclosed upcoming Marvel movie, making the web slinger an official part of the MCU.
Sony will still own the screen rights to the character and will be producing the next installment in Peter Parker’s on screen story in summer of 2017 via collaboration by Kevin Feige of Marvel and Amy Pascal who has overseen the Spider-Man franchise on Sony’s behalf for the last 13 years. Feige said of the deal, “I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie, Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel’s involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years.”
In addition, Bob Iger of Disney said in a statement, “Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s great characters, beloved around the world. We’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.”
Today’s announcement also included talks of MCU characters appearing in future Spidey flicks finally bringing the two universes completely together. I’m glad someone over there finally got their head out of their spinnerets.
