Tag: Marvel

Emma Frost + Kitty Pryde prove the X-Men are still ‘Exceptional’ this September

Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero send the duo back to school this fall to train a new generation of mutants.

The post-Krakoa world of the X-Men continues to take shape as Marvel shares more details on Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero’s plans for Exceptional X-Men.

Along with X-Men and Uncanny X-Men, this new title will serve as the third “flagship” title for the From the Ashes line. It focuses on two popular mutants who have had a love/hate thing going since they were introduced, Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost. Together they’ll train three new mutants whose powers recently revealed themselves — the metallic and whip-wielding Bronze, the emotion-stirring Axo and the stealth-skilled fighter Melee.

“Regarding the young mutants, I think the whole team fell in love with all three of them,” Carnero said. “I love that they are such opposites. Eve had very clear personalities, hobbies, musical tastes, how they feel… And when it came to designing them, it all developed naturally, and the whole team had a clear vision of what their final looks would be. I can’t wait for readers to meet them.”

This is a full circle moment for Kitty Pryde, who started her tenure with the X-Men as a recruit to Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, way back in Uncanny X-Men #129. That’s also the first issue where we met the Hellfire Club’s White Queen, Emma Frost.

“Longtime fans of Kitty Pryde can count on the kinds of adventures you expect from her as a classic favorite, while I hope new and old readers alike will get to love this all-new team of young mutants,” Ewing said. “Kitty, the one-time kid sister figure of the X-Men, has to reckon with her own memories—good and bad—of being a child of Xavier as she navigates a role as leader and mentor for a new generation of mutants who are trying to make their way in a time of crisis.”

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Saladin Ahmed + Martín Cóccolo bring Wolverine back to his roots in September

Part of the ‘X-Men: From the Ashes’ line, the new title kicks off in September.

Marvel has announced that Daredevil writer Saladin Ahmed and “Stormbreakers” artist Martín Cóccolo will helm the new Wolverine title that will launch in September as a part of the X-Men: From the Ashes initiative.

According to Marvel.com, Wolverine will “turn his back on humanity, mutantkind and the X-Men” in the new series following the end of Krakoa and the “Sabretooth War” storyline that will finish out his current title. Which seems counter to the fact that he’s one of the characters in Gail Simone and David Marquez’s Uncanny X-Men title.

In any event, the new series finds Logan in the Canadian wilderness, where he’s back with his wolfpack and being attacked by his most hated foes, one by one, at the bequest of some ancient villain that “has been bubbling under the surface of the Marvel Universe since the days of myth.”

“Logan is simultaneously a mythic hero, an abused animal, and a man of flesh, blood, and adamantium,” Ahmed said. “Our story is about what happens when these parts of him all pull in opposite directions – and threaten to rip Logan to pieces that won’t come back together again.”

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Bloodhunting 1 | A roundtable on Marvel’s vampire-infested summer event

The Smash Pages crew digs into the first issue of Marvel’s ‘Blood Hunt.’

Marvel’s next big event is here — Blood Hunt, a crossover series they’ve spent months building toward with announcements about tie-ins, miniseries and even a Red Band edition that features more blood.

The first issue came out last Wednesday, and just like Captain America is assembling a new team of Avengers to fight off the vampire hordes, we’ve assembled the Smash Pages team — myself, Shane Bailey and Tom Bondurant — to talk about the event. So here’s our first “Bloodhunting” roundtable, with more to come in the weeks ahead.

This time around we talk about Blood Hunt #1, as well as the Free Comic Book Day issue and another recent series that might have served as a prelude. Please note there are heavy duty SPOILERS in this discussion related to the story, so only enter if you dare.

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‘X-Factor’ returns as a government-sponsored team in August

Mark Russell and Bob Quinn bring Angel, Havok, Frenzy and more into a world of hidden agendas and shady politics.

Havok returns to the world of government employment as he and Angel reform X-Factor this August. Mark Russell and Bob Quinn will team up for new stories that see the group of mutants serve as a special missions team and a propaganda machine for the U.S. government.

X-Factor will include not only Angel and Havok, but also Feral, Frenzy, Pyro and more. Together they’ll contend with hidden agendas, shady politics, dark consequences and disastrous public opinion from the inside. Russell, the writer of DC’s The Flintstones and AWA’s Rumpus Room, will no doubt poke fun at politics and the government along the way.

“The thing I’ve always loved about the X-Men is that they’re characters first, Super Heroes second,” Russell told Marvel.com. “So being able to write characters like Havok and Angel and Frenzy in a post-Krakoa reality is an opportunity to write about what I really care about, which is how do we help each other survive the apathy of the world we live in?”

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Slugfest | Spawny returns to kill off … Spawn?

Plus: News and announcements on ‘Uncanny X-Men,’ ‘Gilt Frame,’ Godzilla, Blacksad, ThunderCats and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you that we haven’t otherwise covered. Hit the links for more information.

McFarlane Productions has been on a roll introducing Spawn into various genres, and this summer they’ll return to the world of humor and satire with Spawn Kills Every Spawn. Like the previous Spawn Kills Everyone and Spawn Kills Everyone Too, this comic features the tiniest Spawn, Spawny, deciding to kill another set of comic characters — the Spawn universe.

Written by John Layman and illustrated by Rob “Sketchcraft” Duenas and colorist Robert Nugent, the five-issue miniseries sees Spawny arrive at a Spawn convention filled with Spawns from around the multiverse, all of whom are more popular than him. So he decides to become the most popular by eliminating the competition.

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Can’t Wait for Saturday | Free Comic Book Day brings Absolute Power, Jonny Quest + more

Check out a few of the cool + free comics you’ll find at your local retailer this Saturday.

The comic industry’s biggest holiday returns tomorrow as shops around the world bring you Free Comic Book Day, the annual event that yes, indeed, does offer you free comics.

The annual event started in 2002 based on an idea from retailer Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff in Concord, California. Since then, it’s become a cultural phenomenon, typically coming on the first Saturday in May, though sometimes in the past that wavered based on a new comic book movie’s release date. You can find a participating shop on the FCBD website, and see if any of your local shops are holding special events, sales or creator signings in conjunction with the event.

But of course, the focus is on the free comics. Many publishers use it as an opportunity to reshare a recent favorite or offer a prelude to an upcoming storyline or crossover. Still other will produce something wholly original or introduce a brand new title.

I’ve pulled out a few that look interesting to me below, and you can find the complete list of what could be available at your local shop on the FCBD site. Some things to keep in mind:

  • Not every retailer may have every title. Depending on their shop, they may elect to only have titles they think will excite their clientele.
  • Some retailers may limit the number of free comics you can take, while others may require a purchase.
  • Speaking of which, while titles are free to consumers, they are not free to retailers. So you may want to think about buying some other comics while you’re there regardless.
  • Some of the titles will also be available digitally, in case you can’t make it out on Saturday. So be sure to check your favorite digital comics site on Saturday as well.
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Airbnb is offering a chance to stay at the X-Mansion

Hope you survive the experience!

If you’ve ever dreamed of joining the X-Men and attending Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, now’s your chance.

As a part of a new “icons” experience promotion, Airbnb has announced several new pop culture themed listings, including your chance to stay at a mansion in Westchester County, New York that’s been decked out to look like the X-Mansion from the X-Men ’97 animated series on Disney+. Your stay will be “hosted” by Jubilee, who provides commentary on the listing.

“The X-Mansion is the best place for you and other mutants to learn about and control your awesome mutant gifts,” the listing says. “Your stay will be packed with training, cool experiments, secret mission briefings, a class photo, and more! When you’re wiped out, crash in my room, Wolverine’s, or one of our other dorms.”

The outside has been decked out with a severed Sentinel head:

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Jason Aaron, Paul Davidson + Alex Lins explore Marvel’s undersea world in ‘Namor’

The eight-issue miniseries kicks off in July.

If you thought Jason Aaron’s time at Marvel was over when his exclusivity ended, think again. The writer of Thor, Avengers and Punisher will work with Paul Davidson and Alex Lins on an eight-issue miniseries starring one of Marvel’s first characters, Namor the Sub-Mariner.

“The Last King of Atlantis” will start with the antihero in prison, never intending to return to the sea. Meanwhile, seven would-be kings vie for the throne of Atlantis.

“He’s always been a guy who has wavered back and forth between outright hero and outright villain, while spending a lot of time floating around somewhere in the middle,” Aaron told Marvel.com about Namor. “And all of that has left him in a very dark place, locked in a surface world prison, praying he never has to set foot in the seas again. That’s where our story begins.”

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‘Star Wars: Inquisitors’ hunt the Jedi in July

The popular minions of Darth Vader serve the Dark Side this summer, courtesy of Rodney Barnes and Ramon Rosanas.

The Inquisitors — the force-wielding minions of the Empire who hunted the Jedi for Darth Vader — have appeared in comics, on TV and in video games, and are set to star in their own miniseries coming from Marvel this summer.

Writer Rodney Barnes and artist Ramon Rosanas will send the “Redblades” after Tensu Run, a Jedi who survived the purge caused by Order 66 and seeks to rebuild the Jedi Order in that harrowing time between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope.

“It’s such an honor to be writing the very first Inquisitors solo story,” Barnes told StarWars.com. “I love this time period of Star Wars lore because it’s the one I grew up on — when Darth Vader and the Empire were imposing their will on the entire galaxy. Plus, I got to create an all-new legendary Jedi with Tensu Run! Truly the best of times!”

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Kaare Andrews returns to Spider-Man for a ‘Reign’ sequel

‘The most infamous Spider-Man story ever told’ will continue in a five-issue miniseries this summer.

It’s been almost two decades since Kaare Andrews’ Spider-Man: Reign imagined an authoritarian future New York where an elderly Peter Parker put his mask back on to stand up to an evil mayor and his jackboot police force. Andrews and Marvel will return to that world this summer in Spider-Man: Reign 2.

“I never imagined that I would ever be creating a sequel to a comic series from so long ago, my first major work in comics,” Andrews said. “Nor did I anticipate that a four-issue miniseries would continue to vibrate in the public consciousness today. But without fail, Spider-Man: Reign is mentioned in articles, lists and social media posts.”

The four-issue miniseries had many controversial moments, causing fans to either love or hate it. In the series, Mary Jane had died from cancer after exposure to Peter Parker’s radioactive semen over the years. But it also gave the Hypno-Hustler a prominent role, so it wasn’t all bad.

“Many call it the most infamous Spider-Man story ever told. But for me, what’s kept it relevant is the love behind creating that book,” Andrews said. “This is the character I grew up with, the one that taught me how to be a man, how to live with failure and keep standing back up, the unrelenting force of trying to make things better.”

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‘Older, grittier’ Avengers will face off with the Xenomorphs in ‘Aliens Vs. Avengers’

Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić will bring the two Disney properties together in a four-issue miniseries.

“Game over, Iron Man, Game over.” Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić will introduce a new take on the Avengers to battle the Xenomorphs from Aliens in a new miniseries coming this summer.

Aliens Vs. Avengers, or “AVA,” as the cover suggests, will be set in a new timeline many years in the future. As the Xenomorphs make landfall on Earth, they’ll find a grittier version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes ready and waiting.

“Probably one of the coolest things about the project is how we’ve found really fun ways to ‘Avengerize’ Aliens and ‘alien-up’ Avengers,” Hickman told Entertainment Weekly. “I think fans will be surprised at how elegantly some of those things fit together. It really turned out to be a chocolate-and-peanut-butter situation.”

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Father battles son in this summer’s ‘Venom War’ by Al Ewing + Iban Coello

Thanksgiving at the Brock household is going to suck this year.

Eddie Brock and his son Dylan have shared the name “Venom” since Al Ewing took over the title back in 2021, but glimpses of the future have shown both of them that there can be only one. So, in the mighty Marvel manner, father and son will sit down at the kitchen table and talk it out …

Not really! Get ready for Venom War, a five-issue miniseries that will see the two face off for the mantle of Venom, with plenty of other symbiotic heroes getting caught in the crossfire. Artist Iban Coello joins Ewing for the August-debuting title.

“This is what we’ve been building to since the start of this wild and way-out symbiote odyssey—the fateful confrontation between father and son,” Ewing said. “Where better to have it than inside the squared circle? And who better to bring this all-action epic to the page with than my old buddy Iban Coello? I’m tellin’ ya, goo believer—this is vehemently varied Venom violence like never viewed, and only one host can wear the symbiote when the dust settles! Who’s it gonna be?”

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