Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. This edition focuses on Marvel’s February solicitations. Hit the links for more information.
Marvel’s One World Under Doom will kick into high gear in February, as the world’s savior in this past summer’s Blood Hunt event puts his new powers to use as the sorcerer supreme. Marvel announced the event back in October, which will be anchored by a miniseries by Ryan North and R.B. Silva. Originally that miniseries was going to be called The Rise of Emperor Doom, but it looks like Marvel elected to keep things simple and have changed the name of the series to match the event — One World Under Doom. That’s a good choice, although now it doesn’t have a reference to the classic David Michelinie/Bob Hall Marvel Graphic Novel Emperor Doom.
“One World Under Doom is a story I’ve been working on since 2023,” North shared. “This huge head start is such a gift when telling a story like this: I can make sure it all hangs together properly, and for other artists working on tie-ins with their books, I can share completed scripts instead of just an idea of what happens.”
Here are more details on the series:
Six months ago, Doctor Victor Von Doom became Sorcerer Supreme – then disappeared behind Latveria’s closed borders. For most, there’s enough going on in the world that Doom’s absence is not a priority, and some time without him feels like a blessing. Only a few recognize it for what it truly was… the calm before the storm. It is a storm that has now arrived.
The world has woken up to a new reality: Doctor Doom, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, has magically taken over every broadcast medium on the planet and declared himself Emperor of the World – the ruler of a new United Latveria! And shockingly, impossibly, all of Earth’s leaders seem to be going along with this.
Luckily, whether it’s mind control or Doombots, whatever’s affecting them hasn’t affected Earth’s heroes – and so they quickly form a strike team to stop Doom’s machinations. But will they succeed? And what happens when some begin to welcome their new Emperor with open arms, clamoring for One World Under Doom?
“Doom, to me, is the ultimate villain, because even when he loses he wins,” North said. “He’s not some guy you can punch a bunch until he stops doing crimes: he’s a man who has thought deeply about how to achieve precisely what he wants, and how to ensure others are manipulated into supporting him.
Here’s a look inside the first issue:
Look for it to arrive stores on Feb. 12.
Along with the crossover series comes a whole bunch of tie-ins. I’ve already mentioned Doom Academy, the new Red Hulk series and Thunderbolts: Doomstrike, but the X-Men are also getting in on the action with a group of “bad ass” mutants forming a strikeforce to take on Doom and other threats.
Weapon X-Men by Joe Casey and ChrisCross will debut on Feb. 19 and will feature Cable, Wolverine, Deadpool, Chamber and Thunderbird.
“When I pitched this series over a year ago, I knew it was going to be big… but writing a brand-new, premier super-team of top-tier, marquee mutants as they take on some of the most iconic villains in the modern Marvel Universe has turned out to be even more fun than I could’ve dreamed of,” Casey said. “If you’re a longtime fan of the expansive nature of the Marvel Universe — like I am — you don’t want to miss out. Weapon X-Men is going to be dangerous, unpredictable and classic all at the same time!”
But that’s not the only team of X-Men getting in on the action. February’s issues of both Storm and X-Factor will feature tie-ins, as will Fantastic Four — which will feature a guest team-up with their old friend She-Hulk.
Spider-Man’s woes brought on by his new “job” — one he was forced into by Doom — continue in February, but luckily the X-Men will be on hand to lend him some support. 8 Deaths of Spider-Man continues with three issues in February, the bi-weekly Amazing Spider-Man by guest creators Justina Ireland and Andrea Broccardo, and an Amazing Spider-Man #68.Deaths issue. It’s by Christos Gage and Mark Buckingham, and will feature the X-Men continuing the fight after Spider-Man dies one of his eight deaths.
Peter Parker isn’t the only hero dealing with a bit of crazy in February — Miles Morales will have his hands full with Deadpool and Deadpool’s daughter in the “Pools of Blood” crossover. With Cody Ziglar writing both Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Deadpool at the moment, a crossover seemed inevitable.
“Anyone who knows me knows how much esteem I hold for Miles and the Deadpools,” Ziglar said. “Which is why I’m so excited to write a crossover that lets them all interact! Ellie is new to the super hero scene so having her interact with someone else who’s picked up a mantle was so fun to write.”
The crossover will kick off in Deadpool #11, which comes out Feb. 12, and then continues in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30 on Feb. 19. It’ll carry on in the March issues of both titles.
If you follow artist Mark Brooks on social media you know that he’s been drawing “Disneyfied” versions of Marvel characters for most of this year, starting with the X-Men and then moving on to the Avengers. He’s created a lot of them, and now Marvel is releasing 26 variant covers in February featuring some of them. Marvel is referring to them as “animated style” variants, and Brooks posted that if they sell well, he has plenty more they can use in the future.
Here’s the full list:
On Sale 2/5:
Avengers #23 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Phoenix #8 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Scarlet Witch #9 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Uncanny X-Men #10 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Wolverine #6 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
On Sale 2/12:
Cable: Love and Chrome #2 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Deadpool #11 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Immortal Thor #20 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Magik #2 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Psylocke #4 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
X-Men #11 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
On Sale 2/19:
Exceptional X-Men #6 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Incredible Hulk #22 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Laura Kinney: Wolverine #3 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Mystique #5 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
NYX #8 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Storm #5 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Weapon X-Men #1 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
X-Factor #7 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
X-Force #8 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
On Sale 2/26:
Captain America & Volstagg #1 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Iron Man #5 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
Sabretooth: The Dead Don’t Talk #3 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
West Coast Avengers #4 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
X-Men #12 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks
On Sale 3/26:
Infinity Watch #3 Animated-style Variant Cover by Mark Brooks